Happy New Year's Eve

Happy New Year's Eve... may tomorrow bring a New Year, New Start, and a much better freakin' year! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!

We had a great Christmas and Boxing Day. Christmas day was full of family fun and memories. Alex woke us up promptly at 6:00 am, literally shaking with anticipation and excitement. We told him he had to go back to bed for about 30 more minutes. That lasted for about 10. So, we figured we would just get up and get on with it. It was a lot of fun. We had Kevin's parents and his sister and her hubby spend the night. (Thanks Santa for sending the helper elves...we got our wrapping done really fast this year!!!)Our pictures from Christmas are on our camera and I haven't had a chance to download them, so I'll post them later. We had a wonderful Christmas dinner, watched movies, and after the family left for their homes; me, Kev, and the kids headed down to the basement for 2 hours of Guitar Hero World Tour. It was awesome. Good times. Here's a few pictures from the rest of our long holiday.

The day after Christmas is an English holiday called Boxing Day. Basically, we get together with family and friends and eat, and eat, and eat. (As if we didn't eat enough on Christmas!! Now we get to eat all the leftovers!) We went to the Turner's/Lemen's for dinner and some fun on Debbie and Paul's Wii. It was a lot of fun. The family made a lovely dinner and we over ate...again! Here's a picture of Wade's little girl. (Side note... the crown on our heads... they are courtesy of the Christmas Crackers. Basically, it's a rolled TP container that's wrapped, and you pull the ends and it "pops" and inside there is a little gift, a paper crown, and a joke. The funny part is, on Christmas Day, Sandra brought some over and we popped them open. Paul got a shoe horn. On Boxing Day, we popped open our Crackers, and Paul got...a shoe horn. What are the chances of that?? It was pretty funny. It made me laugh. Luke got a bottle opener and Julie got a cork-screw. We all had another good laugh.)We all sit around with our crowns on our head. It's awesome to see! It's a family tradition...one of my favorites.

Me and Violet



The kids with their Cracker Crowns. (Prying them away from the Wii for a few minutes to snap a picture.)


I wanted to keep this cute little graham cracker house that Alex made, but it wasn't going to happen. So, I told him I'd take a picture. So, here it is. He made it at his 1st grade Christmas Party. He did a great job.


Kevin snapped this picture today while I was at work. I had to post it. I thought it was so cute. I love my boys!



Amidst all of the festivities, after the tree was down and all the decorations put away, and the house clean...I decided to take a "day off"!! I asked one of my girlfriends if she wanted to go to Park City and check out the Clearance deals. Of course, she was on board! We left at about noon, and didn't get back til 6:30 pm. We left all the kids w/ the hubbies and made a run for it. It was great. We had a wonderful time looking at all the shops. We stopped first at Wilson Leather and I found this beauty...calling out to me!! I was pretty excited to find it. I love it. Even better because it was discounted so much...it was actually cheap!


And lastly, we said farewell to Miley. We found a lovely family that had a Jack Russell already and were looking for a friend for their dog. So, we let her go to this family. The funny thing is...no one was even sad to see her go. I didn't even feel bad because they had a Jack Russell... they knew what they were getting! B stayed at Debbie's house, and we took the boys w/ us to go and meet the family and drop Miley off. I asked B if she was sad that she didn't get to say bye to Miley. Her response..."no, not really." I guess Miley wasn't quite the fit we had wanted for our family. No more dogs for us for awhile!

Anyway, we hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas too. I am already looking for presents for next year. We want to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year!!

Update

We have had such a busy couple of weeks, as I am sure everyone has. I guess that's just the season that we are in right now. To start off our holiday season, we started with our work party that me, and the other 2 girls I work with, planned and decorated for. It was a lot of work, but it turned out really nice. We were all glad when it was over!!
Up next, our Ward Christmas Party. (Sorry, I don't have any pictures!!)I am on the Activities committee, so it was another party that I helped plan, set up for and cleaned up after. It again, was a lot of work but it turned out really nice. I know the kids had fun!














