Heavenly Monson

I just had to share a sweet story with you all. K2 was saying prayers the other day and he said; "Thank you for Heavenly Monson and bless him too". K1 and I thought it was cute and just a fluke. K2 has continued to say Heavenly Monson and we don't correct him because it fits in a way.

For those of you reading this and don't know who President Monson is, he is the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Jeans

I need help finding jeans. I have 3 pairs, but one has paint on it and one is pretty old amd the one I really like is too big. I know poor me. My problem is that I don't know where to find good, cute, flatter my butt jeans that don't cost too much.

I have asked K1 for jeans for Christmas and he said I need to try some on and then just tell him where to go. This should be easy, but it is not.

So if you have any advice or know of a good place or even want to take me someplace, please let me know.

Elf Disco

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Jewelery Boutique

Come see unique jewelry for low prices. I am hosting a jewelry boutique this week. All items are from Bali, any questions call me. Please tell your friends

Wednesday Dec. 3rd
Open House 4 - 8pm
1641 North 980 West

Light refreshments will be served

I am Thankful for;

1. husband and kids
2. parents (mine and k1's)
3. family and friends
4. modern technology
5. my health
6. gospel and the peace it gives me
7. warmth from the roof over my head and clothes I wear
8. K1's job and the finance it provides
9. food I have to eat and feed my family
10.children's laughter (nothing can cheer me up quicker)

My list could go on and on. I hope you don't wait till Thanksgiving to think about what you are thankful for. I try to reflect back every week, and tell people I am grateful for them and what they do for me and my family.

I got up this morning and ran a 4 mile race with a great friend and it was so beautiful outside. The crisp air, the snow on the mountains, and little bit of sun. What a great time to reflect on all the joy I have around me. Of course there are rough times, but they don't compare to the wonderful things. I thought about all the wonderful people in my life and hope they know just how grateful I am for them.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving where ever you may be.

Calories burned

Have you ever wondered how many calories you burn in a day. I have thought about this lately, not quite sure why. I have a heart rate monitor that will tell me calories burned, I wear this when I workout. I decided to wear it all day and see what it would tell me. So yesterday, I put it on at 7:30am and went for a run, I only did 1 1/2 miles because my lungs were burning from the cold. I did some yard work and then ran errands and other normal mom stuff. When it came time to get ready for bed I took off the monitor and read the calories burned for the day. I had had the monitor on for 11 hours 48 Min's and 23 seconds, the calorie count was 3760. I was a little surprised and very pleased. It is nice to know that doing my "mom" job I can burn allot of calories. This doesn't give me the right to eat that many calories now, but makes me feel better about the 3 reese's peanut butter cups I ate at 9pm last night. So all you mom's out there can rest assure that our job is worth it in so many way's.

As most of you know I have been trying to regain my pre-baby figure. I started back in April and have had some great help from friends. I started by changing my workouts to include weights, going to the gym more often and cutting back on my snacks. I then got in the habit of drinking more water and eating smaller portions. I can honestly say it worked for me. Seven months later I am down 16 pounds and 2 1/2inches in the waist. I would like to loose 5 to 6 pounds more and still tone up my stomach more, but now that I am 38 years young, I know it might take time and may never get to exactly what I want. I am happy with the results and even put a dress on last week and didn't have to wear a girdle with it. It made me cry. I also feel allot better and have more energy to handle my daily mom duties. So a big thanks to Shauna for showing me what to do with the weights and going to the gym with me so early in the morning, thanks to LauraLee for encouraging me and getting me running with her and Shelley.Thanks to Shelley for getting me to race and pushing my limits. Thanks to K1 for allowing me the time to do all this. I am doing another race on Thanksgiving day and hope the cold air doesn't kill me.

For my next experiment I want to put the monitor on K2 and see how many calories he burns in a day. I can only imagine.

