Jen's Hidden Blogs!

I love reading my sister's blogs, they are a great way to stay in touch, and it makes me feel connected to my 6 amazing sisters. It has come to my attention that one on my sisters has been holding out on me and has "hidden" blogs. Sorry Jen, but I am posting the links and "outing" you. I hope you still love me!


Wow, Jen, that's a good question, how would an apple feel? We never knew you were so multi-faceted, click here, oh who knew you could make taco meat with walnuts and pumpkin seeds! click here for her recipe

So inventing a life in Shanghai? Isn't that ripping off Kellie a little? I know, a girl's gotta dream, click here

This one is my favorite, I love how you feel so free to share your self-portraits, your self confidence is a truly inspiring quality. Click Here


What a creative girl! I hope we all remember to add these to our blog lists!!!

Christmas Rush!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I have been so busy getting ready for christmas I haven't had time to post much, not to mention my camera is broken, so I hope you all have a great christmas and I try to post some pictures soon!!

Chasing penguins

If anyone has been around my kids, you know they sing all the time. In the car, in the shower, doing chores, seriously all the time! And they really love to sing with the radio. Most of you have probably heard the song "Chasing Pavement" by Adele, if not it's on my playlist. This is a song we listen to in the car alot. The song goes like this "should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavement even if it leads no where" Well, recently I noticed my Jessie sings "should I give up or should I just keep chasing penguins" It makes me laugh, I can't even hear the song anymore without hearing "penguins" and now, neither will you!

Happy Birthday Aerica

11 years ago today I was blessed with this sweet spunky little girl. She's had a sparkle in her eye since the day she was born. I am loving (and sometimes hating) the new experiences that come with a pre-teen. She is helpful and smart and knows more about wildlife than anyone I know, except maybe Chad. I love her more everyday, Let me list some of my favorite things about Aerica.

She sings all the time
She is the tallest kid in her class.
She is 5ft 1 and doesn't trip the airbag in the front seat
She can laugh at herself
She is confident
She is kind
She looks just like her dad

I love you Aerica! If you have a something you like about this amazing girl, feel free to share!!

Lessons in Life

I recently reconnected with a good friend of mine, as I was looking through her blog I came upon her posting entitled "Lessons in Life". She had read recieved an email with 50 lessons in life and had taken her favorite 20 and posted them. I loved this post and with her permission decided to post the 20 she singled out. Here they are, along with the 21st that I got from my Mom as we were discussing this topic. Thanks Angie! I would love to get some comments back of any good "lessons in life" anyone has!
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
3. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
4. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
5. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special!
6. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
7. Always choose life.
8. Forgive everyone, everything.
9. What other people think of you is none of your business.
10. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
11. Believe in miracles.
12. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
13. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
14. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
15. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
16. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
19. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
20. The best is yet to come.
21. Those that mind, don't matter; and those that matter, don't mind.

Let's hear yours!

The Great Eight

I have been tagged by my friend and coworker Rachelle, so here it goes.

8 T.V. Shows I watch...
1. Raising the Bar (New TNT series, love it!)
2. Law and Order
3. CSI
4. Cold Case
5. Without a Trace
6. Wife Swap
7. One Tree Hill (pathetic I know)
8. 90210, the new one (Hard to admit, but what can I say?)

8 Favorite Restaurants...
1. Cafe Rio
2. My husbands grilling (does that count?)
3. Applebee's
4. Outback
5. Chinese buffet (there's a few I like)
6. Bleak's bar and grill ( miss this one!)
7. FuddRuckers
8. Dairy Queen (white trash, I know)

8 Things that happened yesterday...
1. Got home from work at 0530 am
2. Slept
3. Parent-Teacher Conferences, yikes!
4. Pre trick or treat nap with all 3 of my kids on the king size bed, it was the best
5. Costume time
6. Trunk or Treat at the Mona Church
7. Trick or Treat all around the neighborhood
8. Went to work for ER night shift

8 things I look forward to...
1. Next Halloween, I know, I'm a freak
2. Basketball season starting
3. Basketball season ending
4. Family Time!
5. Spending more time with my Mom and Dad and sisters now that we live closer
6. Sewing and quilting for the holidays
7. Christmas shopping
8. Family time

8 things on my wish list...
1. Happiness for everyone
2. Successful basketball season for Chad
3. Successful basketball season for my Dad
4. More quality time with loved ones
5. Expanding my family
6. Less stress
7. More dropping of interest rates!!
8. Higher pay for teachers, yeah right

8 Words or phrases I use all the time...
1.Seriously
2. Freak or freakin' (gotta work on this one)
3. You are kidding
4. Apparently...
5. Stop that!
6. I'm serious, you better stop that!
7. Hey
8. I need a diet coke like now!

