Are You Kidding Me ?

All-Star Practice

2011-06-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Brett has his big All-Star debut tonight. He has been practicing for 2 weeks, every day except Sunday. Tonight is his first game. A parent snapped some pictures of the practice last night. Good Luck Brett! Also, Josh, the team mascot was captured as well. :)

From A to Z

2011-06-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

Newsflash: I am headed from Arizona to Zurich. It is still hard to believe. The idea started with my dear friend Andrea who is spending 2 months in France. She invited anyone to come and visit. I joked that I would go but did not really think I could swing it. Well, Mike has a friend that works for US Airways that offered to give us buddy passes. One thing led to another and it all started to fall into place.

Each one of my siblings have spent a semester abroad in Europe. During college, that was the last place I wanted to go, even though I was given the opportunity. I know, I know..What was I thinking??. For some reason, it did not appeal to me. I could only look as far as New York and that was the end all for me.

Mike and I have traveled around the US and Mexico a fair amount but we have never been to Europe. This time I am headed out with my sister in law, Shay. She is my travel companion this trip because Mike's work is not as flexible as I am. :)

Our plan is to fly to Zurich and make our way through Switzerland, We will stop in Chamonix where Andrea is staying then plan a day trip to Milan and then head down to the French Riviera for a time I am sure we will never forget.

I wounder if anyone will speak Spanish, because I sure as heck don't know any French.

Adios Arizona,
Bonjour France

New Bathroom...FInally!

2011-06-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well today we had the mirror's installed in the bathroom, which was the final missing piece. It has been a couple of months in the making, but it is finally done! Even though this process started with a disaster, we came out the other end very happy with the result.

Before

After:

Catch Up

2011-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

I want to wrap up the last bit of school, before we move on to summer! In April we had both of my sisters come to visit with there cute kids. I hate that they live far away and I can't see them all the time, but we pretty much stop everything that week and hang out as much as possible at Grandma's. I wish I would take more pictures, but with a lot of kids running around you are usually using your hands helping everyone, rather than snapping pictures. Basically the ones that are blonde are Cynthia's and the others are Karen's. I missed Monica somehow. She is almost 15 years old. Sorry Monica!!

After the cousins left, Josh came down with a nasty stomach virus. It lasted 4 days! He was pretty miserable. He wouldn't be a good cousin without sharing the virus though. His Aunt, Grandma and two cousins got the bug too. At least they made it home before it hit. I did snap a picture of Josh, he pretty much didn't move far away from the safety of the sinks and toilet.

After he was better, he had to make up for the 5 pounds he lost. He had some weird cravings, one of those was S'mores! So, he insisted that we have a campfire. Well, I improvised and roasted marshmallows outside over a roaring candle.

Brett's piano teacher this year was his Aunt Pam. She is a women of many talents and piano playing and teaching is one of them. This was her first year. She was an amazing teacher. The recital took place at her brother's house. Brett got a certificate award for the best sight reader! He really is good at piano, it is just not his first love :) The bonus of going to his Aunt's for piano is he gets to play with his cousins. Megan is a year older than Brett and she is becoming such a pretty, talented young women! After the recital we ate lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Barney to Cafe Rio. YUM!!

Josh had a quick run to the Urgent Care. He was playing Wall Ball at the baseball field. One boy decided to throw rocks instead of a ball. The rock hit the back of Josh's head. I was not there, but I got a text from Mike that they went to the Urgent Care. He said that Josh was fine, that he would just need a band-aid, but they wanted to make sure he didn't have a concussion. When they got home from Urgent Care, this is what his band - aid looked like...

I felt bad for him!! He was a trooper, this hasn't been his first or last visit to Urgent Care :)

Now Baseball season is over with, the boys had a great time like usual, here are a few pics of Josh's team. We don't have team pictures of Brett's team yet.

Now it's time for the D-Back's Games. They are on fire this season!! It is so much fun!!

Brett and Mike went to Scout camp for a week. This is Brett's first camp out with the Scouts. He received his Arrow of Light and has graduated Cub Scouts. They are headed for the mountains to camp. They will be getting a ton of merit badges. They will do Archery, Canoeing, Rifles, Basket Weaving, Orienteering, Astronomy, and will end with a 10 mile hike. Have fun Brett!!

While Brett and Mike are up North, Josh and I will hang out and do a lot of Golf Cart riding around the neighborhood, his favorite thing!! He will be ready to drive by 12!

Bring on Summer 2011~~

School Project

2011-05-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Brett had to do a State Report. His teacher pulled states out of a hat randomly and assigned the kids. Brett was given Georgia. He had to write a report and put together a display. He also had to make a food that represented the state. He made Peach cobbler. At school, they had a "State Fair." All the classes came in and walked around the displays to ask the kids questions about their states. Congrats Brett!! You did a great job!

I found this video of a child in Korea who did an English project. The name of the project is, "I never want to be a mother." I wonder if her Mom helped her on this project..hmmmm.

Day 30 - What I learned

2011-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

So Day 30, 3 months later. What I learned is that life is unpredictable. We plan for what life may bring, but hopefully we have prepared to handle what life actually serves. I have learned that as a family we need to be able to navigate our way toward our goals together. If life puts a road block in our way, we all need to make the adjustment to get around it and back on to the right path together.

This last month we have had some craziness for sure, but one opportunity that I have had has changed me forever, is the opportunity to give Missionary Lessons. My current calling in the ward is a ward missionary. I have never had that calling before, and was looking forward to this new experience. Recently, my partner and I have been able to give 2 discussions to an investigator and his wife. The first time, I was nervous for sure, but with preparation and the knowledge that I know that the Spirit is doing the teaching, not me, I was calm. What a wonderful teaching moment for the investigator and ME! The second lesson, I was more confident in my ability and I hope I will have a 3rd opportunity. I know we need to turn the investigators over to the full-time missionaries soon.

It is an amazing feeling to be a part of that process, even if the investigator chooses to be baptized or not. The joy is in teaching the gospel. I know that navigating this life is much easier when we know where our destination lies. Our goal is being together as a family forever.

Day 29 - What else?....Baseball

2011-04-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when our lives are taken over by baseball. We eat dinner on the go and at the ballpark. It's a weird dynamic because we are never home, yet we sit at the ball park for what could be 2 to 4 hours depending on the day. I just sit, thinking of what else I could be doing. It is kind of like a forced time out. I am forced to sit in a folding chair enjoying the beautiful weather watching the kids play baseball and play at the park. It is a time to sit with family and enjoy eachother and enjoy new friendships. It really is a magical time, I just have to adjust my head and ENJOY hanging out. I love it, I really do!!

Here are some pics that I have taken of the boys..

Day 28 - 44 oz.

2011-03-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a 44 oz. kind of day. My allergies are out of control, so I couldn't resist going by Sonic this morning to fill up on Coke Zero with Lime. Somehow, it made my morning that much better.
.

Most mornings go fairly smoothly, I can't complain because I am the only girl getting dressed in the morning at my household. I know the drama that can ensue because I grew up with two other sisters sharing a bathroom and it can get Uh-Ga-Lee.

Nevertheless, we still have drama. I have been rather amused at Josh and his choice of attire. He insists on wearing skinny jeans. He has about 6 pairs of pants that he can choose from, but 4 out of 5 days he wears his skinny jeans. I do have to wash them a couple times per week. Usually in the morning he is pulling them from his hamper or pulling them out of the dryer.

This is when it gets funny.

We all know how jeans just out of the dryer feel. A little tight. I have very fond memories of the maneuvers I went through in Jr. High and High School where skin tight jeans were the norm. I even did a demonstration/paper report for my English class on "How to Fit in your Jeans." Somehow I didn't think my 1st grader would have this same type of experiences. Especially a BOY! Please, I don't think he should suffer for fashion. Nobody should..until they reach Jr. High.

Imagine Josh laying down on his bed while his Mom zips and buttons his jeans. I plead with him to change into another pair of pants, but he wants the Skinny Jeans.

I did realize something though, it is not so much the fashion as it is his desire to be like his big brother. Of course Brett has to wear "Super Skinny" Levis because they are the only thing that fits. He also needs to wear a belt with said Levis. As Josh was admiring himself in the mirror, he said, "Mom, when I am 10 am I going to look just like Brett?"

Day 27 - Water Logged

2011-03-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

It was a normal Wednesday. I had taken the kids to school at 8 a.m. and went to work myself. After I got off work, I did a few errands before I headed home by 3:00 pm just in time for the kids to walk in. When I opened the door to my house, I thought, Man my house smells musty, I really need to clean!!

Well, it smelled musty for a reason. As I walked toward my bedroom, I saw a reflection from the sun shining off of the tile. That is odd? As I got closer I realized there was water in the hall. My first thought, of course, was that the toilet broke and leaked water everywhere. As I sloshed through the hall and made my way into the bathroom, I could hear water running. I spotted the culprit. My bathroom faucet was turned on..full blast for 7 hours. The stopper was up almost all the way and we don't have an overflow in the sink. So, the water ran over the sink on to the floor. It also flowed into the bedroom, in the closet, through the walls, into the hall and even the garage! I tried to put all my pool towels down, but knew this was over my head when all the towels were soaked and we hadn't cleaned up all the water in the hall.

I called my neighbor Bruce, who is a contractor and he gave me a name of someone who happened to be in our ward who cleans up after such mishaps! I was so happy when I knew everything would be taken care of and we were on our way to cleaning this huge mess up.

They really got to work..They tore up my carpet, took out my bathroom cabinets and drilled holes through my wall. They also hooked up Dehumidifiers, heavy duty fans and put a huge surge protector which is plugged into my oven so we don't trip breakers. The first night, we all slept in the boys' room. Mike and I even TRIED to share a twin bed, it worked for half of the night. The next night we brought our mattress from our Master bedroom into the game room and we are camped there for the time being. My shoe closet is in the garage, I am sharing a bathroom with 3 boys and I have to traipse through a construction zone to get dressed.

The good side?? I get new carpeting in my bedroom, maybe new cabinets and counter tops and hopefully we will be able to plug the holes, that would be nice. I fear that our living arrangement will be this way for a while. Yikes! When Josh asked why there was water everywhere in the house, I told him that someone had left the water running. He looked at me and said, 'I am sure glad I turn off the water after I brush my teeth!! I said, "Me, too." Sigh...........

                    Pool Towels Soaking up the water



        You can see the water soaked in the carpet.

Water going into the garage

Carpet coming up.

Taking apart the cabinets and counter tops

No More Bathroom CabinHoles in the wall to dry out the drywall

Holes in the closet, on the other side is the garage.

More fans in the hallway to dry out faster.

Cords running through the house

My big surge protector in yellow.

Oven out of order for 5 days.

Day 26 - WIcked

2011-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

If you had two free tickets to go anywhere on Southwest, you would go to Newport Beach right? That is where we ended up this week. We had all spring break to make plans, and one member of my party was not really cooperating. So we had to make the trip a quick one. I found Wicked tickets for Thursday, March 17th in So.Cal and made the arrangements. Mike accompanied me without much enthusiasm because it was pretty much a girl trip. Wicked and shopping. I don't see any problem with that itenerary.

He actually became a fan after the first act. Such a great play. We also went to the beach, window shopped, ate at 6 different places in 24 hours, took in a movie, and more shopping at South Coast Plaza. It was a perfect get-a-way, so I am not so bummed about going to Newport on my free passes, Mike's suggestion was Boise, so with that alternative, it was a GREAT trip!!

Pinkberry Mango and Pomegranate was Yummy. It was kind of like Ocean Blue, except creamier.

Korean BBQ. You cook the meat at your table, Mike loves to eat Asian food while we are in California.

We didn't take a picture the night we went to Wicked, so we visited the Theatre in the day, this is next to South Coast Plaza Mall.

Token Beach shot, since the kids were not there, we did not actually get in the ocean, just wandered around the Pier and the shops.

Day 25 -Grounders

2011-03-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is the reason why I have four holes in my wall in the family room. I wasn't home when this was happening, but Mike made sure he sent me the video. Josh is practicing his grounders in the house. This is totally normal. Hello Baseball season!!!

Day 24 - Peaceful

2011-03-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry I needed a hiatus. My head needed a rest. Sometimes it is relaxing to write, sometimes it is a luxury. I didn't relax or have any sort of luxury last week. (Except for my Birthday, I did take some time there of course!!) Spring break is a welcome relaxing luxury. WooHoo!!

Last week was Claire's birthday. I can't believe she would be eight. Time flies way to fast. We have a tradition to take McDonald's to the cemetery to eat and celebrate her birthday. The cemetery is so peaceful to me, I hope my kids feel the same peace there as well. When we sat down to eat, Josh said, "Mom aren't we going to say a prayer?" I let him say it, it was so cute.

We can't wait until we can see her again!!

I Love how we have 3 sodas on the gravestone. That is so us.

Day 23- Crazy Day

2011-03-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

Whew, glad this day is almost over. Today I went to work at the school and then had to go back to the Dermatologist. My "spot" I had removed had abnormal cells and they had to go back in and go deeper and a little wider to make sure they got all of it. Again, I am so glad I went, but right now I have stitches and it itches like crazy. After my dermatologist appointment, I went by my kids school to get the Art Masterpiece program situated. I am in charge of that project this year and I will be glad when I have all the classes covered.

When I finally got home, Mike was home, thank goodness. It is always nice to have an extra set of hands once in a while. When I got out of my car, I decided to pick up the trash that it had collected the last couple of days in my car, so I set my keys, phone and notepad on the back of Mike's truck. I was thinking, I am going to come right back out and get this....haha. Of course I got into the house and my brain was checked at the door. Mike then left with Josh and I was taking Brett to scouts. By the time it occurred to me where my keys and phone were, Mike and the truck were gone. I followed his path to try to find the remains of my belongings somewhere on the road.

Luckily, the girls down the street were out playing and I enlisted them in helping me find my things. One found my phone (the case had been separated from the phone) another found a pen and a notepad. I never found the keys though. Of course I have a spare, but oh man, how happy am I that I found my phone!!

After a few rounds of picking up and dropping off, we made dinner and I was ready to rest. Josh convinced me to do one more errand which involved a quick jaunt to Kohls. As we were perusing the kids clothes, I found myself dancing to "Umbrella" by Rihanna. Josh looked at me funny and said under his breath so no one would here, "Mom, it is so embarrassing, please stop." I tried to apologize but he darted off in another direction in case anyone accidentally put the two of us together.

Finally I am home, in my jammies and ready to get the kids in bed and hopefully get in a little reading time for me. I am ready to put this day behind me and start on Wednesday. Bring it on, at least I have my phone to conquer the day!

Day 22 - Take Out

2011-02-26T14:52:00.000-08:00

Take out is many things. It is a life saver, a treat, a comfort, a necessity, a luxuary and a bargain. Yesterday, I went by Tia Rosas and had my lunch/dinner. It was about 2:30 pm on a Friday and I knew that we weren't going out. Josh had baseball practice and Brett had a Birthday party. So, I stopped by to splurge on Tia Rosas. Actually it was only $5.26. (Chips are $1 which really gets me, but I can't NOT have chips.) The shrimp taco is my favorite and I could literally drink the Green salsa. All is good, when Tia Rosas's is part of the day.