Remembering

It is hard to believe that a year has gone by since Sharon passed away. This picture was taken about 2 months before she passed away. She was diagnosed in May 2006 with Brain Cancer and given no more than 4 years to live. A year and a half later we would be saying our goodbye's. Over that year and a half she had several surgeries and took countless amounts of drug's and even endured chemo and radiation treatment's. It was not an easy time for her or the family, but through it all she kept her sense of humor. Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of her strength, wisdom and humor. Over the last year I have watched her boys struggle in school and with their dad. I have also watched her husband grow in a role he never thought possible. I have seen her parents shed so many tears of watching their only daughter pass before them. I have seen her brothers struggle to make sense of this and share so many wonderful stories about their sister. I too have shed tears for her and still laugh at the stories she could tell. I have felt her presence at certain times and her courage has gotten me through some tough times. K1 and others have noticed bits of Sharon in S and so much of Sharon in seen in her boys. I can have peace in knowing she is not suffering and she is waiting to greet me with open arms when my time comes.

As our family celebrates the birth of a new little girl, that carries her Aunt's name, we will never forget the sorrow of this day, but look forward to living righteously and being together as a family once more.

Disney World Photos....Finally

We finally got the camera back. Here are pictures of our trip to DisneyWorld.
Enjoy!!!

Welcome to the family

Audrey Sharon Payne was born at 4:05pm on Sunday November 16th. She is 6 pounds 13 ounces and 18 inches long. She is the second grand-daughter on the Payne side and she ends S's reign as the only girl. She was born to K1's brother and sister-in-law and was 3 weeks early. We are glad that she is here and healthy and that they can join the no longer sleeping until 10am, packing your whole house for a trip to grandma's, turning the volume on the t.v. down so you don't wake the baby club.

Kids..what a joy

So, I just had to share some conversations I have had lately with the kids.

K2: "mommy, I wonder who J will marry when he gets older?"
me: "I don't know"
K2: "why not, you know everything"
me: "I don't know who he will marry or who you or S will marry"
K2: "I am going to marry S"
me: "well she is your sister, so you can not marry her"
K2: "but I love her and you love daddy"
me: "I know you love her, but she is your sister and we just don't do that"
K2: "you made me sad mommy:
me: "I am sorry that you are sad, but you will find someone when you get older that you love even more then you love S"
K2: "no I won't"

It makes me very happy that he loves his sister so much. Flash forward about 10 min.

K2: "S, stop talking to me"
S: "please leave me alone"
K2: "I don't love you anymore and you are not my friend"

As you can tell they have a love hate relationship, like most sibilings I know.
Here is another one for you.

me: "J, please stop hitting S"
J: "no way"
me: " J, we do not talk that way"
J: "pooh pooh"
me: "okay J you need time out, let's go"
J: "no way, pooh pooh"
K2: "J, if you tell her your sorry, she will let you out and you won't get the spice"
J: "ok, I sorry mommy"
K2: "That is good, you don't want the spice"
J: "no way pooh pooh"
K2: "oh well, you need spice to make you not say bad words"
K2: "mom go ahead and spice him"

Just so you know, we have tried everything to get K2 to not call people names. After time outs and taking things away I resorted to cayenne pepper. K2 can not stand it and he has done really well. J has started with the name calling and so he has gotten it a couple of times. Please don't think I am mean, I just have to stick with what works.

Freedom of speech

So much has been on the news lately about Prop 8 in California. I never really speak about politics, because I feel I don't always sound smart. I feel I need to say something and since this is my blog I am going to speak or write my thoughts.

I grew up in California and my parents still live there. They have been very involved with Prop 8 and getting information out about it. This is not church doctrine material, it is the same information you would get in the mail and most likely throw away without reading it. Many people have spent alot of hours to get the word out about Prop 8 and it makes me so sad that the LDS Religion is being blamed for it passing. It has been said that church and state should be kept separate, and that "The Mormons should stay out of it". Well if a Mormon lives in California then they have the right to vote and are allowed to be involved.

I found this post on a friends blog and thought I would share it. It made me so sad, thanks Nicole for posting it.


Dear family and friends, Monday Oct. 27, 2008 I had a very disturbing experience yesterday that I would like to share with those of you that live outside of California (or outside of the San Francisco Bay area). This weekend we have stake conference. Our stake conference always begins with a stake temple session on Friday or Thursday night. Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple, and to remind everyone to stay calm and to drive carefully. The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley. Apparently the opposition to proposition 8, the amendment that seeks to make marriage in Ca, between a man and a woman again, has realized the deep involvement of the church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons. The fastest way to get to the temple from our house is to take the 680 freeway, but the exit is a bit tricky. The off ramp is extremely short and straight uphill. You then make an almost blind left turn, an immediate right and another left into the parking lot. As we approached the off ramp I realized there would be trouble, there was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the off ramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the off ramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door. Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying (which made me snap out of it and go into the RS President mode to comfort them). Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints from the big spacious building but 'we heeded them not'. It was a truly surreal experience, I'd never thought that I would have to go through an angry crowd to go to the temple. As we left late at night, the protesters had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by the gates. I never saw a single police man. Please pray for those of us in California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out here!

