Lovato's Lives

Post 17: A youtube video

2012-02-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

Post 17: A youtube video

A year ago when I started this project...I thought "what youtube video" am I gonna post? Well..when I actually got to this post...I knew EXACTLY what to post. I don't know if I have watched a video over and over so many times. It gives me the CHILLS everytime I watch this. I am so freakin' excited to see this movie!!!

Last October when I got back from my Louisiana trip, I had a nice care package from my bestie Misty waiting for me. Among other surprises inside was "The Hunger Games" book. It is sort of a long story..but I will tell it because it is my blog. She has this 101 goals in 1001 days blog and one of her goals was to read 10 books suggested by friends. She read a Stephen King book I suggested so I told her what she was doing sounded fun and asked her to tell me what book was up next..maybe I try to read with her. She said it was "The Hunger Games", so I went to the library..but they were ALL checked out...BOO. SOO...fast forward Misty in a care package sends me HER copy AFTER she read it. I was reading another library book..so I waited..but OH MAN...I was missing out. I didn't know ANYTHING about the book..so I didn't have high expectations or anything...which probably made it all the more greater. I loved the book...probably my new favorite book..can't wait to see the movie.

I've NEVER been to a midnight opening showing of a movie. HOWEVER..my bestie Misty has agreed to meet me half-way to see this gem on MARCH 23. I can't wait. Literally...so I watch this clip over and over again like a crazy person.

If I could get Matt to read a book off my suggestion..it would be this one. BUT by then I would have built it up too much so then he would think it was lame. Then I would be hurt that he thought my favorite book was lame...so I will just have to keep it to myself I suppose. Or it can be Misty and I's not so little secret.

Post 16: A letter to someone who has hurt you lately

2012-02-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

Post 16: A letter to someone who has hurt you lately

If you know me...I have a big mouth...or shall I say...I am very opinionated and not afraid to show it....well MOST of the time. However, there are times where either #1-the person who I'd like to say something to doesn't really like me enough to CARE to hear what I have to say OR #2-I don't CARE enough about them to spend my breath to say it OR #3-I could really damage a relationship with someone I do CARE about if I were to say something.

SO...I am breaking the rules here and instead of writing a letter to one person, I am gonna say a few things that I'd like to say in person. I think I might feel better to get a few things off my chest.

(SO...that is how I STARTED....I wrote a few letters...I read them all to Matt...he said I sounded like an angry person-which I really AM NOT....but I do have to say...surprisingly it felt good to get it off my chest....so I am going to leave the 2 letters that fall into category #1 above-I guess I still sound a little angry in them...but I can tell you that I am at peace with it all, honestly. Maybe writing these letters were the last piece of the "peace" puzzle. I will keep the other letters I wrote to myself)

I will leave it anonymous in order to preserve all innocent parties.

Dear * I was fine before I met you. Somehow you weaseled your way into my life. I realized what having a true best friend meant. I don't think I had ever had anybody care about me the way you did. OR so I thought. One day you were gone. With no explanation. No opportunity for me to apologize for whatever it is that I had done. If it was because I voiced my opinion-then how in the world did you want to become my friend in the first place-because me voicing my opinion shoulda never been anything new. Well, it has been nearly a year and I have to say that I am stronger now. I no longer feel a void with you being gone. I don't think I will ever let anyone into my life like that again, though. I just don't think I could take that pain. It is probably for the best that we aren't friends-I don't think you were a very good influence on me anyway. I wish I didn't care-and maybe it is good that you so violently "quit" me (like you quit SOO many people in your life that cared about you)-because I NEVER would have "quit" you-even if I should have.

Dear * you were probably one of the worst bosses I have ever had. In your own little self-involved life you have no idea what you have done to me. I was doing 100% fine where I was when you "promoted" me. You set me up to fail and made me the scapegoat when you wanted your test to fail. You have no idea how miserable you made my life. You moved me to another department knowing it was going away-just to stop * from going through it. You made me have to write 18 PEs for people that I barely knew...and gave me no credit for the smooth dissolution of that department. Then you put me back into the bad edge of the same "test"...trying to further prove your point-NOT to do what was right. You didn't want to listen to reason NOR to any of the ideas that I suggested. When I came to you for help you told me to "work harder", seriously?! You called me a complainer and said I was doing better when I purposely avoided you at all costs (staying silent whenever I was in your presence)-what kind of a manager is that?! I suspect that you personally had a hand in ensuring my PE was lower than it should have been. I suspect that you helped get my Team Leader of the year award yanked after only seeing me for one month-neglecting to notice my previous 11 before you. When I finally proved you wrong-you gave me no credit at all for the success. The first chance you had to dump me-you did. You said horrible things about me to my next Manager leading her to believe that I was a piece of crap. It took me an entire year to get back to where I was finally happy at work again. I can't believe that you don't see that you had favorites, that you had people that you treated differently. I have never had a manager that didn't get to know their people-that could be so cold and so cruel. I get so angry when I think about the effect you had on me in 5 short months. I am just grateful that we aren't together and I hope we never work together again-and I never say that about ANYONE!

Whew.....okay...so please don't think that I am a mean person with pent up feelings because if someone ever asks my opinion-(and sometimes when they don't ask) I am 100% open. I guess my redeeming quality is that I am very forgiving. If someone were to say sorry to me-I don't hold a grudge. I tend to give people second chances. I can't stay angry if someone is trying to apologize. The trick is to let things go when the said person hasn't apologized...but I do realize that not forgiving only hurts me. All I can do is try to be the best person I can be...I hope that if I have upset anyone-they will let me know so that I can try to apologize. My big opinionated mouth has cost me a few relationships...but I know that the ones worth keeping will be honest with me and love me no matter what.

Misty

2012-01-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

I must be the luckiest girl in the world-because I have the BEST people in my life.

I talk about Misty a lot...so humor me while I tell you our story. Back in 2006 I got two new people on my team at work. They were young and quiet and shy but eager to learn and to do well. Little did I know that one of them would become one of my bestest friends. We bonded over the fact that we were both trying to get pregnant at the same time. We shared a lot of heartache, struggle and pain..but also joy. I believe that she was one of the first people that I told that I was pregnant. I also think I was one of the first she told that she was also pregnant...and I also believe we cried together when she told me she was going to quit. I cried again on her last day and kept her badge on my desk for months afterward. I saw her twice after that...at her baby shower and at another friend's baby shower...and then we didn't see each other for 4 years. However-we kept close contact...e-mails, blogs, texts, Facebook and care packages sent back and forth. I felt like I knew each of her boys, I felt like I held her daughter myself. She came to see me last year and I finally went to see her this past week. The hard part of our friendship is that she lives 60 miles away. After my 2 hour drive there I was amazed by technology and how a text can travel that distance in seconds. I wish that I could have gone on a day the kids were off of school so that we could have gone earlier and stayed all day. I will try to make it down there this summer when I can see where she grew up in the daylight. I can't wait to see this town that she loves so much. I am not sure if she knows how much I cherish our relationship. Years ago I vowed not to put energy into people that don't put the energy back. Misty definitely puts the energy into me-it is so nice to know that there is someone that loves you that doesn't have to. There is so much about her that I admire her for-I could go on and on and on...but I have rambled enough for today...so here are the pics of my recent trip.

She made us a yummy dinner. BOTH my kids asked for seconds and pretty much cleaned their plates. I got to taste her famous family farm corn-delish. (left to right-Lauren, Melia, Jamie, and AJ). Can you tell my kids are trained cheesers?! It makes me laugh.

I got to sit by Aaron. He had pirate day at school so he had a beard still. This kiddo has a ton of energy-he kept me laughing the whole time.
I vowed that I would get some pictures in...and we tried my phone because I thought the pics would be better...Lauren kept trying but we could just NOT get a good picture of us....they kept being fuzzy...so here they are anyway.

We even tried to do self photos...but it is hard to push the button on the phone with one hand while holding it...So Misty had to help me. I don't know if you can tell..but I think we were both laughing trying to get it to work...

Oh boy..we are so silly!
So...one of those things I love about her....um....she is super crafy. She took our picture and made this super cool clock as part of my Christmas present. I think she picked the perfect photo-I love how the circle goes around our picture.
I also wanted to do a craft with her while we were there. My friend Bree put this project on her blog and I wanted to try. I have to say that I love the results...and I got a lot of compliments on it. SO...I have found the perfect combination..one friend for help with inspiration and one friend for help with perspiration! Notice I don't have a picture of Misty's heart wreath...that is because hers was WAY better than mine. That is okay-I am fine being second place to her. Oh, I also hogged all of the coffee filters and she didn't get to finish hers....I am such a jerk.
As I write this tonight, my heart is full. I have so much to be thankful for. I have a great husband, sweet kids, a supportive family, and wonderful friends. Thanks Misty-you are one in a million!!

Why I was late for work today...

2012-01-17T23:24:00.000-08:00

And why my hair was wet....

And my makeup was sloppy...

I can't START a project and not END it. It took me a little longer this morning than planned.

I had my Christmas stuff put away, however, the boxes were STILL upstairs..because I was not ready to face the basement.

With an upcoming baby shower on my mind...there was no more putting it off.

So..today was the day. Here is the before:

(don't you love my cat Oreo...keeping me company)?!

And here is the "after" ta-da.
I am just a little sore...and a little bruised...but a LOT happy.

PS. Tires are REALLY heavy. AND REALLY scary if there are spider webs in the middle. Glad it is done. (for a while). Matt needs to build this girl more shelves for me junk. (Head nod).

Jamie's haircut

2012-01-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

I don't know why Jamie getting his haircut is always so traumatic for me. I love his long hair and the personality that I think goes along with it. However, I was the one pushing for a cut this time. It gets a little crazy and crinkley in the morning and it was starting to get tangles (aka tears) so I was ready.

He was a little tired and therefore crabby and not at all happy about getting it cut. Here he is pre-haircut....pouting.

His "not happy" face.

His hair grows so fast, I am always shocked about how much comes off! AND there is even more on his smock!

After the haircut he was exhausted on the drive home. I can't believe that he can sleep like that-but he does it ALL the time!
AND here is the "after" shot.
I like how the lady blended it in...I couldn't bare for it to be TOO short on top.....
And finally we have "HAPPY Jamie"!
He is such a sweet little boy and I am thankful for having him in my life.

My favorite Christmas Present!

2012-01-12T00:54:00.000-08:00

I was so impressed with my little girl this year. It has become a new tradition the past two years-that I take the kids to Dollar Tree and let them pick out presents for each other and for Matt and I. I first pick out a big bag and allow them to place items in the bag so that no one can see what they chose. It is fun to see them narrow down their gifts and really put thought into what they buy. One thing that Lauren purchased (without me knowing) was this DARLING card! I love how this card has a mom and a dad and boy and a girl SNOW-family.

When I opened it up...that is when the tears came!
"Spihelist"...."Specialist". Seriously-this melted my heart. Christmas is always too stressful for me. I always feel like there is something I HAVE to get done. I stay up way too late, get way too little sleep, eat way too poorly, and just feel all around frazzled. This little baby awaiting me on Christmas morning...made ALL of that WORTH it!

I love how the inside of the card she has conveniently made a drawing in which Jamie is missing from the picture.

OH...and I should mention that she did NOT inherit my procrastinator gene. She made her gifts for the rest of the family (aunts/uncles/grandparents/cousins) REALLY early and had them wrapped very quickly-and were the first gifts under the tree!! She wrapped presents as soon as they were purchased as well. I need to take a lesson from her. OH-I just LOVE her!

Post 15

2012-01-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

Post 15: A picture of something you ate today:

After a week of getting my eating back to my pre-holiday routine and after a day full of high-protein food....Matt treated me to cake bites from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. I am a sucker for these bites of delicious goodness. Mmmmmm. I wish I had more.

Top 20 additions of Christmas 2011

2012-01-04T19:38:00.000-08:00

OK...I am feeling just a tad bit guilty about the whole blog posting thing....sometimes when it comes to birthdays, holidays, special events, etc...it just seems like TOO much effort to put things on Facebook AND the blog. AND since pictures are more easily uploaded to Facebook-most of the cool stuff goes to that. Well...I thought that I would put some unique things here on the good old blog. SO...here are my top 20 new additions to Christmas 2011. I got this blog idea as I was sadly putting all the decor away this year. Tee hee hee.

In no particular order....

#1 One of my besties-Heather Lyons made this advent calendar for me for my birthday last year. I LOVED it and this year the kids loved taking turns getting their treats out. It was so much fun!

#2 I kept hearing ads about Home Depot having these 20 gallon totes for $5.88...so I talked Matt into taking me there and I scored 4 of them. I LOVE having a place for everything and everything in its place. I thought about being saucy and putting a blue lid on the brown tote and a brown lid on the blue tote. Oh yeah, I am cool like that.
#3 Ever since 1995 Matt and I have taken turns giving each other ornaments (he has odd years and I have the even years). They are usually cute bears or Disney themed, etc. Matt bucked the system this year and decided to get each family member one of these blingy initial ornaments. I resisted at first and wanted to stick to tradition-but they actually grew on me and I love them now. However, 2012 is MY year and we will see how I feel when I start to shop. PS. I could NOT tolerate them not having the year on them-so I wrote 2011 on the back of each of them in black permanent marker-a rebel I am NOT-or does that make me a rebel...hmmm...
#4 If I had ordered these this might be #1!! I got a new phone for Christmas. It was my entire budget. I love it, I love having the internet like 24-7! I will NEVER be bored again. I can't believe I went so long without a smartphone! I feel so much more efficient.
#5 My cute neighbor Denise (mother of adorable 11 month old twins) gave me these magnets. OH I LOVE THEM! SO very cute. The moment I got them I stuck them on the fridge....then one by one they fell off and broke. The magnet was stronger than the glue. I was so devastated I asked her if I could buy more off of her. She gave me a new set for free! I think Matt might have been embarassed by me telling her that they broke...but I really loved them!!
#6 After YEARS and YEARS and YEARS of owning both of these classics on VHS tape-we FINALLY bought them on DVD. I was worried we were wearing the tape thin! I think Matt knows every word to ONE of them and I know every word to the other one...can you guess which one goes with which one?
#7 OKAY this is totally cheesy but I got this CD for Christmas. I saw him sing "Mistletoe" on a TV show...and I wanted it. It is a really good CD and one that might become a regular at our house.....
#8 My cute little sister Sarah was sooo creative with her gifts this year. I was pleasantly surprised by her amazing presents! (I should have taken pictures of all the things she made!). This one was my favorite- I have always wanted something like this-I can't wait to write love notes to Matt. Aww.....
#9 Matt's Dad and his wife Tina gave us these knives for Christmas. I shoulda taken a picture of the ghetto knives we had before! The last set was given to us for our wedding-almost 13 years ago. Well...one day when we were laying sod, Matt's dad asked to use our old knives...and I told him...um my "old knives" are my only knives--aka the good knives. Well...that experience got me thinking. Every year Tina asks me for suggestions...so this year I made this suggestion...and I was extremely pleased that she got us this AWESOMELY CLASSY set of new knives. I am actually afraid to use them.
#10 This new TV was a bit of surprise. Matt found this TV for a killer deal and now my house feels like a brand new house. We now hang out downstairs and I can't believe we didn't do this earlier! It is nice to watch TV while you cook dinner...who would have known!
#11 This was actually a birthday present not a Christmas present....but Matt got me these remote control LED candles. Which is awesome because I have had these empty candesticks above my door for like 2 years! Super cool.
#12 The fireplace isn't new...but using it is! (forgive the ugly wire-Matt is working on it).....it was such a treat to wrap presents by the fireplace especially when it has been so cold lately.
#13 Matt decided it was time to upgrade our tree. I was sad at first-but trusted his vision. He came up with this idea to refurbish our old ornaments. He came up with this idea all by himself and I happily obliged....and we have a big staircase! (aka-lots of ruberbands and lots of slapping myself with them).
#14 DOH...this picture is sideways and I can't fix it! So please turn your screen. My adorable bestie Misty made me these blocks that spells out words. It is so fun...and festive! I am really trying to channel my inner-Misty....I am just not as cute as her but I am really trying.
#15 On the other hand...Matt's old secretary Kathy, unlike me, IS totally talented and crafty and made us these wooden letters. I love them. Jamie also loved that it had a big "J" like in his name and I loved that he is recognizing his letters! Pure JOY for this cornball.
#16 Here is the aforementioned tree. With its 2011 makeover...ala Matt. This was ALL him. He decorated this tree with such ferver it was a hoot. He was on a neverending quest for dark blue ornaments-they are harder to find than you think they'd be. It took him forever to get the new LED lights on the tree..but I loved it afterwards. The new tree grew on me too!
#17 We have a little shindig at our house every New Years Eve with Matt's brother and sister. Matt and I spent ALL day cleaning the house for our party...then shortly after midnight Lauren SOMEHOW got a hold of some confetti! I don't think I have seen Matt that angry in a long time. This static-confetti might be lingering around for a long time despite our many attempts at clean up. Look at Lauren smiling even though she was in BIG trouble.
#18 Even though I am not very crafty, I LOVE crafts. I bought this foam kit and the kids and I had so much fun assembling it, okay I had fun assembling it. I was quite proud of the final product. I need all projects to be this easy!!
#19 I love love love Christmas Cards! It is the only time of the year when it is FUN to get the mail. At my old house I used to put the cards on our front door...but ever since we moved into this house...I haven't known what to do with them. This year...I taped them to the wall. I LOVED it! The wall seems to bare now without it.
#20 Okay-this isn't new...-I just thought I should mention it. I probably need to invest in a new nativity scene-maybe it will be the first addition to 2012. Well, I don't know where I got this and it isn't very high quality. BUT, I just can't bring myself to throw it away and I have tried a few times. Many years ago-like before Lauren was born-our dog Dixie ATE baby Jesus. I tried to tell Matt that it was the proof that she was really a devil dog. However-I think that it now symbolizes how empty Christmas is without "Christ", literally.
Well-hopefully this photo-palooza makes up for my last two photo-less posts. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!

