Christmas was great! And other random tidbits...

Well, most of it was, anyway! Besides Caleb and me being sick, it was awesome!(we are still sick and now poor Carson has it! YUCK!) The kids were thrilled with their presents. It had snowed all night and so we had our first white Christmas ever! (OK, everyone but me. I have had many white Christmases in my life. I am a transplant to this area, LOL!) Well, they were thrilled until they realized that they couldn't go outside and play with their new toys. That is the beauty of living in the desert, Christmas is usually warm! So they just broke out all the new video games and played with those instead. Caleb did go outside and try out his new Rip Stik but it was too wet to really get to ride it.

Santa was here!

Caleb's new Rip Stik. He was thrilled, it was the one thing he asked for over and over. And he has already figured out how to ride it. Allan has mastered it too. I haven't even tried. I would probably fall and break my hip or something.

Carson opening his Nintendo DS. It is the only thing he asked Santa for. I had a really hard time with giving a 3 year old a DS. But Santa overruled me and he got one.

Caleb's new MP3 player. He used to have a different one until Carson put it in a cup of water. We loaded a bunch of songs on it and now I've decided that I need one too. I can't bring myself to buy an Ipod. I would probably lose it or break it and then I would be in trouble. So I'll just stick with the cheap(er) stuff!

Carson showing off his Transformer stuff. He. Loves. Transformers. He is in heaven!

The mess.

The loot.

We also had a nice family dinner. I cooked a ham that just wouldn't get warm! But we all just kicked back and talked until the stupid thing cooked. The wait was worth it because it ended up yummy! Beyond dinner, I can't remember too much. I ended up with a migrane and spent the rest of the night on the couch! I make it sound like Christmas was miserable but it totally wasn't! I guess its just tradition for me to be sick on the holidays!

My mom and step dad flew out for Christmas. They just made it a quick trip because my mom was recently put in as the Primary President and she needed to make it back home on Sunday. Well, with all the wonderful weather, they kept missing their connecting flights! I felt so bad for them because they didn't end up getting home until like 1 in the morning and they had to drive through a horrible blizzard to get there! Oh and they also lost their luggage(still not as bad as losing your luggage in Mexico mom! I still win the lost luggage contest! Your experience still ranks in the top 5 though!) And their car was frozen solid at the airport because of an ice storm. After prying themselves out of bed on Sunday, they went to church and they found out they only had Sacrement because of the weather. Seriously, could their luck have gotten any worse? They are never going to want to visit us again!

Allan took the boys sledding on Friday. They had a great time getting pulled around on tubes with the ATV's. (no pictures because mom wasn't there!) I really should have made Caleb stay home because of his cold but I just couldn't tell him no! After all, how often do we get to go sledding around here? I stayed home because I had made plans with my friends days ago to go out.

On Saturday and Sunday, I was sick! I didn't get off the couch except to go to bed. I was sooo exhausted that I was pretty sure that I was going to die! But I'm still alive. And I'm still kinda sick. Caleb and Carson aren't doing too hot either. I'm thinking that we should ring in the New Year tomorrow and get some sleep tonight!

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as mine!

Oh and Happy New Year too!

Another Fabulous Day! Christmas Eve, Day 2!

How lucky am I? I had 2 Christmas Eve's and they were both awesome.

I stayed up until 2 am last night wrapping the rest of our presents. But it was great because my mom and Kenzi were there and they watched the kids so I could get some sleep. I got up at 9:30 and cleaned up the house a bit. Then I decided that I should hand out neighbor gifts because I was out of time! So I took the boys and dropped off the presents, stopping at my next door neighbors house last. My awesome friend Joanne is here from Texas and so I stayed there and visited with her and Marla and the rest of the bunch. We made plans for a Girls night out on Friday. Whoo-hoo! Love that!

Then we came home and had a great visit with my aunts Patti, Vicki and Maureen and my uncles Roger, Jim and Gaylen. Plus my cousins Sheree and Diane and their husbands Taylor and Haldon. And their way dang cute kids Talia, Kaelia, Blake, Kodiak, and Gracie. The kids played great together and were total sweethearts! Plus, it totally wore Carson out and he fell asleep before 7:00 tonight! It was great to see everybody! I can't wait until Grandma's birthday party next year!

Mom, Dan, Jim, Vicki, Maureen, Gaylen, Patti, Roger

As everyone was leaving, it started snowing again! Its my very first white Christmas in good ol' Southern Utah. I have lived here for over 20 years and I have NEVER seen this much snow! It is still snowing as I'm typing. Well, it is what it is and I'm not going to complain...too much! Only a little bit. Have I mentioned that I really hate snow? But everyone else is thrilled so I'm just going to be happy for them!

Then we ate leftovers from our yummy dinner last night. It was so great to just warm up whatever everyone wanted and be done with it! Then we watched my 2 favorite Christmas movies, The Forgotten Carols and Christmas Vacation. Yeah, I know. Weird combination. But it was a perfectly fabulous way to end the day! I don't think my mom and Dan love Christmas Vacation like I do but they patiently sat through it. My mom kept rolling her eyes and asking "What next, is their house going to explode?" She cracks me up! I, on the other hand, was laughing my butt off! I watch Christmas Vacation every Christmas Eve and it just makes my day!

