~Last night we attended Zack's first band concert. He plays the trumpet. He's in the sixth grade so this is his first year to play an instrument in a band. We waited in the auditorium for 45 minutes waiting for the concert to begin. That's a long time for an 8 year old, a 5 year old, a 2 year old, 2 grown people to wait for...anything! At one point Max's gum fell out of his mouth went right between the back of the chair of the woman in front of him and the woman's back. I about DIED!!! I had to tell her! What if it was sticking to her pretty sweater?! Thankfully she was really nice about it AND it didn't stick to her but fell to the floor. Max did not get another piece of gum!!! Well, the band finally started their concert. They played 4 songs. They did a great job...except one poor student that couldn't hit a single note right on their clarinet and always played an extra note when everyone else had stopped. The first 3 songs went so well! Unfortunately they did not stop while they were ahead and played ANOTHER song! It was very....entertaining. But bless their hearts they really tried, and Zack did a wonderful job of starting when he should, ending when he should, watching the band director's cues. The best part of the whole night, though, was that all 4 songs took about 8 minutes from start to finish. It was awesome!!! After the concert we decided to surprise the kids with some Little Caesar's Pizza. I can't remember the last time we did that. Of course, we had to watch the Biggest Loser season finale...after eating pizza! There is something really wrong with that!
Gracie says that Santa says Har! Har! Har! Cracks us up! When the boys heard that, they tried to correct her but she just still always says that Santa says Har! Har! Har! She also likes to drop the first letter off of words. Makes understanding her a bit difficult sometimes but it's awfully cute! Oothbrush-toothbrush, andy-candy, ood-food, Anta-Santa. Sometimes she just uses the wrong letter at the beginning of a word. For instance, she calls Zack's friend Tanner-Nanner, and mink-drink, nammies-jammies, Yack-Zack, Yacky-Zacky. She also says Grandpa for GrandMa and for Grandpa. That gets confusing! We love her 2 year-old speak! She is so much fun! She's in the 95th %-tile for height though, so people often expect her to act much differently. She won't be 3 until May but people already think she should be potty trained. She probably should but I can't get her to actually GO when she's on the potty. I think if she can finally figure out what she's supposed to do when I put her on there, she might actually just keep doing it and life will be good. She tries. Any suggestions???
A few months ago we discovered that we LOVE the show, The Big Bang Theory. We watch the reruns at 10:00 most nights. Last night's episode was SO hilarious!!! I just have to share cause laughing is so much fun!!! If you don't know the premise of the show, they are all Geniuses (except Wolowitz of course, because he only has a Master's Degree HEHE). They are all a bit backwards but Sheldon is just totally socially inept it's ridiculous. He's always very serious and analyzes EVERYTHING. And he's a major germaphobe. Anyhoo, I hope you laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwPp--hy-c
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Getting ready for Christmas...
Our cute little children...
Zacky T
Matty Watty
Maxer Waxers
Miss Gracie Sue
We had a lot of pictures that looked like this...
Friday, November 25, 2011
I survived Black Thursday/Friday at Walmart...
Well, Brian survived his first "Black Thursday/Friday experience. We went to Walmart in Payson. It was CRAZY! I've never seen anything like it and I've been going to these for years now. One chick's hand was bleeding from fighting someone over something. Not a fan of bumper carts! Had to ditch the cart to try to get through and I still couldn't get through. I thought I was going to have to punch a couple looney cart chicks when I still had the cart. My sister, KayTee would have totally mopped the floor with them! We were so excited though because we were able to get one of the $99 4-wheelers for Max. He will be over the moon excited! We were also able to get Matthew a pogo stick for $12 and 3 Barbies that were $5 each for Gracie and we were also able to find a Harry Potter Lego Wii game for $15 that my mom wanted us to pick up for her. There were lots of other things we wanted to get but they will have to wait until after Brian's payday. :) The lines seemed to be moving pretty well to check out so that was nice! I would much rather stay up later than get up at 4 a.m.! Unfortunately, so would everyone else! We were able to save about $150.00 and as cheap as we are and as much as we love a good bargain, it was totally worth it!. Fun times! Fun times!
We had such a nice Thanksgiving! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, making gingerbread houses was so much fun, and the Black Thursday/Friday sale was very productive. We missed Rob, Jenise, Dana, Richard, Nathan, Heidi and everyone's adorable little children and grandchildren!!! I love Thanksgiving! It is such a wonderful time to reflect on all of the wonderful blessings we have! I hope everyone I know had a wonderful day as well! Later today my mom and sisters and I will go to the craft sale in Spanish Fork. Oh, I just love this time of year!!!
We had such a nice Thanksgiving! The food was delicious, the company was wonderful, making gingerbread houses was so much fun, and the Black Thursday/Friday sale was very productive. We missed Rob, Jenise, Dana, Richard, Nathan, Heidi and everyone's adorable little children and grandchildren!!! I love Thanksgiving! It is such a wonderful time to reflect on all of the wonderful blessings we have! I hope everyone I know had a wonderful day as well! Later today my mom and sisters and I will go to the craft sale in Spanish Fork. Oh, I just love this time of year!!!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Today I am thankful for Brian, Zackary, Matthew, Max, and Gracie, my family and wonderful friends, my doctor, medicine that makes my trigeminal neuralgia mostly under control, my church, the gospel of Jesus Christ, our prophet, President Monson, Joseph Smith, missionaries, the young women in our ward, answers to prayers, my little no stress job that helps us make ends meet better and that doesn't interfere with my little family (most of the time. It wouldn't ever but since Brian's home I've been leaving when he can watch the kids and poor Gracie has had it with that, so I'll have to start going at night again, which is totally fine), a house to live in, food to eat, cars to drive, clothes to wear, freedom, living in a free country is a beautiful thing, our military and their families who sacrifice so much and do so much for us so we can all be safe. Our old bishop is losing his fight with cancer. He is a very wonderful man and we all just love him and his wife so much! We are heart broken for them and their family. They have wonderful attitudes! They are wonderful examples to us of faith and strength!
I am so thankful for Thanksgiving so we can all take time to think of all of the blessings we have. Sure, life isn't perfect and we have our share of problems and challenges and stresses and worries but we are so blessed in so many ways! What a wonderful, positive holiday this is! I just love it that most of the people in our country are united in gratitude on this day special day. It's just neat!
I am so thankful for Thanksgiving so we can all take time to think of all of the blessings we have. Sure, life isn't perfect and we have our share of problems and challenges and stresses and worries but we are so blessed in so many ways! What a wonderful, positive holiday this is! I just love it that most of the people in our country are united in gratitude on this day special day. It's just neat!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Time Out For Women
So Friday my mom, 2 of my sisters, Stephanie and Katie, and I drove to St. George for Time Out For Women. None of us had ever been to it before but we were all anxious for the experience. We weren't quite sure what to expect but we were sure it would be fun. It was wonderful! The presenters for Friday night were Jason Wright, Jenny Oaks Baker, and Heidi Swinton. Jason Wright wrote Christmas Jars. Jenny Oaks Baker is a professional violinist. She is absolutely incredible! So talented! I never knew a violin could sound like that. I never knew you could do things like that with a violin. Incredible! I hope she does a concert some day so I can hear her again. Heidi Swinton wrote President Monson's Biography. She told us some very neat stories. What a neat lady. How exciting to have the
Prophet call and request that she write his biography!
