Have you ever wanted to be a Christmas Tree?

Tree skirt. Fits like a royal cape. All he needs is a star on top and he would make a mighty fine Christmas tree.

Bunch of Rednecks!

I love finding pictures that I forgot I took!

I got out our "other" camera and found some gems on it. Our Thanksgiving pictures were hiding on there.

We had a great time in the mountains for Thanksgiving. We cooked and ate TONS of yummy food at the the Hall's house and we got to spend some good quality time with the Udalls!

Here's Ryan hanging out with his Grandpa Udall. They were both dressed in Wranglers and green shirts that day. How cute is that? Cute li'l Wranglers! I love them!After we were all stuffed full of turkey and pumpkin pie, we did what any small town, redneck family does: GO SHOOTING!Here's Jeremiah looking as tough as Chuck Norris! He's a great shot with a shot gun. I wouldn't mess with him if I were you.

This is Randi's family initiation. This was her first time shooting but she wasn't scared of anything! She jumped right in to shoot the shotgun. She was meant to be a Udall! Here's my mom. She can always outshoot me. It was so fun to have her out there plinking with us!
Yes, that's me, and yes, that gun is smoking! (and yes, I missed!)

I'm a horrible shot with a shotgun! We've got to get out and shoot more often so I can post about how many clay pigeons I shot down. So far, none. :)

Here's my fave pic from our trip. We stopped for a quick break in the canyon (Simon got car sick. He gets that from his mom.) The view is spectacular! We drive through here so often and we rarely get to stop and appreciate the beauty the the Salt River Canyon. You cannot deny there is a God when you are gazing upon such a work of art.

This is what I'm Thankful for.

Holiday Marketplace

I just snagged this photo from Jesse and Randi's blog (it's a better pic than the ones I had.)

This is from the Winter Holiday Marketplace from Saturday the 12th. You can't see most of my 100+ tshirts and onesies that were also on display, but you can see some Cantaloupe Blossom headbands and tons of blossom clips.

I was so happy to have some family stop by to show their support. Jesse and Randi stopped by and Marie dropped by too! Thanks you guys! It means a lot to me!

This was my first big show and I loved every minute (except for the cold! I thought we lived in the desert.).

Thanks to everyone who came by and supported Cantaloupe Corner! And thanks to those who have helped me along this rollercoaster ride to get where I am. We have a lot of work ahead of us but it has been so much fun that I can't wait to see what's next!

The best-est Christmas book!

Do you need a good Christmas book to read to your kids? I "dig" this one:

We got this adorable "A Pirate's Night Before Christmas" book last year for the boys and I am thrilled it's Christmas story time again !

It's not sweet or sappy and it's the perfect "read-out-loud" story (Thats right, you can read it in your best scurvy pirate voice.)

Merry Christmas to all and a happy new Yarrrrgh!

The most wonderful time

December is my favorite month of the year! Parties, lights, Christmas trees, shopping, wonderful winter weather, family, friends, stories, . . .
I love every day of it!
This December has been busy!

Here's our month so far, in pictures.

Ryan is up and walking now and I'm so excited for him but a little depressed that my baby is now a toddler. He looks adorable walking, or stumbling, around the house. He and Simon are thoroughly enjoying their new sandbox. They spend a lot of time outside playing and fighting and playing some more. Even though there are 3 dumptrucks in the sandbox they always end up fighting over the same one. :)
We finally got out our Christmas decor and with lots of help from Jeremiah and the boys, we "decked the halls".
Simon got to help put the decorations on the tree and we left almost all of the glass ornaments in the box this year to save them from little hands knocking them down.
This is Simon's section of the tree, after we had moved some of the ornaments. He bunched them all together on two or three branches. Also, take a look at Jeremiah's Santa ornament. In his hand he's carrying. . . Frosty's head! ahh! kind of gruesome, but funny, in a Tim Burton kind of way.
We also threw and impromtu cookie decorating party with Karissa and Cabrena. Simon ate more sprinkles than made it onto the cookies. He made some beautiful sprinkle-covered trains!

Admiring our work. Sprinkles, frosting, red hots, and more sprinkles!

We will be heading up north to Round Valley for Christmas. I hope it snows! We'll take some more pictures up there!

DIY Can Rotator!

