Bean Museum and McDonalds

This week we are on spring break! It's been nice to not be on a schedule and to relax and hang out with the kids. Monday, DH had the day off, so when we got back from St. George, we cleaned up, fixed bikes,and hung out with the kids. It was a nice relaxing day.

Yesterday, we met up with some friends and went to the Bean Museum at BYU. The kids like to go there and see all the animals, and check out the different exhibits. It's fun and it's free.

J standing in front of a "Liger". It's a lion/tiger breed. There are not very many of them in the world. This one was donated by the Hogle Zoo after it died.

As we were walking around looking at some of the exhibits, I heard "Hey, look at that bird, it has boobs!" Yep, that would be my son who made that lovely comment.

This hippo was trying to eat my head.

Afterwards, we went to McDonalds for lunch. Well, the kids did. We went and grabbed some Bajio and brought it with us, while the kids ate and played on the play set. It was a fun day!

Later that night we went over to some friends' house for dinner and games. We played "A to Z", which I love! We also played "Celestial Companions", which DH and I won! I'm so grateful to have such wonderful friends. We had a great night!

Warm Weather

We had so much fun in St. George. It was a nice little get away for our family. M has a little friend on the dance team with her, so we came down together and stayed in the same hotel. The weather was beautiful. We love swimming, which means we love the warm temperatures. Every spare second we had, the kids wanted to be swimming. They are my little fish. We spent a lot of our time in the pool. It was great. We got to wear our capris, flip flops, and short sleeves. Sometimes I wish we lived somewhere like St. George where the weather is warmer more than it isn't. I love the sun!



It's crazy that we went from upper 80 degree weather, got in the car and drove home to 50 degree weather. I'm so ready for the cold to go away for good. It's supposed to spring for goodness sake. It's not supposed to be snowing like it was today. What is that all about?


Ever since we got home, all the kids can ask about is when they can go swimming. They are ready to bust out the sunscreen, swimming suits, and towels for good. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait a bit longer before our warm weather is here to stay and we can enjoy soaking up the rays. But, as soon as it is, I know we'll be swimming, swimming, swimming! It's a good thing we have our 7 Peaks passes waiting to be used!

St. George Competition

We drove to St. George last Friday for M's competition. It was at Dixie College. There were a ton of teams competing. M is becoming quite the little dancer. She LOVES every minute of it, and it is so fun to see her improve. They placed 3rd in both their dances. The first one there were 5 teams competing and the second one there were only 3, but the teams that they were competing against were 11 and 12 year olds, and should definitly not have been put in the beginners category. Oh well. She had a blast, and didn't really know the difference. Grandpa D. and Teresa met us there. It was so nice of them to come and support M. She was so excited to have someone else come and watch her dance. It was a busy and short weekend, but we were glad to be able to see them for a little bit.

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

"Hard Knock Life"

Punctum Plug

Maybe about two months ago or so, I started getting some really tiny bumps on my bottom eyelid. At first I thought it was a sty, but it went away quickly. Then, I kept getting more. They weren't always in the same spot. I could kind of run my finger on my eyelid and it would pop the bump. I know, gross. So, since I was due for an eye check up anyway, I made an appt. to go to the eye doctor. He told me it was most likely from wearing old contacts, and or using old mascara. So, I changed both of those things in hopes that the bumps would go away. Of course, they didn't. About a month later, I went back to the doctor, and he said that my eyes were really dry, and that I may possibly have an infection. He prescribed some medicine and told me to come back in a week for a follow up appointment. The bumps didn't go away, even with the medicine, and they were starting to get slightly annoying.

