Monster Mashing

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Sadly, no room for mom, but I am willing to let my brood take the limelight.

My Latest Creation

Dandi is having her first baby girl in December. So of course I had to make a new car seat cover and canopy for her little princess. I love making these for my sweet sisters, and yes, Nan that means you too. This will be the seventh Ely grandkid to ride around in their own custom seat.

Solar Systems and Dirty Babies

Tim did a solar system project. We had a lot of fun making the planets out of polymer clay and glazing them. They looked like lolly pops while they were drying.

Ta Da!!!

Jonah having a wonderful time at our house. Dandi and I were having a great time too, not watching the kids apparently.

Susanna showing off her dirty face. She doesn't care to get dirty like the boys, thank goodness.

Gavin is home!

My brother, Gavin, has been home for a month now, but I haven't posted in forever, so I am just getting this up.

It is wonderful to have him home. I LOVE to sing with him! I have been singing so much more since he got home. It is great. I have really missed his magic fingers on the piano these last two years.

Here is a glimpse of the first few encounters. The kids were in heaven, especially the older ones. Gavin has always been more like a cousin to Sam and Josh than an uncle.

I am not sure if you can tell, but Sam jumped up onto Gavin the moment he got out of the car.

There are some seriously scary faces (fake cough, Dandi, fake cough) so look closely!

Laney dancing with her Prince Charming.

Nate getting in on the action.

And Josh spinning gleefully


Gavin is still looking for a job. Let me know if you know of any opportunities. He has been putting in a ton of hours looking, but there just isn't much out there.

I am so glad to have him home!

A Quiet Morning

This morning I got up early. I loved watching Zanna, Laney and Daniel play with toys quietly as the sun came filtering in through our crepe myrtles. They played very well. Daniel then picked some movies to watch. He picked Bambi first. It was so relaxing and satisfying. It reminded me of Saturday mornings when Sam, Josh and Timmy were very little.

Laney's New Song

I am not sure how she came up with it, but today on the way home from church Laney was singing, "Old Obama had a dog. EIEI-O" Hmmm, very interesting...

Sara's Big Day

Sara wanted me to blog about her big day today. She had a congenital mole (a mole she was born with) removed from her left hand. This type of mole has a higher risk of later becoming a melanoma (scary cancer) than a regular mole. We have a family history of melanomas so the doctor wanted it removed for preventative reasons.

The doctors office called yesterday and said they had an opening for surgery today, so Sara and I had a last minute date at the Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa at 6:30 am this morning.

Sara was very brave and little excited to go. Here is a before picture.

Having fun coloring while waiting in COOL hospital jammies.

Shortly after waking up from the surgery, enjoying a popcicle. She was starving, but totally out of it. She had to fast before the procedure.

Fake look of horror at first peek of the stitches. She really was fine about the whole thing.

This is the after photo. The purple is marker from when the doctor circled the area he was going to be working on. The kids think the marker oval looks like a football with the stitching down the middle.

She is excited to go to school tomorrow and show her friends her bandage wrapped hand.