Laugh a Little

Did I ever mention......

2011-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

...I love PLAID!!!

Proof is in the puddin' or in the outfits!

I've always loved it and I think I always will.

Joys of Summer #2

2011-07-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

You have to love a fire up the canyon!

I wasn't prepared for the chill still in the air.

No one mentioned needing a winter coat even in the summer months.

Joys of Summer #1

2011-07-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

You can't deny the joy of a Smore!

Books, lots of Books!

2011-06-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

Can I interest you in a book..... or two???

If you answered yes, head over to BYU's MOA!

You can check out the cool "art/books" on display.

Visiting Grandma

2011-06-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

His idea of visiting!

No talking, please!

Fail!

2011-06-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

We have officially re-entered the world of Cub Scouters!

Mr T informed me that I had "failed on his older brother", his exact words.

He is not going to let the same thing happen to him.

He is taking charge!

He is going to be successful and it won't be due to his mother.

My response, "You go get'em!!

Itsy Bitsy

2011-06-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Miss P had a soccer game, the Bear had to ref for her.

He decided to borrow her ref shirt.

It was a little small on him!!

Notice how big and loose Mr C's shirt fits.

I could not stop laughing at him as he ran up and down the field!

One thing I love about the Bear, he has no shame.

HELP!!!

2011-06-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is what a bee will do to you!

My advice, be very, very careful!

New year

2011-01-10T20:19:00.001-08:00

I knew it was time to start re-posting when Mr T said he needed me to create him a blog so he could start posting some pictures. Oh brother, kids these days!!

The ropes

2010-08-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ropes course at Snowbird: $36/person
Cost of gas to drive to Snowbird: $3.50/gallon
Food at Snowbird: $10/hamburger x 5 people
Cost of food after Snowbird because you are determined to stay there all day getting your monies worth: $40
Look on your child's face after the ropes course: Priceless
(at least that's what I keep telling myself.)

Did you just......

2010-08-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

....say that to me???

Me: (in a not so nice voice) Mr T, don't do that again. I am losing patience with you!!!

Mr T: (in a snide voice) Then why don't you pray!!!

Moral of the story: Don't say phrases to your children that you are not prepared to hear back.

Really???

2010-07-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Is that really a dead, flat as a pancake hornytoad hanging out of your mouth??
Yeah, pretty much.
The best part, the white shirt and tie.

emotions

2010-07-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a good camera can capture.
Too bad I don't have one.
Thank goodness my sister-in-law does!

Loved or hated??

2010-07-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Should I be concerned??
We looked out the window Friday night to find this .
We are either well loved or fiercely hated!!!

The Joy of summer

2010-07-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

Does life get any better than this?

How do you eat???

2010-07-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

Mr T had a loose tooth, can you tell??
I'm not sure how he ate with his tooth all sorts of crooked but he did.
It's amazing what we can do when we want to.

Family Traditions

2010-07-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

The newest family quote, "Oh, this is a new family tradition". How can a good parent deny the opportunity to create a new family tradition, right??? I guess I can't, so here we are shoving our faces with the biggest blob of sugar you have ever seen.
Oh how I love new family traditions!!!

Geee

2010-06-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

We hiked it, you should try it!

Have you ever???

2010-06-02T13:30:00.002-07:00

Have you ever had a piece of paper you really wanted to keep?

Have you ever put that piece of paper in a special place so no one would disturb it?

Have you ever come into your room and found your special piece of paper in a pile like this???

I have!!!

Mr C mentioned this "cool tool" that opens your envelopes. My mistake, I didn't bother to mention to him NOT to cut everything he managed to put his hands on. I guess he will have the opportunity to use this "cool tool" that tapes it all back together again!!

Goblin Valley

2010-06-01T20:38:00.001-07:00

We headed to Goblin Valley for the long weekend.
I consider the weekend a success if when you make it back,
you have half a sand pit in your bathtub.
I could not believe the boulders coming out of Mr T's hair.

Here is our fancy sleeping arrangements.
I love not worrying about dirty, dusty children coming inside.

Here is the other half of the sand pit.
If Mr T wasn't on a 4 wheeler, he was laying somewhere in the dirt!!

We managed a 65 mile ATV ride. I had never done such a long ride before.
Mr C rode his 80 motorcycle the entire way.
I thought I was going to die a couple of times but I'm still here!!

We did a nine mile hike through Wild Horse Slot Canyon.
It's a little like "the Narrows" in Zion's Canyon minus the water.
The kids loved jumping from rock to rock.
Of course, we hiked through the Goblins and
jumped a lot more rocks!!

It was a great weekend.
It started out very windy and dusty but it only improved.
The only thing that could make Goblin Valley better is a lake nearby!!

Soccer

2010-05-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

This year we spent a lot of time on the soccer fields between playing and refereeing games. This last Saturday was our last day for the season and it was nice!! I had to laugh when my parents came to visit us at the end of one of the soccer games. Mr. C was kicking the ball around and they couldn't help but join in. It was pretty great considering I don't think I had ever seen either one of them kick a soccer ball in my LIFE!!!

Mr C was a good fan but I think he was glad it was the end of the season!!

I will say, today he cashed in all of his referee time cards and I don't think he was one bit sad that he had dedicated so much time on the field. I kept thinking I should pick up some games for the extra cash!! I never would have imagined making that much money at his age. I could start telling you about how when I was a kid I made $5 for 2 1/2 hours of babysitting but I won't bore you with my childhood stories!!

Crafty

2010-05-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

I made this little black flower hair clip. It turned out so cute!! The picture doesn't give it justice.

What would you do???

2010-05-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Back when I was younger, my brothers and I loved reading comic books. It was literally about the only thing I "liked" reading. My parents have a stash of over a hundred Jughead/Archie and Richie Rich comic books. Somehow we ended up with one, this comic book has been read so many times I have lost count. All I know is I put it away like every other day. You would think after so many readings they would have it memorized and
see no need to read it.

My problem, my Mom told the kids to be really careful with it. Well, the first twenty readings, we were really careful. As you can see from the picture, it is beyond repair. I have to admit there is a nice aspect to the comic book being in several pieces. The other day one child was reading one piece and the other child was in a completely different room reading the other piece, no more fighting over the comic book!!

My dilemma, should I toss the comic book while everyone is away at school
or give it back to my parents????

Tasty

2010-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned one of my favorite snacks???

It is so simple and tasty.
Ingredients:
1-Crackers
2-Grapes
3-Laughing cow "light" Swiss cheese

Layer last two ingredients on cracker and there you have it.
You can't go wrong!!!
Go ahead, try it, you'll like it!!
On a side note, I went to the funeral of one of our Home Teachers today. I have to confess, as hard as funerals are, I sure do love how I'm always inspired in the end.
Isn't it amazing all the things people accomplish in their lives?? I find myself re-evaluating who I am and who my children think I am.
I sure hope the two of us are on the same page!!
Do my children know what is most important to me?
What will my children say I accomplished in my short life?
I sure hope it's not how clean I kept my house, but rather,
how much I loved being with my family and helping others.
It was a good reminder to stop worrying about the unimportant stuff
and do something good!
Thanks Brother Brown for one more lesson learned.