Post 14: Someone who fascinates you and why

2011-12-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

Post 14: Someone who fascinates you and why. Sorry-no photos.

I thought about this post for a long time. BUT just ONE person? That is too hard. I am fascinated by everyone. I love to meet people and find out about them. If any of you are familiar with Strengthsfinders...I have WOO as one of my strengths. It means I like to make strangers turn into friends. I am a very curious person....or nosy. I think people are so interesting, and it may be why I love reality TV so much. Anyway, I thought I would share instead a couple of people and why they fascinate me. Really-everyone is interesting to me...so forgive me if I left you off the list! Okay...in no particular order.

First off-is my hubby. Seriously-he is good at ANYTHING he tries. He is handy around the house-can fix anything. Everything always seems so easy to him. He is seldom stressed out. He is also somewhat of a financial wizard-which is why I recently turned over all my money to him.

Kristen Wiig...she is so funny! She is my favorite girl on SNL. I love how in her skits she can be so pretty and then so ugly. I would LOVE to be funny-everyone likes someone who is funny. I also love Tina Fey for much the same reasons.

Matt's sister Kristen. I have NEVER met someone who is so disciplined.

My neighbor April. I don't know how she does all that she does with virtually no sleep.

Jennifer Jensen. I work with her and she has gone through so much tragedy and heartbreak-yet she is always so positive and never without a smile.

Bree Gowers. One of my old neighbors. She has so many talents-she is an awesome decorator, an awesome party planner, an awesome hairdresser, an awesome photographer, and she was an awesome neighbor!

Britney Spears. I think she is beautiful..and a great dancer and performer. I can't take my eyes off her.

My Grandma Duplantis...9 kids, one arm...enough said.

My mom. She is like the opposite of me. She is very patient, loving, religious, forgiving, even-tempered, she is a good cook, cleans like a pro, she is just perfect. Best mom ever. Along with that I also am fascinated by my Aunt Anita and my Aunt Kathy-they are super-human-I am convinced of it!

My sister Sarah. She is so stinkin' cute. She is so determined, and fiesty-yet shy. I feel like I can talk to her about anything. I love working with her. I don't know what I would do without her!

Christy Allfrey. She is a friend I have had since 6th grade. She is a great writer. She has 5 kids and makes it all look easy. She is funny, smart, loving, crafty. I am often in awe of all that she accomplishes.

Stacey Monsen. One of my old bosses. She made everything seem easy. She is another one with great determination. She is super skinny, super generous, a super hard worker, and a super communicator. I learned a lot working for her.

Misty Rindlisbacher. She is crafty-seriously she should go into business. Or into the party planning busines. Or into the day care business. Or into the book writing business. Okay-she is super talented. Super religious. Super funny. Super loving. Super giving. She amazes me.

Julianne Hough. She is such a great dancer, has the perfect body, and is just gorgeous. When I think of "perfect looking" I think of her. I wish I could be her for just one day!

Summer Gallegos/Suzie Featherstone. Two gals I work with...they seem to balance being moms and being kick-ass Managers perfectly. They make it look so easy! They are also stylish, beautiful, smart, focused, and determined.

Okay, so that is an odd bunch of people and I will probably be kicking myself after for all the people that dawn on me after I publish this. I honestly think everyone is interesting in their own way. However, with my top choices, I saw some themes come through. Did you notice them? It isn't that the grass is always greener on the other side-I am just fascinated (or jealous) of people who have different strengths than me.

Hope this picture-less post isn't too boring. :)

I really SHOULD be wrapping presents....

2011-12-17T23:25:00.000-08:00

But instead I will spend my time trying to be like Misty.

This is something she put on her blog, and I couldn't resist! Copy and answer these 25 questions about Christmas.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? This is a toss up for me. Egg nog brings back memories of childhood. I like hot chocolate too-although I don't have either of them very often. Honestly my splurge drink of choice is Chai Tea. The first time I tasted it I called it "Christmas in my mouth". That should count, eh Misty?

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When I was growing up, Santa wrapped EVERYTHING. I don't know how/where my parents managed everything! Since having my own kids-I followed my friend Heather's tradition. The item that the kids want most is from Santa and it is unwrapped and un-packaged. The rest of the presents are from us. This way I don't have to be too sneaky AND that Santa doesn't get the credit that Matt and I so righteously deserve. Kind of a funny story...I was so traumatized when I found out about Santa that I always swore I would never feed that line to my kids. When I shared this with Matt he looked at me like I had just slapped his momma. He told me that it was such a great thing as a kid to be all excited over Santa-we could never take that away from our kids. I have to admit-it is a blast and I love to see the excitement in my kids faces. Plus-the whole "Santa is watching" blackmail/bribe thing TOTALLY works wonders.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Either! I love the elegance of white lights, and we had them on our tree for our first eleven Christmases. This year we invested in blue and white LED lights and I LOVE them!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Never have.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I like to put mine up right before Thanksgiving...since my birthday is around that time...I like to have my Christmas decorations up when my family comes over for my birthday party. This way my family can see my tree.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without ham. My mom always makes a great Christmas meal...it is sort of like a Thanksgiving Part 2. I better learn some of her dishes SOON so that one day I can be a wonderful cook like her.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? A favorite? Gee-they are all SOO good. My mom had hand painted all of our wooden ornaments that we had on our tree. I thought they were the neatest thing ever. I always loved decorating the tree. We had a big picture window in our second story front room and I loved how the tree would shine down onto the street.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I told you that I was traumatized. My best friend growing up, Heather and her brother, who lived across the street FOUND their stash of presents. The secret was out. I was devastated. I can't remember how old I was...I just remember being hurt that everyone was "lying" to me. Hopefully it won't be as hard for my kids. There has to be a cool way to break it to them, right? Hopefully I have a few years to figure it out.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? OH yes. So..my Louisiana family-my HUGE family makes a big deal about Christmas. EVERYONE gives presents to EVERYONE. THAT is a LOT of presents! As a kid and as the packages came in throughout December we would drool over the mounds of presents. Every Christmas Eve as a kid, we would go to church, get Little Caesars Pizza and wait to open presents. Every year my dad would do the little song and dance and tease us by letting us open one present. Then every year we would beg and beg him to let us open them all. I think he enjoyed the torture! It was so much fun! We still do the same routine, well almost every year. Last year we didn't go over to my moms and tonight Matt remembered that and said "That sucked, we can't miss that this year", I love that he loves my family and spending time with them as much as I do.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Matt does the lights...he is a bit anal at it. This year we bought new decorations, more sophisticated ones. It also has all the ornaments we have collected over the years. He gave me the first "couples" and "dated" ornament in 1995. I gave him one in 1996...and ever since then-we go back and forth...he has the odd years and I have the evens. We now have a HUGE collection-it is awesome. I wonder what Matt will come up with this year.....or if this might be the first year without one as he does not want to go shopping at all.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it if I can stay inside and just look at it. Dread it if I have to DRIVE in it.

12. Can you ice skate? No, not at all.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? There are way too many. I really have been spoiled over the years. As a kid there was the Cabbage Patch doll that I got when I was in probably second grade. I was so happy! I still have ALL of them in my basement!

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Spending time with family, and being reminded of all the people that love and care about us. It is a time to reflect about the birth of Christ and how "giving" gifts is a reminder of all that He gave to us.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Frosted sugar cookies. Matt's mom's recipe. Matt's sister Kristen promised she would bring some to me tomorrow...I can't wait! It is the one thing I can NEVER resist.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? There are SOO many. One I couldn't live without is driving down "Christmas Street". Matt grew up on this street that has signs in their yards telling the entire "Night Before Christmas" story....the yards are decked out. It NEVER gets old. We go there at least a dozen times every year!

17. What tops your tree? A star. This year a color changing LED one. I love it!

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? UM, BOTH! I feel like I put a lot of thought into my gifts so I love to see people's reactions. It is sooo hard for me to wait to give the gifts-I want to see their reaction NOW!

19. Candy canes: LOVE them! BUT they MUST be peppermint. They also can't be the cheap kind with rough edges. It has to be smooth. I never get sick of them! I think, as a kid, I ate them ALL myself.

20. Favorite Christmas show? Another hard one!!! I love ELF-we watch it over and over again. I also love The Muppet's Christmas Carol. Scrooged is another one I can't get enough of. We also watch Christmas Vacation at least a dozen times. Matt always loved A Christmas Story..but I think his favorite is Reindeer Games. My kids also love Home Alone. I think I may love Christmas movies MORE than I love Christmas music (don't hate me Misty).

21. Saddest Christmas song? I'll Be Home For Christmas. I think my biggest nightmare would be NOT spending time with my family for Christmas. I grew up having lots of family far away and now that I have my hubby, kids, parents, and most of my siblings close by-I realize how much I was missing as a kid. I never want to go back to not having my family around on Christmas. Neither of my kids better even THINK about moving more than 20 minutes away from me!

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? Santa Claus and his Old Lady by Cheech and Chong. Years ago I paid a girl on my team $5 to burn me 2 Christmas CDs. She put this gem on it, I had NEVER heard of it and now my whole family LOVES it. The CD also has snipits from movies and all kinds of different songs, it is THE best collection ever! Thanks Heather Tonga!

23. What is the one thing you would change about Christmas? I would not be so freakin' stressed out! I tell myself I am going to start earlier every year...but I never do and I always procrastinate and NEVER sleep during December!

24. Worst present ever? I will NEVER forget this. One year, my mean older brother took a huge box of wood and wrapped it in like 100 layers. I thought he bought me something HUGE and I was SOO excited to open it. It was the first present I chose to open. After like an HOUR of unwrapping. I found the wood-and a plastic bracelet and necklace. It was actually a decent present-but the let down and the laughing was too much for me. I cried like a baby.

25. Your biggest wish this year? Without saying too much.....there is someone who is very near and dear to me who is going through a rough time. It hurts my heart daily to see them and those around them suffer. It is hard to feel powerless. SO-I wish for lots of love, happiness, and health for all my family and friends.

Thanks Misty! Anyone else up for the challenge?! I'd love to hear your answers Jami!

Friendship is the sweetest gift.

2011-12-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

I have been very blessed with some of the best friends throughout my life. Not having too much family close by and being very far apart in age from my siblings-friends have always played a huge part in my life. You may have heard me talk about one of my closest friends-Misty. She is one of the most amazing people I know. She is smart, funny, thoughtful, loving, CRAFTY-and extremely generous. She leads a busy life, as do I...but we always take a few minutes everyday to chat, post, text, or blog to keep in touch. She may have no idea how happy she makes me. She has exposed me to new things which are now favorite things...and helped me re-discover some old favorite things as well (such as reading an actual book). This past year for my birthday she sent me a sweet card, a wonderful CD, and this figurine titled "Friendship. Friendship is the Sweetest Gift". I absolutely love it, and I love her too!

Okay I am a huge dork and I played around with my flash and with different angles and positions, etc. Each picture seems to bring out something different.

Thanks Misty-for everything!!!

Post 13 on the 30 post journey

2011-11-16T23:08:00.001-08:00

Post 13: Give pictures of 5 guys who are famous who you find attractive. Okay, this one was a bit hard for me. I don't OOOH and AWWW over too many celebrities...and those that at first I thought were cute-I struggled to find good pictures of and even began to change my opinion after looking at their pictures. So, here is my best shot.

#5 Ryan Reynolds. He is one that I found to be cute in the movies-but the normal pictures didn't quite catch the same essence.

I like that he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. I loved the article on him when he was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2010.
He also has a nice body.
He also changes up his look quite often.

#4 Bradley Cooper. I love his blue eyes. He has a great smile. I can tell by his movie roles that he doesn't take himself too seriously either. I like that he has a quirky look. After looking at his pictures-I appreciate that he plays around with his hairstyles.

Oh, he has a nice body too....this is from the A-Team-a movie I loved.

Matt and I recently saw the movie "Limitless", it was a thought provoking film.
Yeah, he is handsome.

#3 Paul Walker. Matt loves the Fast and The Furious movies-my favorite part of those movies is one handsome blonde hair blue eyed fella named Paul.

He also has a cool deep voice. But check out those baby blues!
Oh and he also has a nice body.
#2 Brad Pitt. In my opinion-his looks may be the closest to perfection on this earth. Seriously people.
I remember the first movie I saw him in...Interview With a Vampire, back in 1994, I thought he was cute back then....but nowhere close to how he really looks. Beautiful eyes. I also appreciate how he shakes it up with his films-he will do a comedy, a drama, a horror movie, a love story...Leonardo Di Caprio should take lessons from him-SERIOUSLY Leo-switch it UP!
Oh and he also has a nice body too...(hmm-are we starting to see a theme?)
I think if I met him in person, I would be speechless.
I was sad when he and Jennifer Anniston got divorced-I thought they were such a cute couple. I don't know if I have ever quite forgiven Angelina for it.....
#1 Maksim Chmerkovskiy. I think everyone who knows me knows that my longtime crush has been Maks. He is totally cocky, totally outspoken..but such a great dancer!

He has a great smile.
I like when he is a little scruffy. I also liked him with Erin-I think they might have been a real life couple. My favorite though was when he was with Mel B...I think they got ripped off-they deserved the trophy!
Handsome guy. But wait...I am missing a picture of him without his shirt on-how did THAT happen!? He is almost always shirtless on Dancing with the Stars! He has a really nice body-and BOY can he SHAKE it!!
However, the winner is Mathew Lovato. Of all of those celebrities-I wouldn't choose ANY of them over my own honey. My husband is the whole package. He is honest, hard working, determined, smart, loving, protective, he has gorgeous hazel eyes, and recently long flowing locks. He is my best friend and I trust him and love him completely! I am glad that he is all mine!

Bree is the BOMB

2011-11-12T23:43:00.000-08:00

So for 10 years I lived on a street called Wakefield Way. One of the hardest things about leaving Wakefield was moving away from my AWESOME neighbors. It was always a lot of fun! Well, I still stay in touch with most of the neighbors...especially Bree. Bree and her husband Robbie found us BOTH sets of renters for our house. Bree colors and cuts my hair. PLUS Bree takes pictures, GREAT pictures. I was so excited to have her take our pictures after seeing her awesome work. Last Sunday we met in old town Midvale. It was cold and a little sketchy...but I love what she was able to do in one short hour! I would love to show them all here...but she took so many-I can't upload them all to the blog...it takes too dang long! Here are my most favorites!