This was too cool not to post! I was going to buy one of those expensive food storage organizers/rotators (like the ones from Shelf Reliance). Then I found a site that shows how to make your own!
They may not be as pretty, but seriously, who looks in my pantry but me and my family anyways? And these are dirt cheap if you make them yourself!
Check it out here

All you need is cardboard boxes, glue, paint and some wood! Easy Peasy!

I can't wait to make some! (Maybe I'll ask for this from my hubby for Christmas) :)

Yay for cheap food storage supplies!

It's done!

Our sandbox is finally finished!

With some help from our fam we were able to move 1 TON of sand into our backyard! Simon had a great time! He was such a great helper. He could carry half a shovel full of sand in his bucket. He was so happy to be helping to build HIS sandbox!

The boys have been playing out there all day, every day since we got the sand in.

BTW if you buy a ton of sand at Lowe's it will cost about $100! We got our from a landscape company for $25! (But you have to supply the truck.)

tickety-tock goes the clock

I had one of those nostalgic moments today as I sat in my PJ's at 11 in the afternoon thinking about how time goes by so fast and there is no stopping it or slowing it down.

Ryan is walking! He's 14 months old and I'm so excited that my sweet little boy has decided that he wants to grow up and walk like his big brother does. I'm excited but I'm a litte depressed that he is no longer a baby. He is officially a toddler. A walking, talking, personality-filled, fun-lovin', cuddley toddler!

Ryan was a tough baby. He was colicky, loud, and hard to please; but find myself longing for those little newborn eyes and tiny hands and feet that have grown so much in the last year. He was, and is, my little Ryan and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the patience and love I learned from such a tiny person.

So, on to the next chapter of our lives. (No, we aren't going to have another baby yet, so don't ask).
I'm ready for my house be turned upside down and my cupboards completely emptied by those little hands. Crayon on the walls, missing remote controls, toys hiding in places I didn't think they would fit. . . Bring it on!

I'm going to continue to enjoy every day that I have with my precious boys.

I love you both so much Simon and Ryan. I feel blessed beyond words that God would send you to me.

Pud Muddle

We're building a sandbox in our backyard! And not a moment too soon.

I always thought a sandbox would be fun for the boys but never considered it as a necessity. Well, it's gotten to that point.

We NEED a sandbox.

Why?

Our clever, mischevious little boys alway find a way to tear apart something in the backyard to find dirt to play in. They learned that all they had to do was move some rocks, or all of the rocks, to find the dirt hiding underneath.

Now Simon is intrugued with mud and it has been no easy task to keep the water off in the backyard for whole day so his mud puddle can dry. And just when I think Simon understands the "Don't turn the hose on" rule I find this:

Yep, he's sitting in a mud puddle, happy as a clam.

Big brother was just trying to make some mud for he and his little brother to play in.

Ryan is getting more than his fair share of baths lately.

Once we get that sandbox finished I'm hoping that I won't find anymore mud covered boys in my backyard. And maybe I'll be able to get my rock beds and grass looking like normal again.

Pumpkin Pickin'

Peter Piper picked a patch of pretty pumpkins.

So where's the patch of pretty pumpkins that Peter Piper picked? At Mother Nature's Farm!

Me and the boys went to the pumpkin patch at the farm today and had a splendid time.

Here are the boys on the hay ride. Simon was so excited that a big green tractor was pulling the wagon. He loved it! Ryan had no idea what was going on but got excited because Simon was excited. :)

We got to check out the animals: Chickens and roosters and turkeys and a few pigs too.

This was the best part. I had to practically drag Simon out of the hay maze. I was a"mazed" to see how fast Simon got through the maze. He never got stuck. He quickly found his way to the end even when the other older kids were yelling "Mom, I don't know where to go."

That's my boy!

Here's Ryan chillin' in the play house.

Just for fun!

Here are the pumpkins! Simon had a blast decorating his. We found the letters for his name, and he added a few more letters and some other silly foam stickers too. Ryan didn't get the whole putting-stickers-on-pumpkins thing. I could barely get him to hold his pumpkin for a picture. He was sooo tired the whole time we were there. We left right at naptime. Not so smart on my part but he still had a good time And we can still use these pumpkins for scrumptions pumpkin pie later. mmmmm!

I am also happy to announce that Simon has finally overcome his fear of bounce houses! yay!