This truly is just like Lehi's dream. I feel that I have to fight for what I believe in. I don't dislike or even hate those who have a different view on what a marriage should be, but they should also have the same respect for me and what I believe a marriage should be. I hope no one is offended by this post but I couldn't keep quite anymore.

Thank you to all those that worked so hard in California and other states to get the word out. May God bless us all.

A great book for kids

Looking for a great gift for your favorite preschool teacher? Does your child need a new book to entertain them? Do you know someone that loves the alphabet and music? Well, I have the solution, it is called "Critter Crew with Melody Lou". This is a great kids book and CD of alphabet sounds and songs. My sister-in-law edited this book and her sister wrote the music and lyrics for the book. It is on it's way to stores, but I have it early. In stores it is $24.95, but I can offer it to you for $20, but if you buy more then 1, I will give it to you for $15 a book. Please stop by to see it or go to www.crittercrewbooks.com and let me know what you think.

Don't forget Christmas is coming and teachers love new books in the classroom. The songs are fun and easy. S loves to sing them, K dances around and J just follows along.

Please pass this along to anyone you think might want one.

Lost and found

Good news, the camera has been found. Someone turned it in and the people at Disney mailed it to us and we should have it back in 5 to 7 days. So look for pictures from the trip next week.

Disney and smiles, always go together

This is a long post of our trip to DISNEY WORLD

DAY ONE (Tuesday)
Travel to Orlando on two different planes with three children. They all did really well (thanks for all the tips, play dough and silly putty worked the best) J had a visit to the doctor on Monday before we left and so he was pretty drugged up for the trip there.

DAY TWO (Wednesday)
Animal Kingdom was the park visited today. The kids loved all the animals and K2 had a blast in Dinosaur Town. We saw the Nemo show, road the new Everest roller coaster and even watched a parade. S got her face painted like an Indian princess, she was very happy about the way it turned out.

Day Three (Thursday)
Magic Kingdom is always a joy. Dumbo was the ride of choice today. J said again after every ride he did. We had a character breakfast at the 1900 cafe and the food was fantastic, but the characters kept passing right by us and another table. After several complaints we left. The kids seemed ok with us leaving and going back to ride more rides. S was a little scared on splash mountain and they both refused to ride thunder mountain. The rain hit late tonight.

DAY FOUR (Friday)
It was a rainy day at Epcot.We traveled the world today and the kids discovered all the Kidcot stops for arts and crafts in each country. This was great because it made the kids excited to stop at each country. We had a great lunch in Germany and even a great show. My wonderful in-laws took the kids back to the hotel and K1 and I had dinner alone and rode a couple rides before heading back to the hotel. Although it was raining off and on, it was a great day.

Day Five (Saturday)
Still rainy, but off to Hollywood Studios. The new ride there is Toy Story Mania. This ride is awesome for all ages. We rode it at least three times, it is a 3-D adventure of shooting at targets and getting point, almost like the Buzz Lightyear ride at Magic Kingdom. We saw the Indiana Stunt Show, Beauty and the Beast stage show, which had J clapping and dancing. Tower of terror, which the kids refused to ride. S said she heard me screaming and she knew it was scary. I can not help it, it makes me scream every time I ride it. We saw the fireworks at night and headed to bed rather late.

DAY SIX (Sunday)
It was our day of rest as well. No parks today, we went to lunch at the Whispering Canyon at the Frontier Lodge and had a blast. This is a very family friendly restaurant. The kids get to ride stick horses around and loud is welcome. We walked around the grounds and caught a bus back to our hotel for nap time. About 20mins after returning home, K1 asked me for the camera, so he could charge it and I realized I did not have it and I left it on the bus. We called the lost and found and they said it would take about 30mins to contact all the buses and we need to call back.