I'm waiting for Caleb to fall asleep. He keeps coming to check and see if Santa has shown up (My over-curious son "knows". I had to enlighten him last year because he was the kid who was ruining it for the other kids. What a BRAT, HUH! The new motto is "in order to receive, you must believe." It seems to be working) So I'm waiting until midnight to work my magic. He had better be asleep by then!

Carson~sleeping for real. Caleb~pretending to sleep. I told you he was a brat! HAHA But I remember when I was his age and couldn't sleep the night before Christmas. It's pretty cute actually.

Christmas Eve...a little early

Since my last devastatingly boring post, I have been one busy lady (who isn't busy right now though!?) My mom and step dad arrived on time and in one piece, thank heavens! It has been awesome to have them here!

On Tuesday, my mom and I went shopping and I finished up all the last minute Christmas items that I needed. We always buy socks and underwear because what kid doesn't want that? My hubby and I do it every year as a joke. We think we are hilarious.

After our shopping adventure, we hauled our butts home to get the turkey (which turned out so delish!) in the oven for our early Christmas Eve celebration. We also had homemade stuffing, homemade cheesecake and all other sorts of good food. Tia, Cortney, Rylee, Stacha, Kenzi, Mom, Dan, Allan, Caleb, Carson and me were there to witness all this wonderful goodness.

Then we exchanged gifts and my mom wins the best gift of the year. On this tag, I complained about how I was completely traumatized about my mom throwing away my blankie. So she took action. I opened up my present and this is what I found....Its Blankie 2.0. Its even yellow gingham like my other blankie. Mom, you are forgiven. I love it!

My parents also bought the boys nerf guns that shoot little foam thingys with suction cups on the end and it has been nonstop entertainment! They had a huge shooting-fest last night. Allan and Cortney were loving them too. We should have bought them one.

Foam thingy stuck to the ceiling. Its been there all day. I have 12 foot ceilings and I'm not getting on a ladder to get it! It will fall down eventually, right?

Rylee was so dang cute! We gave her a doll and she LOVED it! She carried it around all night. I think she named her Sarah. And she also had her turn shooting the gun.

All in all, it was a fabulous night! Life is GOOD!

Anyone else...

out there having weird problems with their blogs? Mine is doing all sorts of strange stuff. So I haven't been blogging because blogger apparently doesn't want me to. Neither does my Internet provider because it seems to go down every 5 minutes too. It is very annoying. I haven't been able to feed my computer addiction and I'm pretty much a grouch.

My mom and step dad are coming into town tonight, provided that the STUPID weather cooperates! I have been stressing about it all day long and my mom hasn't even called to ease my mind. She is in big trouble. We are going to have to talk about this. Just kidding mom!

Let's see, what else have I been doing? I have all the neighbor gifts ready to be passed out, if I can just find a minute to do it! I have wrapped about half of my kids Christmas stuff so that is a good thing too.

We will be having a party for my family tomorrow night so we can exchange gifts. We are having a big turkey dinner to make up for the Thanksgiving dinner that I couldn't eat. Then on Wednesday morning, some of the family on my mom's side is supposed to come over, which will be cool because I haven't seen them in forever!

With school out this week, the kids are in heaven. I am in hell. I wish they would have school until Christmas eve! (Not really) If I have to break up another fight, I just might go postal! However, I haven't had my computer fix until today, so it just might be my addiction speaking!

Well, that's all that's going on in the land of OZ. Not too exciting but hey, I'm kinda tired of exciting anyway! Christmas morning can be exciting this week. That works for me!

Insulted? Why would that insult me?

So I was at our local convenience store getting caffeinated this morning and a lady just kept staring at me. She finally stopped me and said "who do people tell you that you look like?"

And I said "I usually get told that I look like someones sister or cousin, why?"

She hesitated "Well, I don't know if this will insult you or flatter you so I'm not sure if I should tell you"

So I said "I'm pretty hard to insult so tell me"

She said "You look like that girl on the Hugh Hefner show on E, The Girls Next door. You look like the one who always pulls her hair back"

(OK just to let you know, I had no make up on and my hair was pulled back because I ran out of time to do anything with it this morning!)

And so I laughed and I blushed and I said "I don't consider that an insult! Those girls are so pretty!"

I'm going to have to watch that show now to see who she's talking about!

I totally had to blog about this because it kinda made my day! Its not too often that I'm compared to a Playboy Bunny!

Our Fabulous Snowman!

Well, the kids wanted to call him Frosty the Snowman but I think given the theme of the snowman we should go with the opposite of Frosty which is....Melty? So without further ado, may I introduce Melty the Snowman...

I wanted to put arm floaties on him but Allan didn't want to pull his arms back off and have poor Melty fall apart. I really do miss the sun, can you tell?

My tropical paradise in now a winter wonderland!

What in the world is going on? The only reason that I put up with 110+ degree summers is because it's not supposed to snow here in the desert! But this last week you would think that I lived in the mountains or something! It has snowed literally every other day. And I really don't like snow. I don't even think it's fun to play in. I guess it's kinda pretty but it's soooo dang COLD! I thought I already served my time in the snow when I lived in Logan for 4 years. That was enough!Oh and did I forget to mention that school was cancelled? Because our buses don't have snow tires. So we are having a snow day. Something that NEVER happened when I went to school here. However, the kids (and by kids I mean Caleb, Carson and Allan) are absolutely thrilled and are going to build a snowman in a little while. I'm going to take pictures and then go back in the house. And sit by the fire. But here are some pictures of my former tropical paradise!




