Look who just turned 5!

We are floored that our baby is now a great big 5 year old boy! We are so excited for his birthday and so is he. Nic has been counting down the days this last month to the big day, and it's finally here!  He has already received a few gifts from loved ones in the mail and let me tell you - happy mail makes his day!  He's anxious with anticipation to open all of his presents. 

Happy boy!

Nicholas is a super smart and fun loving boy. He is hilarious and also kind. He is the most social of all of our children and makes friends easily. He even makes friends for me!  Everywhere we go he introduces himself and asks to play. Regardless of the kids age/gender. At Andrew's last baseball game he talked a 10 year old into playing freeze tag with him for almost an hour! At the vet he asked another dog owner if their dog wanted to come over and play with Lucy. We are so blessed to have sweet Nicholas in our family.

Nicholas favorite things at age 5:

Pokemon!, My little pony, Super Heros (Flash and the Green Lantern), board games, red licorice, playing the in the dirt, collecting sticks, spotting animals to check off his list - chipmunk... check!, freeze tag, dancing, making up songs, singing and making videos (which he calls "radiations"). And he wants his own You Tube channel. "I really want to make a video and put it on You Tube so everyone that likes videos and watches You Tube can watch my video..." "Can you just get my video on You Tube?" 

The sweetest five year old.

So... as a gift to Nic on his Birthday here is his first video... posted on You Tube. I'm not super familiar with You Tube posts but I think if you click on this link you should be able to see the video. 

We celebrated Nic at preschool with cupcakes and treats. Nic wanted everyone at school to receive a pokemon ring. Tricky but I found some online, only problem is they never arrived in time. I ended up placing the #5 cupcake toppers I made sans ring. When the rings finally do arrive Nic will have another gift to open! 

Below are the other crafting cuties I created for his birthday. I can only get away with this for another year or so. This color scheme would have worked nicely with Pokemon, don'tcha think? A card, cake topper, tag and the cupcake toppers. It's always so fun to create with a purpose. I used the new Build a Birthday stamp set and other sneak peak products from the new SU catalog. I found it was really easy to create a variety of projects. I even ended up with another card sample that I'll share later this week.

Nicholas 5th birthday card using Build A Birthday

Build A Birthday Cake topper for Nic's cake

Build A Birthday matching Gift tag

Cupcake toppers

Build A Birthday Photopolymer Stamp Set

$16.00

Boho Chic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$7.50

Banner Triple Punch

$23.00

2015-2017 In Color 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock & Classic Stampin’ Pads Kit

$32.50

Cherry On Top Designer Washi Tape

$8.00

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

Remember these?

How about a little trip down memory lane - Nicholas first year. Happy Birthday Nicholas! We love you. Happy tears, five years vanished overnight.

1 month

2 month

3 month

4 month

5 month

6 month

7 month

8 month

9 month

10 month

11 month

12 month

May: Yard/NYC/Baseball

It's been a busy week... I got the opportunity to go to New York for the Stationery show. Kathleen was in town and had the weekend free so she tagged along and we did a little sightseeing. It was super fun she treated me to see Les Miserables!!! We eat ate at fabulous restaurants and I got all my work complete. Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Our yard is slowly coming along.  This week we have the flowerbeds, sprinklers and walkway installed, now if we can just get our builder to hydroseed the yard we should be close to done! There was a little propane tank mishap and we met the local fire and police crew but that's all we will say about that.

Baseball season is wrapping up. Andrew has a few more games until the season is over. The other day he pitched an entire game which was pretty awesome, they won 4 to 3.  Andrew participated in a charity event Saturday called the MIracle League where players help kids with disabilities play a game of baseball. Afterward Chris and Andrew took in a Red Sox game.

Tree trims

Our trees needed a little trim. It's amazing how tall and glorious these trees are. We have large oak, white pine and pine trees covering the woods. It's hard to tell as many of the trees are still budding out. The forest must account for hundreds of years of growth. Our landscape plan calls for few new trees under the canopy of the larger trees to add some variety and spring color.  We had the dead wood and a few of the trees in rough shape removed. Not something you can handle without a cherry picker!

The yard has officially been started! 

Yard déjà vu

You may recall quite a few blog postings about installing a yard a few years back …  I hate to break it to you but this may be the first of many posts about installing a new yard. This time but we need to install a front and back lawn. Our new yard is a blank canvas, which is awesome but it's also proving expensive. 