DAY SEVEN (Monday)
Still no camera. I am just so sad about loosing all the pictures we have taken. We went back to Magic Kingdom for a couple hours and then to Hollywood Studios and finally to Epcot for dinner and a great choice of sweets in France and the fireworks show one last time. We kept checking all day, but still no camera had been turned in.

DAY EIGHT (Tuesday)
Time to check out and head back to reality. We went back to the airport and started our trip home. the kids did really well and people even made comments on how well they did.

I am glad to be home and get the kids back on schedule. Overall our trip was fantastic. We lost 2 pacifier's, ! camera, and used all the wipes and had to buy more for the trip home. K2 was up at 5:40am today and is currently napping. I only had 2 loads of laundry to do because we had a washer and dryer in our room. The suitcases are already empty and we are now getting ready for Halloween.

Hopefully the camera will return and I will be able to show you pictures.

HI HO HI HO

It is off to Disney World we go. Our family planned this trip back in March. We have been threatening our children for 7 months, if you don't behave you will not go. As Aunt Bonnie said " it is now time to follow through with the plan". My dad and step-mom have been gracious enough to let us use their Disney points to stay on property and K1's parents are coming along to help and have fun themselves and my mom and step-dad even gave the kids Christmas money early so they could buy something they really want. (within reason of course) I hope my kids know what great grandparents they have and will truly appreciate them someday.

So we leave on Tuesday and I am looking for any ideas you may have to keep three kids busy on the plane ride their. I will have the DVD player, some never before seen sticker books and the uno game. Any other suggestions would be helpful. I know S can only do so much of her homework before she will tell me she is bored.

We are packing and doing laundry and some are even bike riding, in the hopes that I will pack for him. We have also been fighting our first colds of the season, glad it happened before we left. So as usual this trip is well needed and deserved.

I will post once we return with all our adventures and possibly even mis-adventures.

Trip to Zion

I am finally getting around to posting pictures from our family's annual Zion trip.
K1 and his family have been doing this trip for 17 years now. Family and friends gather for a weekend of hiking. Over the years the hikes have changed to accommodate children. We usually do a family friendly hike on Friday and then a more serious hike on Saturday. We take turns watching children, so everyone that wants to can go. We use to camp and that has changed to renting a home, although once the kids are old enough we want to return to camping.

This year was a little different though. We took our trip without one family member. The one who is always out front and leading the way, she did this in life and in death. Sharon was on every one's mind and talked about often this year. K1 even said S reminded him of Sharon on some of the hikes. S wore her aunt's old hat and soon took on the role of leading everyone and telling the younger kids she was in charge. (and none of them complained) We also had some poor weather for the Saturday hike and had to cancel it. We took the kids on the shuttle bus (aka fun bus, according to J) and did some smaller hikes in the rain. Overall it was a great trip and the kids look forward to next year.

Here are some pictures of the trip.

Kids say the darndest things

So the refrigerator guy came today and K2 watched him move the refrigerator and this is what happened next;
K2: "mommy, that man is really strong"
Me: "your right K2 he is"
K2; "it is because he is fat, fat, fat...(I stopped him)
Me: "we don't talk that way"

I am so embarrassed, and know the man is right behind me listening, because K2 doesn't talk quietly. So the man ordered the part needed and told me he would be back on Friday to install it. I hope it goes better on Friday, Good news though is that, the part is covered by the warranty. YEAH!!!

Having trouble?

Have any of you ever had trouble with your appliances? How about the same one twice in 2 months? When we moved into this house there was a side by side refrigerator. We had it replaced because the freezer side hit the wall and you couldn't open it all the way. We got a freezer on bottom in August of 2004. August of 2007 the freezer stopped working and it came down to the electronic board having to be replaced. In August 2008 the whole thing stopped cooling and freezing, this time it was the overload system. Not two months later we are at it again, this time the compressor is shot. At least this time the company has to pay for it, but we have to go through there repair person. I talked to customer service yesterday and the earliest they could get to me was Tuesday the 14th. I explained that this is my refrigerator and I need it fixed sooner. They then gave me a couple numbers of other repair people to call on my own to see if they could get it fixed sooner. So I have a repair person coming today between 3-6pm to hopefully fix it. I am highly disappointed with my Amana fridge and the customer service I have received from them. Whirlpool bought Amana and the service is still bad. I have been dealing with them since last year and it is the same story every time. Then to top it off, my washing machine is having problems. i guess it didn't like all the attention the refrigerator was getting. I spend at least 2 days a week with this thing, always filling and refilling it with clothes, you think that would be enough. What does it want from me? I hope all of you have a great relationship with your appliances.

