More on the "Minnie" dress

So I am about done with Katie's "Minnie Mouse" dress. After numerous rounds with the seam ripper, the end is in sight! The dress is entirely attached. The bindings on the neck and armholes are finished. I just have to put a hem at the bottom and close the back. I am not going to even mess with buttonholes. Velcro with faux button closures will work just fine for now.

The real test was to see if it fit her and it does! I realized that I do need to take the bottom up a bit more so that it isn't so long on her. So I am glad that I was able to fit it on her before I finished it. She can wear this dress just like this or with a t-shirt underneath. As she grows, she can wear it as a top with cute pants underneath.

I must say that I am so proud of myself for taking on this project. I think the sewing bug has bit me again and I can't wait to make more things for Katie.

My Feeble Attempt at Sewing

We are headed to Disneyland in May. I decided to get creative and make Katie a "Minnie Mouse" dress. The bodice and skirt band (on the bottom part of the skirt) is red with white polka dots, and the skirt will be black with white polkadots. I am almost done with the bodice (complete with binding on the arm holes and neck), and I am in the process of sewing the bottom band to the skirt. It is starting to take shape and looking like an actual dress. I haven't really sewn to this degree since high school (over 15 years ago). I just hope I can get it done before we go to Disneyland. Here a few pics of the dress in progress and pieces!

The bodice (top) of the dress. Arm hole bands sewn on and ready to sew on the neck band.Pinning the skirt band to the skirt.

Pig Tails

I call this a successful attempt at putting Katie's hair into pigtails. I even got some bows in there! It was so cute, until she pulled it all out not even 5 minutes later!

Easter Pictures

Easter Baskets

Easter Outfits and photo shoot(shot in front of our house).

Great picture of Katie at our friends, the McDonald's house Easter afternoon.

Colin and Katie running around the backyard chasing bubbles. Colin chasing bubbles.

Mike, Colin, and Katie wrestling.

Colin decorating sugar cookiesWhat a great job!

The homemade crescent and cloverleaf rolls we brought to Easter dinner at the McDonald's house. They were yummy!

Our Easter Sunday

Saturday night, 10pm: Katie wakes up crying and has thrown up in her crib. We figured it was from all the traveling we did Friday and Saturday and eating in the car and not sticking to her regular schedule.

Sunday morning, 2am: Krista woke up with a stabbing pain in her right side. The pain dulls slightly and then intensifies by 3am with all over abdominal pain and a sharp pain in her lower back on the right side. She becomes cold and clammy and has lost all coloring in her face. The pain becomes so intense that she insists on going to the ER. Mike called a few people to help stay with the kids but no luck. He packs the kids in the car and we were off to the ER. In the ER waiting room, Mike got a hold of our good friends, the McDonald's, and they show up a short time later to take the kids back home. We love you! Krista received a blessing before they left and shortly thereafter the pain starts to subside. After a 3 1/2 hour wait in the ER, the doctor shows up. He said because of the intense onset of the pain and then it went away so quickly and the other symptoms it most likely sounds like gallbladder issues/gallstones.

So Krista is fine now. An ultrasound has been scheduled for next Tuesday to see if there are, in fact, gallstones. For now, she is monitoring the issue with dietary changes...lemon tea every morning, flax oil and seeds, tomatoes, low-fat/non-fat foods, vinegars, garlic. No dairy, eggs, beans, oranges, all soda, chocolate (good-bye Easter bunny), fruit juice, refined and bleached foods, artificial sweeteners, sugar, preservatives, ice cream, oats, wheat, and barley, and of course "fatty" foods.

She'll figure it all out and we will know more after the ultrasound. It was pretty scary and it literally felt like a heart attack...that's how painful it was.

We did end the day with a lovely time at the McDonald's house with a wonderful Easter dinner, cookie decorating with the kids, bubble-blowing, making new friends, and even better conversation. Thanks for making it a great day, after all!

We are grateful we are for the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the healing power of the priesthood. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Cute as a Button

My Button Boquets


Just in Time for Spring:

Black 'n White:

I'll Just Eat the Sauce, please

Today was one of those days where I just too busy running around and I didn't have the energy to make lunch for the kids today. I had an eye doctor's appointment this morning at 10 and by the time I was done it was noon! I had to leave the house again at 1:45 to get Mike from work because he had a dentist appointment but had to bring me and the kids home first before his appointment. Busy, busy.

Anyway, after I left my appointment at noon, McDonalds was on the way home so I stopped and got Colin his usual cheeseburger Happy Meal (ketchup only!) and I decided to be adventurous and get Katie some chicken McNuggets. I had them throw in some Sweet 'n Sour sauce for kicks. When we got home, Katie wanted nothing to do with the McNuggets (which is good, I guess), but she saw the container of Sweet 'n Sour sauce and was pointing at it and grunting at it. So I opened it up and dipped a McNugget in it and gave it to her. She licked the sauce off of the McNugget and grunted for more.

She loves Sweet 'n Sour sauce! I had to cut her off after about 10 or 15 licks.