The Harris Household

Avilynn is 1!!!!

2012-01-14T19:30:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it!!!!

My baby is growing up, I am in shock ....She was so cute eating her cake!

Stupid Blogger, pictures are backwards....

I decided not to go all out with Fondant... its a lot of work, and she wouldn't have known, cared, or have been able to eat it cute...

This was the first time I made the 1st birthday cakes, and it was fun to have her little side cake along with the sheet cake!

She is growing so fast, I can't beleive it!! Where did this last year go?!!!

Christmas Time Was Here....

2012-01-14T19:09:00.000-08:00

This year was a busy Christmas...

We had a bunch of activities planned out...

One was going to St. George to Touchan to see the Live Nativity they put on.

We went down with some great friends and had a really fun time!!

This is out of order... dumb Blogger... and I don't feel like uploading again...

This is are Christmas Eve Pj's, our only present the kids can open...

Another cool memory this year, was how my Brother In Law

went to town on the Christmas Lights!!! They were so cool... we thought

we were at Temple Square!

AND...

After 3 Years of waiting patiently.... ;)

It was McKelle and Kenton's turn to be Mary and Joseph in our Family Nativity!!!

We had Breakfast with Santa at the Grand America, and our kids are still talking about it!

It was a fun season, with a lot that happened...!

Halloween Happenings!!!

2011-11-09T11:24:00.001-08:00

Our Annual Pumpkin Patch Outing!!
We Love this Place!!

The Family Carving

The Costumes!!

Bellatrix and Voldemort

and

A Family of Wizards!!!

You Better Watch OUT!!

Kenton got to choose our Theme for this year. Obviously he chose Harry Potter.

Next year it is McKelles turn to pick... We might all be Strawberry Shortcakes...or Barbie ;)

No I keep putting things in her mind, like Wizard of Oz, and we had a great idea to be the Simpsons... maybe the Incredibles... Hopefully she doesn't kill us!

So far we have been:

Pirates

Batman, Joker and Catwoman

Star Wars: Darth Vadar, Princess Leah, Anikan, and Queen Amidala

Spiderman and Venom, with me as Catwoman again..( McKelle had just got out of the hospital)

Witches and Goblins

and this year Harry Potter....

We Love Halloween and it is one of our Families favorites things to decide what we will all be!

I thought it was Crafty..... ;)

2011-11-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

So I wanted a Halloween Garland... couldn't find anything... only fall types... So I bought yellow/red leaf garland, bought some black spray paint and Halloween Glitter.... And VOLA....

Hey, never said I was Miss Crafty... but I was pleased with myself ;)

My Next Fondant Creation- Happy Birthday McKelle!

2011-09-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Can you guess??
What could it be?

I am sure you know by now!

Ok... Its THE TOWER!!!

McKelle has told me for a year she wanted the tower

for cake... So I knew this day was coming of tedious sculpting and design ;)

But it was worth it for that smile!!

2011 Happenings....

2011-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is my OB, Dr. Barney

I wanted a picture with him and all my babies!
He delivered all my kids and I love him!

We took a vacation to California...

Of course we stayed in a Marriott

Took the kids to Disneyland...

Saw Rapunzel...

But were totally bummed out!
When we planned the trip, the new Ariel Ride and Star Tours
Were suppose to be open... but they were delayed and
we missed them by 10 days!!!

But it was still fun!

We Blessed Avilynn...

It was fun to get out the blessing dress for her.

I made this dress with my mom, for Kenton.

I know it is a little weird, but I wanted all

my children blessed in the same outfit.
This was an antique blessing dress pattern

( well acutally a "Christening" pattern)

Kenton wore the coat over it to be more "manly"

I got the idea from my uncle and aunt who are from England and have blessed

all their family in the same dress. It was really cool to see generations in the same dress.

My little Dancer!

It was McKelle's first Dance Recital, and we rushed home from CALI

to get to it in time... She did great!

Plus McKelle graduated from Pre-School!

Kenton Lost his two front teeth....

In ONE PULL!

They both popped out together...

Kinda fun, and kind of a blessing... he was a little crazy about the whole thing ;)

Peonies and Delphiniums!!!

I made this arrangment from my flowers...

Even though this year ended like a dud in my yard, June was really pretty...

I am hoping next summer when Avilynn is a little easier, I will be able to get back to
gardening... I had two bum years ;(
We had a count down in our house for this event!

Kenton was sooooo excited for this movie.

He has been talking about it since last November!

We saw it in 3D, it was better than part 1 by a mile!

I think that is a good break down of things that have past....

Part II coming soon!

Where Does Time GO???

2011-09-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

They start out so small....
And a few days go by....

Then 3 months...

You Bless them

Then they are 5 months and so cute!

Then they start to sit up!!!!

I love you Avilynn Belle... why do you

have to grow up so soon...??

Avilynn Belle Harris Born 1-11-11

2011-01-24T12:34:00.001-08:00

7 Ibs

18.5 Long

We are so happy that she is here!~

She is such a blessing to our Family,

We Love Her!!

Christmas!

2009-12-26T16:35:00.001-08:00

This is Christmas Eve, the kids got to open 1 gift

and they got these cute P.J's!!

This is the first time I have done that,

and they really liked it, it started out the excitement!

Top of the stairs, waiting to go down!!

This year, Santa did something a little different.

He only put out 1 gift for each child, unwrapped.

The rest were all over the family room, wrapped up, so the

kids had to run around and look for their presents!

They loved it, and it made it more exciting, because they

took in each gift as they opened it.

I filmed the running around opening packages... so that

was the aftermath!

Kenton was soo sure he would get the WII, and I guess

he was right, Santa brought it - but had hid it in a corner.

It was the last gift he found, and was a little worried,

because he had already opened some games for it,

but couldn't find the actual system!

And McKelle wanted a Doll House!

She got it, but there was nothing inside it, she had to

find all the accessories around the room in packages!

She has played with this for hours every day since Christmas,
GO SANTA, this was the perfect gift!

Kenton also wanted a Dragon Castle and Batman stuff!

Santa Claus, as usual, goes a little overboard at our house,

BUT, what can we say! Softy's at Heart!

Christmas Lights!

2009-12-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

We Finally made it to Temple Square this year!!

We haven't gone since Kenton was a baby, and I
put it as a for sure TO DO, and I am so glad I did!

My kids loved the nativity, McKelle, even though

she is only 3 was soooo into it, and loved seeing

Mary and Josa ( as she calls him)

It was really cold, but that also makes

part of the memory!

ZOO LIGHTS!!

We also made it up to Zoo Lights!

We really liked it - I thought it was

pretty amazing how many displays they had!

The 3D glasses were also really cool!

Traditions!!

2009-12-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Last year I started something, I will carry on as long as I can,

Pie Making - with my Grandma!!

