Birthday FUN!!

For my birthday I thought it would be fun to go bowling!! We had not been since Sarah was a little baby and Britten was two! The kids had so much fun!!Even little Ian enjoyed watching everyone play!Britten and Sarah patiently waiting for their turn to bowl again!!My good looking husband! I still have my mad bowling skills that I learned in my college bowling class! I think it is one game I can beat Jeff at!About a month ago my girlfriends and I decided to buy tickets for Twilight! It just so happened to come out on my birthday!! So what a better time than dinner and a much anticipated movie with the girls on my 33rd! We had dinner at Japano's Japanese and it was so good!!Then we were off to the movie!! Thank goodness for assigned seats because we got there right in time!! We were all super excited!! I think we all liked it to by the expression on our faces afterward!I only took this picture because here are the real girls that should be excited. They are the 12 - 14 year olds! Oh to be young again!!

Now I guess you could say we all have crushes on Edward...

Back to my birthday!! I had such a great day!! My cute little Britten wanted to make it such a special day for me. He told me on Thursday he was planning my "lunch in bed". I thought that sounds great, I'll stay in bed until lunch time. He also knew he wanted to get me a present from costco (flowers) and he had to go Thursday so I would have them by Friday! Jeff had to work in the morning and so I had to wait until today to get my breakfast in bed. As I thought back on my life I could not help but feel so happy for what life has brought me so far at the age of 33. I am so blessed with a great husband, 3 fabulous kids, a beautiful home, my health, good friends, wonderful parents... I could go on and on! I look forward to the year to come and all that it entails!

Me oh MY!

I love this tag, I have seen it on a few friends blogs! I think so often as a mom it is all about the kids and hubby! This one's for me!

I am: A daughter of God
I know: my husband LOVES me!
I want: to live life to the fullest!
I have: so many blessings!
I dislike: cockroaches and sick kids!
I miss: the beach
I feel: happy!
I hear: my washing machine - it's always running.
I smell: my yummy pumpkin roll scentsy!
I crave: donuts from the lehi bakery and of course chocolate covered cinnamon bears!
I search: for the truth.
I love: my husband and children. They are the sum total of my heart!
I worry: about being a good mommy.
I remember: childhood visits to my grandma and papa's house in santa monica!
I wonder: where i will be in 5 years from now!
I dance: every chance i get! usually with britten and sarah!
I don't: like to argue.
I argue: with rude people at walmart!
I write: not enough! my blog gets most of it!
I win: occasionally! i was not blessed with my dad's good luck.
I like: girls night out!
I lose: when i play cards with jeff! (and i taught him how to play - no fair!)
I wish: to go on a fun trip with my hubby! (maybe back to hawaii... one day!)
I listen: to mostly country music! i love christmas music too!
I hate to: clean toilets.
I am scared: of car accidents and losing someone i love.
I need: a diet coke!
I tag: Any one :)

Our dinner table conversation!

My poor kids! With their daddy away I seem to make quesadillas, eggs or cereal for dinner. Nothing time consuming and always simple! Last night I was at the store and walked by the rotisserie chicken section and the smell was so good and homemade!! I thought well, I am going to get us a yummy chicken for dinner! (still totally simple). I also got a sweet potato. This is our dinner menu: garlic and herb chicken, mashed sweet potato, costco organic corn. My kids cleaned their plates and both had seconds and thirds! (At that point I felt really bad for not feeding them so well over the past week and a half). Then Sarah asked:

"Where does a chicken meat come from?"

Britten replied, "from a chicken".

Sarah: "Was this chicken on the farm?"

Britten: "Yes Sarah it came from the farm."

Sarah: "Who killed the chicken? The grocery store?"

Britten: "Probably the farmer, I think."

Sarah: "Are those his legs?"

ME: "No, those were his wings."

Britten: "Where is his heart?"

Me: "Let's change the subject and talk about something else because Mommy is losing her appetite."

a few minutes later...

Sarah: "Where is his head?"

Britten: "They chopped it off."

Sarah: "Oh, I can see the hole where it was!"

ME... so not eating anymore chicken!

Sundays Post!

