My amazing dancer

I am so proud of Tristen right now. She did her dance performance yesterday and she was incredible. She knew every single move and did them all right on time. I really didn't even practice with her at all, but we have had Christmas music going all month and every time "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" she would start doing the dance. Here are some of the awesome pictures my dad took.

We ended the day by going and seeing the Nutcracker together. She loved it and says that she can dance on top of her toes like that someday. I better start saving money to pay for it now.

A little update...

We have been super busy the last couple of weeks, but here is a little update. Matt made it through another semester wth flying colors. Only one more semester to go before he graduates and then starts his MBA.

Tristen is getting ready for her dance recital this weekend. She knows every single move to "I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and she can now read 25 words and sound out a lot more with Mom.

Gabriel is as insane as ever. We are starting to wonder if maybe he is possessed. Especially when we want to go to any store whatsoever. Yesterday the people at downeast asked me if he was okay since he was kicking and screaming on the floor of the dressing room and wouldn't come out. I told them "Yes, I am just trying to ignore his fit thank you." Haven't they ever seen a massive fit before? He can sing the entire Jingle Bells song in key though. I think he is my music prodigy.

I am doing great. I have been trying to work full time over the last few months so that we can have a little extra money for our bathroom remodel. I have sold over 75 dresses or skirts, and I am very excited about it. I have made enough money to cover my overhead and buy and new dishwasher and a lot of my Christmas. Other than that, I am trying to keep sane.

Well, that is the Cassity Fam. We are all safe and well.

He may not survive to age 2, I may not make it to 26

After my very busy boutiques the last few weeks, I definitely was ready to clean my basement toy room and sewing room. So, after getting everything picked up, I started to vacumn. Then, I heard a thud, thud, thud. I could just think, "Oh God, please don't let that be my baby." Well, it was. Gabriel fell down the whole entire flight of stairs that are not covered with anything, just linoleum. I found him at the bottom, with blood all over.

He must have hit his jaw on one of the stairs, because one tooth was laying on the floor, and another was dangling sideways in his mouth. After a lot of shaking and throwing the teeth in milk, we made it to the dentist. Don't worry, the don't do anything for baby teeth. My son is just going to be missing two of his bottom teeth for the next 5 years.

I think to myself how grateful I am that it wasn't more serious, but I probably would rather have had a broken arm. At least that goes away in 6 weeks. He won't have teeth until he is 7 and we loose teeth late in our family. Ugh.

I would take a picture, but he won't open his mouth for us to see it, and it is pretty nasty.

That same night he also fell off the couch head first and smacked into the bottom of my bed. He has no short term memory or recognition of what could possibly be dangerous, or what he has been told "no" about. I love him though, hopefully he will just survive for many more years.

Well, I finished with my craft fairs for the year, and I did alright. I sold about 15 items at them, but I did get a lot of networking going. I had fun getting to meet people and see how talented people are. I don't want to do anymore though. I am tired of them and I miss my kids. I sell lots more stuff online and can make them in Tristen's size that way too.

I had fun though and made a couple extra hundred dollars to go to my bathroom remodel before the toilet falls through the floor:)

I needed a 5 minute break from sewing, so I thought I would put up pictures of the kids on Halloween. Gabriel loved knocking on the doors and telling people "puppy" and saying bye over and over again. It was fun and Tristen looked beautiful. I am always jealous of little girl's long eyelashes:)

Craft fairs!!!!

Ahhhh and Yay! I am doing a couple of craft fairs next month and I am so excited and so busy. I have been sewing dresses like mad. My goal is to have 30-50 made and I am sitting at 25 with about 10 shirts made. I pretty much haven't done anything but sew (including housework) for the last 2 weeks. Matt says I am becoming a hermit in my craft room.