Here is probably my most favorite picture...my cute little boy! OH!
I like the play with the focus...
We love each other!
This is my slice of heaven....
My two little monkeys!
Lovatos!
Me and my honey!
I LOVE this shot too!
Serious Lauren
Awww..
This brick wall was soo cool.
My two little boys....so handsome.
Me and my little girl...my little buddy
Jamie and me...my momma's boy

People tell me Lauren looks like me...but I think she looks like Matt....
This red wall was really cool...
My intent for these pictures is for Christmas pictures...I am trying to get a jump start this year

She got individual shots of all of us, here I am
Here is my handsome husband, with his long hair
Bree did a great job catching the little expressions
Lauren is so big, where is my baby?
I always love the shots from behind. We were all laughing here because Jamie kept saying "This is SOOO weird"....
Thank you Bree for such awesome pictures. You are the bomb!

25 highlights of my vacation

2011-11-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

It had been nearly four years since I had been to Louisiana to see my mom's family. My mom is one of nine so my family is HUGE and I used to LOVE going there as a kid. I have brought Matt back a few times and Lauren twice and Jamie once. This time I went without them-mainly due to cost. There was a LOT that of on my trip. Here are a few highlights:

#25. I had no idea how much I would miss these guys while I was gone. This is my little slice of heaven. I also had no idea how much they missed ME!
#24. The airport in Louisiana was advertising that they will start having flights from Lafayette to Vegas-straight....woo hoo!!

#23. Families are always growing. I got to meet the newest members to the "Duplantis" clan. I got meet my cousin Megan's husband-Tyson. I didn't get a picture of him-dang it. I tried so hard to get lots of pictures! I got to meet my cousin Steven and my cousin Jacob's DARLING little girls-Molly and Josie.
I got to meet my cousin Lexie's boyfriend-Ray. She caught the bouquet....so...maybe their wedding might be the next one I make it down for!
I also got to meet my cousin Lindsay's son-Austin. He looks so much like my Uncle Keith (my mom's second youngest brother).
I also got to meet my cousin Lanie's boyfriend Austin....but dang it-I missed his picture too! Next time I am there I will get to meet their baby-Collin. I am secretly hoping he will be born on my birthday-come on NOVEMBER 26!!!

#22. I CAN and DID make it 5 whole days WITHOUT Facebook. I felt a little behind-BUT I did survive.

#21. Vacations are always a little bit better than you THINK they will be. One of the best things about this trip was the surprise waiting for me at the airport...MY COUSIN LACY. Honestly I think I met her in person ONCE in 1994....because she lives in Mississippi. However, I've always felt like I knew her-because we ARE family. Also-I got updates from my Aunt Ellen and Facebook helps me keep tabs on everyone. Well...it was great to get to know her-and be roommates at my Aunt's house.
She is smart, sweet, beautiful, humble, oh I just LOVE her!
She is the daughter of my mom's second oldest brother, Phil. Oh-I learned that there is a difference between a Mississippi accent and a Louisiana accent. They sound the same to me-but everyone else pointed out and I was shocked.

#20. They KNOW how to have a wedding. My first, um, 5 or so weddings were in Louisiana-my mom was the oldest of 9-so I had a lot of weddings to attend as a kid. Anyway, my first wedding in Utah I found to be a bit of a snoozer. It was nice to be back in Louisiana and see a real PARTY of a wedding. Lots of bridesmaids, lots of hair, lots of makeup-everyone looked beautiful. I don't get to go to many Catholic weddings, so this was very nice....
They also have huge receptions with lots of dancing. WOOT WOOT go Megan! Megan is my cousin-my mom's sister Vicki's daughter AND sister of the bride.
My beautiful cousin Margo-in a gorgeous strapless dress. I WISH I would have gotten married in this dress-I loved it! It is another something you don't see in Utah, very often.
#19. It has been almost 6 months since I lost my dog Pepper and almost 5 years since I lost my dog Dixie and I realized that I miss having a dog SOOO much. My Aunt Anita has 3 dogs and I loved being around dogs again. This one...Cameaux..pronounced CAM-OH-reminded me of Dixie. I think I want a dog just like her when we decide to get another dog-she is a Brittany Spaniel. Such a sweetie...
#18. It is nice to be around people who know what "Godparents" are!!! Godparents are special people in our (Catholic) lives, a reason to have "favorites" and to be the "favorite" and have no one question the special treatment! They are your extra guardians. Here are my Godparents...my mom's sister Vicky (with her granddaughter-Ella).
And here is me with my "Godfather" Farron-Vicky's husband. Down south they call them your "Nanny" and "Parran". I wish everyone got to experience these relationships!!!
#17. It is SOOO much funner to gamble when you are WINNING! On Sunday afternoon I got to go to the casino with my three Aunts (Aunt Anita and Aunt Kathy-two of my mom's sisters) and my Aunt Bonnie (my Uncle Jed's wife). I was so lucky to get to hang out with these three ladies-maybe that is why I kept winning! I enjoyed a $2 hot dog with my Aunt Bonnie-our one-on-one time...I wish I woulda got a picture of us! Anita and Kathy are the pros and they are big winners! It was so much fun and probably the first time I gambled for 7 hours and stayed even! This picture was taken from my phone (I was waiting for them to come and yell at me)..the penny machines were good to me. Tee hee hee.
#16. My Aunt Anita is just plain WONDERFUL. She is my mom's baby sister-and not really that much older than me. A long time ago-when my sister Ashley was born she moved to Utah for almost 2 years, sadly for us-she moved back to Louisiana. It had been SOOO great to have her around! I always have felt super close to her. She regularly visits us in Utah and I can't get enough of her. She was such a great host to me! She is such a great planner-she is a take-charge person and she always knows what to do. She tells it like it is and has the BEST laugh on the planet. I could go on and on..... something that made me giggle on this trip was everytime she said "GAWL" it is the LONGEST word in the Cajun language. It is signature Nita FOR SURE. Oh and her daughter Lanie is just a big old sweetheart with the coolest deep raspiest voice-I love it.
OH AND my Aunt Kathy is the SUPERHUMAN one. I think I came to the conclusion on this trip that the only way she can do ALL that she does is that she must not sleep! My Aunt Kathy is the next born after my mom...she is EXACTLY the same age as my mom-they are born on the same day one year apart! She reminds me so much of my mom! When I would visit during the summers as a kid-I practically LIVED at their house! She has 4 kids and I was close to ALL of them. She is such a good cook-she seems to whip everything out with the greatest of ease. She is such a great provider and a true giver. I WISH I could be her!
Lanie and I....
#15. I love the way the talk there! They use the word "y'all" for everything and they use it multiple times in a sentence. I love their accent. It is so comforting to me. Sometimes I have to ask "what"? because I don't understand what they are saying. Everyone is so friendly there-even the strangers...that is why they call it "Southern Hospitality". They must think us northerners are big old jerks...for real yo!

#14. I missed my grandparents sooo much! Down in Louisiana everyone calls their grandmas "Maw-Maw" and their grandpas "Paw-Paw". My favorite memory of Paw-Paw was seeing him in his Saints jersey. He was SOO cute! I didn't know this-but my brother sent him this jersey and he wears it EVERY Sunday. If the Saints play on Monday-he makes them wash it on Sunday so he can wear it again on Monday.
He was definitely a little slower and a little quieter than when I saw him last. But he seemed happy and content. My trip was too short-I coulda spent a week just hanging out with them!!! I did manage to see them everyday of my trip. It made me happy happy happy! Saying goodbye to them was the hardest thing I had to do. I hate leaving and not knowing when I will be back.
#13. It was great to be there for the FIRST time ever on Maw-Maw's birthday. She was cracking me up...she changed the "81" to "18" and when someone gave her some undergarments as a gift-she was swinging that brazier in the air. Never too old to be fiesty. When she was 18, she lost her arm in an accident-but that never stopped her. She raised 9 kids-and now has something like 35 grandkids and like 26 great-grandkids. Grandkids from age 38 down to 11 and Great-Grandkids from age 21 down to 2 in the oven! I loved having a HUGE family and feel a bit sad that my family won't be big and crazy like that!
#12. For the FIRST time in the TEN years that I have been a Manager at work....I didn't even THINK about work!! I wasn't stressed before OR after my vacation-SO AWESOME!

#11. Every now and then I realize how old I am-and how "un-hip" I am. At the wedding-I didn't dance AT ALL...a FIRST for me. I didn't know ANY of the line dances they did. There was this new one, well-new to me, called "The WOP". When I got home I watched videos of others doing it so I could learn-I am such a geek. Here is shot of two girls doing my favorite move "play dead like". So funny.
#10. Being told that I am the one that talks funny. Really?! Tee hee hee. I don't think that I have an accent at all....

#9. I just have to say that my trip wasn't quite the same without seeing a few of my normal favorites: My Aunt Laura's sister-Nancy, my cousin Jennifer, my cousin Melanie, my cousins Travis, Pat and Dustin...(and Lindsay and Heather)! It was too short to fit everyone in-especially with a few living away from New Iberia.

#8. I love the traditions. Every visit-including the ones with Matt always has "cousin movie night". This time was no exception. My cousin Jacob-the organizer-got his wife Tierra and my cousin Farrah to come out and see "The Thing" even though we girls wanted to see "Footloose" it was so much fun! Farrah hates scary movies and covered her eyes during most of the movie-which just made me laugh and scream at the same time. I am so lucky to have so many cousins as FRIENDS!!!
#7. Speaking of cousins...I am so proud of my many cousins and of their accomplished spouses. Most of my cousins are teachers, I have a bunch that work for the ambulance, I have a few that have married doctors and lawyers, there is one that owns their own business, I am so proud of all of them-proud to call them mine.

#6. The food is ALWAYS a highlight there. I could have taken a picture at EVERY meal. When my plane landed in Atlanta-the first thing I did was get me some Popeyes fried chicken! I love their chicken and their mashed potatoes and their melt in your mouth bisquits! I had it one more time in Louisiana as well. The seafood is SOOOO good there. Shrimp is good in Utah but it is so tender and soft and good in Louisiana. I tried to get as much seafood in as possible, yummo!
(my Aunt Kathy's Shrimp Fettuccinni)....so good!
#5. Over the last few years I have realized that my cousin Nicki is my "twin". We have so much in common and seem to have the same things happen to us at the same time-hard to explain-but I have been lucky to get closer to her and it was great to have a Sushi night. Her husband agreed to come even though he hates Sushi (thanks Josh), my cousin Matt and his wife Lynn and my cousin Steven (who is recently slimmer) also came and it was great to spend some time with them. Steven even tried Sushi for the first time and I am so mad I didn't get a picture of the awesome roll he had..a LOBSTER roll...he gave me two of his pieces and it was SOOO good.
What a good looking bunch we are...do we look related? Our moms are sisters! Well, I spent the night with Nicki in her gorgeous new house and we stayed up until 4 am talking-until I didn't have a voice anymore!
#4. I wish I had gotten a picture of this...but as I was going to the airport-we drove past some prisoners working on the side of the road. They were in black and white striped clothes-and I could be imagining this but there might have been handcuffs or chains-but it was JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES!!!

#3. My youngest cousin Maddie told me I reminded her of my Aunt Laura's sister-Nancy. I took that as such a great compliment because I have always thought Nancy was so beautiful. Here is my Uncle Paul (my mom's youngest brother), my Aunt Laura and Maddie.
And me and their other daughter-Lexie-who is going to school to be a DOCTOR!
#2. In my grandparents bedroom is the senior picture of all nine of their kids. I love to go into their room and stare at the most beautiful picture of my mom-EVER. She still has that beautiful hair. People tell me I look like her...but I don't see it....I am not that pretty!
#1. If you couldn't tell by now...the highlight of my trip was seeing my wonderful family. I am so blessed to have so many people in this world to be related to. I hate having to live so far away from them...but it has always made for a special place to visit!
I have wonderful grandparents who are loving and generous. They are inspirations for overcoming obstacles, working hard, being dedicated and loving and giving unconditionally..all with humor and grace.
Dorris and John...together 60 years...amazing!

Okay-anyone who knows me knows that I have a big mouth-so I am going to say this and it might offend some, that isn't my intention. The hardest thing about this visit was seeing how some people in the family have become distant. There have been quarrels that have separated them. I am not 100% sure of the reasons-but I want to grab them my the neck and shake them and open their eyes. They are SOOO lucky to have such a wonderful family around them and to have them in the same city! I don't think that they realize what a blessing it is to have what they have-it is something I have NEVER had. I really hope that they can appreciate that and do their best to apologize or to forgive and to move on. I hope that they can be the bigger people and reach out to make amends-no matter the reason or who is to blame. Family is family and the love should be unconditional. I really hope that things can get back to the way they used to be. I hope that they can, like me, see that the best happiness in the entire world is being around family-FRIENDS too! I hope that everyone will make extra visits to see Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw-it is another blessing that some take for granted. They get so happy to see us and life is so short-you never know when your visit could be the last. Okay, that is me on my soapbox. The end.

My Shopping List

2011-10-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

I was off on Thursday. Maybe Lauren knew I was off and decided to make me a shopping list. Although her spelling and handwriting are much improved....this "list" still made me giggle.

I like how among ALL of this mainly healthy food is a stealthily placed "Dark Cholte Bar". FYI: I bought every last thing on this list. Even "a new cat coller"...at a steal for $2.39. I think my favorite is "qu-come Ber"....ya know..cucumber! I sure love that little girl...and I love that this list was created with a grape scented marker, mmmm.

What I've Been Doing This Summer...

2011-10-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed my last few months working the day shift....every night it seems like we are running to some game or some type of practice. It has made me proud to see how much my kids have improved in their sports from Spring to Fall and even the start of the season to the end of the season. There may have been a lot of digging in the dirt, some flops on the grass, a few tears, but also a LOT of fun!

Jamie's T-Ball Team, "The Rockstars". His head Coach was Cheyenne. The Coaches were so great and really helped Jamie improve. By the end of the season Jamie was hitting off pitches instead of off the Tee. He was so cute running around the bases, bending his knees at the plate like a real player and giving us thumbs up during the game. He loves sports and I love seeing the joy in his eyes!

Lauren's Coach Pitch Team "The Bees". Lauren begged to play after watching Jamie play in the Spring. I think she thought she'd be playing Tee Ball too. She had a lot to learn but her Coach, Jared Morgan was very patient and very encouraging with her. Actually all three of her Coaches were great! She was so determined to hit the ball and would almost cry (okay-she did cry) whenever she struck out. Playing the field wasn't really her thing and she could often be seen twirling and/or playing in the dirt. She took a ball to the head and a bat to the chest-but she is one determined and tough little girl. The sweetest thing was the pizza party the Coaches threw after the last game. It was great to see Lauren alongside her team. Sports to me is about playing a game but also making friends and Lauren made some great ones!

Lauren also played Soccer in the Fall. Her Coach was Tami Wiggins. They were the "Blue Sharks". Lauren was a bit upset that she had practice for Baseball AND Soccer and Jamie just got to play his games. But the practices really helped improve her skills and Jamie and I had some one-on-one time as we watched her practice. Tami was very competitive and she yelled a lot (which I personally loved). By the end of the season Lauren had scored her first goal and was showing an aggressive side that I have never seen. She went from watching for butterflies to her Coach saying to her "you are really impressing me today"-(almost brought tears to my eyes). She is a fast runner and is getting less afraid of the ball with every game, as a High School player myself, I really hope she wants to stick to it.

Matt gave me the OK to put BOTH the kids in Soccer, Baseball, AND Dance. Jamie had done so well in Tee Ball that I was curious to see how he would do with Soccer. Day one he was a little shy, but a little Manuel Deegan Jr. grabbed Jamie by the hand and they were off and running. Jamie's Coach was Manuel Deegan Sr. and after meeting them we seemed to run into them everywhere we went. I loved watching Jamie play as I was pretty much laughing the ENTIRE time. The picture above illustrates how crazy it was to watch these "babies" play. Most of them were wandering off the field, or playing in the grass, or running the wrong way, poor Coach Deegan trying to keep 5 on the field! I have to say Jamie was one of the stars, which wasn't hard to do. He scored multiple goals each game, he purposely fell down almost constantly each game, would often dribble the ball and accidentally leave it behind, and only a few times did he touch the ball with his hands (without being called). He makes my heart proud and I can't wait to see him play his sports next year.

So, that about sums up my summer. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of work. Matt will start having the kids each night as of October 1 and I think it is a good thing that he only has to run them around one night a week, to dance class. Lauren is in tap, jazz, and ballet and Jamie is in breakdancing. I know that being active in sports helped me meet friends, gain confidence and stay out of trouble...I hope it works the same way for my monkeys.