Saturday Morning and Brett had ball practice. Josh was complaining that he was starving and could not live another minute without food. So McDonald's we went! Sausage McMuffin with Cheese no egg is $1. He was satisfied and so was I. I love Take out!!!

Day 21 - Deadlines

2011-02-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

Deadlines...everyone has them. Sometimes, if they are really important they can be called "Drop Dead Dates," which really makes it seem worse. When I look back and see how I got to this place, it always starts with the word, "Sure, I can do that." My Grandma Crockett who lived until she was 104 told me one time that her secret to longevity was, reading, eating chocolate everyday and saying "No." This however is easier for some people but apparently not for me.

This week and next week I have a few Deadlines, with a few Drop Deads thrown in there. I think I am pretty lucky that I don't live with deadlines every day, because my stomach and my house can't handle them. I look at my poor floor and wonder when I will get to it. It is calling me every day, but not until after a few deadlines have past, will I be able to breathe and mop.

Sleep also seems to be fitful when deadlines loom. I wake up and start thinking of everything I need to do. It is not like I can actually DO much about it at 2 in the morning. But none the less, I still do. My deadline that I am looking forward to is Spring Break. Then, I will have crossed off all the things that are on my mind right now and I can relax and do something fun.

In the meantime, I will try to stop reaching for the chocolate (well maybe only 1 a day per Grandma Crockett), make a plan and take it day by day until March 12th is here.

Day 20 - UPS Day

2011-02-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

Today is actually President's day and we celebrated it by waking up early and going to family day at UPS. We arrived there by 8:00 am and the boys munched on some Rice Krispie squares and Capri Sun's (a step up from donuts for breakfast). There were a lot of kids diligently making posters to hold up and wave when all the UPS drivers were leaving for the day.

The Safety Motto for UPS is "The Most Important Stop of the Day is pulling into your own Driveway." They invited the families down to tour the facility. It was fun to see our family picture up on the wall with other families. They want to stress the importance of safe driving!

After watching the drivers meet for a meeting and head out of the hub for the day, we took a tour of the facility which was fun. The highlight for the kids was seeing where there Dad "works" and watching all of those big trucks head out.

Day 19 - Rainy Saturday

2011-02-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend Mike went down to Rocky Point with his Brother and friends to golf for the weekend. The boys and I had a fun weekend together, even though it rained. We started off by taking Brett to his baseball practice that lasted for about an hour and a half. It hadn't started raining yet, but it was blowing and sprinkling. Josh and I (well mostly I) headed for the truck to get out of the weather and watched Spider Man in the back of the truck while we waited for Brett. During one of the scary parts, Josh grabbed my hand for a little comfort. After a minute, I realized what he had done so I snapped a picture of it. They grow up so quickly and soon he will be too big to hold on to me during the scary parts.

After Baseball, we headed home because it was really starting to blow around. Leaves were scattered all around the lawn and street as a result of the Frozen Ficuses from the hard freeze we had a couple of weeks ago.. When we got out of the car, Josh grabbed a rake and started raking leaves. I pretty much ignored him, because I thought it was a lost cause. There was a storm brewing you know. The next time I checked on him, I noticed our neighbor across the street had his Green Barrel out and a rake as well. I told Brett to get a jacket on and go help with the leaves. By the time I got out there, the neighbor had his wife helping too. After another 5 minutes we had 3 more neighborhood kids come down to help as well and we got about 3 Green barrels filled with leaves, just in time for it to start raining!

For dinner, Brett had been craving Panda Express so we hit that and then we saw "Never say Never" with Justin Beiber. Surprise! I really liked it! Josh whistled the whole movie and Brett kept on commenting that he couldn't believe he hadn't been formally trained. I told him that he might not have, but he practiced everyday!! Jury is still out if he got the message. What a great Saturday, a little work and a little play. It was perfect!

Day 18 - Spots

2011-02-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry, the last two posts I left in Edit Mode and did not publish, so I posted 16, 17 and 18 at the same time.

Today, I went to the Dermatologist to do a "Spot" Check. otherwise known as a mole check but I like the word "Spot" much better. I have a Spot on my back that has changed and I was worried about it, so I made an appointment. I did the whole body look-see which was a little weird, but I was glad I did it. The two places I was worried about ended up just being really just a cosmetic nuisance, so I had the Dr. freeze those puppies off. I did however have a "Spot" that was suspicious that I would have never noticed. The Dr. didn't like the look of it so she scraped it off and it is being sent in to be tested. I was really glad I made the appointment. Everyone needs to make a Spot Check appointment, you never know what they will find!

Also today, we had our house repainted. After 13 years, it was time for a spruce up. The painters started this morning and were finished by four o'clock, just in time for the rain that is forecasted for tomorrow. Tonight at dinner (Peter Piper Pizza) as I was ready to leave, I picked up my bag and found a "Spot" on it. What the heck!! I first thought it was food, but on further inspection I noticed the spot looked like my new house paint color. Oh My. This is serious, very serious.. I don't want to ruin my bag, it was a special gift from Mike this Christmas. I really hope I can get it out without damaging the leather!!

As I reflected on the severity of the two types of spots today, I was proud of myself that I had made my Dr.'s appointment a priority. I was successful in removing a spot that could have caused me damage. The other spot on my new bag, if I get it out or not, we will see. But I am sure, life will go on.

Here is a picture of my Spot on the Bag, I think I will spare you a picture of the other Spots.

Day 17 - GIrl Scout Cookies

2011-02-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah!! I have been sick the last couple of days and have tried to feel sorry for myself. I have received some sympathy from some co-workers and family (although my kids didn't seem to be too sympathetic..weird..) but today I felt better, I finally wanted to eat again and this has been my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some days, that is just how it goes.

The thin mints are gone and now I am working on the Samoas..

Day 16 - Informercials

2011-02-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

Everyone likes to watch infomercials. You usually watch them and say, "Cool!" Also, if you watch it long enough you might be tempted to buy it, but only a select few actually go to the effort to make that call. My husband is one of those select few. I realized his fondness for infomercials early on in our marriage when he bought the "Flobee." This is a hair cutting tool that you attach to your vacuum. I only wish I was kidding. He thought that it would be cool to give himself a haircut and save money. He tried to give his brother a haircut with it, but no one trusted it. Surprise.

Since then we received some good and some not so good products like dehydrator, vitamins, food slicer, ab-rocker, some fake tanning stuff for me and most recently the Xpress Redi Set Go! These suckers can cook a steak in 8 minutes and also makes omelets like a dream. The kicker is that they were buy one get one free so we have two! Why two? Just in case we need a quick birthday present, we are covered. Here is Brett opening up our newest kitchen appliance.

Sunday, we christened this little machine by making Stuffed French Toast it was really good!!

Day 15 WNE-123

2011-02-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight at my Mom's house, my brother, sister (Cynthia) and I were telling stories from when we were growing up. Some of the grandkids were listening in and thought some of the stories were amusing and some were boring. But we enjoyed it!! Somehow the conversation came around to me and my driving habits. My driving record was not pretty from about 16 years old to 21. I think I got at least 5 tickets and was involved in 3 accidents. It was a miracle my parents continued to let me drive. I am surprised that I was able to get insured actually!!

My first car was a purple Cadillac with zebra interior, I inherited it from my Granny. The back of that thing was so roomy, we could fit at least 8 people in the back (of course they were sitting on the floor and on each other's laps, but we all made it to McDonald's for lunch!! I had to park this car in a separate parking lot from the rest of the cars at school, because the car was so low it wouldn't make it over the speed bumps!

My second car was a Datsun 200 SX. it's nick name was Winnie (WNE-123 was the license plate number). It was a hand me down from my Dad. This car had a stick shift. I of course provided lessons to all my friends on how to drive a stick. Stalling at the intersection was always fun times. My sister Karen and I shared this car. I remember once when I came home with the car, I was planning on heading out again and Karen took the keys to head out herself. I started running after her, reminding her that it was my turn for the car. She didn't really care, because she had the keys. She jumped in the car to take off and I sprawled out on the hood of the car and held on to prove my point. Well, she was a little crazy and she could care less that I was on the hood of the car. She took off down the street with me on top of the carl. Well, I quickly turned my pleading to, "It's my turn" to "Stop the car!!" Before she went down the busy street, she finally stopped the car to let me off. She waited for me to get off the hood, then went on her merry way.

That is just one of many,many stories of Winnie, after I graduated from High School, the car got passed down to Karen, then to Cynthia, then it went to Pam (Jeff's wife) after they were married. Mike had the job of selling the car. He sold it to a deserving little family and as they were about to take off, he told them to wait and had the idea of saving the license plate. My Mom had it framed and put in our childhood room. Well that room eventually got redecorated and I became the proud owner of the license plate. I am sure I have a picture of the car somewhere, but for right now, here is a picture of the plate. Memories...

Day 14 - Reflection

2011-02-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Today started with a funeral. It seems like any time I attend a funeral, I take the opportunity to reflect on my own life. At this particular funeral, I did not know the young man, but I do know his family. I brought Scott with me, he is a friend of our family who Mike had worked with in the Priest quorum. He has since moved away from our ward. The Father of the young man who passed away, had been Scott's home teacher for years. When I picked him up for the funeral, he had told me this was his first funeral he had ever attended and he was nervous. I told him that it will be similar to a church service and also it is different from other funerals because it is so positive because the gospel explains the plan of salvation. We know what happens when we pass away from this earthly life and the promise of being together with your family is an eternal truth.

The hymn that we sang at the end of the service was, "I Believe in Christ." The last verse stood out for me.

I believe in Christ, he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream,
And while I strive through grief and pain.
His voice is heard "Ye shall obtain."
I believe in Christ, so come what may.
With him I'll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.

Day 13 - HomeRun

2011-02-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Day 13. I love the number thirteen. I got married on the 13th, I am sure not many people do that!! I also think the engineers shouldn't avoid Floor # 13 in Hotels or Buildings. Obviously there is a floor 13 stories high, but "they" think they can pacify the patrons on the13th story by calling it 14. Whatever. Sooo, on Day 13 of my 30 day blog fest, I was able to go to Brett's school and tell him he made the baseball team he had tried out for. He has been so sad for about 5 days because he was told he didn't make it. Well, after some clarification as to where his loyalties lie (i.e. Little League vs. Legacy League) he was happily accepted on the team.

I pulled him out of class, trying not to smile. He asked what was up and I handed him the phone. His Dad was on the other line and broke the good news to him. He was super happy, he had practiced very hard for the last month and really wanted it. I wanted him to remember this day, so I am glad I can document it and his happy face.

Congrats Brett!! You earned this place on the team!

Day 12- Yin and Yang

2011-02-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

Some days are good and some days are bad. Today is one of those days that are both, which is really not so uncommon. This morning was great because I got to sleep in 40 minutes longer than usual, the kids got up and breakfast went smoothly. Then it turned ugly when Brett decided his pencil swap with Josh the night before needed to be amended. Really?? A fight over who has which pencil? I tried to put everyone in separate corners and tabled the discussion until after school. Luckily, they were all smiles and back to friends a few minutes before they were ready to catch the carpool.

The next few hours were blissful. I got to exercises and meet up with some friends to see a movie. How cool is it to see a movie in the morning, LOVE IT!! After the movie, I rushed off to get the kids to a dentist appointment. So far so good. I should have gone straight home after the dentist, but I pushed my luck and decided to do a few errands.

We stopped at Barnes and Noble which can be enjoyable, but Josh kept trying to lose me. That kid never stays next to me. He is a doddler and a dodger. Trying to find him in the stacks of books is a lost cause. When it was time to leave, Josh insisted on buying a book 5 inches thick entitled, "America, A Patriots History." I told him it was a Grandpa book and he couldn't read it. Heck, I can't read it either. He opened the book and started reading the words that were familiar to him like, "come" and "this" Brett meanwhile was on the floor reading a $20 Coffee table book about Baseball Stadiums. He was convincing me that he would pay half, if I could pay the other half. Sorry, nice try.

We then went to AJ's to find a treat. Brett and Josh began performing Karate on each other which is perfectly normal behavior, until someone gets hurt. I bought some yummy chocolates to try to ease the pain, Josh accepted the offering while Brett insisted I use the money for a better offering which of course involved Chicken Nuggets.

Next stop Walmart. The car ride involved bickering, fighting, back to friends again. They can switch so quickly back and forth it drives me crazy. I promised a quick trip to Walmart and I also promised some new pencils. Of course when we first get there, Josh wants to go straight to the pencil aisle. I am not fighting this power struggle, so I send his brother with him. When I meet up with them 15 minutes later, they aren't where they are supposed to be, but have veered to the boys section where they have a handful of clothes in there arms. Again, another whine-fest ensues and we head to the counter with a few tears. Finally, we check out and head home. This car ride home is fun because Josh doesn't want to sit in a seat, he rather sit in the very back. We wait for about 5 minutes until he decides he rather go home with me buckled in, rather than wait on the curb outside WalMart until someone he recognizes can give him a ride home. (I know that was bad, but hey, I gave him a choice!)

We finally get home and the peace comes back when Dad arrived about an hour later. The boys head outside to practice Fly balls and I got in my car and headed to Costco. I found Bliss again, perusing the books there, since my Barnes and Noble stop didn't yield any peaceful browsing time.

I guess all days have the good and bad, tomorrow, we will see. It is a Friday, so hopefully it is filled with more GOOD!!

Day 11 - Christmas Concert

2011-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

I love the School Christmas Concert because it really gets you in the mood for Christmas. Even though it is always a hectic time of year, its nice to finally sit down for a little while and hear some Christmas Music. The boy's are usually singing the Christmas songs around the house a few weeks prior to the concert, so it is nice to hear what the songs are really supposed to sound like.

After the concert, Grandma gave the boys some Christmas treats. They each got one of those big long tubes filled with M & M's. Of course as we are ready to take the pictures after the concert, the treats become props.

Almost perfect by the end there. Of course Josh is not as a happy posing for a picture if he can't have any fun. By the way, Josh's suit jacket is, of coure, Brett's from when he was eight. He was determined to wear it to the Christmas Concert so he could dress up. Josh can't wait to be big, this growing up business is taking longer than he can possibly stand.

Day 10 - Happy

2011-02-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today my nails made me happy. Funny how little things can affect our mood for the whole day. Last night I cruised the cosmetic section at CVS becuase I had $9.50 in extra bucks to spend. CVS had these 75% off stickers on discountinued cosmetic items and I got a few gems. I picked up a Sally Hansen Nail Laquer Pen, I couldn't pass it up. I used it this morning in my car on my way to school and painted one hand. What could be better than painting your nails in the car? No mess, easy and it made me happy. When I got to work, I quickly painted the other hand and stuck the Nail pen in my purse. Perfect.

On my way home I snapped this picture. As I looked at it on the computer I noticed my rings. My wedding ring makes me smile, not only because it is from a pawn shop, but it reminds me of an eager 22 year old guy who wanted to buy me a ring without any input from me. He also wanted to pay cash. I even remember the pawn shop "Owing" this 22 year old guy a favor. Strange story for another time. On my middle finger is a ring I received from my parents when I was 17 years old on my birthday. I remember asking for a gold ring, I didn't really have any thing in particular in mind, I knew I just wanted it simple. These rings have never left my fingers since the day I received them, and that makes me happy.

