shelby dredge

2010 review

2010-12-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

since i have been such an outstanding blogger this year - LOL!

i thought it would be fun to recap some highlights of our year.

embellish IT! sponsored a scrapbook cruise on royal caribbean. we decided to leave the 2 little ones home & bring the older 2 kids & steve's parents (they were ALOT less work :) we went to mexico & enjoyed 7 days of great food, sun & no diapers!

somebody turned 1 this year ... it was hard having my last baby turn 1

easter with many cousins! 12 out of 16 - missing the shane rushing family

we LOVE baseball - not sure who loves it more... the player, the coach(steve) or me!

brock graduated from preschool - this is the only time i have ever seen brock embarrassed

august is the start of FOOTBALL - doesn't last very long but it is VERY intense around here! keegan is the cutest cheerleader but mom is for sure the loudest! that is jake with the ball - love that guy hanging onto his shirt

we participated in a walk with my cousin who was walking for kids that need prosthetics from salt lake city to st.george. the kids really enjoyed walking for a cause & keegan LOVED that it made her "famous" (we were in the newspaper the next day).

another cruise sponsored by embellish IT! this time to eastern caribbean for a week- a total ME trip: beach, food, scrapbook & little sleep :) sometimes work obligations sure are tough to swallow LOL

halloween is always one of our most favorite times of the year

thanksgiving at grandma's - 4 of 5 of my siblings & families were there. here is a pic of me & my 2 sisters with my mom. then one of our little family.

last but not least - our family trip to hawaii.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

we have been blessed & busy this year...

jake has had a good year in sports playing baseball & football.he has enjoyed having his dad coach him & steve loves talking/watching sports with someone who is just as interested in sports as he is. jake is very responsible & a great example to his younger siblings & thinks crew is the coolest baby ever!

keegan has had a very busy year this year & loves having lots to do (remind you of someone else?) she loves dance, gymnastics, cheer, scrapbooking, shopping & sometimes piano. she has been such a great help this year being brock’s other mom. keegan & mom love our “girl time” together & take full advantage of it!

brock has more personality than anyone can imagine. he is always the center of attention & the life of the party! he constantly gives hugs & loves to cuddle. he has had to learn this year how to be a big brother & has transitioned into that role very well. he loves everybody, anywhere, anytime (even his brother crew).

crew is our cabose but he thinks he is the engine (& usually he is). competing with so many strong personailities in our family, he definately holds his own!he is a little prankster & full of life. unlike our other kids, he loves his sleep.

steve & shelby are loving every minute of life. embellish IT! is keeping us busy enough but we continue to cut back on traveling so much. we enjoy what we do & feel fortunate we are able to spend so much time together. steve looks forward to when work doesn’t interfere with his
coaching & shelby wants more beach time - other than that life could not be better! as we reflect on 2010, we are so grateful for our savior, family & friends. we wish you a merry christmas & the best in 2011.

biggest loser

2010-01-07T16:55:00.000-08:00

ok, first of all - i need to say: i don't watch tv.

as crazy as that may be - i just don't. i have soooo much i have to do that i simply don't have time. the minute i sit/lay down to watch something i am out! seriously - that fast. steve loves tv (mostly sports) & he unwinds at night catching up of every game, trade, detail that involves anything to do with sports & it truly loves it. there are times he will stay awake for hours at night watching sports.

i do like csi. we have like 90 hours of it on tivo. it takes me at least a week to get through 1 show. i know it is bad. steve always humors me & we start it & then as soon as i fall asleep (sometimes 30 seconds & on a good night 5 minutes) then he switches over to espn.

so the other night, i watched biggest loser for the first time ever

and.

i watched the entire 2 hours of it
and

i loved every minute of it.

the last series i watched was the very first the bachelor & this reminds me on that just 10x better. i was seriously sooooo inspired. i seriously wanted to get my butt on the treadmill as i watched it. i am sure alot of it has to do with the desire i have to get in better shape & lose weight. and. if these HUGE people can do it then SO CAN I. that simple. i just loved it!

gonna plug in my treadmill. i have a nice treadmill in a nice workout room in the basement but it hasn't been plugged in since we moved into the house almost 5 years ago. seriously. called the comany & they are coming out to give it a tune up (i am sure after collecting dust it is going need some TLC). hoping it is up & working this afternoon.

thinking about how fun it would be to do a little BIG LOSER contest.

anyone interested????

hello 2010

2010-01-05T02:12:00.000-08:00

i am READY for the best year of my life - are you? at the beginning of every year, i get so excited for the upcoming year & think how it can be better than the previous year. AND every year just gets better & better. i don't know if i just forget the downs throughout the year or if i just chose not to have them. i am not saying that 2009 was perfect - just like all of us i am sure we have a list of things that we rather not of dealt with. BUT as i look over the year it was SO VERY GOOD but 2010 is going to be better!

there is a LONG list of things for 2010 - some things i need to do, some things i want to do & some things i should do. i love,love,love list & i love the first of the year so i can make my master list for the year.

word for the year?? like some of you, i like to have a word to represent each year. a word that sums up what i would like to work on for that year or a word that summarizes the year, etc. 2009 word was BALANCE. i felt like i need more balance in my life. i felt overwhelmed with with having a 4th child & my work load & simply not enough hours in the day. i tried really hard to have BALANCE & it wasn't easy at times but at the end of the year - i see how everything is better with BALANCE.

my word for the year for 2010 is BETTER. i want to be BETTER at everything i already am. i have no desire at this point to add anything else in my life but i just want to be BETTER at what i already am.

i want to be a better wife.

i want to be a better mom.

i want to better a better child of God.

i want to have a better body.

i want to capture memories better (pictures, scrapbook, video, blog, etc)

i want to be a better friend, sister, daughter, grandaughter.

i want to help embellish IT! better.

i want to sleep better (i actually sleep really well just not long enough)

what's your word for the year?

i am excited about the year - excited to make things BETTER!

december 2009

2010-01-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

i have had so much to post throughout the month of december that i have just put it off. the kids have been out of school the whole month of december - which we ALL just LOVE! it has been a fun-filled month without much stress & primarily FUN on the agenda. we did so many things & had alot of good ole' family time eating, playing games, eating, watching movies, eating, reading stories, eating, did i say eating???? LOL i thought i better do a quick post to wrap up 2009 ...

the month started of, with keegan's baptism. it was a great day & we are so very proud of her. i did a slideshow of her from when she was born up until she turned 8 - it was so fun to do. i went through thousands of photos & reminisced - narrowed it down to 300 photos of her. we did not end up showing it so i guess i'll just have a head start on it for when she gets married (which will be in 30 years if her dad has anything to do with it!) here are some pics of keegan in her baptism dress doesn't she look like an angel?!

steve reading christmas stories to the kids. my sister-in-law gave us years ago a compilation of christmas stories to read - 1 a day for the month of december. we don't read 1 a day (life is just too crazy for that) but we do read them in clusters throughout the month.

we did candy jars for some of the manufacturer's offices that we work with & some of our most favorite neighbors. they were really fun to make & was unbelievable at how much candy we needed to fill al the jars. we had to make several candy runs as we needed more of this & that. but no worries, we still had enough candy left over so the entire dredge family stayed on a sugar high for at least a week.

we went to grandma & grandpa dredges on christmas eve & was glad to get some pictures of them with the kids. we don't see them very often, so when we do it is really nice!

the kids on christmas morning. crew is not pictured because he peacefully slept until 8 am christmas morning & the rest of us were up at 5am. we were all sad to not have crew during the christmas morning chaos but we sacrificed so he could get his beauty sleep - hahaha

christmas afternoon we all headed up to salt lake city mission - this is where they provided dinner for all the homeless in the salt lake area. they shuttled people in from many of the half-way houses & shelters. we had bought some hooded, zippered sweatshirts & took them down to give them to those in need. we were there for about 2 hours & what an eye opener it was. jake LOVED every minute of it. he talked to everyone & wished them a merry christmas as he gace away the sweatshirts. keegan was shy & scared - wondered why we had to give all 150 of the sweatshirts away ourselves (she wanted to just put them on a table & leave). brock was a litle freaked out (not sure if it was becausehe was so out of his element or if was the lack of sleep) but as long as he had a cookie in his hand he was ok. crew loved it! he loves people & action -there were plenty of both. steve & i were surprised a little at what a rough crowd it was & were very glad for the opportunity we had. obviously, no pictures from that event but we will always remember the experience as part of our christmas day.

i LOVE this ... a little background. i always send out a holiday greeting to my customers. i am very aware that not everyone celebrates christmas so i have always sent a message like the one above.

EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. i get emails from customers telling me they are offended because i do not beleive in christ, i have taken christ out of christmas, i am compromising "christmas", etc. it seriously, totally stresses me out. i always feel like i can't even do a little gesture with nothing but good intentions without someone being offended. i wanted to send this
BUT.
did not have the nerve to send it - maybe next year - LOL!

Another holiday season is upon us. Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wish.
AND.
MERRY CHRISTMAS - i believe in JESUS CHRIST!

we did not do christmas cards this year for family & friends - we did thanksgiving cards. and i really liked having it crossed off my list before december. steve had to comment that it didn't matter WHEN i did something, it was always a day later than when i wanted it done. so true! the cards were mailed the day before thanksgiving - LOL! one of these days, i will just accept the fact that i thrive on the adrenaline of getting things done in the nick of time :)

we closed the year with festivities that included food, family & fun. my mom & sister & her little family came over for a fun night eating, playing games, eating, laughing, eating, visiting with family, & did i say eating?? speaking of eating, i am DONE. just the thought of eating makes me weazy - i am ready... more on that in my next 2010 post. we brought the new year in as a family (minus crew - he was getting more of that beauty sleep :) i got a really funny video of the kids celebrating with their sparkling cider but not sure how to put it here ... i'll work on it?! hoping that the blog isn't as neglected in 2010 as it has been these last several months.

anyway... goodbye 2009. you were fabulous. but we are going to move on to a even better 2010!

a true story worth reading

2009-12-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

so, it is soooooooo cold here in utah - this morning tempertures got down to 2 degrees. well, my little sister was heading out this morning. she has a 2 mo baby so she went out & warmed the car up. she started up the car & walked through the garage - with the large garage door opened & walked in the house to get her stuff (baby, diaper bag, etc). just after she closed the door (the door that goes into the house) she heard a weird noise - like maybe she forgot to put her emergency break on or something. she opened the door & she sees someone peeling out of the driveway IN HER CAR. just that fast! all i can think of is what if her little baby was in the car. i just can't get over how fortunate it was that her baby was still inside. i know i have MANY of times, put one baby in the car & come back in the house to get the other or my bag, water, bottle, something i forgot, etc. i just can't stop thinking about WHAT IF that baby was in the car - chances are the thief did not inspect the inside of the car before they stole it because it was SO fast. so, what would they of done once they realized they had not only stolen a car but a baby too. most likely, they would of abandoned the car. what would of happened to the baby in these freezing temperatures?? just gives me the chills to think at how blessed we are ... even though it sucks they will probably have to get a new car. police say that if it isn't found within 24 hours it is likely that it won't be found. the police also have said that this is happening ALOT! doesn't matter where you live (this happened in a gated community). also, in the car was the house key, the other car's key, the garage door opener - not to mention the christmas presents in the trunk. so just a reminder: PLEASE, don't leave your car running & do NOT put your kids in the car until you are ready to leave. SO SCARY!!!

here is a picture of sommers sweet baby on thanksgiving. she has NO IDEA of how blessed she is.

thankful

2009-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

this time of year is such a reminder to me all that i have been blessed with. i am so fortunate & thank my heavenly father everyday for the blessings he has granted upon me. however, it has weighed heavy on me this year how much i have to be grateful for. so, so much!!!

i started a gratitude book this year & had everyone in our family write 10 things they are thankful for. it was really neat to see some of the things on their list. of course we all had the common ones like family, food, gospel, friends, home, etc. the list were very interesting and the spelling & handwriting is priceless. i plan on continuing these list every year. it think it will be really neat to go back & review these list as it reflects the person they are at that time in each of their lives. i am thankful for so many things.

these are 5 of my biggest blessings & what i am most thankful for:

steve

i am always his first priority. he loves me despite my faults. he is a hard worker & willing to do whatever needs to be done. has a great sense of humor & laughs with me.

jake

such a great example to his siblings & always follows the rules. i love that he is all boy but also is OK with telling me he loves me & giving me a kiss in front of his friends.

jakes list:

1. nfl & all football

2. the gospel

3. jesus christ

4. god the lord

5. ac

6. food

7. house

8. health

9. mom & dad

10. friends & family

keegan

glad i have a girl to scrapbook, shop & do girl things with. she is a very good helper with the little boys. she is a leader. i love that she loves to organize the pantry, bathroom & drawers.

keegan's list:

1. family

2. parents

3. clothing

4. toothpaste

5. phone

6. lip gloss

7. money

8. gum

9. drugs (note: her medicine for her asthma)

10. shoes

( + 10 more - she couldn't stop at 10 so she had 20 things on her list)

brock

the life of the party & so full of life. so lovable, always hugging, giving kisses & holding my hand. i love that he always runs to me first thing for hugs & to tell me good morning.

brocks lists:

1. dinosaurs

2. mom

3. dad

4. chicken

5. spicy sprite

6. pickles

7. school

8. good monsters

9. coloring

10. abc's

crew

sweet, happy, mellow boy. i love that he sleeps 10 hours at night. i am so grateful he is healthy.

zoe

2009-09-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

we knew this day was coming & it did ... last night.

zoe died last night.