This is me and B at our ward RS Christmas night. We got to invite our girls. We decorated Christmas cookies, made gift tags, ate some really yummy food, and made Angel halo's. It was a lot of fun and I love the opportunities that I get once in awhile to spend a little mom-daughter-time with B. She's growing up faster that I am ready to admit. We had a great time.















This one is kinda random, but it was really funny. I went upstairs for a minute and came down to see Luke with his shirt off, eating a Push-Pop, and rocking back and forth to the music that was on the TV. I laughed hard when I saw him. He just stood there, smiling away at me, like he was doing something he did all the time. (He's never done it since!!) I thought it was a cute picture moment.















On one of Kevin's days off (the have been rare these past few weeks!) We went to the mall to do a little shopping. We promised Luke a ride on the Carousel if he was really good. Well, he was really good, so he got to go twice. He loved it! Here's a picture of my boys.












And lastly, yes, that is Neil Diamond. Me and Kev got invited to his concert last minute on Friday. So, I quickly canceled Book Club (sorry girls!!) and we found a babysitter and braved the newly dusted-with-snow roads and headed up to SLC to see the show. It was fantastic! He rocked out for 2 hours straight and I gotta say...he still looks pretty good! There was a train wreck of a couple sitting a couple rows down from us. I had a hard time deciding which show to watch... they were pretty comical! I thought for sure, at one point, the girl was going to go right over the railing. She was dancing away, leaning WAY over. Her date for the night...had his shirt all the way unbuttoned and was totally in the Neil Diamond zone. Never thought Neil would have groupies...I guess he does! Anyway, back to the story. So, we met up with our friends and enjoyed a great date night. It was much needed for both of us!

On Saturday, we went to see the Temple lights with some of our close friends and their kids. It was COLD, but fun. We rode Trax for a couple of blocks as well, so the boys were pretty excited to ride on the train. After the lights, we went over to this yummy bakery and warmed up with some hot chocolate and goodies. We had a great night. It was fun "family" time.

And last night, we went over to some of our other friends and had dessert with them. Almost all the kids are the same age, and they were excited to play with some friends they hadn't seen for awhile. I guess our social calendar has been a little full these past few days. Tis' the season!!

As for today...cleaning the house, wrapping presents, and getting ready for family to come for the holiday. We are looking forward to spending some quality time with our family and friends.

Rings for sale

Rings for sale! My sister-in-law Cristie is selling these super cute/original rings. She sent me one for my birthday and I LOVE it and have received so many compliments on it. I talked her into selling some! Each ring is custom made to fit your finger size and with which ever color beads you want. She can do beads on the back or these silver glass beads. (They won't tarnish.) They are very comfortable to wear and bend with your finger. Email her with your order, ring size, and color of beads. Her email is cristie_t@hotmail.com. The cost is $25, which will include shipping. The turn-around time is pretty quick. Any other questions, drop her a line! These are great b-day gifts, Mother's Day gifts, anytime gifts. They are unique and super cute.

B's Selfless Act....

Today was the day. A few weeks ago, B decided she wanted to cut her hair again (this is the 2nd time)and donate it to Locks of Love. So, we measured her hair, and it was long enough to donate. Over the past few weeks, we have been talking about the choice she was making and why she was making it. She said that she wanted to donate her hair because she is fortunate enough to be able to grow her hair long enough and fairly quick. (She cut 13 inches off last time she donated - just under 2 years ago.) She also said that the reason she grows her hair long now is so that she has the opportunity to give it to others that don't have hair. She has made this choice on her own and very selflessly. She is such an example of giving something and expecting nothing in return. She is our sweet girl with a heart of gold!

I am the luckies girl in the world!

My most favorite person in the world made me this:

Bought Me This:

And This:

And now my house looks like this:

I am so happy! I have the best husband in the world! I am so lucky!

I am thankful...

I am thankful that miracles still happen, prayers are answered, and we can find peace and happiness in our lives. Kevin's dad had his surgery yesterday. It went better than expected. They did have to put a stint in, but he is home and recovering. Thanks for all the prayers...they were answered!