The doctor told me that sometimes people just suffer from dry eyes and that there isn't a whole lot they can do. But, I did have one more thing to try. He told me about these plugs that you can put in your tear duct. Apparently when you blink, the tears "drain" into the tear duct. My tear ducts are bigger than most peoples (of course, because I have freakish things happen to me quite often) so the tears drain quicker, leaving my eyes with less tears than most. And, I'm a contact wearer, I stay up late, blah, blah. Which means I have lots of factors contributing to my dry eye problem, even though I never really thought I had dry eyes. They never bothered me before. He suggested we put in some temporary plugs that last 7-10 days to see if they would help. This sounded a little scary to me, because who wants something put into their eye? But, I agreed. First, he put some numbing drops in my eyes, which was so weird. My eyes felt totally crazy. Then, he opened my eye and put in the plugs. It didn't hurt, just felt strange. It's been 2 days, and I think I can feel a difference. I haven't gotten any of those bumps. So, that's a good thing. If I decide that I like them, then we can put permanent plugs in. Crazy. I've never heard of putting something in your tear duct. I've only heard of some babies needing to have their tear duct opened up. But, I'm lucky I get to have something shoved in there. Yeah me :}

Spring Soccer

Our city decided to try soccer during the spring. I signed S up, but not T because baseball will be starting soon and the two will overlap. Anyways, today he had a game. It was freezing. It started raining. We were all wrapped in blankets trying to keep warm. The boys still enjoyed themselves, which is good and what really matters. We came home and the kids jumped in hot showers and baths. Hopefully the rest of the season we'll have better weather.

Rooster

When we moved into this house, I decorated my kitchen/dining area with roosters. The other day, I went to a home decor store looking for sconces, to put on both sides of my mirror in my living room. I was not looking for a rooster. I told the kids they had to be so so good in the store, not touch anything, no running, blah, blah. The owner came up to me and asked if he could help. I told him what I was looking for and he walked me over to one corner of the store to show me what they had. As I was talking to him, I heard a big crash, little footsteps, and the sad little voice of S saying "I'm sorry mom, it was an accident. I didn't mean to." I was not happy, and the store owner was not happy either. I gave the keys to T and told him he better go get his brother in the car. This rooster had lost it's head and some of the paint had chipped. So, I got to buy it. Instead of paying $30, the owner only made me pay $20. He glued the head back on and did a quick little paint job. It hardly looked like it had been touched. Luckily it wasn't ugly and it matched my house so it was something that didn't totally go to waste. I would've preferred to buy something else, but oh well. S got a big talking to, and I think, I hope he learned his lesson.

IHOP Date

For each of the kids' birthdays, they get to go on a one on one date with Grandma D. This is something that the kids look forward to each year. They went to IHOP, and had a blast. Since they went on April Fools day, T wanted to play a "trick" on the waitress. I guess he told her that his grandma forgot her credit card so they were going to have to use his. My MIL told me how cute it was, and how excited he was to do it. I can totally picture it. Afterwards they went to the dollar store, and T picked out some of those crazy glasses, with they crazy eyes, nose, and moustache. When he got home he knocked on the door wearing them and was pretending like he was a little old man. He had a blast! I'm so glad that he was able to go and spend time with his grandma.

One Word: BUSY

I feel like I haven't even had a second to breathe. Last week was crazy busy.

~Friday (March 21) DH and I actually went on a date! It was fabulous. We didn't do anything huge, just went to the mall so I could find some decent shirts to wear. It was a successful trip for both of us.

~Saturday, the kids and I went to some friends house for a BBQ, to color eggs, and for a hunt. There were 9 kids hunting, and something like 170ish eggs to find.

~Easter Sunday was at my house this year, with all of DH's family. My sister and her friend also came. We enjoyed a yummy dinner and had a big easter egg hunt outside. We also celebrated the March birthdays. I believe there were 5, so we had lots of presents to open. It was a fun, busy day with lots of gifts, candy, and fun.

~For FHE, we went to the park and flew kites and ate donuts.

~We had all the usual: homework, dance lessons, 4H, cleaning, laundry etc.

~Wednesday was pack night. T earned his Sportsman pin, and 3 belt loops. His new scout leaders are great! We are thrilled to have some that actually help the boys earn badges and so forth. We got scouting expo tickets that we need to start selling.