Jamie's First Day of Pre-School

2011-09-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to get a coveted spot at the Pre-School at Lauren's Elementary! It was the EXACT time that we needed as well! Jamie was SOOO ready to start school and he couldn't wait. He was a great poser for the usual first day of school pictures-after sitting back and watching his sister have a turn for the pas three years.

It is hard for me to say no to those big ol brown eyes!

He was so excited for his new backpack...Transformers..with "Umblebee" and "Optimus Prime".

Since he goes from 1210-310 Monday-Thursday...it was BRIGHT outside.

Trying to be a "CHEESER".

My baby is no longer a baby! He looks so grown up! I am so proud of him.

Siblings and friends (most of the time).

I am so thrilled with his school so far. He has 4 teachers for 16 students! Two regular teachers plus a Speech Therapist and a Special Ed teacher. He loves school and his new friends. I have peeked at him when he didn't know it and I was pleased to see him following directions like a true gentleman! I am so happy to have this sweet little boy in my life.

Post 12

2011-09-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Post 12: My highs and lows over the past year...September 2010-September 2011

Lows:

Gaining ALL the weight back that I had lost...and then some!

Going back to the day shift at work, ugh.

Having to go through SOO many changes at work.

Losing an award (by one spot) at work that I thought I had in the bag.

Losing a friendship with someone I thought was my best friend.

The declining health of both sets of my grandparents.

Kristen quiting Discover Card

Seeing some close family memebers go through some rough times, it hurts my heart to see people I love suffer.
AND the most tragic, losing my constant companion of 16 years, my dog Pepper.

Highs:

Getting an RV and taking it out twice.

Taking the kids to Disneyland for their first time

Having my team end #1 twice this year-they were very hard earned wins!

Getting Jamie potty trained, watching him play soccer and T-Ball-it is a riot. ALSO him starting Pre-school-he is getting so big.

Having Lauren become such a proficient reader and speller.

Matt getting a promotion.

Booking a long awaited trip to see my grandparents and family in Louisiana.

Finding the joy of reading again (thanks Misty!)
Hearing that I will get to go back to the night shift again, woo hoo!

Post 11

2011-08-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Post 11: A place I'd like to visit!

I really don't like to be around a lot of people, so it might surprise some people to find out that a place I'd like to visit is Tokyo, Japan.

I just think it is a really cool place to go. Plus I hear the Japanese people are really nice...AND I think it would just HAVE to be the best sushi ever!

I don't know when I'll go or if I will ever make it there...I guess I will have plenty of years to try to learn the Japanese language.

For now, I will just look at these pictures in awe!

What a cool place!

Attention any gardeners!

2011-08-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

About 2 years ago Matt told me that he wanted to start a compost pile. He told me to collect anything organic for the pile. So, slowly for the past 2 years, non-shalantly we have started a little pile in the corner of our backyard. (can you see the avocado peels that have yet to decompose?). Anyway, recently much to my surprise our compost pile began to grow, um, SOMETHING!

I have never had a garden, and had intended to start one this year-but we never got around to it. So, this is my new little accidental garden. I think with all the rain this year-these little fellas were able to grow.

The problem is.....I have no idea what I am growing! So-if there are any of you experts out there who know what this is. Please share!

I was sort of thinking pumpkins, or cucumber, or maybe squash. We have put literally every single fruit and vegetable in this pile.

Whatever is growing-there are quite a few of them!

Heart shaped leaves. They are a little dirty due to the recent windstorm.

They have these long whispy tendrils and stems with prickles.

Now I can't believe I am sharing this picture. BUT for all of you smart-alecs out there who say I am just growing weeds in my compost pile...here are my REAL weeds in the corner and they look NOTHING like my compost surprise.

I thought since I was snapping shots, I would share what Matt has been up to. He wants to make a patio that would come right out of our basement-so he is digging up the dirt. He has spent many hours a day on this little project. Check out his progress!

Here is the other side of the steps. A shot from afar. I can't wait to see what it will look like when he is done. The plan is to expand the deck that comes out from upstairs and it will serve as shelter for the bottom patio. It will be a nice cool place to hang out in the summer.

I have not abandoned the journey: Post 10

2011-08-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Life has been a bit busier lately-but I have not forgotten my blog-nor the 30 "day", er "post" quest. I have been giving it a lot of thought and as with most of these posts I am putting my own spin on it.

Post 10: Bullet your entire day. (First the REAL one, then my IDEAL one).

*Alarm goes off at 445 am. I am bitter everyday about having to get up at this insane hour, I snooze until 5 am. I groggily and slowly get myself somewhat presentable.
*530 another alarm goes off telling me I got 10 minutes to leave, I start moving faster-I throw together some fruits and veggies to snack on along with my iced water and head out, I love my 5 minute drive.
*545 am I arrive at work-I tell everyone "hello" in my nicest "I am not a morning person" voice. Luckily 2/3rds of my team work remotely from home and they don't see how crabby I am as I just instant message them a cheerful "Good morning, today is gonna be great" first thing.
*The day flies by and I am busy all day answering questions, solving problems, taking an occassional supervisor call, I attend lots of meetings (ugh) and I do some coaching with my team members, listening to calls and helping to make my team the best they can be (oh crap is it 12 already?) my team leaves at 12 and I never get as much done as I wish that I could (double ugh.)
*12 should be lunchtime instead there is almost always a meeting...and after that I spend the rest of my day trying frantically to document what I did all day and try to get some other busywork done. (crap is it 3 already, I shoulda left at 230)! I still haven't eaten lunch.
*Panic attack at 3 pm because I am late and I didn't get HALF as much done as I wanted to, I more frantically try to finish anything CRUCIAL before it is time to leave.
*ACTUALLY leave closer to 400 pm and thank goodness again that I am only 5 minutes from home. I stop at the neighbors to get Laurens. We visit for a minute-I love the Middleton family, they are lifesavers.
*430pm leave the Middletons to get Jamie-RIGHT when traffic is getting bad. I test Lauren on her spelling and have her do her 20 minutes of reading IN the car after she tells me about her day, I enjoy the slim one-on-one time we get.
*500 get to my parents house. Jamie is happy to see me and so is my parent's dog-Frank. I love to see my parents everyday and that Jamie gets to spend so much time with them. I visit with them for a while and then about 6pm we finally make our way out the door.
*630pm we are on the way home, I debate for a minute what to do about dinner and decide that McDonalds sounds good, I am STARVING.
*7pm we are home, we watch a bit of TV, as we hurry and eat, then hurry and clean up and hurry and get everyone bathed. Hurry and do some laundry and hurry and get ready for bed, clothes laid out (crap-how is it 9pm already?!)
*10pm get in bed RIGHT as Matt is walking through the door...we try to visit for a few minutes while trying to herd the children back into their bedrooms-why is their routine like a 25 step process?
*12am FINALLY crash-fall asleep after playing on the computer for a few minutes, er, an hour. CRAP midnight sure comes quickly!

Okay, that is my REALITY on most days and that kinda sucks, so here is my ideal day!

*445am my alarm goes off, I am wide awake and totally ready to rock the day. I have plenty of time to get ready appropriately and to pack a nice healthy lunch.
*530am I leave for work and arrive early. The day is super productive and I get everything I want to get done accomplished. My team does really well and they are all happy and there is NO drama and no unproductive meetings.
*12pm with most of my work done I eat lunch with my bestie Melissa
*I spend the rest of the afternoon getting ahead on my work and leave at 215 = 8 hours only.
*I come home and change into workout clothes and hurry and check my e-mail and Facebook.
*300 I head out the door and WALK to get Lauren from school with my neighbor April Middleton.
*345 Lauren and I arrive home and head out to get Jamie-traffic this hour is much better.
*415 arrive at my mom and dad's. We visit for a while.
*500 arrive at home and the kids and I do homework and housework casually along with a bit more working out. I fix a nice healthy dinner that tastes good and that the kids like.
*700 bath time, story time, and even some playing time. I have some time to work on some jewelry or craft, or even blog.
*900 kids in bed easily and happily (in their clean rooms-it is MY ideal I can dream big).
*905 Matt comes home and we get some quality time
*1000 I am in bed asleep, happy and content

That doesn't sound too hard!?! I wonder why I fail to make that happen everyday..... Well, I will make a new goal to work towards the ideal. :)

Lauren's FIRST day of SECOND Grade.

2011-07-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know that it seems like I just posted about her LAST day of First Grade....and I did. Ah, the beauty of being on year round school. She was off for a full three weeks in between grades, and we sure made the best of that (future posts to come).

I got her a new haircut and a new outfit for her first day of school. I just think she is the cutest little girl in the world. I think she is so photogenic. I just love her. She humors me and my quest to photograph her.
This is her sassy side.

I love the over the shoulder look! I also love her new backpack. We agreed on Hello Kitty, you just can't go wrong.

The obligitary close up. She now has teeth.

We always get a few shots outside. This is my FAVORITE picture. Sweet, sweet girl.

Almost ready to go. 7 years old. Time sure flies. Where did my baby go? As with tradition, the whole family was there on her first day.
I snuck away from work to be there for her first day. You would think by my third time doing this that I would be used to it...but no, when she walked through the doors-the tears started flowing (by me only, of course).
I had to document this. Everytime she goes back on track-the whole family has to adjust to the new schedule. The first few days are always a bit rough. BOTH my kids fell asleep on the drive home.
(sorry this is side-ways)...Jamie fell asleep too. You can tell he is his father's son!
Lauren had such a great teacher last year-so I was sad to see her move on-but she actually LIKED her first day with her new teacher. I am looking forward to September when Jamie starts going to pre-school at Lauren's school. My kids mean the world to me and I can't believe they are growing up so fast. I love the journey and the adventure-I just wish it went by a bit slower.

Lauren's First and Last Day of First Grade!

2011-07-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here is my princess Lauren on her last day of first grade. I can't believe that in a few weeks I will have a second grader! Time goes by so fast!!! The pictures on the left will be her on the last day of school, the pictures on the right will be on her first day. How she changes in a year!

I could not figure out how to turn the dang picture, sorry!

ALSO...here is a picture of Jamie at Lauren's end of year assembly in 2010 and 2011. Oh how they grow!

He is such a handsome fella!!

*Lauren won awards at the assembly for OUTSTANDING CITIZENSHIP and OUTSTANDING ACADEMICS! I am one proud momma!!

Here is Lauren with her class. It is a cute story. I went to her class and said "Lauren I want to get a picture of you and your friends", thinking it would be the girls she plays with, and the WHOLE CLASS got behind her. When I asked her about it later she said "Yup, they are ALL my friends". How sweet! What a good year!!

Her closest friends (the picture I first intended to get!) Marilyn, Anna, Lauren and Danya.

Her (boy)friend Toby! Such a cute, sweet little boy!
Her teacher, Mrs. Lance. She is such a great teacher! Lauren learned so much this year and I have her to thank. I got so much more than I expected this year. We got to be friends this year, yup "friends"!! Her best friend lives next door to us. Small world! I am grateful for her and I hope to stay in touch with her in the years to come! Lauren is the saddest to leave her behind. First grade was sure awesome!

I warned you he was a cheeser

2011-06-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

After years of having Lauren in the spotlight. We decided to let Jamie have a try. We thought T-Ball would be a great introduction to the world of sports. It has been such a wonderful surprise. My shy boy became the star of the game! The gigantic smile below was seen on him every game, for pretty much the entire game! There were also lots of "thumbs up" by him and even a few yells of "I wanna come and give you a kiss mom" from first base! He LOVES T-Ball, and can't wait to go and play every week. He is so proud of himself and gladly tells everyone that he is "SO GOOD" at the game! This little boy's smile melts my heart! I just might have to put him in more sports so I can see that "cheeser" some more!
He had a great Coaching staff it was great to have such patient teachers! I recommend this to everyone with a rambunctious boy like mine!

For Now

2011-06-16T20:42:00.000-07:00

At the moment I am a bit speechless. Pepper, my dog of nearly 16 years passed away on Wednesday. I feel like a part of me is gone. I want to have a full post dedicated to her, so that will be COMING. I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know how much I appreciate all the kind words, kind thoughts, and kind deeds. My friend Misty sent me these flowers. She is such a special friend to me and she may never know how much she means to me. My friend Heather gave me a card as well, she always knows what to say to me. I wanted to thank Matt for being there to support me when I was strong and weak at the same time. I want to thank my mom and dad and sisters for watching my kids so that I could have the last few minutes alone. I thank them also for feeling the pain with me, for crying with me, and listening to me. Sometimes it takes losing something to show you how much you really have.

Tom Boy or Girly Girl?

2011-06-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well...maybe she is a little of both.... Lauren played soccer for the first time this year. I really enjoyed watching her play, and she truly improved over the season. It reminded me of when I played and how much I loved it. I yelled so much Matt even joked that I should be the one out there playing. I guess I am just a little competitive.

My little dancing queen. She danced at Colette's for (I believe) the 5th year now. She was with 7-10 year olds this time so she was the youngest and had the hardest dance she's done. Dancing is my true passion and I love to see my little girl in my footsteps. She doesn't quite love it as much as I did-but I am hoping that one day soon it will.

Both activities are done for the season and I wonder what we shall do over the summer to keep us entertained and out of trouble.....

PS...I can't wait to get Jamie's T-Ball pictures back-he had the biggest cheeser I have ever seen!

Going Private

2011-06-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

I will soon join the many "Private" blogs.

Matt has been asking me for a while to do this. In our line of work, we deal with some angry customers, and we think it best that all of my private details, stay private -any loyal reader will know that I am very much an over-sharer.

Just respond to this message with your e-mail address if you would like to continue to read. I won't publish your comment, so no one will see your e-mail address.

Much love and many apologies for any inconvenience!

Park City Girls Trip!

2011-05-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

My sisters came up with this great idea to give my mom an overnight, big-girls only, Park City get-a-way for Mother's Day! I was 100% on board! Once again, I am a FAILURE at taking pictures. I thought I would share the few I did remember to take. Here we all are, ready to take off on our adventure! My mom and sisters are soo cute! Look how tall I look at a whopping 5 foot 3 and a half!!!
I am so lucky to have them as my mom and sisters and FRIENDS!!

Matt had to work until 6, so..my Dad watched the kids until he got off. My kids LOVE their grandpa, I left them with a bag of Black Licorice and they were all in heaven, I think.

My kids were acting so sad that morning when I was packing, it was so sweet!

So we arrived at Park City, and had lunch at Squatters. We tried Fried Pickles for the first time, very yummy!!!

And that ends my pictures! See, I am a bad picture taker! It was cold and snowy there, so we didn't get to do any fun walking around or anything like that. We did go see Bridesmaids, and I loved that. Mainly we hung around, and ate junk food, and visited, and enjoyed doing NOTHING. A rare treat for me. I can't say enough how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life!! I hope this is a new tradition!

How do you spell that?

2011-05-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

I am not sure how I feel about my daughter getting 103% on her spelling test, yet failing to spell her OWN name right......
We do study her weekly words every day, but I guess I have neglected the regulatory quizes on her name. I guess we have some work to do.

Post 9

2011-05-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about my 30 post project. Good thing I didn't try to do this in 30 days, I would have been a total failure.

Post 9: Ten songs that come up on iPod shuffle. Well-this is my spin on things since I don't own an Ipod. I discovered Pandora recently and I fell in love. I even cancelled my way too expensive XM membership. My favorite channel is the 80's channel. Here are the first 15 songs that came up on Pandora.