Mothers Day

2010-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Another year, another Mothers Day and I have to say, I sure enjoyed it. It finally came to me that Mothers Day wasn't all about "ME". Every other year I have been so centered on what everyone was doing for me, that I forgot the real meaning of Mothers Day. If it wasn't for my three wonderful children then I would not be celebrating this glorious day.

There was breakfast in bed but it was all of us enjoying it together!!!
I have to say it was a lot more fun to have someone joining me.
This year, I had a breakfast made straight from the heart.
Waffles covered in chocolate truffles and whipping cream,
chocolate milk made out of powdered milk
(I didn't make it to the grocery store the night before)
and blueberries with whipping cream.It was quite the breakfast!
That evening I had my mom, grandma, brother, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews over for a great dinner. It could not have been a better ending, except to have my dad and other brother's family as part of the mix!!
I have to add here that I love and adore my amazing Mother!!
I could not ask for a better example of "mother" in my life.
The other day I was complaining about something unimportant, she gave me the best advice.
It truly sums up who she is.
"Heidi, I make a choice to look for the good and let the rest go."
WOW!! I think I'm done complaining.
I hope you enjoyed your families and had the best day ever!

Fun Run

2010-05-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we did a mile fun run. I didn't realize what a great experience it would be to have the kids train for something and then go out and accomplish it. From start to finish, I loved the experience, even when I heard complaints.

I look back at my own childhood, my parents would make us go running and hiking. One summer my mom even bought a book with "military workouts" in it. We would wake up bright and early and do all sorts of crazy exercises. At the time, I thought it was ridiculous, annoying, useless. I'm sure I voiced my pre-teen opinion on the matter, more than once. Nonetheless, my parents instilled in us the love of being active. Now, I love being outdoors and running is a major stress reliever for me.

I think the best part was to see the kids' sense of accomplishment after every run. Without fail, one of the nameless children would be disgruntled e.v.e.r.y single run. By the time we finished, it didn't matter anymore because the runner's high had taken over!! There are a lot of people who don't "love" to run but I don't care who you are, you "love" the runner's high after you're done!!

The last week of "training" Mr C was focused on his pace and winning his age category!! It was great. The only downer, the race sponsors didn't have winners for the fun run, disappointing.
There is nothing better for your self-esteem than to work hard for something and then accomplish it. I think all three children are ready for the next race!!

Mr T was the only one I caught crossing the finish line. The other two sprinted off
and left me in the dust!!!

I finally caught up to the sprinters.

Here we are, sweat and all!!

El Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today was a a wonderful day. I wandered around the house speaking my terrible, broken-up spanish. The best part about my spanish is no one else understands so they think I'm so amazing!! We ate tostadas for dinner, stuffed a pinata, jumped on the tramp with it and drank licuados. What more could you ask for???
I hope your day was just as wonderful.

Grandma

2010-04-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

I take great delight in laughing at my Grandma anytime she says or does something absolutely goofy, which is more often than not. Some days I even think to myself, "I will never do that". But when it all comes down to it, I don't think I will have much control over that thing called Old Age.
My only hope is that my children will see how much we go visit Grandma and they will do the same for me.

Today, we rode our bikes for a quick visit. I tell you, there is nothing more wonderful than to hear a 93 year old woman giggling like a 5 year old just out of sheer delight in seeing her great grandchildren.

I laugh every time because she has the exact same conversation, every s.i.n.g.l.e time. It goes something like this,

Grandma: Now, who are you? What's your name?

Child: states name, age.

Grandma:(laughing) You are taller than me, I will have to put a brick on your head to keep you from growing. (moves on to next child, repeat conversation )

I'm sure my children think she doesn't care because she literally can't remember their name from the beginning of our visit to the end. But every time I hear that giggle, I know the trek to Grandma's house was all worth it.

I'm happy, my mustache said so

2010-04-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

Who couldn't be happy with a mustache like that?? Mr T came home from school with a black marker and a little tiny mustache. I didn't say too much figuring he had lost focus for just a few moments in class and painted on a mustache. As a side note, it probably didn't help that his older brother had done the exact same thing the previous day. I can be certain if the older brother does it, the younger one is going to follow very soon after.

Anyway, back to the story. I should have gotten a clue when I noticed the black marker came home with him. Soon after his arrival home, he headed to the bathroom for a few minutes to come out with his "happy" mustache, as he called it.

The picture doesn't give his artwork justice. Unfortunately, I didn't take the picture until after he had been outside sweating and the marker was smeared all over his upper lip. It really was a happy mustache. Every time I would look at him he was "happy", it really was quite pleasant!!!

I've decided from now on, anytime I'm in a bad mood I'll paint one of those on and all my troubles will have no choice but to leave. At least that's what Mr T said.

How do you know......

2010-04-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

when you are officially old????!!!!

It's not when you turn 36, nope.
It's not when you no longer have a desire to take your clothes off, nope.
It's not when you no longer want to run around in your underpants, nope.
It's not when you no longer have a desire to jump into an outdoor spring, nope.
It's when you do all of the above and the outside temperature is
55 DEGREES!!!

Yeah, I'm old!!!
BUT, my children are NOT!!

For spring break, we went to Nevada. We decided to go catch polywogs and minnows. We started out with our feet in, 5 mins. later our pants were off, 5 mins. later we were in our underpants, completely submerged, swimming around. Forget that we didn't bring a towel to wrap up in afterwards. All that mattered was we had a good time for 2 hours. The entire time I sat there wondering how on earth they could stand it. Oh well, one of these days I might have to jump in myself just to prove I'm not as old as you think!
Don't worry, I will warn you if I'm only in my underpants.

Meatloaf cupcakes

2010-04-11T19:38:00.001-07:00

My amazing neighbor made an April Fools Day meal for our family. She had meatloaf/potato cupcakes, rice krispie "meatloaf" and vanilla ice cream w/caramel"mashed potatoes". The kids really thought the cupcakes were going to be sweet and the "meatloaf" meaty!!

I'm grateful for good neighbors who help me not look so lame! One of these years I might get my act together and actually do something fun like that, but I'm not holding my breath.

Not so skinny

2010-04-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

I bought some skinny jeans yesterday. I never thought I would buy the tapered leg, it was so old school. I found some for $15. How can I pass up a deal like that, right??? After trying them on, I actually liked them, until tonight after my uplifting, "skinny" conversation w/my 11 y.o.

Mr C: You know your pants, they look like high waters.

Me: I know, that's the way it's supposed to look.