i just can't believe she is gone. we were all outside in the back yard - the wind was blowing & it was a beautiful night. i was taking some pictures, the boys were throwing the football, keegan on the trampoline & zoe. zoe running around with the kids being her normal full of life self. steve had stepped inside to take a call & i went in shortly after to check on some things with work. a few short minutes later, keegan comes in & says she thinks zoe is dead because she is just laying in the grass & not moving. we ran out there & sure enough, she was gone. she was just lying in the grass in her favorite spot - looked so relaxed & normal. steve checked her & could not get a pulse. i lost it. my little girl is gone - that fast. not a single indication - just gone!

steve & i took her to the vet - steve walks in & the gal at the vet saw steve & said OH NO, not ZOE! steve didn't have to say a word. the gals at the vet just LOVE zoe. in fact, when we kennel her they let her sit out front with them - she has always been everyone's favorite! the vet is almost sure that she had a heart attack. she was just in a month ago for a full check-up & he said, "this dog could not be any better health especially for her age". she had arithtis but other than that - perfect. zoe was perfect in every way.

we left her at the vet & came back home - we had NO idea what we wanted to do with her body. we had not ever really thought about it. steve would really like to bury her in the yard. however, we thought of so many issues with that: she is big, big dog, we would have to build a wood box for her, we would have to get equipment to dig deep in the yard, what about our sprinklers, pipes, do we have to get permit from the city, would animals try to get her, would she smell, when would we have time to do this, etc? we have 1 day until we leave to go to arizona. i think have decided to cremate her & have her ashes put in a urn. we don't know yet if we will bury that in the yard, or sprinkle the ashes in the yard or keegan wants us to put it on the shelf in the office with her picture. so, we're not sure yet what we will do with her ashes but we are thinking that is the direction we will go. we have to call first thing in the morning & let them know what we decided...

we wanted to bring the kids up so they could see zoe one last time. WOW - was that hard. steve & i tried to stay super strong for the kids & allow them to have closure but it was HARD. very hard. jake & keegan are very, very upset. brock is still too young. he kept saying zoe is night night. it was a rough, rough night for all of us but we got through it together.

i can't sleep. i can't stop crying. zoe was the first dog i ever knew. she was with us for almost 11 years. that is a long time. i can't imagine my day without her. she is the sweetest dog with all the spunk in the world. i am going to miss her terribly. my heart is aching. i feel so empty.

i am very grateful that she did not have any pain and that we never had to face making the decision to put her down. she literally was running around the yard & just went to her favorite spot in the grass & fell into deep sleep. i think she knew her time was short. i think she wanted to go with us with her. i think she wanted to play one last time. i think she wanted to lay in the grass with the wind blowing. i think she knew, i couldn't handle it any other way. thank you zoe!

i have so many pictures of zoe. she was our first child :)

here are pictures i took of her a couple weeks ago:

the only picture i have of her with all 4 kids. wish i had more ...

running around the yard with the kids - she hated my camera. she would never look at me when i have the camera.

this is the last picture of my sweetheart. this picture was taken of her tonight - minutes after she passed. she looks so peaceful. i'll always love you, zoe! thanks for all the wonderful memories!

crew's baby pictures

2009-05-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

jolley photography did his pics - they were so patient & great to work with. i will have to say that i was SO embarrassed - crew pooped on every prop they used! he seriously pooped 12x & they did not even act like it was a big deal. i thought they got some great shots. you can go to their blog & see more of the pics they are under the last blog post (newborn baby photographer, utah) ... go here

sleepless nights

2009-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

crew is still having a hard time sleeping more than 2 hours at a time at night. i feel like i am feeding him constantly but he only eats for a few minutes then falls asleep. the harder i try- it seems like the less he eats/sleeps. it has been a LONG week with steve being out of town. i have been taking him to the DR for weight checks because he is NOT gaining weight. i was referred to a specialist & we realized what the problem was - he is TONGUE TIED! meaning, the membrane that attached the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is very tight- it isn't allowing him to move his tongue up or out, which is necessary to eat. so, i took him in this morning & they clipped that membrane. so, things should get better soon - i hope. it is just a matter of him learning that he can move his tongue & that he needs to move it in order to eat. i can't believe how good he has been considering i have been starving him. i am feeling so bad that it has taken us 3 weeks to realize but glad we got it fixed. that explains my sore nipples- i didn't remember ever being this sore for this long. the specialist said the baby just chomps hoping to get a little milk from the run-off & that process is such trauma to the nipples. especially since i was feeding him every 1-2 hours ... hoping for more sleep SOON!

3 to 4

2009-05-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

still trying to adjust. the jump from 3 to 4 kids has been BIG for us! i really did not think it was going to be a big adjustment. steve thinks it is because he (we) are old ... i think it is that we are out numbered! it has been SO fun having a new baby in the house & it has changed our ways. everytime we all go somewhere- we have to add the 3rd seat in the sequoia. such a hassle! we have loaded the kids in the car several times to go to dinner & then decided take-out would be a better alternative. i think once crew gets a little older it will be better - i won't take him to the ballpark & don't really like running errands & kids to activities with him. too much gunk still in the air.
he is a good baby- very mellow & content. he had jaundice so we had to have him under the lights for a couple days & i was feeding him every 2-3 hours. i think he got in the habit of snacking because he wants to eat every 2 hours but not really getting a full feed in before he falls asleep. has not helped with us trying to get sleep at night when he is up & wants to eat every 2 hours. so, we are going to start to work on him going longer at least at night - even if it means middle of the night baths to really wake him up. the joys of getting a baby on a schedule ...
brock has been much better with him- he always want to "help baby crew" and actually he is alot of help! keegan is the "little mom" as we expected her to be. jake has surprised me, he is SO into him. it is good to see his sensitive side come out.
life is good - just trying to adjust. i got some pics so i will post them soon.

crew peyton dredge

2009-04-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

born april 15, 2009 12:50 am

7# 14 oz - 19.5 inches

absolutely perfect

i went to my dr appt & dr decided to go ahead & deliver so i headed over to labor & delivery. steve made arrangements for the other 3 kids & headed up. they struggled once again trying to get an IV started (blew more veins). slow getting started then progressed quickly. i had called for a redose on my epidural but it was too late as he was ready. all can i say is that i appreciate epidurals much more now after this last delivery! we were so anxious to make sure everything was ok with him - they were prepared to put him on oxygen but after delivery they checked him & he was 99%. the only thing they could find wrong with him is that he didn't cry (which really isn't a problem)- not at all! they gave him a few shots, sucked out his guke, did his footprints, bathed him & not a peep. he has such a mellow personality (i know he didn't get that from me :) he looks just like jake & brock when they were born except he has dark hair?!

the kids could hardly wait to come up to the hospital to see their new baby brother. brock was so excited - but has no idea what all this means. he was so proud to hold him even if it was only for a few seconds. keegan was little miss helper! jake was so sweet & concerned about me. it was fun to see the other kids so excited. i am feeling GREAT! my diabetes was gone immediately after delivery & crew's sugar levels were perfect as well. below are some pics from the hospital. i will post some better ones of crew in the next day or two. thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers & acts of kindness - all is appreciated!!!

easter

2009-04-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

this year we had several easter egg hunts & we could not decide which one to do SO we did 3. the kids LOVED it & it was super fun. we started out early & it was chilly - we did get rained on during the 2nd one. the last one was at noon & it had cleared up to be a nice day. the kids had a blast & it was fun to see so many people. at one of the hunts, they had tickets in plastic eggs & they gave away larger prizes. brock won a new big wheel- he was thrilled (but still liked his candy more?!) easter bunny found us again this year & left his usual goodies. sorry no pics of the kids in their new easter clothes- still too cold here. we had a nice day at church today then cooked a yummy dinner & had family over then played games. we had a great easter but now i am ready to relax some!!

another baby update

2009-04-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

long story short - no baby yet but everything is OK.....

so , i went to my dr appt at 9am & had my routine testing done - dr sent me over to labor & delivery. apparently on the non stress test in the office, it showed consistent contractions & the baby was not reacting very well. dr wanted to deliver BUT his lungs are still not mature - so weird. they know that gestational diabetes slows down the development of the lungs but this is getting ridiculous. questioning my actual due date? but baby is measuring right on with the due date so not sure?! anyways, once they realized his lungs were not mature - they did not want to deliver. i am glad - better safe than sorry! there is the option of giving me steroids & they would mature his lungs BUT dr doesn't like to intervene with steriods on diabetics unless there is no other option. so, i spent 9 HOURS in labor & delivery then they were comfortable sending me home. my contractions were regular & baby was not reacting well but finally felt like he was doing well. it was a long day & not knowing what was happening was the worst part. i am retaining ALOT of water- in fact, when they went to put a IV in, they couldn't- i guess so much fluid between my skin & veins. 4 different people tried & they blew 5 veins (my hands/arms look horrible today). so, YES i am ready to have this little guy but at the same time i want to make sure he is perfectly healthy. not sure WHEN at his point, they will just continue to keep a close eye on me/baby. we have kinda a crazy easter weekend ahead of us but plan to rest as much as possible as it seems to help with the contractions. so, that's the scoop... hope the next update is one with pictures of this little guy with nothing but good news.

mixed feelings

2009-04-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

i am having some mixed feelings about this baby...

i am VERY excited to be having another baby boy join our family but at the same time i am feeling a little, ok ALOT of guilt.

guilty in the sense that i am not sure i could love this baby as much as i love my "baby" brock.

and.

gulity in the sense that i will be unable to show brock the attention he has always gotten from me. i will truly miss not being able to spend so much time with him.

with the kids back in school & us not traveling much these past 5 months, i have been able to spend alot of time with just brock. i can't explain what a amazing boy he is & how much i love him. don't get me wrong - i LOVE my older 2 kids just as much as brock but it is different as they are older. i think having jake & keegan a year apart was so overwhelming for me - i was starting a business & steve was traveling 20 days out of the month. by the time brock joined our family - our situation was MUCH different. i have enjoyed every second with him & simply can't get enough of him. he rules our house & everyone is OK with that. so, what's gonna happen when this new baby boy arrives- how is he going to change our family? how will brock handle it? how will mom handle it? i am a little concerned ...

i know everything will work out & be OK - just feeling guilty & worried but also very excited!

april fools day

2009-04-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

look what i woke up to this morning .... yes, it is april but SNOW like this is suppose to happen in december NOT april. not only did i wake up to several inches of snow but i woke up to my house being up for sale. not only did the prankster put this sign in my yard but also OPEN HOUSE signs in the neighborhood. So, i have been handling phone calls all morning from neighbors. i am so glad the phone number on the sign is NOT my number & also so very glad that the open house sign does not have a day/time! gotta love aprils fool!

baby update

2009-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

so, here is the update on the little dredge... his lungs are not fully developed yet, he is doing well & they estimate that is over 7#. one of the pics they took of this ultrasound - his hair was sticking straight up all over - shocker! a definite sign of a dredge boy! they got a good close up of his face & he has chubby cheeks -none of my kids have had chubby cheeks when they were born. hopefully, they are chubby & not just that his face was all smushed up.

i am doing better- they added another insulin to my routine of shots about 2 weeks ago & it has done a good job of keeping my resting glucose levels where they need to be. i am retaining alot of water (shocker) & the dr has decided NOT to weigh me anymore (as i have gained 10# a week for the past 3 weeks - SUCK!). my belly is HUGE but i am NOT ready to have this baby YET! i have a lot going on with the business right now & need some time to wrap things up.

my actual due date is 4/18 but the dr will induce me before because of my gestational diabetes. dr wanted to schedule me for monday 30th but i have asked if i can hold out until monday 6th. weird for someone to ask not to be induced early ... let me explain: steve goes to st.louis for a show on the 1st. i would literally be dropped off from the hopstial at home & then he would head out of town - leaving me with 4 kids at home all day for 4 days - YIKES. the kids are off track so i know they would help me but i am thinking 4 days of all being at home doesn't sound like something i am ready for after just having a baby & without steve's help.

*EDIT: so, my dr reviewed my situation with the specialist i have been seeing & he suggested since things were looking so good with me & baby that there is no reason to schedule induction at this time - YEAH!! they will just keep close tabs on me & see how it goes. i am determined to be on my best behavior :)

if i had $100

2009-03-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

for an assignment at school, jake had to write what he would do if he had $100. i thought it was so sweet. even though jake is all boy, he has a sensitive side to him which i LOVE.

happy valentines day!