The Big 40

K1 is 40 today. He has done so many things in life and has accomplished much. I am so glad to have him in my life and to share a wonderful family together. Hope you have a greaet day and you don't look a day over 35.

Did you see this?

Josh Groban is one of my favorite singers. I love to listen to him when I have had a bad day. I was very surprised when people were talking about his performance on the Emmy's. So I had to look at it for myself and this is what I found. I enjoyed it, hope you do to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9cQWelvgC4

Vegas review

I made it back from my trip. I had a great time, scrapbooking, craft shopping, people watching, Phantom seeing, karaoke listening weekend. I stayed at Bonnie's Lake Las Vegas home, which has an awesome view of the lake and the village. Friday and Saturday night we were put to sleep (not) by the lovely karaoke singers at the club across the way. They were ok, until about 1am when all the liquor hit them and they really thought they could sing well. (thank heavens for ear plugs)

Cathy and I arrived about 4pm on Thursday and once the car was unpacked, we walked around the village, then enjoyed a lovely dinner on the balcony of the home and started crafting. I got quite a bit of scrapbook done with all there help and even got to use Sandi's cricket. (that is a cool toy) Friday, they took me to ever craft and stamp store in town. Then we had a lunch break at In and out burger. I found out they are going to open a burger shop in Provo and SLC, sometime soon, I can hardly wait. We did alot more scrapbooking and then that night there was a local band "Concrete Hillbilly" who performed on the stage right below us. Then at 10pm the karaoke group started and they didn't stop until 2am. You can imagine that the more they drank the better they thought they sounded and so that is when the earplugs went in. Saturday was the big Scrapbook Expo, we headed out at 9am and went to Cashman Center close to downtown Vegas. There were alot of vans in the parking lot, and we were expecting a huge crowd. Last year there was about 200 booths, so we prepared to spend all day. When we entered we saw about 30 booths and no big crowds. The ladies were disappointed and apologized to me and I was not sad at all. I was kid free and loving it. We did all the booths, made some take home items and headed out to go get some show tickets at about noon. Once we had our show tickets in hand we walked around the Venetian, had lunch and then got ready for the show. We saw The Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. I had never seen it and so the ladies felt I needed to. It was a great show, I had nothing to compare it too, but everyone agreed that they did an awesome job and the special affects were great. I had a fabulous time driving down the strip after the show as we returned to the house. This time there was a jazz band on stage and after they finished, it was karaoke again. this time they didn't sing as late, but still an earplug night. Sunday we squeezed in more scrapbooking before Cathy and I headed home. The car was packed and we said our goodbye's, then the long drive home begun. We made a stop in St. George for lunch/dinner at in and out, had to get my fill. Then got home around 7pm. I found the house clean and everyone in one piece. All went well here and they missed me, they said as they rummaged through my stuff to see if I brought them anything.

I look forward to the next girls trip. Everything is back to normal at my house. K2 was up twice during the night with a fever, J was up at 6:30am ready to start his day. I am glad I got some sleep and regained some energy for my mommy job that is back in full swing.

I almost forgot; my sister Leah had her baby Friday evening. He is only 30 weeks and 1 pound 7 ounces and 12 inches long. (about the size of two bills lined up together)This was an emergency c-section because he just wasn't gaining weight and he started to show signs of distress. He is breathing on his own with out oxygen and is hook to alot of tubes for monitoring and feeding. He doesn't have a name yet, but he is doing well. My sister is recovering well also and looks forward to spending at least the next 2 months visiting her baby boy at the hospital.

Viva Las Vegas

So, K1 came back from his business trip today and I head out tomorrow with my mother-in-law for some scrap booking time in Vegas. I am more then ready for this trip. The kids have colds and are very whinny. I have pack up some supplies and will hopefully get S's pre-school and Kindergarten pictures scrap booked while I am gone.