Mr C: Maybe you should wear some socks or something.

Me: I would look like a dork. (smiling)

Mr C: I hate to tell you this........don't take it like an insult...those pants make your bum look really big.

Me: (silence)

Note to self: the "skinny" part is just a marketing tool!!

I found out later that Mr C happened to mention to his Dad, earlier today, that I didn't look so "skinny" in my new skinny jeans. I guess, in Mr C and Miss P's words, Dad didn't think that was funny.All picture taking credit goes to Mr C!!

Note: He did not take any of the back end, he's protecting the family name.

I forgot,

2010-04-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!It's always a push to find the last egg.
Trust me, it's right under your noses(or above it).

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Birthday time, again!

2010-04-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

We pretty much ate cake and ice cream the whole month of March.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good piece of cake.

Ted turned 38!! The worst part about that, I'm right behind him!!

Mr C is officially too old to be my son.
I can't possibly have an 11 y.o., I'm too young!

Mr T is still the baby, no matter how old he gets!

Just a little happy

2010-04-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

Mr C earned his Arrow of Light and we are just a little happy about that!!
You would never guess by my BIG toothy smile. :)
He has worked hard over the last year and deserves every inch of it.
Good Job Mr C!

Where does the time go...

2010-03-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Life hasn't been any busier than usual but it seems to be going faster and faster the older I get. Why is that??? Now that I want to stay younger, my life is racing past me. When I was younger I couldn't wait to be old but time moved slower than honey in January. I guess we are never happy with what we have when we have it.

We have enjoyed the last few weeks of winter with ski lessons for all three little people. If you haven't heard of the StartNow Program with Park City Ski Resort then I recommend you take a look and be prepared for next year. You can't beat the price of $25 for lesson, rental and a lift ticket for the day, up to 5 times. Trust me, I looked!! I think next year I will sign up for ski lessons myself. I currently snowboard but would love to try the skiing thing. So if any of you are interested in joining me next year, let me know and we can party on the slopes.

Don't ask

2010-02-21T18:45:00.001-08:00

Conversation in the car:

Mr. T: YUM!!!

(pause) Ted: What's yum Mr. T?

Mr. T: Well, I just burped and it tasted like the sausage burrito I had for breakfast.

Everyone in the car: Eeeeeewwwwww!!! SICK!!!!

Mr. T: Hey, Dad asked me so I told him.

Moral of the story- Just don't ask!!!!

A little whoopin'

2010-02-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

Today Miss P made a picture dinner menu. I was worried about the "desert" special until I realized it wasn't your regular old whipping cream loaded with calories.
No, maybe this whooping cream was the low-fat, kick-me-in-the-bootie version.
A little whoopin' after dinner never hurt anyone!!

How do you know??

2010-02-12T14:29:00.001-08:00

Well, let me tell you how you know it's Valentines day right around the corner.

The table is full of cards and candy.
The floor is littered with empty candy wrappers.
Your children are no longer interested in eating lunch.
Your child smiles at you and his/her tongue is blue.
Last of all,
There are random rows of suckers and pixy sticks everywhere you turn.

Yes, that is how you know!!
Happy Valentines Day!!

Wednesday, not so bad

2010-02-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

I decided Wednesday is really an o.k. day. I actually woke up excited that it was Wednesday. Today is pizza day, which means, I don't have to make any lunches. The other bonus, I want the kids to be extra hungry at lunch so they will eat all the pizza I ordered for them.
Soooooo, I feed them.... COLD CEREAL!!!
It really is heavenly. I hardly lift a finger on Weds. morning.
If you have pizza day at school, use it!! It makes for a great day.

Basketball

2010-02-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

I never in a million years would have guessed that my little Miss P would be a sporty girl. I use to get so bugged when she would "WANT" to wear a dress every.single.day!! I'm not sure what happened but this year she has played in a soccer league and did some Junior Jazz basketball. She is unreal!! I absolutely L.O.V.E watching this girl play her sports. She is so amazing and over-the-top.
Last week she played in a basketball game. She was rotating into the game and the opposing team was down by where we were sitting. There were two girls standing next to us and they were fighting over who had to cover Miss P. Neither one wanted to play man-to-man with our little girl because she is so over-the-top. We laughed and felt their pain!!!
This is a terrible picture of her but she is making a shot. She had 5 shots that game and all 5 went in. I am in no way saying she is going pro but I am saying this is not the girl I thought she was going to become 4 years ago. I guess you never know what these little people have in them until you let them spread their wings.

Losing our minds.....I mean tooth

2010-02-08T19:22:00.001-08:00

We have officially lost a tooth. Mr T has been waiting a very long time for one of his precious teeth to fall out. As soon as he realized he had a loose one, he did not stop pulling and tugging at it until Saturday night when it popped right out.

I have to say, I am grateful he is the type to tug and pull. The other two would protect the tooth as if it were made of solid gold. Mr C was particularly sensitive about the loss of a tooth. I remember his first tooth he fainted when it finally came out. Thank goodness I was close enough to catch him or he would have knocked out all his teeth when face planting onto the tile floor.

Here's to a New Year and a new SMILE!!!

Life

2010-01-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

This week I started a job after almost 7 years of being a stay at home mom. I work two days a week, 9a.m.-1p.m. It is perfect but wouldn't you know the first day I went to work the school called and informed me that Mr. C had split his ear open on the soccer goal post while trying to catch a ball. I left work, took him to his pediatrician and left with five stitches in his ear.
I decided to work an extra day this week so I could figure out the computer system. Of course, the school calls me again informing me that Mr C is throwing up. Wouldn't you know it!!! I have never been called from the school to come pick up any of my children until I start a new job, it figures.
What is so funny is last week I told Ted what a great year this has been in the "healthy department". Everyone has managed to stay away from the "swine flu" and we have had a total of 3 colds and that is it. I knew as soon as I voiced how wonderful it had been we would be knocked down with something. I'm just hoping Mr C will be feeling much better tomorrow because it's my official day to work. I know if I wasn't working, he would be healthy as ever. I have to confess, the doctor I am working with is amazing and I could cancel any day if I needed to.
We did some snowshoeing last Saturday and it was a blast. I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning with the kids!

For the love of Science

2010-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

This has been the substance of our evenings here in the hood. I'm so grateful it's no longer our life.

***Note to self: Next year, don't wait until the bitter end to get it done. Start early, end early.

Enuf said.

Neon trees-I (heart) you!

2010-01-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

If you have been in a hole for the last few months, you may need to head to the bottom of this post and click on my video. I guarantee, you will be (hearting) Neon Trees, just like me.
Now don't be hating, but I just happened to see them LIVE last Friday. That's right, just me, the girlz from the hood and the Neon Trees!!! If you haven't experienced them live, you should do all you can to make it happen.

Did I mention I (heart) my Trees!!!

Yeah, we had front row, don't be hating!!