I am doing the Wasatch Christians School Craft fair on the 8th at 9am. It is right on 40th street by the South Ogden City office buildings. Then I am doing on at the Genesis Project on the 15th at 8am. It is on 20th and Lincoln. I am really excited and would love to see anyone there. I still haven't gotten the Washington Heights Craft fair booth, but I am on the waiting list:)

Happy 5 years to the love of my life

Matt and I have officially been married for 5 years today. I am still glad that I made that decision to elope to Lake Tahoe before anyone tried to talk me out of marrying the Greatest man I have ever met.

We didn't get to see each other much today, but we did spend a whole weekend reminding ourselves why we really love each other and renewing our marriage in Christ. I love Matt and I am so grateful he works so hard to be such an incredible husband and father.

incest in Utah

We found out that Matt's Mom's real Dad was related to my Grandpa, and this is what happened d/t the incest. Just kidding, but Gabe thinks these teeth are hilarious.

A weekend to remember

Matt and I decided this weekend that we would do something to truly better our marriage. So, we are going to a weekend to remember marriage conference. It is for 3 days up in Park City and I am super excited to spend 3 days bettering our marriage. Everyone knows that never hurts. I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy Halloween

Busy Busy

I got my new serger and I absolutely love it!!!! I can't believe I have sewn since I was 12 without one. I have made a new skirt or dress every day and am having tons of fun. I have sold about 4, so that makes it fun. I had one of my good friends Kyra come and pick out her own fabrics to put together and it is fun to see how people's tastes are so different. I finally got one made for Tristen too. Otherwise, not much has happened at all. I am just sewing until I can't stay awake anymore.

My favorite new dress

I really don't know if I am going to be able to sell this one. I really love it. Tristen didn't want to take it off, and I kinda didn't want her to either. I made it in her size for a reason;) I really love it, so I had to show it off a little

Curly's Creations

I was bribed by Matt that if I started to sell some dresses online that he would buy me a serger to make them a little easier. So, as I was sewing these extra dresses, Tristen decided that they were for a girl named "Curly", and we came up with Curly's creations. I am selling them in lots of different color combos and sizes 12months-7. They are about $20 to $30, depending on the size. Look on Etsy.com under seller user name ashjcass, also type in ashjcass.etsy.com or leave me a comment and I will get back to you. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I can put some of my sewing skills to good use.

The Blankets

I was just doing laundry and was amazed at how many blankets I had to pick up to wash. I picked up at least 10 blankets for each child. They are strewn all throughout the house and the yard. Heaven forbid we just had one special one, I was smart enough to buy plenty so we would never lose the "special one". Now I pick them up every day and they are a huge thorn in Matt's and my sides. Here is a picture of my little Linus's. Tristen's blankys have silk around the edges and she sucks her thumb and strokes the silk. Gabe's blankies are just really soft and he chews on the tag to fall asleep. My blanky babies.

My remodeling

Since I am too scared to do any remodeling in our house, Tristen and I decided to buy a doll house and remodel it. Each room is individually painted, we sewed bedding and pillows, made curtains for the bedrooms, rocked to fireplace and tiled to floors. We painted all the furniture and needless to say, Barbies rule in our house. Tristen and I had lots of fun with it, and now Tristen has a designer Barbie house. Something I always wished for as a kid.

Family pictures

Here are some family pictures. There are more to come, but they aren't done yet.

Cell phone trauma

Amber is selling her house in Layton, and I wanted to recommend it to anyone that is looking. We set up a blog for it...

www.immaculatelaytonhome.blogspot.com

Help pass the word, thanks

School Depression

I am currently experiencing some severe school beginning depression. My loving and wonderful husband is now going to be non-existent for the next 9 months. I don't want him to go back, but I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I am in complete denial about the fact that we only have a babysitter for 1 day a week and we need one for 2. I am trying to find some college girl that wants to come over one day a week while Matt is at school, but since my parents don't make it a necessity for Cara to make money, she doesn't want to. I am sure that we will figure it out, but can I be in denial for one more week?

SCHOOL SUCKS!!!!