So, it has been a while since my last Sundays Post! I have been thinking about this for a while and have not had the time to write it! Our church held it's 178th semi-annual general conference this past October. It is a time when the president of our church with the apostles and leaders share inspiring and motivational talks. One thing I love about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is that we have a modern day prophet that leads and guides in these times. The prophet is an amazing man named Thomas S. Monson. On my last post I think I mentioned that my Grandma joined the church in Canada and was one of the first members in her area and Thomas S. Monson was the mission president there at the time. A few years back he came to Houston to do a conference and took about 30 minutes out of his busy schedule to visit with my Grandma and my Mom. I know it was a great experience for them! President Monson gave a talk titled Finding Joy in the Journey this past October that really touched me. Here are a few things he said:

This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

If you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.” We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

Despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.
In closing, I pray that all of us will reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? He taught us how to pray. He taught us how to serve. He taught us how to live. His life is a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. The time came when He stood alone. Some Apostles doubted; one betrayed Him. The Roman soldiers pierced His side. The angry mob took His life. There yet rings from Golgotha’s hill His compassionate words, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.

Here are the youtube links to his talk! There are two parts and the whole talk is great!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcH1jFL1cIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvvOp8a6tnE

Here is a hard copy link:

http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-26,00.html

What a blessing it is to have a Prophet that leads and guides us in these times! I am so grateful for the Prophet in my life and the life of my kids!

Bumbles Anyone??

I am hosting a Bumbles watch open house this week!!

When: Wednesday November 5, 2008
Time: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Where: MY casa!

Please feel free to stop by and bring a friend!! It's a open house so you can pop in when ever it is convenient for you!

November 1st and the Neilsen's!

I love the month of November! It is probably my favorite month of the year! This November started out FABULOUS!! We all slept in until 10AM! Can you believe it?? Then we stayed in our pajamas until 2PM! Then we headed up American Fork Canyon with our great friends the Neilsons! We met the Lindsay and Jeremy back in Houston in 2002! We lived in the same apartment complex and were members of the Champions Ward! Since then our friendship and families have grown! I think they are some of the nicest people I have ever met! I consider them the "salt of the earth" so to say! We also have a dutch oven dinner tradition with them so of course we made YUMMY chicken enchiladas and Mississippi mud cake!
Britten, Sarah, Kennedy and Bridger all sitting by the fire!

Lindsay and I! When I met Lindsay she was 19 and I was 26. I remember when she told me how old she was I was completely shocked because she was so mature for her age! She is such a great mom and super crafty and talented and beautiful!This is Bridger and he totally cracks me up! We brought sprite up for the kids and Jeff opened them up and passed them out! Bridger took a sip and said, "YUMMY! I never had one of these before!" I guess this was his first and Jeff was the one to give it to him! Sorry Lindsay and Jeremy now he will probably always want sprite... Bear had so much fun running around and played with another dog by our spot! He is getting so big and really is such a good dog!

The leaves are already mostly fallen off the trees but it was still so beautiful and the weather was great! What a way to start the month of NOVEMBER!

All good things must come to an END!

This is the cutest mermaid I ever did see!This is the cutest fighter pilot I ever did see...This is the cutest little spider I ever did see... Hey what happened to your costume! I'll have to post a few later when he actually stays in it! The head part kept covering his head completely and he could not see...

Well, this is my last post for October! I can't believe how this month has lasted! It has been FUN but I am so glad it's DONE!

The PaRtY mOm!!

A few jewels among a BUSY somewhat stressful day!

As all of you know Britten has started Kindergarten this year! When it came time to volunteer I think I signed up for just about everything except for the room mom! When no one wanted the job Mrs. Reid approached me to see if I would be willing to do it and of course I said yes! But I had also signed up to be the PaRtY pLannEr and organize the parties. I decided out of the two I would rather do the parties. What was I thinking?!? I have been stressing out all week over a party for FIVE year olds! Since Jeff had been gone for three weeks I saved most of the organizing and planning until this week so I was not able to recruit much help from the other moms! I think I have been to the store at least once each day for something and have been cutting, copying and laminating like crazy! Today amongst my mindless chaos (and I have some friends that can vouch for the mindless part!) I had a few jewels that I wanted to share!

One is about Sarah!! Today was her preschool Halloween party and I was able to go and spend the morning with her. It was so great to have some one on one time! We both enjoyed it! She and I love to sing along to music in the car together! A remix of I will be there for you was playing today and as we were both singing it, Sarah stopped and said, "Mom, I'll always be there for you!" I then told her I would always be there for her! She continued to say, "Mom, we'll always be friends!" and I said we sure will and then she said, "We'll be there for each other!" What a sweet moment it was for me! Sometimes the things they say are sooooooooo Heaven sent!

Later in the day after going non-stop Britten wanted to run with me to pick up some balloons and run into the store. He got his costume from his Nana today and was so eXitEd and SuPeR proud! He put it on right away and wore it for the rest of the day. So, here we are walking through the store. Me with the cart and my little fighter pilot pushing the stroller. I looked at him and realized how big he was getting and what a responsible little boy he is turning into! Another sweet moment for me amongst a crazy day!

