Happy New Year

I just wanted to say really fast, how grateful I am for 2008. We have had a great (sometimes not so great) year. We have traveled as a family. Seen Grandpa and Cynthia get married. Welcomed 2 new babies into our extended family. We spent a lot of time with out Troy but more time with him this year then last year. We have made some wonderful new friends and connected again with old friends that I thought we would never see again. We had a baptism. And we had many fun birthdays, and holidays. We have seen some bad times globally but have been very blessed as a family. I am grateful that I have my sweet children and wonderful husband to share 2009 with. I don't know what it will bring but I am hoping and praying that it will be a wonderful year!!

Happy New Year Everybody!!!

What do you think happens when Daddy shovels the driveway?

After our what seemed like 100th snow storm in the last 2 weeks Troy was finally here to shovel the driveway. The kids had been begging him to go out and play with them in the snow. (mom is way to boring and there for not worth asking) He said that he would go out with them under the assumption that he would shovel the walks. He got the porch and the sidewalk up to the house done and then this. . .

I think the kids have learned what happens when you hit daddy with a snow ball. I am positive that they will try it again.

Just a side note this is how much snow we have in our back yard, also the driveway still has snow on it. But there have been fewer kids as happy as mine were that day.

Dear Old Washing Machine,

Thanks a lot for quiting on me 2 days after Christmas!!! Thanks for quiting on me in the middle of a full load of dark clothes. Thanks for making my sweet Home Teacher have to syphon out the soap filled water (thanks again Brent we owe you one!). Thanks for not making it until I could get the washer of my dreams and making me have to settle for a "it will do us for now" one again!!! I couldn't like you any less then I do right now!!! I hope you enjoy your home on the front porch in the freezing weather! Maybe a skunk will spray you!

P.S. I really do want to thank you for waiting until the roads were cleared off. See ya wouldn't want to be ya!!!

Happy Birthday Mikayla

When Troy and I got married we decided that no matter what we would wait a few years, get settled (get used to each other) before we had children. I have learned now that things never go as planned. My Dad had a heart attack at the age of 51, and immediately after that I knew that I had to have a baby so that my kids could know my dad. (It has now been 12 years and he is healthy as a horse, I totally could have waited! oh well) We decided to have our first baby and not 3 weeks later we (yeah right I was the only one!) were pregnant.

Mikayla was born in dramatic fashion as she does everything else. Broken water, Mess all over the place, and then nothing nothing nothing for hours and then almost faster then the Dr. could get there she was here.

She and I had a great bond from the start. She talked to me and sang with me from 18 months old.

She has taught me how to be a good mom and how to love unconditionally.

She has taught me patients and now math (again)

She is our brilliant (I know all parents say that) daughter who has the brightest future ahead of her.

She loves to sing and to babysit (I love that too)

She loves to give hugs and she is the only one that will sit next to me when everyone else is wrestling on the floor with Dad. I am so proud of her and everything that she has chosen to pursue. I know that someday she is going to be a wonderful adult with a very steady head on her shoulders. (she is very strict with rules, she never lets me forget it, unless it benefits her)

I personally think that she needs to go into sales or some sort of job that she can talk a lot. She has convinced her little bothers and sisters to give her all sorts of stuff with practically nothing in return.

I am extremely grateful that she is apart of our family and can't wait to see what happens next!!

Happy Birthday Mikayla

I love you!!!

Morgan's Tree

Before I switched the girls to a new school (I did ,by the way, if you were unaware of that, it was a great thing to do and they are doing great and loving it) Morgan's 2nd grade class made a tree to donate to the Festival of Trees. We as a family went to the Festival to try and find her tree. She was so cute wondering up and down the isle looking and looking. She kept turning to me and with those big sad eyes and kept asking me "Mommy are you sure we are going to find it?" And Low and behold!!! We did. . .

This is the tree it was called A Magical Christmas(Morgan took this picture herself)

This is Morgan with her tree.

This is the Tree in the classroom almost done.

She adopted and named and wrote a story about some of the ornaments/characters on the tree and she was so excited to see them on display.

Well done to all who worked so hard on the Tree. There is a blog attached to the tree called Magicalchristmastree.blogspot.com if you want to see the creatures and the class that made the tree.

