My Happy Baby Boy!

Trust me, this is the cutest video ever!  (May 1996)

 Rustin is 8 months old and laughing his head off at Tess who is 2. 

Enjoy!

Watch Out Azores, Here They Come!

My parents, Kent and Mary Anne Koski have been called to serve a two-year mission taking digital photographs of old census records for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They will be serving in The Azores, a group of beautiful islands a thousand miles off the west coast of Portugal. 

They have spent the last 4 months learning Portuguese and getting their house half-emptied out so a newlywed couple can move in for two years.

In addition to preserving family records they will be helping out their mission president by serving in other ways, and will have many opportunities to share the gospel.

My sister, Maryjane and her husband Rich with Mom and Dad just after they were set apart as missionaries by our wonderful Stake President, President Ballard. It was wonderful to hear all the blessings that our Heavenly Father has in store for my parents and their family. One of the highlights of the night was listening to my parents bear their testimonies in Portuguese! They did a great job and they haven't even left yet!

My kids saying goodbye to grandparents who will be greatly missed!

At about 9:00 this morning I dropped them off at the airport where they flew to Salt Lake City. After two weeks in the Mission Training Center in Provo, UT, they will head for the Azores!

Mom making sure everything is ready to go!

 We love you and will miss you and can't wait to hear all about your adventures!

Bon Voyage!

Chloe and the Spelling Bee

Chloe went to the district spelling bee on Jan. 20, 2009 and made it to the third round. 

Top 11 out of 29!

She got tripped up on the word Cafeteria. She hesitated after C-A-F and couldn't decide on E or A and said A. The audience was holding their breath and you could tell they really wanted her to get it right. Half of the audience was made up of Crawfords, Koskis and Chloe's teachers, Mrs. Valles and Mrs. Seibolt. Her old principal was one of the word pronouncers. I had a great picture of her with the 3 of them but ruined it along with 75 other pictures a while back.

The best part of the evening going out to ice cream with the family. Thanks Crawford grandparents for visiting from Idaho!

Koski grandparents, Chloe and mom having a yummy time!

GOOD JOB CHLOE~ WE LOVE YOU!

He Loves Me!

I saw this on the kitchen counter the other night before heading up to bed and it made me smile. Russ sets all his stuff he needs to get ready for his EARLY Sunday morning meetings so he doesn't wake me up. 

What a man! I'm yours forever!

Snake For Sale!!!

Seriously. Don't bite the hand that feeds you!

Rustin's Eagle Court of Honor

On January 23, 2009 Rustin Crawford and Chase Carroll received their Eagle Scout Awards at a court of honor. We are so proud of them!

Rustin  and Chase reciting the scout oath.

The program, filled with awesome scout leaders who have been so helpful in getting Rustin where he is today! 

THANK YOU!!

At the beginning of the ceremony the men in the audience are Eagle Scouts assemble in the "Eagle's Nest." Mike Taylor, Scott Carroll, Rich Wilson, Chase's Uncle, Kent Koski and more.

Scott and Karen, proud mom and dad of their son, Chase

Good friend and scout leader, Sean Stapley, conducting the ceremony.

Scout Master, Dave Blaser, pinning Rusin's Eagle on his shirt. 

It's official!

Rustin pinning the father's pin on Russ. He really deserves a lot of credit for working hard with Rustin to get his Eagle at such a young age (barely 13) and for being such an inspiration to him.

Rustin just put my mom's pin on my very loaded lanyard (necklace thingy).

 It is full of all of his pins from cub scouts on up. 

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful son!- and such a cool necklace!

Happy and relieved mom, dad and son.

Olivia was our photographer while we were up there with Rustin. 

Great job Livvy!

Rustin and Chase are now Eagle Scouts and join the other Eagles in the nest!

Karen Carroll and I decorated the field like it was a campground, complete with 5 tents, 5 fire pits (with fires burning) and yummy snacks! 

Rustin getting a marshmallow ready for roasting.

When the ceremony ended and we partied roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.

Sheridan and Lori Stapley, Lucy, Maryjane, and Clark Wilson, Bro. Blaser, and son Tyler, Conner, Chase, Rustin, Sam, Jacob and Treven

Rustin's table displaying pictures of him clear back from 2004-2008 and lots of fun scouting memorobelia of his like his old scout shirt, pinewood derby car and his eagle certificate and trophy.

Chloe, Jordyn and Madi showing their support.

Chase, Rustin, Treven, McKay and Sam chillin'

Two happy boys who are done! Phew!!

Rustin and Treven in 2009

 

HERE COMES A QUICK FLASHBACK...

Rustin and Treven in 2006

Treven and Rustin in 2004

Rustin very excited at the pinewood derby in 2006

Feet actually off the ground he is so happy! 2006

Rustin and his wolf den leader (mom) and Scout Master (dad) 2004

Rustin with his Arrow of Light award. Sept. 2006 (11 yrs. old) 

Proud mom and dad with their brand-new boy scout. 2006

BACK TO JAN. 23, 2009.