2009-02-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

i know, it has been FOREVER since i have blogged ... been very busy with alot going on. i will blog more in the next couple days. But, i wanted to wish everyone a very HAPPY DAY!

things i love

2009-02-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

i designed a things i love mini album & thought i'd do it for steve for v-day. i am pretty good about giving him a scrapbook project for father's day, christmas, v-day, etc. i know he likes them but i like it more when i can get 2 things crossed off my list of todo's :) this album is one of our Kit of the Month projects for February. this album was so much fun - i want to do a things i love about myself & put random things i like in it. i also want to do one on the kids as i know the things they love today will be totally different as they get older.

hawaii

2009-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

after spending a day in the freezing snow & a night out last saturday, i came home & at midnight got online just surfing the internet. i was in need of WARM weather. the only place that had warm weather & we did not need passports was HAWAII. so i look at options to see if we could squeeze in a trip before the kids went back to school. by this time it was 2am & steve was snoozing - i asked him if we should take the kids to hawaii. he mumbled, that's fine. i explained that we would have to leave in 3 days & we could stay for a week. he said, sounds good. so i booked it. then, i scurred around for the next couple days to get things ready here so we could leave for a week then was busy getting new swimsuits & summer clothes & haircuts, etc. the kids were super about helping get everything done so we could go on such short notice.

we were all excited & started our journey. it was a different hawaii vacation - not the relaxing vacation you would expect but we had a BLAST! there was not to much relaxing with 3 kids in tow but we did alot of activites with the kids. the kids loved everything about hawaii. they did not want to come home: jake asked if we could miss our flight so we could stay longer & keegan asked me why i didn't buy a one-way ticket (i was kinda thinking the same thing). brock this morning asked if we could go to the beach when i said NO he asked about the pool when i said NO he then asked about the ocean... he LOVED the beach (the other kids did too but he was cuter about it). he had his sand shovels & bucket & in the pic below you will notice that he is ANAL - he would line up his shovels then using his hand fill the shovels up with sand then take the shovels one by one & dump them into the bucket. this is how he filled the bucket to make a sandcastle. he had a ball!

we would go to dinner downtown waikki & then walk the strip. the kids LOVED all the people on the streets (painters, breakdancers, mimes, magicans, hula girls, even elmo) . keegan asked every night if we could go to the "activites" on the streets & wondered why we didn't have activites like that in utah. needless to say, we spent many dollars on these "activites" that fully entertained the kids.

i must admit that i did not take very many pics AT ALL. to be quite honest, i just did not want to hassle with it. i was just more into enjoying the moment rather than trying to capture everything on camera. now that i am home, i do regret it BUT there will always be a next time.

i knew there were lots of things that i'd like to do with the kids in hawaii that we would not be able to do on this trip because of my current condition (surf the big waves on north shore, hike sacred falls, diamond head, etc.) but i was OK with that - i just really wanted some SUN & thought with the kids out of school WHY NOT. It isn't like you can only go on a family vacation to hawaii one time - so i am sure in the future (when the kids are older & i am not prego) we will go again & can do the things we did not do this trip.

i did not feel so pregnant until this trip. it wasn't until i held brock on the plane to get him to sleep & it was then that it hit me how hard it was holding him in my lap with my big belly in such a small space for such a long time. then, when i put on a swimsuit i realized that i am HUGE. then when i was snorkling with jake- we were far out & had to come in, i had to pull him back to the shore, i then realized that i was 7+ months prego & that was a little more than what i bargained for. several times on the trip, i thought ... am i crazy for doing this in my current condition? sometimes i just forget that my body is not the same when i am pregnant.

schedule change

2009-01-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

the kids have been out of school for 3 weeks & will be out until the end of january (YEAH!). with that, we decided it would be best to adjust sleeping schedules to staying up later & sleeping in. it was an easy adjustment for the older kids & brock after a couple days followed suite. BUT zoe (our spoiled rotten dog) still has not adjusted. it is not right that SHE is the one waking us up in the mornings because she wants to eat. it is ridiculous that i have to get out of my warm bed & care for her when my other 3 kids are sound asleep. good thing i love her as much as i do or she would starve.

insulin baby

2009-01-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

i was hoping to avoid this ordeal with this pregnancy but no such luck. went to the DR & was already spilling glucose. i guess once you have gestational diabetes once you are likely to have it again & it tends to come on sooner & worse. after 3 days of trying to baseline my glucose levels - i think we have it under control. i am on insulin shots & testing my levels 5-7 times a day. all i can think about is how awful this is & how lucky i am to ONLY have to deal with it while pregnant. i feel for those who have diabetes & have to deal with it ALL the time. it is horrible. so, just something i am going to have to monitor carefully until this baby is born. anyways, baby looks great so that is al that matters. brock was an insulin baby & look how perfect he turned out!

the other thing that makes this bad is that it effects my due date. for some, that is no big deal but for me - this baby in on MY schedule for a specific DATE & that will be changed. i won't know until it gets closer (DR says anywhere between 1-6 weeks early). i have commitments & travel plans that can NOT be changed. i sure hope that steve is in town when i have this baby. not sure i can wait on him again (i went into labor with keegan 3 weeks early & steve was in new zealand. he got on a flight & made it to the hospital & within 5 minutes keegan was born. i insisted on waiting for him but it was VERY stressful for me, him & baby keegan).

buSy!

2009-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

kids still out of school + trying to get things done = bUsY!

i can't believe it is friday - i had so many things to get done this week that today i started the day in panic-mode because i hadn't gotten much done all week. then, some friends called & we decided to bundle the kids up & go over to their "farm" to go sledding (behind 4wheelers- the best way to sled :). we had a super fun day. jake & keegan LOVED being pulled really fast. sam got the tractor out & made snow jumps. brock did not love the sledding after a few minutes but liked riding in the tractor & as long as he had hot chocolate in his cup & a cookie in his hand he was very happy! (note the pic below when he fell & was so upset he dropped his cookie in the snow)

so... another day that things won't get done but sure was a FUN. here's a quote i like:

"god put me on earth to accomplish a certain amount of things- right now the list is so long that there is no way i could possibly die!"

5

2009-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

just finished a book & recommend it to EVERYONE! it is by compendium & titled 5. you can see it here

it is not just a book of quotes/inspriational thoughts but a thought provoking book - not a here's HOW & WHAT to do book but a WHY NOT book. basically it is: what do you want to do with the next 5 years of your life? here is a little exert from the intro: “…This is your life, your one-and-only-life, and you don’t want to miss any part of it. So, what is it going to be? you decide. Starting today, you can make the next five years the most exciting, satisfying, productive and amazing year of your life so far- or just another five years”. one could read it in about a hour or two BUT i have read & reread over it several times & pondering it these last couple of weeks. it is in workbook style so you write in it (but i haven't dared write in it yet ... step 2) HA!

hello 2009

2009-01-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

christmas has come & gone & so has another year! i am having a hard time closing out 2008 - it was such a great year! as i reflect back on 2008, i just am happy with where i am & all those positive memories. when i contemplated my "goals" i had set for 2008- it was humbling to me that there were many things i had planned & set out to accomplish that i did no get around to doing. i had high expectations & hefty improvements i wanted to make in some areas. YES, i wish those things were done BUT i can't say i am disappointed as i had a great year & today is a new day. there is so much we desire in life & only so much time we have in a day that i think it is easy to become a slave to ourselves & not enjoy the process. i will try harder to turn some of my desires into reality in 2009 but more than anything i want to truly enjoy the process. let's all make 2009 the BEST!

merry christmas!

2008-12-23T22:10:00.001-08:00

brock just turned 2 & all boy he is! brock has recently transitioned from a total mama's boy to a daddy's boy. it doesn't take these kids long to realize dad doesn't have as many rules as mom! brock is full of personality & loves attention (& he gets a lot!) he loves everybody, anywhere, anytime!

keegan is 7 going on 17! she is the perfect student & loves school. she is the best big sister to brock. she loves dance, gymnastics, & scrapbooking. she is very independent with a mind of her own (remind you of someone else?) we had a scare with itp this year but it is h=behind us & she is back to perfect health.

jake turned 8 this year & was baptized. jake puts up with school because he has to. he loves all sports (soccer, football, basketball, golf & baseball). he also loves scouts (& we know he did not get that from his dad). jake is very obedient & tries hard to always make good choices.

steve & shelby just celebrated their 10th anniversary. we are so lucky for all the time we are able to spend together. embellish IT! is keeping us very busy but no complaints. we still travel a lot. we are excited about an addition to our travel team, due in april :)

as we reflect on 2008, we are so grateful for our savior, family & friends. we wish you all a merry christmas! we would love to hear from you & hope to see you too!

las vegas

2008-12-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

las vegas was fabulous! we got there & settled into our suite when vegas was hit with a snow storm - which in itself was no ordinary event. everyone was saying they hadn't had snow since the early 80's (not sure if that meant no snow at all or just not as much?)

anyways, the whole trip was planned around... take a breath, this will shock you ... BARRY MANILOW. for those that don't know this about me, i LOVE barry manilow. the last 3-4 times we've been to vegas, i've wanted to see him perform & he has either been sold out or not performing while we are there. i accepted the fact that there is no way i'd ever see him unless i went by myself since steve is NOT a fan of barry manilow. sad but true. so, steve totally suprised me & got us tickets to see him. he was awesome!!! during the concert, i leaned over a few times & asked steve if he turned to like him yet - all he'd say is "it's not too bad". they were having a barry manilow national fan club convention while we were there so you could imagine how crazy it was.

we also saw david copperfield. we were on the front row & i didn't take my eyes off him. he puts on a great show but i don't get it. he literally had a real car appear on stage out of nowhere. seriously, i am still in awe over the show - i just don't understand how he does what he does. simply amazing!

thursday we went to the price is right show (my favorite game show of all time :) it was SO fun! steve got called up & got to spin the wheel. the lady ahead of him spun .95, then he spun the 1.00. i jumped up & seriously about peed my pants. so, he got a bonus spin & he spun .15 so he got an extra $500 on top of the $350. they called a couple more contestants up then they called ME up. i was shocked because they only call about 12 people up for the whole show - what are the odds out of 600 people that steve & i BOTH get called up. well, i had to bid on a wine cellar- that in itself was a joke since i don't drink wine BUT i got the bid within $5 so I got to go on stage & play PLINKO. the host was totally razzing me & having fun with me. i'd have to say it made the show quite entertaining at my expense ... he asked where i was from & why i came to vegas. i kept saying 10th but couldn't think of "anniversary". when i finally got it out, he said YOUR anniversary, like i wasn't old enough. he put togther that the steve in shorts that spun the wheel & i were married. he asked me what makes a happy, long marriage - without thinking i said GREAT SEX. than you can only imagine how that opened the doors about being prego with our 4th, etc. he kept saying i needed to be careful jumping around & being pregnant & it was only a game - i told him i'd done much worse for $ while i was pregnant. it was hilarious. well, i had 4 products i had to price to get the plinko chips - i did not get ANY. they were the weirdest items & the prices were so out there too. so, he gave me one chip & i went up & dropped it into the $500 slot. so, all said & done - steve & i left there with $1400 cash. great little bonus to our trip!

everything was perfect until we were at the airport to come home. the slc airport was closed & they were not letting any flights into slc. we finally got out & home but it was a process. i was happy that we got home in time for our christmas party (we had at our house so it would of been really bad if we didn't make it back).

10 years

2008-12-13T09:24:00.000-08:00

steve & i just celebrated our 10 year anniversary!

steve has planned a trip for us - i have no idea where or any details. he has just informed me to ready w/bags packed wed. morning. pretty exciting (& kinda scary) since i am the one who always makes the travel plans.

facebook

2008-12-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

for those of you that are a little behind the times like i was you may be interested in looking into facebook.com
it is really cool - you can find & reconnect with people. it does have some security, you have to invite them to be your friend & they have to accept BEFORE you can view their profile/photos/etc. i guess it is a pretty good feature but some people i want to see but i don't want them to know i want to see them (ex: ex boyfriends, husbands ex-girlfriend, etc). HA!

steve left town on a guy trip sat. morning, i logged into facebook after i put the kids to bed sat. night & it has consumed my last couple of days (not that i wasn't busy enough with 3 kids) but when the kids go to bed at 8:30 & sleep 11 hours... i don't need sleep, much less 11 hours. i moved to hawaii soon after high school graduation & have not been back to tennessee much since. then, when i was in hawaii, i met SO many people from all over the world & have not kept in touch with too many of them either. it has been fun to reconnect with people from 15-20 years ago.

Observation:
it is amazing to me how most people look the same & haven't changed much, even after 15-20 years. some are doing the same thing they were doing 20 years ago. i guess that just shows you that MOST people develop their values, characteristics, goals, personalities, etc. at a young age. Yes, we mature & grow up over the years but those child/teenage years are VITAL!
with all that being said, i try so hard to teach my kids life lessons & i expect the very best - in that sense i am a strict parent. i feel like my kids are knowledgeable & aware of things that are beyond their years. they ask & i explain- no matter what. at times, i think that i should not discuss such topics with 7&8 year old kids but then again I ask WHY NOT?! they have to learn sometime. i always want my kids to know they can talk to me & ask me anything and i will tell them the truth. so, what happens when they ask if santa is real? HA! i think as parents we always question how we raise & teach our kids - they are ultimately our responsibility. i try to balance my high expectations of my kids with a lot of fun! i think having fun & being a kid with the kids is so important too (plus it is a great stress reliever). i was taught work hard & play hard - i try to implement work hard & play HARDER! anyways, just my profound thought of the day. their are so many different parenting styles out there - what kind of parent are you??

steve is getting home soon from his trip to texas & i am excited to see him. it has been a good trip for him but we sure have missed him. it has been a long trip for him too. when we travel for work, we are so busy that we really don't have time to think & miss the kids too much. the time just flies. when it is a leisure trip, i think you have more time & realize how hard it is being away.