I went to her house to learn how to make pie crusts,

and this year, I did it again. It was really neat to

spend time with her, and take my daughter.

Here is McKelle thinking she is queen chef!

She loved helping peel the apples...

I am so grateful to still have her around to teach me

her skilled art of baking amazing pies and treats!

And I will continue keeping Thanksgiving Pie Making

a TO DO as long as we can!

CHRISTMAS

SO, money is always tight around the holidays...

And I wanted my kids to start to learn the value of

earning and spending money... along with giving...

So they had to make charts that earned

"Santa Bucks"

to pay for the gifts they were going to give

to their cousins this year.

So this year while at the store, they looked at the

price tag, and knew how many bucks they had,

so then they realized how much they could spend.

It took a lot of good deeds to earn enough for their gifts,

I think it really made Kenton appreciate giving his

gifts... McKelle, well she didn't quite catch the

meaning, when I told her she didn't have enough

Santa Bucks, she went to the chart and wrote on it,

and said " now I have more Mommy"

COUNT DOWN!!!

I have been searching for for a few years for

some kind of Advent Calendar, but didn't

find anything that quite fit the bill, so

after going to Enrichment, I came up with this idea...

My mom and I made this Christmas Tree with

pockets to stick Popsicle sticks in it, that a gal in my

ward makes, http://designbyjanece.com/

and so you combine her really cute idea,

with the count down, and it was soooo FUN!

My kids loved getting up and picking out a stick,

and then finding out what we got to do that day...

So when we were at 24, we got to put the special

Star Stick on the top of the tree,

and they knew that it was Christmas Eve!

The Manger Scene!!

As kids, we always did a manger scene at my Grandma's

house each year, at our Family Party, well this year,

I really wanted to start the Tradition up again, with our

family. My mom and I got fabric for costumes, and started

a back drop. As always we had too much on our plates for

it all to come together, but we got it started and will continue

to add to the back drop and costumes for the next few years!

So these are some of the main traditions we have in

our family, and things that really made our Holiday Season

really fun and meaningful!

Gymoboree Girl!!

2009-11-17T07:09:00.001-08:00

So in light of what happened with McKelle going to the hospital, when it came time to buy fall/winter close ( which was the week she came home)...

I SPLURRRRGGGED!!!

I never buy her really expensive closes, I go to Walmart, Target, Children's Place for just a couple of things... But this year, I was online, and saw a few things.....

AND COULDN'T RESIST!!!

Ok, they were on sale, I don't think I could have done it at full price... So McKelle has a few totally decked out things in her closet, matching shoes, Bows, tights, socks, which make some SUPER CUTE OUTFITS!!!

Ok Ok, I didn't buy her everything there... I would have to take out a loan... just a few, but after everything, I just wanted to treasure every moment with her, make the most out of her little personality ALL GIRL- and dress her up... We have fun everyday putting her together, and she loves it as much as I do!

So I wasn't able to get her 3 year pictures until the fall,
but her outfit sure came in handy!!

Oops Forgot Halloween!

2009-11-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Our Outfits!

Kenton was Harry from Spider Man 3 as

THE GOBLIN!!

Or as he called it "Harry Goblin"

So he begged for Lance to be the Black Spider Man

So they could fight each other...

McKelle remembered her Kitty Kat costume I guess..

because when I asked her what she wanted to be

She wouldn't budge on being a Kitty Kat!

So at that point we weren't going to be a matching

family... So I drug out Cat Woman from a few years ago...

Hey she is still in the Super Hero/Villian Family..!

Aren't we cute Kitty's!

So I saved money on the girl costumes,
luckily they still fit!

We always go over to my mom's for Clam Chowder for
Dinner, and see the cousins... This year though my
sister with half of the clan has moved out of state,
so this was the whole group.

Growing Pains!!!

2009-11-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

Last September

This October

When Oh when will my hair be past the cleavage!!! I have been
trying to Grow this mop out for 5 years now!!! A bad hair cut,
then a bad die job - so 2 times starting over-
and I am still hear, at this mid length...

HMMPH..!!!

I know its eary for Christmas...

2009-11-12T15:56:00.000-08:00

But I feel like I missed fall, so I am getting a head start on Christmas... and I loved this background! - 4 weeks wasn't enough!

Fall - Our Lives over the last Monthish!

2009-11-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Fall Drives....

We always go for Fall Drives up the canyon, but this year,
we ended up missing prime time to do it because of McKelle's
hospitalizaion.... But Kenton had a school project to collect
Leaves so we went up Little Cottonwood and got some leaves
and took a few pics.....
I am already looking forward to next year, I was bummed out!

Kenton tried his foot in Soccer! He loved it!

Harvest Time!!!We were finally able to pick our pumpkins, the kids
have been dying to do this all summer long!

Happy Birthday to You!!!

Lance had a birthday.... I don't know if he wants

his age posted.... We went to Cheezecake YUM YUM!

And had a little family get together afterwards!

One day I was downstairs, and I come up to find

McKelle doing this....

Her Princess's were swimming or bathing, I cant

remember now, but I though it was hilarious, sinse

she got the stool, filled up the sink and had

all of them in it... What could I do but laugh,

can't turn my back on her for a minute!

First and only dance class.... Poor baby, she

can't keep going right now, I am hoping soon!

I never knew I would become a NURSE!!

2009-10-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is one nights left over syringes!!!

I have had to learn how to give McKelle

her antibiotics at home every day,

so this is the left over garbage!!

McKelle Is Home!!

2009-09-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

McKelle was admitted to Primary Childrens 2 weeks ago with bacterial pneumonia.

She had been sick with a high fever for a few days,

and the doctor's didn't diagnose it for 5 days...

Once she was admitted she underwent surgery and sedation procedures to place

chest tubes and perform a VATS on her lung.

A Life Saving Coloring book with "Magic Markers" was given

to McKelle by my sister. It was the only thing that she would sit up to do!

SWOLLEN!!

McKelle turned into someone else at the hospital, all the fluid
they gave her to keep her fevers down and to hydrate her,
made her into a balloon!

After a week of laying on the back of her head, her hair was sooo

tangled, it took me over an hour to brush it out, and put it into braids...

Then we had a nurse that I loved named Marielle, and a couple of days later
we again combed out the tangles and she french braided her hair for me...

FINALLY!!! After almost 2 weeks she was able to take off her oxygen and
get out of her room... We went for a wagon ride around the hospital!

Both Lance and I want to thank everyone for everything

over the past few weeks...

All the prayers, food, love, support, and kindness

shown to our family during this time.

We truly appreciate everyone's concern for McKelle.

After all her procedures and surgery, she is finally doing better!