Randomness....

Here's an update on Kev's dad.. He has an appt. on Monday for an Angioplasty. He may have to have a stint put in, but for now, he's doing pretty good. Lots of rest and relaxation for him for the next few days. He elected to wait til Monday so he could be sure to enjoy T-day with the family. I made him promise to be ok til he gets back into the doctor. So far, so good. Please still keep him in your prayers.

Below are just some random pictures from when we were in Arizona a few weeks ago.


My mom and dad with all their grandkids. What a good looking group!


These are my grandparents. (My dad's parents) This was one of the reasons we were in Arizona. We got to visit with them. They live in Oregon and don't make it down often enough. I thought it was pretty cool that I got a picture of my kids with their great-grandparents. And yes...Luke's finger is in his belly-button..as per usual!


This is my friend Kayla and her sweet girls Meredith and Nora. She was in town from Huntington Beach to visit with her parents in Arizona. It was a lot of fun to get together with them. (Her mom and my mom are long-time friends, so they are basically family too!) Anyway, it was great to visit with them and see Kayla's kids. It's been a long time since we have seen each other. What cute kids!

Please offer a prayer

Kevin's dad is in the hospital right now having a Stress Test done to find out what's wrong with his heart. Please say a quick prayer for him.
Thank you.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.
-Mother Teresa

Quirky Quirk

Thanks Sammi! Mine won't include the cool pictures!


Here's the deal. List 6 quirks about yourself, then tag 6 others.

1. My nose. It WAS nice and perfectly straight...until about a year ago when a rambunctious little boy head-butted my right in the nose. Now I have a bump that turns purple when I wear my sunglasses too long. I notice it, it bothers me.

2. My feet are always cold.

3. I sleep with 3 pillows. AKA my "nest". I have one under my head, one on each side of my body. It is what it is...I like it and I am comfortable.

4. I am a addicted to flavored chap stick. (I already admitted that one though on a previous post!)

5. I am VERY sentimental. About everything.

6. I snort when I laugh hard. Once I get going, it's kinda hard to stop.

Tagged: Cori, Rachelle, Michele, Christine, Natalie, Ann

What a WHOPPER!

So my darling 6 year old came home yesterday from school with a "whopper" of a story for us. He burst in the door and told us that a 5th grader had punched him in the nose. (We believed this at first because his nose was, in fact, red and swollen.) Kev turned to me and said, "Why weren't we notified of this?" I said I didn't know, but I picked up my phone to call his teacher. Alex continues telling us that not only did he get punched but the kid got sent to the office and his nose was bleeding so bad that he went to his teacher and she helped stuff tissue up his nose to stop the bleeding. So, now I am dialing feverishly trying to figure out what happened and to make sure this 5th grader was aware that hitting a 1st grader was not ok. Meanwhile, Kev continues to question Alex and finally got out of him that he wasn't punch, but kicked by another boy in his class. So, after a few minutes of litterally prying the truth out of him, we found out that he and some other boys were doing Karate moves (thanks Kung Fu Panda!) and when Alex was done, he bent over to bow and another boy did the same thing and Alex bumped his nose on this other kids head.

So, after I called his teacher back and apologized for Alex's "very larger, overactive imagination", we ripped him a new one. Santa took 3 presents off his list and he is grounded for a week. Man, I love parenting!

Addiction

I realized today that I have an addiction. (Well, I have more than just one, but this one I realized last night!) I am totally addicted to Chapstick. Not just that particular brand, but the Avon ones. (You know, the ones that you can get for 69 cents?!) You can get them in all different kinds of flavors. I just ordered some that is Peppermint...kinda gets you in the holiday mood, and a Sugar Cookie flavor which smells really good. So, I am admitting to everyone...I am addicted to chapstick!