This is B-dog, he plays bass and just happens to be our neighbor!!
Can you say, A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.???

Here we are with Tyler.
He is single ladies!!

I wonder if Tyler would sell me his shoes??
Loving them!!

Work it baby!!

It was a great show and I have plenty more pictures to prove it.
But for now, go ahead and clickety on the video and enjoy some
Neon Trees.

Before and After #1

2010-01-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

Just the beginning of a series of events.

Behind or Ahead

2010-01-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Should I be embarrassed that I still have a Christmas wreath on my door???

I'm just trying to keep the Christmas spirit alive here in my neighborhood. Actually, I'm getting an early start for 2010. Yes, that is how I like to look at it, everyone else is behind for Christmas 2010 and I'm just a little early!!

Success, in a wierd kind of way

2010-01-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

I should have been painting today but instead I went shopping at some silly discount store. I hate when I do that, but I don't hate it enough not to do it!!!! I found some seven dollar shoes and an eight dollar sweater, a semi-successful day, in a weird kind of way.

I hope your day was just as successful!!

Sit down, relax

2010-01-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

I finally purchased some chairs for my table. I have been dreaming of new chairs for over a month, since Thanksgiving to be precise. I have been saving money for the last 4 years. We can actually sit down around the table for dinner. We have been sitting around our kitchen island since October and that is o.k., but we only have four stools. So, we all know what that means, I don't sit!!!

So if you need a place to sit and relax, come on over, stay awhile. I might even have dinner ready.

My day today

2010-01-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day, I went snowboarding with my oldest brother. We had a blast. So if you want to have a fun time and need someone to go with, call me, or him!!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Now that I have finally gotten all of the laundry caught up and my house isn't in complete shambles I might actually have a spare moment to post about our Christmas.

I never would have thought we would DRIVE to Mazatlan, Mexico but we did!!! We have some great neighbors that invited us and we decided we may as well. Now, I have to confess I did not want to go. It wasn't until the day we left that I finally succumbed to my destiny. Now that we are back I have to say I had the best time.

Here is a very small sampling of our time.

We met this man who did pottery out of his home. He did amazing work without the help of any modern technology. It was amazing. He lived in a small shack in his parents backyard with his wife and four children.
This is where he would fire all of the pottery. It was in the side yard and he would have to wait until the outside elements were perfect to start the "kiln". It sounded like that would happen in the middle of the night, like 1 a.m.!! Truly amazing.

The best chics on earth and I don't mean the one with the brown hat!!!

The most beautiful sunsets.

My computer is not cooperating tonight so I will have to download more pictures tomorrow.

Where have we been......

2010-01-03T00:31:00.001-08:00

.....in Mexico! It is good to be home but I miss the 80 degree weather we left. We had an amazing time and I have pictures to prove it. To be continued....

Gratitude Trees

2009-12-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

The month of November we wrote down something we were grateful for on a "leaf" each day. It was a great experience for the kids. At first, they didn't think they would have enough things to write down but by the end they couldn't stop. It's amazing how much we have and how much we take it for granted.

Piano Time

2009-12-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

December 2009 Piano Recital

December 2008 Piano Recital

Tonight was an interesting night. I listened to my "beginner" children play the piano and so badly wanted them to be better. Now, don't get me wrong, they both did a great job tonight. I was extremely proud. But you know, they were still, "beginners". As I listened to the older student I so badly wanted my children to be at that stage already.

After the recital, I was talking with the mom of our piano teacher. My jaw dropped to the ground as we discussed "Miss Michelle's" piano routine when she was younger. I have my children practice around 15-20 minutes each day and sometimes we miss a day or two. Well, "Miss Michelle" would practice 1-2 HOURS!!!! per day. As she got older, memorized 35 pages of music. Can you imagine??? I was in awe of this mother who stuck with it.

It was a funny moment in time for me. I always feel like I am such a mean mom when I enforce certain rules or have expectations that seem unreasonable to my children. Every time I have my children play the piano rather than do something "fun", somehow I feel like I'm cheating them. They are sure to let me know how I am ruining their young lives. But tonight as I watched the amazing Miss Michelle play the piano I realized it was not without a major price. Everything we do in life comes with a price. If we want to be amazing then we have to really work at it. I was so grateful for the the moments I had to talk with Miss Michelle's mom and remind myself that part of my job is to push my children, to be mean. I can't expect them to push themselves. What child is going to choose practicing the piano over playing with a friend or watching TV, not too many.

As I watched the mother-daughter interaction I didn't see any anger between the two because "Mom didn't let me play with my friends when I was a kid". Let me tell you what I did see. A mother who was extremely proud of her daughter and a daughter who was full of confidence. I will tell you what, I don't care how many hours you spend playing with friends or watching TV, you will never get those results.

Tonight was a success. I left the recital extremely proud of how my children performed and I was reminded not to waste the days away doing nothing or feeling guilty because I'm too hard on my children, they will appreciate it later. Plus, I could remind them about practicing for 2 HOURS!!!

Family Pictures

2009-12-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

We did family pictures last week. This is so typical of our family, Mr T has to look the wrong direction!! Emilie kept telling him, look my direction and do you think he would?? Of course not!!! Oh well, at least we have family pictures for 2009!!

The licked house

2009-12-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

We put together our "licked" gingerbread house last night. This year the boys were more interested in eating the candy than putting it on the house. I think every time I turned around someone had picked up the frosting bag and was sucking it down plain!!! Notice the picture of Mr C, I'm stealing the bag away after he has tried numerous times to empty the entire contents of the bag onto his finger. Please take note of his finger positioning, ready for licking!!

By the end of our decorating session, our house was barely standing. Miss P tried her best to get that thing to look nice but with two brothers in the picture, it was not easy. I think it was a success because by the end Mr C couldn't even finish eating a gingerbread man that he had loaded with frosting and candy, it was just tooooooo much for him!!

So if you are in the mood to eat some gingerbread house, don't come to my house, unless you want one that has been licked in some way by every child in my house!!

Life

2009-12-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight I about lost my head. I don't know why, but every time we sit down to dinner the kids decide it's time to be the best of friends. I always emphasize the importance of "family first" but they take it to the extreme at the dinner table. It doesn't matter if they have been at each others throats all afternoon, when Mom wants to have a deep conversation it is officially time to be crazy: laugh your heads off at absolutely nothing, roll on the ground laughing hysterically, tell dumb jokes and laugh till you almost wet your pants and the list could go on. There are days I want to scream but I have to bite my tongue and just let them enjoy each other.

Today was one of those days. I am not complaining, no, just documenting the day. I think Miss P jumped off her chair 4 times just so she could roll around on the ground while laughing hysterically. Ted asked Mr. C something and his reply was "I'm delirious" and then both of them jumped up and down, literally, laughing at the reply. I think this happened at least 3 times, as if it was the funniest thing they had ever heard, even though they heard the same remark 3 minutes earlier. I thought for sure one of them was going to pee their pants.