Day 9 - Triple Stack

2011-02-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Brett had a piano recital this weekend. He participated in the Dueling Piano's which is a performance by a group of kids playing the same song together in duets. He of course did not want to do it when his piano teacher (who is also his Aunt) suggested it to him. I told him that he had to have the experience at least once. So he practiced for a month on his songs and had to attend 4 practices. The final product was on Saturday at Mountain View. He was pretty excited to perform on the stage. After the recital he got to pick where he wanted to eat. He picked In and Out, which was better than McDonalds!

As we walked in, he announced he wanted a triple with cheese. I was sure he wouldn't finish it and I was right, but he did better than I thought. He left about 1/4 of it. Congrats Brett on finishing something you necessarily didn't want to do. That in itself is quite an accomplishment!!

ENJOY YOUR HAMBURGER!!

Day 8 - Sunday

2011-02-06T20:22:00.001-08:00

Sunday is my day I do indexing. Our Bishop gave us a goal of 50 names a week. Today with the Super Bowl, it took a little longer to get my batch of 50 done. I also went to church, played ping-pong in between, made dinner, made banana bread, had dinner, cleaned up, watched some Super Bowl, went by my parents house for a little bit and started a movie with the kids. I just finished my batch at 9:25pm. At least it is done and I feel good!

Have a great week everyone!!

Day 7 - Grateful

2011-02-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

I have been sitting at my computer for an hour trying to update the Little League Website. My husband had volunteered me to run it. I am glad he thinks I can do it, he has the utmost confidence in me. I usually can figure computer stuff out, but I have been having a hard time with this one. I even got an "Expert" opinion on what to do, but this expert was way out of my league. He talked in Computer speak and I tried to keep up. So with confidence, I sat down to tinker with the updates and, the session with the computer genius was lost on me. I am stuck. So, while I ponder what to do next, I will talk about my morning at our Relief Society Conference.

I was a little late getting there, because I was waiting for Josh to get up. On Saturdays, I hate to wake him up if he doesn't need to be anywhere. Mike and Brett were already off to baseball practice and I was going to drop Josh off at his friends house until he was ready for his baseball practice at 10:30.

Anyway, I was able to attend three mini classes. The first was on Parenting: Sink or Swim, which was taught by the lovely and talented Kelli Brown. It was a great lesson of course and I was reminded to stick in there and don't let the little things get in the way of the big picture. Her advice was to pick your battles and always be your child's biggest cheerleader. I love to get parenting tips, it always makes me want to try harder to prepare my kids the best I can. Thanks Kelli!

The second class was on "Creative ways to cheer and brighten someones day". The ladies who taught it were ultra creative and it was fun to see new ideas for gift giving. They did stress the importance of showing someone you care by making your gifts meaningful. The way you do this is by showing you Feel the way others feel, also giving should always be free, (no need for a response from the person you gifted) and always try to have an element of sacrifice, to show it is truly from the heart.

The third class was on Gratitude. Pres. Monson has stressed the importance of living a life filled with Gratitude. If you are always looking for things in your life to be grateful for, your mindset will change and in turn, your life can change. This speaker also stressed the importance of Giving and also Receiving Gratitude. We did an exercise that was really amazing. The speaker wanted each of us to take five minutes and write a Thank you note. This Thank You note was to ourselves. We were to write it as if Heavenly Father was writing it for us. She asked us to ponder and pray for a few moments, then begin to write. It was a very moving experience writing a Thank you note to yourself. The teacher was demonstrating how much our Heavenly Father loves us right now, not our perfect selves which we hope one day we will become, but ourselves today, flaws and all. This exercise really brought to my mind how much my Heavenly Father loves me and is grateful for me, today.

I am glad that I was able to go to the RS conference this morning, it has helped me to become a better person than I was yesterday. And for that I am Grateful.

Day 6 - Surprise

2011-02-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

Brett has a friend who had a birthday the other day. He wanted to give him a fun gift so he decorated a big box and filled it with tissue paper. Inside the gift, he put a couple of dollar store presents as decoy gifts. His friend, RJ, really wanted a Tornado necklace, just like Brett has. Brett taped the necklace on the bottom of the box underneath some paper. RJ was really surprised, although he liked the dollar gifts too (If I got silly string as a 12 year old I would be happy!)

Brett was more excited for RJ to open his present, he even wanted us to videotape it.
Please excuse the pics because I misplaced/can't find/lost my camera, so for right now I have to use my phone. It doesn't take the best pictures but it will have to do until I find/buy a camera!

Brett and his Decorated Birthday Present

Brett and RJ with matching necklaces :)

Day 5- Winter Break

2011-02-02T17:01:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe I haven't blogged about the last few months, so I am glad I can catch up and I won't even feel guilty about it! :)

For Winter Break we were lucky enough to travel to Florida. Our friend, Heidi, opened her house to us so we could spend some quality time with her family. They recently moved to Orlando to be closer to Heidi's Mom and sisters after her husband passed away about a year ago. We miss them and can't wait till we get to go back!!

On the plane ride over there, most everyone we talked with was headed to one place...Harry Potter Adventure! That was our main stop as well. It is in the Adventureland part of Universal Studios. The park itself was kind of crowded, but not bad. When we arrived at the Harry Potter portion of the park it was PACKED! It was soo worth it though.

There are three rides that make up the Harry Potter experience, The Dueling Dragons which was the big roller coaster, The Hippogriff roller coaster, which is a smaller roller coaster, then the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which was inside the Hogwarts Castle. This one was by far the best, the line was long, just over an hour. Of course there was Hogsmead, with all the shops.. It was so cool!

Entering the park

Hogwarts Ride

Owl Post at Hogsmead

Hipogriff

Entering Hogwarts

Hogsmead

Brett picking out his wand at Olivanders!

Butter Beer- The best drink I have ever had..Seriously, it was so tasty!

Hogwarts Express

The boys think they are clever!

This is the type of Rollercoaster that Brett wanted to ride. Mike and I took turns going with him, because I have a limit!

Josh chilling with me while we wait for Brett.

The boys catching a wave.

We visited two beaches while we were there, Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach. My favorite was Cocoa, the boys like Daytona. They like the fact that you can drive on the beach. It is quite convenient to have your car right there. You don't have to drag all your stuff with you. Jacob was able to hang with us that day, his Mom let him go a half day to school. We played in the sand and had Burger King, what could be better?? The water was so warm and no seaweed. It was heaven.

In Orlando, there is the world's largest McDonalds. It had a Peter Piper Pizza theme, with arcade games that spit out tickets. They had a prize counter to cash in your tickets. They also had a small bowling area. The menu was different too, they had an omelet station and an ice cream bar. I got a Turkey wrap with a Spinach tortilla. Nice!

Of course we had to get up close and personal with some alligators while we were there. Wow, it was so cool to see those suckers up close. We took an airboat ride and our guide was really good in finding the hiding places.

The Alligators don't even touch the Cattle.

While we were in Cocoa beach, we stopped by the Ron Jon Shop to see this famous surf shop.

The boys also visited a Miniature Golf place. The allure to this spot was that the hazards were filled with Alligators! Yikes..They were actually baby alligators about three feet long. You could even feed the alligators by putting a hot dog on the end of a fishing pole for $3. The boys were game to do it. Not me though!

We ended up at Downtown Disney to end the trip. I begged the boys to go to another Amusement park, but they just wanted to hang out and play with Jacob. I at least got a couple of pictures next to Mickey, that IS why people go to Orlando after all.

Day 4 Nick-Names

2011-02-02T16:04:00.001-08:00

I have a nickname, it is Fif. You pronounce it Feef, short for FiFi. My friend Toni gave it to me when I was in the 7th Grade. I just got a perm, and well, you get the idea. My 7th Grade Core Teacher, Mr. Valencia, picked up on this name and he called me FiFi that year.

The only people that called me Fif, were Toni and her family. (Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother). Actually, her Dad called me Darlin' but he called all her friends that! Now, her kids call me Auntie Fif. In fact they really don't know that my name is Nicole. Not even Nikki, aka Dolly, whose name is Nicole Elizabeth. I think they like Nicknames in that family. :) Toni wanted me to return the favor but I didn't have any girls..Sorry!!

I LOVE MY NICKNAME...and I LOVE the chick who gave it to me. We will be BFF's forever.

LOVE YOU TONI!!

Always,
FIF

Day 3 - Keepin' my Options Open

2011-02-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

This week I signed up for job # 3. Not sure what possessed me, so I have to do a little analysis. First job is Merchandise Rep. I have been doing this for 3 years and I like the flexibility of it. I really don't have a boss, I check in online and email if I have any issues. I can pretty much make up my own schedule. But lately, I am getting tired of driving around the city. I also can't get enough hours in one area of the city to justify the drive. Now that gas is creeping back to the $3 mark, I have scaled back on my territory to just include the accounts that are close by.

Job # 2. I recently started this job in November. This was a rebound job, now that I look at it. I had finished with my physical therapy on my wrist which I broke in August and was feeling a little more independent. I was also starting to feel better from my Pneumonia that knocked me down for a good month. I applied through the Mesa Public Schools and interviewed for a Clerk position in the Spec. Ed. department. I work with the Psychologist, Counselor and Speech Pathologist mostly. I was wanting to get an idea of how it is to work in the schools. It is only 19 hours so I can keep my flexible schedule and work my other job as well.

Job # 3. Substitute Teacher. I talked with the Principal of my kids school (a Charter School) and told her what I was doing with the Mesa Public Schools. We kind of got in a discussion about substituting and she wanted me to fill out an application. I told her I can only commit to Thursday's since that was my day off. She said Great! I will put you on the list for Thursday!

So..Here I am, working three jobs wondering what the heck? I assume I don't want to commit to a full time job, because I need the flexibility still with my kids. With job number #2, I like the people I work with and the environment, but I am bored. I am interested in how I do as a Sub. Hopefully by the end of the school year, I can make up my mind what direction I want to pursue. For now, I am keeping my options open!!

Day 2 - Friends

2011-01-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

Last night I accepted a "Friend Request" on Facebook from a childhood friend. We were friends through Jr. High and through High School. We even spent a semester of College together before we went our separate ways. Who knew the last day I hugged her goodbye as she decided to leave dorm life would be the last time I would see her. I only recently "found" her by emailing her Dad and asking for her email. I contacted her and was glad to hear she was doing well, living a life, not too different from mine, with two children and the last one was finally in school full time.

Throughout my adult years, I have thought about how she was doing, friends would ask if I had heard from her, it seemed like she went on with her life just fine without me. Today, as I contemplated our friendship and how much she shaped who I am today, I felt like I was mourning a lost friend. I also reflected why Childhood friends mean so much to us. Is it because in our youth we are shaping and forming who we are? I have great friends today that I consider near and dear, and each has left an impression on me for sure. But there is something about childhood friends. We share a bond that runs very deep. Part of our identities include these childhood friends. Today I am still close with alot of childhood friends, and for that I am grateful. I couldn't imagine my life without these special people. I don't have to speak to them everyday, but when we connect, it is like time never went by.

So today I am grateful for friendships, the ones that have stood the test of time and the ones I lean on today. Each friendship is special whether it be family friendships, childhood friendships, neighborhood friends, church friends, work friends and school friends. To all of my friends, from the bottom of my heart, Thank you for being my friend.

30 Days

2011-01-30T19:55:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about doing this for a while. I am going to stop thinking about it and just do it. I am going to blog for 30 days. Mostly, this is for my boys. I want them to get a glimpse of my daily life for a month. Who knows, it may not be interesting to them at all, and I may be humoring myself by thinking they are going to find this valuable later on in life.

I am not going to have any rules. Some days I may talk about what happened that day, maybe I may just jot down what I have been thinking about, maybe it may be inappropriate for 18 and under. Who knows. I think on the other side of 30 days, I might learn something. Just a feeling.

I'll start out by talking about Sacrament Meeting. My dear friend, Libbi, talked today in church. The day before, I had a conversation with her and she told me she was preparing to give a talk in church on Sunday. I wished her Good Luck and mentioned that I felt that I was going to be called on to give a talk soon because all my neighbors had given talks in the last few months. Just a feeling. Well, today during her talk. Libbi went ahead and shared that tidbit to the congregation. I about died. REALLY?!! I got plenty of ribbing from this, even the Bishop called me out on it in our combined RS/Priesthood meeting. He even asked me if I was inspired as to which Sunday I would like to talk.

Looking back, I am not sure if it was a feeling or a Self-fulfilled prophecy! I will be expecting a phone call soon. Wish me luck!! On the talk and the 30 days :)

Old Photos

2010-10-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

My Mom is finally going through her old photos which are on slides and is converting them to digital. It is fun seeing old photos of your parents before you were there. The photos seem like a gift, a glimpse into their lives which makes me understand and know them better somehow. Here are a few pics of my Mom and Dad at "The Ranch." I always heard stories about this place but never had been there. My Grandparents had owned some property in New Mexico which was like a vacation spot for them. THis was around 1960.

Granny and Gramps in the Jeep and Mom on the back

Granny

This is a picture of Christmas at Granny's house. They got so dressed up!

This picture is of my Aunt Marcia and Uncle Press. I don't think I had seen a picture of him. He was a pilot and died in a plane crash when my Aunt was pregnant with her third child.

Finally here is a picture of my Grandpa Crockett. He was a policeman in Pocatello Idaho. He was such a gentle man, I never saw him in his uniform.

Walking Pneumonia

2010-10-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

What is that? I guess I have it. I thought the little black cloud that was passing by while I was in a cast for 5 weeks was gone!! Last week I had a fever of 101,102 and 103!! I had ice packs on my face trying to get cooled down. What the heck was wrong with me?? I finally went to the doctor and they initially thought I had the flu. It never really acted like the flu, so I called back a couple days later and got some tests done and finally an anti-biotic!! I also had my chest X-rayed which confirmed the Pneumonia.

My fever finally went away after a week of craziness and lots of Tylenol. I swear I was waiting for that 5 hour mark ( somewhere between 4 to 6 hours per the directions) when I could dose up again because my fever would really never break. Today the doctor called and told me my Liver enzymes were elevated. They think it might be because of all the Tylenol I used. Anyway she said to stay away from Tylenol and Alcoholic products like NYQUIL. Hold on..I wait all year until I get sick so I can use my favorite medicine NyQuil. I don't have many vices but COME ON!! How the heck am I supposed to sleep with this wicked cough??

Trying to find the good side of this diagnosis - The constant coughing will get me in shape so I don't have to use my Abs of Steel video. And..That is it.

Recap

2010-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

So, before I can move forward I need to put summer behind me. We have finally said good-bye to the triple digits, until May (hopefully) and I was looking back at my summer photos that I did not include on the blog.

June is our birthday month. We make it easy with the swimming pool :) Brett and Josh turned 10 and 6 this year!!

I can't believe Eclipse just came out in June! It seems it has been out forever. We had a party to celebrate. So embarassing..but oh well :) My poor friend, Andrea actually got bed bugs bites while we were at the Midnight showing. We were sitting in the theatre for about 5 to 6 hours. So we won't go back to that theatre!