1) In the Air Tonight-Phil Collins
I just love this song, especially that powerful drum solo.
2) Don't Dream It's Over-Crowded House
This song reminds me of the movie The Stand, it plays in a scene with Molly Ringwald and I have always thought of it since then.
3) When Doves Cry-Prince
Prince is amazing. This song reminds me of the movie Purple Rain and that movie reminds me of my brother. He was a fan and we watched this movie a million times.
4) Owner of a Lonely Heart-Yes
I love the "Ows" in the song and the rippin guitar solos
5) I Love Rock and Roll-Joan Jett
This song reminds me of being in Elementary School
6) Everyone Wants to Rule the World-Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears is one of those quintasential 80's bands, awesome
7) Sweet Child O'Mine-Guns and Roses
My brother used to have the basement to himself and he had this awesome stereo system and when he was out on the weekends, I would go down there and listen to his music. He had this 2 part CD and I used to jam out to this CD. This song reminds me of him and of that time.
8) Eye of the Tiger-Survivor
This reminds me of my 10th grade Chemistry teacher, what a dork..he used to turn off the lights, play this song, and do experiments in front of the class. In retrospective I am sure he was just trying to get us excited about science-but all it did was make me laugh.
9) Jessie's Girl-Rick Springfield
Another classic 80s tune..I love the line "I feel so guilty when they start talking cute, I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably mute"
10)Every Little Thing She Does is Magic-The Police
The Police is one of my favorite bands, their greatest hits CD is awesome. My favorite song is "King of Pain"...but I LOVE this song too..especially after last year's So You Think You Can Dance's performance to this song.
Check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1swbvkGs610
11) You Spin Me-Dead or Alive
This reminds me of a time with my cousin's Jessica and Stephanie-riding the Music Express at Lagoon...how appropriate is that
12) Take On Me-Aha
This has to be one of THE songs of the 8o's. The song reminds me of the ground breaking video, and the lead singer who looks like Val Kilmer...so this song reminds me of Val Kilmer
13)867-5309-Tommy Tutone
The only phone number we ALL know
14)Any Way You Want It-Journey
Not my favorite Journey song, but Journey rocks
15)Rebel Yell-Billy IdolThis song demonstrates what I love about 80's music, the tempo changes. I love how the song starts out slow and then gets stronger and more powerful.

To get me started

2011-05-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Oh where oh where has my little blog been?
Missed me? Well, I have been spending much of the past couple of weeks preparing for my little vacation. I feel like I haven't had much time to do anything! And gee, I had gotten so good at updating my blog. Well, I will try to start at the beginning before I blog about the vacation.

Before we left on Saturday-Lauren BEGGED me to open her present. It was my only Mother's Day card or present and it was PRICELESS. I didn't help her at all with the card or the spelling and I loved what she came up with. I also love that I can now scan and share in all its glory!
I love how she spelled "entire"! She is getting to be such a good little artist.

I had printed this on the Scentsy website and she colored it. It is "Lenny" her lamb that she loves.

I spent my Mother's Day in Newport Beach California. Details to come.

Jamie's Four Year Old Pictures

2011-04-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

I was so traumatized by my horrible photo shoots with Jamie as a baby that I STILL get nervous when it comes to going to get Jamie's pictures taken. This time it went very well, no crying at all by either of us. I have been growing out his hair FOREVER and it was finally long enough for the Bieber look he was going for! What a freakin' stud he is!
No one in this world can get to me like he does. His smile melts my heart and when he is sad I feel it deeper than anything. (his fits also spike my blood pressure) LOL. I still wouldn't trade him for anything else.

He is such a sweet boy who constantly tells me he loves me. He keeps himself entertained and can be quite easy going at times. He loves to wear his wide assortment of hats. In fact, given a choice between combing his hair and wearing a hat-he opts most times for the hat.

Those sad puppy dog eyes get me every single time! Who could say "no" to those??

He still has chubby cheeks and has a great smile. He very much reminds me of my brother when he was little.
He is very much a little boy. He loves anything "boy" including guns, cars, action heros, sports, etc. His favorite movie is Starship Troopers, which is only slightly inappropriate.
I love his full head of hair, it is crazy at times, but I totally dig it.
We have our own little codes, nods, winks and thumbs up. I can't believe that my baby is FOUR! Where does the time go?! I sure love this little boy!!

Post 8

2011-04-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Post 8 on the 30 Post Journey.

Post 8: Something You Miss.

Oh man, where do I start?! I miss a ton of stuff. I am a big old miss-er! I had such a good childhood-I miss the fun and carefree days of my youth. I miss the house we lived in. I miss how easy life was in high school, having lunch every day with my best friends and DANCING daily. I miss performing and competing with the Drill Team. I miss how SKINNY I used to be (even though I thought I was fat). I miss the thrill of dating Matt, those were some great days! I sometimes miss the freedom of not having kids. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. BUT sometimes it would be nice to just sit in a quiet house and read a book with no worries on my mind. I miss lots and lots of people. I get attached to people and I think that our existence is all about people coming in and out of your daily life. BUT...I thought long and hard about what I missed the most are the following. I couldn't just narrow it to one, so here are my top 6: #6 This may sound crazy, but I sorta miss being pregnant. Although it is super tough and I don't want to do it again, it was also amazing to be growing another human inside you. It was neat to feel the baby move so much, well Jamie at least. AND I must admit, I am just a little sad that I won't be having any more kids...(but not sad enough to want to have any more). This picture was taken the day before I had Jamie. This was one of the happiest times of my life, Matt and I worked almost the same day shift and we had dinner together every night, it was wonderful and I miss that time very much and hope to return to it soon. #5 TIME! I miss time all the time, that sounds funny. BUT seriously-I look at pictures of my children when they were younger and I get sad. Where did the time go? Where did my babies go? I spend lots of money on pictures because I just want to capture the memories! Here was Lauren around the age of 2 and then a picture of Lauren at 4 and Jamie around one. #4 I have a HUGE family that I love very much but I HATE that they live so far away. I miss my family very much. Here are some pics from the last time I visited, in 2008. Top Left is my cousin Farrah and her daughter Ella and baby Jamie and me. Top Right is my grandpa and Lauren. Bottom Left is my cousin's Jennifer and Jacob and his wife Tierra, and me and Lauren. Bottom Right is my cousin Melanie and Me. And this picture was taken on Easter Sunday 2008. I love this PIC. My Grandpa up front, my Grandma in the back and just a handful of the cousins on the 4-wheeler. Can you find me? There is always fun to be had whenever we visit. I REALLY need to get back there, I MISS them all! #3 My favorite, and well, only brother John lives in New Mexico and I hate that! I wish he lived closer. We all miss him very much. Jamie (now-not in this picture) looks so much like my brother-it is almost like I get a daily reminder of him. He just came for a visit and he left today, it was great to see him..I miss him already. The pic below was taken in 2007. PS...what a little chub Jamie used to be!!

#2 I miss the most what I can not get back. Our dog Dixie! She was such a sweet and fun dog and we only had this little angel for 8 years. Here she is with Lauren, look how small Lauren was, 3 years old. This was taken a few days before she passed:

Here was Dixie (with Pepper) in her prime. She was so pretty! We have so many great memories and lots of great stories of our time with our personality dog. Here was a family photo..(minus Matt). I was pregnant with Jamie. We knew her time was coming to an end and my sweet sister Ashley came to say goodbye and to snap a shot for us. Ashley and Dixie had a bond, Ashley would fake cry and Dixie would always come comfort her...what a soft heart she had. #1 BUT the thing that I miss the MOST of all is another thing that I can not get back and that is Matt's mom, Suzanne. She was such a special person. She has been gone almost 4 years and not a day goes by that we do not think of her. I am so thankful for her taking care of Lauren for 3 years and especially for giving me my wonderful husband, she raised them right!I also miss Matt's Grandma and his Aunt, because when we lost Suzanne, we lost them too. Well and there you have it. I don't want you to think that I am an ungrateful person because I am very thankful for everything that I have today-but memories of our past make us who we are today, right? Yup. That is what I say. And I also say thank goodness for my scanner that now allows me to share my OLD memories. Ha.

Post Seven

2011-03-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Post Seven: A Bible Verse

My mom is probably the most religious person I know and there have been times in my life as a kid when as a family we prayed the rosary. I always loved this reading from the rosary, it just resonates with me, even today.

Acts 2: 1-4

"When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim".

Why does she have to be so darn cute?!

2011-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

So-in February I spent a ton of money getting Lauren's annual birthday pictures taken. Then a couple of weeks later-they had "personality pictures" taken at school. They send them home for you to check out before you buy them. I was secretly hoping that her pictures would turn out horrible so that I wouldn't feel pressured to buy them and I could feel good about the chunk of change I laid down for her 7 year pics. Well...and then she comes home with this beauty: In her new fitted jacket from her "Grandma Tee-Tee" it matches the background perfectly! Her hair looks cute and she is smiling so well! What to do!?

Post Six

2011-03-25T23:09:00.000-07:00

Post Six: A place I've traveled to.
I tried to think of a really exotic and cool place that I have been to...and I did go to the Bahamas for my honeymoon...but it was not quite what I had pictured and was actually quite scary. So, I thought of my favorite place to visit and really the only other cool place I've been. LOUISIANA! My grandma and grandpa and most of my mom's side of the family live there, so it makes it a special place to visit. Growing up we would spend summers there (the beauty of having a dad in the education business). Matt has even visited four times, and Lauren twice, AND Jamie went just once.
Louisiana has Parishes instead of Counties. My family lives in Iberia Parish which is southern Louisiana. It is very hot and humid. It is succeptable to hurricanes and there have been some very SCARY hurricanes in the last 20 years: Andrew, Rita, Katrina and Gustav (to name a few).

One of the coolest places to visit in Louisiana is New Orleans (in the Orleans parish). It is about 2 hours away from my family. I am not a crazy partier-but I do enjoy laughing at and being entertained by crazy partiers. The city has so much history-it is an amazing place to be. There is so much energy in the city! Bourbon street is a very famous street-there is a party there every night!

During the day, one of the MUST DOs in New Orleans is to visit Cafe Du Monde and eat these delicious morsels called Beignets. A French Doughnut. I want one of these SOO bad right now. The best is the loads of powdered sugar on top...don't inhale!

There are also some neat places to visit in New Iberia (where my family lives). One of them is called Shadows on the Teche, an old plantation house. It is amazing to see the history in this place.

The world famous Tabasco is made right in New Iberia! There is even a part of town that smells like vinegar, I am not kidding!

AND one of my MOST favorite thing to do there is, well, EAT! They have the best seafood there. It is so fresh. My favorite is when we have a crawfish boil. Imagine picnic tables lined up and covered with newspaper, then the chef (usually one of my uncles) dumps this out in front of you...to crack, peel and eat..ALL with your hands. FUN and delicious! In addition to the crawfish, there is usually corn, potatoes, onion, and sausage...(similar to the picture below).

There are a ton of bayou's (like a river) in Louisiana...the main one in New Iberia is the Bayou Teche. It is so beautiful.

The best part of Louisiana is my wonderful family there. I wish that I had a picture of them...but my family is GYNORMOUS! My mom is one of nine and most of them live there. I have so many wonderful memories there too! The last time I visited was 2008. I REALLY REALLY want to go in October for my cousin's wedding....we will see if it happens. For now, the memories will have to keep me satisfied.

Post Five

2011-03-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

Post Five: A picture of something that makes you happy.

I never seem to have my camera ready at the right time. I guess I am too busy enjoying the moment. My goal was to get a picture of Lauren reading to Jamie because it melts my heart-but I never seemed to catch it! SO...I thought about a picture that makes me super happy too. My favorite people doing what I love in a beautiful place. I just love backwards pictures, I don't know quite why.

Lauren, Jamie and Matt on our boat at Jordanelle 2009. I can't wait to get back there! Summer get here soon!

My tanned kiddos on the boat in 2010, just a year later. How they grow! I love it when they get along!

Post Four

2011-03-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

Post Four: A Song to Match My Mood

Hmmm...been thinking about this one for a while.

I usually don't get in the "mood" for a certain song. BUT this song has been in my head for the past month. It may have something to do with Lauren's upcoming dance performance to this little medley. I had to research the words and I think it has beautiful lyrics. I never appreciated the poetry as a child.

It is Kermit the Frog and "The Rainbow Connection". It is from the Muppet Movie and was an Academy Award nominated song from 1979. Good stuff.

Lyrics:
Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard
and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.

Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

The crazy thing about this song is that I don't know if it is a sad song, a happy song, a hopeful song...maybe it is all of those. I love it, it gives me chills. What about you? Does it take any of you back to your childhood?

Post Three

2011-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Post Three: My Parents

I am sure that I am not the only person who thinks they have the best parents in the world-but I really do!
I''ll share some of the defining characteristics..at least the ones I remember and probably will forever.

My Dad's name is Mark John Lovato. He is the one of seven kids. He looks just like his two brothers. I joke that he looks like a cross between Cheech and Chong. He loves sports. I can always tell when he is mad because he creases his forehead. He was a strict dad-but he is easy going now. He has always stressed education-he was a High School teacher and guidance counselor for over 30 years. He has the ability to make you feel like you are the coolest person in the world-he did it to me as a kid and it melts my heart to see him do it with my children. He loves black licorice. He says "wubba wubba" when he burps. He is the best listener you'll ever meet. He is a home-body. He is left-handed. He always loves a good deal. I have his hands and his feet. He hates Green Peppers. He is a night owl. I don't think he ever once yelled at anyone...just sort of talked loudly and calmy. I have never seen him cry. Now that he is retired he thinks his full time job is to find ways to annoy my mom (currently the mullet that he is growing). After he takes a sip of a drink he says "good whiskey", even if it is just a cola. He has a knack for trivia-any type of trivia-he has the most amazing memory. He kicks my butt at any game...even Croquet and he takes no prisoners. I thought of myself as a daddy's girl, and maybe I still do.

My Mom's name is Anne Cecile Duplantis Lovato. She is the oldest of nine children. She grew up all over the country with my grandpa being in the Air Force. My grandma only had one arm so my mom was literally her left arm. She left her family to marry my dad and I have always admired the fact that she gave up living near her family to be with him. She is the most amazing cook. She always keeps things cleaned and organized. She never drives on the freeway. She is the closest thing to perfect I know. She loves Red Lobster. She doesn't get emotional like me. She has long, thick, beautiful hair. She always tries to see both sides of the story. She can't let my kids out of her door without kisses, hugs, and treats. She has had the same, amazing cursive since High School-exact same! She is very religious and often told me a prayer heals everything-especially nightmares. I think she really believes that the world is ending in 2012. She loves coffee. She is the most forgiving person I know. I can't really think of anything she "hates". She always puts everyone else first. She is my hero.

Both of my parents are just plain wonderful. I had such a great and happy childhood full of so many great memories. They have always been so supportive, encouraging, and forgiving. They both made tremendous sacrifices for me and all my siblings-I guess they still do.

I am so glad that they have extended their scope of influence onto my kids, I am grateful for all the time they have with my children. I love that I get to see them nearly everyday. All of my time spent with them is truly enjoyable. I love them so very much.

Post Two

2011-03-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

*disclaimer-I am having way too much fun with my new toy-the scanner*

Post Two: My first love

My obvious first thought was DUH its MATT...because that was my first TRUE and REAL love.

But then I think that the post was meant to be about my first "puppy" love. I think back about all the silly little crushes that I had and how minor they seem now when back then they were SUCH a big deal. I think I was a boy crazy girl...starting around 3rd grade...I always had a list of crushes!!

So..one particular 4th grade crush was Jeff Ahrens. He lived up the street from me. He was so cute. He actually liked me back. His sister had a crush on my brother so I think she encouraged him a bit. ALSO..HIS best friend was boyfriend/girlfriend with my best friend-so there you have it. He brought me a rose, wrote me notes...we even had a song (his choice) Def Leppard's LOVEBITES. Even today everytime I hear it, I think of him and giggle. He introduced me to MTV and the songs of the moment were "Don't Need Nothin' But a Good Time" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me"...to this day I still know every word to both of those songs. Our romance didn't last long, but we did remain friends. We went to Jr High and High school together and graduated together. After that I lost track until I was planning my 10 year reunion and I found him, he moved away to Washington and...I found out he is, well, Gay. I had no idea and I don't judge. He was such a sweet guy and I wish him the best.

Jeff and his family circa 1989

My first "real" kiss was Cameron Candelaria. I had a crush on him all year during my 8th grade year and he sort of strung me along until finally at the end of the year he kissed me one weekend. BUT on Monday it was back to being "just" friends. I think that I was a bit devastaed. A few years later, right after I met Matt he called me to go out on a date. HA! I told him that I had a boyfriend, sort of sweet revenge, I guess.