I know I should be grateful, and I am deep down inside but on the surface I just want to sit down and have a conversation. I guess here's to crazy brothers and sisters who love each other!!!

On another note, here are a few pictures of the ward Christmas party. The costumes turned out great and everyone had a great time. The Nativity Narration we put together turned out amazing, if I don't say so myself!!

The day of the party Miss P says to me, "I sure hope my costume isn't going to look like a sheet from my bed". "OOOOPS, it sure does!" is all I could think. So, I frantically worked on making it a little more "exciting". By the end of the project she was happy and I was glad to be done! Here's to creativity and the cold sores that came with it!!

The Festival of Trees

2009-12-02T20:53:00.001-08:00

If you live local and you have not been then you still have three days to make it. We went tonight and it was great. We have been for the last several years and it is always worth it. I will put a plug in and say that all, and I mean A.L.L. proceeds go directly to the children. Every penny you spend there, even the food, goes directly to helping the children. A family pass is $14.00!!

Tonight was the first time my children asked if we could decorate something the following year. I just might have to do that in honor of Jose, my younger brother, next year. I think decorating a 6 ft. tree is a little much for my first time around but I could handle a wreath or gingerbread house, maybe. I may not have a choice since my children were so crazy, ready-to-do-it-right-now when I showed a slight interest in the idea.

Soooooo, go have fun and help someone else out!!

Family

2009-12-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

We had a crazy party over the Thanksgiving weekend.
My older brother came into town and we all had a great time together.

We rode the train to SLC.

Checked out Krispy Kreme donuts.

Signed the BYU Football sign.Had a party at the BYU Bookstore

Enjoyed the lights at Temple Square.

And of course, ate lots and lots of turkey!!

Tuesday in Time

2009-12-01T19:01:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time we were building a gingerbread house. I don't even have one of these beauties purchased, let alone built!!! I think I'm still in shock that it's December 1st. I better get with the program or my children are going to start reporting me. I hope you all enjoyed the first day of December. If you didn't, you better start because before you know it the month will be over and the new year here.

I will tell you what I did do today, made costumes for the ward Christmas party. Ted and I are in charge of the Nativity story. I hope they aren't expecting too much because I don't know that I have too much to give!! I thought I had announced to E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E in the ward that I am the most uncreative person alive but I guess they wanted proof. So today was dedicated to creativity or at least the attempts at it!!!

Grill it!!

2009-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. It reminds me of the time Ted and I were on a plane headed to the Bahamas. We were lucky enough to get bumped to first class when this guy sits down across the aisle from us. I told Ted he seemed like the Hollywood type but Ted didn't seem convinced. Before too long his entourage was following him onto the plane. I found out later at the resort in the Bahamas that he was a "popular" rap artist. Anyway, back to my story, the best part came when he pulled out a little "gold" box from his pocket. I didn't think too much of it until he opened it up and pulled out some gold "retainers". Mind you, at this point in my life I had never heard of or seen a "grill". I about died when he opened up his mouth popped the retainers onto his teeth and then gave the biggest smile I have ever seen, just like Mr C is doing in the above picture. It's too bad I didn't realize at the time who I was sitting next to or I might have gotten a picture of him with his cool grills!! Oh well, for now I will have to be happy with Mr C's grill and next time I will be better prepared.

Full Circle

2009-11-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

Tye and I were out on Saturday and I about dropped my jaw when I saw an entire spinning rack of these lovely numbers. There was every bright color you could imagine!! Now, don't get me wrong, I loved these in the 80's and I wanted a pair of these sweet numbers. I may have even had a pair, I just don't remember. But for some reason, when I saw them on the rack I thought, "HOW UGLY!!!". Let's hope my children don't decide that these are sweet, just like I did. I guess if they do, I will have to chalk it up to "running in the family"!!

I guess here's to the 80's!

Tastiness

2009-11-23T07:42:00.001-08:00

I was downloading some pictures off my camera this morning and found this picture. I'm sure Tye took it, any type of random photo I can thank him. He is famous for taking the camera and doing his own photo shoots. I have to admit I probably would have taken a picture too. This bread was unbelievably tasty!! My visiting teachers brought this to me and I think the kids and I had it eaten in about 5 minutes. Conner took a bite and wished for some chocolate chips but that was the only "complaint". I might have to google pumpkin bread and make my own batch(but that won't happen until after my cupboards are back in place, maybe next year!!!).

Today

2009-11-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

Today was my first official day of painting the cabinets. I didn't realize how labor intensive this process was going to be. I think now that I have started the process, I am ready to not be a part of the process. This is a bad situation to be in considering all my cupboard doors are off and half of them are primed with white paint. I think my life is over for the next week or maybe two for that matter. If you need me, I will be outside priming the rest of the cupboards!!

Pictures of the disaster coming soon.

2,000 Fliers

2009-11-11T19:42:00.001-08:00

Just take this from me, if someone asks you to deliver 2,000 fliers turn around immediately and run away as fast as you can!!! Our wonderful Pampered Chef neighbor, Summer, asked the kids if they wanted a little job delivering fliers. I thought it was a great idea until I saw the box of 2,000 fliers!!! Everyday we deliver a million but when we get back in the car the box still seems packed with orange fliers. I had to laugh today because the kids were starting to get discouraged. They thought for sure there were more fliers in the box at the end of the run than there were at the beginning.

I know I said you should run away but really, I must admit, this has been a great experience. I have actually enjoyed the driving around, the dropping off, the non-stop taping of fliers and most importantly, the sprinting from house to house. I wasn't sure how the kids were going to re-act to such a big job but no complaints so far. Today, they did ask me, "Are we close to being done?". I think the thing that keeps them going is the dollar signs they see at the end. Whatever it is, I hope it carries until the last orange flier is gone!!!

I have lost my mind

2009-11-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

Sooooo, now that my house is almost put back together from flooring and base boarding, I think I might have to paint my cupboards. I'm not sure at what point I lost my mind in all of this but it sounds like a good thing to do. After ten years in the same house, what else does a person do!!??

If Ted would buy me this house on the Greek islands none of this would be necessary!

Since that's not happening, I guess I'm off to paint.

Learning all the time

2009-11-07T22:05:00.001-08:00

Today, I finally learned something. For the last thirteen years, I have drooled over a bed set in the Restoration Hardware Catalog. I first saw it shortly after Ted and I got married and I have loved it ever since. Initially, I told myself it was too expensive. Year after year I would see this particular set and just stare at it. I started pulling the picture out of the catalog thinking I could make the set myself, that never happened. I don't know how many times I told myself, "just buy it already!!!" but I never did.