~Thursday was HFPE. I believe Enrichment Leader is my eternal calling. I've had the calling for a few years in this ward, and in two other wards as well. I actually don't mind it, but it is a lot of work and I'm running out of ideas. This particular one was especially hard. I have a very small committee (the counselor, myself, and 1 other sister). The one sister is extremely hard to work with. I feel bad even saying it, but it's so true. She wants everything a HUGE production, and wants it to be all about her. I think she has a sad life, so I'm trying not to be mean, but she is SO SO difficult to work with. She wanted to have dinner, a lesson, a song, a craft, and a game. I told her we probably needed to simplify things and choose only one thing besides dinner. I don't think she was too pleased with me. With all that said, by the end of the night I think everything turned out well and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. We ate Hawaiian Haystacks and played R.S. memory, where they won a candy bar if they made a match.

Example:
A prayer reaches through the "Milky Way" and straight to God's ear.
The worth of a soul is greater than "100 Grand"

~Friday we had some friends over for a BBQ. It was supposed to be warm, but it wasn't, so DH got to go outside in the cold and BBQ then he brought it inside and we ate there in the warmth. After dinner we played games and had dessert. The kids ran around and played and then settled down to a movie. 5 out of 8 kids fell asleep during the movie, and then 2 more followed shortly after. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful friends.

~Saturday we went to Logan for another dance competition for M. They did really well. This one was much bigger than the first. We didn't stay for the awards, so I'm very curious to see how they placed. I would be surprised if they didn't get at least 2nd in one of the dances and possibly 1st. Next time we go to there, we might get a hotel. It was a long day and everyone was exhausted.

~Sunday DH, T, and I all woke up feeling not so great. I wasn't too bad so I took the 3 littles to church and DH and T stayed home. Church went well. My poor friend was having a really bad day. Her husband is in Iraq, actually just was transferred to Germany for medical reasons. He is having a hard time hearing and seeing, and can't speak well. His mind is still there and is fine, but those things aren't functioning. She is really struggling and I feel so bad for her. I hope and pray for their family that all will be well.

~So now, it's a new week and I hope it will be much less crazy and I can actually breathe!

A Requested Post

I've been asked several times by several different people how I've lost weight. I'm not really one who likes to talk about myself. I have an extremely low self esteem plus I would never want to sound like I was bragging about myself.

Ever since I had my first child, weight has been a constant battle for me. Growing up I never had a problem and had the misconception that I never would. Boy was I wrong. I gained about 60 pounds with my first. A huge amount. Then I think I probably only lost about 20 of that before I got pregnant again. The weight just kept coming on. I had all four of my kids in 4 1/2 years, so my body took a big hit. I wasn't one of the lucky ones who lost weight when they nursed either. In fact, I did just the opposite. I gained and gained. Finally I was sick of it and wanted to do something about it. So I did weight watchers and lost a little. Then of course I had another set back. I was having medical problems and ended up having to have a hysterectomy at the age of 27. For some lame reason I gained after that and had a really hard time losing. I guess it's just my luck.

Well, last year I had had enough. I was tired of looking the way I did. Tired of feeling so depressed and self conscious. Tired of being fat and ugly. So I decided it was time to get serious. Besides all those lovely things working against me, I LOVE food. I love chocolate, sweets, breads. I love to eat and will be the first to admit it. I knew I had some changes I needed to make if I was ever going to reach my goal. So I started really watching my portions. I started weight watchers again, but was SO tired of counting points. I kind of just did things on my own. I tried to stay away from all that fattening stuff that I love. I started to exercise again. That I believe has been the key. At first I wasn't exercising and I was losing, but then I was just at a stand still and knew that I needed an extra push. It's not always easy to stay motivated to exercise, especially when I don't have a gym membership and I just have to do it on my own. I have weeks when I'm really really good, and then some when I'm not so good. It's the same with eating.

I think, for me, as a mom it's been hard to diet because I'm cooking for my family and I want to be able to eat with them. I don't want them to remember mom always being on a diet or not being able to eat what they were. I don't want the focus to be on weight all the time. There is so much pressure for young kids from their friends and from the media, they don't need to be hearing about all that at home too. So, I've tried to tell them that I'm eating this way to be healthy so that I can play with them, hike with them, and have a long healthy life.