We went to the lake a few times to Jet-ski. The boys love it! One time all four of us were on it and Mike's hat flew off. We turned around to retrieve the hat and as we went by to scoop it up, all four of us leaned over and we all toppled in the water. Luckily, Mike had the key tied around his wrist to kill the engine, or we would all be stranded in the lake. We were laughing pretty hard and learned our lesson hopefully! These are pictures of us with the Layton family at Bartlett lake, we brought the jet-ski and all the kids took turns riding it (with the adults on the back) we had so much fun.

Of course we love going to the DBacks game whenever we get a chance. Brett got picked to help sing the 7th inning stretch and they both caught some t-shirts that they threw out to the crowd. Brett did great singing, not to theatrical, but just the right amount of actions for a 10 year old boy. Of course he couldn't seem too pleased to be up there! Grandpa Barney went with us because Mike was still working.

One morning Josh woke up and wanted a BLT sandwich for breakfast. I said, Are you sure?? He wouldn't change his mind for nothing, so I dutifully went to the kitchen to fix my hungry boy a BLT at 7:00 am. When I came back, he fell back asleep. I put the sandwich in a baggie and saved it for lunch. I had to take a pic because I was proud of myself for being such a good mama. HaHa.

We made it to Pinetop at the end of July to escape the heat and get ourselves ready for school. The boys practiced some shooting at a gravel pit. We made our way to a lookout tower and met a man there named Alan Allen who spends his days tracking lightning strikes around the mountains. The views were amazing :) We hiked a little bit until it started to rain!

While we were in Pinetop it rained most everyday..which is heaven! One time it hailed the other times the kids just played in it. We also had fun visiting Snowflake for the Pioneer Day Celebration. We love going up there to take part in all the activities. This year Brett ran the kids 2 mile race. He was proud of himself.

Finally we are at the end where I brake my arm..not so much fun..Mike and I went with our friends to Las Vegas for the weekend. It was fun to get away. I hadn't been in a while so it was fun to walk around and of course go to Serendipity to get the Frozen Hot Chocolate. That was worth the trip!! Mike found one of his favorites..Ceaser Salad. We got this at a Steak house in Ceaser's Palace called Bradley Ogden's. The food was super good. Definately worth going back for.

One more adventure..We went to Camp LoMia as a Ward. We really had a blast. We got there early and made our own dinner. Even though we were in a Cabin, we were super cold. I was glad it was only one night!

What we learned...

2010-08-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

This week with the start of school, there was a lot of learning going on. Here is a recap.

Josh - Learned to get up in the morning and get ready for school in 45 minutes. We had two good days, the third day he missed his carpool. He just couldn't decide on which T-shirt to wear. Maybe after a day of no "Wii" he can make a faster choice. We will see...

Brett - His teacher wanted to know why he was forging his Mother's signature on his completed homework. The excuse of "My Mom broke her arm and has to write with her left hand," is an excuse he has filed away in his brain to use in Junior High.

Nicole - I realized that a purple arm cast really does go with everything quite beautifully. Also, just like a new baby, the cast is an invitation for strangers to make weird comments and tell you their personal fracture stories. I also learned the hard way not to carry two things in one hand. Spaghetti sauce is hard to get out of the carpet and one of my three pair of pants, that I can put on with one hand, had to be thrown away because of a bleaching incident.

Mike- He has become more speedy at setting my hair in hot rollers. He only pokes me in the eye every other day, He has also scaled back on his expectations for dinner which usually comes from the freezer. I also save the majority of laundry for his day off which he is totally excited about.

Let's see what next week brings!

Learning The Hard Way

2010-08-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

As I strapped on my roller skates and skated on to the rink at Skateland, I could imagine my sisters with me as we raced down the driveway, making loops around the cars. We would play roller derby with our knee-hi socks, giving each other a push from behind to go faster. I also remember how I could spin around and skate backwards. My sister Karen was the best at it of course, she was the athletic one. I had more style and seemed to be helping my youngest sister Cynthia who was always trying to keep up.

As I held my right wrist carefully in my left hand, I was wondering why I couldn't jump back up to join the rest of the skaters. I quickly flashed forward 30 years and let reality catch up with my reminiscent mind. I have never not gotten up from a fall, this was my first time and probably won't be my last. I am pretty sure I am giving up rollerskating. I will have to be content to watch from the sidelines.

Today I can only use my left hand, I don't want to jeopardize the healing in my wrist because I want to avoid surgery. Brett helps me put my contacts in, Mike puts rollers in my hair, and Josh gives me sympathy hugs. All in all it is do-able except for the No Driving thing for 6 weeks..that may sting a little.

Josh voted Green, Brett voted Purple..and Purple won!

Branson, MO.

2010-07-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Yep, we went to Branson. Why? Because we felt like it. We have never been there and I "heard" that it was a fun family place for the kids. P.S. I am not sure I can name a person who said they liked it and had actually been there. Did we have fun? YES. Is it a place we will visit again unless we are carrying an AARP card? NO.

We left the day after school got out and headed to the airport. We flew 2 1/2 hours to Tulsa, OK, where we got a cool Dodge Charger rental car and drove 3 hours to Branson. The "Are We There Yet's" had reached an all time high, but the drive to Branson was nice and it was GREEN, which is a color we don't see much around here.

We finally got to our place when it was dark, because we had lost 2 hours traveling East. Brett wanted to know when we would make up those 2 hours of his life that he lost, he was actually upset. Anyway, we got ourself this cool looking cabin that had two bedrooms, a kitchen and dining room and family room, so the boys were really excited. I was too!

We had fun relaxing, sight-seeing and going to an amusement parks.

Here we are in the Rec center. Josh playing checkers and the boys always playing ping pong. Brett and Josh found a friend named Jacob who they played and swam with everyday. He was there with his Grandma for the week.

Notice the snack bar in the background, that came in handy for late night ping pong tournaments.

For those of you that haven't been to Branson, which is most, it kind of looks like a mini Las Vegas. Here are some pictures I took of "The Strip" as they call it.

"The Dutton's" show house. The Dutton's are a Mormon family that were on "America's Got Talent", they also play here in Mesa in the Winter's. A few different acts play at this Theatre, but the Dutton's are the main attraction.

Here is a Wax Museum, another attraction on the strip.

They had 3 different Go-Cart/water slide places on the strip as well. We stopped to do this huge Bungee jump/swing thing. The crane pulled us up and let us go and we swung back and forth. I am usually not scared of most rides, this one, I was actually scared of as they pulled us up. Brett had the controls and he was in charge of pulling the cord to let us go, THAT WAS SCARY!

Here is a video of it, if you want to hear a mother screaming louder than her child.

We then went on this cool ride called "Ride the Ducks" it was a big truck that showed us all around Branson. We traveled up to the mountains and then it took us into the water! Josh and Brett both got turns driving the boat. We had these funny duck beak whistles that they encouraged everyone to blow at passing cars and to be all around obnoxious with. Can you imagine what we did with those whistles when we came home? They "Duck" fairy came to collect them and they would magically reappear when the kids got back to Mesa.

Brett driving the Boat..

Josh just finished driving the Boat...

We visited a Fun amusement parks called Silver Dollar City. They had some fun roller coasters as well as little shops and exhibits portraying the Ozark way of life back in the 1900's. All of the park attendants wear period clothing. Josh was a little leary of the rides, so he stayed clear. The only one he wanted to go on was the log ride! I went on it once and got soaked. The boys and Mike went on it a second time.

They are in there somewhere..

They did have some awesome coasters with a view that was amazing! Josh finally went on one roller coaster that went upside down. Of course, he didn't know what was ahead of him. When the ride finished, he threw his hands in the air and yelled, "That was awesome!" Phew, that could have turned ugly, so we were lucky.

Mike and Brett were in front on this crazy one!

Here is a couple more pics of the amusement park. They also had a cave that was one mile deep! That was the original attraction in Branson, then they started to build some attractions to keep the visitors busy while they waited to visit the cave. Then the attractions got so popular, that became the main attraction and the cave is just a side note.

The Cave..

Finally we spent some time in Old Downtown Branson, next to the river. We played some football, climbed trees and ate lunch.

Finaally we sit down to eat!!

Mr. B's Ice Cream--That is one of Brett's nick names :)

Mike got some rounds in, he was pretty bummed he wouldn't be able to golf on his vacation.

We did get to see some entertainment. About 15 to 20 of the shows around Branson, came to the resort to give a preview of their acts. We got to see an abbreviated version of the best Branson has to offer. Plenty of singing, magic shows, roping tricks and general entertainment. Josh was even part of the show.

Three of the Dutton's

The last attraction we went to was the "Butterfly Palace." Brett really wanted to go here since the beginning of the trip. We saved it for last, aka, nothing else left to do. It was interesting. They had 5,000 butterflies in this room, which you could not touch. They gave the kids magnifying glasses to observe the butterflies, I am glad we went.

We are almost done..On our way out, we visited an amazing eatery that we saw on the Food Channel, it is called Lambert's cafe. They are famous for "throwing rolls" at the customers. They come out and yell, "Fire up!" and you hold up your hands and they throw your dinner rolls to you. They also come around with "sides" for your dish like, Black Eyed peas and Fried Okra. Real Country Food!

This guy in the corner is eyeing Brett to throw a roll too.

One more stop..The Second Largest McDonalds (first is in Orlando, Florida) is in Vinita Oklahoma! Who knew? Definately not us. It spans the freeway. My kids HAD to stop and get nuggets, there is always room for Chicken Nuggets!

Josh Turns 6!

2010-07-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

I love that both of my boys birthday's are in June. Easy summer birthday parties, we just send them to the pool! They never get tired of it. For Josh's birthday we invited two of his friends, that are actually his same age, and swam and ate cake. I forget how excited kids get about their birthday's. Everything is so magical on that day and they feel very special which they should.

Josh started his special day the way he normally does, which is to check on the dogs and give them some love. Then it was agony waiting for the party to begin. The wait was finally over and he could jump in the pool and party it up.

I can't believe my baby is 6!

10 Years Old

2010-06-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Brett turned 10 yesterday and he was so excited. Even though this is his "Party" year(we do friend birthday parties on the even years) he opted not to have a big to-do. Instead, we went jet skiing.

We packed up and headed to Saguaro Lake since it is close and we had other thing planned that day. We took a tube and knee board to pull behind the jet ski and had a blast. Brett's favorite thing to do is drive the jet ski. He can't do it alone until he is 14, so one of us gets to ride along with him. I have only ridden with him ONCE, because he scares me to death. He loves to do tight turns and go REALLY FAST. That job is now his Dad's.

When we got back home, we ate dinner and Brett had his cousin Kyle come over to spend the night. The boy's took off to watch an All-Stars game from our little leauge and I went shopping..so far so good.

When we all met back home, the boys went swimming that night and had cake and we called it a night. At 2:30 I woke up and the boys were in their room playing Wii. I told him, enough and time to go to bed. I then woke up at 4:30 and again, they were still playing Wii. I told them, they were out of control and needed to go to bed. At 6:00 am I woke up to piano playing and Brett and Kyle running around the house yelling, "We did it!" We stayed up all night.

I told them they were nuts and if they wanted to be awake, they could be awake and be less annoying. I finally found them at 9 am..asleep. They both crashed on Brett's twin bed and I had to take a picture. It was priceless and finally not annoying.

My Dad

2010-05-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

My Dad has his last Southwest Board of Directors meeting this month. He has served on the board for 15 years. It has been such a huge part of his life. This appointment came at a time when he wasn't sure where his career was going next. Soon after he was appointed on the board he was called as the Bishop of a Singles Ward. This was a very busy time for him, but he buckled down and went full steam ahead like always.

I think he fell in love with the CEO at the time Herb Kelleher. Herb was known for his fun, party like attitude that made Southwest what it is today. Herb loved to smoke cigars and drink whiskey. Whenever he was in Phoenix, my Dad was his chauffer. He told Herb, straight out, that there would be no smoking in his car! They had a very funny relationship since my Dad is about as straight laced as you can possibly be.

I am more than proud of my Dad for his service with Southwest and all the other charities and service organizations he has been apart of in his life. He gives of his time freely and unselfishly. I know when I find myself volunteering for this, signing up for that, squeezing every ounce of extra time I can to helping out any way I can, I owe this to my Dad, he is my greatest example.

This picture is in this month's Fortune 500. They highlighted some Boardroom's of the companies that have weathered the storm of this Recession we are in. Dad is in the front seat. Which is so typically him. I always remember the lecture in college to always sit in the front of the class.

I Love you Dad!

Inspired

2010-04-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break I took a little trip to NYC for 6 days. It was pretty much a dream since I was sans husband and kids, accompanied by my Sis in Law. I haven't posted about all the fun adventures yet..because I am waiting for some key photos from my travel partner. I decided to change my tactics from friendly reminders to Cyber-bullying. Hopefully my plan works!!

I do have a few pics that I will share now because I came back truly inspired. I've decided to start by taking some summer sewing classes to improve on my rusty skills. I can't wait! I was a Clothing and Textile Major after all. I have been to busy the last 10 years or so suppressing my need to create and try to open that door again.

So one of my stops in NY was Mood Fabrics. Project Runway is always one of my favorite shows and to be there was surreal! As I was searching for it on the street, I passed it 3 times. Finally a door man caught my attention and motioned to me, obviously I am not the only fan that has tried to find this famous fabric store unsuccessfully.

He held up three fingers and motioned for me to come inside. I realized I neglected to look up, because it is located on the 3rd floor. Inside the building was an old fashioned elevator equipped with an operator. It definitely added to the magic of the building.

As I left, I had to say, "Thank You Mood!!" Now if only Tim Gunn were there giving me 30 minutes and $100!

This is a picture of Bryant Park where Fashion Week is held. The Empire State building was lit in Green lights in honor of Saint Patrick's Day.

A poster board with some pictures of Designs from the show with the matching fabric swatches.

The Visitor

2010-02-26T12:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Scouts and I was kind of looking forward to it because we were teaching the kids how to tie knots. I know, fun stuff. I envisioned tying the children to the chairs, but I was in charge of the target practice and magic tricks. I was pretty much prepared with old socks filled with rocks tied to long ropes and I had practiced my magic trick which I didn't quite get, but was ready to give it a shot anyway.

When I walked into the Primary room, the other two leaders were there getting the boys settled with some opening games. One of the leaders, Jenny, brought her whole family including her husband and 4 kids. Since Jenny belongs to another ward, I hadn't met her kids before. I knew she had one boy that was handicapped but never had the pleasure to meet him. Today was the day.

I noticed her 3 girls right off the bat, they were toe-headed, cute as buttons, little girls. They were full of energy and playing and running around and having a blast amongst all these cubscouts. Then, my eye caught a child's stroller in the corner of the room, in the stroller was a little boy who was obviously severely handicapped. I put down my ropes, and gear and went over to meet him. He was by himself, listening to the bustling noises all around him. I crouched down and began rubbing his legs and told him how excited I was that he came to visit our scouts today.

He tried to look at me and my eyes met his and I was filled with happiness. Wow, what a strong spirit this special boy has. As the meeting began, I was still distracted with our little visitor and didn't want to leave my spot. I heard the other leader ask Jenny if she wouldn't mind introducing the boys to her son before we started our activities.

Jenny came over to him and picked him up out of his stroller and walked over to the boys who had formed a semi-circle. They were all interested and attentive when Jenny started to say.

"This is John, he is my oldest son and he is 9 years old."