I am very excited to spend time with my mother-in-law, Aunt Bonnie and Aunt Sandi. I have never hung out with them by myself, since I married into the family. I hope to learn alot of crafting tips and other things from them. They are great women and I am glad they have invited me to go.

I hope the house will still be standing when I return and that K1 will have all his hair. One thing I can guarantee, is that the house will be clean. K1 is always good at that and I am very grateful to him for that.

So, I will post when I return with all the crazy Vegas activities (nothing like my younger days) and how things went here. I am sure you will all want to hear that.

What a week

So, I have to tell you, this has been a very crazy week, I have had both boys home all week, because K2's preschool teacher had to go to Idaho for a funeral. Although J has enjoyed having K2 home with him, I have been pulling my hair out. They are fighting all the time, and J is starting to hit back and tell me NO. S has been a little whiny at the end of the day and not wanting to do her homework. She said " I don't like doing homework", if she is this way now, what will it be like in 10 years? Then, I finally had my eyes checked after several years of complaining that my eyesight was getting worse. I got my glasses this week and have had to get use to wearing them, but who knew that everything really looked that fabulous. (I am not so sure about contacts, but that will most likely happen next) I also made a payment to the wrong company and didn't realize it until they called to tell me I was late. I fought with them over the phone, I made the payment and I gave them all my info and then later that day I got a letter from the other company that I had a credit with them for the same amount the other company said I stilled owed. WOW..I was so embarrassed. I haven't been to the gym much this week because I haven't been feeling so well and my temper is very short. (sorry kids, I really do love you) K1 is going on a business trip next week and when he gets back I get to go with my mother-in-law and K1's Aunt Bonnie and Aunt Sandi to Vegas for 4 days. I am looking forward to the break. Thanks to K1 for taking time off work, so I can go.

Please don't get me wrong, I love my family and the opportunity I have to stay home and raise them. I live in a geat neighborhood and have a very supportive family and great friends. It is just nice to get away from the everyday things and people that are always wanting me to make, find and fix things for them.

So I hope the weekend will be mellow and that my trip will rejuvinate me enough to last until my next trip.

No one to play with

J was so sad after he found himself alone with me. S and K2 were off to school and he cried for an hour. Nothing I did seemed to help and so I decided to video it and share with everyone. It was pretty cute, but I felt bad for him. He will have to get use to it, because next year will be even worse since K2 will be in kindergarten. The rec. center pool opens this week, so maybe some water time with mom will help ease his pain. (J refers to S as momma and I am mommy)

My Princess

Saturday August 9th S went to The Princess Festival. She had a great time dancing with Prince Charming and learning to curtsy with Cinderella. She even grossed out watching the Prince kiss Sleeping Beauty. Thanks to my sister for taking her, since K1 was out of town I had to stay with the boys. S is looking forward to next year.

She alao has been bike racing. Last week she entered her second race and got 3rd place. She was so excited to get her ribbon. She has another race this weekend and since school has started she has been able to practice as much.

Speaking of school, She is very excited for 1st grade. She is happy about 2 recesses and eating lunch at school. Monday was a good day, Tuesday she said was awesome and she asked me if it was Friday yet, when I asked why she said "because I want to buy lunch". So Wednesday she bought lunch and enjoyed it alot. I had to make a special trip to the store on Monday night, because I realized I didn't have any lunch stuff for her to take. Who knew it would be so hard to pack a school lunch. So far she likes her class and teacher. I can not believe she is so grown up.

Lots of Birthday Fun

Happy Birthday Big J

Two years ago today I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He is the sweetest baby and a great sleeper. He was the only boy in the nursery at the hospital with about 6 girls. The nurses would put him in the middle of all of them, so he had a harem, since he was born. He has 2 cousins that are a day older then him. So we give a big be-lated shout out to Stephen and Spencer. They have not yet met as they live in New York, someday they will join forces and tear up someone's home together.

I look forward to many more birthday's with this sweet boy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG J.

Lighter.....

I have been planning to cut my hair for a couple months now. I have had long hair most of my life and decided it was time for a change. So once I decided to do it I thought why not donate my hair to Lock of Love. This is an orginization that makes wigs for those that loose their hair due to illness. As most of you know I lost my sister-in-law from cancer last year. She didn't loose all her hair, but did loose some during her battle. I am doing this in her honor.