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't deprive myself by any means. If we are at a family dinner and there is cheesecake, you bet I'm going to have at least one piece. If I have a sudden urge for a Twix, I'll go buy it just as long as I don't do it every day. I still want to live my life and have fun. I still want to enjoy. So, when there is a special occasion, that is what I do. I enjoy. When I'm at home every day doing my every day stuff, that's when I really focus on eating well and watching portions. You've got to find a balance that works for you and stick to it.

Things have FINALLY started to click in my body. I started in July and have lost 50 pounds since!! The weight is coming off slowly, so I really have to be patient and not get discouraged. I still want to lose at least 17 pounds. That is my goal. That would put me at the high end of healthy for my age, height, etc. If I can lose more, I will. But, if I can get those last 17 pounds off I will be thrilled. I really need to work on getting things more toned too. I'm kind of lacking in that area, but I guess persistence is the key. I will get there!

I really wish it was easier than this to lose. But, at least for me, it isn't. I know this will be something that I have to be mindful of forever. But, I will be happier and healthier because of it when all is said and done.

I don't know if this was helpful or if this is even what people were looking for. But, there you have it. That is my journey.

Dance

Dance Lessons: $90/month

Warm Ups: $80

Costumes: $150

Make-Up: $40

Competition Fee: $135

This Face: Priceless

I know it's a pricey thing to do but I'd rather spend the money and know what my kids are doing than have them be doing things that they shouldn't. M had her first dance competition on Saturday. She was SO excited. They did very well. She has really been enjoying dance and is very good at it. I'm glad that she's found something that she loves to do. She tried soccer and it just wasn't her thing. Then she started dance and loves it.

Out of 100 points they scored in the 90's. They got 3rd place in both of her dances. They were so cute and did so well. The only frustrating part was that some of the teams should've entered under a different category. Our girls are beginners and I know that some of the other teams definitly weren't. I think it's sad that people feel the need to stack the odds in their favor. Oh well. The girls still had a blast!

Tag

MSL tagged me for a meme. I haven't done one for a while, so here goes:

What I was doing 10 years ago:
~I had just had my first child, a beautiful big boy!
~We were living in Idaho.
~I had just graduated with my Associates from Ricks College.
~I was trying to learn how to be a mom and was loving every minute of it!

5 things on my "to do" list today:
~finish the laundry
~go to the mall and try to find some decent clothes to wear so I don't look so homely
~do homework with the kids
~take M to dance
~have an Enrichment meeting

Snacks Ienjoy:
~chocolate
~ice cream
~fresh fruit
~chex mix

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
~save for college for the kids
~buy a new house, and get out of debt
~take the whole family on a very fun, very long vacation
~help family members
~give to a good cause
~shop, of course
~save

3 of my bad habits:
~procrastinating
~worrying too much about how clean the house is
~playing Bubble Shooter on the computer way too late into the night

5 places I have lived:
~Lancaster, CA
~Provo, UT
~Rexburg, ID
~UT, where I am now
~UT, around the corner from where I am now

5 jobs I have had:
~dance teacher and assistant
~secretary (gopher) at a car dealership
~Artco doing phone orders for wedding invitations and supplies
~Daycare teacher
~Last, but not least, and definitly the best: A MOM!


5 people I want to know more about (a nice way of saying "TAG")
~Chel from Happiness is Everything
~Tori from My Life Just Pretend You're Interested
~Kelsi from In the Wake of Jake
~Sweet Pea from Sweet Pea
~Misty from Starting From Scratch

Enjoy!!

