Hi. My name is London. And I'm a recovering bottleholic.

It's been five days since my last bottle. I finally just quit cold-turkey and threw them all in the trash. Yeah, It's tough, ya know, man. My mom says everything will be good. I'm trying to be a big girl about the whole thing, but really I'm sad and a little cranky. Okay. A lot cranky. Ya happy, now? It helps when my mom lays with me at nap time. But at bedtime, when the chapter from our book is over, I'm on my own. It's hard, but I do it. Yeah, sometimes I get into these crying fits that can last for like ten minutes. I mean, c'mon. A sippie? No. Those are for lightweights. Then my mom keeps saying "Yea for Ellie! What a big girl!" and I stop and that makes me feel happy for a while. Then I start to wonder about who's idea it really was to throw my bottles in the trash. And you know what? I don't think it was my idea. I liked my bottles, man. I only took two a day, anyways. Maybe three sometimes if we went for a long drive. Then I get real angry again and remind my mom that this wasn't my plan. But then she holds me and we watch Yo Gabba Gabba together and take a nap on her bed with the big pillows. Well, I kinda do like that plan. It's just that sometimes being a big girl isn't easy.

I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do.

Each morning on the route to school we check the rear-view mirror thermometer to see if we have a record low. Today it read 45 degrees. New record! I was so cold when I finally managed to rise this morning (Gravity was really heavy at my house today. We all struggled to get up.). My most favorite time of the year is finally here. Let me hear ya say it - Sweater Weather!!

I managed to live through another Arizona summer and now I am ready to enjoy the reason why Arizona rocks the country. The best weather from November to April. You want snow? No prob. Take a two and half hour drive north and you're in Flagstaff and the snow (take the scenic route through Sedona - even better). You want skiing? We've got that. In a few hours you've got bunny slopes to pro down hills at Sunrise. You want sunshine and green leaves? Right here in Little-Big Town. Great fishing and lakes? Camping? Sand dunes? We got that all here in AZ.

Oh man, I love being an Arizona Girl.

Something else I love? Being organized and getting free stuff. Especially when the stuff is rad.

Introcuded to me from this happy place is this little gem. I am a list-o-maniac and already have a steno notebook filled with what to make and who it's for. This website is just for me. (And every other OCD organizer out there.) As for the free stuff, well I'm totally blowing my odds here, but when you check into said happy place, you'll figure it out. Plus, I'm sure you'll want to visit again. The more happy places the better. Yup.

Halloween. I really don't understand you. We stress out to think of what to dress up as. Then put it all together so it can be disassembled as we walk in the dark through streets of strangers and beg for candy. Whatever.

Porter stayed in character all night; this is the most he smiled in all my pictures. London would twirl around in circles to see her fluffy skirt fly.

Olen and I left the Hulk and Witchy with mom & dad-in-law so we could gorge on deep-fried Oreoes with the other big kids over at Chris and Katie's Miller St. Cottage. Have you ever had a deep-fried Oreo?! Wow. I'm converted. "It's a party in my tummy."

After sorting out the candy bars to make our traditional day-after-Halloween-candy-bar-ice-cream, then hiding the best ones (tootsie rolls) up in a secret spot, I vacuum pack the rest and added it to the year supply for a rainy day.

In the end, I guess all kids, small and big and in-between, had a pretty good night. But I'm still glad it's a once a year deal.

This cartoon is meant to be funny; but if you lived on my block it's so true, it's scary.

And I don't care who you are. This is funny.
Happy Halloween!

The church Trunk or Treat was a huge success with our candy-seekers and also a great dress rehearsal for the real show tomorrow night.

London ditched her candy bag and just started holding all the candy in her hands. Easier access. Atta girl.

Porter never has liked candy except for the occasional Butterfinger and Snickers bar (I'll have to share his secrets of "The Good Diet" sometime) so he could care less how full his bag or hands got.

There was a chili cook off and I prepared a newly invented recipe that I call Black Bean Chipotle Chili. It was off the chili charts amazing (or so my in-house critics say). My recipe was inspired by Mrs. Renfro's Rasberry Chipotle Salsa (mother of all salsas). But I never heard the cook off winner announced. Que sera. We were probably at the booth where you threw wet sponges at the Beehives. Porter had a perfect pitch every time. Those girls were such good sports.

Good Word Wednesday!

My good news today is that as of last week my gorgeous (see for yourself) little sister Bethany is engaged to be married! Why am I so excited? Besides welcoming another stellar brother-in-law into the fam, I get to help plan the parties! Oh the planning. Oh the parties.