Saturday Hilary Weeks was the musical presenter. Mariama Kallon was the first presenter. She was raised in Sierra Leone. She saw her parents murdered by rebels. She and all the other women and girls in her town were raped. Then they lined them all up and made them choose whether they wanted to have their arms cut off with machetes or their legs cut off. Her sister was in the front of the line and had he arms cut off and bled to death. Mariama was 10th in line. She prayed to Heavenly Father and said I know that you can help us...PLEASE help us!!! Right then the military guys rolled into town and the rebels left. They got there just after the 8th woman had been tortured. So Mariama was spared. She was given a humanitarian kit from our church. At some point she was taught the gospel and was baptized and was called to the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission. She has THE.MOST.AMAZING.FAITH! I can't get over her strength and forgiving heart. A truly, TRULY amazing woman!!
Then Hilary Weeks sang. She is so hilarious! She was crackin' us all up! She would talk for a while and then sing a song or two. Love her! She's awesome!!!
After a break Deanne Flynn spoke. She wrote The Time-Starved Family: Helping Overloaded Families, Focus on What Matters Most and The Mother's Mite: Why Even Our Smallest Efforts Matter. She has such a positive attitude. She's funny, down to earth, and inspiring!
Then Brad Wilcox spoke. He has written some books also. I'll Never Do It Again and The Continuous Atonement. He recently served as Mission President of the Santiago East Mission and he currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board. He was a great speaker also.
After lunch break Hilary Weeks spoke and sang (is that the right word? Is it a word? I'm tired!)another song or two.
Then Wendy Ulrich spoke. She is a therapist. She wrote some book also. Forgiving Ourselves. Weakness Is Not Sin. The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win. She gave such an uplifting talk. She was funny and really had some great advice for us.
Then after a final break Hilary Weeks sung Is that any better? Still not so sure) another song.
Emily Freeman was that last presenter. She Wrote a couple of books, too. Love Life and See Good Days. 21 Days Closer to Christ. She did a fantastic job! I was taking some notes from all the other talks but when she spoke I was so mesmerized by her talk that I didn't remember to take notes. She is one talented and inspiring speaker!!! We stayed the night there again and then drove home Sunday. We had a great time and it was so much fun to talk and laugh and cry and eat yummy food. We are already talking about what our plan for next year is going to be.
Me, Mom, Stephanie Katie.
Prophet call and request that she write his biography!
Saturday Hilary Weeks was the musical presenter. Mariama Kallon was the first presenter. She was raised in Sierra Leone. She saw her parents murdered by rebels. She and all the other women and girls in her town were raped. Then they lined them all up and made them choose whether they wanted to have their arms cut off with machetes or their legs cut off. Her sister was in the front of the line and had he arms cut off and bled to death. Mariama was 10th in line. She prayed to Heavenly Father and said I know that you can help us...PLEASE help us!!! Right then the military guys rolled into town and the rebels left. They got there just after the 8th woman had been tortured. So Mariama was spared. She was given a humanitarian kit from our church. At some point she was taught the gospel and was baptized and was called to the Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission. She has THE.MOST.AMAZING.FAITH! I can't get over her strength and forgiving heart. A truly, TRULY amazing woman!!
Then Hilary Weeks sang. She is so hilarious! She was crackin' us all up! She would talk for a while and then sing a song or two. Love her! She's awesome!!!
After a break Deanne Flynn spoke. She wrote The Time-Starved Family: Helping Overloaded Families, Focus on What Matters Most and The Mother's Mite: Why Even Our Smallest Efforts Matter. She has such a positive attitude. She's funny, down to earth, and inspiring!
Then Brad Wilcox spoke. He has written some books also. I'll Never Do It Again and The Continuous Atonement. He recently served as Mission President of the Santiago East Mission and he currently serves as a member of the Sunday School general board. He was a great speaker also.
After lunch break Hilary Weeks spoke and sang (is that the right word? Is it a word? I'm tired!)another song or two.
Then Wendy Ulrich spoke. She is a therapist. She wrote some book also. Forgiving Ourselves. Weakness Is Not Sin. The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win. She gave such an uplifting talk. She was funny and really had some great advice for us.
Then after a final break Hilary Weeks sung Is that any better? Still not so sure) another song.
Emily Freeman was that last presenter. She Wrote a couple of books, too. Love Life and See Good Days. 21 Days Closer to Christ. She did a fantastic job! I was taking some notes from all the other talks but when she spoke I was so mesmerized by her talk that I didn't remember to take notes. She is one talented and inspiring speaker!!! We stayed the night there again and then drove home Sunday. We had a great time and it was so much fun to talk and laugh and cry and eat yummy food. We are already talking about what our plan for next year is going to be.
Me, Mom, Stephanie Katie.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Randomness and some venting :)
~So for some reason this morning I remembered something that has made me laugh ever since I remembered it. My older sister Dana is about 2 1/2 years older than I am. Stan used to drive us to school on his way to the college he taught at there in Dodge City, Kansas. He would drop Dana off at the high school and then take me to the junior high. On one particular morning Dana was just having a bad day. Nothing was going right as she was getting ready for school. So she was in a very bad mood!!! (we've all been there. especially when we were teenagers in high school LOL) The last straw for her was that her jeans were still pretty wet in the dryer. Oooo that just burned her up!! When we got to the high school she got out of the car and stomped off to school. It happened to be really cold that day. So there she was, all fired up, walking to the school, with steam rolling off of her pants. Stan and I laughed so hard! It was hilarious! I keep picturing it and it just makes me giggle. I can't help myself!
~The college has been firing people left and right. They repeatedly promised when they merged with our college that NO ONE would lose their jobs. Bunch of liars! When they fired Brian they were going to keep him there until January but changed their minds and told him to go October 31st. And they offered him severance of pay and benefits. I "get" why they would want to save money by giving the responsibilities from this college to the people that already have those responsibilities at their college. I mean, it's logical. I can wrap my mind around it and understand and realize it's just good business. What I just don't "get", what just infuriates me is that they fired 18 people last Friday. Basically they aren't getting rid of the positions. They even added 2 positions to what they need filled. So 20 positions need to be filled. But they told them that most of the positions will have lower pay. Some even have $15,000 less pay. They all have to reapply and re- interview for the positions they had before. Some of the positions can only be filled by people with Master's Degrees. The part that makes me the maddest is that they did this to Kathy. EVERYONE loves Kathy! She is the creator of the program she runs. She has been the director of it from the moment of it's creation. She does amazing things. She is a wonderful person and has overcome a lot of trials in her life with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She is an example and an inspiration to everyone who knows her!!! They fired her and demoted her to supervisor instead of director. They are just dirty! You know, just down right dirty! How could anyone do that to KATHY!!! Oh I'm just so MAD!!! I don't know what her decision is going to be with it all but I know she is a strong, wonderful person and she will survive this and continue being a wonderful person but it just breaks my heart to think of people being so rotten to her!!!