I don't have insomnia

I think it was Chelsy that pointed out that most of my posts or comments are placed before 5 am, and most of you understand why. But for those of you who don't, I sleep wonderfully, but the best time for me to check blogs is right before work when it is quiet while I eat breakfast. Currently I am going to work a 3am to 3pm shift and my eyes are burning, but I am up. I would like to go back to sleep.

My handy man

Well every movie housewife's dream is to have a sexy handy man that does excellent work on their house, while they just watch. I have that. My sexy husband has done some amazing work on our house this summer.

Here is the before shot...






Here is the home after hours and hours of Matt's work. We removed
ugly bushes, painted, added trim, and put in a few new plants.
We still have some plants to remove and plants to plant. We also need to take of the curvy stuff along the roof line, but that will all come with time and a reduction in the temperature.

Kudos to my sexy handy man who is now repainting my cupboards and getting ready to granite the counter tops.

This house is still a lot of work, but I love being so close to work and I love the house. Even amidst construction, it feels like home.

Cute 3 year old quotes...

I am currently in our nursery at our church one week and month, and I was thinking of one of our cute boys that just moved to California and I had to write this story down.

His name is Ethan and he was living with his Grandma and Grandpa while his mom got his life back on track...

Ethan: Teacher, I fell down this week and hurt my knee.
Me:Really Ethan, let me see.
Ethan: I don't have any owies anymore because "Jesus healed my boo-boos"
Tristen: I have boo-boos too (as my little one lifts up her dress to show him her "boo-boos")

We are now talking about how there is more than one name for things and that we don't show other people our "boo-boos", but we can show other people our owies.

I love to watch little kids interact, then I am glad to be up at worship and service the next week. It is amazing how tired 15 1-4 year olds can be. Praise God!!!

My Gardeners

We bought some plants to temporarily or permanently (I'm not sure, they were on clearance) fill the spots from the big bushes we ripped out in front of our house. We got some really cute pictures of the kids helping out. They were filthy when they were done, but at least they were happy.

Grandpa Cassity

Well, my Grandma made it through surgery, is unhappy, but she made it through. And then the day after her fall, Matt's Grandpa fell down the stairs and had a brain bleed and stroke. We gave him a week for things to change, but they never did, so hospice came in to help as we let him die this weekend. Our family spent Saturday to Tuesday morning at 12:05 am at the hospital, just waiting for him to let go and pass. He fought it though. He lived with oxygen saturations at 56% (90% or greater is normal) for 36 hours. I didn't know the body could live that long with sats like that. Ogden Regionals nurses were wonderful and so caring to let us be there all that time and treated him so wonderfully.

The family is all okay with his death because he had emphysema and was going to die a much more miserable death in the long run if this hadn't taken him. His wife is struggling though. She is only 52 years old and has lost her husband of 27 years now. She will miss him and struggle not to be with him anymore.

It is a weird phase of life when the people you love start dying. Matt and I both knew that our grandparents wouldn't make it forever, but we will miss them. I guess that is how life works though, people are born and people die. We will miss Grandpa, but Gabriel still carries his name's sake. Gabriel Thomas Cassity. We love you Grandpa Cassity!

Mama Chat

After our little 4th of July celebrations, we got a call from Emeritus Estates and found out that my Grandma Chatelain had fallen and broken her hip. She has been so sick lately, but we were hopeful she was starting to get better. She had been in Emeritus a whole week before she fell. She had a really bad UTI and then a low blood sugar (which I don't think was rechecked after we personally went and fed her), and she fell. She is in surgery right now, and God only knows how she will do after. They don't think it is looking very good, but she has been sick and wanting to die for a while here. I hope that if she does make it through the surgery, she will be able to have some quality of life left.