His Aunt Marie works at Extreme Play and last time we went there he would not get on the bouncers. He was scared to tears! But as of today he is cured and was even asking me if we could go see "Auntie Ree" at Extreme Play.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Trunk or Treat 09

Trick or Treat! Or should I say "Trunk-or-Treat!"
Our ward Halloween party/Chili cook-off was last night and it was a great party (besides the fact that it was FREEZING!)
I got the boys all decked out in their little pirate costumes that I finally finished. I got my costume finished in the nick of time too. I finally found a feather for my hat the day before the party.

Here are the boys showing off thier costumes.

Doesn't Ryan make the cutest pirate?

Simon sword fighting with dad.This was my favorite part of the costumes. I got to use my new screenprinting skills to add a Jolly Roger to the back of their vests. Pretty spiffy, huh?

Simon made a great pirate! He even had the grumpy pirate demeanor all night. All he wanted was candy. As soon as we sat down to eat he said "Mom, where's my candy!" He was so happy when it was time to trick or treat that he almost ran off and left me behind.

I loved seeing some of my favorite people and their kids all dressed up and having a great time.

Here's our gang of pirates. (Thanks to Erica Hanks for this pic.) I love my new hat! I might have to be a pirate again next year so I can wear it again! The best part about our costumes is that the only things we bought were: fabric for the boy's pants, bandanas, a feather, and trim for the vests. I even made my shirt out of one of Jeremiah's old mission shirts and my vest is made out of fabric from our old kitchen chairs. Jeremiah got home from work late so he missed all the fun :( Hope he can join the fun next year.

Family Update

I really want to be an avid blogger and post what's happening as soon as it happens but, with 2 little tornado boys, housework, finances, a new business, crafting, church, etc., I have found very little time to keep my online journal up to date.

I wanted to write down what is happening with the Halls before we are on to the next chapter in life. Most of this I am writing just for me, as boring as that may sound.

Jeremiah is so dedicated to his job. Farnsworth is so lucky to have him woking there. They have switched his hours around to the point that we barely get to see him anymore. He works 9 to 6ish. Which sometimes ends up turning into 7 to 7. We look forward to weekends with him so we can enjoy just hanging out with him.

He has also just started up his own small business with a compay called FHTM aka "Fortune". It is an amazing company that works with other brand name companies like Dish Network and Verizon Wireless, True Essentials, and much more. So if you are in need of services, he's the man to ask. Here's a link if you want to find out more. The more I find out about this company the more excited I get about it. (I know that sounded like a sales pitch but I seriously think this company is great!)

Jeremiah has also been really into "survivalism" lately. It's always been an interest for him but he has been learning so much more lately. I am so glad he's found a hobby and even more glad that it is something that he's doing for the whole family. He wants to be prepared for anything that could happen, from a house fire to natural disasters and everything in between.

(Jeni) I am still working from the comforts of home, getting my new business rolling. It has been amazing to watch my ideas come to life, and the best part is that other people like them too! I am loving Cantaloupe Corner. It is my creative release. But above that, it helps me feel like I am contributing to our household, beyond the duties of a stay-at-home-mom. I admit that it takes time, energy, and creativity that I sometimes just don't have, but it has been worth it every step of the way. I had the chance to show my wares at a "boo-tique" at a friends house last week . I got to show off my new designs and make a few bucks (and spend a few bucks.)

I have also started running in the mornings. I started with a mile a day and worked my way up to 2.5 or 3 miles a day. I haven't been able to run this week. I have bad ankles and the pain got to be so bad that I couldn't run. So, after some healing time and better shoes, I'm going to start again.

My newest project is Halloween costumes for me and my kids. We are all going to be pirates! ARRR! I even used my new-found screenprinting talents on their pirate vests! I can't wait to post pictures. I've also been working on cute organza and fabric hair flowers to put in my shop. New projects take the monatany out of doing t-shirts everyday.

Simon is growing 6 inches a day and learning at an amazing rate. Yesterday we were working on new words to read. I can't believe how well he can read for a 3 year old. I'm teaching him the "CH" sounds and "OO" sounds. He smiled so big when he finally learned to read the word "choo". What a smarty. He is also starting to color and draw more, which he never had the desire to do before. And we had a play-dough lesson in mixing colors too. Now he wants to get play-dough out every day so he can make colors. lol.

Ryan is getting so big that sometimes I look at him in the morning and that same night he seems months older. I love to watch him play and see the wheels in his head turning as he figures out how to get into EVERYTHING. He leaves a path of distruction wherever he goes, and I can honestly say I don't really mind. He is still cruising on the furniture and not quite brave enough to take off on his own. He has taken a few coaxed steps all by himself but he still doesn't trust his feet enough to really try walking. He gets happier and more bubbly every day. Although I still hold to the fact that he was given to me because I asked for patience. He knows which buttons to push.