We truly are grateful for the power of the priesthood,

and for our Heavenly Father hearing and answering prayers.

Thanks again to everyone during this trying time. We Love You!

1st Days of School!!

2009-08-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

My Baby is in Kindergarten!!! Where has time gone?!

I can't beleive this is here already! I didn't post right away,

I think I was in shock!!

I still am ;) I love that Kenton is developing,

but I have a hard time when I see him do things

I remember doing as a kid - That is when I know that this

ALL COUNTS!

I have a huge responsibility - Can't he just stay little forever!

McKelle had her meet and greet with her preschool teacher

the same day asKenton's first day of school,

which actually worked well, because

McKelle has been begging to go to school with Kenton

for 6 months!

Here Kenton is lining up for the first time!

He will get used to hearing bells for the next 13 years! ;)

And this is McKelle's 1st day of Preschool!!

Does every little girl want to grow up so fast!?

Alas my kiddios are growing up! Maybe I do need one more! ;)

UH OH The Big 3&0's!!! (Better Late than Never)

2009-08-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

So McKelle turned 3 and I turned 30!!! Can any believe that! I never thought I would have a hard time with it, but I did! I don't feel like I have accomplished enough to be 30!!!

My birthday is always around father's day so Lance planned a surprise party for me at his father's day BBQ (which was on my B-Day), so I totally wasn't expecting it!

I can't believe it has come and gone, and I will never be in my 20's again! MY OH MY!!! Hopefully the next 10 years, I pack in a lot!

And then there is my little PRINCESS McKELLE!!

She is now 3!!!

Thank You so much to Rebecca and Heather!!! I couldn't have made that cake without you Rebecca, you totally made the party for me! I have wanted to make McKelle a fun cake that she would be in awe over - and I wish I could upload the movie of her seeing her cake the morning of her birthday - her eyes were dazzled by it!

And Heather - you are amazing! How do you whip out a hair do like that in no time and effort!

It really made her into a princess! Thanks so much for your help!

This was so much fun to make - BUT SO MUCH WORK ;)

I might take a birthday off before I do it again ;)

So at the beginning of the Party all the princesses went around following the clues in the story book to find where the Jewels for their Crowns were. They were hidden around the house in the Jewelery Boxes. ( A Troll had taken the Jewels and left the scrolls with clues written down!!)

Once we found the Jewels, we made our Tiara Crowns for all the princesses!

Then we played place Cinderella in her window...

And here they all are with their crowns!

Next we made poison apples and then we played
pass the poison apple

Then after cake and ice cream, we opened presents...

When GIRLS ATTACK!!

Mckelle got a vanity and as soon as all the little girls saw it, they were all fighting to be right by it! It was so funny, they all wanted to play with it, so it created a little problem.... man, we are the same even at 3!

I shopped all over the place trying to find a vanity that I like that would hold up, but wasn't outragiously priced. I found this one online, and luckily it came the day of her party, so Lance was putting it together while we were outside playing games...

I Love this Picture of McKelle, even though she looks 6 in it I swear!

All her hair really makes her look so much older than she really is!

Happy Birthday McKelle. I said if I got a girl, I would want her to be a girly girl - and boy did I get one! I love you so much! You are the funniest little thing, with so much personality! You make me so happy, and I love watching you grow and learn. You remind me of myself with your imagination and girly ways!

THF - Total Health and Fitness

2009-08-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

So Many of you know I have been doing a Fitness plan with a company called Total Health and Fitness....

They have this new way of doing consultations as a group so that the prices are much cheaper. My consultant asked me if I would like to host one at my house, where people could come, hear about the program and see if it is something you would want to do.

I am a little hesitant about it, but figured it is free for anyone who is interested just to see... so I thought I would put this on here and see who might be interested.

If you are just leave me a comment and I will let you know if and when I will be hosting the group program, but I thinking about doing it on the 22nd or the night of the 24th... (august)

I don't have all the details, I just know that you will get a lot of the education, and access but that you don't go in every week to get measured, just once a month you meet together and get measured, but you have access to the meal plans that really work.

You can go to their website and see success stories, but this is one that is on there... it shows you how they keep track of things and what you can expect, the programs are always about body fat loss, not just weight, and about toning your muscles and looking more fit.

If you areRachel Olson
12 WEEK STATISTICS
Start Weight: 141.00 lbs.Start Body Fat: 30.00%
End Weight: 123.00 lbs.End Body Fat: 14.00%
Muscle Gained: 7.00 lbs.Fat Lost: 25.00 lbs.Body Fat Lost: 16.00%

Lake Tahoe 4th of July!!

2009-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

So after working for Marriott as an advisor over Lake Tahoe for 6 years, I FINALLY made it over there!!!

This is the famous Emerald Bay, and it is where some of the most famous things in Lake Tahoe are...

We had so much fun - and my favorite thing we did was to rent bikes and ride along the trails!

We thought the kids would have a ball too, but after 8 1/2 hours of car ride, I don't think they were exstatic to sit in the carrier for 3 hours.... :( oh well ;)-

I loved it, and it had been sooo long since I had ridden a bike, but it's like they say - You Never Forget!

We also took a Paddle Boat ride across the lake to Emerald Bay, which was a great way to get out on the lake and see around. The lake is really choppy, so boating can be a little crazy!Timber Lodge had this fabulous restaurant called "Fire and Ice" that was soooo good. You would select what food off the ice you wanted and then take it to the grill and stand and watch them cook it for you!

It was all you can eat so we were sooo full!!!

But the coolest thing we did was pay to be at a private beach club to watch the fireworks over the lake. The barges that set them off were right in front of us and the fireworks went off right over our heads. They also did them to music so it was really cool!

Here we are waitinig around at the beach and in the dark for them to start.

The lake is gorgeous and HUGE!

We hiked up to a waterfall - we thought we would do a lot more hiking, but NOT WITH KIDS :)-

They were done after 10 minutes,.... next time we will go alone!

There is also a lot of bordering lakes around, and they are just as pretty and more secluded. This one is a small one off the beaten path called Lake Lily.

It was great to finally see the property and lake. It was a wonderful place to visit!

Catch Up!!

2009-07-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

We went through the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house a few weeks ago with our kids, and after having been through the Draper Temple, they new what to expect.

We gave them a huge lecture on "They better be good, quite and behave... OR ELSE"

And it was so cool, they really were better, they new to be quite and not push through the line and try to run around.

McKelle still tells us almost every day that, "Mommy, we have to be quite in the Temple!"
And she tells us out of the blue, I guess we really made an impact on her! ;)

We went to the Zoo!

Always an adventure :)

Lance loves this guy, he has a picture of him as a child by the Lion water fountain, so everytime we go, we got pictures by it too!