Thanks to our many friends and family who joined us on this wonderful evening!

Treven's mom, Jodie and little brother, Cooper Martin.

Rustin's uncle Rich and cousin Claire

Tess, Grandma Koski, Grandma and Grandpa Crawford

Rustin and Bishop Budge

Rustin is loved by his Grandma and Grandpa (the original Rustin) Crawford who flew here from Idaho to celebrate with us on this happy day! 

Rustin and his Eagle Scout Grandpa Koski who is so proud of him too!

Thanks everyone who came or who sent him cards and well wishes. You are appreciated!

GOOD JOB RUSTIN~ WE LOVE YOU!

Extreme Home Makeover!

I started redecorating the living/dining room about 8 months ago and got new leather couches and a new computer table and chairs but I was too chicken and cheap to pick out a paint color and make new curtains but I finally did it.  The yellow  has been here for 9 years and I was ready for a change.

Living room/dining room BEFORE...

Before...

I had bought orange and green couch pillows to try out a new color scheme in the room but I didn't LOVE the orange and couldn't commit to it fully. The curtains are still red from my previous color scheme.

Kitchen/family room before...

I loved this color of green for so long but it needed to go too. Mostly it was dirty and needed freshening up. My friend Liz Barrett painted her kitchen the prettiest color of light greyish blue and when I saw it I knew I was ready!

Rustin hanging out in the old family room next to the kitchen.

DURING...

We hired Acey Nixon to paint- call me for his number- he was awesome! Good prices and they sprayed everything downstairs (bathroom included) and the upstairs hallway (that was yellow) and all our doors and moldings- they even painted the stair railing- 

IN ONE DAY!!

It was weird having EVERYTHING covered in plastic and it was funny listening to the sound of tape being pulled off the rolls all day long.

 It took them most of the day to tape and cover everything and just a few hours to paint it all.

AFTER!!!

The tan color Acey helped me choose for the walls is little darker than it looks here because of the flash.

It was fun to reuse some decorations and get lots of new ones! I found some on my own but my friend Kristin Palmer totally saved me by taking me shopping at her decorating boutique (on her birthday!) and making me the beautiful flower arrangements on these sconces and another one. 

What a talented and very nice friend!

This is the front of the living room. The front door is just to the left of the picture of the temple and the sacred grove (Santa gave them to me for Christmas- thanks Santa!) I found the fabric for the curtains and couch pillows at Creative Home Fabrics and sewed them all myself. My right hand is still aching from all the hand stitching of bottom hems and pillow edges. 

I LOVE THIS BENCH AND CLOCK!!! 

(and the cute kids in the pictures!)

Both are from Kristin's store and both match the room amazingly well. This is the entry way and is what you see when you open the front door. The pattern on the center of the clock is almost exactly the pattern in the drapes, just reversed. The pictures are from the photo shoot we had in december and I found the frames at Hobby Lobby. The big 16x20 of the family should be done today and will be framed very soon.

The other half of our long living room. Instead of a dining room table we have a computer table and that's where all this blogging magic takes place!

MY FAVORITE THINGS! 

I tossed the whole orange theme out the window when I saw this brown and blue fabric. I love those colors and the material so much I decided to base my room around it. The blue pillow in the front is equally yummy and is the perfect compliment to the other. The green I already had and I love how they all look together. p.s. Do you love the looped fringe around the brown/blue pillow? I thought so!

MORE FAVES!

I told Kristin I needed some storage for the computer paper and stuff and for the music books that always end up on the floor by the piano. She bought me two AWESOME trunks that morning. Look how the pattern on the metal band around the top matches the curtain fabric. She hadn't even seen or heard about it yet! How does she do it?

Here is the family room/kitchen. It's hard to tell exactly what the blue looks like in these pictures but it is Benjamin Moore's "beach glass" and the tan is their HC-44.

 I LOVE THIS BLUE!!!!

The view from the kitchen into the family room. The white bench in the corner used to be in our entry way. I was not sure what to do with it so I tried it in there and I liked it.

I already had this mirror and still love it and the couch pillows are just a few months old and the rock band drums are the bane of my existence!!!

MORE FAVORITE THINGS!

These are from Kristin's boutique and I fell in love with them. 

They are right above my stove.

Kristin made me this super cute and funky arrangement, complete with artichokes and feathers! It might just be my most favorite thing! 

I can't decide!!!

A new clock and a re-used plaque that my sister-in-law, Jami, made for me that I used to have in my entry way, but I love it even more here!!! 

Thanks Jami!

Even Tess's bathroom got a make-over!

It had a red shower curtain and tan towels.

We stayed with the whole blue and brown theme with a more aqua touch to it. 

Still looking for something perfect for the wall! 

Any ideas??

Thanks for visiting my house! 

Hope you liked your stay :)