~I love music! I have chosen some songs to play on my blog and I just love to turn it on random play and play it while I clean and do dishes. A few weeks ago I was listening to my blog music and I realized that one of the songs had the "f" word in it. I about died! Sorry if you happened to hear that! I didn't mean it! Really!
~I am such a bawl baby! I have been stocking those recordable story books that Hallmark makes. I think they are very cute and a wonderful idea. The other day I saw the Hallmark commercial for these books. It had a man in the military sitting on his bed and he opens up the book and hears his voice of his sweet little child reading the book. Of course I thought of my brother in law who just got home from his 3rd or 4th tour of duty in Iraq. I pictured his cute little granddaughter sending one to him and him opening it and hearing her cute little voice. Yeah, I cried! I got all teary just describing it just now. Hallmark commercials always make me cry...
~I know everyone thinks it's terrible that the stores put Christmas stuff out so early but it is really getting me excited for Christmas this year. I love walking into Walmart
~I am starting to like our house more and more all the time. It's amazing to me what a difference having beds for my kids, a couch that doesn't show dirt, a table and chairs that aren't broken, shelves for organizing stuff, shelves for displaying my cute stuff and for organizing movies and books, makes in my life. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I am surprisingly happy even though Brian is out of work. I love my kids so much! They are such a precious gift! I am grateful for my husband! I love him and I am actually glad he's home more now! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. For forgiveness and repentance. For families being able to be together forever. For spiritual music. For the opportunity I have to go tomorrow with 2 of my sisters and my mom to Time Out For Women in St. George. I haven't ever been so I'm anxious to so what it's like. I am thankful to have a roof over our heads. I am thankful to have a fun little job to supplement our income. I am just so happy to be alive and to feel no pain and to know all of the wonderful people I know. For my friends! For a wonderful ward! I my calling in young women. These girls are just amazing!!! So grateful for a living prophet, President Monson. For missionary work. Brian and I have benefited so much from the wonderful missionaries who taught our parents the gospel. Life certainly isn't perfect. Far from it actually. But I am happy that I still feel happy! Prayer, a loving Heavenly Father, a selfless, Savior Jesus Christ, the comfort and companionship of the Holy Ghost are the greatest blessings in this life!
~
~The college has been firing people left and right. They repeatedly promised when they merged with our college that NO ONE would lose their jobs. Bunch of liars! When they fired Brian they were going to keep him there until January but changed their minds and told him to go October 31st. And they offered him severance of pay and benefits. I "get" why they would want to save money by giving the responsibilities from this college to the people that already have those responsibilities at their college. I mean, it's logical. I can wrap my mind around it and understand and realize it's just good business. What I just don't "get", what just infuriates me is that they fired 18 people last Friday. Basically they aren't getting rid of the positions. They even added 2 positions to what they need filled. So 20 positions need to be filled. But they told them that most of the positions will have lower pay. Some even have $15,000 less pay. They all have to reapply and re- interview for the positions they had before. Some of the positions can only be filled by people with Master's Degrees. The part that makes me the maddest is that they did this to Kathy. EVERYONE loves Kathy! She is the creator of the program she runs. She has been the director of it from the moment of it's creation. She does amazing things. She is a wonderful person and has overcome a lot of trials in her life with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. She is an example and an inspiration to everyone who knows her!!! They fired her and demoted her to supervisor instead of director. They are just dirty! You know, just down right dirty! How could anyone do that to KATHY!!! Oh I'm just so MAD!!! I don't know what her decision is going to be with it all but I know she is a strong, wonderful person and she will survive this and continue being a wonderful person but it just breaks my heart to think of people being so rotten to her!!!
~I love music! I have chosen some songs to play on my blog and I just love to turn it on random play and play it while I clean and do dishes. A few weeks ago I was listening to my blog music and I realized that one of the songs had the "f" word in it. I about died! Sorry if you happened to hear that! I didn't mean it! Really!
~I am such a bawl baby! I have been stocking those recordable story books that Hallmark makes. I think they are very cute and a wonderful idea. The other day I saw the Hallmark commercial for these books. It had a man in the military sitting on his bed and he opens up the book and hears his voice of his sweet little child reading the book. Of course I thought of my brother in law who just got home from his 3rd or 4th tour of duty in Iraq. I pictured his cute little granddaughter sending one to him and him opening it and hearing her cute little voice. Yeah, I cried! I got all teary just describing it just now. Hallmark commercials always make me cry...
~I know everyone thinks it's terrible that the stores put Christmas stuff out so early but it is really getting me excited for Christmas this year. I love walking into Walmart
~I am starting to like our house more and more all the time. It's amazing to me what a difference having beds for my kids, a couch that doesn't show dirt, a table and chairs that aren't broken, shelves for organizing stuff, shelves for displaying my cute stuff and for organizing movies and books, makes in my life. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I am surprisingly happy even though Brian is out of work. I love my kids so much! They are such a precious gift! I am grateful for my husband! I love him and I am actually glad he's home more now! I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. For forgiveness and repentance. For families being able to be together forever. For spiritual music. For the opportunity I have to go tomorrow with 2 of my sisters and my mom to Time Out For Women in St. George. I haven't ever been so I'm anxious to so what it's like. I am thankful to have a roof over our heads. I am thankful to have a fun little job to supplement our income. I am just so happy to be alive and to feel no pain and to know all of the wonderful people I know. For my friends! For a wonderful ward! I my calling in young women. These girls are just amazing!!! So grateful for a living prophet, President Monson. For missionary work. Brian and I have benefited so much from the wonderful missionaries who taught our parents the gospel. Life certainly isn't perfect. Far from it actually. But I am happy that I still feel happy! Prayer, a loving Heavenly Father, a selfless, Savior Jesus Christ, the comfort and companionship of the Holy Ghost are the greatest blessings in this life!
~
Monday, November 7, 2011
Job security everywhere I turn...
Well, today I spent nearly 5 hours at Walmart straightening cards, wrapping paper, gift bags, party supplies. I also put the 4 boxes of shipment away for Hallmark.When I left it looked GOOD! I had to go back to buy something tonight and the whole thing looked like a bomb went off. I know it's no different than cleaning at home and having the kids go behind me messing everything I accomplished. Still, annoying!!! It's been nice to have Brian home. He watches our little Gracie while I'm at work. Last week I was gone a lot. I just wouldn't have been able to work last week if he hadn't been here to take care of my sweet little girl! She is so much fun! I just love her so much!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Here we go again...
Brian's last day at his job was Halloween. He's been applying places and had an interview, but hasn't found another job yet. When he lost his job before Gracie was born, he didn't have any warning or money and it freaked us out so much. We were truly blessed during that time and we were able to still have the things we needed. I just don't know if I have the strength and patience level and faith to endure this again. I know I don't have a choice because it is what it is and there isn't anything we can do to change it but it's just hard and life is just hard, isn't it. And yes, I know it could be worse. Much, much worse. But it's still hard...for me anyway. Maybe it wouldn't be for other people, I don't know. Anyhoo. I haven't posted for a long time so I just thought I'd just share what's been going on with us. I'm working a lot at Walmart/Hallmark. We've been tearing down the Halloween stuff and putting up Christmas stuff. It's been a lot of fun. We needed the money. And Brian's been home so he can watch Gracie. It's been nice to not have so much time to think about everything. Next week we'll be back to fewer hours but for now I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Just call the WAAAAmbulance...