2008-11-27T19:25:00.000-08:00

let me explain

2008-11-27T19:24:00.000-08:00

i guess i have some explaining to do...
here are the details...

due date april 16th - so i am 20 weeks

the baby looks healthy - whew!

we are having another brock, i mean BOY! (we hope he is as perfect as brock :)

i wanted to wait until christmas to tell but was afraid i would be showing

yes, i have been sick but not as bad as i was with brock - thank goodness!

we just really felt like brock needed a friend

the kids are beyond thrilled. had to convince keegan that being the ONLY girl would have GREAT benefits (she really would of liked a sister but is over it already & we are not sure we could of handled another girl :)

reason for waiting SO long to tell: 2 reasons really.
first, since i was SO sick with brock, i thought it would make it easier on me if nobody knew. i could almost forget about it?! it is hard when you feel horrible & everyone is continually asking how you are doing. so, i thought if nobody knew- nobody would ask & hopefully i could almost forget i was pregnant & sick (i never could forget about it as throwing up is a great reminder - HA!)
second, we had a scare with brock that he was down syndrome. i knew my age was not in my favor with this one & i was at increased risk for a down syndrome baby- i wanted to get the test results back that everything was normal before telling anyone. not that it would of made a difference IF it came back that this baby was down syndrome, i would of just wanted to know first.

so, we are excited & know for sure this is the LAST one!!!

confession

2008-11-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

i have a confession to make that is quite embarrasing but i have made great progress in the last couple days. Steve & I have had ipods for a LONG time but still in the packaging. We have purchased itunes gift cards that have sat in a drawer for over a year. We both have iphones which neither one have ONE song on them. it isn't that we don't like music, it just has not been a priority. there have been many times that i would of loved an ipod loaded with music but it isn't one of those things that i have to have by a certain date so it hasn't happened. in fact, i made a deal with steve over the summer that if he loaded my ipod with some good work out music then i would start running with him. (those who know me know that is huge for me - btw, that deal is NOT still on - it expired when it turned chilly outside :)
anyways, our friends sam & lori came over friday night & after dinner, i asked sam if he could show me how to upload new pics to my iphone (the guy at the apple store helped me load some when i first got my iphone but that has been over a year ago). sam about died when he realized i did not have a itunes account nor had i ever updated my iphone much less not have any tunes. after a couple hours of getting everything updated & set-up the FUN began (THANKS SAM!!). i started downloading games, songs, movies, etc. it is so easy. i have spent the most part of my weekend playing games, buying songs, editing pictures & just going down memory lane. let's just say that i have burned through the $50 gift cards that we had bought & it didn't take too long - HA! my iphone is chuck full of stuff now & i still haven't even used 25% of my capacity. i am just giddy thinking how it will not only entertain me at the airport, doctors office, etc. but also my kids - especially brock. he loves my phone (calculator, pictures, notepad) & thinks it is his. i know he is going to freak once he finds all the new stuff on it now.
anyways, i am EXCITED!! it is one of those things that i knew everyone was into & just loved but did not know what i was missing until now. this is just one of the things on my list to get done - i just didn't realize how fun it was going to be & how much time i would spend on it.

your list?

2008-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

what is on your list of things you need/want to get done before christmas? i have had a list going in the back of my mind for a while but had not written it down until TODAY. Wow - it is a LONG list - but it always is.
However, i am REALLY going to TRY to get everything done BEFORE the 10th this year, ok maybe the 13th. that is huge for me as i am the one usually addressing christmas cards on the 23rd & having to express gifts that need to be mailed. i just don't want to be scrambling around & stressed at the last minute this year. that is MY GOAL. i want to relax & truly enjoy the season WITHOUT any distractions this year. i will report & let you know my progress.

100 days

2008-11-19T11:29:00.001-08:00

i know it has been a bit since i have blogged but i have been a little focused on wrapping up 2008 - yes, already! can you beleive it?? i just got home from my last event of the year. so happy to be home for 100 days but also sad to not teach/see so many friends for so long. it is always a much needed break & my kids look forward to the 100 DAYS (i am not actually sure how many days until i travel again but it is around 100). My kids always count down the shows the last couple months until our 100 DAYS. it is exciting for us ALL to be home & together for 100 DAYS - catch up time & LOTS of FUN!!!

we started off the 100 days by going to see the play Peter Pan. it was great. jake & keegan were glued to the performance & brock was very good (considering it was over 3 hours). we have a new theatre company close by & are looking forward to seeing many more productions - they did a great job. jake has asked if he can audition for their next production, aristocrats. i will have to find out the time involced as he is already involved in so much.

does it get any cuter than this?

2008-11-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

i saw this little guy & i want one! not sure how zoe would get along with a deer... i have always wanted a cute little money but then they get big & aren't so cute anymore. i guess the same would go for this darling deer. it looks like it will have to be one of santa'a new reindeer when it grows up. Read more here.

God Bless America PLEASE!?

2008-11-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

i hope everyone takes the time today to vote (if you hadn't participated in early voting). All I can say is GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

happy halloween!

2008-11-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

hope everyone had a fun & safe halloween!
halloween is such a fun time. it is by far my mom's favorite holiday (NOT!!) & i think it has just rubbed off on us. Actually, my kids love halloween just as much if not better than christmas?! brock was elmo even though by the time it was halloween, he really wanted to be cookie monster. keegan was the cutest vampire. not sure who jake was - he just wanted that cool mask & weapon.
we start trick-or-treating with this group & it gets smaller as the night progresses.

brock wanted to eat the candy from one house before going to the next house - as you could imagine that did not work too well. after about 20 houses, we put him in the stoller & it was much easier to have he hop out once we got to the porch. keegan, brock & i came home after about 1 hour & handed out candy. (we had left a bowl of candy on the porch & it had gotten dumped TWICE in that hour). in years past, the night ends up with steve, jake & madison being the last ones on the streets. here are some pics of our gang just before heading out for the night:

halloween party

2008-11-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

we always host a halloween party for the kids & it is one of their most favorite things we do. this year was no exception. we had a houseful of kids, played lots of fun games, had yummy treats & made a HUGE mess! it just doesn't get much better than that.

another halloween party

2008-11-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

this one was for the adults. we had a blast. another yearly tradition, just started. steve was gladiator & i was his roman beauty :)
super fun night!

happy birthday brock!

2008-10-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

my baby is 2 - no longer a baby but a extremely active boy with more personality than anyone can imagine! brock doesn't really know it is his birthday but just excited about the fact that he can now officially have sugar (& he has had a overload of it today already). we thought about what to do today for brocks birthday & thought that everyday is like it is his birthday - our lives all revolve around brock :) brock always gets "special" attention all day long & always does whatever he wants.
so, happy birthday brock!

happy birthday keegan!

2008-10-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

keegan turns 7 today & i swear she is turning 17!
we let the kids plan their day from the minute they wake up until we fall asleep.

here is keegans' day:
sleep in (that's my girl)
big breakfast including sausage, fruit, pancakes & oj
go to target & shop the dollar section :)
go shopping for new clothes
play games as a family
hip hop dance
go to sweet & sassy & get a makeover
eat at texas roadhouse
open presents
have mint brownies
watch movie & have a late night

what a great day!
she was so full of herself & loving every second of it.
happy birthday keegan!

nothing

2008-10-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

i am really excited about tomorrow. i have a full day planned of NOTHING. i am not sure what i will do but i do know that nothing is planned & i am positive it will not be productive. i really hope to stay in bed until i am too hungry to lay there anymore (i use to say, "sleep until noon" but there is no way - i wake up early no matter what & i need food before noon). i have a fridge full of food ready to eat, no errands that must be done, clean sheets on the bed, kids are out of school, no work deadlines, no commitments whatsoever. i am not sure about others, but days like this are VERY rare in my life! so, i am going to embrace it & enjoy every minute of it. it will probably be a pj day for sure. keegan's been wanting me to watch a chic flick with her, jake wants to play monopoly, i have a stack of magazines to catch up on, we also have CSI's recorded - not sure what i will end up doing & i am 100% ok with that!

the surprise party

2008-10-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

we finally were able to celebrate steve's birthday. i had wanted to give steve a surprise party for his 40th & as it got closer i had the hardest time scheduling it. we ended up taking a last minute family trip, then he has his golf trip then we worked the following 2 weeks. in my head, i had changed the date 3x due to our schedule & others. i ended up having to do it after his b-day (which by the way, i looked like the loser wife that blew off the big day by saying, we'll celebrate it later). so, i planned it for wed.15th thinking it would be a great day since school is out thursday & friday - it was kinda a weekend w/o being a weekend. i did not realize that it was the big hunt weekend & how many people were going to be out of town. i think i picked the worst possible date (sorry to those of you that were out of town).

anyways, it was great! steve had NO clue whatsoever. we were a little slow in making it back home (i know, super shocking). me & the kids came in first - that is when i told the kids that it was a surprise party for dad - there is no way i could of told them before & expect them to keep a secret. then after what seemed like forever, steve came in. he was shocked!! it was fun. we roasted steve & it was hilarious - thanks to everyone!

tarren (a friend of mine that does weddings/corporate events) came in & decorate & did everything - she did a fabulous job! i could not of pulled it off without her. although, i must admit - it is a bit awkward knowing that you have a houseful of guests in your house & you have no control over what they are doing, seeing, or what you might have out that you should of put away- ha! it was a fun night! thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us.

happy birthday steve!

forgot to take a group shot - duh. but got lots of good pics...

body worlds

2008-10-16T05:14:00.000-07:00

we went to this exhibit hosted by the leonardo - it is here in slc for a few months. it is all real human specimens & quite a profound experience. it was very staggering to see how complex our bodies truly are. you could visually see firsthand the network of muscles, blood vessels, bones, organs, etc. it is one of those things that if given an opportunity you need to just go. steve & i decided it would be an good educational experience for jake & keegan. it was very graphic - but the kids LOVED it. i can understand how some parents do not feel like it is appropriate for children but i am glad we took the kids. it definitely promotes learning & wonder - left them with a thirst to learn more. we each had a audio tour - the kids version is shorter & more basic then the adult version. we listened to less than 1/2 - if i had gone by myself & could of focused on the audio is would of been worth it but since the kids had so many questions it was more of a waste than useful. they said it would take about a hour to go through - we were there 2.5 hours.

* it was so funny, the first exhibit we saw keegan said, "oooh, mom I see, i can see mom, i can see that this one is a boy". i bit my lip trying not to bust! and just replied, "yes, it is very obvious isn't it".

happy 40th birthday, Steve!

2008-10-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

wow- 40 use to seem so old - now it just seems so ... good!
we were in Kansas City during Steve's big day.

40 things about steve:
(these are random = no particular order)

1. he is VERY patient
2. he laughs with me
3. he loves spending time with his kids
4. a very hard worker
5. he is sensitive (he doesn't necessarily want everyone to know this)
6. he makes sure the house is always safe & secure
7. he shops & even tries to find deals/sales
8. he doesn't care what is for dinner (or even if there is dinner)
9. he is strong
10. he honors the priesthood
11. he is competitive & loves to play games
12. he does laundry (yes, all of it :)
13. he is generous & charitable
14. he can change a dirty diaper without being asked to or complaining about it
15. he compliments me often
16. he knows every sport (& every stat/record & every player & every game)
17. he can deal with Keegan when i can't
18. he never asks about $ (what i buy, how much i spend, etc)
19. he is never stressed
20. he has the biggest conscious
21. he is athletic & stays active
22. he puts the toilet seat down when he is finished
23. he loves watching cartoons with the kids
24. he'll give me back massages w/o me begging
25. he makes sure the cars are always full of gas
26. he showers before getting into bed
27. he always takes time to talk/listen
28. he is caring
29. he'll watch the same CSI episdoe several times w/me
30. he loves eating frozen cookie dough & ice cream in bed late at night
31. he always scoops/bags zoe's poop when we go on walks
32. he communicates with me first before making any plans
33. he is the best example of the perfect dad to our boys
34. he drives the speed limit
35. he shovels the sidewalk/driveway first thing in the morning
36. he always makes me his top priority
37. he gets out of bed to fart & always laughs afterwards
38. he makes sure the kids are always respectful
39. he has a very DRY sense of humor
40. he is so supportive in everything i do

Happy Birthday Babe! I couldn't ask for anything more!!!

ty detmer charity dinner

2008-09-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

steve & i were invited to sundance for a ty detmer charity dinner. it was beautiful & held here:

after socializing a bit & a delicious dinner - there was a live auction. can i just tell you how fascinated i am at auctions. the excitement is right up my alley. i don't know how the auctioneer can talk so fast & see everyone at once - simply amazing! well, i ended up bidding on a gun safe??? from when i started bidding on it there were 5 of us then just 2 of us back & forth. i ran the bid up $1000 & finally decided to let it go. after it sold to the other bidder for $3200 they right then offered another one to me for my last bid of $3100 so I took it. talk about being put on the spot. i think the bidder got a kick out of me & since i was the ONLY female all night that bid - he was having fun with it. this is my new purchase:

now what?

steve humored everyone by telling them the only gun we own is a 38 special that my grandmother gave me years ago. (She decided the gun probably did her no good being carried around in her purse since she knew she couldn't pull the trigger due to her arthritis). i have no intentions in collecting guns - just thought it would be good to have to store important documents & files. we have safe security box at the bank & it would be more convenient to have those things here.

i got it for a good deal too - apparently, the safe i got is about a $5000 safe. plus, it is a tax write-off & the money went to charity ... it doesn't get much better than that.

anybody know of any other auctions i can be entertained with? never know what i might bid on.

fall family pictures

2008-09-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

ok - so i decided a couple months ago that i wanted to get some FALL family pictures this year. we always get summer pictures (vacations & such) & we typically get christmas pictures but never have done any in the fall. so, i scheduled it for saturday. well, the weather in utah has been goregous. it has been in the low 80's & sunny - just beautiful. when i talked to the photographer earlier in the week they said that the leaves were all still green & not "fallish". i was a little disappointed & looked at rescheduling but realized they were either booked or we were out of town - the soonest we could reschedule would be end of october - which very well could be snow/winter here in utah.

so, i had to bribe steve & the kids for cooperation :) about 1 hour before our appointment the photographer called us & said that she was on site & it was SO windy. she said we could still do it but that we had the option to reschedule. well, we were all showered & almost ready so we went ahead & went for it. we got there & it was very overcast (perfect for pics) but thundering. we took 1 picture & then jake informed us all that he felt a raindrop. in less than 5 minutes, it was pouring. we went under a tree & they tried to take another shot. after that, we all ran across the park for coverage under a gazebo. can you visualize us all running, me in heels w/brock (which he did not like his hair getting WET), steve w/zoe (the dog trying to chase the leaves) & the kids as if they were going to melt. we took a few shots there (yes, wet hair & all). then, we decided it wasn't going to clear up & call it a day. the kids were great. the dog couldn't of been been better. steve was putting up with it all even though i know he wished he was at home watching football. i just forgot to bribe the weatherman ... i'll know better next time.

they think they got a couple shots - i am anxious to see. i'll have to post them, i am sure they will be comical.

salt lake scrapbook show

2008-09-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to say that i am SO excited that i have a relaxing weekend at home this weekend. It is odd that we travel ALL over to do scrapbook conventions & the one that is literally 5 minutes from my house - i am not doing this year. no offense to utah scrappers- go & shop your heart out at the show BUT I am going to ENJOY every minute of my weekend at home & glad to be spending it with my family!
*note: the slc show is run totally different than any other scrapbook show! it is more like a garage sale atmosphere & we don't really have garage sale stuff.

cookies?