B, where's the honeymoon?!

Photo courtesy of Life Happens Studios

What's your good news today?

Yesterday a friend asked me how my weekend was and I responded right away that it was great and then had to pause to think of what went on. "Yeah we...uh...we..." I drew a total blank. Huh.

What did I do all weekend? Where did the time go?

I know I made some killer potato soup and bread one night and Houston and Cara came for a visit. I remember there were dishes washed and floors swept. A play date with my sister and a session at the Mesa Temple. And I'm pretty sure I was at church on Sunday (although we're in the nursery now and everything is kind of a blur).
So, yeah. I guess that's right. It was a great weekend.

We're having fun sharing a milking cow (which has been named Peter over at our house). We get to go out and pretend we're farmers a couple times a week and feed the babies that keep Peter company while Olen does the milking. Quick, funny story: Olen is ambidextrous and so he's equally good at milking with both hands and makes the whole process that much faster. In his sweet hometown of St. David, families would line up to hire Olen to do their milking because he was so fast. His mom says "He had the fastest hands in St. David; he would milk so quickly that there would be foam on top!" This makes me smile because I picture a couple of good ol' boys in their overalls standing by the row of mail boxes (probably chewing on a piece of straw) watching little Olen ride his bike down Sybil Road saying "There goes Billy Ray's boy, Olen. Ya know, he's got The Fastest Hands in St. David? He brings in the milk with foam on top!" Then the other good ol' boy would say (as the straw dropped from his jaw) "Is that so? I wonder if he has time for my Bessie?" But Olen always blushes when I comment on 'The Fastest Hands in St. David'. He seeks no stardom. It's just a gift.

Awh...it's officially the holiday season. Bring it on. The annual Tietjen Family Halloween party was held last night complete with homemade chili, bread and pinatas. You know, I'm not a fan of Halloween especially; but I sure do love the parties. It's all about the kids and what's not to like about that.

Holiday Checklist: Get family pictures. Check.

My favorite photographers are offering an amazing deal (who doesn't need a deal?!) for your family's Christmas photo shoot. I just thought I would share the love and let you know before they get booked solid. Schedule your's today. Like now.

Life Happens Studios

Here are some samplings of the work they've done for me and my family in the past. To see their most recent work check out their blog.

P.S. It's Good Word Wednesday! I've told you mine (above), now, what's yours?

Handmade from the Heart

Mom, do you remember the Cabbage Patch Kid doll or the Pound Puppy dog you made by hand for us in Christmases of our youth? Do you know where I keep them? In my cedar chests. Tucked away to share with Porter and London and any other children we're blessed with (hint, hint, up there?) and maybe my own grand kids to come.

I love them more now than I did when they were first discovered peaking from inside my stocking on those Christmas mornings so long ago. Now I understand what it means to stay up late after we had all gone to sleep and paint each doll with the same eye color as its owner and hand-stitch each patch onto the puppies to make them unique. I'm sure I thought Santa was a swell guy on those Christmas mornings; but I think it's time for me to say "Thank-you" to the real creators of those wonderful memories and childhood friends. So, thanks Mom and Dad.

Inspired by memories of a joyful childhood and an insightfully crafty sister (shout out Pal)

I introduce the theme for our 2008 Holidays:

Handmade Holiday

Olen and I talked to our kids about our new holiday theme and London started singing the "Happy Birthday to LaLa" song and Porter asked if that meant "Dad was going to carve [him] a wooden dog, or something?" After clarifing that giving gifts that we think about giving and then making on our own makes them even better because you can't make anything with your hands without putting a little bit of your heart in to it.

Porter is an old soul, as you know, and he totally got it.

He then asked Olen if he knew how to make a bike.

Now our fall break is through and tomorrow begins the normal weekend that we see at the end of every normal week.

Our last day was spent playing at Nana and Papa's house swimming (only the brave and the crazy) and eating pizza. I also got in some shopping with Katie for the last bits of our Halloween costumes. (What will I make with 25 yards of tulle and some green leggings....stay tuned.)

Here's where I'll be tomorrow! Give the picture a click to educate yourself on all the wonderful things that grow out of the Blissful Living Studios. Oh, to live there...

All kinds of amazing artisans will be there with all kinds of amazing wears. Be sure not to miss the Paddywacks Studio booth!

Hello, eye candy.

My beautiful hometown has so much going on. If you're in the area do yourself a favor and drop in.

Eat lunch here.

Then walk around these.

But, hurry! Don't miss the gun fight here.

Now it's late. Go get your rest. Tomorrow is going to be one freak awesome day.