Born on the 4th of July

I justed wanted to send a little birthday salute to Matt for the 4th. He is 29 years old now (amazing how close it is to 30). We had a really nice day. We started the day out by going to Denny's, where Gabe felt like he should vocally let everyone know of our presence. Then, we headed out to Lagoon, where with some amazing bribing, I got Tristen to go on more than Bulgy the Whale and the tug boats. To top day off, we had a really nice BBQ with some family and friends at our house. It was fun, and I love my Matthew. I am glad he is here with us and grateful to have him for another year.

Nothing cuter than a walking toddler

Gabe has been walking around for a couple of weeks now and I love it. I don't think that there is anything cuter than this little man walking around and barely keeping his balance. His newest thing is to think he can carry his blanket around with him and he'll have the tag in his mouth (that is his thing to chew the tag) and then trip right over it the whole time he is walking. I know he thinks he can do it because his big sis does.

My mom and I also decided that he is probably going to be one of those tough guys. He loves to be shoved around and wrestle. Yesterday, Tristen and Gabe were full contact wrestling and he took it all. I kept telling Tristen she was being to rough, and he kept giggling. Tristen knows she has to watch it though, he can turn on her in an instant and rip out the biggest chunk of hair you have ever seen. I love it!

God always answers prayers

I was feeling a little sad that I couldn't make it down to St George with my mom for Chelsy to have her baby, because I had to work. So, I tried planning on driving down by myself(that made me nervous), then I tried to plan a flight down there and drive home with my mom and I really didn't have money in the budget for that. Then, I figured that I would just have to wait a month and try and bribe Chelsy to come up here with paying for half of her gas.

Then I remembered that the other day my friend Berrell prayed that God would provide a way to go down and be able to see my sister and my new niece. So, I prayed again that God would comfort me and help me find an answer.

Well, after shaving my legs before work and feeling sad but determined I would just have to wait, my Grandpa called me. He and my Grandma knew how important it was for me to be with my sister at this time and had bought me an airplane ticket for Friday morning. My Grandma and my Aunt were planning on watching the kids, and all I had to do was go and see my sister. God truly answered my prayers. I sometimes forget that you can ask God for things that you want and don't really need, and that he always always answers prayers somehow. I thank God for opening my Grandpa and Grandma's heart to seeing how much I wanted to be with my sister. As I finish this blog with tears in my eyes, I am off the the plane! Thank you Jesus!

Aunt again x2!!!!

So, last Thursday Amber had her baby, little Hazel Kate. She is so cute. I think she was 6lb 10oz and 20 inches long. She has a ton of black hair and is so cute. Now, at this current time, Chelsy is dilated to a 9 and is getting ready to have Miss Maya Kate. (I know they both have the same middle name, but they both loved it too much). I am planning to go down and see this cute little one on Thursday night or Friday. I had to work the next two days, so I couldn't go down with my Mom to see her born.

I just think being an aunt is so much fun. When Matt and I decided that we weren't going to have anymore children, I knew I would be okay since I am planning on being involved as an Aunt. I also have a nephew coming in the next 10 days back in Minnesota. So, I love being an Aunt!

As I am finishing this blog, they are setting Chelsy up to deliver. She is a little early and the baby is a little small, so I pray for that little baby.

Happy Aunt

Amazing similarities

Even though Tristen and Gabriel are boy and girl, I find their similarities amazing. Gabe looks just like Tristen at the same age. They both had no hair and what they had/have is so blonde, you can't even see it. You can tell that Gabe is a boy and Tristen is a girl, but there is no doubt they are siblings.

I just wanted to put this picture up and tell the story of this cute little girl. Matt and I went and saw her Daddy in concert back in February. His name is Steven Curtis Chapman and he is a man that truly sings about his passion for God. On May 21st, his 16 year old son was learning to drive and accidentally hit his sister Maria that was five years old. She was killed that day and went to be loved by God. If you will take just a second to listen to the Cinderella song on my playlist that was written about his daughters months before he lost one. Steven Curtis Chapman has 3 older children and 3 younger girls all adopted from China. Maria was one of those girls. He helps fund an adoption agency that helps average income families adopt from out of country. Matt and I hope to go through Johanna's hope one day to adopt a child. I am amazed at this family and have kept them in my prayers. It is just a reminder to watch for those precious babies every time you back out of that driveway to prevent another tragic accident. God bless, and I hope no one ever has to go through a trial like this.