Happy

Today has been a day of reflection for me. Maybe because I just got back from spending a few days at home with family. I was able to re-connect with an old friend, spend time with my parents, my grandparents, nieces and nephews, brothers and sister-in-law. I guess my reflection has been about finding happiness, finding peace, and being grateful. I am grateful. I am finding things to be happy about. I am working on the peace thing. I am healing. I am taking life on. I am doing something.* (more on this later!)

There's a song that's been going through my head. It's by Natasha Bedingfield. It's called "Happy". There's a few lines that say this:

"Got my dreams, got my life, got my love. Got my friends, got the sunshine above. Why am I making this hard on myself, when I have so many beautiful reasons to be happy."

I do have so many beautiful reasons to be happy. Yes these are hard times. Not just in my own life personally, but in the world around me. Financially, economically, and socially. I know that I will be alright if I remember to be thankful and find happiness in my own everyday, crazy, chaotic life.

I am afterall, a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter. I am blessed.

Book Club is BACK!

Ok Ladies...it's book club time again. I know we are starting up again at a crazy time of year, but cease the day right?! The book is "A Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult. It's available in book form or audio. She is a wonderful author and I know I have really enjoyed every book I read of hers. Plus, it's my house, so I get to pick!!! Anyway, come one, come all. Let's get together again since the weather is driving us all back into our houses! We need some estrogen companionship! (I know I do anyway!! :)) Date and time to come...plan on the end of the month after Thanksgiving.

Happy Reading! (Or listening!)

Happy Halloween

Last night we had a great night carving our Pumpkins in preparation for Halloween. B's is at the top, then Alex, then Luke. B and Alex both designed their own and dad helped cut them out. (They sketched them on paper and everything! I love seeing creativity at work!) Luke told me what he wanted and I carved it out. He was pretty excited about the outcome. We thought they turned out great!


HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Here's the kids all decked out in their garb ready to go collect some loot! Our friends came over with their kids and went trick-or-treating with us. Addy is in the back, then B - as a Lifeguard, then Noah, then Alex as Spiderman, and lastly...Luke as Nacho Libre. Everyone looked great and we went out and had a blast trick-or-treating. One more Halloween over til next year! Happy Halloween.

One Crazy Weekend...

What a weekend! My mom and dad rolled in from their hunting trip on Thursday night. I took Friday off and spent the day with them. We didn't do anything too fun, but it was good just to spend some time with them. We met Kevin's parents and his sister for Chinese food for dinner on Friday night too. It was a nice way to end my mom and dad's trip. They got up EARLY and left Saturday morning. I'll see them in a week though..I am traveling down with the kiddies to visit for a few days. (Alex has already packed his suitcase!)

We started Saturday morning off early as well... Alex was sick. He threw up about 8 times in about 2 hours. Poor Kid...he said his back hurt, his chest hurt, and his head hurt. He unfortunately inherited my vom-ing abilities. That is, when he throws up, EVERYONE knows he's throwing up. He ate something that upset his stomach. It could have been the rice/chicken at dinner that we forced him to try, the mound of Salt and Vinegar chips that Kevin gave him when we got home, the yogert he chased it with, or the huge glass of chocolate milk that he rounded the night off with. Anyway, once he got all that out of his system, he was feeling a lot better. We went a head and cancelled our camping trip. (Just overnight!) We didn't want to get there and have him be miserable. So, we'll do it again next time!

Sunday...."WHAT TIME IS IT?" That's right, me and Bailey and some of our friends met for High School Musical 3. I don't know who was more excited...me or B! B was all decked out in her plaid shorts and her HSM T-shirt. Since I didn't get to the store to buy my "I LOVE TROY" shirt, I had to settle on Wildcat colors. Yes, I was dressed in Red and White. Kevin was really the only one that noticed and preceeded to give me the, "are you kidding me?" look. Anyway, already being dressed, I didn't want to be late for the big show, so I wore it..and rocked it! We had so much fun. (Even if B wanted to sit by her friend instead of me!!) It was a great show and I am so glad that there is a good movie that I can actually let my very influential daughter watch! (Even though it was Sunday, it was a memory worth making on the day of rest!) We don't get to do mom/daughter days very often; it was great to get out with B. And of course, I didn't take any pictures. Oh well... it was still so much fun.