And it has been a little while, but -

Lance and I had our 7 year anniversary! Woo Hoo, lets see if the itch goes away! J/K, no I know that this man and me fit together like a hand in a glove!

We tried out a restaurant up by the canyon called Trio, it was Italian, but with a mediteranian flare, it was really good! I would recommend it!

And of course we got 2 desserts, Creme Brulee' - My FAVORITE, and some tart thing too.

Peonies!! This is for you Nikki!

2009-07-23T08:29:00.001-07:00

All those days in training, and now you finally no why I was obsessed with learning about how to grow these lovelies!

From the time I first started to learn about plants, I fell in love with Peonies, and have planted numerous around my house.

I love these shots and they really show you how this plant can be so powerful, I just wished they stayed longer. They come in June for about 3 weeks and then are gone until the next year :(

This was the first year I was able to really get a good show with a ton of blooms on a plant. I was soooo excited!!

Sping To Summer - My Gardening

2009-05-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Early May.............................................Late May

You can see my magenta creeping phlox is dying out, along with my white

Candy Toft, but isn't amazing how the other perennials are filling in and closing

in the space! This will be my first year to have the garden full, and the plants

touching, so the space flows!

This is just another angle!

This was late spring - I love the way this combination works.

It gives you bright color, right at the beginning of the season!

And this is really late (obviously these tulips are gone :) - But when they all were finally in bloom together, they really were a nice addition.

I go GAGGA for BLUE!!!

I love blue flowers, and I would have a whole garden dedicated to blue if I could find enough that were TRUE BLUE like these Forget Me Nots!

I also planted pots this year, with much more attention to detail.

I hope they last during the summer and do well... this is my 2nd attempt at

pots, but 1st year actually dedicating time to learn and plant them

correctly... So we will see what a month brings :)

So in honor of my new passion I created a blog just for my gardening

(but I will still post some on this site too ;)

The address is:

http://gardeningfeverblog.blogspot.com/

So for all you flower lovers out there... come visit, I will post about whats going on in the garden, and what I am working on, I will also post a lot of information I have learned from all of the reading and research I have done over the past few years!

He Said Yes!!

2009-05-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

So, Have been waiting for this day to arrive for almost 3 years!

McKelle is potty trained!

So why the title you ask...

So I think this is so funny and totally fits her personality...

I had to share

So I get her to do the #1 duty just fine, and I am not kidding waiting helped because seriously in 3 days completely trained, (she only had 1 accident and that was my fault- out in the yard) She was doing AWESOME! SO then we were trying to get the 2nd duty, and of course she was waiting until nap time and doing it in her diaper, or first thing in the morning...

I would sit her on the toilet and she would say,

"He says no mommy,"

meaning the poop is not coming out ;)

Well I caught her at a good moment, and I played along and said "I see him" ( why it is a him - I don't know) ha ha.... Anyways, she looked at me and had this oh... and got this surprised look and she goes "HE SAYS YES MOMMY!!" -

And sure enough, he did say YES!

So now everytime, I get a play by play of what her poop is telling her, Yes or No!, and this might be more info then you would like, but so funny, she now says if it is a baby, or a mommy, or a daddy, based on size. ;)

SUCCESS!!

We are out of diapers for the first time in 5 years!!

Working for Marriott Has It's Perks!

2009-04-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

SO- When we had the opporotunity to take this vacation with our family, we couldn't resist!

My brother-in law also works for Marriott, so we went with a ton of family. There were 17 of us total...

FIRST STOP: LAS VEGAS

We stayed at the JW Marriott, and it was beautiful! We went down to the Strip and walked through the major casinos, stopped at the M&M Store - the Movie there is so cute!

We had pizza at the New York - New York, saw the lions at MGM Grand, and got our Vegas bug squashed ;)

SECOND STOP: PALM SPRINGS

I had never been there, but had only booked it a million times through work, so it was really fun to finally see it! We stayed at the Marriott Timeshare Shadow Ridge. It was WONDERFUL~

It had the best pools for families, and was perfect weather, and so relaxing!

They had a splash park by the pool, and it was a lot of fun to play in! Here is Lance taking a dumping of water!

Next Stop...

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

We left Palm Springs after a few days and drove to Universal. It was about a 3 hour drive in all, not too bad. I had never been there either, so it was cool to see the park, but all in all, not planning on going back anytime soon....

Kenton really loved seeing Characters like SPONGEBOB and I know, not my favorite either, but he loves it, so what do you do!?

PARKS, PARKS, and more PARKS!

We stayed in Newport Coast, and the Marriott Timshares again, and they are about a 25 minutes drive to the one and only DISNEYLAND!!

We got a city pass so we had 3 days to play, but it was pretty crowded and it took a lot of time getting from ride to ride with 17 people!

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL!!!

They reopened Small World... and it was sooo cute... You can see that we were able to always get a full cart where ever we went, so getting the front, back or where ever, was just a matter of fighting over it with our group ;) ( Space Mountain anyone?)

McKelle had been talking about going to "The Castle" for a month! She thought that from the moment we left our drive way, we were going to the castle. We had to tell her that the Excaliber was the castle in Vegas to appease her, then in Palm Springs, the pool helped, but at Universal, she had had it! She wanted "The Castle"

But cool enough, they opened the Castle up and you can walk through it and see SLEEPING BEAUTY!! McKelle was in Heaven!

This is inside the castle!

The new TOY STORY RIDE was SOOO fun, but we waited for 45 minutes to get on it!

NO FAST PASSES allowed :(

Mckelle's favorite ride was the TEA CUPS!

AND THEN, there was the waiting in line for PRINCESSES!! We did Tinkerbell and the Princess Cove where you meet 3. McKelle was overwhelmed at meeting "AURORA" as she nows calls her... She was stunned - it was so funny!

Kenton was buddy buddy was his older cousins! He wanted to ride everything with them... Here he is on Peter Pan with his cousin! We Love this ride- doesn't everyone ;)

CHEESE!!

Trying to get this shot was like pulling teeth!

Taking one of just me and Lance, so much easier!

FINAL PARK: SEAWORLD

Here are the little kids together!

I was so excited to see this show, last time I was at SEAWORLD, I was very little, like 5.

So I was like a kid in a candy store here...!

No luck with getting the perfect picture here... Can you see the whale in the background?

Here was the view from our room at Newport, I hate leaving this place!

I would move in a heart beat if I could!

We stopped at the beach on our way out for a couple of hours, the water was still a little cold,

but the kids had so much fun running in and out of the waves.

FINAL STOP: THE RITZ BABY!!

We stayed over at the Ritz Carlton in Henderson on Lake Mead, on our way back to break up the drive. We were puttin on the ritz baby! It was a gorgeous property! We had the best brunch and walked around down on an inlet of the lake. It was a great way to end the trip.