A Pain In The Neck (literally)

I know this is an odd picture, but it's the best view I could get. A couple of weeks ago my throat started hurting. It was that hurt that you get when you start getting sick. I didn't pay any attention to it and just figured I was getting a cold or something. Well, after about 2 weeks and waking up Saturday morning with a huge lump in my neck, I kind of started to freak out. I went to the doctor Monday morning, hoping for some help and maybe an answer. What I got was: it's not strep, it's not my tonsils, it's not mono, it's not an ear infection, we don't know what it is. GREAT. Why did I even go? They put me on some antibiotics and said if it wasn't gone in ten days to come back. Fine. Tuesday I woke up sicker than a dog. I had a fever, the chills, my body ached, had a headache, no appetite. I felt crappy. Wednesday was no better. Thursday I went back to the doctor because instead of getting better I was getting worse. They repeated the tests from Monday, nothing. That evening they did an ultrasound. Turns out it's a huge swollen lymph node, which the tech told me was the biggest one she ever saw. Not only that but I also had at least 15 smaller swollen lymph nodes surrounding the big one. Yeah for me. The doctor switched my antibiotic to a stronger one and once again said that if it wasn't gone in ten more days to come back in for a biopsy. He was concerned because he doesn't know why I have it. Luckily this medicine is working. I feel much much better. I can turn my head again, lay on that side, and eat. It's not gone, but it is getting smaller. I've got until Tuesday, so hopefully it will be gone. I'm thinking having a needle stuck into my neck won't be too fun.

Fake Curtains

I'm not great at sewing and I couldn't find any curtains I liked for my dining/kitchen areas. Then I was at this great store and found some cute tea towels that I loved. I bought a bunch and got some little knobs to hang them on. This was the end result. I love them. No sewing required! I just got a rubberband and wrapped the towel around the knob, and there you have it!

A Fun Treat

My wonderful sister had these fun little treats sent to me for my birthday. They are little miniature pieces of cake. Last year she sent me some cute frog chocolates. Don't I have a great sister?!

More Birthday Celebrations

Not only did we eat cake a day late, we also celebrated a day late. T has been begging and begging for a BB gun. So, we finally decided that he was old enough for one. We gave it to him late at night so he didn't have time to shoot that night. But, he was up first thing Saturday morning and spent hours outside shooting. He came in for a short break and then headed back outside. He was grinning from ear to ear.

When DH got home from we headed to The Mayan for dinner. It was T's choice. The plan was to go eat and then go see a movie. When we got there, there was a 1 1/2 hour wait. We told T we wouldn't be able to do both, and let him choose what he wanted to do. He decided to stay and eat. We finally were seated around 8:00 and didn't get our food until about 8:30 or 8:45. The kids did pretty good with the wait, but were starving. Poor S, he tried so hard. He stayed awake long enough to get his food, have a bite or two and then he was out of it. He put his head on the table and was sound asleep.

T enjoyed his meal. The diving show was very cool. The kids love watching it. It's changed a little from the last time we came. It's much more involved this time and was a lot more enjoyable to watch. The only bummer about the night was that T didn't get sung to. We told our waitress several times that it was his birthday. She kept forgetting. Finally they brought him an ice cream sundae, but that was all. I know he was a little disappointed because he really wanted a birthday song like his sister had gotten a few years ago. But, all in all it was a great night!

Smores Cake

Every year I let the kids pick what kind of cake they want me to make them for their birthday. I try my best to do what they ask for. This year T wanted a smores cake. I found one in a cook book and tried my best to copy it. Here is what the finished product looked like. T was happy with it so that is what matters most.

Friday, the actual day of T's birthday was such a busy day. While the kids had school, I babysat, went to the grocery store, the bank, bought dance shoes and tights for M, and started the cake. Once the kids got home we cleaned up and some friends came over. Then M had to get ready for dress rehersal. I picked up her friend, dropped T and S off at the school to wait for some other kids I had to babysit, took the girls to dress rehersal, went back to pick up the boys and the kids. One of the boys had a cut on their hand, I didn't have anything in the car except for a diaper, so he wrapped his hand in the diaper and I took him home. Then we went back to the dress rehersal for a little bit. Next I had a meeting for 4H, which I teach after school. So I loaded up the troops once again, and we were off to the meeting. When I got there Corbin (the little boy I watch) had had a huge blowout in his diaper. So I stripped him down, finished the meeting, went home to dress him, and then dropped him off at his house. Then we went to pick M up, and finally were able to go home. Once the other three kids that I watch were gone, it was like 7:30 or 8:00. DH would be home soon, I didn't have dinner ready, so we decided to wait and go grab so pizza when he got back. By the time we got home S was asleep, J went straight to bed, and the other two were close behind. We asked T if he wanted his cake, he could barely answer. So we took that as a no.