Well, since Ted and I have been married I have bought three different bed sets!!! Yes, I did just type the number THREE!!!! If you haven't bought a bed set recently then let's just say, it's not cheap. I could have bought my Restoration Hardware bed set that I loved thirteen years ago and still love today and saved money. I could have been so happy for the last thirteen years jumping in and out of my bed. I could have laughed when I saw the near identical set today in the store. But no, instead, today I sat and stared at the near identical set in the store and said, "you should have bought it thirteen years ago!!!!".

Unfortunately, the near identical set was $200 and I just couldn't justify buying another set when I just purchased one. I know I will regret this move but what does a person do. I guess if you are me, you just sit and stare at the picture. But if you are you, learn from me and spend the extra money and get what you really want, you won't regret it!!!

But next time, Restoration Hardware here I come!!!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

The football fairy, dracula and the football player.

This year costumes were easy and i loved it!!

Transformation

2009-10-30T12:14:00.001-07:00

Today is my first official day of painting. I always love the finished product but the actual process of painting is so tedious to me. I am tired of our current color but I can't justify hiring someone to do what I can do myself. There are enough "things" that I can't do on my own I better take advantage of this simple project.

I may as well mention that my house has been un-finished for a month now. We had the floors started the beginning of October and we are still not put together from that. I didn't realize how hard it was to get someone to come finish a job. I decided that if the baseboards were going to be off, I may as well paint.

Does anyone need something to do for the next couple of days???

I'm just askin', just askin'!!

Bryce Canyon

2009-10-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been, it's worth going. The lookout points were unbelievable and the hiking was unreal. I still wonder how nature can create such a sight. I will confess by the last hike the kids were ready to be done. Thank goodness we didn't have plans to stay another 3 days.

I'm a winner....

2009-10-05T19:56:00.001-07:00

Mr. T says so.

Conversation in the car today.

Me:(to Ted, while kids are playing in the backseat) I didn't get anything done today. I totally failed. I'm a failure.

Mr. T:(with great enthusiasm) Mom, you vacuumed this morning. You're a winner!

Me: Oh yeah, you're right. I am a winner.

You never know when they are listening. Thank goodness someone was listening today because now I'm not a failure for the day. PHEEWW!!!

The changing of the colors!!

2009-10-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today we went up the canyon to check out the changing of the colors. We were not disappointed, but I never understand why I don't go up there more often.

Of course we had to get a family photo. I knew I should have washed my greasy hair but what is a family photo if you aren't really you, right??? Ted didn't do his hair either so I don't look half as bad.

On Saturday morning I ran on Tibblefork Trail head. If you live close by you MUST do this before the weather turns bad.
On this particular part of the trail, I ran face to face with a moose last year. It was pretty scary but thank goodness he was intent on eating so he didn't decide to make a chase out of the

whole experience. This year there were a few squirrels and that's about it.

So, call me and we can go running!

Good-bye carpets

2009-10-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

We are re-doing our floors after 10 1/2 years. I know, it was long over due but thank goodness I didn't do it any sooner. This has been a dusty, long mess. We are almost done. I can't wait. I had to empty out the pantry and stick it all over the counter tops. Needless to say, I didn't cook all last week(I didn't feel too bad about that). I will love the new floors once we get our house back together.

RED ROCK RELAY!

2009-09-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Once again, I was not disappointed in my relay adventure. I was part of a great team. I think we laughed non-stop, except when it was 4 a.m. and we were getting ready to start our third leg, there was nothing funny about that.

Here we are at Brian Head Ski Resort getting ready for the party to begin.

This is not such a great pic of me, but the scenery was amazing!
Here we are all sorts of happy because we're all done! There is never a better feeling on a relay.
We had to show off our marks to prove we actually ran all three legs.

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. If you haven't done a relay race-DO IT!! You won't regret it, I promise.

TUTUS

2009-09-28T20:09:00.001-07:00

Right now, none of my children would be caught dead in these, so I am forced to make them and give them away. Thank goodness I still have a niece that will wear such silly things as tutus!!

Football!

2009-09-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

I am not a football fan. I'm not one of those people who hates it but I'm not one of those people that loves it either. With that said, Conner played a football game on Saturday and he made a touchdown!!! I couldn't believe it. It was so exciting. I actually enjoyed the game. Now, don't get me wrong, I won't be joining Ted for any Monday Night Football, but for one small moment in time, I loved football!!

For the love of science

2009-09-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what it is but at our house we like to perform "science" experiments. Now these aren't your average experiments, no, no, no. We like to see what happens when we throw things together like vinegar, baking soda, sprinkles, ketchup, sugar, pepper and anything else our mom lets us into a bowl. We've decided it doesn't do much besides make a bubbly mess.

Sooooooo, we decided to make........Lava lamps!!

My girls

2009-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to spend an afternoon with these amazing "girls". We all roomed together while at BYU. Do you have friends that after you have been around them you walk away wanting to be a better person?? Well, these girls do exactly that for me. One moment I will be laughing my head off, the next moment I will be contemplating life's deepest meanings.

Thanks for a great afternoon girls!!!

Splash Dogs!!

2009-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

You thought I was kidding but I'm really serious about the dog splashing. The best part about the whole thing is my children wanted to be in the "splash" section. You know at Sea World there's a "splash section", well, Splash Dogs has a "splash" section too. All you have to do is stand right next to the pool where the water is brown, dirty, smelly and loaded with dog hairs. BOOM, you are set for some serious splashing.

It was actually a lot of fun to see all the different dogs try their luck at jumping in. The ones that you thought were going to launch out would only go a few feet or sometimes not even jump in. And I will say, Sea World doesn't let you put your hands in the water but Splash Dogs, you could probably jump in the pool and the dogs would love it!!

We also saw some sheep herding. I was baffled by how they would blow a whistle and the dogs would take off running, blow it again and the dog would stop. These dogs were amazing at following commands through this whistle. I'm wondering if I could get my children to work with a whistle like that. Blow the whistle they run do their chores, blow the whistle again they come eat dinner, blow it one more time and off to bed they run.

hhhmmm, something to think about.

The new prez!

2009-09-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

Mr C had the opportunity to run as the 5th grade class president. He was very excited and came home needing some posters. As we sat at the dinner table everyone kept voicing their ideas. I was amazed at how many his little sister came up with. She thought of the one above and many more. I won't tell you which slogan I made up, I just might be embarassed.

Anyway, Mr C came home after a couple of days and announced he had actually won!! So if you have any problems dont bring them to me, take them to the Prez!!

No Oceans!!

2009-08-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last night Mr T must have had an ocean dream. He woke up at 9:30 p.m. to use the bathroom. I didn't think much of it except he stayed in the bathroom for a lot longer than would be expected. I walked in and he was standing there staring at himself in the mirror. He turns to me and just starts laughing, hysterically, like non-stop-I-just-heard-the-funniest-joke-ever-laugh. I started to laugh too until I notice his underpants, yes you guessed it, wetness!!