2008-09-17T02:45:00.000-07:00

the doorbell rang & our neighbor brought over a plate full of warm chocolate chip cookies. the kids came running in so excited. i told them as soon as the massive legoland they had been building was picked up then they could have some. they put the cookies on the counter & were working very hard to pick up. about 10 minutes later, i went to check on them & i about died. brock had gotten on top of the counter & had a cookie in each hand. I said "Brock", he said "cookie". He had eaten about 10 cookies... he had chocolate all over his face & a smile from ear to ear. one of those moments that i wished i snapped a pic but i was too occupied consoling the kids that 2 cookies each was enough.

jake's baptism day

2008-09-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

well, to make a long story short - jake wanted to be baptized on saturday, september 6th. he was very excited & i was scheduled to be out of town for a girls weekend. i attempted to talk him into doing it later but he wanted nothing to do with that. his best girl friend, madison, which lives next door was going to get baptized on the same day. so, i rescheduled my flight to come home a day early. my flight landed at 3:05 & i had to be at church by 4 (the airport is 30 minutes away) & had my mom pick me up curbside (thanks mom!). I left my luggage in pheonix (thanks corinne!) & changed into my dress in the airport. i made it - i even got to the church before steve & jake did. my sister (thanks somm!) came by the house & helped get brock ready & help with brock so steve could focus on jake w/o the distraction of brock. the baptism was great!! jake was so nervous but looked handsome as ever! afterwards, we all got together at katwyks (thanks ambra!) for some yummy food & good times. it was beautiful weather! we had so many people come & support us. jake was thrilled. we are so proud of jake & the decision he has made. we hope he will always remember what a special day it was & how he felt.

here are some pics of our special boy on his special day:

update

2008-09-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

i know it has been a while or at least it seems like it has been forever since i have blogged. labor day weekend was fun. we had planned on going to the lake for the long weekend but the weather did not cooperate. we spent the day on the lake saturday - beautiful 96 degrees then on sunday a storm blew in & tempertures dropped 35 degrees. a high on 61 on monday - yikes. that was a shock that i did not welcome.

then, steve's older brother, andrew & rebekah were married. it was fun to be with steve's family. most of his family are here in utah but we do not see them very often. it was a long day but a GREAT day! brock just loves wedding receptions (all the food, the music/dancing, the attention from every female....what's there not to like about them :)

the morning after the wedding, i was off to arizona for a ME weekend. it was 103 degrees when i landed - i was in heaven!!! the first thing i did was eat at abuelo's - love that place (in fact, i ate mexican 3x while i was there - love mexican food period). it was great to be with so many friends & have fun. the wild horse pass resort was awesome. i know steve would of loved to play the course there. creative escape was great!! if you have never been, i highly recommend it. it is well worth the money & time.

crop

2008-08-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

for those in the area that are interested...

Bingham High School Minerette's are hosting a fund raising scrapbook crop
Saturday, Septemeber 6th at Bingham High
(2200 w 10600 s in south jordan)
9am-2pm.

Tickets are $20
* page layout contest w/prizes awarded
* make & take projects
* LOTS of prizes given away during the crop
* everyone will receive a goodie bag

All proceeds will go to Bingham Minerette's drill team.
Email sandi@paperloft.com to purchase your tickets.

GO BINGHAM!!!

a day at the lake

2008-08-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

another thing that keeps me from getting the mother of the year award ... i took my kids out of school yesterday so we could spend the day in the sun on the lake. it was awesome! we had the lake to ourselves until late afternoon. the water was warm & not real smooth - perfect for wave runners & tubing! we are going to be out of town for jake's b-day so we celcebrated it yesterday. he wanted to spend the day on the lake then go to dinner at Tepanaki (japanese steakhouse where they cook in front of you). it was a great day!

i am off to tulsa this afternoon - looking forward to it. We have been gone most of august so we are looking forward to some time home :)

valley forge

2008-08-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

we had a GREAT weekend in valley forge last weekend - VERY tired but it was a really good show. we were delayed out of philadelphia, missed our connection in vegas & ended up staying there all night & getting home late the next day. my luggage got lost but finally got it back - happy about that even if my shampoo leaked over everything. home for a couple GOOD days. i am heading out the door now for CKU. Not a work related trip but a girls weekend. i am looking forward to relaxing! enjoy your weekend!

water slide

2008-07-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

remember the days of the good ole slip'n slide??
we got this waterslide for the kids for the summer- steve found it at costco & could not resist.

it is great as it only takes about 10 minutes to get it from the box to up & ready to play. the only bad thing is that it continually uses electricity & water (which we will find out real soon when our bill comes how bad that really is - HA!) anyways, we have had a blast with it this summer. brock at first just played in the pool at the bottom but it wasn't long until he was up & sliding down over & over & over again. the water guns on it are steve & jake's favorite.

click on this pic to see brocks face - the best expressions ever!

keegan's hair

2008-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

keegan has been begging me for a year now to let her get her hair cut super short. i LOVE her beautiful hair (including the curling it, putting it in updo's, braiding it). so i FINALLY gave in - i mean it is her hair after all & i did not want to be a controlling mother - HA! so, today was her appointment & she could not of been more excited.

as she was sitting in the chair after getting 12+ inches whacked, she had the biggest smile on her face & i had big tears in my eyes. Not just because her beautiful hair was gone but more because my little girl is growing up. it was time for me to let go & let her become who she is & do what she wants. it was hard but it is good. i have a feeling this is only the beginning ....

here are the before & after:

keegan's kindergarden teacher last year got cancer. her teacher would talk to keegan about her chemo & relate it to keegan's itp treatment - keegan was so proud to have a needlepoking buddy. keegan was the most upset about her teacher losing her hair. keegan wished she could do something for her. i thought it would be a good expereince for keegan to donate her hair to locks of love. She will be sending in her 2 ponytails of hair (which are 12" long ) so they can make a wig for a child with cancer.

orlando vacation

2008-07-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

we are home FINALLY! we had such a great time in orlando but we are ALL very happy to return home. steve & i need a vacation now - we did TONS of stuff & had a blast but are very tired. it rained everyday but not the sprinkle for a few minutes shower then the sun back out - it was thunderstorms EVERY day. we still rode roller coaters, saw shows at seaworld & even spent the day at the waterpark in the rain & it was all super fun!

rain or shine - there was fun to be had for all!

aquatica is a new waterpark by seaworld - it was a ton of fun!!!

this was part of the resort - fun area for the older ones

we wished more of this happened ...

we went to universal & islands of adventure

we went to arabian nights (dinner show with lots of horses)

brock just pointed & giggled during the shows at seaworld

jake fell & broke his front tooth & cut his lip hence the fat lip

feeding he dolphins - i just love dolphins!

things learned on this trip

1. don't fly with a child from 9-24 months & never, ever a 5 hr flight

2. make sure your camera battery is fully charged before leaving town

3. if you are given a pt cruiser as a rental - refuse it

4. never go to florida in july

5. don't even try to eat somewhat healthy

6. trip=with kids vs vacation= no kids

7. always get the express passes for the parks - so worth the extra money

8. rain in flordia does not make it cooler (it just increases the humidity from 100% to 200%)

9. always take more money than you think you will ever need

10. the questions WHEN, WHERE, WHY should be banned from vacations!!!

4th of july

2008-07-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

we are off to the parade in the morning. then we will have our annual party in the cud-de-sac ... good times to be had & lots of fireworks! hope everyone has a great & SAFE 4th!

good news

2008-07-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

keegan in april with her unexplained bruises

we just got a clean bill of health report for keegan! we are all thrilled. i still can hardly beleive it. i asked the nurse several times "are you sure?", "if her counts were going to come down they would for sure already be down", "has been long enough to know for sure it is gone", etc. then i asked the nurse to have the DR call me & i had to hear it from him (a couple times). i asked the DR what her odds were that she would have this reoccur - he said he was 99% confident it is all behind us. That's good enough for me!!!
keegan is so excited to not have to get her blood work done on a regular basis anymore. when we got the good news, she immediately asked if she would be skinny again tommorrow & be able to wear all her cute clothes. i had to be the bearer of bad news & let her know she would lose the weight quick but not that quick. she has already lost over 1/2 the the weight she gained from the steroids so i am sure it won't be too long until she loses the rest.
we appreciate for so many of you that have had keegan in your thoughts & prayers. we are so thankful for our family & friends & grateful this has turned out the way we all hoped!
well, we're off to jump on the trampoline to celebrate!

just got this pic taken - we are so happy!

summer days

2008-06-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

we have been enjoying the kids out of school. we have had great weather & have enjoyed all the late nights. now, if i could just somehow force my kids to sleep past 7am - life would be perfect! here are a few snapshots of some of the things we have done around here:

baseball & more baseball

feeding the ducks - brock just popped a squat & joined them

golfing with dad

keegan loves her scooter

jake has started skate boarding

sweet summer watermelon

relaxing at the pool

walking on the trail

swimming

jake & keegan just finished swim lessons yesterday. they are thrilled as they did not think they needed to take them this year as they "already knew how to swim". they did it for me. i can now be without a doubt comfortable with them swimming all summer without worrying! now, i only have ONE to worry about instead of three - much better!

NutriSystem ... What's that?

2008-06-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, so i have had a couple people who follow my blog ask me about NutriSystem. If you recall, i posted about starting it here. It was something that i started but ended quickly. Here is the scoop, it was a GREAT effort but I literally could not stomach the food. I know, I am the pickest eater - It isn't my fault I LOVE good food (or not so good-for-you food). The food was AWFUL - I held my nose & choked it down for a couple days. As I ate it, I kept saying - I wish I could just have some fresh vegetables instead of this disgusting soy wanna-be "roast" that had 400 calories & 12 fat grams & smelled like rotten milk. The packaging did not even fool a 6 year old. Keegan one night picked my dinner (chicken & noodles), as I ate it she said:

Keegan: Mom, why aren't you eating what I picked out for you.

Me: I AM.

Keegan: No, you aren't - it doesn't look like this as she held the box up.

She was right- my noodles weren't white, they were yellow-orange. The picture showed peas, onions, carrots - mine has no vegetables at all.

Not to discourage anyone from the program - but it was NOT to my liking. So, if you don't have tastebuds & can't smell then it would probably be a great program for you.

The good part about that experience is that it showed me that I have choices. I can eat healthy & it can taste decent. I just need to make it a higher priority & make better choices. I got a body bugg & LOVE IT!!! It makes you aware of your activity (or lack of) & calories consumed vs. calories burned.

go here for more on bodybugg
I assumed that if I worked a 12 hour day that I deserve to eat whatever I wanted because I worked hard all day. WRONG! I have lost 24 pounds. I know it is not a ton but I am happy about it. It hasn't been easy but it really hasn't been hard. It is just about making better food choices & looking for ways to have a more active lifestyle. If you want anything bad enough - you will make it happen. I just have 20 more to go!

worst feeling ever

2008-06-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

i had this experience last week & it truly was the worst feeling i have ever had in my entire life. it was awful. i can not explain how my entire world ended in matter of seconds. i have had nightmares 3 nights in the past week about this expereince & i just can't keep stop thinking about it. needless to say, brock is no longer sleeping with a blanket in his crib!

well, brock usually wakes up about 6ish & babbles/plays for a bit then goes back to sleep until the older kids are up around 7:30. this morning i heard him about 5ish as my body was still on eastern time. well, brock slept through the morning routine of the kids getting out the door for school. i did not think too much of it except that he was exhausted from the day before. steve headed out running some errands & i was busy in the house getting things cleaned & caught up. i had his breakfast ready for him anticpating him waking up any minute. well, i got busy & the next thing i know it is 9:45 & still have not heard a word out of brock. i freaked out. i ran into his room & opened the door (which nornally he jumps right up even if he is asleep). he did not move. i ran over to his crib & found a blanket tightly wrapped around his head - from the neck up. i seriously about fainted right then & there. right before my eyes, i saw my entire world gone. i grabbed the blanket off his head & heard him breathing. i still did not believe it so i picked up his hand & when he moved it back, i was so relieved. he still was asleep. i left the room to try to get myself put back together- having so many emotions & thoughts in such a short amount of time was purely exhausting. i am so grateful for my children & steve - honestly i do not know what i would ever do if anything were to happen to them. they are my life. my everything. i know i take things for granted & it is just little reminders like this that help me stay focused.
enjoy what you have as you may not always have them. make sure you let those people know in your lives how special they are to you. enjoy today as you don't know what tommorrow will bring.

10 years ago

2008-06-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

WOW! i was going through some OLD stuff & stumbled across a pic of Steve & I - 10 years ago! Ok, I know what everyone is thinking & that is OK ...

Steve hasn't changed a bit - he still wear those shorts

Shelby is tiny - see, i haven't always been fat!

This pic was taken in front of Elvis' house in Graceland, Tennessee. GOOD TIMES!

As I ponder the last 10 years, I can't believe all that has happened in our lives. It seems like forever but then again it seems like yesterday in so many ways. We are so blessed for everything we have. And most of all, I know I am the luckiest person to be married to Steve. I fall more in love with him every minute!!!

Thought, you'd like this BLAST FROM THE PAST!!!