Cameron 1992 (This is not the best picture of him-but the only one I had)

But I guess if I think about my first "bite" of love was when I was in the 9th grade. I had never, ever thought of myself as pretty. I always felt awkward, goofy, and different. Then in my drama class I met John Roberts. He was gorgeous, funny, smart, and athletic. He was the most popular boy in 8th grade. AND he had a crush on ME!! He liked ME first. He flirted with me, we talked on the phone all the time. Our relationship never quite bloomed to that boyfriend/girlfriend status, but I would like to think it became MORE than that...we became BEST FRIENDS. We would talk on the phone all the time, give each other advice, etc. There was always a bit of underlying flirting-but we each dated other people but always stayed super close. I have to say that his friendship changed my life. The experience gave me confidence that I have kept my entire life. I was also close with his family and hung out with his family on a few occassions. His parents were so kind, his dad even used to be the mayor of West Jordan. His sister was a year older than me and was a beautiful, popular, and sweet girl who was always kind to me. John and I met in 1992 and then once in the summer of 1994 I went to visit him while I waited for a friend to get off of work. And we kissed. It was a great kiss and totally unexpected. When it was over, I literally RAN out of his house. I was so upset, worried that I had lost my "friend". Well, it didn't. We teased each other about who kissed who and we remained friends, whew. Then I met Matt in 1995 and John and I remained friends but we slowly became more and more distant. Since I was a year older in school, after I graduated we lost touch. I heard that he had got in some trouble, I don't know quite the details. I sent his parents wedding announcements and graduation announcements. A couple of years ago I ran into him and his wife at The Pie, when Matt and I were out on a date. He recognized me before I recognized him-but he looked exactly the same. He was really good looking still. I was a bit embarassed that I had gained so much weight since High School (something that usually happens to me whenever I run into someone from High School). The memories came flooding back, the highs and lows of our relationship. There are some people who have big impacts on your life and he was one of them.

John Roberts-okay NOW it is a bit creepy to be talking about a 14 year old.

My first real boyfriend was Rusty Warner. He was the first person to tell me that he loved me. We met in our Lab 2000 class (it sounded so futuristic in the year 1994). He had his own car. He loved Metallica. He was easy going and funny. We only dated for a few months but it really taught me about being in a relationship and helped me determine what I really wanted in a "boyfriend".

Rusty and I at Morp 1994

Well, that is a lot of info. What can I say, I am a share-er. I hope Matt isn't mad at me for sharing these details. I am not a girl of regrets, my past has made me who I am and has prepared me for my TRUE love that has lasted going on 16 years (or the age of a newly drivers-licensed teen-ager yikes!). I just couldn't imagine my life without my soul-mate, Mathew, LOVE YA BABE!

Matt and I's FIRST picture July 4th 1995 and
Our Engagement Picture April 1999

The cutest girl in the world (well in MY opinion)

2011-03-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Yipee for me! I finally figured out how to SCAN pictures. I can't wait to play more with that fun new toy. I am excited also to share Lauren's SEVEN year pictures. So much has changed in a year!

I think this first pic is my favorite. She begged me to buy her these glasses. I have glasses and I HATE them and always feel ugly in them. I thought it was sweet that she wanted glasses like me and I think she looks adorable in them. She also wanted a picture with her Lenny the Scentsy Lamb.
These pics I liked because they remind me of the faces we see from her around the house. She is a daddy's girl and I can just hear her saying "please Daddy". She certainly has him wrapped around her finger.
JC Penney always does such a good job with the photos. These were taken the day before her birthday, she is sooo easy to take pictures of, she is such a poser...I loved all the pics-it was so hard to pick out my favorites.

I think these photos show her spunky side. She is a girl with attitude, she cracks me up on a daily basis. She is my little buddy who loves to snuggle up and watch the Bachelor with me. I hope that we are always such good friends.

I think this picture captures her sweet side. "Sweet" is always the word that comes to my mind when I think of her. She is always drawing us pictures, writing us notes, hugging us-anything to let us know that she loves us. AND we certainly LOVE her....precious girl.

I probably bought the most of this shot, some in black in white and some in color. I think you can see how much she has changed in the year-she is growing up so fast. I am so proud of her. She definitely is the best thing ever.
I am now looking forward to Jamie's photo session in April. My brain is already swimming with ideas and that is a dangerous thing.

Post 1

2011-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Post One: Recent picture, introduction, and 15 random facts:

The most recent picture I have.

My daughter's birthday party: My mom Anne, my daughter Lauren, my son Jamie, my nephew Zander, me, and my puppy Pepper in the back.

My name is Mrs. Rachel Marie Lovato. I am a proud West Valley, Utah resident. I am happily married to my handsome husband Matt. We've been married for almost 12 years, and known each other for 16 years. I am a University of Utah graduate. I am a Manager at Discover Card-it means the world to me. My family is there, my friends are there...and well, my self-esteem is there too. I am the proud mama of two of the best kids on the planet...7 year old Lauren and 3 year old Jamie. They melt my heart and content my soul. I love my family, both my tight immediate family and my gynormous extended family. I love everything to do with dance. I love reality television. I am the happiest when I am out on the lake holding my two kiddos with my hubby by my side. I like to keep myself busy scrapbooking, making jewelery and selling Scentsy.

Random facts...hmm..this is tough, I am so open it is hard to think of things I haven't said before.

1-I love Zombie movies. I don't know why-they just terrify me-and fascinate me at the same time.

2-I am super duper crabby in the morning. I am usually OK by the time I get to work-but I just grunt around in the early morning...good thing I am usually alone.

3-I loved to read as a kid. On Christmas vacations I would lay in my bed all day reading. On family vacations I would take a bag of books...my favorite as a kid...RL Stine books. I think I have read them all.

4-I am in awe of anyone who has other-than-brown eyes. I love Matt's hazel eyes. Little-known fact is that I once had colored contacts..they were green. I had them for a year, the year I met Matt. He hated them and loved my brown eyes. Sort of ironic, right?

5-I have never been able to do a pushup, a real boy pushup. I have weak T-Rex arms.

6-Me and my cousin Patrice have twin birthmarks on our hip, we used to tell people we were sisters because I look more like her than her own sister.

7-I hate peas. Canned peas. My mom used to make them all the time, I am not a picky eater but I hate peas.

8-I collect buttons. Weird, I know. I have just always kept the extra buttons that come with clothes, you would think that I have more than I do..but I just have a pitcher that is barely full and it is in the bathroom. Okay, that is weird-I never much thought about it.

9-For some reason I am fascinated by bruises. If someone tells me they have a bruise, I ask to see it.

10-I've always wanted a nickname, but have never really gotten one that sticks. My Sister-In-Law Alex's brother used to work with me at Discover Card and he used to call me R-lo (because I am a huge J-Lo fan) and it was so sweet. When he passed away it was one of the great things I remembered about him..I miss him dearly.

11-I am five foot three and a half..short by any other standard...except by my Lovato-side-standards. I am taller than my dad, my brother, mom, sisters AND all of the Lovato (my) side. I am like a giant. It is trippy.

12-I may be the last remaining human without any "Apple" merchandise. No IPod for me.

13-I don't get grossed out easily but I get sick to my stomache when people clip their nails in public. Especially at work-seriously I could vomit.

14-I hate BIG changes. But I love small changes..like new shampoo, a new shirt, etc. Call me OCD but I am the happiest when everything I am wearing coordinates. I am talking socks, underwear, jewelry, and even perfume and shampoo. And I hate and WILL not wear the same jewelry two days in a row or use the same shampoo or perfume two days in a row.

15-I get extremely attached to people and I have a hard time letting go of any relationship despite how toxic it may be. It drives Matt crazy. I guess that I am just really forgiving. I actually made it a New Years Resolution to only invest my time in people who are investing it back in me.

Well, that is some random business. Did any of my readers know any of those things? I am sort of an open book. I love to share. Thanks Misty for the great idea. Woot woot.

Because I am a copycat!

2011-03-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Misty always has the best blog posts! So, I am copying her...well it is only fair as she is copying someone else...so I don't think she will mind.

Here is the plan...it is called "30 Days of Randomness". Well..mine will be called "30 Posts of Randomness" because I can't promise that I will have the time to get on and blog everyday!

Post 1: Introduction, recent picture of yourself, 15 interesting facts
Post 2: Your first love
Post 3: Your parents
Post 4: A song to match your mood
Post 5: A picture of something that makes you happy
Post 6: A place you've traveled to
Post 7: Bible verse
Post 8: Something you miss
Post 9: Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs that pop up (hmm..I don't have an IPod)
Post 10: Bullet your whole day
Post 11: Somewhere you'd like to move or visit
Post 12: Your highs and lows of this past year
Post 13: Give pictures of five guys who are famous who you find attractive
Post 14: Someone who fascinates you and why
Post 15: A photo of something you ate today
Post 16: A letter to someone who has hurt you lately
Post 17: A youtube video
Post 18: A photo of you ten years ago
Post 19: Your favorite quote
Post 20: A regret you have
Post 21: Explain how you got your scars
Post 22: Talk about the cuteness of your pet
Post 23: The last thing that made you cry
Post 24: Talk about the last "random act of kindess" you encountered
Post 25: Ten things you want to do before you die
Post 26: How do you think others view you?
Post 27: Picture of your family
Post 28: Your favorite musician and why
Post 29: A photo of you as a child
Post 30: Something you learned (if anything) about yourself in the last 30 posts

If anybody out there is up to the challenge, I'd love to see somebody try! Rachel Norris-I may or may not be talking to you!!

My baby is SEVEN!

2011-02-26T23:43:00.000-08:00

And so begins the weeklong celebration of her birthday! Here is a shot of her a few days before her birthday! She is so big! I thought she looked rather stylish-so I snapped a shot.

So here is how the birthday-weekend went:

*Friday...Lauren went to school. She brought treats and had fun passing those out. Matt and I both took the day off so when she was off we picked her up, and we went to say hello to her Pa Pa Leo at work. Then we went to get her birthday pictures taken at JC Penney. (I can't download them so I will have to wait a week until I get them, then I will scan them and post them-they turned out sooo cute!!). Then we went to see the movie of her choice-Gnomeo and Juliet. She loved it and it was, um, alright. Then we went home for a dinner of Ramen Noodles. It was off to bed early for her real birthday.

Growing up, my family didn't have a ton of money...yet for every holiday and every birthday my parents went out of their way to buy us more than we needed as well as going out of their way to make the day super special. My mom would always (and still does) make signs. I am happy to carry on the tradition...and since my handwriting isn't as great as hers...I used stickers:

I used to love to wake up to run to the table to see the set-up that was there for me. This year I was quite proud of what I put together for Lars:

I had a pink-theme, if you couldn't tell.

Close up:

And here she was in the morning, in her bootie-short PJs.

*Saturday. After waking up to the presents above and opening them with the family, she bathed and got ready for her friend party at the West Valley Fitness Center. We had pizza, played, and had cake and ice-cream. I wish I would have gotten pictures of everyone and everything...but these will have to do! Special thanks to my sister Sarah for coming JUST to help me wrangle all the kids...wh0 actually didn't need much wrangling at all...(so we just played some Dance Dance Revolution instead). Here was the DARLING cake that they had for us!!

They have this play grocery store at the Fitness Center, I think all the kids enjoyed it. Here is Jamie and my cute niece Madeleine.

Here is my other niece Bella and Jamie shopping too.

Here is my neighbor Chrystie and Jamie at the checkout. Jamie really wanted to be the cashier, but he was a patient customer instead.

I told him to show me his "I am having fun" face. What an adorable boy.

Not to be out-posed..here is the birthday girl herself, beautiful Lauren!

And now really pose Lauren, yep, that is my girl! If Lauren likes a boy, he is INSTANTLY her boyfriend. Well, at least she CALLS them that even if there is no mutual feeling or agreement for such a title. We were both pleased as punch when her recent BOYFRIEND, Toby actually came to her party! He was such a cute and well behaved little boy!

And he posed arm in arm with Lauren with NO coersion at all! They are both students together in Mrs. Lance's first grade class at Valley Crest Elementary. Matt is such a handsome fella, even if he is in a kiddie chair! Seriously, how lucky am I?

After her party, we went back to our house for a quick nap..then we went to a birthday party for one of Matt's cousin's kid's birthdays. They had it at Bouncin' Off the Walls. It was pretty cool to have our very own inflatables that even the adults could ride down. Even I went down this bad boy a few times. Here is a shot of Matt and the kiddos.

We had pizza again, and cake and ice-cream again. This is Jamie with another "I am having fun" face.

After that party, we took Lauren to her choice...BONSAI. It is a Japanese steakhouse. YUMMMY!!! THEN we came home and finally relaxed, I tried to unpackage and put away her new treasures. Jamie was helping me and HERE is his TRUE "I am having fun" face!!! This will be blackmail material when he has his first girlfriend, I am sure!

Last year I took a picture of Lauren at the end of night. I had to snap another one, after seeing this when I went to kiss her goodnight. Obviously, she was POOPED. She was asleep on the floor!

I can't believe that my baby is seven, although I barely remember my life before her. She is just so precious to me! She is smart, and beautiful, and funny, and energetic, and sweet (it is my blog I can brag if I want to!!).

*THEN finally ending on Sunday. We went to church, then we went to Sams Club to get her cake and to have a delicious $1.50 hot dog for lunch. Then we cleaned the house real quick and had the family over for cake and ice-cream and present opening! I was really bad and didn't take any pictures. Thanks to my mom and dad, Ashley, Victor, Zander, Sarah, Poopie, Leo and Tina, Greg, Alex, Bella, Maddie, Kristen, Dave, and Ethan for coming over to complete Lauren's birthday celebration. She got such nice gifts and everyone was super generous as always. We have the best family and it was great to see everyone again.

Well, that was her birthday for 2011. I hope that she had a great one and that she always knows how much she is loved.

A day in the life

2011-02-24T21:55:00.000-08:00

Alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. Snooze one too many times. Hop in the hot shower. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree mmmm. Oreo keeps me company with her purring. Kiss the hubby goodbye-he barely stirs. Pack my lunch-fruits and veggies. Try to get out the door at 5:40am. Love my 5 minute drive to work. Busy at work all day long, the day flies by. Eat lunch at my desk, love my afternoon Diet Dr. Pepper. Meetings in the afternoon, I HATE them-so more productive things I COULD be doing. Rush to get a few things done. To-Do List never finished. 345pm..I've stayed WAY too late. Drive my 5 minutes to get Lauren. Visit with the Middletons-so blessed to have them in our lives, "thanks for getting Lauren-see you tomorrow". Spelling test and reading on our drive out-nothing like multi-tasking. This is our mother/daughter time! Traffic on the way to moms. Jamie always so happy to see us. Mom offers for us to stay for dinner-ALWAYS yummy. Dad and Jamie snuggle watching Starship Troopers-what a crazy movie for a 3 year old to love. Takes forever to get out the door-kids don't want to leave. So many excuses and suddenly no one can put on their own shoes. Finally in the car OH NO-Jamie fell asleep. Lauren gets the mail-box 11. Get all the CRAP back in the house in 3 trips. Hurry and bathe the kids. More water OUT of the tub than in the tub. Homework with Lauren-she is so much smarter than I was. 20 minutes of reading-she is getting better every day. Try to push at least ONE load of laundry-so Sunday isn't so bad. A couple minutes of kiddie snuggle then the fight for bedtime. Matt comes home-everyone is excited. One round of "hide and seek"-Matt is the champ. Continue the fight for bedtime. They SOO drag their feet. I don't mind the 20ish "one more tiss" from Jamie, I must admit. My eyes are heavy-how in the world is it 11? Make sure laundry at least in the dryer. Clothes laid out for the next day, make sure all is calm. Asleep by midnight.

Do it all over the next day.

Now, just why am I tired all the time?

Otmel

2011-02-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

My last few posts were on Lauren's creative spelling. I thought I would share proof of how darn cute it is! She is a very independent girl and gets herself breakfast daily, she asked me to give her instructions verbally on how to make oatmeal in the morning. She wrote them down with her own spelling. Here are the steps:

1-Put water in bowl

2-Put in microwave

3-Cook 40 seconds

4-Pour Mix

5-Eat

I love the "poor mix"...it must know that it is about to be eaten. By the way, she added #5 to the list herself. She must have had to remind herself what to do with the yummy breakfast once it had been "coced" LOL.

It melts my heart. She has become such a good little reader and it just charms the socks off of me to see her spelling things out, writing notes and such. I compare it to seeing your baby smile for the first time. I love the next level of communication that she has now. I love writing and hiding notes for her and she has even left me a few. She is such a sweetie.