I thought it was going to be my lucky day because it was just a little bit of wetness. Unfortunately, there was just a little bit of wetness on the bed too. So I had to strip everything down and wash the sheets. On the bright side, I needed to wash the sheets this week anyway.

I have to add, Mr T laughed the entire time I washed him up, changed his sheets, put new clothes on and put him back in his bed. By the end, I was laughing so hard I was afraid I just might wet my own pants. He would laugh then stop for a split second then start up again with even more passion behind it. I would ask, "what's so funny?" and he would laugh even harder. This morning I asked him if last night was still funny. He looked at me like I had lost my mind, he didn't remember a thing. Oh the joys of being young again!!!

On a side note, I was asked if I would substitute for someone on a team for "the red rock relay". I said yes, of course. I am very excited but once again I have allowed myself to get a little out of shape. The race is in a little over a week so this week has been dedicated to getting back into shape. It would be so much easier if I was consistent with my exercising but I'm not. I will let you know how it goes.

Dreams....

2009-08-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

do they really mean anything????

Conversation with Mr T while laying in bed.

Mr T: Do you ever have dreams where you are swimming in the ocean and you have to pee??

Me: No, I never have. Do you??

Mr T: Yea. (starting to laugh) Sometimes in my dream I start to pee in the ocean and then I wake up and realize I am in my bed, not in the ocean.

Me: (laughing but grateful he doesn't dream that one very often) I guess those are the times when you wet the bed.

Do you ever have re-occurring dreams? When I was in high school until about 25, I use to have dreams where my teeth would fall out. The situations in my dreams would be different but the teeth falling out was always present. Let me tell you, there is nothing worse than having your teeth crumble and fall out, even if it is a dream!

About ten years ago, I was at my sister-in-laws and she had a book on dreams. I told her about my re-occurring dream and she looked up the meaning. The book said that teeth falling out meant I was not voicing my true feelings in my day-to-day life. I know you are not going to believe this but from that day on I decided I would voice my opinion, when appropriate of course, and I have not had the dream since then. Crazy I know but true.

For your viewing pleasure

The Parthenon-Athens Greece

Fantastic!!

2009-08-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

My old roomie came into town and we went to the Sundance Outdoor theatre. It was well worth it. If you haven't been, you really should go. It was more than just a good play, it was a great atmosphere. What better backdrop than the beautiful mountains!
Unfortunately, we didn't take pictures of the beautiful mountains before the play started. By the time it was over, there was no picture taking opportunities.
So, for your viewing pleasure you get the following......

We all have our cheesie smiles on. That's what happens when you get three old roommates together and we can't stop laughing over absolutely nothing.

First day of school

2009-08-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

School started yesterday. The peeps at our house were very excited.

If I would have been smart, I would have left right after I took this picture. Well, to make a long story short, I didn't. I decided to make sure he made it to his seat OK, bad idea!!

It was really weird because when I looked at him sitting in his desk, time stopped for a split second. The next thing I knew his whole life was flashing before my eyes. I was now realizing I hadn't done all the things I should have done. I had failed him as a mom. At this point, my heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. It seemed like an eternity staring at him and then I realized he was staring back at me. Now, this was not a "mom, I love you" kind of stare. No, no, no it was a "get out of here before anyone notices what an idiot you are for crying " kind of stare. It was just what I needed to bring me back to my senses. Leave it to a first grader to remind me how silly it is to cry about starting first grade. What can I say, I cry over everything.

Here's to school back in session!

You had a birthday shout hooray!!

2009-08-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Happy 93rd birthday Grandma!

The way you are going, you might be taking care of me.

Too much...

2009-08-05T07:34:00.000-07:00

to catch up on. Do you ever feel like so much happens in the space of 7 days that you will never be able to remember it all? This is how I'm feeling about now. I have loved this summer. Every year I think to myself, life can't get any better than this but it always does. I can't write in words how much fun I have had with my three children. Each year they seem to get even better. This summer I wanted to make the most of the time I had with them, and for once I actually feel like I did that!! We read about Greek mythology together, did Spanish lessons together, went to the pool together, learned how to play golf together, hiked together, practiced the piano together, rode motorcycles together, drove golf carts together, played in the mud together, laughed our heads off together and the list could go on and on and on.

This summer will go down in the history books for me. I find myself getting so caught up in cleaning the house or getting "nothing"done that I miss the chance to "laugh a little". But, I will say, this summer I feel like I actually had fun and savored the moments that will never come again. So, here's to not remembering everything but knowing the ride was a good one.

For your viewing pleasure, a few moments of our Bear Lake trip.

Jumping from one tube to another-no, I did not do that!!

Jumping off the boat-no, I did not do that!!

Taking our 4 man raft out on the lake-yes, I did do that!!

Going down into the depths of Minnetonka Caves-yes, I did do that!!

Had a great time-yes, I did do that!!

I'm back!!

2009-08-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Bear Lake, this was our first time. We managed to go the same time as two other families in our neighborhood. I never realized how much I enjoyed camping in our old 26 foot long trailer. The weather was a little cold but when you are 10 and under the temperature does not seem to phase you. Everyone was jumping in the lake like it was no ones business(except for me!). I hope you all had a great weekend!!

Pictures coming soon.

Bookworms ~

2009-07-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the library. It was a bittersweet event. I knew I had a late fee, I decided to pay it before we checked out our books. I knew it was going to be a large sum, like $9.00 large. I was prepared to pay the price, the kids wanted books, what else does a mom do, right??? I exchange pleasantries with the chic at the check-out desk, give her my card and then she proceeds to tell me I owe $22.00!!! I almost had a heart attack right there at the check-out desk. I wanted to be soooooooo angry but I couldn't. I was so embarrassed for myself, who gets a $22.00 late fee at the library!!! I mean serious, you would almost think I didn't know how to read when the books were due back.

Of course, I did not have the cash to cover that "little" fee. I had to go home and get my checkbook before the kids could get any books. Yeah, I'm pretty much the absent mom. DOH!!

As soon as we got home, I realized something else. After 10 years of sitting down and reading to my kids, I am no longer needed in this department. Mr T can officially read on his own and asking me to read does not even cross his mind these days. Gone are the days of reading books and falling asleep on the couch.

Maybe I am getting old, oh wait, they're the ones getting old, not me!!

Nevada we love you!

2009-07-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

We are officially back from our Nevada trip. We had a great time doing desert things. Just before we left Paige was playing with a friend and the parent asked "what do you do in Nevada?". I could not believe how she answered, "Nothing". Well, I guess here is a big bunch of nothing.....

Swimming at the spring(same place I went growing up),

Perfected the art of catching poly wogs,

Enjoyed the amazing Nevada sunsets,

Shot at cans with a bb gun,

Caught horny toads the size of quarters,

Caught big, huge horny toads,

Played on the rope swings and trampoline for hours,

Fed the cows squash and castrated a bull,

Did I mention we did A.L.O.T of swimming??!!