Now, all of our boys in the Bear den are 9 as well. John looks a little different then they do. He is the size of a 3 year old boy and doesn't sit or stand. His arms are deformed and he only has 3 fingers between his two hands. As Jenny continued to talk about John, she asked if the boys had any questions. Some boys were a little shy, others were ready with questions. All of them were touched. I was watching their eyes as they tried to understand and get to know this special boy. Some of the questions went like this.

"What does he eat?"
"Can he talk?"
"How do you understand him?"
"Why is he so small?"
"Does he know his name?"
"Why does he wear a bib?
"Will he grow bigger?"
"Has he been baptized?"

These boys were learning so much more this day at scouts then how to tie knots. They were learning about the Lord's plan for each of us and how we all have the same mission, to return to our Heavenly Father and live with our Families Forever.

We talked about the Resurrection and how John will have a perfect body then. His Mom told them he had beautiful brown eyes, and she knows she will recognize him when she sees him when he is Resurrected. His Mom also told them that he will get his Patriarchal blessing to learn more about the Lord's plan for him. This lead to more questions and more answers.

We finally had to cut them off and start on our activities that we had planned. John went back to his existence. He laid down on a blanket while the other boys played tug of war and enjoyed building relationships with one another. I made sure before I left that day that I gave John a big hug and thanked him for his influence on our Bear scouts this day.

He was a special visitor that they will not soon forget.

5 More Months

2010-02-25T12:52:00.001-08:00

Yesterday after Brett left for school, I was cleaning up the dishes and headed for the shower. Josh was just waking up and asked me to play Wii with him.

"Mom has to get ready honey!" was my answer.

"Please??"

Well, okay.

"Come sit right here and snuggle with me Mommy, while you watch me play."

As I was sitting with him snuggling, I thought, how much longer do I have of these days where we can hang out in our Jammies on a Wednesday morning and play Wii and snuggle. Then it hit me..5 More Months!

I sat there, curled up on the bed with my 5 year old holding on to him, loving this time with him. Five months will travel so fast and he will be a big First Grader. These moments will become fewer, but for right now, I will take these opportunities and love to play Mario with Josh.

Parent-Teacher

2010-02-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Stop the presses. Two posts in one day. I think the rain has gotten to me. I just got back from Parent-Teacher conference and wanted to share my thoughts.

First off Kindergarten teacher, this is the easy one. Counting numbers, check, writting letters great, check, no warning slips sent home from the teacher, check. All smooth sailing. Then at the end she says, "Oh, one more thing I need to talk to you about." Uh oh..my heart sank. Today after school, Josh hit a kid with his umbrella. The teacher told the mother of the victim that she would have a "Talk" with me. As she was explaning it, my mind was full of reasons why Josh would do such a thing. My million excuses started with,

He just got over being sick
He is tired.
Was he provoked?
It's raining!
They were probably just playing around

But, I squashed my comments and kept them to myself. The teacher told me he was crying and he felt bad and that I needed to tell Josh it's bad to hit people with Umbrellas. Really.

On to Brett's teacher. I was prepared. We, mostly I, laughed about how much he needs to be moved. She told me he is a social butterfly. I told her, he can carry a conversation on by himself, people don't necessarily need to respond back. He has a gift. His work was great, his English grade needs to improve and we went over some other things. Then we talked about the Field trip coming up. I told her I would love to come. She said, "I wish!" We already have our chaperones lined up and you would have to pay to go. I thought, how nice, she likes me and would want me to be there. I then told her that I would have to see how much it was and I would ask Brett if he would want me to go.

As I was leaving, she said, "It would be nice if you could come, then you could keep an eye on Brett!" Ugh..I guess she wants me there for reasons other than my sweet personality.

Rainy Day

2010-02-22T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today it's a rainy and I usually LOVE rainy days, but today I feel trapped by it. The last four days Josh has been sick and Mike went to Rocky Point with his brother for a golf trip right around the time Josh started his fever. So without any backup, the last four days have felt VERY long!!

This week, the kids have a shortened school day because of Parent-Teacher conference. I only have 2 hours, rather than my regular 3 hour break. I was ready to get out by myself and walk the aisles of Target in peace, but alas, it was raining and my motivation to brave the elements was not very fierce.

So I decided to eat lunch, read and go through some bills and mail. I also got caught up in blog hopping which is always pretty entertaining. I looked through my pictures and found some I took of the kids and their cousins as we visited the zoo last week. I only have an hour until it's my turn for Parent-Teacher conference. I am going to have to face Brett's teacher as she talks about how she has to move him once a week. Seriously, this kid can talk to anyone, I don't think there is a place in the class that is safe. Ughhh!

I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow :)

Utah Day Trip

2010-02-10T17:24:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I joined my brother and sister-in-law and flew up to Utah to visit a couple of special people. The first is Kayla, she is my niece. I haven't seen her for a couple of months because she is living in Utah right now. I miss her. I didn't realize how much until I saw her. I cried when I hugged her and didn't let go for a while. Right now, she is trying to find her way, she is trying to get healthy and find her purpose in life. I feel sad that she has to deal with so much at such a young age, but I know her struggles will make her a strong woman.

The Second special person is my newest Nephew, Brock. He arrived here safe and sound although his Mama has a few battle scars from a hard pregnancy. He is perfect and I had to wrestle Kayla for some time to hold the baby.

We only were able to spend about 5 hours with them, but it was worth it! Can't wait to see them again soon.

The Big Brother- Brandon

Kayla and her Birthday Cheescake - Happy 17th!

The Backyard which Grandma is convinced that the children may be eaten by Mountain Lions. A good reason to move back to AZ where we have fences.

Brock and Kayla

Sharpies

2010-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

I don't buy Sharpies, but I always have them around my house, courtesy of Mike. We have red, blue and black and I have always hid them. I haven't been very diligent lately because Josh is getting more wise in his old age and SURELY wouldn't write on the walls or counters with Sharpies.

I can't believe BRETT hasn't learned his lesson yet. I am sure Josh will be disappointed in his big brother when he gets in trouble by his Mom. Silly Brett.

Sunrise 2010

2010-02-02T16:13:00.001-08:00

We took a long weekend and headed for the cabin. We knew it was going to snow, so we tried to get the kids to ski the day before the big storm blew in. This is Brett's 3rd time snowboarding, so he had it down pretty good. He was sick of the bunny hill and wanted to go to Midway, but I wouldn't let him go by himself. This was Josh's first time skiing and we put him in lessons. The first half of the day was pretty long and they didn't get that much accomplished besides learning how to get in and out of their skiis. The second part of the day, Mike joined the group and helped out the ski instructor, I am sure the ski instructor was excited about that :). But by the end of the day, Josh was skiing down from the top of the bunny hill. He really enjoyed it!

Then we buckled down and waited for the snow storm. My favorite part was sitting on the couch, looking out the window while the snow fell. The kids favorite part was heading outside to play in the snow. We tried a happy medium where we spent time indoors and outdoors. But, I kept gettin' dragged out there to watch the kids play and play with them. We had so much fun. I am glad we made it down the mountain before the second wave hit. Pinetop lost power and people were snowed in for the week. Sunrise shut down for almost 2 weeks to recover.

January Wedding

2010-01-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Mike's youngest brother got married this month. What a fun occasion it was to have a wedding in our family. It has been a while. The kids really enjoyed feeling like a part of this special day and we gained a wonderful new Sister-in-law and Aunt into our family. The best part is, she is taller than me..WOOT! I'm not the tallest girl anymore. Thanks Janelle :) She is also beautiful and smart and a nurse. So a win all around. Mike's brother is one of the sweetest guys I know and he is going to make an awesome husband and great father some day soon. Congratulations Jared and Janelle.

Christmas and New Years

2010-01-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

I have to hurry and post this. Yes it's late, and it is hanging over me. I can't go on without checking this off my list. Must. post. Christmas pictures!

This Christmas was a little more quiet. All of my sisters and brother and their families were out of state this year. So it was just my family at my parents house. It was nice, but we missed everyone. We had lots of time to play "Sorry," Josh and Brett's favorite game, at least 20 times between Christmas and the beginning of school. How come that game never gets old for them? They also spent a couple of days building Legos, their favorite.

They also got a new game which they loved to play. It is called, "Who Knew?" It is along the lines of Apples to Apples. We played that too almost as much as "Sorry."

Christmas Eve - Nativity play with the Cousins

Christmas Morning

Giving Dad Big Hugs for their favorite presents..Lego's.

Just waiting to be formed into Battleships!

For New Year's, Mike joined his friend to visit Boston. They went to the Winter Classic Hockey Game that was played outdoors at Fenway Park. They had a great time, although I missed him on New Year's Eve. But, in the end it was worth it because he got to meet this guy.

He also got to worship at the Holy Grail for any Boston fan, The Green Monster.
Yes, he actually touched it!!

I have a million pictures of every angle of Fenway which I will spare everyone. Mike did take a couple of pictures of some landmarks that were around his Hotel. He loved Boston. I have been there once when I was 12 so my memory of Boston is limited. I remember parking on the street across from a long row of Motorcycles, a woman came up to my Dad and said, "I hope you are comfortable leaving your van there." My Dad shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yep." I also remember watching a man urinate in the street. Good memories. I think I am over my aversion to Boston and would like to visit again soon.

Quincy Market

Sameule Adams Statue

Some cool looking building. Mike said he knew I would know what it was..Nope.

On the flight out, he took this picutre of a Snow plow working hard to clear the runways! At least his flight was only delayed an hour.

Happy New Year--2010

Lucky Kid

2009-12-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Brett and I went to the Suns game this week. Mike is working late this busy season, so Brett was my Date!! Our budget was $20 and Brett thrives on a budget..He opted to take the light rail instead of paying for parking. When you take the light rail to an event at US Airways, your ride is free with your tickets. So Brett opted for the free transportation. When we got off at our stop, we were looking for dinner. We decided to have hot dogs and share a soda. He relented and went with a Diet Coke, because he knows I am alergic to anything else! The kid loves his Mama :0)

As we made our way to our seats, which are quite awesome, we realized we have some new neighbors. Amare Stoudemire's family sits next to us. We found out that this new seating arrangement has its perks. Before the game started, the Sun's promoters were handing out these cool Amare sunglasses to only a certain section. When I commented on the glasses to our new neighbors, we were quickly given a couple of pair.

Then after we finished our food, they announced the winners of the free Peter Piper pizzas. You guessed it, Sec. 123 row 3..our row. That has never happened to us before, must be our new lucky charms seated next to us. Brett was super excited and he also was sad he already spent money on his food!!

At half time, Brett had $9 left that was burning a hole in his/my pocket. We headed to the Suns team shop where he was determined to find something. Well, of course, most things he wanted were more than his budget. I think that he turned over every item in the store. When we were about to check out, he eyed a flag behind the cashier and it was $8! Sold! He was happy with his purchase and we made our way back to our seats. One of the team Doctors that sits in front of us, handed Brett some new purple wrist sweat bands from the locker room. He gave it to Brett and said that he picked them up from Nash's stash and he appreaciated how good Brett was being tonight. Well, I could not convince him to return his flag to the shop, he was quite content with his goodies.

Brett was ready to go after the beginning of the 4th quarter. Since we took the light rail, it takes about an hour to get home. So we headed out early. Brett said goodbye to his friends and I said Goodbye to the Christian Louboutin shoes worn by Amare's wife. I was a lucky girl too, I got to stare at these amazing shoes the whole game, I almost took a picture, but I thought that would be a little weird. Of course, googling them is not weird at all.

Christmas Trip

2009-12-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Last year during December I went on a cruise. I swore I would never go on vacation in December again, because I felt that I was racing when I got back to reality. So of course this year, we decided to try it again. This time I took Mike with me and we went to NYC. I always wanted to see the store front windows, the Christmas tree at Rockafeller Plaza, the ice rink and to top it off, it SNOWED! I felt like I was dreaming, it was so perfect.

The kiddos stayed home, so THANK YOU to those that helped out! I know December is not the best time to babysit, but we appreciated it! On the plane ride out, the funny flight attendants at Southwest were doing their speech on safety at the beginning. This one was particularly entertaining, he said, "If you are traveling with small children.... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? Please secure your mask first than help your child next to you. If you have more than one child, then pick the one you like best and secure their's first." HaHa..A nice chuckle to start off our trip.

Once we got to NYC, Mike, being the more adventurous one, decided that we could find our way without a taxi. We ended up taking the Q33 bus from Queens and catching the F-Train to 42nd street. It took an hour, but we made it without getting lost and we were able to stop at every street in Queens which was a bonus. On one of the stops, this guy got on the bus, his hair was slicked back and he of course was wearing a leather coat. He looked like he was in his early 20's and he scowled at me as he sat next to us. His IPod was so loud I could almost recognize the song that was playing. As I was watching him, he reached in to his jacket and pulled out a book. It was "New Moon." I kind of smiled and Mike looked at me and said, "You should talk to him about it." I think my eyes fell out of my head as I was begging him not to say anything to this random guy on the Q33 bus at 7:30pm at night in Queens, please..no. Mike ignored me and tried to talk to him, but luckily he ignored us probably beccause he couldn't hear us!!

I knew I was in for an interesting weekend, because in NY there are a lot of people in a close proximity, this is Mike's comfort zone. He loves talking to everyone and getting their life story. I wish I could list the people he/we met. I am always amazed how open people are and how they are willing to share alot with people they do not know! All I know is I now have a friend named Jenny Kim who has lived in NY for 30 years and has two boys. She took a fifteen minute break from work so she could escort us to her favorite restaurant. Okay on to the pictures...

We stayed in the Theatre District and this theatre was right around the corner!

Mike in Times Square

A fountain with cool Ornaments in it. It was across from Radio City Music Hall

NBC Studios where they tape SNL..That night was Blake Lively and Rhianna

The Christmas Tree at Rockafeller Plaza

Mike and I at the tree.

Saks Fifth Avenue snowflake designs. They blinked on and off to music.

Amazing picture of the ice skating rink. I had to wait in line to get to the spot to take a picture!

Me and Matt Laur, he was more handsome in person!

Times Square Again

Central Park

Whoa..close up!

Starting to get cold..

This is the Alice in Wonderland statue that I was on a mission to find. We passed it once and had to loop back around to get to it again. After we got there, Mike took this picture. I didn't check it afterward. He totally missed Alice, he just got me. Dang it!

Stopped for lunch at a yummy Korean place. We are in the middle of ChinaTown and Little Italy, who knew there would be good Korean food?? Thanks to our friend Jenny Kim.

Wall Street..I would love to go inside there one of these times. It always seems so small on the outside.

Crumbs Cupcakes..Yummy..Located on the North side of Bryant Park. Thanks Shay :)

Grand Central Station - This is where Marty from Madagascar went to when he escaped the NY Zoo. My kids where excited about this picture..

The Chrysler building. So cool with the fog and lights.

THe Empire State Building. It was snowing and cloudy so you could not see anything from the top. We were glad to hang out in the lobby and get warm for a minute. They had some neat displays of the building inside. Outside the lights on it were blue.

Macy's! I lost Mike for a minute. I ran straight for the windows while he was fixing his umberalla.

Inside Macy's--I can't imagine working this..Yikes!