Once S found out what I was doing she wanted to get involved. She has asked K1 and me if she could cut her hair also. K1 really likes her long hair and was very hesitant about letting her. I had to remind him that she wasn't asking permission to get a tatoo, it is just hair and it will grow back. He finally got on board and so yesterday S and I went and got our hair cut.

My neighbor did the deed for us, 10 1/2 inches later, S had a huge grin on her face and is very happy with the way it turned out. Then it was my turn, I was really nervous and hesitated a little. But after 10 inches with the intial cut and a couple more during the rest of the cut, I have short hair. I am still in the getting use to it fase and S told me it was a little cute, K2 is not sure and J just stares at me. K1 has to get use to it too. So I will let you know in a couple weeks, but until then here are a few pictures for you to judge yourself. Don't be shy leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Is it sunny in here?

So I left some items I had taken to camp with me, on the kids bathroom counter. I was in my room folding laundry and I thought all 3 kids were playing in the livingroom. Then I here a small voice say "Mommy, soap". I was a bit puzzled and came out of my room to find this;




At least he got the right sunscreen to cover his face and it has been hot enough to need it. K1 always tells me to put things away, right away and not wait tell later. This would be a good reason why it should be done.

Picture's

Camping with the girl's

As most of you know, I was encharge of planning Girl's Camp for the young woman at my church. I was given this calling back in January and started looking for an assistant right away. After months of planning and meeting with people, it came time to go to camp and hope for the best.
I left my family behind on Tuesday the 22nd and headed to Mia Shalom for the week. The weather was great, not too hot and a little rain. The girl's all did great. There was very little complaining about the cabin assignments, they all helped set up camp and even enjoyed splashing each other in the canoe's. We wore them out the first day and they were all in bed and asleep by 10pm. The leaders were a little nervous, and wondered what they were planning for the next night.
Everyone went on their hikes, according to their year and every group got lost, but all returned safely. We played alot of games, sang songs, roasted marshmellow's, ate good food and laughed alot. The girl's in my church are awesome, I am sad that my time with them is over. They all seemed to enjoy themselves and it was so cool to hear them complement each other. They worked together as a group and no one was ever left out.
While I was gone, S decided to ride her bike without her training wheels and K1 had her in her first bike race, the next day. S had a great time and can't wait to do it again.
I do hope I am given the opportunity to go to camp again. A big thank you to all that helped make this a great girl's camp. To my family who supported me and to my in-laws who helped watch my kids while I was gone.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

So today I turn 38. Yep, I am only 2 years away from 40. I have never been one to care about my age. (since I seem to act childish most of the time) For some reason though I have been very emotional about this birthday. It could be that my request for gifts have gotten less personal. Last year I requested a swing set, so my kids would have something to do and this year I requested a tree for my front yard. Thanks to my hubby and in-laws (and to Ben Platt for planting it), I now have a tree in my front yard. It could also be that I am struggling to find my HIDDEN talents and use them, or that I haven't decided if I should have another kid, or that I am just hormonal. What ever the reason this one is tough for me. As some of you know I have tried to change my eating habits, I have been working out more and even ran a race for the first time in my life. Oh my gosh it just hit me......I am having a mid-life crisis. Is this possible at 38?
I guess I could have one at any age, but thought you had to be going through menopause for that. I guess that is next in my life at this point.

I am glad that I have 3 wonderful kids (most of the time), a great husband, and wonderful family and friends all around me. I have a home (well, 2...does anyone want to buy a townhouse in Provo?), clothes to wear and food to eat. I do have more then some and for this I am grateful.

My kids have been making plans for my Big day. S asked me yesterday; "Mommy do you know what I want to get you for your birthday?" I said , "NO?" She then said, "Well I need to call daddy to tell him because I haven't been shopping yet." K1 is taking an early lunch today to take her shopping. K2 told me he wants to get me and elephant for my birthday. I said, "Where would we put an elephant?" K2 replied, "In the backyard, of course." I said, "We don't need an elephant." To which he replied, "but I , I mean YOU really need one." So, it comes down to the fact that K2 really wants an elephant and my birthday is a good excuse.