Want to go swimming?! Be sure to notice the poor palm trees in the back. You know, the stick looking things? I really hope that they don't freeze.



The front and back of our house. Yeah, there's about 5 inches of snow on the ground. Not much for most people but a lot for us!

My beautiful planter that had the most beautiful flowers growing in it. Reduced to this.

Our rosebushes and grapevines.

The sandbox with our uber-classy, high-dollar swing set.

Our fire pit and outdoor kitchen. Very sad!

My potted plants. I have a feeling that they aren't going to make it either!

And out on the horizon, there is more snow to come!

The Twilight Before Christmas..Enjoy!!

Random Carson Quote

Me: Hey Carson, lets get ready to go to church. You get to go to nursery today!

Carson: I get to go to church? I get to go to nursery?

Me: Yup

Carson: You mean, I get to go to Church-ery?

Man this kid is cracking me up these days!

My Productive Week

Wow! I feel so accomplished! I finished so many projects this week. My Christmas cards are done and this is no small feat considering I do the Christmas cards for our business too. I mail out about 150 cards every year. But our customers are rad and they deserve to know how much we appreciate them so its totally worth it. And my family Christmas cards (posted below) are all ready to go, I just have to go to the post office tomorrow and get stamps.

Then, I finished all my crafty presents for my family and close friends. I made 14 really cute crafty gifts (I'll have to post a pic after Christmas if I remember, I can't say too much 'cause most of them read this...) And it was a process! Sanding, painting, applying vinyl, drilling holes, bending wire, and gluing them together. But they turned out so freakin' cute that it was worth it! And this year I remembered to put aside one for myself, which I always forget to do.

Then I have these really cute wood ornaments that I bought at least 4 years ago and I finally painted them. They were far more tedious to paint than I thought they would be but they turned out pretty fabulous. I just have to clear coat them but I couldn't yesterday because it was like a hurricane going on outside. Then I will put them on my family Christmas tree.

Oh and it SNOWED last night, to go completely off the topic. It didn't stick though. I even got to drive in it (the wind was far scarier than the snow) to pick up Caleb from his friends house. I need to go and assess the damages to my poor outside Christmas decor. Can I just tell you how much I really hate the wind? I hate it to the depths of my soul. Anyone who has ever worked a job that requires you to be outside all day long understands this. Mowing lawns in the wind is such a pain in the a** (I edited it for you mom). It is just misery at its finest. OK, I'm done with my rant, for now. Don't worry there is another rant to come in this post!

Lets see....I also put some finishing touches on my neighbor gifts. I just have to do some baking and those will be done. And that shows you how much I love my neighbors because I really don't like to bake so much. But I'm sure I'll survive. I'm just a baking wimp.

By the way, I did all of these things on Saturday. I went to bed at 2 but I haven't been sleeping too great lately so at least I did something instead of tossing and turning in bed.

We had our annual Christmas breakfast with our ward on Saturday morning. Allan was out of town taking a class to renew his Certified Flight Instructor certificate so I was on my own. It was fun after Carson quit crying. For some reason, he was crying for like the first 20 minutes. He kept grabbing his stomach and saying it hurt. But he wouldn't eat the night before so I'm thinking he was just hungry. Or maybe it was his antibiotics. But he got happier after he ate. I asked my friend to save us a place since I was a big loner and so our kids could play together. Actually, most of the kids Carson's age were over by us. The family we were sitting with had brought toys so all the kids kinda radiated our way. Which was awesome and they played really cute together! Caleb went outside and played football because he soo wasn't going to listen to the Choir sing. Then I got really kinda bugged because some lady who he didn't even know told him that he was being rude***(see disclaimer at the bottom) because he wasn't listening to the choir. OK, he's almost 9. He's totally into sports. Choirs singing just aren't his thing. Plus, I had already told him it was OK to go out and play football. Seriously. Some people are just lame. So I had to tell him (again!) that is was OK to go outside and play. Heaven forbid kids have fun at a Christmas party, LOL. Other than the rudeness incident, the party was fun and the music was great. The food was good although any food that I don't have to cook always tastes better!

On Friday night, I sat and organized all the digital scrapbooking folders on my laptop. It took forever but I did finish, YAY! Now all I have left is my external hard drive and the computer in my office, which should take about 12 more hours, LOL. I discovered that I have really cute stuff that I should use more often. And I got a lot of it for free. So that makes it even cooler.

On Tuesday, we had a progressive dinner for the R.S. Christmas party. I am on the enrichment committee so it was a crazy day. Not to mention that we were having the dessert portion at my house. So I spent the day cleaning and setting up and all that goes with it. My kids spent the afternoon hearing "If you mess up my house I will....(fill in threat here). I think Allan may have even heard that a few times too. But they were good sports and did what they were told and they put up with psychotic mommy because they knew that their real mom would come back soon. The party went really well and it was a lot of fun. The only bad part about being on the committee is I don't get to talk to as many people as I would have liked to. But its all good. I talk enough for 10 people on a daily basis anyway!