ITP

2008-06-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

ITP - have you heard of it? it stands for immune thrombocytopenic purpura. anyways, it is a blood disease that the cause is unknown. well, keegan was diagnosed with it in april. within a 24 hour period she was covered with unexplained dark, large bruises all over her body. we did our due dilligence on the internet & realized that it was either ITP or lukemia as their symptoms are very similar. we took her to the hospital & was relieved that it was ITP & not the other. her body sees her platelets as a virus & attacks them - she should have about 500,000 platelets & she had 6000. with a low platelet count if she bleeds, it will not clot = big problem. we can not risk her skinning her knee, or getting cut with scissors, or hitting her head (brain hemorage). so, i want to just wrap her in bubble wrap & put a helment on her & have her sit on the couch until her counts are up.

she was referred to primary children's hosptial oncology - so sad. it just tore my heart into pieces taking her down there & sitting in the waiting room with all these innocent children with cancer & lukemia on their last attempt to live. there i sat with keegan, as happy a a child could be, full of life but covered with bruises. brusies that appeared overnight. brusies that could change our lives forever. brusies that we are now so thankful for as they indicated a serious problem before it was too late. she has been going through treatment for the past 6 weeks & this is her last week. she has been a trooper. she has gotten her blood taken so many times that now when they put that needle in her vein in her arm, she doesn't even skip a beat. she has been on high dosages of steriods which has made her gain weight (which has been the hardest thing for her). she is SO self conscious about her clothes & how she looks. we have had meltdowns almost everyday even after buying her a new closet full of clothes. the steroids also makes her angry inside & she often explodes. it is just a side effect of the medication & are looking forward to her getting back to her normal happy self.

over 70% of ITP cases after treatment are cured & never seen again. the rest are chronic. we will not know until july where she falls. we have hope that she will not have to deal with it again. we are looking forward to seeing her body keep her blood counts where they should be on its own & without medication. keep her in your prayers!

texas

2008-06-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

in the last few weeks - my travels have taken me:

st.louis
arizona
michigan
new hampshire
new york
& now
TEXAS

i love texas. i think there is some connection i have with texas from my past life. being born & raised in tennessee, i love the south. the hospitality, the humidity, the food, the lifestyle, etc. texas is always high on my list of favorite places to go. so i am heading out this afternoon. it is a long convention (3 days instead of 2) but looking forward to it. our convention is across thestreet from Six Flags. For the past 6 years, i have wished I could go play but never have had the time or energy. steve has even offered to come with me but knowing how he doesn't do rollercoasters just didn't seem fair to put him through that. so, this year - i really wanna go. ride the rollercoasters over & over. be a kid again & love every minute of it. so, i am hoping thursday night after the show, if i can bribe the girls to go with me.

have a great weekend... i hope to work hard & play harder!

way too long

2008-06-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

i am sure you all have loved seeing crazy granny on my blog but for over 2 MONTHS???

i know it has been WAY too long since i have posted. i could detail a long synopsis of why i haven't blogged but i would not torture you with that - i will simply say that i have been a lame blogger & caught up in life. we have been:
busy.
sick.
baseball.
designing.
thankful.
doctor appointments.
laughing.
exhausted.
traveling.
loving life.
playing games.
hectic.
creating.
full.
enjoying the weather.
having fun.

i realized a couple weeks ago what a bad blogger i have been & thought i would do a cool post to sum up the last several weeks as they have been eventful & noteworthy BUT that hasn't happened & i have accepted that it isn't going to happen. so, i have come to the conclusion that i am better off just moving forward without looking back.

so here i am. life is good. we are busy but loving every minute of it.

crazy granny

2008-03-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

my grandma (the kids great grandma) was able to fly out here a couple weeks ago for my little sister's wedding. we were all thrilled to have her here as we are not sure when/if she will make another trip to utah from arkansas. we were so lucky to have her stay with us a couple days after the wedding. we had such a great visit. when people who don't know crazy granny hear us calling her crazy think we are mean but it is all we have ever known her as - it is a term of endearment. it is not because her mind is gone - it is because she has always been a crazy & fun grandma. i can remember being a little kid & driving in her driveway, she would come out skipping & hopping with her knees up to her chin as she slapped her thighs. she has been a great grandma & we are so thankful for her. she finally retired from the dog track where she worked for 50 years - we sent her a male stripper on her last day of work. if i can figure out how i will upload the video to my blog. it is the most hilarious thing ever. she has not had an easy life but has taught me so many life lessons. we love her so much & so glad she was able to come out to visit.

happy easter

2008-03-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

brock did not love the easter bunny - after he checked him out & he decided he did NOT like the furry giant at all!

>
we went to the park for an easter egg hunt. they had all the group on seperate fields. steve took jake & keegan & i took brock. his group was 1-3 & no parents were allowed to help. brock was quick out of the gate & i was so proud he knew to pick up the egg & put it in his bag. i was cheering him on like such a proud mom. after he picked up a couple, he just sat in the middle of everything & opened them all. he was super cute!

jake & keegan got lots of eggs with candy, money & prizes. after the hunt we visited with old friends & went to lunch. loving the weather!

happy easter!

color

2008-03-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

so this was fun - how many colors could you name??

i realized that i am better at knowing my colors than how to spell them - HA! i was surprised that so many colors that i came up with are not even on the list (cream, navy, perwinkle, etc). anyways, i am so ready for some COLOR with spring flowers & green grass! we have had so much snow for so long I am READY for spring!

we got together with our game night group last night - which is always fun. steve & i played pool - we hadn't played since before we were married. steve had a pool table but had to sell it when we got married. i love pool but realized i am not as good as i once was. kids are excited to go to the plantarium today. we have our big easter egg hunt tommorrow morning which will be fun. steve is taking me to cheesecake for lunch. having family over for dinner on sunday. just a nice weekend to be home :) have a happy day!

off to california

2008-03-13T03:24:00.000-07:00

i can't believe it is time to head back to cali. i LOVE cali & always look forward to going (even if it is work it is still a blast!) BUT i have a million things going on here & it is super hard for me to leave because there is so much i need to do HERE - in my office! but, nevertheless - i am on a flight in just a few short hours. i just uploaded all my files from my computer onto my laptop so i hope i have everything i need?! now, it is just finding the energy to do it after i work 12+ hour days at the show :) it has been such beautiful weather in UT this week - well, let's just say we have seen some sun & no snow. almost like spring is trying to come BUT it is suppose to snow Friday & Sunday - YUCK!! Glad I am heading to cali- Have a GREAT weekend!

the day has come

2008-03-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

today - i made the BIG step. a step i know i have needed to make for over a year but just was not ready - mentally or physically. i have tried to "get into shape" for the past 9 months but without any program, goals, or real motivation. i guess i expected all this weight i have gained to just come off like it came on - it hasn't. yes, i have wanted to lose the weight & get back in shape but it obviously has not been a priority because i have not done anything about it.i feel like i have failed at many attempts to lose the weight & it is simply that i had no set plan or program. i have had so much going on & just really haven't been able to put the time/effort into it. there has been a deadline or a trip or a party or something that is always in the way of me trying to diet. basically, i have not been ready nor has it been a priority. so, i signed up for nutrisystem a couple days ago & it arrived today. i am ready. no more excuses.
why i decided
i am well aware of what i should do & how i should eat but it is a time issue. i know exactly what i need to eat & do but it is too hard for me & my schedule. it is very common for me to go all day without eating anything then at 7 or 8 at night when i am starving - i eat (& typically not a healthy meal). so bad for your metabolism. it is not that i overeat as much as my body is in starvation mode all the time & holds onto everything i eat AND the fact that i don't always eat the most healthly things doesn't help either. nutrisystem had all the meals pre-packaged. so, i is a matter of packing my meals with me & making myself eat. then, with the amount of time i save (preparing dinner, going out to eat, etc) i am hoping to squeeze in a workout. so, now that i have announced it to the world - wish me luck on my success! i will keep you posted.

wedding weekend

2008-03-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

this weekend my little sister, Sommer, got married. everyone came in town & it was good to have all of us together. it was the first time all of us have been together with all our kids & the kids loved every minute of it! Sommer looked so beautiful in her dress.

the official professional photos are not back yet but here are a few i took:

mom with all 14 grandkids

our little family my boys

all 5 of us kids: Shane, me, Sommer, Sonya & Scott

this picture cracks me up! brock is beyond worn out. he has eaten more than anyone could ever imagine (notice the pretzel in his hand & his jacket is not quite fitting like it should) & i think his diaper is down to his knees, he has just danced like a maniac on on the dance floor for more than 30 minutes (you should of seen him - it was the cutest thing ever!) he had a great time & even though he was all over the place - he was very good & such a crowd pleaser!!!

off to portland

2008-02-27T05:06:00.000-08:00

whew - last night was the blue & gold banquet for scouts. we had a great turnout - all 67 people who rsvp came! i was pleased that we had some extra chicken but pretty much that was it. jake was so excited to be there & thought he had progressed from being a little boy to a big boy. i am glad to have that behind me so i can start getting ready for portland.

when we travel for work - we don't like to mix family & work - we have learned it is much better to either focus on work or focus on family fun. portland is always hard because my 2 brothers & their families live there. the past couple years, we have made the 12-hour drive with the kids but we knew this year with 3 kids in haul (1 which doesn't sit still for 5 minutes very well) was not sounding like a fun trip for anyone involved. we decided to let jake fly with us to portland so he could play with his cousin layton - he is very excited!
i am very excited about the portland show as it is one of my most favorite shows of the year. we will have all the brand new basicgrey there (which nobody has yet). Lisa from Simply Swank will be there in our booth - demoing soldering. AND we will be testing out a new booth there - latest & greatest. So, we are excited! i'll keep you posted on how it all goes! now, off to pay bills, run errands, pack & hopefully do something fun with the kids tonight before we leave in the morning!

brock was tagged

2008-02-23T06:08:00.001-08:00

yes, brock was tagged about 2 weeks ago by his cousin will & we are just now getting around to it. we just LOVE this little guy - he is always happy & full of energy! our life must of been so boring before (NOT?!)

brock loves:
food (everyone is blown away at how much Brock can put away)
baby einstein
zoe (his 120# dog)
playing hide & seek with jake
his mama (total mamas boy)
his baths
giving open mouth slobber kisses (we love them too)
getting into the pantry (did i say he loves food?)
going to the gym with dad
the wind (he just giggles when it is windy & it hits his face)
music & dancing with keegan
going bye-bye (it doesn't matter where)
swimming
people (he got so spoiled when he traveled with us for 10 months)
watching football & yelling at the tv (like his dad)
going to bed (is it the sleep or the bottle? either one he loves bedtime)
getting cups/bowls out & stategetically placing them everywhere
golden coral all-you-can-eat (a favorite when mom is working)
lotion (especially on his face)

brock doesn't like:
being told NO
someone going somewhere without him
being quiet - he is so LOUD (i am not sure where he gets it from?)
getting his haircut (he has had it cut 7x already)
sitting still (very difficult for all involved)
being short (he drags a stool around so he can reach more stuff)
not getting 100% of the attention
having his snot wiped (which he has had alot lately)
church (it is the sitting still & being quiet thing)
green beans (the ONLY food he doesn't like)

back from california

2008-02-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

we're back from california to freezing tempertures & snow/ice still everywhere. it is nice to be home in my own bed & to be with the kids but california sure was GREAT! thanks to everyone who made it a fun weekend - it was so good to see so many of you that i hadn't seen in a while! lots to do now that we're back.
make today a great day!!!

bad day turned into a great day

2008-02-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

today was the day i had dreaded for weeks - i had to leave for california. i dreaded it ONLY because i got way behind on things being sick & knew how much i HAD to get done before going. the last couple days i worked 18 our days & had a great team getting things done! the day before i had to leave, i kept saying - nothing unexpected has happened YET & i am feeling pretty good about things. wrapping up all the details before i headed out i felt like we were in good shape. i hated leaving without steve. we had decided that i would go to Anaheim for CHA show a few days early & then the gang would al come on thursday morning. steve & i decided that it was best if he stayed with the kids so we both wouldn't be gone for 5 days. being so independent, i never thought twice about it but i really didn't want to go without steve. i am not sure if it was because i left some unfinished business he needed to wrap up or if it was more that i hadn't traveling without him in a long time?!
anyway, my flight was delayed...stuck in vegas for 2+ hours...rental car place ran out of cars- took 1 hour to get car...stuck in CA traffic at 4pm...hotel room was a handicap room (i SO need my bathtubs). i planned on getting in & having 1/2 day at the show. by the time i got my bags to my room it was 5:20. big bummer!
i laid on the bed & almost ordered room service & thought i could just get caught up on my computer work. then, i though NO - i have nothing pressing to do, no kids, no husband, nobody to worry about ... i'm going to have some "ME" time - pedicure & manicure, then the mall to get new shoes. usually when i go shopping it is a chore because i have X i have to get & it is never an enjoyable lesiure expereince for me. i was in nordstorm & decided to go by the mac kisok - had a makeover & bought lots of new make-up. went to victoria secrets (after brock & nursing & not nursing - my bras just weren't fitting as good as they once did) then went to my favorite store chicos. i ordered takeout at chessecake factory & then had a good night sleep in one of those heavenly beds. i am off & running for a marathon day at cha.

great day

2008-02-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

don't you just love those days that you wish you could have every day? the memories you made, the smiles on the kids faces, the things kids say that make you laugh & just having a great time as a family. well, to be honest - i really did not have time for what i had planned (i have alot of deadlines & things i have to get done before i go out of town - important things) anyways, i have been not feeling great & stressed so it was the perfect fix. we took the kids to the circus - great circus last year, not so great this year. but, we had a blast & the kids had no clue how lame it was this year so we just laughed it off. then, we went to the high school basketball game. i love basketball & jake is just like his dad & loves ALL sports. brock was happy as long as he was eating so he ate the whole time :) keegan performed during halftime - she was so proud of herself. she had a mini meltdown this morning when i told her she could wear her hair all down to school but i had to put it up for the performance. so, when i "forgot" & didn't put her hair up she was thrilled because her hair was down & she could swish it all around during her routine. she is such a mess.

password?