How do you get a 14.5 month old to walk?

Little Gabriel. I know that you are supposed to be patient and let your children do things when they are ready, especially when they are preemies, but come on. Tristen walked right at 12 months and Gabe won't walk unless he is behind Tristen's baby stroller and then he basically runs. We have tried bribing, cell phones and big applause, but he doesn't want to do it. He can crawl so fast, it's not worth it to him. Any good ideas and I would love them. I am just ready for him to go. He is too, if he would just try.

Way to go Cara!!!!

I just got home from Cara's graduation and I am so proud of her. She is the fifth child to graduate from WHS in our fam and the 4th to get the white cord for 4.0 for four years. That makes all of my fam but Matt and my Mom WHS grads. They went to Bonneville.

I am very proud of her. She is super busy and that is a hard thing to do. She is going on to WSU and will also be the 5th child to graduate from there when she is done. She is going to be on the dance team at WSU and will be dancing hard like usual. I am hoping she will go far with her dance. She is awesome. I keep telling her to go down to LA and really take a chance on life. We will see.

So, congrats to all the other graduates out there.

My future MD

One of my wonderful friends gave these to Gabe for a belated birthday. He looks so cute in them and he has them in John Deere too. I don't care if he is MD, RN, RT, RpH, LCSW, PT, PhD, BSN, or anything he wants to be as long as he is successful in what he chooses. He is very cute though. (He has candy in his mouth)

Britt Nicole Rocks!!!

Tristen and I went to a concert on Monday to see her favorite singer Britt Nicole. We had so much fun. When she came onto stage, Tristen's face was completely amazed. Tristen sang every song with her. We have not removed her CD from the player in the car for months. Then, Tristen waved to Britt, and she waved back and said hello. Tristen loved it. It made me cry as Britt Nicole was talking about dedicating her music to God and talking about scripture on the stage. I love that my daughter looks up to someone that has clean music and lives a clean life. At the end of the concert, she came and waved at Tristen again. After the concert, we met Britt and Tristen had her sign her shirt and got a picture with her. Tristen told Britt Nicole that her favorite song was the fire song and asked Britt if she could come over to her house and play. Britt told her that she would love to, but had to go and sing for more people. I thanked her for being a good role model for my daughter with tears in my eyes again. So, I also love her music and have put some of her songs on my page if anyone would like to listen they are great. I loved having a girl's night out with Tristen that I also enjoyed.

To stay or go

Matt finishes school next May and the big debate is to find a job with his own company, or go somewhere else. I have very mixed feelings about this. I love my job, my house, my church, and having my family so close, but it may be a fun adventure to move somewhere else.

I lay at night before I go to bed and think about selling our house and packing up (while putting it on a TLC show) and I think yuck. Then, I think about saying goodbye to my Mom and I think no way. But still, in the back of my mind, there is a little part of me that wants to get out of here. I may be ready for an adventure and a new atmosphere.

I told my Mom that we thought about Texas and she told Matt not to even consider it and that it wasn't even an option. She then didn't sleep the whole entire night. I may break her heart if we leave.

Good thing that I don't have to decide for another year huh.

Great home pre-school program

I have been doing this great pre-school program online with Tristen at home lately, and thought I would put the website on if any of you would like to start it with your kids.

I talked to the teacher of the preschool she would be going to and she said that this teaches way more than they would even be learning in preschool. It is adjustable to all age groups, so I hope someone finds it interesting.

www.letteroftheweek.com

Have fun!

LAGOON, here we come!!!