Well, its time to get ready for the day. It is noon after all! I hope your weekend was fabulous filled with productiveness too!



***Disclaimer: I generally don't have a problem with people telling my kids to quit being obnoxious. However, if its something that I already told them that its alright to do, please be respectful of my decision. If you have an issue with that, come and talk to me, don't chastise my child who had already asked permission. It is really irritating. And ironically enough, that is the definition of rude! Remember, if your pointing your finger at someone, four others are pointing back at you, you jacka**! Crap, now I'm being rude now too. See, its contagious.

Random Carson Quote

Me: Hey Carson, how's your ear?

(we were up all night because his ear hurt...a lot. Much crying by Carson and sleeplessness on both our parts)

Carson: It hurts.

Me: Well, should we go to the Dr. and get it fixed?

Carson: No. I want my dad to fix it.

Me: We have to go to the Dr. She will fix it and make it better.

Carson: I want my dad to fix it. He has tools... He can fix it with his tools.


***Update: Carson has a nasty ear infection. His ear drum is about to burst. Hopefully, it won't. Poor kiddo! He is getting lots of sympathy (as he should!) because he is in so much pain. His crying was the saddest thing you ever heard! He saw the Nurse Practitioner at the Dr.'s office and she is fabulous! Carson was so scared and she put him at ease right away. I hope she's at our Dr's office for a long time. Carson is feeling a little bit better now that he has all the right medicine. I'm hoping that he takes a nap because we both really need to sleep. 2 hours of completely interrupted sleep is not enough for either of us.***

Merry Christmas!!

The Christmas decorating is DONE!!

I have a confession. I'm obsessive-compulsive about Christmas decorating. I won't let anyone help. They just do it all wrong and I have to fix it anyway! Well, I don't hang the lights on the roof because I'm not crazy but I do all the rest. And today I finished! Here are my Christmas trees and my Christmas Village. Its too dang cold and windy to take pictures of the outside of my house so I will have to post those later.
The Pretty tree that no one is allowed to touch. It kinda doesn't look pretty in this picture though!

The pretty tree all lit up. It looks prettier in this picture but trust me, it looks way better in real life!

The family tree. This has all the ornaments that were ever given to me or my kids. It also has the ornaments that my kids have made for me. Secretly, I love this tree the most.

The family tree all lit up and blurry. Still love it though. Oh and I only paid $10.00 for this tree. That makes it even more awesome.

Christmas village #1. Allan and I went crazy one year and bought everything we could find that was Christmas village related.

The other half of the Christmas village. They worked better in my other house, it had the perfect Christmas village shelf. One day I can set it up around my tree but that won't be for years I'm sure. Two boys and ceramic items aren't a good mix.

Now I have to finish all my family, friend and neighbor gifts (literally finish them. I making gifts for everyone. I do it every year. Yes, I'm psychotic. We established that when I cut my own hair.) Do Christmas cards. Wrap presents. Plan a family party. Make gingerbread houses. The list goes on and on! And amazingly enough, I finish every year. Mostly because I'm addicted to diet caffeinated drinks. They are what makes Christmas happen!

So I got bored today....

and I cut my own hair! I sat in front of my bathroom mirror for like an hour and a half cutting and shaping and trimming until I was happy. My lovely assistant Allan did step in and cut the back so it was even. But I love the end result!

I cut about 5 inches off. And it feels sooo good! I have been wanting to do this for a while. I know that most people would go see their hairdresser but I was in the mood to cut hair. Now for those who don't know, I did attend all 2000 hours of hair school so I do know what I'm doing. Well, basically. But the funny thing is about me, I won't color my own hair. Every time I do, it turns out weird. But I can cut my hair just fine. So I will be making an appointment for my hair color...

So what do you think?

Happy Birthday Jeff!

(picture stolen from Angie's blog ;)... No pictures of him on my laptop and I'm entirely too lazy to go and find a different one)

Yesterday we drove up to Payson for my brother Jeff's 40th birthday party. The party theme was a funeral. We were mourning the loss of Jeff's youth. His completely awesome girlfriend Angie planned the whole thing. She even printed up the funniest program for the funeral. It was so much fun! This is the "life sketch" that I wrote about him....

We are all gathered here today to mourn the loss of Jeff's youth. Jeff had many talents when he was younger, such as football, basketball, track and turning into the boogieman to terrify his little sister. He was also really good at holding me down and tickling me until I peed. Now, I can't say that I particularly liked Jeff when I was little. I didn't even like him when I was a teenager, now that I think of it. Jeff moved in when I was 16 when we lived in Las Vegas. We fought constantly. And being the teenage that I was, I used very colorful words. And can you believe he actually told on me? He was 23 years old tattling to mommy that Amy dropped the f-bomb. Now that I'm older, I have to say, Jeff you were truly an ass. And you can tell mom I said that.

And seriously, what is up with those eating habits? Is there a bigger freak out there about their food? Jeff, in your advanced age, its time to try new foods. Your taste buds will thank you. (I handed him a bag of prunes)

Jeff, as your little sister, I think I should let you know that you're not getting any younger. I'm starting to think that I'm not going to get any nieces or nephews from you. Get married already. You should be as miserable as the rest of us by now. Plus, you should know that after a certain age, important parts on men quit working. Haven't you ever heard "if you don't use it, you'll lose it"? (I handed him a pill bottle with Viagra written on it filled with Jelly Bellies)

An amazing thing has happened as you've gotten older. I started to think you were pretty cool. Now I really actually like you. Miracles happen!