8 people I tagged...
1. Jen
2. Mindy
3. Kellie
4. Cassie
5. Holli
6. Missy
7. Anna

Halloween 2008!!

Jackie and Dizzy

Jessie's best friend is Kelton, a boy in her kindergarten class. She calls him "Jackie" and he calls her "Dizzy". Check out the post here to hear how that came about. She invited him to Aerica's halloween party. Honestly, I have never seen Jessie stare at anyone the way she stares at Jackie, it is so cute, she totally focuses on him. He came to the party dressed like a pirate and they were hip to hip the whole night. On the drive to take him home, I asked him if he wanted me to call him Kelton or Jackie, he said Jackie was fine. The rest of the conversation went like this:

Me: So, calling you Jackie is okay with you?
Jackie: Yeah, I have two nicknames.
Me: Really? What are they?
Jackie: Telly-monster, and Jackie, Dizzy made up Jackie
Me: Yeah I heard she gave you that one.
Jackie: I gave her two nicknames too, sometimes I call her Flower, and sometimes I call her Dizzy, (long pause)...and sometimes I call her cute.
Me: (My mom and I exchanged surprised smiles)Oh yeah?
Jackie: and she calls me handsome. (little twinkle in his eye and a giant grin)

I'll say it again, I'm in big trouble! But, if arranged marriages were the thing, I would sign up Dizzy and Jackie in two seconds!! He is the cutest little thing, Jessie has good taste!

PARTY!!

Aerica had her first halloween party yesterday, it was great. She invited all her friends and I got to decorate and really get into my element. My mom graced us with her fortune-telling talent and the kids loved her. Jessica and Cy both got to invite a couple friends and the party was hoppin'. Jessie invited her favorite friend Kelton aka "Jackie". Everyone had fun, especially me, good thing I talked Aerica into having a party.

Pre-Halloween

So we all know how excited I get for Halloween, and this week has been busy already. Monday was the elementary carnival. We got all dressed up and had a blast. My kids loved the huge blow-up slide and used most of their tickets on that. We spent 2 hours there, which is twice as long as I have ever spent at the school carnival, it was nice to let the kids just go and play, I almost felt useless. I did dress up, I just wish someone would have told me no other parents were wearing costumes, oh well.

Aerica's Volleyball 08

Aerica has started her new season of Volleyball, her team are the Utes. I just can't make myself say "Go Utes", but I'm working on it. She had her first game this last week. I must say, this girl is all legs, wish I could say she got it from me. She can thank her Dad for those!



She does however still have the same cross legged stance she loved last year! Wierdo! Half pelican in former life maybe?


This years picture and last years, freakily not much different, no more long hair is about all!

Maui Baby!

My Mom and Dad went to the Maui and since our weather is getting crappy I thought I'd share some of their beautiful pictures to lighten us up!


Create Your Own

Moving on to number 2

This will eventually be Mom's (my Mom's) pirate, she has tired of the witch I made her a few years ago, (picture on the posting) and has ordered a new one. So watch for the finished product, it is already cut and ready to sew!!

One down!

Ok, so I've got one down, besides a few embellishmnents to the mask and gown, this along with a very fancy hairdo is Aerica's dream of a masquerade princess. Moving on to Mom's pirate.

Let's Remember Halloween from the Past

Halloween Inspiration

This is my inspiration for Aerica's halloween costume this year. I found this mask and Aerica fell in love with it. She wants to dress up like a masquerade ball queen, so I went and got these fabrics to make her a fancy ball gown. I'm not sure what we will call this, "masquerade mayhem"?, I'm open to suggestions. I will post the finished product, watch for it!

Three is not a crowd!

Cy, Maddie and kirstyn were baptized on Saturday, it was really neat to see them all together dressed in white. It was a special day that our family will always remember.

Baptism x3

The Exciting New World of Boy Scouts

I have been introduced to Boy Scouts. Having been raised with no brothers, and no experience with boy scouts this is all new to me. Cy just had his first "pack" meeting. The whole family went and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows around a camp fire, they introduced Cy to the pack and their families and did boy scout cheers. Cy absolutely loved it. He looks forward to his Wednesday scout meetings and this week he had his space derby. He shaped, sanded, and painted a rocket. They take turns racing them on a string, he won all three of his races and got the "lightning" award. This whole scout thing in strange and new to me, but so far, so good. I guess Cy and I will both learn as we go.