We've got a whiner here!
In November it will have been a year since I was finally diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. It took quite a few months to get my medicine right but now that it is right I am virtually pain free. I only have occasional pain. I can bend over to pick Gracie up or stuff off the floor just fine now. That alone is such an amazing difference and has made life a lot easier I must say! I just really really hate being on medication. I really do! I'm so weird. Loopy. Forgetful. Tired. I have to take Pepcid because my medications make me have horrible heart burn. I just hate having to deal with it. Yesterday at church I was embarrassingly weird. It was SOOO hot in the building and I had only eaten cereal at like 8:00 and by the time Sunday School rolled around I was really shaky and feeling really weird. So when it was my turn to read I sounded like a kindergartner trying to read. It was very choppy and strange. Then after Sunday School the ladies had to walk past me to go to Relief Society and these ladies that I am friends with wouldn't even make eye contact with me. I think they didn't know how to act. I actually take unrighteous pride in the way I read the scriptures and the comfort I have developed when reading scriptures. Not many months ago I was really upset to read in front of people but I finally felt comfortable doing it and then I humiliated myself in front of the whole ward by reading them so strangely yesterday. At Matthew's baptism I embarrassed myself by thinking that Stan was supposed to do the talk on the Holy Ghost instead of baptism and I said it loudly in front of everyone there. So embarrassed!!! There was something else like that that happened that weekend but I can't remember what it was. I'm not on pain medications since they don't affect the nerve. I'm on Lyrica and Amitriptyline. They are both used for lots of different ailments but they work to treat the nerve. It's so hard! My choices are: Be in excruciating, horrendous, searing pain all the time, OR be pain free due to medication that makes me really weird all the time. Well, you know, weirder than normal! :) I'm trying to be positive about Brian's job ending in January but I'm totally freaking out. Stress is a trigger for pain from the TN. I just hope and pray that he'll find some work before the job ends. I am really grateful that he has a little time before the job ends! HUGE BLESSING! I just worry so much because I know that the job market really sucks right now! I am trying to have faith that it will all be ok. We had a really fun weekend which was great! We went to our neighbor's baptism, we went to our friend's little girl's super fun birthday party and BBQ. And we went to the ward soup and bread fall social. It was great too! Yummy soups and fabulous homemade bread and rolls, and banana splits for dessert. That is one of our family's favorite activity for the whole year! Sunday was so relaxed and calm that I just had too much time to think about things after church. NOT a good thing! Today I just need to get super busy again so I don't have time to think. I worked twice this weekend doing my little Hallmark job. I LOVE IT! I went Friday and Saturday nights at 8:30pm and got home at I don't remember what time on Friday but midnight on Saturday. It's entertaining to see all the people at Walmart that time of night! I'm going to end this post with a picture because there needs to be something positive on here! Sorry I'm such a downer today. Next time I'll be more positive I promise. Sometimes I just need to wallow in self pity and get it out of my system.One day I walked into the living room and saw these 2 like this. Just snugglin' in the recliner. I just had to capture this sweet moment!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
A very....interesting baptism...etc.
Our sweet little Matthew was baptized Saturday. He has looked forward to being baptized ever since he saw Zack get baptized 3 years ago and has talked about it often. As his baptism date has drawn near he has talked about it even more. He had started talking about how excited he was to be baptized but how scared he was to actually be dunked under water. We've encouraged him and I told him that I was TERRIFIED to have my head under water when I was baptized, too. I told him that our Branch President even talked with me and told me that everything was going to be ok. My wonderful Grandma Irvine sent me a lovely letter of encouragement also. I just remember praying really hard that I wouldn't drown and being so thrilled that He actually answered my prayers and kept me from drowning. HAHA I thought that might help him but it didn't. He got more and more nervous as the week progressed. Poor kid!
Well, the big day came. There was a little girl from another ward named Jessica who also was being baptized. When the talks finished the Bishop who was conducting said that they would like to have Matthew baptized first and then Jessica. Well, Matthew freaked! He did NOT want to go first! I was rather embarrassed and explained that Matthew was very nervous about having his head dunked under the water and wondered if she could go first. That's when SHE freaked out TOO! Her mom said she was scared too. It was seriously the craziest thing we all had ever seen! They both were weeping and wailing and yes there was some gnashing of teeth! They both were baptized...eventually. LOL! Some of us joked that we wished we could take video of it so we could show it at Matthew's wedding reception. LOL! It was definitely crazy! Now he says that being baptized was so awesome that he wishes he could do it again and that he can't wait until he's 12 and can go to the temple and do baptisms.
Interestingly enough, though, the spirit was very strong. Especially when Brian confirmed him. I'm thankful that Zack & Matthew have been blessed with that companionship. I am grateful that Brian holds and honors his Priesthood. What a beautiful thing! We felt the spirit throughout the rest of the day. It was like we just felt we needed to be reverent. I had to run to the store for my prescription and I hated going because it felt like I was breaking the Sabbath or something.
The luncheon afterwards was nice. Yummy food and spending time with family. I love baptism days! They are just joyful! I am so grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful for the joy that fills our lives as we strive to live righteously. We are FAR FROM perfect but Heavenly Father blesses us for our efforts and I am truly grateful for Him and the blessings He gives us.
~Brian was told at the very end of last month that his job will be terminated in January. They just simply have enough people in Logan at USU that do the work that Brian does here that they are going to give them the work from USU-CEU and terminate that position here. We are so worried and Brian is hoping that he'll be able to find something. It was nice to have Matthew's baptism to bring some joy to our lives since we've been pretty stressed out. If you hear of any Accounting jobs in your area please feel free to let me know. :) tarafree26@hotmail.com
~So my friend Nikki who was doing my hair in exchange of me babysitting her 2 awesome kids, moved away a couple months ago. She did hair but she also worked part time for Hallmark at Walmart and Smiths here. My friend Tamra worked with her. Well once Nikki moved they put Tamra in charge and they needed to hire someone else to work with her and they hired me! It's very part time and very flexible, which is what I need! So I started yesterday. It was SO much fun! I am really excited about the whole thing! There were about 9 of us yesterday working on a whole redo of the cards and displays and such. It was really fun working with those ladies and learning lots of new things. And those of you who know of my love for stationary, cards, and wrapping paper, and organizing, sorting, and filing, know that this is right up my alley!!! I'm just thrilled with the opportunity!