They say that life begins as 40. So to quote Jeff's myspace page "get busy livin' or get busy dyin'!"

Happy Birthday Jeff!

I hope you had a great day!

Calebs soccer party

Last night we had Caleb's end of the season soccer party at my house and it went great! The kids had a blast and it was cool just to get to talk to the parents without having to watch a soccer game at the same time! Caleb got the "Most Improved Player" which at first sounds kinda lame but it means he has progressed more than any other kid on the team. And that is actually really cool! Our team ended up in 3rd place overall. With over half our boys being only 8 playing almost 10 year olds (and being way smaller than the other teams!) I think that's pretty awesome! We did get our butts kicked in the tournament but it was a good learning experience for the boys that they can't win them all. Win or lose, our team ROCKS!

A few weeks ago, I had a fun-filled weekend with my awesome friends Natalie, Heidi, Subrina, Marylynn, Emma and Trissie. We say that we're getting together to scrapbook but really we just want to get together to relive our teenage years. We stay up all night and talk and do crazy things and just have fun. We also went to Scrapbook USA and it was so, so hard on the budget! But I got some great deals and since I collect scrapbook supplies (haha). I'm such a scrapbook junkie!

Marylynn's adorable baby! She is so cute and such a good baby.

The only picture that we have of all of us together. Really we must try harder next time! LOL

See, proof that we really did do some scrapbooking.

My kitchen in the midst of all the scrapbook fun! Don't worry, they helped me clean up before they left.

Notice what we're really doing. Every single one of us had our laptops out! And we weren't digital scrapbooking either. We are just computer junkies!

It was sooo much fun and I can't wait to do it again! Thanks for the memories girls! You rock!

Happy Turkey Day!

Even though its not very happy at my house, LOL! Caleb was puking last night, I puked this morning and Carson has an ear infection. It can only get better, right? I'm pretty sure that I'm ready for the all random things that are happening to us to move along! Lightning, spider bites, and the pukies on Thanksgiving? Its just so wrong! I hope that your day goes better than ours!

Random Caleb Quote

While driving to soccer yesterday Caleb asked me "Mom, if you could marry anyone in this world, who would it be?" So I said "Your dad. That's why I married him, he's the best guy in the world" Caleb says "Oh. Well, I would marry Jessica Simpson because she's hot! And then you would get to meet her because I know that you like her music."

I don't know that I'm ready for this. Aren't 8 year olds supposed to hate girls and think they have cooties?

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Seriously. I'm Psychotic. Seriously.

Because Caleb is in a soccer tournament this weekend, we are home for Thanksgiving. And, we are having it at our house. So, I'm cleaning and getting ready to bake and all things domestic, right? WRONG!! I'm a crazy lady who has volunteered to make 100 invitations for the R.S. Christmas party and 250 invitations for the Ward Christmas party. And I decided that I was going to do them all today. And I did. Oh and let me add that Carson has gone and gotten sick too. However, I would like to add that someone was watching over my sanity today because my house isn't really too messy. Which is a miracle becausee we had a birthday party for my niece Kenzi at my house last night. And they decided that it would be hilarious to smash cake in each others faces. It was pretty funny actually. Its just not a birthday party at my house until someone is covered in cake and frosting! I was going to post pictures but I can't get them to download. Very annoying.

Oh and check this out:

This is my swelled up face this morning. I hope that spider is dead. Stupid spider. I said this earlier and Carson said "but its a cute spider" and I asked him why and he said "because all spiders are cute". Well, I'm gonna have to disagree. I think they suck. And they are creepy too.

Anyone else out there feeling psychotic this week? Its probably just me. As usual.

What I've been up to.

Well, lets see. I'll start with the most recent event. I'm pretty sure that last Monday I was bitten by a spider. And all I had was a little red mark next to my eye where I was bit until Saturday. That is when my eye started to swell. Sunday, even more swelling going on. Today, my eye is almost swollen shut. So I'm going to the Dr. in an hour because this is ridiculous! Oh, and my glands are all swollen too. Its lovely. I really should take pictures, its quite halirious!

Sunday. I refused to go to church with my freakish eye problem. No way, no how! Way too many questions will be asked and I have no answers.

Saturday. We hung Christmas lights and they look great! It makes me so happy to have pretty sparklies all over my house. I'll post pics later.

Friday. Recovery day after staying out all night for Twilight premiere.

Thursday. Had a fab Girls Night Out (GNO) to watch Twilight. Went out to a yummy dinner then went and waited in line for 3 hours to see the movie. Everyone there was so fun and friendly and it was like everyone in line was long lost friends! We all had a common bond and we just talked and giggled like teenagers.

Flash forward to the movie: I had to keep laughing because most of the women (only a few men there, they seemed to know to stay away, LOL) there were my age and they were acting like love-struck teenagers! Everyone either in love with Edward or Jacob. Giggling every time they saw them. LOVED IT! It made me feel young again. I loved the movie and could even forgive the cheesy parts (there were a few)because over all, it was really good! Go see it!