Snow in NYC Video

Macy's Window Video

Another Macy's Window

Josh's Turn

2009-11-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

Finally it is Josh's turn to play a sport! He has been waiting so long for the family to watch him play. He has really enjoyed playing coach pitch. He plays the position between the first and second base in the infield. He has caught a pop fly and made a few "Outs!"

His goal is to get a home run sometime this season. He usually just motors around the bases until his coach can stop him. I think one of these days he will make it around all the bases, that will be the best! Here are some pictures of the Lil' Slugger.

/

Lego City

2009-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

My living room is no longer mine. It has been taken over by a Lego City. I never actually had any furniture in that room before, becuase I just couldn't bring myself to buy a nice dining room table. I had dreams of my boys playing tag around it and jumping over the table to get to their room while chairs were being throw down. So, instead, it is filled with legos.

Apparently, there is a method to the madness, it is quite a layout. There is a Lego City, with battle ships ready to go to war. There is a Cantina and a Cafeteria, Training Center and Rocket Station. We have a number of lego builders in the neighborhood that have helped contribute to the creation. The boys even have each other labeled as "Master's" or "Beginner's". "Master's" have successfully built a lego ship that has won a battle.

It has been fun to listen and watch them interact with each other and be proud of what they have built. I wonder where we are going to put the Christmas tree?

Halloween

2009-11-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

This year I decided to MAKE a costume. I am not sure what got over me. I was talking to a friend about how I USED to sew. After all, I did get a College degree in Clothing and Textiles and that did include sewing classes. My Mom taught me how to sew when I was 12. During the summers we would always pick a pattern of a dress or skirt and pick out fabrics at the store. We would also have typing lessons and math sheets to do as well, we thought she was the task master..but I am sooo glad I know how to type!!

After my conversation with my friend I had a gnawing feeling that I needed to get my sewing machine out and do something. Of course I don't have time, you just have to make time. Brett wanted a Jedi Robe, just like Obi One. As I searched the pattern books, I never found one that matched what I had in my mind. So I picked one that was kind of close and just improvised.

I started laying out the fabric and I was transported back to when I was a kid with my Mom. I could hear her voice telling me how to pin and cut my fabric. I knew right then I could do this! Well I did finish the costume the morning of Halloween, but it was done. Here are some Halloween pictures. We started off at the Neighborhood Chili Bake to show off our costumes, then off to Grandma's to get some special Halloween treats. Oh yeah, I was Princess Leah. I didn't get dressed until it was dark, so the pictures aren't that great of the braided buns. But trust me they were awesome!!

Friends

2009-10-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today one of Mike's best friends passed away. He leaves behind a wife and 4 children. He has a 17 year old son, a 9 year old son and twin daughters who are 1 1/2 years old. We are truly saddened by the sudden loss and my heart goes out to their family and friends.

As I am writing this, it has been about 11 hours since we received the news and I have talked to my husband about 15 minutes today. His focus is on the sweet family that has been left behind. As he begins his process of grieving, he cannot sit around and feel sad, Mike is making sure that his kids know that their Daddy loved them. Mike is holding the twins and playing ball with the 9 year old. He is trying to give advice if it is asked for and doing what his friend would do for him.

As Mike sat here in the kitchen before he headed out, he looked at his last text from Doug. He looked at me and said, "Who am I going to talk to now?" I told him he had lots of friends, but his dear friend needs a favor today, and that is to look after his kids. He flipped his phone down and said, "I know, I need to go."

I am not sure when Mike will be home tonight, but I know Doug's children will feel loved by Mike and know they can count on him always. As do I.

Responsible

2009-09-30T10:17:00.001-07:00

This past week, Josh was recognized as the Good Citizen of the month in his class. Two kids receive the nomination from their teacher and they get to be recognized in front of the school and have a special donut breakfast with their teachers.

This month's virtue is "Responsibility." The kindergarten teacher has asked the parents to write special "Love Notes" so she can see who is demonstrating the virtue at home. In the video he is receiving his Good Citizen sticker with Lilly his friend and fellow classmate. In his Love Note, I told the teacher that he cleans his room and takes out the trash without being asked. He has enjoyed the "Title" of a Responsible boy.

The other day as everyone was off to bed, I snuck a few minutes to read on the couch in the living room, which is my favorite spot to read. It was about 10 o'clock and Josh was moving from bed to couch to bed, a little restless and not able to fall asleep. He wandered into the kitchen and I heard the water in the sink come on. I didn't pay much attention and kept on reading. Then I heard some dishes being clanked around. I had started the dishwasher at 8 and it had finished, but I had some dishes in the sink that were put there after the dishwasher started. Pretty soon, Josh came up to me and said.

"I did the dishes."
"Thanks, Josh that helps me so much."
"I almost did it perfect, but the powder spilled on the floor."
"Ok, lets go see if we can clean it up."

So as we walked to the sink, all the dishes were indeed put in the dishwasher, he also managed to start it as well. I figured dishes washed twice wasn't such a bad idea. I also noticed powder leading from the pantry to the dishwasher.

"It kind of spilled everywhere" He said. Then he got out a broom and I helped him sweep up his spill.

"Mom, am I responsible?"
"You sure are!" I replied.
"Can you write a Love note to my teacher?"

Well, whatever the motivation is I like it!

Josh and his teacher Mrs. Cenzano

Lilly and Josh - Good citizens

All three together = uber adorable

Change of Plans

2009-09-21T10:46:00.001-07:00

This morning after Brett left for school, Josh emerged from his bedroom dressed for school including shoes and his backpack. So of course I told him it was too early for school (he has afternoon Kindergarten) and he slumped his backpack off with a sigh and asked if he could go play at the neighbors house. I of course told him it was too early and that he needed to come in and have breakfast and I could turn on the TV.

I was planning on jumping on my treadmill which I do MOST (uh-hum) mornings when he paused and looked at the floor and said, "This floor is dirty..we need to clean it!" So I replied that I would get to that after my workout. He said, "Okay Mom, I will get the mop out and start while you are exercising."

Darn Kid...

I don't know if he was using secret reverse psychology or was really planning on doing it, either way..I decided I needed to mop my floor. I hurried and vacuumed the floor while he followed me with the mop and we got the floor done lickity split!

After we were done, he said, "Aren't you so proud of me Mom?"
"Well of course I am!" I replied.
"Can you go to your wallet and find some gold for me?"
"Even better," I said "there is gold on the floor for your reward."
I led him to the corner of the hall where a dime and penney had been left unclaimed.
"Ohh..I love finding gold!" shouted Josh.

Me too....

Things That Are Occupying My Brain

2009-09-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

It seems that I am extra busy these days. I am trying to get a handle on the new school year and I feel like I am tackling one day at a time. I know that is what most everyone else is doing, but it would be nice to plan the next days activities prior to that actual day :)

Here is a few things on my mind right now.

Bear Cub Scouts - Every week, we get together and pound out as many requirements as we can in one hour...We have Scouts on Thursday and I am usually thinking about it on Wed, then gathering the materials on Thursday..

Love and Logic - Mike and I are attending this class learning new parenting skills and trying to incorporate them in our lives. I listen to the CD's on my ITouch in the evening when I am going to bed and in the morning when I am on the treadmill...

Library - We are putting a Library together for my kid's school. This process started in March of last year and we wanted to be done by the beginning of school. I am spending all of my available time down at the school seeing this process to completion. With the help of some volunteers we can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Work - Oh yeah, my Part-Time job. I am lucky in that I can schedule my work when it is most convenient for me..but I actually do have some deadlines..I know, crazy!! So just when I think I have a few hours to myself when Josh is in Kindergarten, I remember I have some work to do!

Decisions - I recently received my Substitute Teaching certificate and have decided to try it out. I know next year, it will be easier for me to do this when both my kids are in school Full-Time. I need to fill out my application for Mesa Public Schools and pick a few days that can work for me and my family. Just trying to decide when that will be...That's my decision!!

Kiddos- These guys are the reason I try so hard each day. I love spending time with them and they make me smile. I am proud of the boys they are becoming.

Well, Off I go..I need to get a lesson together on Birds for my Bear Scouts! How can life get any better??

My I Touch

2009-08-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

I got an I-Touch for my Birthday in March and I have loved it! Now, I know that it is the "Poor Step Sister" to the IPhone and it doesn't get as much love. It may not have all the bells and whistles as the IPhone like it can't call anyone, take pictures or it can only connect to the web when it is near a Wi-Fi network that is free...but I am going to stand up and proudly say that I Love my I Touch!!

I can however watch movies, get all the cool apps and download pictures. I can check my email, facebook and twitter updates when I am laying in bed, how convenient! But, one of the downsides is that the whole family shares it. I never know where it is and I am constantly charging it because someone has been playing with it until the batteries go out! My husband thinks it is fun to look at Facebook and send emails pretending it is me and my kids love to play games (Why do we need the DS's anymore??) and watch movies.

The one thing that has surprised me is Josh's fascination with my music selection. He loves to play the music and sing to it. The other day, I had the "Today" show on and Natasha Bedingfield was singing. She was singing "Pocket Full of Sunshine." Josh started to dance along to it and said, "Mom, I want this song on my ITouch."
First I thought, How cute, then I thought..That is My I Touch!!

This morning Josh is playing with the dogs, holding the ITouch and playing "Jump" by Flo-Rida featuring Nelly Furtado. I am not sure how the song got on my ITouch..that's the problem with a communal handheld device.

Love and Logic

2009-08-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have been attending the Love and Logic classes to help us improve on our parenting skills. When we first walked in, I thought wow, we are going to be part of the loser parent club, but fortunately they don't make you feel that way!! We had to get over our pride and realize we are all in the same boat. We all want our kids to turn out to be responsible, respectful adults and a little help couldn't hurt.

My favorite quote they gave us on the first day was, "You don't have to be Perfect Parents to raise great kids." Well, that frame of mind really takes the pressure off always trying to get it right and allowing you to make mistakes once in a while, because I am pretty sure we are all not perfect.

For those of you who haven't heard of Love and Logic, it is really just that. Learning to love and enjoy your kids while parenting them logically without getting yourselves into the emotional battles that can happen. How does this happen? By not Warning, Threatening or Reminding your kids. When I heard this I thought..Well, how are you supposed to raise kids without those three things?? Ahh...I guess that is why we have 6 weeks of classes :) It won't happen overnight and it will take practice for THE PARENTS to learn how to parent differently. The kids will follow our lead.

So we just finished our 2nd class and it hasn't been a perfect 2 weeks, but what a difference it is when the arguing has pretty much stopped and Brett is doing his chores without being asked...almost.

Love and Logic

Seattle Trip

2009-07-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

We went to Seattle in June to visit my sister and her family. Her daughter, Ileah was being baptized so we thought it would be a good time to visit. We hadn't been there for 5 years, so we were a little overdue! The kids had a great time reconnecting with their cousins they see about once a year and enjoying the amazing scenery in Washington.

Outside a BBQ restaurant

The kids were playing in the stream behind the restaurant while we waited for a table.

Brett and Lloyd

Ileah, Emma and my Sis Karen

Sandbox under the patio

Space Needle

Showing off the Fire Power at Seattle Music Project

Waiting in the Seattle Airport, Our flight was 3 hours delayed and of course we were at the airport 2 hours early! So that was the most tortuous part of the trip! The actual flight was a piece of cake after that :)

Up Next - Kindergarten

2009-07-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Josh graduated from Pre-school this year, which he lovingly referred to as "Lower School." He had so much fun going to Ms. Gail's preschool along with his neighborhood friends Lilly and Daisy.

For his Preschool Graduation program, his Dad came to videotape the event. Josh must have sensed this was going to be a special moment to be recorded in the history books, so he shut down and stood in place. He was not about to sing or do any actions. We finally had to put the camera away to get rid of the dirty looks he was shooting towards his loving parents. His Dad thought he could trick him by moving around the audience and be sly about shooting pictures, but it seemed to get worse when Josh spotted him again. I had to take the camera out of his hands and say.."It's not going to happen, just sit down and pretend you aren't looking at him!"

Mercifully, the program ended and Josh finally smiled for a picture next to his cool prizes he received for Graduation from his amazing teacher.

Big Smile for the camera!

Hand Stencil of Josh's profile by his teacher

Garden Stone - so cute!

Yea! Last day of school - Daisy, Lilly and Josh Celebrate..

UB40 = WE B 40

2009-07-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

For my belated 40th birthday present to myself, I decided to go to Las Vegas with my friend Becky who I have known for almost 40 years. We decided on this trip one day at lunch when we were talking about our upcoming 40th birthdays in March. She is one of those friends that has been with me through thick and thin. Meantime acquiring WAY too many funny stories along the way.

By the time our schedules worked out, it was the end of April that we took our trip. We decided to drive, cause Vegas is kind of close and road trips are always fun. We also got a cool hotel room at the Trump tower and had tentative plans to see "The Killers" at the Hard Rock. So we knew we were in for an interesting weekend for sure.

When we arrived in Vegas, three Monsters Energy drinks later, we headed for the "Coke Bottle" by the MGM grand to check out the discount show tickets for the day. We were trying to decide what show to see that evening. Along for the ride, we had two of Becky's friends join us for the weekend. So trying to get 4 opinions of what we wanted to do that evening was a little difficult. As we were discussing our options, I called a friend who is a Ticket Agent and he told me that he can get us "The Cure" VIP tickets at the Palms. Show starts at 8 pm. Ummm..I'm in. I looked at Becky and could tell she wanted to go too. But, the others wanted to relax at the hotel and see something low key that night. I relented because I knew we were going to see The Killers the next night.

We headed for the hotel and relaxed until seeing the "V" show at 9pm that evening. It turned out to be a pretty entertaining show and we ate dinner afterwards. We walked around the strip for awhile and then headed to the hotel for the night. Becky and I stayed up late laughing and enjoying a few nights away from the kids.

The next day we slept in and checked in with the friends. One was heading to the spa while the other was sick and going to spend the day in bed. Yikes. Becky and I headed out to the "Coke Bottle" again to check on tickets. On the way there, I talked with the Ticket Agent friend again to see about "The Killers" tickets. He told me they were last night and we missed them. What?? I swear in my head they were on Saturday night. To add to my pain, I passed on the Cure?? Oh the Agony. I was determined to see a concert that night so we headed to the Hard Rock to see who was playing. Unfortunately, not anyone remotely familiar. In fact I think we would be scared for our safety if we actually went to the concert. The workers at the ticket place told us that this group mostly screamed instead of actually sang. So. Pass.

We finally settled on seeing UB40 at Mandalay Bay, the show starts at 9 pm. Not exactly what I had in mind, but I could live. We headed back to the hotel to spend the afternoon at the pool. Funny, we both have a pool and could lay out any day of the week. But while at the Trump hotel, we need to hang at the pool. After a relaxing afternoon we got ready to head out for dinner and make our way down the strip to the Mandalay Bay. We left our hotel at 5 pm and made it to the Concert by 8:30 pm. Make sure when you are walking the length of the strip that you are wearing sensible shoes. One of the girls with us ended up walking in bare feet!!

The concert started and we were sitting on the beach outside listening to the music and Becky looks over at me and says, "UB40, We Be 40..haha" Perfect Becky, you just came up with the title to my Blog post. Thanks. The concert lasted for about 1 hour and 1/2. The two other friends left before the concert ended to go back to the hotel. Becky and I opted to stay and enjoy it. After the concert we ate at the House of Blues at 12:30 pm. We wandered around the rest of the night/morning trying to find a club that wasn't in existence any more and also tried our luck at the slots. We put a nickel in one of the slots and it only took Game Cards not real money! Fail.