~So Brian had church meetings all morning Sunday. He usually helps me tons on Sundays so I was worried about making it to church on time when we are always late to church when I HAVE his help so I figured I didn't stand a chance on my own. I was really trying to stay on top of things. When we got to church I scanned the congregation for Brian and couldn't see him anywhere. So I looked at the congregation and I realized that none of these people looked remotely familiar. So I looked at the Bishopric and THEY were different too! So I checked my watch and it was 10:00. We were an hour EARLY!! Yes, I'm crazy! :~/
Well, the big day came. There was a little girl from another ward named Jessica who also was being baptized. When the talks finished the Bishop who was conducting said that they would like to have Matthew baptized first and then Jessica. Well, Matthew freaked! He did NOT want to go first! I was rather embarrassed and explained that Matthew was very nervous about having his head dunked under the water and wondered if she could go first. That's when SHE freaked out TOO! Her mom said she was scared too. It was seriously the craziest thing we all had ever seen! They both were weeping and wailing and yes there was some gnashing of teeth! They both were baptized...eventually. LOL! Some of us joked that we wished we could take video of it so we could show it at Matthew's wedding reception. LOL! It was definitely crazy! Now he says that being baptized was so awesome that he wishes he could do it again and that he can't wait until he's 12 and can go to the temple and do baptisms.
Interestingly enough, though, the spirit was very strong. Especially when Brian confirmed him. I'm thankful that Zack & Matthew have been blessed with that companionship. I am grateful that Brian holds and honors his Priesthood. What a beautiful thing! We felt the spirit throughout the rest of the day. It was like we just felt we needed to be reverent. I had to run to the store for my prescription and I hated going because it felt like I was breaking the Sabbath or something.
The luncheon afterwards was nice. Yummy food and spending time with family. I love baptism days! They are just joyful! I am so grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful for the joy that fills our lives as we strive to live righteously. We are FAR FROM perfect but Heavenly Father blesses us for our efforts and I am truly grateful for Him and the blessings He gives us.
~Brian was told at the very end of last month that his job will be terminated in January. They just simply have enough people in Logan at USU that do the work that Brian does here that they are going to give them the work from USU-CEU and terminate that position here. We are so worried and Brian is hoping that he'll be able to find something. It was nice to have Matthew's baptism to bring some joy to our lives since we've been pretty stressed out. If you hear of any Accounting jobs in your area please feel free to let me know. :) tarafree26@hotmail.com
~So my friend Nikki who was doing my hair in exchange of me babysitting her 2 awesome kids, moved away a couple months ago. She did hair but she also worked part time for Hallmark at Walmart and Smiths here. My friend Tamra worked with her. Well once Nikki moved they put Tamra in charge and they needed to hire someone else to work with her and they hired me! It's very part time and very flexible, which is what I need! So I started yesterday. It was SO much fun! I am really excited about the whole thing! There were about 9 of us yesterday working on a whole redo of the cards and displays and such. It was really fun working with those ladies and learning lots of new things. And those of you who know of my love for stationary, cards, and wrapping paper, and organizing, sorting, and filing, know that this is right up my alley!!! I'm just thrilled with the opportunity!
~So Brian had church meetings all morning Sunday. He usually helps me tons on Sundays so I was worried about making it to church on time when we are always late to church when I HAVE his help so I figured I didn't stand a chance on my own. I was really trying to stay on top of things. When we got to church I scanned the congregation for Brian and couldn't see him anywhere. So I looked at the congregation and I realized that none of these people looked remotely familiar. So I looked at the Bishopric and THEY were different too! So I checked my watch and it was 10:00. We were an hour EARLY!! Yes, I'm crazy! :~/
Matthew rockin' his 70's jumpsuit. He thought that big collar was totally groovy! :)
My hair looks like crap but I was there on time. :)
Matty with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa gave the best talk on Baptism. I cried like a baby when he talked about how 8 years ago we were all gathered together for Matthew's (and Jessica's family for her) baby blessing. The time is just slipping away... :(
Matty with Steph, J.J., Josh, & Emily. He's looks kinda like a little ragamuffin. He started undressing and I told him he had to take pictures before he could change his clothes. So his shirt is cockeyed, and his pants are twisted. But his cute little Jack-o-lantern smile makes the rest not matter!!! Grandma and Grandpa game him a suit and he was THRILLED to get to wear it for the first time on Sunday. He looked very handsome!!!
Matty with his cousins Jordan, Jeremy, and Marne. Jordan just came home from his mission a couple of months ago. We just love them!
Matty with Aunt KayTee. Uncle Chris had to work so he wasn't able to make it. We're so glad KayTee came!!!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Picture frame make over
I bought this picture frame at D.I. a few weeks ago for $2. I was so excited to transform it into SOMETHING I just wasn't sure what. Well, I finally made it over this weekend. I think it turned out cute! At least Gracie's flowers are more organized.
BEFORE...
AFTER...
I think I can squish another row in but you get the gist of it.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Don't Mock the Fanny Pack!!!
So, we took our little family to Disneyland. When we told our kids we were going they flipped out! Our Zack (he's 11) actually cried, he was so excited! We drove to St. George, Utah last Saturday and stayed in a hotel. Then drove the rest of the way Sunday. The kids were so anxious! Zack was seriously giddy as we rode in the bus over to Disneyland. We had so much fun! Zack and Max rode everything at least once. Matthew rode some stuff, then decided he doesn't like the feeling he gets in his tummy when the ride has ups and downs. After that we couldn't get him to try anything unless it was so tame that even Gracie could ride it. I am so proud of him though because he actually ended up trying most everything the last day or 2 that we were there. I know he was scared but at least he tried it! His most favorite ride was Star Tours. They have changed that ride and I like it so much better than I used to. Mainly because it didn't make me sick like it used to. Zack's favorites were Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Max's favorites were The Tower of Terror, Goofy's Sky School (basically the Wild Mouse), The Matterhorn, and Space Mountain. Apparently he's our biggest dare devil. Gracie's favorites were Winnie the Pooh and Buzz Lightyear. When she saw Minnie Mouse she gave her a big hug! It was simply adorable! Unfortunately our bag was stolen off of our stroller and it had the camera in it so we don't have that picture to share. The bag also had my cell phone, Matthew's Epi Pen, his inhaler, my cute little lipstick case Brian surprised me with a few weeks ago, my Clinique lipstick (my mom gets free makeup bags and makeup when she buys stuff at Macey's and she has given them to me a few times. The lipstick that was stolen was THE most perfect lipstick EVER!), my most favorite charcoal gray cardigan-ish thing that I got at Charlotte Russe and that I take EVERYWHERE, Gracie's cute little Minnie Mouse ears we had just bought for her at Disneyland that day. I usually wear a fanny pack when we go to Disneyland, with all of my most important things in it but Brian was making fun of me so I didn't. I caved to peer pressure. It may not be fashionable but certainly smarter and ultimately better!!! :) Basically that experience left me feeling stupid, violated, vulnerable, and scared. We figured people were watching the Tiki Room, waiting for someone they could rob. After that I was terrified that if there were people watching so they can steal from you then there could be people watching so they could steal kids. So then I was even more protective of them than I had been before. Other than that part of the trip, we all had a wonderful time! It was so wonderful to just spend time together as a family. It had been about 6 years since we had been on vacation so it was much needed and much appreciated!!! The kids handled the 10 hour drive there and 10 hours back better than we imagined. It was pretty touch and go a few times but for the most part they did well. The car looks HORRIBLE after spending 20 hours in our van. Nasty! We all loved the opportunity to spend so much time with Brian when he didn't have to work! We felt very grown up because it was the first time we've ever been on vacation with just our little family. I had a lot of guilt about going on vacation instead of putting that money in a savings account, until I saw pure joy written on each of my children's, and on Brian's faces when we were in Disneyland. Then, I made peace with our decision. It was priceless!!! I was telling one of my friends about my guilt over it and she said that sometimes you have to spend money to make memories. Her children are starting to leave the house and she has the perspective of a parent with children in their teens and one on a mission. Brian said, you know we only have about 7 years left to be able to take trips with just us and all of our children. Zack will be going on a mission, then comes college, and marriage. It makes me sad to think about how quickly my babies are all growing. It makes me really want to change my perspective. I've just been so wrapped up in trying to get from day to day, week to week, month to month that I forgot about the big picture. And so much time is just....gone. I want the next 7 years to be the most wonderful 7 years we can possibly imagine. I just want to savor this time. Every minute! Of all the things I don't want to look back on with regret, the very limited time I have to raise my children and spend precious time with them, building memories, is at the top of the list! What a blessing! What a gift! To be the mother of 4 fabulously amazing children...truly a gift!!!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
I can't stand it when...