Sweet little Ian watching me run around from here to there! He only cries when he is hungry and is such a trooper! I am so thankful for him in our lives! His smiles and laughter were such sweet moments for me today!

Halloween Party take 2

Happy Holidays! Jeff and I went to Erin's Halloween party as the "cheesy Christmas couple" from the eighties! We were totally cracking up all day and then when we got ready to go.Check out my bangs! I teased the heck out of my hair and bangs! I so needed some aerosol hairspray but did not have any. Check out Jeff's curls too.I had fabulous eyeshadow and red lips! I don't know how women survived the eighties! I was ready to wash my face immediately and it took me a few conditions to the hair to get the snarls out!Could we be any cheesier?? So the funny thing was we went to this party where I knew a few people and Jeff knew no one except Erin and AP. We felt like the biggest dorks in our outfits! Good thing no one would recognize us if they saw us on the streets now. Here is a picture of Erin the fabulous host! She threw a great party! And made the cutest costumes! Thanks for the fun party Erin!!

HEE HAW!

Hee Haw fun!! We decided to take the kids to Hee Haw farms on Monday because the kids were out of school! We had so much fun!! We stayed for about 4 hours and pretty much had the whole place to ourselves! The kids were in heaven and the weather was beautiful! Here are some pictures of the many things they did!Kendyl is such a GREAT girl! She played and played with the little ones and took Sarah down many of the scary slides! Thanks Kendyl!Here comes Britten!This slide was out of control fast! You ride down on a potato sack and pray you stop at the bottom! Michelle and I both ventured down this beauty! Where is Britten? They had so much fun playing in this huge corn box! They all got buried! And then we found corn for days after!Here is Sarah in the corn!Here is one of me!?

They also had pony rides! Check out the mountains in the back ground. Utah is such a beautiful place to live!

My little horse LOVER!

They had this track with these little go carts! TOO fun!

Here I am trying to pick up a piglet for the kids to hold! Big mistake. It was squealing so loud!

Britten and his bud Jake

Britten, Jake, Addy and Ian - Sarah was being a stinker and wouldn't get in.

The P is for Party and the A is for Alright! The R is for Rowdy and the T is for tonight! The Y is for YOU and you know what to do so PARTY!

So, I have to say we live in the greatest neighborhood! There are so many families and kids!! We love it here! My girlfriends MeLisa and Jodi threw a Halloween Party and it was so much fun! Michelle, Laila and I went together because we were husband less! It was fun but I wish Jeff could have been there!The boys and a girl... The girls...
We played so many fun games! We also went out on the golf course to golf in the dark! I think the girls planned it so while on the green the irrigation system turned on! Everyone went running and screaming! Thanks for the fun party girls!!

Our little visit to Milford!

We decided to go to Milford for a few days to visit our great friends!! Kjirsta and I hung out together all the time when we lived in Cedar and so Sarah and Mckenna became best friends! (at least Sarah thinks so!) The Yardley's decided to move to Milford because that is where Brandon works on his family farm. They moved a few months before we moved here to Eagle Mountain. We sure miss being close to them and Sarah has big plans to move to Milford!We spent all day Thursday in Cedar City! My old stomping grounds!! It felt so good to be back in that small town! There are definitely benefits to living in a small town! We met up with our girlfriend Crystal and took the kids to the park. It was such a beautiful day and the kids had a great time. They spent most of their time climbing this great tree! I think Sarah thought she was a monkey because she just hung there for a while!
Here are the MOMS! Me, Crystal and Kjirsta! I have always felt so completely blessed to have such wonderful friends!
This is classic here! We were trying to get a "good" close up of us all! This was the second picture we took because the first was not so great! The girls had no idea I was making a CRAZY face until they checked it out to see how nice it turned out! Anyway we had a really good laugh until you cry! It was funny.Sarah and Mckenna working on puzzles while waiting for the best pizza!Pioneer Pizza! This has got to be the best pizza I have ever eaten! This place is family owned and operated and opened in Enoch when we lived there. Kjirsta and I got this at least once a week so of course we had to get it again! YUMMO! Gage is digging the pizza! Sarah says she is getting her "rub" (grub) on!
Cute little princesses!! I love this picture! Kjirsta took some pics of the kids in their pj's while I was getting ready. I think this is the sweetest picture of Ian. He is getting so mobile these days and is rolling all over the place!

Thanks guys for letting us come hang out with you!! And thanks Brandon for the yummy steak and rocking Ian to sleep! You guys are the greatest!! We miss you already.