Point of the story: Friday was so busy we had no time for cake. So, we had cake in the morning.

Guess Who's Ten?

When did this happen?

When was I old enough to have a ten year old?

I can't believe he's 10!

Happy Birthday T, I love you!!!

Bear Scout

We went to the Blue and Gold Banquet for Scouts last week. T got his Bear badge, a gold arrow, and five sliver arrows. He barely made it, since his birthday is tomorrow. He was very excited to receive this award. Our scouting program is slowly starting to get better which I'm grateful for because the boys really enjoy going. I think it's so important to have good leaders who are motivated to help the boys succeed in scouts. I now know why the mom gets a pin when the boy gets his badge, and that's because it's a lot of work. I'm happy to help and I enjoy it, but it's a lot to do. Now we've got to start working on the next goal!

Flooded Cellar

Last Wednesday I was getting ready to get in the shower and I turned the water on as usual. We have to let the water run for a minute or two because of the placement of our water heater. Well after about five minutes and no hot water, I told hubby that something was wrong. He told me to try the kitchen. I did. Still no hot water. So, we went into the cellar where the water heater is, and found a flood. Our immediate thought was that the water heater was broken. Great.

I called our home warranty people to report a claim. They told me that someone would be in contact with me to set an appt. between Wed. morning and Thurs. evening. So, that meant I could possibly be without hot water for at least 3 days. Yeah for us.

DH couldn't find someone to go in and work for him so he had to go in for a little. Which left me to haul out all the stuff we had stored down there and to clean up the water. Luckily my friend came over to help me. It was such a pain. I had some food storage that got ruined, and my wedding dress got wet. Hopefully I can get the dress cleaned and it won't be ruined. It's not like I'm going to wear it again, but it does have sentimental value. There was about 55-60 gallons of water down there.

I had another friend come over who used to work for a plumbing company. He said he couldn't see any problem with the water heater. The flood put out the pilot light which was why we had no hot water. But we couldn't figure out where the heck the water was coming from. Then, there was a new puddle forming. We saw that it was coming from a crack where the floor meets the wall. But, was it from a broken pipe? From the high water table? From the drain off from the house? We didn't know, and still don't. We just know that we've got to seal off the cracks or put in a pump so that we don't have another flood.

So fun for us!

Sweet Niblets

My kids are big Hannah Montana fans. They love to watch it, even J. The other day I saw her drop something, and then she said, "Oh Nipples!". I looked at her and asked her what she said. She repeated herself, and I asked her where she heard that. She said "You know, from Hannah Montana.". DH realized that she was actually meaning to say "Sweet Niblets", which is a common phrase on the show. But, instead we got "Oh Nipples!". It was hilarious! Every now and then she still says that instead of the right thing and we just want to bust out laughing.

"wii" NEED One of These

Friday night we went to my SIL's house to have dinner and play the wii. We've never played before and boy was it fun. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. We tried out a bunch of different games. We played tennis, boys vs. girls, and the boys won all 3 times. Then DH and I boxed, and I totally kicked his butt!! However, my arm is SO sore. I can hardly believe it's that sore just from a game. I guess it's a good workout. We also did skiing and DDR. I love DDR. We had a great night! It was a night full of good food and good fun!

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time, I was a dancer. I LOVE to dance. I danced all through elementary, junior high, and high school. I loved it. I also had the opportunity to teach some classes. I did tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop, and lyrical. When I went to BYU I was in a tap company. I've missed dancing so so much. There isn't much opportunity for adults to dance, which is sad to me. In January, I was looking through our city recreation booklet and noticed that they were offering a hip hop class for moms. So, I signed up. It's been so much fun. Too bad the class is only for a short while, but I sure am enjoying it for the time. Hopefully they'll continue to hold more classes for adults. I LOVE it!