We easily decided to take a Taxi home and laughed at our ineptness at partying in Vegas. We stayed up till 3 re-telling stories that we have told a million times and learned some new ones.

The next morning our friends had breakfast in the hotel, while we slept in. When we met up again, they told us we missed seeing "The Donald" at breakfast. Oh well, I needed my beauty sleep. After goofing around a little bit more, we headed back to AZ, but not without incident. It took us an hour to get through the Hoover Dam. As we were almost through, we got pulled over by Homeland Security to check our car. Obviously, we fit the profile.

I handed my camera to Becky and told her to take a picture of me with the Officer..my Dad would get a kick out of it. I have had a long history of getting pulled over and my Dad has not been amused. As I was outside talking with the Officer, the next thing I know, Becky was asking if he would mind if he posed for a picture with me. What?? I meant for her to take a picture out the window! Anyway, the officer seemed amused and smiled for the camera.

The next thing I knew another officer came up and grabbed the camera and said, "you want to see something funny? I'll show you something funny!" I thought he was going to confiscate our camera..or worse. I froze for a second and he handed me the camera and said, "Here, take a picture!" He made Becky put her hands against the car while he pretended to frisk her. Okay. I took the picture hoping they wouldn't pull a gun on us. We quickly got back into the car, since we just added an extra 5 minutes to the line of cars creeping through the canyon while we had our Kodak moment.

Well, we finally made it home Sunday evening. We came home a little tired, with some blisters on our feet, a sunburn on our noses, regretting not taking the Cure tickets, 2 photo radar tickets to pay (my Dad has a good reason to not be amused) and pictures with Homeland Security. So...yep, our weekend turned out to be interesting. But would do it again next weekend. Anyone??

The Trump Hotel

The Venitian

Paris

Homeland Security and Me

Becky and Homeland Security :)

Mother's Night Out

2009-05-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

This post starts off with me enjoying a Diamond Back Game. I am sitting at the Ball Park having a Kosher Dog with mustard and onions. I am enjoying talking with my sister and her husband who are visitng from Utah. My Dad is there too sharing my red vines and asking me to call my Mother to find out why the 1st baseman was hurt. (She knows all things DBacks.) So pretty much a great evening.

Of course the phone rings and it is Mike. He is at Brett's baseball game with Josh. Mike's mother was also there, so I felt better leaving Josh.

Mike: "Josh threw up and there are no paper towels, Mom tried to wash him off as good as she could."

Me: Okay.. I am glad your Mom is there to help out.

Mike: Did you know he was sick?

Me: He had a runny nose...

Mike: I'll call you later.

So I started to review the day in my head, thinking about what could have brought on the upset stomoach.

Morning: Josh slept in, Went to Grandma's to go swimming, had 3 cookies for Breakfast.

Lunch: Costco. He just wanted a Lemonade. I had a yogurt and he shared it with me.

Snack: After school, we had 2 extra kids at our house while they were waiting for their Mom. I fed the kids, but Josh opted to play Wii instead of the snack. I was busy helping Brett with his homework, because I was going to be gone for the evening.

Dinner: Gave Josh a Benedryl because his nose was runny and he was coughing. I also gave him 2 dollars for the Snack bar and dropped him off at the ball field with Mike and Grandma.

So as I reflected, I started feeling bad that I did not feed the child anything except Cookies and Benedryl. Nice. Then I got another phone call. It was Mike again. Josh threw up one last time in the garbage can at the Ball Field. So to all of the Mothers who were watching the poor kid upchuck with no paretnal supervision at Hawthorne ball fields. He's mine. I was off having a nice evening at the DBacks game mixed with a little bit of Mother's Guilt.

I Would Die For That

2009-05-07T22:41:00.001-07:00

When I saw this Video I had to share it! What an amazing message it has. As a mother who struggled with Infertility, suffered miscarriages and gave birth to a child who I knew was not going to survive.. I can relate! I am grateful to my two beautiful boys who Heavenly Father has blessed me with. I also am grateful to a loving Mother who gave me up for adoption so I could have the best life possible. If you know anyone who would be touched by this video, please share it.

Play Ball!

2009-05-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

Baseball Season is upon us and it is so much fun. It takes a lot of our time, but we enjoy hanging out and watching Brett play. Josh is still too young to play T-Ball. He is chomping at the bit for sure. Don't worry Josh, it will be your turn soon..then watch out!!

We moved Brett up to Minors this year. I origanlly had decided to give him another year of Machine Pitch. He had only done one year and I thought it was a good move to give him more experience at that level. But when the practices began, we could see he needed more of a challenge. So he was "Drafted" to the Yellow Jackets..

Here he is pitching for the first time. He had been patiently waiting for the Coach to hand him the ball. His first pitch was a Strike! His second pitch, the batter swung and missed the Third pitch...Well, he pitched it so well, the Batter got a Home Run :) Here is a video of Brett's Debut pitching outing.

Brett's Batting Stance

He is such a Stud! You are awesome Brett. I am so proud of how you have stepped up to this challenge.

Quick Convo

2009-04-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a conversation I had with Brett while I was driving him to school.

Me - Oh look! That is the car I want to get, Do you like it?

Brett - No..What kind is it?

Me- It's a Volvo. Edward drives one.

Brett - That's weird.

Me - Ya, I know.

I guess it is also weird that he didn't even flinch and ask, "Edward who?"

Dad's Idea of Multitasking

2009-04-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Brett's school had a half day. Josh still had preschool, so I dropped him off and told Brett that he was going to do some errands with me that afternoon. He wasn't too excited to spend his time off school riding around with his Mom, but I promised him some McDonald's while we made a quick trip to Walmart.

As we ordered our food, Brett was nice enough to fill my soda cup and pick out a spot to sit. I brought the food to the table and he said,

"Are you eating too Mom?"

"Yep," I said, "I haven't had lunch yet either."

He said, "Well last time Dad took me to Walmart, he got me McDonald's than he went shopping while I ate my Chicken Nuggets."

"Excuse Me?"

"Dad told me if anyone came up to me, I should say really loud, "You are NOT my Dad!"

"Don't worry Brett, I am not going to leave you while your eating your nuggets."

Needless to say, I didn't say much. The rest of the meal I was plotting my conversation with "Dad" in my head. Later that night, Mom and Dad had a little chat about that day in WalMart. Dad's defense was that he was trying to get in and out fast and it was easier if Brett was busy eating. Oh Really!

I am pretty sure he was paying attention to my lecture, but just in case you see my children running around stores or eating at restaurants by themselves, CALL ME...Dad is trying to Multitask again!

B-Day Card

2009-04-06T21:52:00.001-07:00

I asked Brett to make his Grandma a birthday card. He loves projects, so he usually jumps at the chance to make a home-made card. This is what he came up with.

"Love, Honesty, Respect You Get Reward"

The 5 reasons why I love this Birthday card??

1. It doesn't say Happy Birthday.

2. It doubles as ART.

3. He took out a photo of Josh (no need for one of those) and used the perfectly good picture frame as a bonus gift to Grandma.

4. He wrote in permanent ink on the coins and dollar bill, which he took out of my wallet.

5. Brett made it.

Most of the time, when the kids make things, I hang it on the refrigerator and eventually it goes into the wastebasket. This is framed, so therefore it probably will last a bit longer..I am sure we will remember this Birthday card until next year when he makes a new one.

Showdown

2009-03-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago the boys spent the night at their Grandma's house over Spring Break. Fun for them and fun for us! The next morning as I talked to Grandpa, he mentioned that Josh woke up a couple of times in the night complaining about an ear ache. So, since it was Friday, I hurried and made a Dr.'s appointment for them to be seen. Brett had been sick also that week so I thought I would get him checked out as well.

Mike picked up the boys and I told him I would meet him at the Pediatrician's office. Mike needed directions of course, since he hasn't been to the kid's doctor since the year 2000. As I walked in to the office, the boys were happily playing in the waiting room. The nurse called their names and they each stopped at the scale to compare growth rates. We were shown to our room to wait.

All was well, until the Doctor walked in. Let's say Josh is not a fan. Well, Brett opted to go first to show Josh how easy it is to open up and say "Ahhh." Piece of Cake! When it was Josh's turn, the doctor came at him with the tongue depressor and said, "Open Wide and say Ahhhh!" Josh crossed his arms, locked his jaw and gave the doctor a look that would kill. The doctor said, "Ok Josh, you can either open up your mouth on your own, or I am going to have to lay you down on the table and I will open it for you!"

Personally, I don't think the doctor gave him enough time to decide. You know, I at least give him a couple of chances before I deliver my threats (haha). Well as the doctor waited for him to make his decision, he decided to check his ears. As he came in close, Josh started to growl. It was a fair warning to this man that was about to invade his personal space. The doctor said, "Wow, is that your angry face??" That didn't help matters much.

Next thing I know, the doctor has him flat on the table and asking for my help. This is fun. I am trying to calm him down and before you know it the doctor came back with the diagnosis of double ear infection. As the doctor was dispensing his advice, Josh started yelling, "LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!" I put him on the floor and the doctor told me to ignore him. So I did. He's the expert. Then Josh started kicking the door, yelling, "LET ME OUT!" He also threw in a few, "Dummy, Stupid's" for the full effect. Just in case the doctor was filling out the "Mother of the Year" award application for me.

The doctor excused himself and told me he would come back in when we resolved the situation. I then realized Mike was in the room. I looked at him and his mouth was open. "Does this happen all the time?" he asked. I said, "It's worse at the Dentist! Let me know when your next day off is and we will schedule his next cleaning..."

Well, I got the prescriptions and apologized my way out of the doctors office. As I was paying at the front desk the nurse said, "The doctor would like to see you in 3 weeks for a follow up visit, would you like me to schedule that now?"

Ummm, Let me get back to you on that one.

Determined

2009-03-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

Josh got a Ripstick for Christmas because, well, his brother did and you know how that goes. After he saw Brett and all his friends ride their ripsticks around the neighborhood, he was DETERMINED to not be left behind. He has practiced and practiced until he can now ride with the Big Boys. Here is Josh wiggiling his way around the neighborhood.

He Who Shall Not Be Named

2009-03-17T22:42:00.000-07:00

So I have someone in my family who doesn't like too much information about themselves on the internet. I get it..So for the sake of my relationship with her, I have posted a picture of her adorable little boy. I won't be trusted with a camera around him if I give TMI. Here is the picture of He Who Shall Not Be Named. Happy Birthday sometime this month :)

Multi-Tasking

2009-03-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Since I am of the stronger sex..We of course can multi-task like no other. I can Make the kitchen, Clean the dinner, Help the laundry and Fold the kids blindfolded. So, when it comes to extra stuff that comes our way, we can tackle it like a pro. I have a confession to make. I am not the best Multi-tasker. In fact my brain locks up and can't concentrate on more than one thing at a time. I know, I know, I shouldn't admit it. But hey, no MAN is going to read my blog..so my secret is safe.

Blogging, for me, is a luxury that I get to partake in when my mind is free to concentrate on it 100%. If I am too distracted, under pressure, or stressed, I feel guilty taking the time to be creative and enjoy the process. I believe the Guilt is another trait of the STRONGER sex..but that is for another blog. So I need to catch up a little, because it is important to document the big and little things of life before they slip away.

When I Grow Up

2009-02-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we went to see Brett play basketball and his Grandparents came to watch. Basketball probably isn't his Favorite sport, but since his friends are doing it, he isn't going to miss an opportunity to be there! After the game, we decided to hit the Whataburger near by. (I think the last time I have been to one was the last time I visited MetroCenter in the early 1990's!) Anyway since we were all sitting in the same booth..Brett has a captive audience which means he is in control of the conversation the whole time.

This time he was talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. This is the Conversation.

"Grandma, guess what I want to be when I grow up?"
"What?"
"A Lawyer!"
Me interjecting--"Brett, do you know what a lawyer does?"
"Yep, they go to court and make sure people obey the law. I think I want to be a Lawyer of Houses like Aunt Seeshe (Cynthia)."

Well probably in 15 years when he is ready to be a Lawyer of Houses the real estate market will be up again. Then the conversation keeps going.

"Mom, I want to have 4 kids when I grow up. And when I die, I am going to leave 25% of my money to the first one, 25% to the second one, 25% to the third one and my last kid will get my LAST QUARTER!" Hopefully he wont have 5 kids then his ratio's will be off.

Later in the car ride home, he looks at Mike and says. "Dad, maybe I can be a lawyer for UPS when I grow up, then I will be in charge of YOU!" Mike told him FAT CHANCE..He will retire before Brett can be the boss of him.

He also asked if he could take Law Classes in College, cause he wants to be a lawyer as soon as possible.

I am pretty sure whatever he ends up doing, he will have a plan for it!!

Cruisin'

2009-01-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

In December I went on a cruise with my Sister in Law, Lynda. Why would I take a cruise during Christmas?? Because she called me and said, "I'm on the website and I am signing us up to go on a cruise, Can you come??" Since you put it that way..okay. I have never been on a cruise before so I only had "The Love Boat" and "The Titanic" to draw from.

When we arrived in San Diego we headed for the Big Ship parked in the ocean which was named "The Elation." We were lead through a security check and a Hotel style check in, at a warehouse on the dock. They gave us these cool cards that had our names on it and we could use it just like cash on the boat. No need to carry around money.

When we boarded the boat, I was immediately reminded of my BYU Dorm. It was small and the rooms were very close to each other. People had there doors opened along the hall..just like dorm life. We decided to keep our doors closed for now until we met our new neighbors.

We had an attendant outside our door, who knew our names and welcomed us aboard. Every time we went in and out that day and the next, he was there smiling and asking if we needed anything. When we came back to our room, we could tell someone had been in. Our towels were folded into funky animal shapes and they left little chocolates on the pillows.

Our first duty was of course to EAT! After the first meal, we had to meet in the Show Lounge with our life jackets to go through the safety procedures. We sat down by three gentlemen who started flirting with us. They were trying to find out where our rooms were and made plans to meet us for dinner later. By the way, did I mention they were septuagenarians?? (Okay, so I had to look that up in the dictionary..It means someone between the ages of 70 and 80..haha)

The rest of the trip went like this.

Get up
Eat
Work Out
Get Ready
Eat
Lay out/read/nap
Eat
Hang out
Eat
Sleep

Not bad for a vacation, right?? The only catch is you are rocking back and forth the whole time. Some people who have taken cruises say they can't feel it. I don't know if it was the time of year or what, but I felt it the whole time! Good thing I had Bonine and this motion sickness patch stuck to my neck the whole time. My stomach was fine, it was my head that was spinning :)

One bonus was I bought a soda card for $15 for unlimited soda the whole trip. I made sure I made good use of that..I always had a Diet Coke in my hand..Ahhhhhh.

I also was part of the nightly entertainment. I was picked to be a part of the Hypnotist group. I was pretty scared when I first went up there, but I really tried to clear my mind and breath. After a few minutes, I saw the lights go out and felt that I had to do what he was suggesting. It was an odd feeling. I was more aware as the time went on and kind of came out of it at the end. I kind of remember hugging the guy next to me and laying down in his lap. But I'm pleading the 5th on the rest!! Who knows, maybe I'm on YouTube somewhere out there in cyberspace..I'm sure if I run for office someday..it will strangely resurface.