And one last kudos to Kev...we ran again tonight and we beat our last time by 2 min 20 seconds. That was 2 miles..running non-stop. Yeah for us. The last lap was tough, but Kev had his hand on my back and was giving me that last little push to get it done. Yeah for us! Love you babe!

Little bits of randomness...

Here is the picture I promised of Luke's birthday cake. Julie (Wade's wife made it and she did a great job!) It was a really nice cake it and she did a great job decorating it in Luke's favorite decor!


My Boys! So handsome. Don't expect Luke to "pose" for a good picture! We did end up with a few good ones with him smiling, but most of them were with him making some sort of silly face. Alex had just lost his front teeth, so he came up with some pretty good faces too. At least they are super cute!



Just a recent one of me and my ole man!

A Witches Treat

The Fabulous Witches. The one w/ the frog is the one that was on the Wagon Ride. She made the kids laugh. There were several people already in costume. (Not the Witches!) It was great people watching!

The "Witchy Poo"



Monday me and my girlfriend took our kids to Gardner Villiage to see all the Witches. It was FUN! All the Witches were amazingly decorated and the "real-live" ones were hillarious. The kids found the one witch that was in an out-house. It was called the "Witchy Poo". My kids thought it was the best one. We had a great time. We made it around with only 1 minor ding (let you guess who got it! Just a scrape on the hand) and no one fell into the water. There were a few times I thought Luke was going in..for sure. We didn't get to go into any of the stores..I guess I should say we didn't "attempt" to go into any stores with the kids. (That will have to be another day w/ just the moms!) We did however stop at the bakery. It was divine! I splurged and had a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookie w/Cream Cheese frosting. Yes, it was as good as it sounds!
After we walked around, we went over to the Petting Zoo and got to walk around and pet some of the animals. Alex really took to this goat with big horns. He also liked the geese and there was this HUGE pig named Sally. He really wanted to see her get up, but she was asleep. He wouldn't even touch her snout! There was a bunny that was in a pen that he like to pet as well. He's a real animal lover.














Luke and this goat became quick friends. He walked it all around the pen. He kept his hand on him for ages, just walking beside him. It was so funny to watch. He walked it over a bridge and around until the goat layed down. Luke had both arms wrapped around the goat's neck and kept saying, "get up goat." He didn't want to leave the goat, but we finally convinced him to come with us and finish out our trip on the wagon ride.
Here's a picture with all the kids in front of this big wheel thing. (I am sure there is a proper name for it, but it's late, and I have no idea what it's called!!)





Kids: Left to right - Noah, Addy, Alex, Bailey, and Luke.


We rounded our fun trip off with a wagon ride with a Witch. She told us some stories and we rode around on a hay wagon being pulled by a tractor. It was great. The kids had the best time and it was well worth the trip. We finished off the night with dinner at McDonald's. (With the playland!) It was a great way to spend FHE! I love making these memories with the kids. Time is a gift!

Quote from the Grand Finale!

Kevin: Luke, let's spell your name.
Luke: K.
Kevin: L
Luke: L
Kevin: U
Luke: Me
Kevin: U
Luke: Me
Kevin: No, U
Luke: Me
Kevin: No, say U
Luke: Me.
Needless to say, I am laughing hysterically!

So fun to hear the things they come up with. Gotta love 3 year olds. Their thinking is so clear and simple.

PS... Yes, we did get the cheese out of his nose. He just blew it out. I think we got it all. I guess having his nose checked with just be on the list of "usuals" every time we visit the doctor from now on! Awesome!

Happy Birthday my Sweet 3 Year Old!

Happy 3rd Birthday Luke!