An Oldie but Goodie

2011-02-03T00:09:00.000-08:00

I just LOVE this picture! I am not quite sure why. I had a great and fun childhood. I sort of felt like I had two families. This was family #1..just the four of us...sort of like my life now. Then when I was almost 10, my mom had another baby...then when I was 12 my other sister was born (and my brother was out on his own)...so that was my family #2. Now that we are all older it is normal and I couldn't imagine it any other way.

I love how young and happy my parents look. It is funny to truly see how my dad looks like Cheech/Chong. I was such a cute little girl (what happened?-LOL). I also can really see how Jamie looks like me and John. What do ya think?

I am a winner! (in more ways than one)

2011-01-31T19:04:00.000-08:00

I love to win! I mean, who doesn't? You never hear anyone say "I hate winning". ANYWAY, my friend Misty had a little give-away and I won!

I also won because she said some super duper nice things about me that were totally unexpected and totally sweet. It was also totally needed to get me out of the little pitty party I was throwing for myself at the time.

If you want to see what she wrote. Check it out at http://rindys.blogspot.com/

I can't wait to see WHAT I won, it sounds great though. A visit from her, or her "presence" would be present enough...we haven't seen each other in 4 years and I sure do love her. Having her as such a dear friend, makes me a winner no matter what!

Silly Lauren Part 2

2011-01-30T01:06:00.000-08:00

My last post was about Lauren's spelling, so now I have a quiz for any of my blog readers! I was going grocery shopping Saturday and I asked Lauren to write down what I told her we needed. Let's see if you can figure out what was on our list:

groshes (at the top!)
1-toloitit papr
2-poptarts (2) cinds
3-choclit milk
4-bady soap
5-brade
6-og
7-frots and vectchtbls
and extra credit if you can get this one! 8-stretches

It is just too precious! Let's see who can get the most correct!

Silly Lauren

2011-01-29T13:29:00.000-08:00

This little girl makes me laugh....

Lauren has been off track since January 17th. She was so excited to start spending her afternoons with her grandma and grandpa. My mom wasn't feeling well the first few days, so Lauren didn't enjoy her time as much as she thought she would. I am guessing she was whining to my dad that she was bored, and I am guessing that my dad told her to write a list of the "fun" things she wanted to do if she could. And just as it is funny to hear a baby begin to speak, I find it so funny to see a first grader learn to spell. I am gonna re-create her list:

*Go for a wok
*See the rivre
*Feed the dukes
*Play hose
*Make muizick

I have been teasing her about "feeding the dukes" ever since. LOL. Gotta love that girl!

Winnebago

2011-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

Matt is always very careful about any decision that he makes. There are hours of research, comparisons, cost analysis, charts, grids, etc. When he began looking for an "RV" a couple of months ago, I didn't want to get my hopes up too high. When he found this gem 2 days ago and made an appointment to see it-I knew he was serious. After seeing it today, and getting the kids' stamp of approval....THIS BABY IS MINE!!!!! WOO HOOO!
Here are some pics.

Growing up, I never had a camper or trailer. My dad would set the tent up for me in the backyard and that was pretty much my camping experience. One time my grandpa lent us a camper (before my sisters were born) and my parents and brother and I went to Yellowstone. It was a lot of fun-I still have memories. I hope to create some great memories with my own kids with this Minnie-Winnie. I can't wait to take it out. I still can't believe that it is MINE. It is a little old, a little beat-down, but it was cheap and seems to be working well (hmmm..sounds a little like ME). Once again, woo hoo!

One Last Halloween Picture

2011-01-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I love Halloween! Most of you also know that I am, how do you say, not a good decorator. I was, however, quite proud of my little pumpkin montage above my normally bare and boring stove. Matt did help me a bit and I was quite sad to take it down.
I paid extra to have this decorative cut-out...but sadly, like I said, it is normally bare. Ideas anyone? Help, please? Misty?

New Years Eve/New Years Day

2011-01-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holidays is New Years Eve! Pretty much every year since 1999 we have had a party at our house with Matt's brother, and sister. We usually eat junk food, play games and enjoy the fact that the Christmas stress is over. I got fancier than usual and made some of the snacks...with the help of "Tastefully Simple". Here is a key-lime cheeseball that I, yes, once again I, made. YUMM!!
I also made this yummy garlic dip. I am channelling my inner Tina for the fancy set up.
I also made lime-ade = success and I attempted "little smokies" = fail. Dave usually makes them and he couldn't make it. It wouldn't be the same without them, I hope he can make it back next year to show me how it is done.

I love, love, love Alex's 7 layer bean-dip.

I also love her orange salad, I beg her to make it every year.

I also put up some New Years decorations. I love my mantle full of stuff, after Christmas-it is so bare.

Look at these two cute girls! My daughter and my niece, Bella. Perfectly adorable.

Matt and his brother and sister.

I think their mom would be so proud that her children are so close, that we get along so well!

Do they look alike? AND...is Kristen making fun of me and my posing ways?

This is actual proof that my son is the "drink stealer!"

Matt's brother Greg and his wife Alex. We are so glad that they are our friends as well as our relatives. We always have fun. Thanks for spending every New Years Eve with us!

Me and the hubs. New Years Eve attire and sparkling cider!

Look at my cute niece Maddie, she wouldn't stay put long enough for me to get a front shot!

Hmmm..is Matt trying to get an early start on his New Years Resolution?! Don't mind the Orange DC shirt-Matt had to work that night!

Jamie is such a poser, now who did he get THAT from?

Bella made it to midnight--no problem!

This little pipsqueak is quite brave. So cute, Maddie!

The kids ran around in circles with their noisemakers. Oh what fun!

Lauren was so cute in her hat!

Jamie wanted his picture taken too.

Everytime he sees Justin Bieber-he thinks it is him. Here is his New Years Hat-"Bieber style".

I love his crinkled nose smile. He is so huggably adorable.

It was so snowy that night....apparently our blow-up snowman had one too many. LOL.

I am lucky that Greg and Alex and Kristen made it to and from our house safely. Matt did some shoveling before bed. Only on New Years Eve!

Every New Years Day-it is tradition to go to Red Lobster. We call it "National Red Lobster Day". Matt was soooo looking forward to it. It never dissapoints.

Look at my two boys. Love them!

Lauren and her cousin, Zander. Our "Giant Baby". He is so chubby and cute.

Me and the hubs. Yipee we survived 2010!

My cute baby sister, even with no makeup. (she is probably mad at me for sharing this).

I wanted to slip this shot in of the animals. This must be how they spend their day. They are in the cage by choice-we leave the door open!

I bought them these shirts for Christmas. Am I a geek or what?

But I couldn't resist-they were too cute! "Big Sister" and "Little Brother".

It felt so nice to have a clean house, and to put away all the Christmas decorations. I felt like I could BREATHE! Hope you all had a great holiday season. From our house to yours. Happy 2011! Now, where exactly do I put THIS box?

Yipee for the hubbs!

2011-01-09T22:41:00.000-08:00

So...this laptop is the first computer that has ever been mine, solely. When I got it last year, Matt told me I needed to have Norton's on it. So I bought a yearly subscription and I thought I was good. When I asked Matt for help because I finally got fed up with not being able to see other people's blogs...he took a brief glimpse at my computer. There were 109 updates that needed to be made on my system...and that no installs had been done, EVER. He was shocked, and so was I. I had no idea!! So..after about 5 hours. My computer is current, virus-fighting AND now able to view blogs. He is a freakin' genius. Well, compared to me, anyway. I can still take him at Rock and Roll Jeopardy though.

Another blog

2011-01-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to do this for a while....I love EVERYTHING about dance and I love to give my opinions...so I decided to start another blog dedicated to all things dance-mainly dance shows on TV!

Check it out at http://www.lovedancetalk.blogspot.com/

Leave a comment if ya care!

Will someone HELP me?! Please.

2011-01-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have had this problem for a while now and I am not sure how to fix it. For some reason, while trying to view some of my friend's blogs I will get his error:

"Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site:(insert blog location). Operation Aborted"

GRRR. I have tried to fix it, and from what I can surmise it happens when people are using a certain type of background. Does anyone know how I can fix it so that I can once again visit my blogging friends: Rachel Norris, Jami Lamborn, Erin Davis, Summer Gallegos, Shar Nelson, Krissy Hansen, Amber Holbrook, Shawna Harmon, and Natalie Lund. Again grrr.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am skipping a few November events to get Christmas over with. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is great and all that stuff...but just so darn stressful. I feel like it gets worse every year. Here are a few (okay a LOT) of some of the happy times this season.

One of the things I miss the most about my old house on "Wakefield Way" was the spectacle that my kitty-corner neighbors, the Gowers, used to put on at Christmas time. It was so much fun to look at my front window and see this! We still drive by and check it out-the kids love it. There is also an awesome "Christmas Street" on the street that Matt grew up on that we visited as much as possible. I love Christmas lights!
We love living in West Valley and we have lots of city pride. We love Valley Fair Mall and that it is making a comeback. This year we were excited to see a giant Christmas Tree in the front. Woo hoo! The lights are set to music. The kids loved it. Here is a pic at the bottom of the giant tree.

If you remember, I have a huge family and on my Louisiana side-we draw names. Jamie drew my cousin Steven's daughter, Molly's name. I made her a jewelry box, well-I decorated the box.

I also made her a bracelet, and I bought her some bows.

I hope that little Molly enjoys her gift. There is a big party at my grandmas house where they do the actual exchange, it would be awesome to be there to see the madness...or at least the expression on the faces of the people that I drew....

Matt's mom's best friend, Jewel, hosts an annual outdoor Santa visit. The kids love to get to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want. They were sooo excited! Check out their cheesers!

Jewel also has people bring food for the Utah Food Bank. She is amazing! She was a life-time friend to the end for Matt's mom. We just adore her.

Their wishes were: A pink Barbie bike and Buzz wings....

Fast forward...6 nights of minimal sleep and stress filled bubble guts for me...and we finally get to Christmas Eve. (sigh). The sight of Jamie playing so sweetly with my niece Maddie just melted my heart. Jamie usually tries to tag along unsucessfully with his sister and my niece Bella... he has been waiting for one of his younger cousins to get bigger so he could have a friend. Darling.

Here are the little buddies, Lauren and Bella. Do they look alike?

Tina is an amazing decorator, I love to see the settings she creates. She had these blue chargers (is that what they are called), they were super cool.

So, I had this GENIUS idea to get more pictures this holiday season! I thought I would give Lauren the camera and have her take as many pictures as her sweet little face could beg for.

She got some great shots and she worked hard to get a picture of (almost) everyone. The only negative is that when the picture-taker is shorter than you, SOMETIMES the angle isn't the most flattering...so I apologize for any unflattering shots taken of any family members who may read this blog.

Stephen gave a good smile.

Stephen's boyfriend Collin.

Matt's sister Kristen on the way out with her stash...

Matt's brother Greg. Handsome dude. Jamie just loves his Uncle Greggy.

Leo's wife Tina. Even though she was sick as a dog, she was still a great host. She also let me wash dishes after dinner, which I find extremely theraputic. Seriously.

Greg's wife Alex, and half of Maddie.

Oh, there is a picture of my cute little Maddie! She looks thrilled, eh?

She even managed the ever elusive self-photo! What a pro! I love that smile and that her teeth are FINALLY coming in.

She even got a picture of her little brother. Sweet Cheeks!

And a pic of her dear old dad.

And one of Papa Leo and Grandma TT.

Then she got creative and got a picture of Tina's tree.

She even got a picture of her mom and dad, awww, a decent one.

And then she encorporated extras!

And then she switched out the models. The girl liked being in charge.

Then it got a little creative, she posed Bella and put ribbon around her and asked her to make a dreamy face.

LATER THAT NIGHT.....the kids upheld a tradition that Matt grew up with, opening new PJs on Christmas Eve. Here they are in front of the fireplace, sporting new threads.

And I got a picture in front of the tree. OH how I love these two!!!

This was the first year that Lauren wrote the Christmas letter to Santa. Here is a rough translation. "Merry Christmas, I just wanted to remind you what we wanted for Chistmas. I want a pink Barbie bike and my brother wants Buzz wings. Thank you for what you brought last year." Precious!

AND fast forward a few more hours and here is what the finished Christmas Day scene looked like.

Okay, it was 3AM and I was super tired and I was done wrapping, so I threw their clothes in a box and put a garbage bag around the box. Eh, they don't care to open clothes anyway so it was win-win.

SANTA delivered! Pink Barbie bike and helmut and Buzz wings and Buzz laser.

Here Jamie is testing out the laser. Even with 4 hours of sleep, I snapped a few shots.

It was great fun to watch the kids open their presents. Jamie was excited to open his Buzz laptop.

I love having two kiddos. My own little slice of heaven.

There was no slowing Lauren down.

And here is a picture of my scissors...they were a good, loyal friend this season, they never let me down. Thank you, rest up for next season...I am gonna start earlier next year, I SWEAR!!!

And I had some company while getting ready for the day. Funny Oreo!

Lauren liked riding her bike around the house. Is it just me or is she the cutest thing EVER?!

And...only ONE hour late this year, we FINALLY made it to my parents house for Christmas dinner. I once again set Lauren out with the camera. She may need to work on the "zoom" function. A cute pic of my dad, anyway.

Another picture of Matt, with his new and apparently reflective coat.

Here is a picture of my mom and my nephew Zander. He is so big and so cute.

And yet another self-photo! She needs to give me lesson. I love these kids. I guess all the stress was worth the smiles I got that day.

She got a shot of Ashley's boyfriend, Victor. POSE! :)

And one with me, and the boys, oh, and her lamb.

And then Lenny the Scentsy Lamb got his own shot. This lamb smells like baby powder, mmmm...and he is oh so soft.

And she got a picture of my mom's tree.

I decided to take a picture of the photographer. What a poser. She looked so cute in her new blue shirt.

I had Lauren stand on a stool so as not to get an unflattering shot of my already double chin. Here is me and Ashley. Love my sister!!!

Ashley and Victor....cute couple.

Victor held this pose for a while for Miss Lauren. Woot woot, thumbs up!

We thought it would be funny to put Jamie in the baby bouncer. He fits, sorta.

My mom and dad. Great hosts, yummy food as always. PS..go Cardinals. My brother is a big fan and was at the game that day, my dad is showing his solidarity.

The lovebirds.

And my little family....the best little thing in my life.

And here is my trusty old Christmas Tree. I love it.

When we got in the car, Jamie fell asleep...we placed him on the couch and he stayed JUST LIKE THIS for like 3 hours. He was pooped!

While Matt and I watched our new movie, the A-Team, the kids hung out with us. Lauren snuggled with her cat, Oreo.

Oreo watched Lauren color.

My brother John and his wife Clara sent the kids these PJs from Avon with their names on them. I LOVED THEM!!!! SOOO cute!!!

How could you NOT love these sweet faces! They are God's greatest gift to me. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it was a good one!

See ya next year!!

Are you ready for Christmas?

2010-12-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

I am NOT! Nope. Well, presents are all purchased and most wrapping is done, but not ALL of it.

But instead of getting something done, I am playing on the computer. Catching up on BLOGS and Facebook.

Just thought I would let you know.

Well, I work tomorrow...so I better go to bed.

Goodnight.

My Family's Favorite Christmas Song

2010-12-16T01:04:00.000-08:00

This is for you Misty. This is my first attempt to try to upload something from youtube, if this doesn't work...search youtube for "Cheech and Chong Santa Claus and His Old Lady". I don't think there is an official video-just ones people have made TO the song...so don't judge the video-listen to the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbw9-uq9sMU

A couple of things ABOUT this song.

1) I had never heard it until a few years ago I paid a girl on my team at work $5 to make me two Christmas CDs full of her favorite songs and snipits from movies. This song was on it and we have all loved it ever since.

2) I have always joked that my dad looks like a cross between Cheech and Chong, so I've always had sort of a fondness for them.

3) One of the lyrics is "The Vato with the boney knees" and hey, that is my name. The kids always get a kick out of that. Another great lyric is "Come on Beto", when Santa is calling out the names of the reindeer....Lauren always yells that line out.

4) I think the "Mexican" accent is so cute, my grandparents sort of talk like that, so I enjoy things like "Chews" for "Shoes" and "Hole" for "Hold" and "Fy" for "Five".