Well, I'm going to have to post more of my going-on's later because its almost time to head off to the Dr's office.

How was your weekend?
Are your Christmas lights up?
Do you hang lights every year?
Has your eye ever swelled shut?

I'm very grateful...

This is a phrase that I have been using a lot lately. Because I have a roof over my head. Because my husband is still working even though construction is frustratingly slow. Because my kids are healthy and happy. I'm so grateful for the little things in my life. I'm grateful that I listened to that still, small voice about getting my food storage stocked.

I'm going to keep trying to stay positive about everything because I have to. It is the only way I can think these days. Because I know that our great country will get through this.

Things to be grateful for (other than the things listed above, LOL)

~Gas prices! Yay! So much cheaper. Its nice when your fuel bill is cut in half. We own several work trucks for our landscaping business so this is something that eases our stress. And I'm sure its easing the stress for everyone else too!

~Good friends. Anytime I need to whine, I'm so grateful to those friends who listen and tell me everything is going to be fine. They always cheer me up and help me to see the positive side to every situation. They even tell me when I am wrong and I appreciate their honesty! You guys rock!

~The holiday season. I. LOVE. IT! I love Thanksgiving with all my family just there, with no where else to be. I love the turkey and the plans of what to cook with it after. I love when I feel the spirit of Christmas hit. I love the music, the lights, the decorations. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

~OK this might sound lame but I'm grateful for online shopping. I love being able to price shop without leaving the house. Plus, I have gotten some killer deals on Christmas presents and they even shipped them for free!

~I'm grateful that my mom and step dad can fly out for Christmas this year. Its going to be a quick visit but I'm so thrilled that they are coming out!

~My kind neighbors who have made us feel welcome when other neighbors were literally complaining about us nonstop for B.S. reasons (really long story.) You are one of the reasons we aren't going anywhere. Our house will be off the market at the end of this year. Thank you for those who stopped by and stood up for us, you will never know how much that has meant to us.

~Those friends that I don't talk to very often but when I call them, its like we just talked yesterday. I'm so glad that we are friends and I'm looking forward to the days when we can see each other more often.

~Blogging. Even though I don't do it even as often as I like, I'm so glad that I can have a record of the things that our family is doing because I would hate to forget these years with them.

I hope that everyone who reads this can take the time to think of all the things that they are grateful for in their lives. It has helped me with that being sucked into a "black hole" perception that is everywhere these days.

I feel like I just wrote a talk for Church! LOL But its what I'm feeling and I'm sure someday I will be able to look back and be grateful that I took the time to write this.

Thanksgiving Post...

I was over at crazymama's blog and I loved her Thanksgiving Survey...feel free to play along. Let me know if you did!

how do you do thanksgiving dinner?
Well, this year will be different but we usually eat between 2 or 3 at one of our parents' homes.

where do you go for thanksgiving? stay home? in-laws? travel?
We alternate between my dad's house and my mom's house (Allan's parents aren't into most holidays). But my mom has moved so for the past couple of years we have spent it at my dads home in northern Utah. This year we are having it at our house with my sister and my 2 nieces because Caleb has a soccer tournament on Friday and Saturday.

if you bring something what do you bring?
Whatever I'm told to bring!

what "makes" thanksgiving dinner for you? (if it's missing it's just not the same. )
Oh everything but I really have to have Cranberry Jello Salad and sweet potatoes and jellied cranberry sauce, YUMMY!

what grosses you out?
Allan eats the turkey heart


Gravy preference? brown? turkey? Homemade?
Homemade gravy is my favorite but Allan prefers that brown gravy crap that comes in a package!

Mashed Potatoes? from scratch? or instant?
Only homemade for me!

do you actually eat Yams?
Love them

what about cranberries?
Love the jellied ones

Pie? what is a "must have" at every Thanksgiving dessert table?
I hate pie but my hubby has to have pumpkin pie or he would die

Pies? from scratch? or store bought?
I buy them 'cause I'm not gonna make something that I don't eat, LOL

Whipped cream? from scratch ? cool whip? or from a can?
I buy either a can or cool whip.

MMMM....now doesn't this just make you want Thanksgiving to come faster?

I've been struck by lightning twice, crazy huh?

So on Sunday, our house and several of the neighbors houses were struck by lightning. No one was hurt but every ones electronics suffered tremendously. Our satellite dish was hit and it blew out the "junction box thing" (that's the technical term right?) and it also took out our Internet. But we were lucky. Most of our neighbors had to call electricians because of all the damage done.

The first time I was struck by lightning, we were in an airplane that Allan was flying. Probably the scariest moment of my life. The flight following people (another technical term, I'm sure) thought that our plane had crashed because we disappeared off their radar. Now I don't fly if there are any clouds because it freaks me out!

So, have you ever been struck by lightning?

(Yes I realize I was in my house and I survived but I'm still feeling a little leery of the whole lightning thing. Maybe Heavenly Father is trying to tell me something. I wish he'd find a different way! LOL)

I want to hear your stories!

Caleb's Presidential Views

In honor of election day

I opened up Caleb's backpack this morning and this is what I found...

Under questions he would ask Barack Obama:

~Why do you want poor people rich by doing nothing?