2008-02-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

you know it has been too long since you blogged when you can't remember your password OR is it that my head is about to explode ... probably BOTH.

so i am alive - barely. i got a sinus infection 2 weeks ago (bad timing by the way - no time to rest) & then it got into my lungs. i finally went to the DR & that is a big step for me & have been doing breathing treatments which have helped ALOT. have you ever felt like you couldn't breath?? it is a HORRIBLE experience. so, i have been sick & so have the kids. brock was sick first so we can all blame him for those slopper kisses spreading the germs. actually, it was the first time he has been sick. then i got a call from school that jake was sick. then keegan woke up last night with 102 temp & has been on fire all day. i just pray steve doesn't get sick cuz i am not sure what we'd do without him.

my head is about to explode as i am finalizing new projects, new kits, new product, new promotions, new STUFF ... it is all coming VERY SOON!!! i am so excited about everything & am confident this is gonna be a GREAT year! i can't wait until i can share some of the things that are coming out... it is so hard to keep it all inside this little head of mine. Soon my friends - very soon!

anyways, i have lots to say but not much time right now but did want to let you know that those things your dad use to tell you about boys & kissing spreading germs IS TRUE!!!

i love my little brock!

monthly kit

2008-01-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

i am completely overwhelmed with the response we have had from the monthly kit - thanks everyone for believing in it! i have been asked for a long time for more kits & i have wanted to do it but just couldn't commit the time to do it (with a hard pregnancy & a little one - do i need to say more??) anyways, i feel like i can do it now & give it 110% - i am very excited about this new venture. i am already working on February but i can't say anything else except it is going to be even better!!! anyways, just wanted to say thanks.
the week has just flown by - i can't believe it. we have had lots of snow & it is freezing so i have been "in" alot this week. my head is in total design mode - too bad i have had other things i have to get done. i am hoping to get all my book work done this weekend so i can play all next week with all the new stuff. hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

a shore thing

2008-01-21T23:16:00.000-08:00

this kit i really wanted to focus on gettin' it done layouts. there are so many premade embellishments & elements that make it easy & QUICK. i have layouts that are VERY time consuming (& it makes it worse that i am such a slow scrapbooker) BUT most of my favorite layouts/projects are quite simple. I prefer clean lines.

a shore thing is a new line from imaginisce - it is a fun summer line! it has the cutest little penquins. more info & to purchase the kit go here. here is what is included in the kit:

here are a few things I did with the kit:

what i love kit

2008-01-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

i am really excited about our monthly kit we have started & we launched it today! i really wanted to make it simple & easy for people to understand instead of some of the other monthly kit clubs with a lot of rules & policies. I am going to debut 2 different kits on the THIRD Sunday of each month. I thought Sunday would be the best day - trying to be fair for those on east/west, those who work & those who are busy moms, etc. The kits will be available online & will ship immediately. One of the kits will be product based & the other will be project based. I am really excited because it allows me another avenue to be creative & kit things that I feel people will actually DO. I feel like so many of us buy, buy, & buy & don't really use what we buy. I hope that these kits will allow purchases to transform into pages/projects that we are able to use & enjoy. To me, that is what scrapbooking is all about. I have had a lot of fun with these first 2 kits & i look forward to continuing to develop these kits. It gives me an excuse to create (which i love) & i am able to get some of my own photos scrapbooked too!

this month i did a really cute album on keegan. it is the what i love album using the new two scoops line. keegan & i did it together & we had a ball doing it. this album would also be cute doing a who i love album & having all different people the album. the best thing about this kit is that EVERYTHING is precut - i even had all the pages diecut to perfectly fit the chipboard album. here are few pics of the cover & a few pages. To see all the pages or to buy the kit - click here.

scattergories

2008-01-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

have you ever played the game scattergories? i love that game - for those who know me know I LOVE games in general. my sister sent this to me so i thought i'd throw it up here on my blog.

*Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following... *they have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if someone in front of you had the same 1st initial.(WHICH BY THE WAY IS HARD IF YOU ALREADY READ THEIR ANSWERS) You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl

1. What is your name? SHELBY
2. 4 letter word: SHIT
3. Vehicle: SENTRA
4. City: ST.LOUIS
5. Boy Name: SEAN
6. Girl Name: SOMMER
7. Alcoholic drink: SMIRNOFF ON THE ROCKS
8. Occupation: SCRAPBOOKER
9. Something you wear: SPORTS BRA
10. Sport: SKIING
11. Food: STEAK
12. Something found in a bathroom: SINK
13. Reason for Being Late: SLEPT IN
14. Cartoon Character: SHAGGY
15. Something You Shout: STEVE
16. Animal: SHITZU
17. Body part: SPINE
18. Word to describe you: SPAZ
HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK TO THE NEXT PERSON!

busted

2008-01-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

busted - totally busted & he doesn't even care. why does this always happen or is it just me?

i just love this picture... isn't he just the cutest? brock is such a curious little guy ... he is into everything (i mean everything) & he eats & eats & eats. i jumped into the shower & in less than 5 minutes he found the diaper bag & as you can see was quite enjoying himself. i can't wait until the day when i can shower without the fear of what is happening while i am in the shower!

note: if you are lucky enough to have moments like this - grabbing the camera & laughing in lieu of getting mad makes the situation better for all parties involved! you just have to love 'em!

what is your true color??

2008-01-09T22:25:00.000-08:00

i love these little analysis of yourself especially when it is about color. so, i took this test & found it quite interesting! my results:

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Take the test & then post under comments your true color. i am wanting to read all the other colors. Click here to find out what your true color is.

7 random things about me

2008-01-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

OK - so I got "tagged" so here it goes:

* i don't drink ANYTHING besides water. i prefer it room temperature - no ice. If eating out, i MUST have a straw. I love water & easily drink more than my 8 glasses a day!

* i have an internal alarm clock that goes off at 3 am every morning. this started several years ago & i would just lay in bed thinking & stressing about everything i had to do. after 6 months (yes, fast learner huh?) i decided since i was up i should just get my butt out of bed & start working on those things that were stressing me out. i can get 1/2 days work done before my kids start waking up - it has worked for me. so, the question is : when do i go to bed??? i typically go to bed about 10:30.

* i don't carry a purse. i think this started when i had to start carrying a diaper bag years ago & just don't like the hassle. i have a bad habit of sticking cash or a credit card in one of my kids pockets (because i don't have a pocket) & forgetting about it. steve gets so frustrated with me because i "misplace" my credit cards all the time. more times than not, i have "misplaced" at least 1 of the 3 credit cards (sometimes 2 of them but never all 3) - but they always show even if it is months later :)

* i don't like using public bathrooms - when out & about, it is common for me to go 10 hours without using the bathroom just because i rather not use a public one. they just kinda gross me out. i guess i have a pretty strong bladder since i can hold it all day & drink as much water as i do (it is kinda a subconscious thing)

* i coordinate my kids clothes for pictures. i either make sure their outfits match or more common is that i buy outfits that coordinate with certain scrapbook paper. it is not uncommon for me to have swatches of scrapbook papers with me when i go to buy clothes for my kids. call me crazy ... but the great thing about it is steve thinks this is NORMAL & that it is totally OK to buy the kids new clothes just so i can scrapbook using new paper (makes a layout quite expensive)

* i always sleep on the plane. almost every flight (& i have taken many of flights) i am asleep before we leave the runway & typically don't wake up until we land. i don't mind flights as I always can count on a good nap. the only bad thing is when i wake up i usually have a kink in my neck (yes, i have tried those pillows but i still get kinks)

* i am always going, going, going to not go anywhere. let me explain - i got a brand new car almost 2 years ago it had 5 miles on it & today it has less than 3000 miles. the only thing i can figure is that i either never go anywhere, i fly more than i drive or i don't drive anywhere without the kids?

happy new year!

2008-01-01T19:26:00.001-08:00

i am just now recovering from our new years eve - what a wild night! NOT - we are old & lame! No really, we usually have a NYE party but this year, I honestly was partied out. We had a mellow evening with the kids then let the kids watch SpongeBob before bed. Thank goodness NICK had a countdown on EASTERN TIME. My kids were SO excited to bring in the New Year & I was so excited I could do so at 10 & then put them to bed :) We had sparkiling cider & dessert with the kids. Then, Steve & I watched CSI. Then, it was firework time, i never realized how loud & long the fireworks go off in our neigborhood because we are usually in the middle of it all.

WOW! i just can't believe it - 2007 has officially ended & we are onto 2008. it is hard for me to accept another year has come & gone. i am really excited about 2008 & know it will be a great year. i love the new year as it gives me the opportunity to reflect, revise & plan for improvement. i love the fresh start the new year brings - i LOVE having a brand new planner that i can start making all of my lists for the year. i have SO many lists going on right now it is ridiculous but it is me & i love it. i hate to say the "g" word - GOAL because as we all know goals are made to be broken... right?! i have been talking to the kids the past couple days about goals & how we will each set some individual goals & then set some goals as a family. the kids were all onboard & excited - it wasn't until today when i actually was ready to do this that i realized that jake thought a goal was a race. i have NO IDEA where he got that from - so funny. so, i am excited for 2008 & know it will be the best! i have ALOT i desire to accomplish & some hefty things i'd like to improve. i can't make any promises that i will succeed in everything i hope for this year but i will sure as hell try!

LIFE IS HERE AND IT IS NOW - I hope I can live each day without regret/guilt from yesterday or without stress of tomorrow but to LIVE each day!

I wish you the best in 2008 that your dreams will become reality & that you too can LIVE for today! Happy New Year - Make it the BEST!

reality

2007-12-29T00:58:00.000-08:00

i feel like the past month has been a dream & now i am back in reality. reality is NOT a bad thing... it is just life. i have literally put life on HOLD for a while to enjoy the season with my family & it was memorable! it really is the simple things in life that brings us joy! i so often get caught up in the hustle & bustle of life (especially around christmas it is 10x worse). i am so gulity of overlooking those simple priceless things. i take so many things for granted. the things that i think are "so important" on a daily basis- in the big picture are not so much. BUT those are the "things" that tend to consume my time. it was wonderful to not have any stress & what a different perspective i have had on things & life in general.

but, it is now time to jump back into the grind of things & get things done. i have to pay bills, get MY LIFE organized, place orders for 2008 product & close the books for the year ... & that ALL requires many, many, many hours. i struggle with this time of year because i am so eager to start on new projects & everything for 2008 but I have to close 2007 off first. it is like a battle going on inside of me & i get a little grouchy.

i got really frustrated today as we have had a month off work (kinda) & i have not done anything that i had needed to do. i wanted to ORGANIZE (or REorganize) so many things (photos, cd's, personal files, computer files, address book, my closet, kids clothes, playroom, grand central station (this is our phone center/desk in our kitchen that is the "catch all" - it makes me crazy). i look around & nothing has been done - if anything it is worse. i have taken more pics to organize, the kids have more toys, grand central station is overflowed, etc. i am frustrated that i have so much i needed to do & now i am running out of time. i feel overwhelmed & that i have wasted time ...

but then i have to remember that time was NOT wasted it was spent with my family making memories that are far more important than having all my files organized on my computer.

but now that we have made "those" memories - I better get my butt in gear & get things done!

christmas is over???

2007-12-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

i can't believe it - it is over! i hope everyone had the best christmas ever & enjoying the post-holiday activites! this christmas was fabulous - by doing the 12 days of christmas around here we have been in christmas mode for a while (i know i left many of you hanging & i did not report the last days of our 12 days of christmas - SORRY! it was awesome - lots of fun times - i just couldn't keep up with the blog as we were so busy). i thought about trying to go back & post the other "days of christmas" activites (after the fact) but it seems so anti-climatic & i am really just needing to move forward NOT backward (in so many ways). so, maybe next year - i will better a better blogger - hey, i get some slack as i am new to the blog word - HA!

i tried to take christmas eve pics with the kids in their new pj's. A few comments on this traditional photo that we have taken every year:

1. once kids get a certain size - it is hard to find christmas pj's that coordinate with baby sizes.

2. toddlers don't do well taking a photo way past their bedtime when all they want is their bottle.

3. mom doesn't care too much about this photo as she use to.

santa was very good to us - the kids were so excited with their wii (as we knew they would be after all the effort that thing took to get). we all had fun breaking in all the new games - guitar hero is my favorite. i was looking forward to playing it with steve once we put the kids to bed BUT i fell asleep on the couch watching them play before ANY of the kids went to bed (i must of been a little tired :) i knew we'd all enjoy the wii but didn't think brock would be so entertained by it. he LOVES it - when we play he grabs the tv remote & dances the whole time (it doesn't matter if we are playing guitar hero or boxing - he is dancing - so cute & so exhausting for him (which is a bonus in itself).

keegan got her PINK guitar - she wanted it to have crystals on it. So, i got some adhesive clear jewels & put them all around the edges. it is really cute.

anyways, my house is a mess & i just want to do nothing but hang out with the kids. i should clean up & put all the christmas decorations away but that will just have to wait until i get the motivation to do it. we have had a house full of kids for the last couple days. it has been super fun & pretty loud. below is a pic of jake & a couple of his buddies.