Today is Luke's 3rd birthday. It's kinda been a two week celebration. He has enjoyed his 3 birthday parties! Last weekend, we celebrated with all of the family. My parents were up from Arizona and we had all of Kevins family over as well. He was so excited to open his presents and eat his "Thomas" cake. (Aunt Julie did a WONDERFUL job on his Thomas cake. She made it just for Luke and it was as delicious as it looked. Thanks Aunt Julie for making Luke a cake he won't forget!!) I was going to post a picture of it but it must be on my camera! We went to dinner last night with some of our friends and then back to our house for cake and ice cream. He got this super sweet bug catcher/vacuume thing. (I have already made good use of it!!) Then today, we went to church - his nursery class sang happy birthday to him, then we came home and spent some time together as a family before Kev was off to work. Me and the kids walked over to the park and played for a bit. We had dinner, some cake, then watched a movie. Now he's zonked out. He got lots of cool stuff and I know he had a great day.

As for me, I have spent he past few days thinking about this sweet angel (well, some of the time!) and how different our lives would be if he hadn't come to us. I remember when he was born. My epidural didn't work and I ended up having him naturally. Not really the way I wanted things to go down, but whatever it took to get him here, I was willing to do. Once he came, he was happy and healthy. That lasted all of about 2 weeks. He started having really bad ear infections and was not sleeping...at all. I was nursing him about every hour just to try and get some quiet time. He was so miserable and there wasn't anything I could do to comfort him. I felt overwhelmed. We spent almost all of our time at the Dr. office, trying to figure out what to do for him. He was on stuff for acid reflux and almost always on antibiotics to help clear up his ears. I remember driving him once to the Dr. I was going on very little sleep, and I remember thinking to myself that if he doesn't get better soon, I think Heavenly Father was trying to prepare me that he might return home to him. I remember feeling very overwhelmed, but also so grateful for the time that I had been blessed with to spend with him. Not long after that, Luke had his first set of tubes put in his ears. Just like that (picture me snapping my fingers!) he was better. It was litterally over night. He was a whole, new baby, and one that I was enjoying a lot more. He was sleeping..which meant I was sleeping! We were a much happier team. He's been growing everyday by leaps and bounds. He is hillarious and an amazing blessing to our family. We have truly been blessed by having Luke as a member of our family.

Happy Birthday my sweet angel.

PS... Luke celebrated his birthday today by shoving a piece cheese up his nose. That's my boy!

Tag #2

Taggy-Poo
Thanks Tricia for the Tag....

I am - A mother, a wife, a sister, a friend.

I think - I will survive.

I know - that everything happens for a reason.

I miss - Sara and Aaron.

I fear - loosing someone else that I love.

I feel - tired.

I hear - My kids still awake. (They are supposed to be asleep!)

I smell - Tootie Fruity Rings.

I want - peace, knowledge, acceptance, understanding.

I crave - sleep.

I cry - a lot. I am working on it.

I search - for knowledge and understanding.

I wonder - about the future.

I regret - nothing. It's made me who I am today.

I wish - I had one more conversation with Aaron.

I love - Kevin, Bailey, Alex, and Luke.

I care - because I don't know how not to.

I always - Floss after eating.

I have - experienced what it's like to be heartbroken.

I worry - that I am not doing enough.

I am not - skinny!

I remember - Sara.

I believe - in miracles and comfort.

I sing - a lot and off key

I argue - if I know I am right.

I write - to clear my head.

I lose - my sanity everyday just before bedtime.

I listen - to hear what I need to know and how to move forward.

I don't always - remember to be thankful for what I have.

I don't understand - death.

I can usually be found - doing something with my family.

I need - understanding.

I forget - everything. I don't have a good memory at all.

I am happy - when I am with family.

I tag - Lindsy, Rachelle, Cori

Tag 1

Bear With Me... I've been tagged 2 times with 2 different tag-things! Here's number 1.