We pulled out the sweetest of wallpapers at Grandmas house. If you are feeling like you would like to wallpaper your dining room with some of this just let me know. I will bring the sweetness to your house, free of charge.

I thought Nevada was great. I failed to mention all the star-gazing at night and the dodging of bats at dusk. Really what I'm trying to say here, if you are interested in doing a bunch of "nothing" then come join us next time.

Nevada here we come!

2009-07-21T08:08:00.001-07:00

So, we are off to Nevada for a few days. Don't miss us too much, we'll bring back plenty of photos for your viewing pleasure! Here's just a little something to tide you over until we return.

Just a word to your mother, don't go golfing when clouds are ominous like that. There is a reason why we were the only ones out on the course.

Some things never change

2009-07-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

I was at a BBQ with Grandma this week. I was taking pictures and decided to get one of Grandma. I pointed the camera at her and she lifted up her hands so I couldn't take the picture. Then we had the following conversation..

G: I look terrible.

Me: No you don't Grandma!

G: I have a terrible smile, it doesn't look natural.

Me: (Did I just hear that right, after 92 years you are still worried about your smile. I thought a person stopped caring at 60.) Grandma! You are 92, I think you look great! Plus, nobody else cares what your smile looks like except you.

G: You mean after 93 years?? (She turns 93 in a month)

After the conversation, I decided I had to start being happy with how I look right now. Time doesn't change how I feel about myself, only I change that. I am always looking to be a little bit skinnier, a little bit stronger but every year I look back and wish I would have been happy with how "skinny" or "strong" I was the year before.

If only I could have appreciated my body when I was 25, but of course I didn't. So today, I will be happy with my 35 year old body because in 10 years I will wish I would have put on the string bikini and ran down the street in it. OK, maybe I will NEVER wish that but you get my point! Be happy with what you have right now or never be happy!!

Here's to us Grandma!!

I (heart) gardens

2009-07-17T17:12:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

P.S. I (hate) weeds!

P.P.S. My kids (hate) weeds even more!!!

The sky's the limit..

2009-07-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

The other day Mr. C had the opportunity to hang out with his grandparents. For the first half of the day he was with my dad and his cousin buying a suit for church. The second half of the day they were just having fun. One of the many things they did was check out sports cars. Ever since then he has been talking about getting a sports car when he turns 16. It cracks me up because he is talking about sports cars that cost almost as much as my little house!! I continue to tell him the sky's the limit, all he has to do is make the money. So simple.

I keep thinking back to my trip to Greece where one of the islands had banned all motorized transportation. They used the following to get around....

Maybe, just maybe, Mr C will be able to afford one of these bad a$$es to get him to and from school!!

What do you do...

2009-07-13T12:46:00.000-07:00

...when it's 10:30 p.m. and there is nothing to do???

We jump on the tramp, scream and yell, laugh our heads off and wake up the entire neighborhood!!!

I just checked my phone messages before jumping on the computer. Someone had called Mr.C and left him a message. I have no idea who it was but they informed him that "Sally(name changed to protect the innocent) loves you". Now, as a mom, I think Conner is adorable. What mother doesn't think their child is, right?? I'm starting to think some of the girls have my same opinion.

I had another girl call and ask for Mr. C, please remember that Mr C is only 10 years old, about a week ago. It just so happened that Mr C was gone with his dad. I asked the caller if I could take a message, of course she giggled and asked if Mr C could call her back!!! Oh brother, of course N.O.T.

Then, about 2 weeks prior to that I had 3 girls attack him at the pool. Those girls followed him around like he was a magnet, he could not escape. Now, don't get me wrong, he was smiling from ear to ear. After we left, he informed me that the girls liked him. In a nice way, I told him just because a girl follows you around doesn't mean she likes you!! This is where the conversation got good, he informed me he didn't make any assumptions, the girls told him they had "crushes" on him. UGH!! What's next??

harvest time

2009-07-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

I know that sounds like I live in the country, never mind that I have a Wal-mart seconds away from my front door. My point is.... our cherry tree actually produced a lot of cherries. In the past, the birds would devour the cherries before we realized they were ripe. This year it was a bit different, the birds still devoured them but there was plenty for the rest of us.

The kids and I spent our morning "harvesting". It was fun to climb around on the tree, especially when the birds would land inches away from you to eat the cherry you were picking.

Does anyone know what to do with lots of cherries?

Wheat Bread

2009-07-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

Tye and I made wheat bread this morning. I hope you did something fun!

How to exit a golf cart

2009-07-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, for part of our 4th of July celebrations we decided to go to Fairview. We did some motorcycle riding and then went to the little golf course. Since Miss P was in Cali. we let Mr C and Little T drive the golf carts.
As we are going along I look back and see Little T tumbling out of the golf cart and then the golf cart start rolling backwards. At this point, I am afraid for his little life but he jumps up, runs to the cart and applies the parking brake, like this is no big deal.
So I decide to start watching him to find out what is really going on. The next stop I witness the following......

Yes, you are seeing correctly. He would put the pedal to the medal, get going as fast as he could, then jump cart while still moving. Sometimes he would land the jump, other times he would not, as the following picture shows....
His dad didn't seem to be phased by the actions, kind of like this is what everybody does when exiting a golf cart. Oh well, he didn't get ran over this trip so I guess I won't be troubled by it either.

Party Girl

2009-07-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

Miss P went on her first get-away this weekend. Mr T's side of the family is amazing. I could not ask for better in-laws. Aunt Melanie invited Paige to come to Cali for the weekend. We said YES, of course. All the planning worked out perfectly because Miss P flew out with her cousin Amy who is into her second year at BYU.

Just as a side note here, I love cousin Amy. If you need a date for your good looking single male friends you know who you can call!!! I mean really, just look at her hair.

Anyway, from all the texts and picture texts that I have rec'd, Paige is having a major party in California!

Thanks Aunt Melanie, you are the best!!

Lots of Hot Air

2009-07-03T07:10:00.001-07:00

We woke up at 5 a.m. to check out the hot air balloons. I think this needs to be a 4th of July Prosser family tradition. I wonder how long my children will actually agree to this early morning tradition???

After the balloons, we made a pancake breakfast and enjoyed the nice sun on the back porch. After awhile, we decided to take off to Heber with our neighbors and do some motorcycle riding. When we left it was cloudy, I should have been prepared for the downpour of rain, but I wasn't. Being the "good" mom that I am I was totally UN-prepared. I didn't bring any jackets, let alone "rain" jackets. We were all soaked but laughing and having fun either way. It was a great day.

I like my hat.

2009-07-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

I got another new hat. I like it, that's why I bought it. Mr. T says, it looks like I'm getting ready to deliver the mail. I hope he doesn't mind if he's married to the mail lady!!