So will I go on a cruise again?? You bet, but next time my husband comes with me and hopefully a few friends and family. I definately want to make a few more stops along the way. We just hit Cabo for about 5 hours and that's it. Otherwise we were on the boat for 3 1/2 days!!

Meet Gracie

2009-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

We added to our family again. She is a Chihuahua mix, just like Jack..although they look very different! I got her the Saturday before Christmas. I am no longer allowed to go to Petco when they have adoptions going on!! When I brought her home, Josh said, "Look Mom, Gracie has two eyes!"

She is very sweet and only 8 pounds. So the boys can be a little..too much for her sometimes. Last week Josh "Hid" her in my dresser drawer. No wonder she runs the other way when the kids come home!

My Twilight

2008-11-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

So I was one of the crazy people that stood in line from 5 pm to Midnight. I felt compelled. I rounded up my friend Andrea, who is another crazy person and we brought our folding chairs and snacks and camped out among the teenagers. We weren't the only ones who thought we looked out of place. The news crews seemed to flock to us to figure out why two obviously normal (beautiful) women would feel the need to sit in line for 7 hours to wait for a new movie.

We were on two news stations and enjoyed our 15 minutes of fame. We were eventually joined by 8 other friends and family that were grateful to us for the great spot in line. They even brought Golden Spoon. Well Midnight finally came and as we watched the movie, I found myself feeling disappointed - BIGTIME- about the film adaptation of the book. Wow. I really didn't like it.

The next morning I still felt the same way and vowed I could never see it again. Until Saturday came around and we decided to give it another chance. Mike wanted to see it and we went with Andrea and her husband too. It would be nice to get some opinions from "Non-TwiHards." After the movie, I looked at my friend and could not believe how much I enjoyed it. I was so happy that I actually liked it..All was right with the Twilight world again.

So please, if you didn't like it the first time...Go see it again. I think you will be surprised, I know I was.

Here are a couple of pics

Andrea and Me

Here are some people we met while standing in line.
(The girl in the pink gloves, Sesa, was first in line at 8:30am)

Tagged

2008-11-13T21:52:00.000-08:00

Ok, now I have been tagged twice so here it goes...

8 TV Shows I Watch
1. Greys Anatomy
2. Project Runway
3. Food Network - I like Giada and Barefoot Contessa
4. Fox News
5. Today Show
6. Gossip Girl
7. Days of our Lives
8. My Name is Earl

8 Restaurants
1. House of Tricks
2. Matta's
3. Le Grande Orange
4. Joe's BBQ
5. Kona Grill
6. The Farm
7. Nordstrom Cafe
8. Ruths Chris

8 Books I have Read
1. Twilight
2. New Moon
3. Eclipse
4. Breaking Dawn
5. The Host
6. Book of Mormon
7. The Mysterious Benedict Society
8. The Ice Queen

8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Watched my Niece, Kelly
2. Did Laundry
3. Talked on the phone with my sister Cynthia
3. Went to Work
4. Walked the Dog and played at the park
5. Made Spanish Rice for Dinner
6. Graded Homework
7. Bought some Christmas Presents at Walmart
8. Watched Casino Royale - Love that movie!

8 Things I am looking forward too...
1. Twilight Midnight Movie
2. Children's Sacrament Meeting Program
3. Cynthia visitng for a week for Thanksgiving
4. Lunch with my friend Becky
5. Cruise in December to Cabo
6. Christmas
7. Christmas School Programs
8. A New Year

8 Thing I wish For
1. My kids to be happy, productive good citizens
2. My house to be paid off
3. My kids survive being teenagers
4. The perfect job
5. I don't have to wear contacts anymore
6. The perfect pair of jeans
7. I could give more than I do
8. A full time Maid

Fire Station

2008-11-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

Josh's preschool went on a Field trip to the Fire Station. The little kids had such a great time and they seemed so big, I took a couple of pictures.

As I was downloading the pictures, I found a picture of some "Art" by Josh. I think he was so proud, he had to take a picture. When I saw it, I was able to locate the mural on Brett's furniture and erase it with the help of Mr. Clean. Well, at least we have a picture for posterity!!

Hi Ho Halloween

2008-11-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

The boys this year decided early what they were going to be for Halloween. Josh was Batman and Brett was a Clown. I was glad to get the costumes out of the way and cross that off my list! Of course, by Halloween they wanted to change their minds and their costumes. So, after a few more costume changes we finally settled on Cowboys the day before.

This year I went all out and decided to dress up as Snow White. Just in case you decide to dress up as a Disney Character for Halloween, think twice. I had children come up to me to "Say Hello to Snow White," Some parents apologized as they brought their child to talk to me, some yelled across the street, "Look, It's Snow White, go say Hello!" I was heckled by grown men wanting to know where my Dwarfs were and other children kissed my gloves. I also had strange people take pictures of me with their kids and I posed with random adults. Now, Halloween was not all bad. I did get a lot of attention and I was able to talk and meet many new people, although they would not recognize me the next day.

Maybe by next year I'll be ready for Snow White again - Maybe the Wicked Witch of the West.

Kitchen Sink

2008-10-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Life pretty much stops when you don't have a functioning kitchen sink. Yesterday, I turned on the faucet and I received a face full of water. The faucet fell off. I of course asked Josh if he had pulled on the faucet. His answer, "Brett did it."

I am not one to point fingers..haha...but last time I saw Josh he was putting his dish in the sink like a nice little boy and using the spray attachment to clean it off. I have a feeling, he gave the faucet head a nice little tug, one of many I am sure. So, I am off to Home Depot because life must go on.

San Diego Getaway

2008-10-26T22:06:00.001-07:00

This is an overdue posting. We went to San Diego in September and went to Sea World. This was the kids' first time there. We had a Grand Ole Time. Josh was determined to sit down in front at the Shamu show. I stayed with him until the show started. I said, "You know you are going to get wet...Mama is not going to get wet...I am leaving you here."

He said, "It's okay Mom, I have my hat!"

So like a nice Mom, I let my kid get totally splashed while I watched from a safe 10 rows up. Sorry, but I was not going all day soaked !! I did get revenge on another ride I took with Brett. It was the rapid ride and I did end up getting soaked, but at least we only had a few hours left.

Here are some pics.

Kono's for Breakfast..This is the best place if you haven't checked it out!!

All it takes for this kid to be happy is a patch of Grass...We have to wait for Winter in AZ to get nice grass.

Wings

2008-10-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

Josh came in the house on Saturday after riding his bike and asked to take the training wheels off. "I am a big boy Mom, I don't want training wheels!" So we took them off and when he got on his bike, I told him it would be okay if he falls. I assured him I would be right there to catch him. He started off, then chickened out. "I want my training wheels back on! I will wait until I am Five to take them off." Well, I had to go on an errand, so we packed the bike up to try at Grandma's house. When we arrived, I took the bike out and went inside to tell Grandma that Josh is going to try to ride his bike without training wheels. As we walked outside, there was Josh riding his bike like a pro. I think I did a great job in teaching him :) Here is a video of Josh a couple hours later, doing some new tricks on his Big Boy Bike. I think he is pretty great. Good Job Joshy!!

Random Day

2008-10-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Thought I would just list events that happened yesterday.

Woke up at 7 am
Get Brett off to school
Walk Dog
Get Ready
Receive disturbing phone call from friend regarding "Gray Hair"
Play Batman Wii
Various Household Duties
Avert Said Tragedy regarding Garden Hose
Play with Facebook, my new obsession
Get Josh off to Preschool
Go to Work - Macy's at Chandler Mall, play with jewelry and get paid
Pick up Carpool from Preschool 10 minutes late due to restricted lanes
Check Brett's backpack and grade homework
Talk to Dog Trainer who tells me I need to be an Alpha Dog - Had bad knee jerk reaction to the term "Alpha Dog" :)
Bandage and Clean Brett's injury from landing on his Bike handles after jumping off a ramp.
Get Brett dressed for Halloween party
Take kids to Grandma's for Pizza
Change Brett's costume for Halloween party after protest and tears that he hates his costume.
Go To Bunco party
Get pulled over and given a ticket for Illegal License Cover.
Loose terribly at Bunco - I must practice more :)
Come home to all children asleep.
Check email, blogs and Facebook.
Get call for Invite to High School Musical 3 movie
Go to the Midnight movie.
Giggle, laugh and have some inappropriate thoughts about Zac Eferon.
Go to bed at 2:30 am
Wake up at 7:00

Let's see what happens today. Enjoy every moment, you never know what is coming next.

Doggie Door

2008-10-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

So we are officially Doggie friendly here at the Barney house. Of course Josh wanted to see if he could move around just like Jack so he had to try out the new escape route.

I thought it was cute, so I took some pictures. As I went about my household duties, I came back through the kitchen just in time to avert a certain tragedy. If Josh would have gone through with his plans, I would not be happily blogging now.

Be Grateful for the small things, like Garden Hoses that are outside of the house.

How Did I Gain 5 lbs??

2008-10-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

I knew what I was doing was not wise. In the summer months when it was 110 degrees outside your mind plays tricks on you. I would have dreams of this yummy treat. It literally would torture me. Sometimes I could resist, sometimes not. Here is the culprit.

I never had the courage to look up the Calories until now. Now that it is cooler and I can think clearer.

Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino® Blended Crème
Rich mocha syrup, Frappuccino® chips and milk, blended with ice, topped with whipped cream (optional), mocha drizzle.

Serving Size 16 fl. oz.
Amt Per Serving
Calories 510
Fat Calories 170
Total Fat (g) 19
Saturated Fat (g) 11
Trans Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 50
Sodium (mg) 300
Total Carbohydrates (g) 78
Fiber (g) 2
Sugars (g) 59

Here is my new Favorite Drink. The Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate. I wish Starbucks wasn't so dang close. Mike gets major points for bringing this home for me. I'll have to encourage Golden Spoon instead!!

Calories 430
Fat Calories 180
Total Fat (g) 21
Saturated Fat (g) 12
Trans Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 35
Sodium (mg) 115
Total Carbohydrates (g) 56
Fiber (g) 5
Sugars (g) 47

One-Eyed Jack

2008-10-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Well, we added to our family. It is another boy who follows me around all day, wanting some attention and always ready for a snack.

When we decided to get a dog, I had dreams of a cuddly little thing who I could give some love too and send it outside to play. As we started our search I looked on Craigs List for puppies for sale, but Mike insisted on the pound. One Saturday, we went to the pound and found a cute puppy that we liked. After the kids had time to play with the dog, we decided that it was a good fit. I took the Adoption application to the front desk and they informed us the dog we picked out, bit a child and couldn't be adopted to a family with kids under 12. The kids were sad, but of course it was for the best.

The following weekend, we went to PetCo. They have dogs for adoption that are from various Animal Rescues. As we arrived, one dog in particular caught our attention. We played with it and also thought it was a good fit but...someone else had staked their claim, if we only got there 15 minutes earlier.

The lady from the Animal Rescue suggested we wait for about 15 minutes, because another dog was coming that she thought we would like. His name was Jack. Well, we filled out the adoption papers in the meantime and when I handed it over to them for the "Pre-Qualification." I got a funny look.

"You want an outside dog?" said the nice lady.

"Ummm, well aren't most dogs "Outside" dogs?" I said.

"Oh, no!" Not in the Arizona heat!! We need someone who is going to take care of their pets!" She continued to read my application while giving me the evil eye.

Mike chimed in, "Well, of course, the dog will come inside most of the time."

Then, Jack walked in. He was cute (relatively) and he had big ole' ears. As we knelt down to pet him, we noticed that he had One Eye! The boys played with him and loved him. Mike looked at me and said, "He has one-eye, we have to take him don't we??

Mike mentioned to the lady that we enjoy going to Pinetop for vacation. She looked at me dead serious and said, "Oh, You will have to get him a coat!" As I kind of chuckled, they told us to take a day and think about Jack before we commit.

As we left, I thought maybe next weekend we can look again for a dog. The next day they gave us a call and wanted to know if we were still interested in Jack. We told them Yes, and they arranged a "Home visit" to see if our environment was right for Jack. Lucky for us, we passed the test and Jack was ours.

The first night he was pretty skittish and it took about 4 hours for him to calm down. He put his little head in my lap and looked up at me with one-eye and I knew I was in trouble :)

Here are some pics of our One-Eyed Jack. Well, the best ones we can get so far. He is a Chihuahua/Rat Terrier Mix.

Happy 18th!

2008-09-13T14:13:00.001-07:00

We have been married for 18 years. I can't believe it has been so long, until I look at the old pictures, then it looks about right :) Thanks Mike for making 18 years never boring. Thanks for standing behind me and pushing me forward. Thanks for supporting me while I stood on your shoulders. Thanks for holding my hand while we find our way through this crazy life. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I love you!

(I love the picture of the Mac..Why did we not invest money into this company?? I guess we missed that one!)

Preschool Begins!

2008-09-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Preschool started for Josh last week, Yay! He goes 3x a week for 2 1/2 hours. He loves it and so do I :). His Preschool Teacher gave him a cute backback with his name and a picture of a bear on it. We carpool with twin girls that live down the street, Lily and Daisy. After the first day of carpool Josh said to me, "Mom, Lily and Daisy are my friends. I love them and I want to Kiss them!"

Slow down tiger, I am afraid that dimple of his is going to get him in trouble some day. Let's wait a few more years please...

20 Questions

2008-09-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Brett is in a fun stage and he is always asking questions about everything. From Home prices, differnt jobs, how the library makes money if they give everything away for free and of course when is he going to get a dog. Anyway, Brett and I were in the car and he was playing his favorite game...Yes or No. He asks the questions, I answer.

"Will I eat pizza?" ....Yes
"Will we get bunkbeds in my room?"....No
"Will I see Shamu this Month?"....Yes (going to San Diego in a couple weeks.)
"Will I eat a Snake's penis?"....Pause, WHAT?
"Will I eat a Sn...".....Umm...No.
"Good, I was worried about that one"
"Will I go to Mexico?"... Yes.

This is when I stop the game. I should have just let it go, but I couldn't. First I didn't want to get into a discussion whether or not a snake has a penis and where it was, I kept that interesting question to myself. But, I just had to ask.

"Brett, why do you think you will eat Snake?"
Brett's answer, "The guy on the Food Channel was eating all kinds of penis's. I don't think I want to eat that."

Okay, now I have to monitor the Food Channel, lovely. If you think it is safe to go into the kitchen, you have been warned!

Cleaning out my Closets

2008-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

So what have you been doing since school started? I have cleaned out almost all of my closets and sent 17 garbage bags full of clothes, etc. to Deseret Industries. As I was loading them into my car, I could hear Lynda (My Sis-in-Law) in my head screaming, "Why aren't you putting this stuff on Ebay!" First of all, too much work. Second of all, too much work. I rather take the tax credit and call it a day.

My next project is to scan some pictures that are stacked on my desk. I need to do it soon, because if not, it won't get done till after Christmas! This year I am the President of the PTA at Brett's school and Fall activities are going to come fast and furious. I can't wait for Christmas vacation all ready :).