*I can't stand it when my kids throw tantrums. OOHHH I just burns me up!
*I can't stand it when Gracie screams and freaks out every time I fix her hair!
*I can't stand it when my kids fight me about doing their homework!
*I can't stand it when my kids ask for a toy or treat or something EVERY time we go to a store!
*I can't stand it when my kids take their shoes off and spill sand all over the house!
*I can't stand it when my kids sass me! That really drives me up the wall!
*I can't stand it when Gracie and Max get food all over themselves when they eat! Seriously, you can give each of them 1 M&M...just 1...and they get it all over themselves!
*I can't stand it when my kids drink my can of Cherry Coke when I'm not looking and I come back for a drink and it's empty!
*I can't stand it when my kids dig in my purse and steal my gum or my pens!
*I can't stand it when my kids don't do what I ask them the first time I ask them in a super nice, lovely tone of voice so after the 3rd or 4th time I ask them I have to yell or talk in my very firm and not so lovely voice and THEN they do what I ask!
*I can't stand it when my kids don't put their shoes in their closets when they take them off and we have to frantically search the house looking for the missing shoes before school or church! Or they can't find their retainer or their backpack or their jacket!
*I can't stand it when my kids can't seem to find the garbage can EVER!!
*I ESPECIALLY can't stand the fact that they get all of this bad behavior from ME!!! Every time something like this occurs in our house I have a flashback to when I was a kid and I know that I absolutely, positively deserve to have to deal with every.single.bit of it! I am amazed that my mother is still sane!!! And I can testify that 'The Mother's Curse' really works!
*I can't stand it when Gracie screams and freaks out every time I fix her hair!
*I can't stand it when my kids fight me about doing their homework!
*I can't stand it when my kids ask for a toy or treat or something EVERY time we go to a store!
*I can't stand it when my kids take their shoes off and spill sand all over the house!
*I can't stand it when my kids sass me! That really drives me up the wall!
*I can't stand it when Gracie and Max get food all over themselves when they eat! Seriously, you can give each of them 1 M&M...just 1...and they get it all over themselves!
*I can't stand it when my kids drink my can of Cherry Coke when I'm not looking and I come back for a drink and it's empty!
*I can't stand it when my kids dig in my purse and steal my gum or my pens!
*I can't stand it when my kids don't do what I ask them the first time I ask them in a super nice, lovely tone of voice so after the 3rd or 4th time I ask them I have to yell or talk in my very firm and not so lovely voice and THEN they do what I ask!
*I can't stand it when my kids don't put their shoes in their closets when they take them off and we have to frantically search the house looking for the missing shoes before school or church! Or they can't find their retainer or their backpack or their jacket!
*I can't stand it when my kids can't seem to find the garbage can EVER!!
*I ESPECIALLY can't stand the fact that they get all of this bad behavior from ME!!! Every time something like this occurs in our house I have a flashback to when I was a kid and I know that I absolutely, positively deserve to have to deal with every.single.bit of it! I am amazed that my mother is still sane!!! And I can testify that 'The Mother's Curse' really works!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
What we've been up to lately...
Holy smokes!!! I cannot believe how incredibly crazy my life has been for the last month!! I was so totally looking forward to school starting. I envisioned finally having a super clean house. Daily naps with my sweet little Gracie. Taking her to story time at the library. Being able to go visiting teaching. Having dinner on the table by 6:00 every night. Staying in my sweats or pjs all day long. And Bonbons...lots and lots of Bonbons!!!
-We were finally able to get the kids some back to school clothes. We went up to Utah County the Saturday before Labor Day. It was a great day!
-I found a darling little full size, picket fence bed frame last year for Gracie at a yard sale for 10 bucks! It's painted pink. I'm thinking about painting it white. I don't know. A couple of weeks ago I found a full size headboard and foot board and frame at D.I. for $25. Max has been borrowing a bed of my parents for the past year. We decided to get Matty and Max bunk beds and since I found those bed frames for Zack and Gracie we needed to buy 2 full size mattresses and box springs. Max and Matty's room has been such a mess so it will really help to have bunks and free up so much room in there. And the nice thing is that they can be separate twin beds if we want them to be some day. The best part though was that Brian went online and found a set of bunk beds for $159 and a few days later Brian wanted to look at them before they came and they had upped the price to $219. I love it when we get a great deal when we buy stuff! Our poor table had had it too. My mom gave us her table when she got a new one like 5 or 6 years ago. We've moved like a zillion times since we got it from them. It was stored in a storage with all of our stuff and I accidentally fell and landed on one of the chairs and broke it while looking for something else. Another time I was looking for stuff I fell and landed on a leg of the table and it just couldn't handle the weight of my "fluffiness" and buckled under the immense pressure. :) Brian fixed it. Like 3 times. Aaaaand it broke again a few weeks ago when I was tying to move it over when I was vacuuming. Oh how I LoVe having carpet under the table!!! It's like a dream come true with 4 kids! ;) Anyhoo, we had been looking for a table for a long time but they all cost a fortune. I checked D.I. all the time for another table or chairs. We stopped by Sam's when we were up there and guess what we found...the most perfect table! It can be a square, and it has a built in leaf that folds out to a make the table rectangular and it comes with 8 chairs. And the price was great! So...I've been very busy trying to take out the old furniture and help put together the new furniture and reorganize the rooms. It's a great feeling to know that our kids have clothes and shoes to wear and their own beds to sleep in. I had some mixed emotions about getting rid of the crib and knowing that I will never need to use one again. But Gracie's room is very cute now and she LOVES her big girl bed so much!
-Zack ran for student council this year and he won! Last year he ran as well and lost so I am very proud of him for trying again and for doing so well! I am so happy that he has adjusted so well through all the moves we've subjected the poor kid to. He is truly amazing!!!