Christmas Tag

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper. (I stink at putting bags together, they always look terrible when I do it)
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. (I am too cheap to spend the money on a real one. I wish I could bottle the smell though)
3. When do you put up the tree? Day after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day
5. Do you like eggnog? Just the Ice Cream
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Umm Probably my first barbie car
7. Hardest person to buy for? Troy! (It wouldn't be if he would stop buying stuff for himself!)
8. Easiest person to buy for? Troy's Mom
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep 2 of them
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail (2nd time in 12 years! I am doing so well! )
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A pink book bag that fell apart the next day
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express, It's a wonderful life, Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Vacation, ok pretty much all of them geesh!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? October. I like to have it done and over with ASAP
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so?
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmastime? Chocolate, Chocolate and more Chocolate! Also Wassail and Hot Chocolate
16. Lights on the tree? White
17. Favorite Christmas song? Veni Veni (Oh come Oh come Emanuel) and Still Still Still
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home
19. Favorite Family Christmas Tradition? Singing Christmas songs with my family on Christmas eve, and making Christmas cookies!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds (can't stand crowds!)
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Troy's dad gets us a hand painted ornament from Pier One every year and they are sooooooo beautiful!
24. What do you want for Christmas? That is an excellent question!
25. Favorite thing about Christmas? Watching the kids faces as the round the corner and see the presents. That is truly priceless. (And everything else that comes with Christmas!!!)

I tag Kelli, Cuca, Katie, and Tiff.

Very Proud

I wanted to say while I was thinking about it, that I am truly proud of my girls and the girls of the activity days in our ward tonight. I had the opportunity to go with them tonight on a service scavenger hunt. They were split up into 4 teams each with the name and description of a child who wouldn't have a Christmas this year. All of the kids had special needs of some kind. The girls embraced these kids and were so excited to get them something to make them smile. It was wonderful to watch them forget about what they wanted and only think about what these kids would like to have. What would make them smile. I am proud of their ability to put themselves aside even for just one night and think of others. Thank you Heather , Sharon and Melissa for putting this together. I think it has changed their minds as to what Christmas is truly all about.

One of My Favorite Days of the Year

One of my favorite days of the year is the day after Thanksgiving. I get to finally get out the Christmas music and decorations. The kids get all giddy and I get to act like a 10 year old and it is ok. No one sees it but my family and they already know I am a weird so. . . Oh Well!!

I took some pictures of the process.

Getting out the boxes (keeping the kids out of them until a grown up could get to the glass things was a task. Sad to say we have already had two casualties (Sam thought they were bouncy balls)

The kids putting on the ornaments

The Finished Tree

Our Stockings (we don't have a fire place so they are just "hung with care")

Happy Christmas season everyone!!! (remember what it is all about)

A Birthday Tribute

I forgot to post this on Troy's birthday so I am doing it now. I hope that he will forgive me

10 things I love about you (Troy)

1. I love the way you love me

2.I love your smile

3. I love it when we travel together

4. I love the way you have fun and play with the kids (video games and all)

5. I love that you hold the priesthood and can bless and baptize our kids.

6. I love your loyalty to our family.

7. I love that you work so hard and give so much for our happiness.

8. I love that you are willing to get crazy with me sometimes

9. I love that you will talk to me even after you are too tired to talk anymore.

10. I love you because you are you.

Happy Belated Birthday Sweetheart!!!

Thankful!

I am thankful for so many things this season. I will try to put them to words.


Family: I am thankful for my wonderful husband and for the all the things that he does for me that I never say thank you for. And for his patients in all of my faults. I am grateful that I get to be with him for eternity.

I am grateful for my 4 beautiful children and for the opportunity I have to be their mom. I pray daily that I will be up to the task. I fail a lot but I learn every day ways that I can be better. (it is actually doing things better that I am not so good at).

I am grateful to my parents, and to Troy's parents for their love and support and for their willingness to help us when we are in need. I am grateful to my sisters and brother for their friendship and for all the laughter and the tears that we have shared. I am glad that we have each other!!!

Friends: I am thankful for the friends that I have in my life, for the ones that I have made in recent years and for the ones that have been my friends for many many years. Thank you for your support and for lending me your ear. And not complaining that I talk to much. For being there for me when I am alone. You have made all the difference.

My blessings: I am thankful for a full tummy and a roof over my families head. I am grateful for running water and for a running car. I am grateful for technology so that I can talk to my sweetheart even when he is a world away.