OK so I guess he listens better than I thought! He makes his mama proud!

Under questions he would ask John McCain:

~Are you good at soccer? (This means he likes him because soccer is his life!)

Enough said!

NOW GET OUT AND VOTE!

I just did (I even voted for a democrat for state offices, so I'm not completely biased!)

How is this kid mine?

I absolutely love Halloween. I love to decorate, dress up and trick or treat. I volunteer at all the kids parties just so I can wear my costume more than once.

This is what happened at my house this morning. It was awesome.

He freaked out like that for 45 minutes! We went his preschool and he cried for 10 more minutes...I came back an hour later to help with the Halloween party and he was just fine. When I took him home, I had to fight with him to take it off! Yeah, it was a real treat! It's one of those things that is so infuriating when its happening but sooo funny later!

10 on Tuesday

1. Finished decorating my house for Halloween, finally! It looks pretty cute but I didn't go all out this year like I usually do. But something is better than nothing, right?



2. Painted pumpkins with the family. Carving is time consuming so we just painted pumpkins instead. When the boys get older we will start carving them again.



3. Went to Caleb's soccer game on Saturday and we had another tied game. Our team is so awesome and play so well together. Caleb started the game (he hasn't all season) and that was awesome. He just keeps getting better and better. He really has a natural talent for soccer. Yes, I am a crazy soccer mom!

4. Went to the ward party. It was a lot of fun! Caleb ran around with his friends the whole time and I spent the whole time at the playground with Carson. The kids came home exhausted and filthy, which means they had a good time!

5. Watched lots of campaign coverage. While I don't love John McCain completely, I totally love Sara Palin! Finally, I can relate to a female politician! She has a large family, is a hockey mom (kinda like the soccer mom thing, right?), and she thinks we should keep government small. LOVE HER!

6. I'm really excited for my mom, she was made Primary President in her ward! She will do a great job!

7. My hubby made it home from the deer hunt all in one piece! The kids and I are thrilled to have him back home.

8. Carson is becoming a kid, he is no longer a baby. He really thinks outside the box and is just smart. And hilarious. And sweet. Just noticing these changes in him this week.

9. Gave Caleb and Carson haircuts. I haven't taken pictures yet but I love Carson's haircut this time! Maybe that's why I'm noticing that he's turning into a big kid.

10. Trying to figure out why, when both of my kids are in school (at least part time), my house isn't getting any cleaner! I have done a few projects that aren't noticeable on the surface, but I really thought I would get more done! LOL

10 on Tuesday-ish

1. Went to the dentist (again!)

2. Watched my niece Rylee and I have to say she is so dang cute! It was fun.

3. Went to the store to get Allan and Caleb ready for the hunt. I ended up with both Caleb and Carson at Wal-Mart and that is the true form of craziness! Now I remember why I only go by myself these days.

4. Sent Caleb and Allan away for the hunt. Then I sat around and did as little as possible. It was awesome.

5. Drove to Natalie's house. I had to pick Caleb up on Tuesday so I decided to make it a fun trip! So I stayed at Nat's and we had a great time.

6. Went to Sunday dinner at my dad's house. It was a good visit but it was strange to not have a house full of kids there! Carson was the only little one there.

7. Went to Old Navy with 3 very active little boys and I'm still surprised that they didn't kick us out! I guess when you have a cart full of clothes they want you to stay...

8. Went to the mall and dinner for Samantha's birthday. She is so sweet and she is absolutely adorable!

9. Drove to Heber City to pick up Caleb from the deer hunt. Being the mean parents that we are we made him come home so he wouldn't miss too many days of school.

10. Drove home and just about kissed the ground! I was so sick of driving!

***Not a very exciting 10 on Tuesday but I'm so dang TIRED! For archival purposes only this week!***

It's a regular tag-o-rama at my blog! 8 Things....

8 TV Shows I like to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Private Practice
3. Ugly Betty
4. Dog The Bounty Hunter
5. Ghost Hunters
6. The Office
7. Samantha Who?
8. Rachael Ray

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Hung out at Nat's house
2. Drove to Heber City
3. Drove home to Ivins
4. Unloaded the car
5. Read a book
6. Bleached my teeth
7. Put the kids to bed (finally!)
8. Went to sleep

8 Favorite Places to Eat:
1. Cafe Rio
2. Pizza Factory
3. Samauri 21
4. Don Pedro's
5. Pier 49
6. Brick Oven
7. Texas Roadhouse
8. Bear Paw

8 Things I'm looking forward to:
1. Halloween
2. Allan coming home from the hunt
3. A good nights sleep
4. Thanksgiving
5. Kenzi's 16th birthday party
6. Scrapbook USA in St. G
7. Thanksgiving
8. Decorating for Christmas

8 Things on my wish list:
1. Toy Hauler
2. House Decor
3. New kitchen table
4. Living debt free
5. Family Vacation
7. A trip with Allan
8. Plastic surgery (very wishful thinking!)

8 People I tag:
1. YOU
2. You
3. you
4. YOU
5. You
6. you
7. YOU
8. You

Let me know when you finish your tag!

Tagged again! One word answer tag...