I went to the gym this morning and had a great workout with a friend. Good start to my day, once S got up she came into my room and asked me to follow her, I went to the kitchen and found that she had prepared a bowl of my favorite cereal (special k with strawberries) for me It has been a good day so far. I am sure I will get over being 38 just in time to turn 39 and have something else to talk about.

So to this BIRTHDAY I say " BRING IT ON"

I SURVIVED.....

A couple of weeks ago I thought it would be fun to sign up for the Provo Freedom Run. I talked my friend into doing it with me and I started running more often, well ok for the first time. This year I have really been focusing on working out and eating better, so I figured why not try running a 5K. Well my friend signed up for the 10K because it was the same price as the 5K. So not wanting to run it alone,I signed up for the 10K. K1 thought I was crazy and said" you can't just decide one day that you are going to run a race". Well, I did and wow, what an experience. Friday morning I was a little nervous but felt great. The race started and I soon realized I had not run up hill at all in my training, so after 1 mile of a slight incline my friend left me. (although I kept her in my sights for the next couple of miles) Once I hit the part of the course that is on the parade route, I realized I couldn't stop and walk at all because of the hundreds of people staring at me. I kept going and going and going. I hit mile 5 and my legs were starting to feel it, but I had some good music in my ear and felt I could last 1 more mile. Half way through that last mile it starts back uphill again and try as I might, I had to stop running and take to walking quickly. I came into the finish line 6 mins. behind my friend and with K1 and the kids cheering me on. I finished under my goal time and I was not last. Overall I am very happy with my results and look forward to doing better next year. Thanks K1 for your support and encouraging words.

feeling good

glad to be done

A trip to the dentist

S had a dentist appointment to get her permanent molars sealed. I knew S would have a hard time with this and gave the dentist my permission to use gas if S started to freak out. She did fine until they found a small cavity in one of the molars and decided to fill it. The drill scared her and not even the movie she was watching was helping. They brought out the gas and put it on and she wouldn't breathe through her nose. I did have her blanket with me and that helped some. After 1 1/2 they finished and S was doing ok. She told me later that she never wants to go back again.

The whole time I was in the waiting area with the boys. They were getting bored and nap time was upon us. They played video games, watched a movie and J even had time to entertain us with his xylophone skills.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and video.

Not so gracefull....

As most of you know, I am the Young Women's Camp Director for my church this year. It has been a challenge and a blessing for me. I am enjoying getting to know the girls and hanging out with them.
Recently, I was able to go to an activity with some of the girls. We had homemade pizza, died shirts and even jumped on the trampoline. Most of my family and friends know that I am not very gracefull. When the girls asked us leaders to come play, we agree'd. I needed some assistance staying in one place. The girls were very helpful and one even told me, right before we went home, to work on my confidence for next time.
I have placed a couple video's of my adventure for your enjoyment. All I can say is " thank goodness I emptied my bladder first". I did have fun and look forward to more activities.

It has been awhile.........

So much has happened the last couple of weeks. I will give you a run down and then post some pictures.



First, I had Mom's Day at S's school. We played games, read books and she even wrote me a note. The funniest part was this little song they sing and the actions they do with it. Look for the video below.



Second, S had her end of school play. She was in Click Clack Moo, Cows that type. She was a hen and did a great job.



Third, K2 had his preschool program. He did awesome, what a performer. He has one more year of preschool before kindergarten. He loves Ms. Tammy and looks forward to summer camp at her house.



Fourth, S had her Dance Festival at school. All the kindergartener's did a dance together. S was burried in the middle of the group so I wasn't able to get very good pictures.



Fifth, S also had her Spring Finale for clogging. She is looking forward to taking a break from this for the summer. K2 wants to try it out for the summer and see if he likes it. Daddy would like him to focus on biking instead, to which Kohl replies "no way". His time will come.



In between all this, we have been going to daddy's bike races, planning girl's camp, throwing a baby shower for a good friend and spending time with grandparents. So life has been a little crazy, but now that summer is here it should mellow out. Yeah right!

Mother's Day Revue

Breakfast made by kids and hubby

Gifts

Kohl made at preschool

I spent the evening with family and friends. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given to be a mom and for all the joy it brings me. Hope you all had a great day.