6th day of christmas

2007-12-20T17:46:00.001-08:00

pictures with santa

i can't believe that i have waited until now to get the kids pics with santa - the lines are going to be insane. south towne mall has the BEST santa. my kids always refer to him as the "real" santa. i woke up this morning & decided we had to go today since it was thursday. tommorrow most kids don't have school or just have 1/2 day then it is the weekend. i do not want to be anywhere close to the mall the weekend before christmas. so, i knew that after 4pm the lines would be really, really bad. so , i decided to take jake out of school early so we could beat the rush. some may think i am a bad mom for taking him out of school for something so not neccesary. however, i think (or know) i would be a worse mom if i had to wait in line with 3 kids for several hours. we got to the mall & the line was nothing. seriously, i thought maybe 15 minutes at the most. well, it turned out to be more like 40 mins. but that was still OK. i talked to the gals working & they confirmed how bad it has been at night- they said the line at night & Sat. went all the way down to Macy's. Now, for some that may mean nothing but that line would be 6x longer than it was today. so i honestly do not know how would ever wait that long, even to see the REAL Santa.

we came home & one of our manufacturers came by the house. i was blown away by the tasteful gift they brought us. this picture does NOT do justice but they brought beautiful pewter serving bowl & a 3-tier platter that is goregous AND it was all loaded with: white chocolate- dipped cinnamon sugar apples (my absolute favorite treat), caramels & turtles, pecan logs, marshmellows dipped in caramel & chocloate (that's all i have sampled so far :) it was so unexpected & thoughtful! i love surprises especially when they are loaded with calories :)

7th day of christmas

2007-12-19T23:07:00.000-08:00

neighbor, teacher & friend gifts

does anyone else cringe at the thought of what to get neighbors & teachers for christmas? it is something that i honestly love to do but also hate it. i love it because we have the best neighbors ever & am always wanting to give the perfect gift & it is so hard to decide on what to do. and teachers ... they are great & deserve more than they ever get. i always have GREAT intentions but time always seems to interfere. i was really excited about the project i was going to do this year - WAS being the key word. i can't tell because i will try to do it next year. anyways ... here is what we did for the kids class & friends:

i got these holiday suckers at costco with a ribbon bow & a little holiday greeting from the kids & all their classmates & friends were done. they were yummy to0 - they look like peppermint but the flavors were strawberry, apple, grape & cherry. i just LOVE costco & this is just one of the many reasons.

for neighbor gifts, we did a family night bucket with popcorn, candy, rootbeer & a giftcard to blockbuster. kinda corny maybe but who wouldn't enjoy a movie night at home with the kids? the kids had fun helping write on all the tags, getting all the gifts put together, & most of all delivering them in the snow.

8th day of Christmas

2007-12-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

christmas shopping with kids

so we planned to take the kids & let them shop for each other & also for us. steve & i had it all planned that we would split up & then call each other then swap. well, i started with keegan & brock to shop for jake & dad. then we switched & i went with jake to shop for brock & dad while steve went with keegan (clear as mud??) anyways, it all went as planned & we were just thrilled that it was done. Jake, Brock & I went to load the car & were going to pick up Steve & Keegan in front of the store. Well, Keegan jumps in the car while Steve & I load the rest of the bags in the trunk. We drove down the street - literally down the street & realized that Keegan already had told Jake what she had bought him. UNBELIEVABLE - i knew they would have a hard time keeping a secret (that is why we waited this late to take them shopping). steve was pissed - i just laughed as i expected it to happen.

it reminded me of this story when i was a kid:
my mom had boxed all of our presents & had the boxes all taped up all in stacks ready to be wrapped. there must of been 30 boxes in stacks in the office. one day my parents were watching the Memphis State basketball game upstairs & Sonya & I (my sister that is 14 months older which has always been NOSEY). Well, we went into the office & opened all the boxes - every single box. In those boxes were our entire christmas. we were so excited but could not wait until christmas to wear all those cute clothes we had seen. long story short: my parents found out. they put me in one room & sonya in another & asked us what we saw... they wanted to know exactly everything we saw. (we had agreed to lie & say we didn't see anything yet). so, we both stuck to our story & lied about it. then, my brillant parents waited about 15 minutes (which seemed like an eternity) came into my room & said that sonya confessed & I had one more chance to tell the truth. so, i did - i told them i saw it all. they did the same thing to sonya until she finally admitted to it. it wasn't until after (quite a while after since sonya was mad at me for giving in & i was mad at her for giving in) that we fiqured out what they really did. we were in so much trouble - my mom insisted that we were getting NOTHING for christmas & everything was going back. i can't remember what really ended up happening - i know we had a great christmas but my mom was livid. as a parent, i can't help but appreciate experiences like this. first of all, it helps me not get so ticked at my kids since i have done the same thing. secondly, i now have a genius way of getting the truth out of my kids when i know they are lying. thirdly, i allows me to relive those childhood memories. good times ...

so, we went out to dinner, came home & put the kids to bed. then steve goes back out & returns the gift keegan bought jake. he feels much better about it now. i am now a little stressed as to what else to get jake as it was not his fault keegan told him. i will worry about it tommorrow.

9th day of christmas

2007-12-17T20:28:00.000-08:00

elf yourself

if you haven't done this yet - it is super fast & really funny!

dredge elves

10th day of christmas

2007-12-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

seeing the lights

today was a good family day! we went to tyler's missionary farewell - he is serving a mission for the church in Austraila for 2 years. we spent the day with him & family. the kids love to go to the lynch's as they have lots of kids, toys & fun! we came home in the late afternoon for naps then went back. on our way back we took quite the detour looking at christmas lights. i love to look at christmas lights with christmas music playing in the warm car! after we got home tonight (very late), i took pics at some of our christmas decorations. i love christmas for many reasons - the music, lights & decorations are some of my favorite things about christmas.

the stockings were hung ... our stockings are my most favorite decoration of all. my mom made these by hand. they are very time consuming as each image/word is made of hundreds of sequins & beads. jake is waiting on one for his pet turtle "DILL" & doesn't quite understand why grandma doesn't like Dill enough to make him one - HA!

my entry piece is a little cramped but we love to decorate this piece for all the holidays. jake made a santa & tree out of legos & i insisted it go right in front so everyone could see them.

this snowman is on our porch outside. we found him in Seattle when we were there for a scrapbook convention & had to bring him home. he is almost 7 feet tall.

11th day of christmas

2007-12-15T01:17:00.000-08:00

gingerbread house

the ormond's (our great neighbor's) gave us a gingerbread house kit a week or so ago for christmas - the kids have been dying to do it. for those of you that have not seen or done these kits - it is totally the way to go. they are so easy & fun! the kids decorated it themselves. i was cracking up as they did not want to put "too much" candy on the house because they got to eat the leftovers. they are so not dumb!

brock just loves being in the middle of the action. he had no clue what we were doing on the countertop but felt the excitement in the air. he is such a happy little boy.

tonight steve & i went to a dinner party at the long's new home (beautiful home). it was so much fun to see many old friends. we don't get together as often as we should with this group of friends but when we do it is always a blast. we seem to just pick up where we left off no matter how long it has been. we always say we need to get together more often but with everyone's crazy life & schedules it is hard. silly me forgot my camera ... i will have to remember next time for sure! it is late & i am going to try to get through a CSI with steve.

12 days of Christmas

2007-12-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Today we start the 12 days of Christmas. The traditional 12 days of Christmas starts on the evening of December 25th and finishes on January 6 BUT we do things different here. We are going to start it today & END it on Christmas. This is a fun way to enjoy the holiday season & do a little countdown with the kids. Often times in the days leading up to christmas we are so busy it is hard to enjoy the season. we will do some activity everyday for the next 12 days :)

paper mache boxes

Today was super fun! Jake was Student of the Week at school so he had many highlights throughout the week. Today we all went up to school & taught his class a christmas project. We decided to do these paper mache boxes. We covered them with Christmas papers & they turned out super cute. jake felt so important teaching the class how to do it & was very good to explain everything step by step. keegan went around making sure everyone was doing it as jake had instructed. brock had a blast & kept taking the glue sticks off the desk. jake was so proud his whole family came up to his class for this activity.

jake & miss eliason (his 1st grade teacher)

snowed in ...

2007-12-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

gosh - we got dumped on again this weekend. brock isn't feeling well today so one of us has to stay home with him so steve & i flipped a coin to see who was going to stay home ... and it was me! steve & the kids left for church & brock is asleep ... i'm thinking perfect nap opportunity!

we had a GREAT weekend. first of all, we had our church christmas party friday night which we were in charge of the food. it turned out great & we are SO glad it is over. We had:

black forest ham (Sam's sliced it for us - 135 lbs. of ham is ALOT of ham!)
fabulous potatoes:
8-10 large potatoes (grated), 2 cups cheese, 8 oz. sour cream, 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, crushed cornflakes on top. bake at 350 for 45 mins.
glazed carrots:
2 lbs. carrots - steam then add glaze (1/4 lb. butter, 1 cup brown sugar & fresh ginger root - boil then pour over carrots). SO delicious!
pineapple/cherry salad:
1 can cherry pie filling, 2 cans crushed pineapple(drain well), 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 1 tub cool whip. almost good enough for dessert.
yummy rolls (costco makes fresh daily - totally homemade without the effort)
pumpkin pie
choc. chunk brownies

It was a bit stressful trying to purchase, prepare & have it hot all at once - but we pulled it off. We had planned on 275 & had lots of ham left over. i asked 4 different people how much ham should i get - everyone said 1/2 lb. per person. i questioned it because i thought that seemed like too much especially with all the other food. but, i went ahead & got 1/2 lb. per person afraid if i got less i would run out & it was way TOO much! next time, i would plan on 1/4 lb. per person. the carrots were everyones fav - even the kids came back for seconds. we also had the stage as bethlehem & had costumes for wisemen, mary, cradle for "baby", angels, etc. we had families come up & dress up & I took pictures. they turned out great & would be a fun christmas card picture (too bad i didn't think to get out family's picture taken - things were just too hetic for me to think about it). we also had santa come - he was the best santa ever. he did magic tricks & juggled for the kids - he was fabulous! all the kids thought he must be the real santa as he had christmas magic! we got home at 11ish & steve went out to shovel the driveway as we got about 6 inches of snow during the party. Dallin (our neighbor) had just got a snow blower earlier that day, came over & did our driveway for us - THANKS Dallin! It was very nice of him as it was late, COLD & our driveway is longer than it appears to be! We had both cars full of dishes, food, decorations, etc. from the party & no energy to mess with it. i was SO tired. we knew we had to get all the table linens washed & returned by noon Sat. we had 1/2 of them & our frineds the Park's took 1/2 of them. About 11:30, Steve & Bret decided to just take the linens to a laundrymat & just get them all done. i didn't want steve to go as it was a blizzard outside but i knew i didn't have the energy to do them either. so i loaded him up with detergent & lots of quarters. he did not get home until after 3 am! they had a hard time finding a laundrymat open & once they did i think they realized washing, drying & folding 40 table clothes took longer than they thought.
we woke up Sat. morning & the power went out. we had no power for about 2 hours. of course, the kids thought it was fun & i was just fearful of getting cold. Bryan came to help with our driveway & jake ended up going with him on his 4-wheeler to do some other driveways. jake thought it was a blast especially when bryan got stuck & had to push it. we asked jake if he helped push & he said no, but it was fun having bryan push him too (thanks Bryan :)

steve & i went to the byu/michigan state game. it was a GREAT game even with BYU giving the game away at the end- i love basketball! it has been a while since we've been to a game. we use to go the see the jazz play but i hadn't gone to a game in a long time!

we are heading over to mom's today - she had knee surgery on wed. & is doing well. we have lots of leftovers to take her & the kids want to see her. i had hoped of getting a nap squeezed in but after typing out our dinner menu i think i am ready for some leftovers myself :) i LOVE leftovers more than anything. in fact, when we go to dinner - i usually will order more than i will eat just so i can take home a box of leftovers for the next day.
have a great week!

snow + cheesecake = perfect day

2007-12-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

today we woke up to everything covered with snow. it was beautiful! the kids were bouncing off the walls to build a snowman so they cleaned the house super fast this morning. steve is very good (ok, ANAL) about shoveling the drive, walkway & sidewalk before anyone can drive or walk on it. so he was heading out first thing this morning, when one of our neighbors came by with his 4-wheeler & did our driveway (thanks Bryan!) so, after steve shoveled the sidewalk & walkway he couldn't believe how heavy & wet the snow was - perfect for building a snowman. so, we went out with plans to build a snowman... but got distracted with making snow angels in the snow then a big snowball fight.

i am not sure who liked it more zoe or brock? it was great to see zoe running around like a puppy again - her arthritis medication has really made a big difference. the kids were running around throwing snowballs & she tried to catch them like a real ball then it would bust. everyone thought it was funny especially brock.

we had plans with 2 other couple to go to dinner at Cheesecake Factory... YES, we FINALLY got one in Utah it opened in Nov. Steve & I have tried to eat their with the kids several times for the last couple weeks & it has been a 3-3.5 hour wait every time. so, we got our name on the list at 4:15 & all went at 7. we only had to wait about 20 minutes - it was so yummy. the cheesecake factory is my most favorite restaurant EVER - in our travels, we have always tried to hit them whenever we can. it is great to have one just 15 minutes away!

finally ... i am now a blogger

2007-11-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

Today is the day! This morning after we got the kids to school, Steve asked what was on our agenda for the day. i yelled with excitement NOTHING - he was shocked & thrilled as there was really nothing i had on our schedule. he then asked what i wanted to do & i told him i wanted to start a blog. kinda a random thing ... i have been asked alot if i had a blog & i enjoy reading so many other blogs that i thought that today would be a good day to start! so many of our family & friends we neglect to keep in touch with as well as we would like so i hope that through this blog we will do better on our end.

Today was a great day - the perfect LAZY day! it snowed again today, the fire was on & the christmas music was playing, the kids had an early day at school ... I have longed for a day like today for months & it was as perfect as i imagined!
thanks for looking ...