7 Things that I can do:

1. I can put away a meal at Cafe Rio

2. I can run 2 miles. (As of tonight..I even cried when we crossed the finish line! Yeah me and Kevin!!)

3. I can cook desserts

4. I can get myself and my 3 kids ready in 1 and 1/2 hours. (That's HUGE!!)

5. I can keep a secret

6. I can tell you where everything is at Walmart

7. I can play the piano (even though it's been awhile.)

7 Things that I can't do:

1. I can't get enough sleep

2. I can't do the splits (wish I could though!)

3. I can't eat just one M&M

4. I can't wear leggings. (It's not a good look for me!)

5. I can't rollerblade

6. I can't make it through a therapy appointment with out crying. (Yet!)

7. I can't live without my family

7 Things that attracted me to Kevin:
1. His smile

2. He showed at up my appartment on a motorcycle and asked to take me for a ride.

3. He was a gentleman

4. He loves his family

5. His strength

6. He calls me his sweetheart

7. He protects me and comforts me



7 Things I say most often:

1. What the...? (And yes, Luke has picked it up!)

2. That's Awesome

3. When will I ever need to make Tiramasu?

4. Really?

5. What?

6. Are you kidding me?

7. Love you



7 People that I admire the most:

1. Mom and dad

2. Kevin

3. Karalee

4. Ann

5. Condoleezza Rice

6. Bailey, Alex, Luke

7. The Prophet



7 of my favorite foods:

1. Cafe Rio Pork Salad

2. Cafe Rio Pork Burrito

3. Cafe Rio Pork Quesadilla

4. Chili's - Fajitas

5. Arby's Beef N Cheddars

6. Rollos

7. Ice Cream

7 People I tag:
1. Ann

2. Lindsy

3. Nat

4. Tricia

5. Sammi

6. Kayla

7. Cori

Tidbits in a nutshell...

We are home from San Diego. We had a GREAT time. I have wonderful in-laws that put together the best trip my family has been on. I enjoyed spending time with everyone and it was a gentle reminder for me to always remember to be thankful for the wonderful people in my life. We had a blast at Sea World. (I'll post pictures from the trip as soon as I get them downloaded from my camera!) Kevin and I also had a great time running "across the boarder"! I got a sweet Coach purse and we found some original costumes for the boys. They are....wait for it...Nacho Libre masks and cape. It's awesome. Luke is going as Nacho and Alex is going as a Blue Power Ranger. It was $8 bucks well spent! We had fun. It's good to be home and sleeping in our own bed.

We seem to be going a mile a minute these days too. My mom and dad were here for a couple of days. It was great to spend some time with them. I needed some mom and dad time. Wish it was longer.

The kids are out of school for a couple of days for Fall Break. Would love to have gone camping, but going to AZ in a couple of weeks. Sucks that we can't do everything. We will be making the most of our time while the kids are home and we'll have to do some camping next weekend, when Kev is off for the whole weekend.

Luke's 3rd b-day is Sunday. We celebrated with all the family this past Sunday. It was great to have everyone together. We are going to celebrate this Saturday too. (I swear our kids never have just a one day celebration..it's usually several!) Oh well, it's fun. Plus, it can't be all bad when there's birthday cake involved.

Lastly, I had to post this picture of Luke. He was eating a popcorn ball (and yes, it did smell sweet!) Anyway, he was laying on the floor and all the sudden he starts yelling that his eye is broken. I look over at him to find this sweet little treat.

He even left a popcorn trail, just in case I couldn't find him! My kids ROCK!

Also, we took the kids roller skating on Monday. Oh yea, I skated. Nothing like a 30-something racing around like a crazy woman! It was a great workout! Good times. Good FHE!

We Made It!

We are in day 4 of our 6 day vacation and we are loving every minute of it. We have the back door open of the house and are feeling the cool breeze from the Ocean. (I could really get used to this!!) We have had a great time. This pic is of 2 of my boys at the Seal Show yesterday at Sea World. We had a great time! I took a lot more pictures, they are just on my camera. When we get home, I'll post more. We have done everything from a day at the beach, to Sea World, swimming, and tomorrow...MEXICO!! Should be fun. I am looking forward to finding the "BIG DEAL!!" We have had a blast on our trip so far and are not too excited to get home!

San Diego or BUST!