Here's a glimpse of some of the planning and plant research that I've been doing. While apparently it's the same zone is Utah (5) we have different challenges and I'm not quite sure what will grow here or how the plants will grow here. Now I need to get someone out here to start helping us.

Lot plan and plants

Color, I miss you. 

Forsythia is gorgeous around here! I might need some. 

Welcome May!

Let me first resolve to post more. Somehow the month gets away from me and my desire to post is lackluster. 

Here are a few highlights from the last couple of weeks:

1. Andrew was the only freshman to make the JV baseball team, very exciting! He's had games and practices almost every day. He's tired but working hard and doing really well.

2. Benjamin is on two soccer teams and also is on the track team. He's enjoying working hard after school, running, and building his endurance. He is soon to be 13... crazy that we will have another teenager in the house. 

3. Nicholas is counting down the days to his fifth birthday. This boy is beyond excited to turn five, he is constantly in the mix, learning new things and quite the little dramatic performer. We got all of his paperwork for kindergarten turned in and he is ready to start full-day kindergarten in the fall.

4. I'm still unpacking the house - buried in boxes - but less so day by day. I found my "people" in Manchester New Hampshire at a CK scrapbooking convention. I spent a fun day crafting, taking classes and shopping. I went by myself but still had a great time. I'm unpacking my craft room, which never ends, but I have a desk and a place to create! Life is good.

5. Chris is busy working on work and finishing up his doctorate. He's been at Northeastern University now almost 6 months and the job is going well. He is happy to be in a house again (no more apartment living) and around and able to attend the boys sporting events!

Last month we had some visitors. Yay! We got to see Grammy and Billy Jack, they stayed the night and Nicholas was thrilled to have a cousin to play with. Our friends Jen and Gabe stopped by for a night on their vacation and Nicholas got to play with their sweet kids. He was beyond excited to have people his age around.

Around the house we are trying to get a yard, continuing to unpack, decorate and settle. We had to put a water filter on our well due to higher than normal iron count, that was an unexpected expense. We also decided to put rain gutters on the house. Home owners = broke.

We are planning a Utah trip in July or August and then perhaps again at Christmas time. Before then, or whenever, we would love to see you. Our house is always open if you'd like to stay over or stop by. Welcome!

Oh and I finish our taxes on time, in case you were worried

April randomness - clockwise: Ben and track, Andrew pitching, flowers from Chris, Mischievious Nic and markers, a crafting desk, running into an old friend on the East coast, Nic and cousin Billy, the future craft room, and a stick collection.

Nicholas created an "upside down" countdown calendar to his 5th Birthday. The kid is jazzed.

Rugs

Finding nice inexpensive rugs is tricky business. The flooring in our new home is completely hardwood and area rugs are needed in just about every room. Nic stated after just two days in the new place that he missed carpet. Funny how tactile he is but I can totally relate. I have a couple of rugs from our previous home that will work great in many rooms but most are on the smaller side and basically scatter rugs. I've been on the rug hunt for a couple of weeks now. I find shopping for rugs online really hard because I like to touch the rug and see the fibers. I did find a couple of great resources here and here which helped me narrow down my in store visits. I may still end up purchasing a rug or two online after I become more familiar with what I am looking for.

Home Goods is amazing. I love this store but it's never predictable. After four visits to 3 various HG stores I I found this gorgeous wool rug at the Home Goods in Acton. Seriously 10% of the cost of this similarly cool wool rug from R&H. Bargain! I thought we might put this in our bedroom but I think it fits perfectly in the dining room. Tip for shopping at Home Goods... if you see it and like it BUY it. You can always take it back but usually the cool stuff is snagged up pretty quick, IMO.

Here is the Restoration Hardware version. Super nice and beyond spendy.

I like the look and feel of a shag rug. I was so inspired by Joellyn's living room rug and wanted to find something for our living room with a similar feel. I found this super soft grey shag rug from Home Depot of all places - cheap. I had my doubts about the quality but the instant we laid it on the floor I was sold, and so was Nic. He started making carpet angels and rolled around on it like a puppy. It so soft, especially with a nice carpet pad underneath. We will see how it holds up to vacuuming but for now I'm in love. 

Have good rug tips or resources you'd like to share? Advice welcome.