The Kids were exhausted which helped on the 6 hour drive home.

We couldn't have done it without my sister's dvd player! Thank you Thank you! It was the way we measured time in driving.. "We have 2 more movies tell we are there"

It was a way fun trip, we should have stayed at Palm Springs last, because we were exhausted when we got home from all those parks! But I am not complaining...

So I shouldn't complain every morning when I wake up that I have to work.. right? Still trying to conquer that ;)

Kenton's Birthday - DELAYED

2009-04-22T13:31:00.001-07:00

Kenton was so excited to see Monster's vs Aliens, and so I told him for his birthday he could take some friends and go see the movie, if it came out in time.

Well he comes running downstairs

"Mommy, Mommy - monsters vs aliens comes out on March 7th, I just saw it on a commercial"

I was so excited because that was an easy out for me not having to have a birthday party, and was still able to let him do something with his friends...

Well then I see the preview and it is March 27th so now I am thinking, "Now what am I going to do!"

Well I had a little chat with Kenton to let him know that it was later, but he was still game for doing the movie with friends... So I was so relieved, until I realized that we would be out of town when it came out, and so he would have to wait until April to do his birthday party....

But again he suprised me and was ok with it... So come a month and a half after his birthday we got together with his friends, and it was so fun!

The kids were so cute in the 3D glasses! I think I saw about 1/2 the movie... I thought it would be less stressful than a party - but - it wasn't. ;) Between potty breaks, and "Mommy" I was still running around... But it was really fun and the kids had a good time.!

Easter Time!

2009-04-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest memories as a child was going to the fabric store to pick out material and a pattern for a new Easter Dress. There were 4 girls, and we all got a new dress. I don't know how my mom ever did it!

This Easter was really fun because Kenton remembered what it was all about, and was so excited to have the Easter Bunny come!

This is him so excited telling me about what he got in his basket!

And this is my wild haired little girl who LOVES princesses!

This was my attempt to take a picture by my tulips but it was so cold with the wind, that they were not excited about it! So we went inside to take the rest of the pictures...

I loved the way their outfits turned out... No I didn't sew McKelle's! I wish....

I took these pictures before we went to an Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's. I thought they turned out so cute!

Finally the weather warmed up and we were able to take a picture outside! But Kenton was pictured out with Easter and our vacation. He wasn't going to come out!

I wish my tulips would bloom already! But at least some are out! Tulips to me are Easter, and the sign that spring has arrived!

Spring Fever! Come on Weather!!!

2009-03-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

So, I picked up a new hobby a few years ago, and now as soon as the snow melts, my little heart goes pitter patter when I see my precious plants emerging in the ground, ready to summon spring! I can't resist going outside and looking for my tulip heads popping out!

I get so excited when I see them... cuz I know the dreary days of brown ugliness is almost over and my bed designs are coming soon!

Also another joy is seeing my precious perennials coming back, stronger and better than the year before. This is a Shasta Daisy "Becky" and a Holly Hock coming back in my backyard garden. I cleared away all my dead tops of plants back there ... and have a wonderful garden emerging... ( I hope!)

I get so excited, and spend a lot of time out in my yard watching very closley (too close probably) and watch every plants progression out of dormency... This year I am trying to contain myself until mid april to do a lot because, I got going in early march last year, and I think it burned me out early....

Anyways, there will be more posts to come on my gardens and their progress!

What can I say - I have fallen in love with Gardening!

Don't Judge Me.... But

2009-03-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

I had to go... for anyone who knows me, knows that I am a singer, and that my life revolves around music!

One of the all time best singers there has been is Celine Dion! So when I heard she was coming to Utah ( and I never got down to see her in Vegas - which I still can't believe) I had to see her!

So last week I went with my sister in law ( Lance was strong and decided not to go... but was unhappy to say the least) and saw the 2nd to best concert of my life!!!! ( The best was Barbara Streisand)

I counldn't believe her wardrobe changes! They were so fast... And look at those heals she was wearing!

I tried to take pictues, but the cam phone wasn't the best ;) It was an amazing concert, that I had been waiting for almost a year and a half to go to. She was a great performer, and her vocals were amazing. If she comes again, I will definatly be going!

She opened with I Drove All Night, and her final encore was MY HEART WILL GO ON and it was amazing!

I am so glad I got to see her live. For any singer it is amazing to hear vocals done live... it really emphasizes talent, technique, and ability. She was excellent!

Better Late Then Never

2009-01-23T15:41:00.001-08:00

So I thought even though it is a distant memory, that I would post about Christmas, more for journal purposes. My family has a Santa come to our family party and this year Kenton really understood and was asking a lot of questions about, " Do we have a chimney mommy for Santa to come down?" and " Mommy, if there is presents under the tree already, will Santa still leave me some?" He also was very much about that Santa would bring him what he wanted - ALL he wanted!

Here is the kids Christmas outfits. I love getting them new Sunday clothes. I have bought too many hats for McKelle that she would never wear. So when we were at the store and she wanted the hat, I was very reluctant to buy it for her. But I did, and she has worn it! Hurray!

Has anyone elses child gone through a phase when they can't smile? This is what I get when I say smile Kenton!

Oh here is my little princess. When we asked her what she wanted Santa to bring her, she said "Pink Presents" I get such a kick out of her little personality. Girls, Girls, they are the funniest, most dramatic things in the world!

This is my baby girl, TO A TEE! My sweet little angel is constantly getting into my makeup and my drawers. If I am getting ready, she is in there with me asking for "MY EYES!"

And I have found numerous splashes of color on my rugs.... ! (when she helps herself) So she got her own "make up". When she realizes it isn't real, we will have a problem ;)

Happy New Years! This is me and Lance on New Years at his parents house. We always go and hang out and have yummy food! We usually try to put a jig saw puzzle together before midnight, but this year we watched MAMMA MIA! I didn't have any idea what I was getting myself into;)

2008 Was a long year. But working from home, and having Lance only working at one job has really made a difference.

2008: Started out with Radiation and MRI's

Lance working 60-80 hours a week.

Lance started to finish our basement

Had another surgery in February - UGH

Good blood results in May

Still living with boxes in my living room in June

Started working from home in August

Pushed to get the basement done- Sheet rock dust!!!!

More good blood results in September

Lance started only working one job- Hallelujah

First Thanksgiving meal ever cooked by myself

Carpet laid on Christmas Eve! Hurray

Lost 5 pounds not working at the office!!! - A miracle

This years goals:

Start a food storage

Get in better shape

Keep good blood results! ( Exercising does lower cancer rates)

Turn 30 gracefully! - We will see ;)

I have more but that is all I will post about!

So Long DSW - Hello Shoes!!!

2009-01-22T09:16:00.001-08:00

So I love shoes, what woman doesn't...