I hope you all enjoy it. Misty-this is my response to your "worst" list. Come on, it is such a happy subject how can any of it be bad LOL. Even the bad is good, although "Christmas Shoes" is a bit sad, I cried a little.

Just ONE of my heros

2010-12-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know that I LOVE reality TV. One of my favorite shows is on the Style network. It is called Giuliana and Bill. I watched the first season of "The Apprentice" so I knew who Bill was...but I didn't know much about Giuliana until this show. Let me just say that she is one of my heros. I just ADORE her. Not only is she tall, beautiful, skinny, with a great fashion sense-she is smart, funny, humble and family-oriented. I love that she is so quick-witted, I wish I could be as funny as her. I love that she seems to let so much just roll off her back, she rolls with the punches. I love how OPEN and HONEST she is, without being hurtful or rude. I love that she is so determined in all that she does. PUT that all together and I especially LOVE how determined she was to get pregnant, how open she was to share it with the WORLD. Every week I watch the show and I laugh, I cry, I sigh at the love that she and Bill share. I have a good friend who is an IVF success story and I was there and watched her start the process, so watching Giuliana go through her journey with IVF just brings back those memories. Sadly, I saw, as the world did-her have a miscarriage and how heart wrenching it was for her. This week's episode showed her break the news of the miscarriage on her OWN E-News show. I admire her bravery to share her journey-including sessions with her therapist. So many people have fertility problems and feel that they are alone and I love that she is out there putting a face on such a common problem. She also decided on this weeks episode to finally go through another round of IVF. I am so excited for them and I hope that they get their wish. I see how IVF has brought happiness to so many of my friends and I wish her the same happiness. I wish I could give her some encouraging words-I believe that things happen for a reason and I think that children would be such a change to her and Bill's lifestyle and I think that the struggle that she has had is just to prove to herself that she REALLY wants kids and that all the sacrifices were worth it. I believe that they are and that is a lesson to all of us.

Thanksgiving/Birthday 2010

2010-11-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

This year the kids started bugging me right after Halloween to put up CHRISTMAS decorations! Finally on November 21-I gave in! They viciously slashed through all of my Christmas decorations (notice the mess behind Jamie). BUT when they end up looking as cute as this-it is too hard to be angry.

This is our tree-skirt, which also makes a nice, um, shawl?

I am the WORST taking picture-remember-er! I did not take ANY pictures at Matt's dad's house! We had an excellent dinner there with her son Stephen and his boyfriend Collin AND Tina's niece Kristi. We went to my mom's later to hang out. Here are my two handsome boys.

Here is our little family after eating all of our food for the day.

Just the FOUR of us.

And my cute parents!

And my cute nephew Zander. He is GIANT. He is only 4 months old and is wearing Jamie's 2T jammies!!!

I have no pics of Sarah or Ashley! I was such a bad picture-taker! GRR!

November 26th was my birthday and my mom took the kids overnight so that Matt and I could go and spend some time together in Wendover. Here is Matt and I before heading out. Woo hoo!

Me and the two best kiddos ever on my special day.

Me and my gorgeous sister, Sarah. I just LOVE her!

And then..I took no pictures in Wendover. We had a BLAST. We drove around the pretty much empty town. We lost a lot of money. Ate some good food. Ran into random people (my first boss EVER at Discover Card-circa 15 years ago AND our neighbor kids-they are 8 and 10-WEIRD). We watched the Jazz BEAT the Lakers WOO HOO!! And we got lots of much needed sleep. The best part was being able to spend so much time with my hubby! I really enjoyed our 2 hour drives both ways. It was cool on the way home to see the mountains reflected in the water.
ALMOST home and we drive past a golf course and we see these three deer. Totally cool.

SO, on Sunday night we had invited my parents, Matt's parents, and our brothers and sisters to come over for dinner and cake to celebrate my birthday BUT it snowed SOOO freaking bad-we had to cancel so people wouldn't DIE on the roads on my account. We are re-scheduling for next Sunday-I hope it doesn't snow next week! I will do my best to take pictures at that event!

It was a great day! Thanks everyone for the many wishes!!

The news that made one little boy very happy

2010-11-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

I read today in my People magazine that Cars 2 will be coming out in June 2011. The sequel will also be starring Joe Mantegna and Micheal Caine.

Jamie may be more excited for this than for Christmas, well, almost.

Fall Happenings

2010-11-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

Let me see if I can remember (and cram) all of the fall festivities into one jumbo post! I love love love Halloween and Fall and all of the smells.

There is a quaint little place called Gardner Village and they get really into Halloween. On September 11, Matt had to work...so I called up my friend Nicky and he hauled the kiddos to the "So You Think You Are a Witch" show. For $5 it couldn't be beat. Dinner from Wendy's topped the night off. It has been so great to reconnect with my bestie from childhood, I hope to continue to see more and more of her. It doesn't hurt that our kids LOVE each other too! When Nicky's mom was in town recently (I hadn't seen her in over 10 years) she said that Lauren and Katelynn were "Mini-Nicky" and "Mini-Rachel"...awww. SO..anyway, here is the winning Witch, I can't remember her name, but she was my favorite!
Casey from the morning show (not sure which one) was a judge. I couldn't get a good shot! He is pretty handsome in real life.

Even more handsome though, is my baby Jamie! No pics from the paparazzi! LOL!

Here is Nicky with our four kiddos!

Here am I with all four kids, Jamie eyes closed, DOH!

Cute Lauren was not afraid of any witch!

Jamie, on the other hand, was a bit afraid, thanks for Hailey for giving him some courage.

On September 15th, my niece Isabella turned 4. Her Aunt Natalie made this awesome castle cake. So yummy!

I have always loved Space and the Planetarium. On September 24th the whole family went to the Planetarium to see Hubble 3D. It was fantastic! I am in awe of the planets!

Despite Lauren's pouty face, she actually had a good time. And Matt smiled despite his embarassment of my flash in a dark theatre.

They were all good sports about pictures from the surface of Mars.

And for a walk on the moon!

We also stopped to see the Witches AGAIN. I love it there! A stop at "Sweet Aftons" for some homemade fudge and a carmel apple make it PERFECT!

Matt and the kids checking out one of the witches.

Okay, it was a bit bright for a picture. BUT everyone looked so cute, just imagine that their eyes are open!

There was a fat, black cat that everyone was fascinated by.

I can't get this picture turned right, but Lauren was so cute with the cat.

They also ventured into the petting zoo, where one goat promptly nibbled on her skirt. Lauren was so scared.

Jamie cautiously rode a pony. Look at this serious face-if you can. (I can't get this picture turned right either-urgh).

Lauren posing on her pony ride.

Lauren was chosen to be student of the week. Lauren helped me with the poster, but I was the one up until 3 a.m. making sure it got completed!

After being in my current department since May of 2009, I found out that I would be moved to a new team on October 1. My old team bought me flowers, made me a card, and a yummy cake (sorry no pics). It was so sweet of them-they were one of my most favorite teams ever!

September had been a busy month for Matt and I and my mom noticed and offered to babysit. SO, I suprised Matt with an overnight stay at Anniversary Inn on October 1. I had the kids in the car and BOTH of our bags packed when he came home from work! A TOTAL surprise!! Here is Lauren on her way to the sleepover at her grandparents house.

Here is Jamie and Pepper on the way!!

I never got into that whole Twilight thing, BUT we stayed in the Twilight room because I thought it was "Halloweeny". It was awesome, I loved it. I want to go back NOW! This was a picture of a towel swan. Cool!

The room was dark, so it was hard to get good pics, but we loved the white and gold, and all of the lighting. They had these flickering LED lights made to look like candles, we both loved them.

I loved the wall mural. It made me feel like I was outdoors.

We tried to get a picture of the two of us, I think that I like this one best.

The lighting was weird, it was hard for us to get it right.

I told Matt, pictures are more flattering taken from above, this is a straight on shot.

Too much of a flash, washes ya out.... but I still just love this man. I was glad I was able to keep it a surprise. He came home from work and I said get in the car, we are leaving! I was proud of myself for keeping such a big secret. It was so nice to get away.

Here was the outside view from our room. I think it inspired the mural just a bit.

We loved this little loveseat. It was so perfect! At home he sits in a chair and I sit on a couch. It was nice to sit next to each other and watch a scary movie, complete with popcorn, soda, candy AND cheesecake. I want one of these for my house!

Matt and I just adored the wall sconce.

The decor was so great.

I think Matt may have talked me into putting wood into our bedroom, with a fuzzy rug like this!

And the breakfast was to die for! Super delicious!

The best part was this note that Matt left. It brought a tear to my eye.

Lauren had spirit week at school. Here she is on crazy hair day! In a purple wig.

It was some crazy hair.

Here are the kids I take to school every day, on crazy hair day. Lauren and her best friend Chrystie and her brother A.J. Jamie blended in nicely. He is sorta mad that he doesn't get to go to school too.

On October 14, we had a work off-site activity. I only snapped one picture and that was when our activity was to dig gummy worms out of a plate of whipped cream. Here is our department trainer Jason who was such a good sport. It was also my sister Sarah's birthday and my camera died for the whole celebration...boo.

I took a week off of work to potty train Jamie...it was a success!! My first day however, we had a round of stomache flu that went through the family, I wasn't as handy with the camera for any of the barfing fun as some of my friends, so lucky for that!!

I did however, have my camera for GIRLS NIGHT OUT with my sisters on October 18th. Just the three of us, no kids, no boys! We had dinner and a movie-chick flick "Life As We Know It". It was nice to just chat and chill with the two coolest gals I know. It is just so nice to have people who know you so well, who you love so much who love you back. I am so lucky to have them as friends.

Here is a picture of us at the theatre. Do we look alike? Some people think so, I don't always see it.

On my week off I volunteered to have my niece Isabella come and sleep over. The three kids get along so well. It was a lot of fun. I spotted this written on our easel, I thought it was sweet.

These three kept me up until 2 am! I could not get them to stay in bed! Exhausting! I don't know how they did it. I snapped some shots when I FINALLY got them to sleep. I think they were just too excited to see each other!

Sleeping children must be the sweetest sight ever....
Especially when it is my Jamie!

Saturday October 23, I had a boutique at my house, it was a lot of work, but I had a blast. I should have taken a picture of how packed my house was and all the goodies we had there, but once again-I was too busy! After the boutique (Matt was at work) so me and the kiddos went to his dad's house and we carved pumpkins, had pizza and treats. It was nice to hang out, just the 5 of us, I think that it is a first. Tina is amazing! This was the pumpkin she helped Jamie with. He is so proud (even if he didn't do any work). Check out his cute hat I got at the boutique.

Here is my cute girl and her cat pumpkin.

My kids are such posers!!!

At work, the day before Halloween, pretty much my entire team dressed up. I should have gotten individual pictures, but I was so busy that day, I was lucky to get this one! My month was so crazy due to me taking a new team AND having 8 days of vacation! WHEW. I was only with this team for one month because as of November 1, I got moved to the day shift. SO-this was my last day with them.

At the last minute, for his birthday, Matt decided that he wanted to go to lunch with his side of his family one day and with my side the next day (our crowd is getting very big!). Here we are at Famous Daves. I am shocked that everyone could make it with ONE hour of notice!

Okay, I have GOT to take some classes about how to make my camera work or maybe a class about lighting! This was an attempt to take a picture of Matt and his brother, sister, and dad.

Okay, that is better. Here is Matt's dad, Matt's brother-Greg, Matt's sister-Kristen and my very handsome husband. What a good lookin' bunch. I am so very lucky to have married into such a great family. I get along with all of them very well!

Lauren decided to make Matt his birthday cake-via Easy Bake Oven. Could we have asked for a cuter, sweeter daughter?! I love that smile!

She wanted to wear an apron. My apron. Never used. I had to take a picture before she got in her Halloween costume.

Lauren's finished product. Yum.

This was the present I got him for his birthday. He hasn't had a personal laptop since way before Lauren was born and our home computer is so dang slow, so again, I kept a good secret and surprised him with this baby.

Here are the 4 muskateers in their Halloween costumes. Jamie as Buzz, Lauren as Leopard-Cat, Chrystie as a Beauty Queen, and AJ as Batman. What troopers! It was cold, and rainy, and windy and they still hit the whole neighborhood.

The coolest kids I know.

Best Friends! Seriously, they are attached at the hip! Chrystie is such a sweet, smart, responsible girl. I am very lucky to have such a good friend for Lauren.

My stylish cat. Me-ow!

Buzz Lightyear! Or "Buzzed on Light Beer" as Matt called him. Jamie wanted boots so bad. I was lucky to find these boots at Kid To Kid for $6! Steal!

The gloves were a bit big, but I found a cool Buzz flashlight, so he was ready to go!

At least he was warmer than Lauren.

Oh, I would do anything for that sweet face!

I love love Halloween and I set up this scary table for when the Trick-Or-Treaters came to the door, I had a little scene for them. BUT...we hardley got ANY kids! I was so sad!

At least my kids made-out. Here is Jamie's stash.

Lauren's haul.

Obviously, I was over-prepared for the traffic I got! DOH!

The day AFTER Matt's birthday, on October 31rst, we met MY side of the family for lunch at another of our family favorites..Tres Hombres. Here is Ashley and Jamie-they approve of the good food.

Thumbs up!

Sarah, Victor and my nephew Zander!

My cute Dad and Mom.

Sarah and our nephew, Zander..a darling baby, a big baby.

Lauren wanted to take a picture. Me and Jamie. Aww.

Victor and giant 3 month old baby Zander.

Power to the GIANT BABIES. LOL. I love his big blue eyes!

What a great way to end the month, the week, and Matt's birthday.

Jamie wanted to take some pictures. Here is Aunt Ashley, from Jamie's point of view.

Another Jamie-taken-pic. Hmmm....the pictures he takes turn out better than mine!

And then Lauren wanted to take more pics too! Awww...love my boy!

Dessert was free! Mmmm...birthday flan!

Here is my sweet daughter, my great hubby and me. I hope this is a birthday that he will always remember!!! He is such a hard-working, determined, honest, smart, handsome, and loving man. I am sure lucky to have him. I hope he knows that.

Being a Mom

2010-10-24T21:15:00.001-07:00

This past week was great. Lauren was off track and I had PTO to burn, so I took an ENTIRE week off (THAT NEVER HAPPENS). One of the goals was to Potty Train Jamie, FINALLY I know! He has been going potty in the toilet for a while now, just only when naked and we really haven't ever tried "big boy" pants. I made no real plans except to stay home and work on the process. One great side-effect was being able to spend SOO much time with both kids. With me working nights and Lauren in school full-time, we don't get much time together. We had some good bonding time. Lauren was helpful all week and Jamie was easier to train than I thought it was gonna be.

Lauren has always been a bit of a Daddy's girl and so it has been great for me that Jamie has always been a bit of a Momma's boy. He always has to sit by me wherever we go, he is always so sweet and affectionate towards me and of course I am the one he cries for. This week he has been especially sweet. At least 20 times each day he would come up to me and say "Mommy, I love you". It melts my heart every time. I asked Matt this week if he did the same thing to him, and Matt had told me no. SO...on Wednesday night after I made dinner Jamie came up to me and hugged me and said "Mommy, I love you" and I whispered to him..."go and tell your dad"...so he went up to Matt and said "Daddy, I love Mommy". Priceless.

Ya know, Sometimes I find it hard to juggle it all. To be a wife, a mother, to work full-time, to be a good friend, a good neighbor, a helpful sister, a giving daughter...the list goes on with roles that we all carry. This week, without having to work, it was very nice just to be a mom. It really is the hardest job you'll ever love. Having such wonderful kids makes it all worth it. I love them so much and would do anything for them.
Me and the best kiddos in the world, this past Summer. I really am, so very lucky.

Craft Boutique

2010-10-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Want to get some Christmas shopping done early?
Or just need a shopping fix?

Come enjoy the crafts of friends!
Craft Boutique
Saturday, October 23, 2010

12:00- 4:00pm
5262 W Torbay Court (2800 S)
West Valley City 84120

Tastefully Simple, Scentsy, Designer Purses, Yummy Treats for sale, Vinyl Lettering, Stampin’ up, Handmade Jewelry, Watches, Hats, Children’s Bows, AND MORE!!

PLUS entertainment for the kids!

Any questions call
(801)966-2721
HOPE to see you there

(Thanks for the post idea BRI! Can't wait to see ya Saturday!)