March Updates (in April)

Days are flying by, filled with school, unpacking, and basic tasks. As we try to catch up and get back to normal we are realizing it'll take some time. Patience. I've been neglecting the blog, not taking photos, showers, basically all letting things slide as we unpack and settle in. I've still got to do our taxes and really need to focus on some work. Here are a few random pics from the last month. Hoping everyone is well. Thanks for reading. We miss you - say hi sometime.

Nature walks - Nicholas loves to walk our land and find treasures. 

The moving truck came (a day late) and the items were delivered (a little chaotic) and we've been unpacking (slowly).  The house is coming together.

Moving truck day.

Still getting snow... in April. Ug.

This morning - April 9.

We have trash pick up! A huge deal as our garbage has been piling up. Nicholas is pulling the right bucket up the drive.

Chris turned 42! Happy Birthday babe!

Easter came, eggs were colored and kids were spoiled. We relaxed, a rare treat.

Nicholas continues to entertain and keep us laughing. This is his 'surprise' face. He'll pull it for you on command.

Welcome to the Depot!

We are here! Officially moved and closed in a new place. Now we just wait for our belongings to arrive. The transport of our stuff has been a bit of a hassle. 3 days late but what can you do? Our stuff is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Maybe. Let's hope.

Anyway... Thought you might want to see where we are living. The outside of the home atleast. We have settled in Boxborough. This section of Massachusetts is a little more rural, lots of trees and forest and nature. It's pretty quiet but very charming. We love it. The schools are amazing, the people are very cool, and now we just need to settle in.

Here are a few pics of the outside of the home. We need to landscape since this is a new home but that should be fun albiet at rather spendy.

I haven't surveyed the bug situation yet I'm assuming it is terrible but we will see how it goes. Living in the woods has its consequences. 

When our furniture arrives and get situated I will take pictures of each room and post so you can I'll see where we are living. Much love, miss everyone... hugs kisses and the like. 

The house from the perimeter. 

More house. 

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The finishes... Tried to play off the landscape with the choices I had.

If you want to reach us, and please reach us … You can mail at 430 Depot Rd. in Boxborough, MA 01719. Mail love letters, packages, junk mail, anything at this address. Much love again miss you all... please stay in touch.

February updates

My poor blog has been sorely neglected. Below are a few project life digital layouts that maybe will give you all an update on what we've been doing here as we've been experiencing an insane amount of snowfall. We have over 90 inches of snow, all falling since we've moved to Massachusetts!!! Many days we are stuck inside of our apartment but on the great days that we do get out we've gone bowling, visited the Boston Museum of science, explored our town, and caught up with East coast family.

A couple weekends ago I flew back to Utah to finish packing up our Ashley Mesa house and oversee the move of our belongings into storage. 

Snow days

We were home bound again yesterday. Another snow day. We received a foot of snow overnight and the local schools and the NEU campus closed. The boys have had only 3 days in school, and 3 snow days. Not such a great record. And hard to build momentum at school. This morning was clear but school started with a 2 hour delay.

Friday was my birthday. It was a busy day. I got the boys off to school, and then Nic to preschool. It started to snow so I carefully drove around town to run errands; opening bank accounts, getting Nic set up with a new doctor (so we can get someone here up to speed with his needs); groceries, etc. Our Nissan handles the snow on well but seems to be one of the bigger vehicles on the road. Not sure why. The boys took me to dinner and found a great cake. It was a busy but super nice day.

The kids are adapting to a new school and environment really well. Andrew has involved himself immediately with baseball practices and work outs. Ben had his first futsal game. School is going well. Andrew's math teacher had him take the math midterms to see how the curriculum matched up with his learnings from his old school at the first half of the year. He felt he bombed it, but in my opinion, he did ok given that much of the items he hasn't been taught yet. We are looking for a math tutor to get him up to speed on the curriculum here. Ben started French midyear (they don't offer Chinese). I can't imagine starting a class midyear let alone a new language. Our kids are tough and I am so proud of them!

Took the kids and dog to Burpee Steele Barn and surrounding land. The kids played in the snow and Lucy ran but it was way TOO COLD to stay for long.

On the house front - we think we have found the one! We put in an offer and it was accepted. The real estate process here is different than we are used to and has been frustrating. But we are under contract! I think... Ha. I do a house post soon.