I just bought my Lagoon season passes for the start of some summer fun!!! Coke products has this coupon on them right now to make them cheaper (you don't even have to have a big group). It was a good hunk of money, but I can't wait to go. As my sister-in-law pointed out, you could buy Lagoon passes 4 times for the same price you could buy a swing set for.

So, if any of the rest of you decide to get a season pass too, let me know and we will have a party!!!!!! The opening day is tomorrow, but d/t the rain forecast, we are going to try for Sunday after church. Matt is scared of heights and hasn't been to Lagoon for 15 years, so he is the designated stroller and Gaber's watcher. I may just get him on a roller coaster by the end of the summer.

Our newest family picture

My Dad love taking pictures, and this is our family photo from Easter. He does pretty well at it, it's just hard to get everyone times right with two kids.

ARe you Kidding ME!!!

It is snowing, not sticking, but snowing! I get so sick of it being nice all week when Matt can't do anything, and have it snow on the weekends when we could have fun. We have a tree in our front yard that was supposed to be tackled with a chainsaw this weekend that gets to live for one more week. This large fern/pinetree was encrouching into our garage space so Matt took pruners to it last fall. It looks like some kid stuck a pipe bomb in it and let it explode. A big circle is cut out of the tree. I bet our neighbors are so sick of it. So, thanks to the snow, our pipe-bomb tree gets to live for one more week. I bet all of the other ferns and bushes in the yard were grateful. They all had a fate meeting with the chainsaw planned too. I love that my husband hates pine and that every mature bush in my yard is pine/spritzer. I must go, my dog is whining. She has been locked in the pantry by Gabriel! He loves shutting doors.

I love spring!

I have had the winter blues for so long that I am so glad to have spring. I truly love gardening and I am having so much fun discovering what is in my new yard. I have about 8 rose bushes that I have been pruning, even though I don't like them, I figure they have been around for about 30 years and deserve the chance to live. I love figuring out all of the bushes around the house and teaching the vines which way to go. I have had so much fun. Gardening work is so relaxing for me. I can't wait to plant flowers all over my entire yard! I told Matt that I have a minimum of $100 budget for just flowers. It is totally worth it to see the color and beauty all summer. My best friend's mother teaches gardening classes and is coming to give me some advise and teach me some new stuff this weekend. I can't wait!!!

It is also so nice to have a yard with an awning and trees in it. Tristen and Gabe have been playing in the yard non-stop. I have had a hard time keeping my floors clean with all their dust they are bringing in. I have to keep a constant watch on Tristen so I know when she is sneaking outside and I have to watch Gabe constantly when he is outside to make sure he's not eating leaves or dog poop. I love it.

I think I am ready to move somewhere that it is 70 degrees all the time!

Gabriel is 1!!!!!

On March 16th, our little fighter boy turned one! We had the funnest party. I bought this Elmo cupcake cake and it was so cute. It had bright red frosting the looked like Elmo's hair. I handed the cupcake to Gabe, he looked at it for a second, then dug into the frosting. He ate the whole cupcake. Halfway through his eating fest, he realized everyone was laughing at him and he started laughing back at all of us. We had so much fun. He got a basketball hoop, a lawn mower, and a rocket ship. I love boy toys!

We had all of the Fam that live in the area here and so much fun. One year olds are great!

The Family Vacation

Matt just pointed out that I didn't have any pictures of him on our blog, so these were about the only pictures I could find. He wouldn't let me take one of him fresh out of bed with coffee on hand :)

This is our vacation to St. George. 14 people in my family stayed in Chelsy's 1500 sq foot house and went to the home show. We got out to the park one day when it was warm enough. Tristen is scared to death of going on the slides, and Gabe screams and giggles the whole way down. We had fun and saw some incredible houses. We also took some of the 4-wheelers from Shawn's new rental shop and went 4-wheeling. Matt flew away on his and Tristen and I went on one of the rhino's. I loved it because I actually felt safe with me next to my daughter in her carseat. Amber and Chelsy contracted the rest of their night. The girls in their tummies didn't like it.