Where is your cell phone? purse
Your significant other? sleeping
Your hair? messy
Your mother? wonderful
Your father? awesome
Your favorite thing? laptop
Your dream last night? forgotten

Your favorite drink? Sonic
Your dream/goal? happiness
The room you’re in? disastrous
Your ex? unimportant
Your fear? excessive
Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
Where were you last night? home
What you’re not? fake
Muffins? yummy
One of your wish list items? decorations
Where you grew up? everywhere
The last thing you did? shopped
What are you wearing? jammies
Your favorite TV show? Greys
Your pets? lizard
Your computer? Vaio
Your life? awesome
Your mood? chill
Missing someone? family
Your car? mommy-ish
Something you’re not wearing? bra
Favorite Store? many...
Your summer? gone :(
Like someone? everyone
Your favorite color? all
When is the last time you laughed? today
Last time you cried? yesterday
Who will/should re-post this? YOU
Bath or shower? bath
Holiday? all
Writing utensil? pen
Vacation activity? relaxing
Bedding preference? comfy
Pet peeves? rudeness
Cookies? mmmm....
Eggs? scrambled
Favorite thing to do on a rainy day? movies
Your biggest strength? optimism
Favorite thing about school? recess
Most awesome gift received? kids
Neighbors? fabulous!!
What do you collect? junk
Oldest kept item from childhood? doll
Greatest indulgence? candy
Your house? frightening
Fruits or vegetables? either
Quiet or loud? sure

Ten on Tuesday. Yes, I know its Wednesday. Shut up ; )

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Ten on Tuesday

1. I walked a total of 6 miles this week. Not too impressive but its better than no miles!

2. I volunteered in Caleb's class on Wednesday and I got to know a few of the teachers while I was making copies in the work room(SNL flashback! Amy Goeser. In the work room. Making copies.) It was actually pretty fun, especially since the teachers didn't hold back 'cause there was a parent there and were making jokes and not being in teacher mode. I really enjoyed it!

3. Allan went on the Elk hunt and I had 5 days of chilling out! No dinner to make and lots of late nights reading books. I was quite lovely. I'm excited for the deer hunt because Caleb will be going too. YAY!

4. Read several trashy romance novels and loved it!

5. Had a few friends over and we ate Cafe Rio. Then we sat in the jacuzzi. Then we played crazy rummy. So much fun!

6. Recorded conference and I will watch it over the next few weeks. Its the only way I can get anything out of it. I have to pay total attention or I start to tune things out. I must have A.D.D because I have the shortest attention span.

7. It rained! I love the rain, it makes me happy! I know this isn't something that I did but it is something that I enjoyed...

8. Kenzi came over and cleaned my house so she could earn money for Sadies. And she cleans way better than me. And she watched my kids and let me sleep until 12:30 pm on Sunday. It was AWESOME!!

9. Loving the fact that my kids are getting older and more independent! I can actually get up, shower, and do my hair and make-up without a meltdown or complete and utter destruction these days. Its been so fabulous.....

10. We had Super Tuesday (like Super Saturday but on Tuesday instead) and since I'm on Enrichment Committee I ran around like a crazy person today. But it was lots of fun and I did get many cute projects done and I have a few to cute projects to finish. I'll post pictures when I get done.

7 Random/Weird Facts About ME!

Crazy Mama of 6 (aka Julie) tagged me. This is a fun one so be sure to leave me a comment when you tag-ee's get done!


1. Even though my house is nowhere near clean, I'm kind of a germ phobe! I wash my hands constantly, I carry hand sanitizer, and at the grocery store I wipe down the cart before I use it.

2. I like reality shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, and Most Haunted. I will only watch them during the daytime though because I'm too chicken to watch them at night! But I will not watch a scary movie EVER!

3. I hate to wear make-up and I avoid putting it on whenever I can. Except that I have made a goal to get up and get ready on the days that I'm not cleaning the house. So now I wear make-up almost every day and I hate it! Make sense of that!

4. I hate pickles and fish. However, I love tartar sauce and fish when its battered and deep fried. MMMM...

5. I love to scrapbook and I have a ton of stuff to do it. I have a scrapbook/craft room. The problem? I never scrapbook!

6. I love to watch TV and I record a bunch of shows every day. I love to escape from reality and TV does the trick!

7. I'm a very outgoing person. But I will not speak in front of crowds. I freeze up and my mind just shuts down. Its especially fun when you are asked to pray in church and you can't think of anything to say.



I'm going to tag:

Nat

Heidi

Emma

Sheree (private)

Stacha

Andrea

Cindy

It rained on my parade...literally

On Labor Day (OK I know that was forever ago but I'm pretending it just happened, LOL) we went to the Onion Days parade, just like we do every year. This year, it poured! But the kids didn't care, they just stood out there and got soaking wet. But hey, they got tons of candy and stuff so it was worth it, right?

Caleb, Keon and Kayden. Crazy kids!
Poor Miss Santaquin! And she's in white too. But she just kept waving and smiling. What a woman!
Tori, Keon and Kayden during the 10 seconds it quit raining during the parade.
Still waiting for the candy...
My brother Jeff's high school class. He is the dork doing the princess wave. It was his 20 year reunion and for that occasion they let you ride on the fire engine! Special, huh? J/K, Jeff. Its pretty awesome...Plus, we didn't get to embarass Tara this year so someone has to get it.