-I had an appointment Thursday of last week because I was having strangeness in my breasteses area. Well, the doctor told me that basically she had eliminated all of the possibilities of what my problem might be except CANCER...S-C-A-R-Y!!! So she wanted me to have a mammogram which I had yesterday. It wasn't painful at all for the first batch of pictures that she took. However, after the radiologist looked at the results and wanted more pictures, closer up pictures, to determined whether the spots that showed up on the pics were simply tissue or something to be concerned with, I thought my boobs were being pinched off! OUCHY WAWA!!! So, after my boobs were pinched off, they looked at the pictures and it turned out that it was just tissue. THANK GOODNESS!!! HUGE AMOUNTS OF RELIEF!!! And if you are afraid of a mammogram...don't be!! I'm feeling so blessed today! Both because I don't have cancer AND because I am not a mammogram lady that has to touch and configure other people's boobs all day! I am so truly grateful for people who are willing to do things like that to help people!!!
-And guess WHAT... We're going to Disneyland. We haven't been on a real vacation since Zack was 5 and Matthew was like 18 months old. Our kids are at perfect ages to really have a great time! The kids are positively giddy with excitement! It is great to see them so excited about something. We usually don't do anything or go anywhere fun. I just can't wait!!!
BUT...
Life has only become BUSIER since school started. It's been fun though most of the time. Here are some of the highlights...-We were finally able to get the kids some back to school clothes. We went up to Utah County the Saturday before Labor Day. It was a great day!
-I found a darling little full size, picket fence bed frame last year for Gracie at a yard sale for 10 bucks! It's painted pink. I'm thinking about painting it white. I don't know. A couple of weeks ago I found a full size headboard and foot board and frame at D.I. for $25. Max has been borrowing a bed of my parents for the past year. We decided to get Matty and Max bunk beds and since I found those bed frames for Zack and Gracie we needed to buy 2 full size mattresses and box springs. Max and Matty's room has been such a mess so it will really help to have bunks and free up so much room in there. And the nice thing is that they can be separate twin beds if we want them to be some day. The best part though was that Brian went online and found a set of bunk beds for $159 and a few days later Brian wanted to look at them before they came and they had upped the price to $219. I love it when we get a great deal when we buy stuff! Our poor table had had it too. My mom gave us her table when she got a new one like 5 or 6 years ago. We've moved like a zillion times since we got it from them. It was stored in a storage with all of our stuff and I accidentally fell and landed on one of the chairs and broke it while looking for something else. Another time I was looking for stuff I fell and landed on a leg of the table and it just couldn't handle the weight of my "fluffiness" and buckled under the immense pressure. :) Brian fixed it. Like 3 times. Aaaaand it broke again a few weeks ago when I was tying to move it over when I was vacuuming. Oh how I LoVe having carpet under the table!!! It's like a dream come true with 4 kids! ;) Anyhoo, we had been looking for a table for a long time but they all cost a fortune. I checked D.I. all the time for another table or chairs. We stopped by Sam's when we were up there and guess what we found...the most perfect table! It can be a square, and it has a built in leaf that folds out to a make the table rectangular and it comes with 8 chairs. And the price was great! So...I've been very busy trying to take out the old furniture and help put together the new furniture and reorganize the rooms. It's a great feeling to know that our kids have clothes and shoes to wear and their own beds to sleep in. I had some mixed emotions about getting rid of the crib and knowing that I will never need to use one again. But Gracie's room is very cute now and she LOVES her big girl bed so much!
-Zack ran for student council this year and he won! Last year he ran as well and lost so I am very proud of him for trying again and for doing so well! I am so happy that he has adjusted so well through all the moves we've subjected the poor kid to. He is truly amazing!!!
-I had an appointment Thursday of last week because I was having strangeness in my breasteses area. Well, the doctor told me that basically she had eliminated all of the possibilities of what my problem might be except CANCER...S-C-A-R-Y!!! So she wanted me to have a mammogram which I had yesterday. It wasn't painful at all for the first batch of pictures that she took. However, after the radiologist looked at the results and wanted more pictures, closer up pictures, to determined whether the spots that showed up on the pics were simply tissue or something to be concerned with, I thought my boobs were being pinched off! OUCHY WAWA!!! So, after my boobs were pinched off, they looked at the pictures and it turned out that it was just tissue. THANK GOODNESS!!! HUGE AMOUNTS OF RELIEF!!! And if you are afraid of a mammogram...don't be!! I'm feeling so blessed today! Both because I don't have cancer AND because I am not a mammogram lady that has to touch and configure other people's boobs all day! I am so truly grateful for people who are willing to do things like that to help people!!!
-And guess WHAT... We're going to Disneyland. We haven't been on a real vacation since Zack was 5 and Matthew was like 18 months old. Our kids are at perfect ages to really have a great time! The kids are positively giddy with excitement! It is great to see them so excited about something. We usually don't do anything or go anywhere fun. I just can't wait!!!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Good Quote!
One of my friends on Facebook posted this and I liked it so I thought I'd share.Yes I'm going on Facebook more. I just can't seem to stay away. I just love the interaction with friends and family who are far away or even in my neighborhood. Anyhoo, Here's what she wrote...
If life is a highway, I wish someone would finish with the construction already. I'm tired of the detours, road blocks, and pot holes.
If life is a highway, I wish someone would finish with the construction already. I'm tired of the detours, road blocks, and pot holes.
Friday, August 12, 2011
FUN TIMES & DEFINITE BRUISAGE & I may have gotten a little carried away with all the pictures....
So, my family rented a cabin together in the Heber Mountains. My brother Robby, my sisters Stephanie and Katie, and me and all of our families were there. We did miss Dana and her family (they live in Colorado and her husband is in the Special Forces in the Army in Afghanistan) and Nathan and his family who just moved to Florida in July!
This cabin was so awesome! It had 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a zip line, a game room, a movie room, a wrap around deck/porch, and a huge kitchen and eating area. It was beautiful & secluded.
Each morning we anxiously looked out the wall of windows in the living room in hopes of seeing some sort of creature. One morning Steph saw a mama bear and her cub. Two of the days we saw moose. Once there were two moose and once there was one big moose who walked right up to the fence that was made of a couple of cables, which lined the property. One day a fox walked up to the house while eating some little creature. We saw lots of deer.
Steph's husband J.J. brought up some 4-wheelers and a side by side. We had some very nice little rides and a couple of very exciting rides. On one of the exciting rides we were heading up a very steep, very rocky, trail. When we were to a point where there was about a 50-70 foot drop to the left of me, my 4-wheeler started struggling to make it up the hill since it was so steep. Well, it was a manual shift 4-wheeler and I was thinking, oh no I must be in 2nd gear instead of 1st gear so I shifted down. Turns out I WAS in 1st gear after all and shifted into neutral. Oh CRAP!!! So I shifted back up to 1st gear and floored it, which caused me to basically pop a wheelie. The thing stood straight up, threw me onto my elbow and my butt, while still straddling it, and started teetering over all the way. I saw it teetering and panicked! All I could think of was that when 4-wheelers land on top of people they often die! Brian and my Zacky were on the 4-wheeler directly behind me. I scrambled to get completely off of it, flipped over to my knees and crawled away as fast as I could. Thankfully, it didn't ever roll completely over. The rack stopped it. It scared the crap out of me, Brian, Zack and everyone with us. I feel very blessed that it just stopped! I have bruises and scrapes and I'm sore pretty much everywhere but it could have been so much worse!!!