I ran into an old neighbor at Harmons who told me that DSW was going out of business in the District and to go over for the amazing deals. Well as a New Year resolution I was not going to do much shopping this year and work on food storage and the necessities....

Well as you can see I have no will power I suppose! But it was too good to be true!

I got all these shoes for such a bargain.... I know your thinking what it the world...!!!? For the cost of all of these shoes, I would usually get maybe a pair and a half at normal prices. And in this next year I would probably buy 1 pair of shoes... So I had to do it right!? ;) ;) ;) ;)

So before you scroll down guess what you think I spent for

10 Pairs of Shoes!

I tried to call everyone I had numbers in my phone for that would have appreciated a major shoe sale. And I told everyone that I talked to... It was too good to resist!!

So are you ready for the cost....

That's right! $96.59 - Which wasn't in the budget, but it had to adjust ;)

So I have done shoe shopping for about 3 years now! I feel good about it, even though the hubby was annoyed with me and gave me the, "I thought you weren't going to....." speech.

I tried to tell him that wasn't it worth saving all that money and getting enough shoes to last me for a couple of years! His response was... " You know you will buy more shoes in the next 3 years..."

Well we will see if he is right, or if I can hold out that long... ;)

Anyways....

FOR THE LOVE OF SHOES RIGHT!!!!

What's Been Going On!

2009-01-14T07:11:00.001-08:00

So I was extremely busy the week of Christmas, and I then took some time off of work, and vowed to not sit in front of a computer, so I haven't blogged FOREVER!!

So here our some of our Christmas/December events that went on... And the first was I made sugar cookies with my kids for the first time, since being a mom. It is funny. I made them a million times as a kid with my mom, then by myself. But as an adult I haven't made them, so I was calling my mom about the dough consistency, cooking, etc.

But the kids had a great time and ate more frosting then they spread!

They turned out good for my first try... but I think Valentines and Easter will get a better shot at perfection! ;)

We get a real tree every year. I love the way they smell, and as a kid, one of my best Christmas memories was to go to the tree lot to pick out a tree with my parents. Then cutting it and standing it was always an adventure too. So I put my foot down and said, "Real Trees Baby!" I want it to stay a family tradition.

And without fail McKelle of Kenton falls down at the tree lot, and gets soaking wet every year. Sure enough McKelle went a running and tripped and drenched her clothes and put nice dirt stains on her knees!

So if you remember me saying that I like to wrap gifts, I tried to take a picture of some of the gifts I did, but it doesn't really show off the wrapping that well. But anyways, here is my quirky side... I like to wrap gifts.

And finally....

We are almost finished! Hurray, I don't think I could have taken another week of dust, boxes, and disarray! We got our carpet laid on Christmas Eve and the kids went wild running around on it! They were so excited ( I was too, just not enough to run in circles ;)

We sent this picture to Lance at work right after the guy left. The kids still run around every time they go down there. I get dizzy just watching them!

So we just have to get our back splash for the Kitchenette AND a 60" Plasma, Sectional, Surround Sound, Speakers, you know everything to make it functional ;) - Because right now it is just a big blank room. ( And probably will be for I don't know... FOREVER! )

So that is what went on during the first part of the month. I will post Christmas later. Now I am back to work.... UGHHHHHHH! And it is busy season for me. So pray for me to make it through my 6th time of constant calls all day long!

Am I A Bad Mom.....?

2008-12-08T07:21:00.001-08:00

For being so happy that he made this at school?

Cooked, Ate, and Cleaned UP!!!!

2008-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

Well Thanksgiving has come and gone, and for anyone who has talked to me knew I was cooking for my in laws, and had a lot to live up to! It has been very stressful around here... But now it is over and hopefully everyone thought my turkey was decient.

Can you see the sigh of relief in me that I have finally served up! I was so stressed out that I didn't even think to take a picture of my first Thanksgiving Turkey I cooked!

And here is the fam... Do you think they look satisfied? I Hope so!

After dinner we usually wait a couple hours then get out the pie buffet! I had gone to my grandma's and learned to make her pie crust, and again didn't think to take pictures of my Peacan Pie or Apple Cranberry. If you look close you can see them. I have to say they turned out really good! Thanks Grandma!

I have to say at the end of it, I think it turned out nice and I think people enjoyed themselves..... But I think next year I will let someone else have all the fun!

Fall Happenings...

2008-11-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

It is my turn to post my FALL pics, and what has been going on here at our house.

Every year we have a tradition to take a fall drive up some canyon and take pictures. This year we did the Alpine Loop, but we took a detour that we don't normally do, and found this beautiful meadow, and a great spot to take pictures...

I thought this was such a cool place, one of the best we have found...

I wish I was a better photographer, and had a digital camera... I didn't do it justice!

It is also Lance's birthday, and I think that is why he loves the fall, it seems you love the time of year you were born... Happy Birthday!

And finally Halloween... We were Star Wars this year ( due to Kenton's request) I think it will be the last year we match, because I think McKelle will have a say in it next year... ( Sleeping Beauty?!)

Don't we look HOT! Who posed us, Darth needed to come up a bit!

The kids got a kick out of Darth

Vader, they all wanted to fight him, it was like being in the movie! ( We have some real Star Wars fanatics in our family)

And then there was my sister.... I ordered my costumes in September, and then suddenly we were all going to be princess Leia and Queen Amidala, - Family, you got to love em right!

So that has been the last 2 months of our lives in photo's! Now we are on the Holidays, and I can't wait!

Family Wards - Something to Cherish

2008-11-07T14:41:00.001-08:00

I had a dear friend of mine pass away this week. I attended her funeral today and I saw so many people from my family ward I grew up in.

I feel that in these times, people don't stay in one place too long. Which is fine, but the feeling I got today, seeing so many people from my childhood was overwhelming. Friend's parents, old bishops, old neighbors, who for almost 15 years, were such apart of my life, made me realize the comfort of what a long term family ward does.

It has probably been 10 years since people started moving out of the ward, but at the death of Brooke, they all were there, just like we were still all neighbors again.

To see all of the then "adults" to me, that now I have become, who I trusted, respected, were my leaders, made me think of my kid's future experience. How great it would be for me, to know and have such great relationships with so many people around me for years on years. To know the people who my kids would grow up with and play at, be lead by, would be a blessing an I believe nowadays is a lost reality.

Anyway, I was really struck hard by loosing Brooke, and by the emotional responses that came from her funeral. I hope we all live each day with charity, unjudgmentalness, and support to all those around us.

Snow Is Falling All Around

2008-11-05T15:54:00.001-08:00

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Even though it snowed 1 time in October, it really feels like it is the first snow of the season today!

And my kids couldn't wait to go play in it!

I love playing in the snow, I can't wait to go sledding this year !