My Heavenly Father: I am mostly grateful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. For my testimony of his gospel. I am grateful for the scriptures and the answers they give me. I am grateful for prayer and being able to talk to my father in heaven when ever I need to. I am extremely grateful to my Heavenly Father for all the blessings that he has blessed me with.
I love the thanksgiving holiday because it reminds me to say all the things that I don't say the rest of the year.

These are just a few of the things that I am grateful for but I cannot say them all. But just know that I am truely grateful!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!!

Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet? In Edda's mustang riding home from Snow College

2. How long did you date before you got married? 5 months

3. How long have you been married? 12 years

4. What does he do that surprises you? Sends me flowers even if they are e-flowers!

5.What is your favorite feature of his? His blue eyes and beautiful smile.

6. What is your favorite quality of his? How much he loves me and our family

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Babe

8. What is his favorite color? North Carolina Blue

9. What is his favorite food? Banana Cream Pie

10. What is his favorite sport? BYU Football and North Carolina Basketball

11. When and where was your first kiss? 1st date on our way out of the restaurant (he was antsy)

12. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Travel (with our without the kids)

13. Do you have any children? 4, 2 girls and 2 boys

14. Does he have a hidden talent? He has a beautiful singing voice

15. How old is he? 35

16. Who said "I love you" first? He did.

17. What do you admire most about him? His loyalty (he will fight to the death for his friends)

18.Do you think he will read this? definitely not

I tag Cuca, Laurie, Jenni, Kelli, Aunt Wendy, Kymber (but she won't do it), Katie, Megan, and Mennifer.

Night With the Vampires

On Friday night I had the unique pleasure of going to see twilight with a bunch of my friends. I had the best time!!! We had dinner at Ruby River (best steak I have ever had) and then to the movie. It was a great movie and even though it had some cheesy parts I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a movie that we will own someday.

All of the fun ladies that were in our group. You can imagine being the waiter that had to wait on us!

Kymber and Jaryn (it was freezing that night and we had to wait outside)

Me and Kymber

This is all of us sitting waiting for dinner.

Me and Jaryn with the Vampires! Isn't Edward yummy looking?! (he's the one in gray)

Jaryn, Me, Mandy and Jenny with the screen behind us!

I do want to thank Heidi for coordinating everything and for inviting me in the first place. I really had the best time!!!

Girls Night Out for the Few and the Proud!

Tickets to New Kids on the Block Concert 1990

$15-$25

Tickets to New Kids on the Block Concert 2008

$50

Going as a grown Women and being able to truly appreciate the beauty

Priceless

I am so grateful to Heidi for getting us seats on the floor in the Center!! I could actually see them! We had a blast and I am so glad that we went. I am so excited that I met Heidi and Cuca and that we have become friends. They are awesome people and very easy to have fun with. I thoroughly enjoyed acting like a 13 year old with them!!! Can't wait for our next great adventure! Twilight!!!!

My First "Business" Trip

Last week Troy asked me to go with him on his business trip to LA. Thanks to the kindness of my mom and dad and my sister Kara for agreeing to watch my kids and get them to school etc. I was able to go. It was so fun!!! During the day Troy went into the the clients office and I stayed back at the hotel and literally sat around all day. It was BLISS!! No one yelling at me or at anyone else around me. No one saying "mom"150 times in under a min. Ahhh I cannot say enough about how relaxing it was. When Troy got back the first day we walked around LA and saw

The Capitol Records Building

The Walk of Fame

Grauman's Chinese Theater

The Hand and Footprints of the "Stars" (this is Humphrey Bogart's)

And we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my cousin Corbin who is in film school at USC. We got to see his finished film and I was really impressed. He made a great movie!!!

On Tuesday night we went to the Los Angeles Temple. Which oddly enough was the only day that they didn't hold a protest outside. It was really neat to do a session there. And I was amazed at how close to down town LA it is. All in all a very peacefull night.

On Wednesday night we went to Universal City. Which is just a nice way to say here is a place that we can charge you a lot of money. Seriously people. It cost us $12 just to PARK!!!
Any way we walked around the "mallish" area,
then ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (a must so that I can get a shot glass)

Where Troy saw the drum set that Tommy Lee played with Motley Crue

And best of all Rick Allen from Def Leppard's Leather jacket. He was in heaven

We really had a great time and I am so grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to be able to go. Thanks Honey for inviting me. I can't wait to do it again!!