On Tuesday afternoon, Brian and I, and all of my siblings (except Katie who was cooking dinner that night) and their spouses went on a kind of hairy, totally awesome, 2 hour ride! Katie's hubby, Chris rode with Robby's son Tyler. And oh my gosh, it was awesome! We rode to the top of a mountain with spectacular views. To the east we could see the Uintahs, Mount Timpanogas to the west, and gorgeous views to the north and south as well. It was really fun! It was nice to ride on the back of a 4-wheeler, snuggling Brian for 2 hours. We rarely have that kind of time away from our children. Our 18th anniversary was on Sunday so it was so nice to have such a great time together! It's funny though. You can tell how much older we all are now. Steph, Jenise, and I were so happy that there was a nice little outhouse in the middle of nowhere on the ride that had T.P. AND hand sanitizer! I kept saying to Brian that I am a mother of 4 and every time we went over a bump it felt like I was being punched in the bladder. I really wished I had been more diligent at doing my Kegel exercises. HAHA
The zip line was so much fun! The kids especially liked it! My Max and Steph's son Josh are little dare devils and just thought it was the coolest! My Dad even rode it once. My Mom and all of us adults were more than just a little bit worried about him riding it. Of course all of his grand kids thought he was a total rock star!!!
We had a blast! We all hated to see it end. Can you believe that there were 17 people there and we all got along perfectly! It was really great! We are supposed to do it again next year and we just can't wait!
Life is so expensive anymore that we don't ever spend enough time doing super fun things as a family so it was especially nice to just get away and have fun! I'm so glad that it wasn't a 'luxurious' cabin. It was nice, yet just rugged enough, and the PERFECT place to take kids! They knew they had to take care of the cabin but we didn't have to worry about them doing naughty stuff so much because they were constantly entertained by the zip line, the great outdoors, the game room, and the movie room. It was great!
This cabin was so awesome! It had 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a zip line, a game room, a movie room, a wrap around deck/porch, and a huge kitchen and eating area. It was beautiful & secluded.
Each morning we anxiously looked out the wall of windows in the living room in hopes of seeing some sort of creature. One morning Steph saw a mama bear and her cub. Two of the days we saw moose. Once there were two moose and once there was one big moose who walked right up to the fence that was made of a couple of cables, which lined the property. One day a fox walked up to the house while eating some little creature. We saw lots of deer.
Steph's husband J.J. brought up some 4-wheelers and a side by side. We had some very nice little rides and a couple of very exciting rides. On one of the exciting rides we were heading up a very steep, very rocky, trail. When we were to a point where there was about a 50-70 foot drop to the left of me, my 4-wheeler started struggling to make it up the hill since it was so steep. Well, it was a manual shift 4-wheeler and I was thinking, oh no I must be in 2nd gear instead of 1st gear so I shifted down. Turns out I WAS in 1st gear after all and shifted into neutral. Oh CRAP!!! So I shifted back up to 1st gear and floored it, which caused me to basically pop a wheelie. The thing stood straight up, threw me onto my elbow and my butt, while still straddling it, and started teetering over all the way. I saw it teetering and panicked! All I could think of was that when 4-wheelers land on top of people they often die! Brian and my Zacky were on the 4-wheeler directly behind me. I scrambled to get completely off of it, flipped over to my knees and crawled away as fast as I could. Thankfully, it didn't ever roll completely over. The rack stopped it. It scared the crap out of me, Brian, Zack and everyone with us. I feel very blessed that it just stopped! I have bruises and scrapes and I'm sore pretty much everywhere but it could have been so much worse!!!
On Tuesday afternoon, Brian and I, and all of my siblings (except Katie who was cooking dinner that night) and their spouses went on a kind of hairy, totally awesome, 2 hour ride! Katie's hubby, Chris rode with Robby's son Tyler. And oh my gosh, it was awesome! We rode to the top of a mountain with spectacular views. To the east we could see the Uintahs, Mount Timpanogas to the west, and gorgeous views to the north and south as well. It was really fun! It was nice to ride on the back of a 4-wheeler, snuggling Brian for 2 hours. We rarely have that kind of time away from our children. Our 18th anniversary was on Sunday so it was so nice to have such a great time together! It's funny though. You can tell how much older we all are now. Steph, Jenise, and I were so happy that there was a nice little outhouse in the middle of nowhere on the ride that had T.P. AND hand sanitizer! I kept saying to Brian that I am a mother of 4 and every time we went over a bump it felt like I was being punched in the bladder. I really wished I had been more diligent at doing my Kegel exercises. HAHA
The zip line was so much fun! The kids especially liked it! My Max and Steph's son Josh are little dare devils and just thought it was the coolest! My Dad even rode it once. My Mom and all of us adults were more than just a little bit worried about him riding it. Of course all of his grand kids thought he was a total rock star!!!
We had a blast! We all hated to see it end. Can you believe that there were 17 people there and we all got along perfectly! It was really great! We are supposed to do it again next year and we just can't wait!
Life is so expensive anymore that we don't ever spend enough time doing super fun things as a family so it was especially nice to just get away and have fun! I'm so glad that it wasn't a 'luxurious' cabin. It was nice, yet just rugged enough, and the PERFECT place to take kids! They knew they had to take care of the cabin but we didn't have to worry about them doing naughty stuff so much because they were constantly entertained by the zip line, the great outdoors, the game room, and the movie room. It was great!
My sweet little Gracie climbing the stairs
Gracie & Max getting ready for our ride.
Zack, Gracie, Max, & Brian
Matty rode with me on a 4-wheeler
Look closely between the rear and front tire on the black car. The fox that came up to the house.
Starting out on the ride where I crashed.
I love how you can see the moon between the trees in this pic.
This is the crazy path we took. It was NUTS!!!Especially since we had kids with us and the side by side that was too big to be on this path. It was pretty cool too just a bit scary! We were afraid a bear or something would jump out at us. :)
This is a nice pic of all of them
This is when J.J. discovered there was a small branch from the bushes in Steph's hair...
Brian on the 4-wheeler that I tried to roll. I was on with Zack after the incident. I should have gotten a picture of the crazy hill we climbed when that happened. It was Crazy!!
Rob and Tyler
We were all so happy to have survived the ride that I just HAD to get a picture!
The totally awesome moose...
Grandpa getting ready to ride the zipline.
There he is at the end where you fly upside down.
All done
Zack getting ready to ride
The kids thinking Grandpa is the coolest!!!
Kinda screwed up the sequence on these next few pics. In this pic Max is climbing the ladder to ride the zip line.
Here he comes. You can barely see him.
Max flew completely upside down at the end of the zip line
Matty on the zip line
My pretty little Gracie
Cuter than cute Joshers
Steph took the kids for a ride in the side by side
Tyler, Chris, Rob, Jenise, Me, & Brian
Me & Brian
J.J. & Stephanie
Brian pointed out this heart shaped patch of snow.
This part of the ride is VERY steep and scary to go up or down. All us girls bailed off and walked down...
Chris and Tyler
If you put sunscreen on right before a 2 hour 4-wheeler ride you might end up looking like this...
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