quick update

I am up late finishing baking some sweet rolls for breakfast. Spencer is having a sleep over with some friends, and I am making them sweet rolls for their breakfast! I hope I get some sleep tonight!

The pregnancy is doing well. We should know what sex the baby is in January! Time sure does fly. I am really trying not to use so many exclamation points! :)

Belle had her first day of Primary last Sunday. She was so excited she could barely contain herself. The primary Pres. told me she really loves to sing even if she doesn't know the words. (I have been hearing the same thing from school). It is so fun to see these little people emerge. She told me that Primary was perfectly wonderful, and that she can't wait to go again.

Rose is on her sixth cold since the beginning of October. Poor thing. However, we have reached quite a mile stone with her, she finally......drum roll please......is 20 pounds!!!!! She had her 18 month well check this week and weighed in at a wopping 19.99 pounds, and the doc said we could count that as 20. Yeah...I am doing a happy dance. I was getting really tired of everyone being so worried about her weight. I just have little babies.

I have a new camera, which I do not know how to work, and am trying to figure it out...so as soon as I do....well....I will post some pics for ya all!

signing off for now..........

ANNOUNCEMENT!

It appears as if the Nicholson family is adding one more to the bunch!!!! I went to the doctor on Tuesday, and it is confirmed. I am eleven weeks pregnant! I can't believe it! The baby appears to be healthy, and its little heart is beating away. I am starting to not be so sick so I am sure I will be posting more frequently. Thanks everybody for sticking by me even though I have not been around too much!

Halloween 2007

I have to admit, I had so much fun doing these costumes for the girls. Belle was a butterfly fairy, and Rose was a little witch minus the hat. (look for the hat on the jack o latern!) The girls lasted about 20 minutes trick or treating, then Belle's stomach ache made us come back home. Spencer had his first trick or treating without parental units! He had a really good time trick or treating with his good buddies Ryan and Jake. They went to the "rich" neighborhood to trick or treat because there was a rumor of king sized candy bars, and ipod giveaways! They found the king sized candy bars, but alas could not find the generous halloweeners giving away ipods!

What I have been working on!

I really have been very busy, as you will see! I have got so much more to do....but let me know what you think?!Autumn Leaf falling

Heber stormy sky

Happy times

Mamma's favorite smile

Landscape 1 and 2.



This is a painting I am working on right now.

PAINTING AWAY!!!!!!

I know all my blogging fans have been worried about me.....I have been frantically painting away, because I have sold everything, and have no inventory!!! (this is a good thing!) Every free moment I have been busy with brush in hand, but I promise Monday I will have a great post for you with pictures of everything I have been working on! Take care, and I think of you all often.

Desert Rose Designs-Test Blog

Desert Rose Designs-Test Blog

My eleventh Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I miss eating since I had weight loss surgery 1…. HAMBURGERS WITH THE BUN---I crave this more than any sweets. 2. Cake 3. chicken and pork really get stuck sometimes. 4. Cold Cereal 5. Celery 6. Bananas 7. Strawberries. (bananas and strawberries are real hard to eat, I really have to concentrate on taking little tiny bites, so I do still miss them, but they are a lot of work!) 8. Bread, any bread, homemade rolls....no bread for me, unless I want to be in a lot of pain. 9. peanut butter 10. hot dog in a hot dog bun :( 11. macaroni and cheese 12. pasta period. 13. soda, (not that I ever really drank this much, but sometimes you just miss that fizzy) *now everyone with the band does not have problems with the same kind of food, everybody is different. However, these are the foods I have had to eliminate or cut back on, or I get stuck and it really hurts! I am still glad that I got the surgery, and it is worth the sacrifice. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



By popular Demand, Janae's recipe for Homemade Brownies!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM They are so good

Beat four eggs and two cups of sugar together well.
Melt two sticks of butter in microwave, and stir in completely 2/3 cup of cocoa
then add to eggs and sugar. (make sure cocoa and butter are not hot enough to cook your eggs)
add 2 tsp of vanilla, and
1 1/2 cups of flour, and a dash of salt
Add one cup of nuts if desired.
Pour into greased pan, and bake at 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.
Let me know what you think!

Wordless Wednesday

Spencer makes a meal!

I am so proud of Spencer. This past weekend, I got a really bad headache, (surprise surprise), and he OFFERED, yes you heard correctly, HE OFFERED to make himself and the girls lunch! Wow, this is a momentous occasion. This is a child that would rather go hungry than make himself some toast in the morning! He made tuna fish sandwiches, and even peeled some carrots! Wow, way to go Spencer!

Balloon Launch

Belle's school every year has a pot luck dinner, and balloon launch to celebrate the new school year. I made lasagna, and two desserts, (the first one flopped so I had to make another!). Belle was very excited to go, Spencer was not. The food was great, and my brownies were so good that I didn't even get one! (my sister Janae's recipe, the best brownies I have ever eaten!!! I had to make them again on Sunday so that I could have some.)

Each class hands out the balloons to their students. Each balloon has a message about if you find this balloon send it back to their school to see how far it went. Well, we will never know how far Belle's balloon would have gone, since she found letting it go far to traumatizing. Here are a few pictures of the event.







Thumb sucking always makes balloon launches much better.