My Sweet Little Girl

2008-11-05T15:47:00.001-08:00

The other day we were getting ready to go and McKelle wouldn't come down the stairs. I yelled up to her and she said, "Wait, wait," then she comes running down the stairs with a purse, sunglasses, her phone, and a doll! She was so dang cute! I have no idea where she got her list of car items from! ;)

She is a joy to have, and moments like that make it worth the drama little girls bring!

I Don't Even Know The Title of the Tag!

2008-10-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

So thanks Windy, I was tagged to the list of I's, so here is more info about me, than you probably want to know ;)

I am: a mom, wife, singer, stress case, and CLEANER!(not by choice)
I want: So many things, but don't really NEED most of them!
I have: 2 Beautiful Children, that make me laugh smile, and feel love everyday!
I dislike: Messy house, (so why does mine somehow always seem to get messy) Bad Music, winy children, when my shows get cut off by the DVR right at the very end
When a project I work on doesn't go they way I want...
I miss: Europe, and want to go back!
I fear: Loosing the ones I love, having my children hurt, or in trouble!
I feel: Grateful for my health, temple blessings, and children that ground me everyday!
I hear: Music in my head, all day, every day. When I watch shows, I always pay attention to the music in the background...
I smell: Fall in the air, and hope to smell a clean house scent!
I crave: Dr. Pepper, though I am trying to kick it, and FOOD!
I cry: I'm a weeper, I get emotional over commercials!
I usually: Make lists and To DO's all the time, and love to check them off
I search: Google for everything!!
I wonder: What the future brings, and how to do the right things at the right times..
I regret: Well, there is some major things in my life that I regret, but then I also learned from them, so it is a catch 22
I love: My family, feeling beautiful for my hubby, June 1st, gardening, singing, taking bubble baths, getting massages, oh I could go on and on.....
I care: About too much, I think I need to let things go sometimes...
I always: Hard, I am not an always type of person, I don't do things in Absolutes
I worry: About my weight - Ok it is out there, but I can't help it, it bothers me
I am not: Perfect, a bed time scheduler, a dieter, or a half a** doer, I like things done right
I remember: How silly High School was and all the things I look back and roll my eyes at in a can't beleive it kind of way..
I believe: That Prayer is powerful, and is the best way to draw close to our Heavenly Father
I dance: In the mornings, while I wait for calls to come in... it is how I work out ;)
I sing: ALL THE TIME, but after 2 throat surgeries, I have lost some of my talent, and it is very hard and furstrating...
I don't always: Take my nail polish off when it looks atroshious
I argue: Probably too much, need to take a chill pill sometimes
I write: Used to in a Journal faithfully
I win: I never win! I am not lucky
I lose: Money to Brand Name Items
I wish: Money didn't exsist, and we lived in Harmony
I listen: To all kinds of music, almost every genre, except heavy metal, but I do like, Pour Some Sugar on Me, and hard core Rap UGH
I don't understand: So many things
I need: Affection to make my happy
I forget: Every one's name, I have the hardest time lately with names
I am happy:When things are in order and my family is happy!

So there you have it! Me In A Nut Shell ;)

And I tag Heather, Marci, and Liesl- Have fun!

Kenton's Kampout!!

2008-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Well so this happened in AUGUST!! But when your own pics are on film, you can't post anything...

But then Heather sent me these pictures and Kenton got a kick out of them. So I decided to put them on....

We were watching the Disney Channel and Mickey Mouse had a campout. I said to Kenton, you should have a campout with your friends....., oops! Because then I was stuck....

It turned out really cute, except for my own children's behavior. Kenton cut his foot on a stake, running around the tentand it was a tragedy! And McKelle kept fighting to sleep in another little girl's Disney Princess Bag, and lay on her pillow. ( Can we say Christmas anyone;) )

So I was a nursing referree all night. I hope the other mom's had fun in spite of the hecktiness.

I made a peach cobbler for the mom's and the kids roasted marshmallows. They all loved the fire pit, and Kenton still talks about it.... Though we didn't actually "camp out" we went into our beds around 10:30, and I wasn't really sad about it ;)

Oh well maybe next year... if I am motivated!

Bedder Things Happen

2008-10-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Well as some of you know, I was planning on taking Lance to LAS VEGAS for the weekend for his birthday.... Well after looking at the weather ( it rained all weekend there too) and after discussing other options.... We decided to stay home, but still let Grandma take the kids for the night.

Lance got what he really wanted, time with me to go look at fixtures, faucets, ect... all the goods for the basement, and my loving hubby told me I could take the money I had for the trip and buy me a bedspread! ( For his birthday ;)

So I was very excited, dinner, movie, and shopping without my kids .... and after 2 years of queen size blankets on a king mattress, FINALLY, an actual bed setting!

We gave up our Ethan Allen queen size poster bed, for a king size mattress on frames.... ;( But with kids in your bed that queen was TOO Scrunchy! and a good night sleep was worth the wait.

It was very hard to pick something out because I have a husband who really cares about the decorating too, it is even harder to find something we both agree on. And I had painted my wall to match the old comforter set. So I wanted something simple that I could still feel like my kids could get on ( not like my old), and we ended up putting it together alacarte, because we couldn't find anything that we both liked that was pre assembled and coordinated...

Now I just need a King Size Bed to put it on... hmmm maybe Lance's next birthday! ;)

IT IS HERE!!! The Big Night

2008-09-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I fell in love with Grey's Anotomy in the 2nd season? I randomly watched the Bomb episode, and was completely hooked! - I had a Grey's marathon over the summer and watched the whole series again to get me ready for seems to be a great new season! SO nobody call me tonight, because I will be stationed at my TV, 45 minutes behind live tv, using my DVR to get through all the commercials, pining over my favorite TV show!

A "Quirky" Tag

2008-09-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

So Thanks Niki, this should be fun....

This tag your suppose to list 6 quirks about yourself and then tag 6 more people on their site.

Well I don't know about you all, but I am pretty normal. This is going to be a challenge to come up with any ;)

So after digging long and hard, here is what I came up with:

Quirk 1: I shop name brand against my will. I try to buy the western family, no name brand, Smiths brand, kroger, ect, and I just can't do it. I pick it up and will put it back and buy the Del Monte green beans, the Pilsbury Cake mix, the Kraft Macoroni and Cheese... get the drift... it is sad, but true, and I know more expensive!

Quirk 2: Along the lines of grocery shopping, this quirk wasn't mine, didn't exist, until living with a man I will call, mmm Andy, (not to instigate anyone) for 8 years, and then it all started. I have to check the dates on everything from, bread, ketchup, each individual string cheese, to toothpaste - I once bought expired toothpaste! - Which is why that is now on the list. So this anonymous person was obsessed with dates on dairy, things in the fridge, everywhere, and I got used to having to check with him, for him, because I new there would be an integration after shopping. And now against my will, I still check, even though he won't ask me anymore( I think he knows he succeeded in training me) It is bad!