Hippo Teeth

The other day we were in the car and the kids asked us if we knew that George Washington had hippo teeth. What? We answered no, but that we did know he had wooden teeth. They were very insistent that his teeth were indeed hippo teeth. When I looked it up on the internet, it said that most people believe George Washington had wooden teeth, when in reality his false teeth were made up of hippo tusk as well as other things. Who knew?

"24"

Last night DH and I were trying to find something good to watch. Right now there is nothing on because of the writer's strike. We've had the first season of "24" sitting in our video cabinet for about a year and have never seen even one episode. So, at about 9:30ish we decided to watch the first episode. Before we knew it, it was 12:45 and we had watched four episodes. We are hooked! I can't believe we've never watched this before, it's just the kind of show we like. Now, we have a lot of catching up to do. I can't wait to see what Jack will do next!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Yesterday my sweet hubby turned 33! Boy are we getting old. We had a very busy day. He opened his presents at 8:00 a.m. so we could head off and begin our day. The kids were so excited for him to open his gifts, which were:

from T - a black and white tie

from M - a shirt

from S- the movie "First Knight"

from J- black socks

and from me - a hack saw, and Utah Jazz t-shirt

Hopefully he was happy with his loot. I feel bad because his celebration was short and then we were busy the rest of the day.

Our nephew got ordained a deacon, so we had to be in Lehi by 8:45. He is the first grandson on DH's side of the family to receive the priesthood. It was a wonderful experience for us all to share together. Afterwards we had a family luncheon which was SO yummy, as usual! I did make 4-layer dessert and we put some candles in it and sang to DH. Then, we let the kids run wild while we sat and visited for a while.

T stayed the night there and we took Sierra home with us. We headed for home at about 4:00 so DH could prepare for a temple prep class that he has to teach. When he got back from that (which no one even showed up for) we had a very healthy corn dog dinner. Then, some friends came over to play cards. It was a nice relaxing evening!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Valentine Dinner

We had a fun candlelight, Valentine's dinner with the kids. They love drinking out of "champagne" glasses, and I found these ones at the dollar store. I had a lot of fun setting the table and getting it all ready for the kids. They loved it! We started off the dinner with a Valentine toast where everyone said what they loved about our family. And, then we enjoyed a yummy steak dinner.

DH and I made a deal not to get each other anything this year. And, for once I upheld my end of the deal, but he didn't. So, now I need to think of something fun to do for him today.

At This Moment

T is growing up so fast. I can't believe that next month he's going to be 10 years old. Where did the time go? He is doing really well in school and is finally getting his work done on time. He is playing basketball right now, which he loves. He is quite the athlete and enjoys most sports. He is also working towards getting his Bear award in scouts. Right now he thinks he's the one in charge. He likes to boss the younger kids around, so we're trying to work on that. I love his big grin and his big hugs. M is my model. She strikes a pose for every picture. She thinks she's already a teenager. I think she'll give us a run for our money. She is on a competition dance team and is loving every minute of it. They start competing next month. She loves school, reading, dancing, playing, and is pretty good at all of them. Normally she is pretty well behaved and will get most of her things done on time. She is our sensitive one. If you even look at her the wrong way, the tears start flowing. She is enjoying activity days and is such a joy to our family.
S is my little trouble maker. I love this kid SO much. He's got such a sweet heart, but is so full of energy. He's finally learned not to hit (thank goodness) and to use his words. Now, we are just trying to get him to use those words with a normal volume. He thinks he needs to yell to be heard. Such fun! He is doing wonderful at school. He has really excelled in reading and is now reading past his grade level. He will start soccer in early spring. He loves to "dress up", play with his dudes, and play with his friends and siblings. He's got a smile that will melt your heart.
And, last but certainly not least my little princess. She is all girl through and through. I can't believe she's my "baby". She's growing up so fast. She loves going Kindergarten and is learning many new things. She just barely started reading and loves it. She has to read to each member of the family every day. She is also in dance and loves it. She likes to play with make-up and even sometimes puts it on minutes before she needs to leave for school, which means we don't have time to wash it off so she goes to school with it on. I wonder what her teacher thinks. She's tall and thin (poor girl). She's gives the best hugs and wants to love everyone. She's gotten quite the little smart mouth lately which makes me want to laugh, but I know I can't because then I'll be in trouble when she's older. I love that girl!