Unfortunately it appears that Rose is picking her nose in this picture. Oh well, won't she appreciate this picture when she is older?


Waiting for the balloon launch, and Belle so unknowing of what is to come.

Belle running away from the balloon launch when she saw everyone let theirs go. Much to emotionally painful to say goodbye.

Going, going and gone! Don't they look so cool.......

Belle's first day of Pre-school

As you can see Belle was extremely excited for her first day! When I picked her up she was so excited, and so tired that she took a really long nap when she got home. I think that pre-school is going to work out real well.

My Tenth Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I did in Kauai 1…. Saw beautiful waterfalls you only get to see on TV. 2. Got a gecko off of our hotel wall. 3. Spent a WHOLE LOT OF MONEY on groceries. 4 Took care of two sick kids (just for two days though, so not too bad) 5. Did a whole lot of swimming. 6. Saw the sun rise from the airplane, and will never forget the most amazing colors I have ever seen in my life. 7. Admired all the beauty, The Napali Coast will be something I never forget. 8. Enjoyed and drank up all that humidity! 9. Saw Robert Downey Jr. 10. Had a great night of hot tubbing and conversation with my sisters and sil 11. Rode on a train, and saw pigs, and piglets. 12. Ate lots of pineapple 13. And finally, enjoyed each and every beach we went to! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



Wordless Wednesday

Greeting cards

I am making greeting cards for any occasion with a print of my original art. For further details go to my art blog at http://artbydawnae@gmail.com. Or email me at artbydawnae@gmail.com

Weight Loss Update

Okay here is the weight loss to date. The first two pictures are the day before surgery! Wow! I can't believe I let myself get that big! That side picture really makes me sad! (I can't believe I am posting these!)

December 2007




March 2007





May 2007




September 2007
81 pounds lost, 45 more pounds to go..........

Belle's Birthday!

I just can't believe that my baby is now three! Belle turned 3 on August 23rd. It really does go by so fast. It seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. Belle was such a good baby. She hardly ever fussed or cried. She was that baby that makes you think that parenting is easy! I can do this again, no problem! (Ha) Well we all learn don't we. Here are a few pictures from her birthday party.


Rose wanting in on some of that unwrapping action!

oooooo I want to push this stroller soooooo bad!

Unwrapping presents is a serious business....

New school shoes...Yeah!!! (she really was excited...she loves shoes! already).




The post party blues are setting in....everyday since her birthday, Belle has asked, "where are my presents, I am ready for more".

I'm Sorry So Sorry.......

I'm sorry that I vanished guys...just life! I think if I get any busier I just might go crazy!!! I don't know how my sisters do it with so many kids! I have been busy school shopping, getting Spencer in the swing of things for school, baby well checks, and three yr old physicals, Belle's birthday, and company coming into town! Not to mention going to Vernal to collect all the stuff my husband took to Vernal, when he was working there. I am also trying to finish up a couple of paintings that I am going to try and get into the Redlands Gallery, thanks to Micalanne. It has just been a crazy couple a weeks! So either my children needed me, or Allen needed me, or the housework and meals for company. Either I am inept at all this housewife/mother stuff....and everyone is much better at it, or none of you guys get any sleep!!! So which is it????? Okay enough of the poor me, I am really glad that I am missed in the blog world! So with out further ado......the much anticipated....drum roll please....Hawaii Pictures!!!


These first pictures are of us in Waimea. It is the grand canyon of the South Pacific, as John Wayne said back in the 50's, according to the reading material over there. It was absolutely amazing, unfortunately, you will not all see the amazingness because the day we went there it was engulfed in a cloud, and we all got soaked. But in person it was truly something else. I think the canyon pictures themselves look a little bit like another world or the moon or something....kinda freaky.

I really loved this tree laying down like this....cool...

Took this while driving by a beach...I loved the colors of the two blues..the sky and ocean.

These are called the twin falls. They are the falls in Fantasy Island show....Remember that show???? Da Plane Da Plane. There was a really cool hike that you could go on that ended in swimming down at the bottom of the falls. I would have loved to go on the hike, but it was real steep, and the girls never would have made it.

These next pictures are the day we took the train ride, and toured the sugar plantation. There was some gorgeous scenery!

Little plantation cottage....didn't get the whole thing...so quaint!

Look at that sky!!! I just hardly ever see a sky this blue...especially here in Utah.

feeding the animals on daddy's shoulders.


I wish that I had more pictures. Both of the girls got sick on the trip and were down for a day each, but luckily felt better quickly. This day Belle was still not up to par, and started running a fever. I have to say that I really want to go back. I want to see the Na Pali coast, and do some of the hikes. I cannot even tell you of the majesty of the NaPali Coast. The sheer black cliffs are absolutely breathtaking with the blue ocean and the white capped waves crashing onto the black rocks below! Just amazing. I wish I had a camera on the plane, and I would have taken a picture, I have really never seen anything like it. I "heard" that it was where they filmed Jurassic Park.

Well, I do have lots more pictures coming up, and of course Belle's birthday post....so until next time....I bid you farewell. (now I get to make dinner and drag my children to back to school night without hubby who is working......fun)

*I promise next week I will have my wordless wednesday and Thursday thirteen up!