Quirk 3: I like my closet organized. I think a lot of people do this, maybe not so quirky, but to me it is a must. I hang my clothes all on the same color of hanger - Black, they have to be the same distance apart, and they are organized by fashion, style, color, sleeve length, etc. I am not saying that I am always organized and a clean freak, because I am not, and it isn't always in order, but when I put things away, it goes against the nerve to not have it just so and to do organize my clothes!

Quirk 4: When I develop film, I immediately put it in my photo albums. I hate undeveloped film. I like my pictures in their books, in chronological order! Small but defiantly me!

Quirk 5: Wrapping - my family can contest to this... I can't just easily wrap a present. I like to go all out, even for my kids, which I know they don't care about. I mean I make bows, ribbon, the whole shebang! During Christmas I spend hours wrapping packages with all sorts of decor. When I try to do the basic wrap job, I feel like I am under valuing the gift. I feel like I took the easy way out! It's a sickness and my hubby knows, there is always a budget for wrapping during the Holidays!

and finally

Quirk 6: I am a perfectionist, but with that said, if it can't be perfect, I don't like to do it. For example, gardening, I was loving it, then I lost my steam, because it wasn't perfect. Flowers died, things didn't look the way I envisioned, etc. so even though I really love working in my yard, I would get frustrated and let it go because I didn't like the imperfections. or Like my house this year, with it being up in ciaos, because of finishing our basement, cleaning never felt clean, among the boxes and crap from the basement in our living space. So sad to say, I wasn't motivated to clean because I could never get the result I wanted. - Don't wish this on yourself - It sucks!

And there you have it! Wasn't that entertaining.

And tag your it - Heather, Marci, Holly, Jill, Katie, and Liz

Milestone at Movie Theator

2008-09-13T19:55:00.001-07:00

I took my kids to Fly Me To The Moon 3-D, by myself, knowing full well it could be a disaster. McKelle has been a terror at the movies in the past. And we have avoided taking her for a while now. Kenton thought it was so cool the way everything jumped out at you. He was really cute!

And Mckelle was really good. She sat there and watched the movie and ate her popcorn. I'm not sure if it was the popcorn or the movie that made her behave, because she wouldn't wear the

3-D glasses at all.

So this is what she was looking at the whole time...

I kept popping my glasses up to see what she was seeing. I don't know how she did it. I kept trying to put them on her and show her that it looked better, but she refused. Maybe she liked the way it feels to be drunk and see double! Oh no what am I instore for ;)

We had a fun time and the movie was really cute. I love going to the movies and I never thought I would say this, but I actually enjoy going to the kid movies. I get just as excited watching the previews to see what is coming as Kenton does. Oh no what does that say about me?!

Unexpected Naps!!!

2008-09-08T15:56:00.001-07:00

It is always nice in my world to see my little loved ones asleep in the afternoon! I was working, and couldn't hear the kids. I was really worried what I would see when I went upstairs. But when I opened my door, I saw them snuggled together asleep, and my heart just melted!

I think they were watching a movie and the impossible happened. I just love that they are becoming friends. They are so cute to watch together.

So this unexpected suprise let me finish work, and then have a few minutes to myself before the nightly routine started.... Aren't naps a wonderful thing!

Why I Don't Post As Much As I Want!

2008-09-05T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well it's because I don't have one of these baby's. When we first started dating, Lance had just purchased a very nice Canon Film camera, $$$$ - so it has been really hard for us to then invest in a digital one too. Because we will want one with all the bells and whistles.

Also we love developing our pictures and having photo albums, and not until recently, has it "seemed" more convenient to me to get digital pictures... or maybe I am just a little more savyy now! ;)

Anyway I think we will be making the purchase sooner than later now. So that will help in my posting!

We're Moving Up

2008-08-12T09:28:00.001-07:00

Every year Lance and I go to the Parade of Homes. We have been going for 9 years now about. We love looking at arcitecture, design, layout, and decorating. Lance worked in the furniture business for 10 years when he was going to school, so he really appreciates looking at decorated homes as much as I do!

And this year we found our new home, and we will be moving in shortly, I know you will all be very jealous!This is the back porch that we will be celebrating our housewarming party on! Won't it be an amazing party!

Here is my new Master Bathroom! Isnt' it beautiful !!!

And even came with a dance room for me in my favorite color.

So we will miss our neighborhood, but we are off to bigger things. The mortgage might be a little steep on the $2.5 million dollar house, but it's worth it!

Nothing But Work, Work, Work!!!

2008-08-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I got started blogging and then have had no time to keep it up.... This summer has been very hectic as you can see from the title WORK!

We are working on finishing our basement, I started working from home, and with working on the yard, housework, and all the other stuff, well I haven't kept up at this.

So Lance has a bug up him to finish our basement... Even though I don't know how long it is actually going to take... so we are in a state of constant upheavel moving boxes around our house from here to there depending on where the work is going on.

Here is a picture of the entertainment room downstairs.

And this is my new post at home...
I started working from home a week ago and I had all sorts of problems with my connection and systems... So I was very stressed out!

So hopefully now things will settle down with me being home more now.

I am looking forward to the few weeks ahead... Sheet rock done... We can get some boxes out of my living room! I feel like we just moved in.

Right now the kids toys are in their rooms, instead of the playroom. I don't know how anyone goes without a playroom now! My upstairs has turned into a giant toy room, especially my bedroom where the kids love to bring there toys into!

So picking up toys has become a big daily thing... and I have to admit... I just have got sick of it and somedays... well you can imagine.

So this has been my life the last couple of weeks. And now maybe things will settle a bit and the end of summer, early fall will be good!

My Backyard In Its 2nd Year

2008-07-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my backyard garden that I planted last year, throughout the season. (except for my shade garden that I started this spring) So for any professionals out there don't judge too hard. It all came back for me this spring and now this fall I need to do a little rearranging. The garden is going out of it's early summer blooming and my late summer flowers like aster and hyssop will bloom soon. Hopefully my delphiniums will bloom again in early September, they did last year. So this is my new "thing" I love planning my garden and watching it grow!

We will be adding an Arch and Bench to the center of the two gardens sometime... hopefully next spring.

Here is a front view of the right side. It was suprising to me how much I found myself enjoying researching designs and plants and then going out and giving it a try. It is frustrating, hardwork and time consuming, but I totally enjoy it!

Trying to Get This Up

2008-07-17T07:20:00.001-07:00

Well this has been an experience trying to find a background when cutest blog on the block is down - and I just can't have it be the basic layout... I mean really ;)