~My SIL took these great pictures!

40 Toes

My favorite little toes!

Should I Be Worried?

The other day we were driving over to some friends' house and the kids said, "Hey, Dad remember when we were driving here before and we saw those naked kids playing?" We both looked at each other wondering what the heck they were talking about. After they did a little bit of explaining we finally understood what they were talking about. We had driven by before and there were two little babies playing on a porch, naked. Then, I told them that we don't look at naked people. And S replied with, "What if it's a hot chick?"

I do have to admit it was funny at first, but WHAT? Where did that come from? Why would a 6 year old say that? And, how would he know to say such things? Should I be worried?

American Idol

DH and I are big American Idol watchers. The auditions are some of the funniest parts to watch. Seriously, I don't know what some of these people think. I feel bad for them when they get rejected, but did they really think they could sing? So, if it was your child and you KNEW they couldn't sing, but they really wanted to try out, do you let them? Or, do you spare them the embarassment but risk having them be mad at you?

Like this guy, really?

Morning Drinks

So, I'm FINALLY losing weight. I've done a few different things, and just recently thought that I might try having a Slim-Fast in the morning. These drinks are NOT good. It took me like 45 minutes to drink one. It worked and I didn't feel hungry, but it was nasty. Now, I have a ton of these gross drinks in my pantry. This morning I put fruit in with it and mixed it up in my new blender and it helped a little. I could at least drink it without gagging.

I'd really like to have some kind of drink, or smoothie, or something in the morning. Anyone have any good recipes or good healthy breakfast ideas?

My New Toy!

A while ago my blender broke. I didn't realize how often I actually used it until it was gone. Yesterday DH and I were at the store and I saw this one, and decided it was time to get a new blender. It's a very nice one, much more sophisticated than my old one that I had for 11 years. It has a cool spout for making smoothies. We made some this morning and they were delicious!

Shopping Fun

Grandpa D. sent us a check for Christmas, but because of mix-ups we only got it a few weeks ago. Over the years we've done different things with the money; family gift, individual gifts, going out somewhere fun. This year we decided to give the each of the kids their own money. They were so excited. We told them they needed to pay their tithing and that they could get whatever they wanted with the rest.



M bought this cute outfit. It says dance! dance! dance! all over it, and of course it's pink! She also got the fuzzy socks that she is wearing. When I told her I wanted to take a picture of her with her stuff she immediately had to put it on and strike a pose. She loves to have her picture taken.



J was quite the bargain shopper. It was so fun to watch her shop around and try to decide what she wanted. She spent a long time looking for the perfect things. She did know right away that she wanted to buy some jelly bellies. She also got some markers and then debated on a notebook, which she later put back because she said she could just use regular paper. She got two pairs of purple fuzzy socks and the favorite find was her snowman sleepers. She saw them on the rack and was so excited. She told me she wanted them because they were so cozy inside. So, then we looked at all the stuff she had and added it up. When I told her she could get all of the stuff and still have money left over, she replied, "For real life?!" She was so excited. So, we went to the check out counter and she paid for everything all by herself. She ended up with 2 pairs of socks, a sleeper, a pack of markers, and jelly bellies for under $11.00! What a good little shopper!



S wanted to go and buy some new toys. He looked around for a LONG time, walking up and down the isles several times, touching things, playing, looking, and looking. He finally decided on a pack of "special force units" guys. They are little guys in uniforms that come with guns and all sorts of fun stuff! Perfect S toys!! We got in the self check out lane at Wal-Mart and he wanted to put his money in all by himself. It was so cute to see his chubby little hands putting his dollars into the machine. He was so proud!

Super Bowl Party

Every year for the super bowl, I try to make a fun cake. I usually make a football shaped cake, but this year tried something different. It's supposed to be a football field with players on it. I think everyone liked it.

We went over to some friends' house for the game. We ate tons of food and had lots of fun, even though the team of choice didn't win.