We leave for San Diego in just over 3 days. It couldn't come soon enough! Was it just me, or was today the longest day ever? Maybe I am just excited to get my vacation under way. We are all excited. Bailey has a count-down calendar posted and everyone already has their backpacks packed. We are ready to go. Too bad we aren't leaving til Monday. Oh well...it will come soon enough! I guess I do have a few things to get done between now and then...like color my hair. (Gotta get those grey ones covered up!) At least I have Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives to look forward to again. That will kill some time too!

Family Pictures

We went last night and had some family pictures done. A girl I work with and her husband took them for us. I think they did a GREAT job. They were very patient with our little family. I'll post some of the funny ones too. Luke looks like it was painful to sit still for that amount of time. Alex kept putting his "fangs" out and smiling with his tongue where his 2 front teeth were. Bailey was so good...she just posed and patiently waited for her brothers. We had a good time. We finished off the night with sundae's at Artic Circle. It was a fun night.

TAGGED!!

This is the first, of what I am sure to be many, blog tags. Check it out and if you are 'tagged' at the bottom then you need to answer these questions on your blog.

3 Names I Answer To:
1 - Nik
2 - Babe
3 - Nicolletta

3 Restaurants I Like:
1 - Cafe Rio
2 - Cafe Rio
3 - Cafe Rio

3 Trips I Have Planned For The Rest Of The Year:
1 - San Diego, CA (On Monday!!)
2 - Higley, AZ
3 - Camping somewhere close.

3 Things I Really Want:
1 - To Cope
2 - To be happy
3 - To be fit

3 Pets I Have/Had:
1 - Miley
2 - Cookie
3 - Dana

3 Things I Did Yesterday:
1 - Work
2 - Therapy
3 - Family Pictures

3 Things I Ate Today:
1 - Chips-N-Salsa
2 - Taco Salad
3 - Mint Brownie

3 Fears I Have:
1 - Cancer
2- Not being a good enough friend
3 - Bad Breathe

3 Things I Plan On Doing Today:
1 - Running
2 - Updating some family pics on my blog
3 - Reading - Just got a new book

3 Things I Plan On Doing Tomorrow:
1 - Paying bills
2 - Running
3 - Packing for our trip

3 Holidays I Love:
1 - Christmas
2 - Thanksgiving
3 - St. Patrick's Day

3 Beverages I Like:
1 - Cherry Pepsi
2 - Cherry Coke
3 - Mr. Pibb

1. Natalie
2. Kayla
3. Sammi
4. Lindsy
Tag, you're it!

Bailey Bake Sale= Big money!!

For months now, Bailey has been asking to have a Bake Sale to make some pocket money for our trip to San Diego at the end of this month. I have been putting it off and putting it off, until I looked at the calendar and realized it's today or it's not going to happen before we leave. (Can't believe how the time gets away from me!) Anywho.. after great help from Nanny and Papa (Nan made some cute star shaped cakes that we frosted white and brown, and Papa building this cute stand) we pulled the sale together. I was up til midnight last night making homemade Hot Fudge and Hot Caramel toppings. They turned out great. She also sold some mint brownies and Aunt Sharon's famous filled sugar cookies. Everything turned out great! Bailey made some good money and we still have a few orders for the toppings. I was going to get some picutres outside with everything set up, but we got some rain and had to call it quits a bit earlier than expected. She had a good turn out and is a great salesperson. (She would have sold her brothers if she could have gotten away with it!) Glad its over, but it was a great experience for her. I am exhausted..so we are off to Cafe Rio for dinner!!

Why we love Guitar Hero

1. Great Concentration
2. Great Hand-Eye Coordination (Bailey is the Queen of Guitar Hero)
3. Pure QUIET time on a Sunday afternoon!

Also, for anyone one who doesn't have this game, there are many songs included. So, if you would love your children to sing classics such as "Cherry Pie", this is the game for you and your family. And my personal favorite, which apparently is Luke's (at any random time) favorite too...."Shout At The Devil". It's amazing how often this particular song rears it head. Especially when he's singing at the top of his lungs on the way to church. HI Love Bailey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!