Both boys LOVE playing outside in the beautiful fall weather. I find them outside frequently playing in the rocks and dirt. Jeremiah and I have finally come to the conclusion that we NEED a sandbox! It's the only thing that will keep these two tornados from tearing up our backyard :)

We are all happy, healthy, and loving life. I would never trade a day in the life of the Halls for a zillion dollars. There are always things that we can do better and things that we need to change but I love our life.

I have lots of pictures to share from the last couple of weeks. They will be on my next post. Stay tuned. . .

Diggin' some dirt

One of my favorite sayings is "A boy is a noise with dirt on it."

Myboys proved this to be true today, not once but twice!

I let the boys into the backyard to play for 5 minutes while I got ready this morning and when I came out Ryan was COVERED from head to toe with dirt! He had so much dirt in his hair that he actually looked like he really had hair :)
Simon had thrown handful after handful of dirt on his brother's head. The worst part is that we were supposed to be headed to the park for a ward playdate in 10 minutes!

Oh, and FYI, Simon has discovered that if you move the decorative rocks in the backyard there is dirt underneath. Brown gold.


So, I brushed them off, stuck them in the bath, scrubbed all the dirt out of their hair, nose, ears, etc., and found fresh clean clothes. We made it to the park (almost an hour late) and had a great afternoon.

Then, as I was fixing dinner, the boys snuck outside again to play. This is the scene I found:

Yep, Round Two of "How dirty can we get while mom isn't paying attention". This time I just laughed and let them play in the dirt until dinnertime. Boys will be boys.

Photos by me!

I needed some new photos to put up in my house but I didn't want to hire a photographer and I am a bit short on free time so I decided to channel my inner photographer and do it all by myself. (Last time I went to a studio and got suckered into buying 3 times the amount of photos I wanted. grrrrr!)

So they aren't professional, but I like them!

So here are the new pics of my cutie pies! *sigh* They are growing up too fast.

Rainy Labor Day

I was thrilled with our plans for this years Labor Day weekend. Jeremiah had labor day off and we were headed to the mountians, our SUV packed to the brim with sleeping bags, a tent, food, flashlights, etc. Yes, we were going camping!

I had checked the weather forecast a couple of days prior to our trip and all of the sources pointed to a rainy weekend. I didn't care. We were still going to camp! I know how fickle the weather in the mountians can be. When I was growing up, the weather guy on the radio was always wrong. When he said it would rain we would usually have clear skies.

I was counting on the forecasts to be wrong.

Unfortunately, it rained.

So we didn't brave taking our little boys camping in the pouring rain and thunderstorms. We stayed at Jeremiah's parent's house in clean, dry, comfortable beds.

We did, however, get to enjoy the scenery. We went on a drive, looking for the perfect picnic spot. Jeremiah saw a road going up the side of a hill/mountain and just couldn't say no. We drove back on a bad dirt road past a beautiful but mosquito infested pond and up to the mountain. Once we reached the road that went up to the top of the hill a big thunderstorm reached us and we decided that the top of the tallest hill with no trees isn't the best place to be when lightening is striking nearby. We turned around and headed back to the main road.

Here's our hill in a downpour just minutes after we left it. Jeremiah has vowed that next time we are in RV he will finally make it to the top! I learned on this trip that I really don't like off-roading. I think too much about "what happens if we get stuck" or "what if we lose a tire" or "we don't have cell phone reception, how will I call for help". I know, it's dumb. I am just a big party pooper. Simon didn't mind the dirt road so much but he got MAD when Jeremiah got his window muddy! :)

We also drove out to Southfork. It was BEAUTIFUL out there! We stopped for our picnic but the rain was still coming down so we headed back to town to picnic at Ramsey Park.
The boys got to play in the wet sand, building sandcastles and having sand fights. It was little boy heaven. Simon even found time to stop and smell the roses.

And, as if that wasn't enough fun for one day, we had a pull-up contest at the park. I won with a grand total of 5 pull-ups. Pretty pathetic but it was fun.
We thoughly enjoyed ourselves over this weekend. Jeremiah even got started in a new business venture (I'll post about that later).

But next time, rain or shine, we are going camping!