This week in Acton - School, Blizzard, Home Search

We are slowly acclimating to life in Massachusetts. We miss Utah and all of our family and friends. We feel your love and thank you for your frequent contact.

All of the kids have started their new schools. Nicholas is really enjoying his new preschool and all the the new friends he has immediately made. Andrew and Ben had a great first day and came home is good spirits ready to take on new academic challenges. 

We experienced our first Nor'Easter which resulted in two days of school closure due to weather and road conditions. The NEU campus was also closed as well as a travel ban instated for all motor vehicles. Chris was able to work from home and the boys enjoyed two more days of "vacation".

We have looked at and pretty much eliminated all the active home listings in both Acton and Boxborough. It's not that we are picky but we need a few more to choose from. I think I am almost over the sticker shock but still feel we should LOVE the house we will eventually purchase and not settle. While we are completely comfortable in our apartment, we miss our belongings and personal spaces. Lucy misses her yard. We are motivated to find a home!

The boys resume their second day of school tomorrow! 

Random scenic shots from around Acton and Boxborough.

Apartment living.

The "Blizzard of 2015"

Acton, Massachusetts

Front door to our home for the next couple of months.

We are here and official residents of Massachusetts! Not quite moved but here together as a family once again. I flew with Nicholas and Benjamin, we arrived a few days ago and have been setting up the apartment. Chris, Andrew and Lucy came in our other car packed to the brim with things we will need for the next few months. It was a long trek from them but they are HERE! Chris has made this trek twice on the last 3 months. 

Acton is the little town we have decided to live in. Little relative to Sandy. Acton has approximately 22K residents —Sandy has 90K in residents.  We choose this town for a few reasons; excellent public schools, somewhat affordable housing, decent commute to Boston and the town has a great feel. 

We are renting a nice apartment until we can find a home in either Acton or, the much smaller adjacent town of, Boxborough.

You can reach us as this address for the next few months: 5132 Avalon Drive, Acton, MA 01720. We plan to get a PO Box next week and will get that address out soon. All of our cell phone numbers remain the same. Call or text us! We would love to here from you.

Apartment living takes us back a few years. It's nice to live in a smaller place again. Feels fresh and easy to maintain, a clean slate. We will make it homey with few belongings. 

Our cute Utah house went under contact again! Yeah. The inspection and appraisal happened and supposedly went well. Check, check. The buyers will be out of their due diligent phase on Jan 20 and are set to close February 11th. Just a couple more 'checks' to happen. Nerve racking. We will move our belongs out of the home and into storage on Feb 9 & 10th. I will fly back for that weekend to oversee the moving. Our belongings will sit in storage until we find a home here. Hopefully not too long.

The boys will take placement tests this coming week to determine classes and schedules at their new schools. They will start school again on January 26. I'll also meet with a preschool and get Nicholas enrolled for the second half of the year.  

Lots to do, see and get familiar with. I'll try to post to keep you all updated. Much love!

Moving update

Much has happened around the Mallett house in the last couple weeks, it's been a bit of a roller coaster. Our house is no longer under contract, it fell through just before the end of the year. That finger crossing thing didn't work so well. It is unfortunate but we have still decided to move the middle of January. We will rent a place in Massachusetts and continue to send positive vibes out into the universe that this house will sell, and quickly.

The same reasons applied for moving the kids midyear as they did when the house was "sold". We want to be sure that we are together in Massachusetts and transitioning the kids as quickly as possible.  It has been harder than we anticipated living apart.

I have been actively working on withdrawing and enrolling the kids in their new schools. We have been packing up the house and packing up a small amount of items that we will need to live with. We continue to keep the house clean for showings, it's much easier to do without all of our clutter and junk. Work, school, sports and general Utah life is still on going. We are trying to cram in visits and goodbyes. Time is running out.

The short of it is we are still moving! And soon. Nic, Ben and I will fly, and Chris, Andrew and Lucy will drive with a small U-Haul full of the necessities for the next couple months.

We will move the rest of the furniture and belongings when this house sells. Sell BABY! And we will be back to Utah often. Back when the house sells and back for many, many visits. So if we can't say farewell in person the in the coming weeks we certainly catch you the next visit. 

So... if you know anyone who wants to buy fabulous house send them this way. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we transition the family to a new state. 

And now for something really cute... some sledding pictures from last week.