Ding, dong, Ding Dong Christmas Bells are ringing!!

Well, a Merry Christmas to everyone. I know, I know, Christmas has passed and the scrooge in me says Yippee and the Christmas lover in me is sad!! I know, sounds a little indecisive...that's me. I love Christmas but as a responsible mother and wife..(lol) I think Christmas is such a stress. Can I get an AMEN? "Amen!!" Thank you!! By the time Christmas rolled around I had a consta headache and my stress level was not letting me sleep. You know the usual..."did I get enough for this person",..."did I spend to much on this?"....."blah, blah, blah!!" But, all in all, I think it was a wonderful Christmas. My parents have spent the last two Christmas's with my sisters who are out of state( last year in California with Kristin and Deb and this year in Mississippi with Sheri and New years with Deanne in North Carolina) so needless to say, we miss them but with three kids and Gregs family living close...we filled our time up just fine. I always miss my sisters but especially at the holidays. I love ya gals!!!! We always go the hospital with Gregs family and Christmas Eve to sing to all of the people in the hospital. We always have so much fun even though most of them can't carry a note. Notice I said, "them" because I have a bEaUtIfUl opera voice. (again..lol) Last year Greg and I thought we were so funny because Gregs mom usually passes out a piece of paper with the words to all of the normal Christmas caroling songs. But, I got on the internet and found all of the ones for the not so common songs and typed them up and passed them out like it was no big deal. Some of them were.."Ave Maria"..(for my Opera voice), and "Breath of Heaven" and the country song about "I want to buy these shoes for my momma please"...I know you know that song. Another classic we put on there is "Baby, its cold outside"..."Blue Christmas" and "Feliz Navidad"...which my father in law insisted we sing to this poor spanish family!!! Crazy Americans!!! One year I passed a room that had no one in it and so I told my sister in law Cammie to go sit on the bed..I know...thats a no no..sorry, but then I went and told everyone that we missed a room. I think Cammie and I thought it was funnier than everyone else.....come on, admit it...that is funny!!!

The boys loved Christmas. Santa left all of our Santa presents down stairs...little trickster, and so when Dallin asked if we could see anything out in the front room or upstairs family room and we said no...he said, "You know what? Thats okay because I have my family and I will just have to try harder to be good this next year." Poor guy. Luckily we found them downstairs. Santa must have like the chips, salsa and cold Coke we left for him. Come on..everyone leaves him cookies and milk...what he really wants is Joe Bandidos chips and salsa and a coke. And what Santa wants....santa gets. When Uncle Tim asked Dallin if he was Santa would he come to Dallin and Dallin thought about it for a minute and said..."Yeah, I'd come but I would leave a note." Tim asked him what the note would say and he said,.."you have one more chance". That makes me laugh because Dallin is one of the greatest kids out there. He is a 30 year old trapped in a 7 year old body.

What a great Christmas. We have made so many memories and my kids are growing up so fast. I am so blessed and grateful for all that I have. Now, it is time for a new year and time for a new start at that yearly diet!!! Lets see if I can make it past January 3rd this year!!!

I couldn't resist

Okay, Tim and Katie might be mad but I couldn't resist stealing this picture from their blog for all of my friends and family to see. This my friends is Gregs little brother Tim. What, he looks like he is ten...oh no, he is 25...I think. This was just a little preview of his Christmas pajamas. Oh, how I love when Tim comes into town!! He makes me laugh so hard!!! And, yes, he got these in the childrens section of Target!!!! Greg and I actually saw these exact ones but unfortunetly they don't make Gregs size!! Thanks Tim for the laugh!!! My favorite story of Tim was one time when they were moving us and we were so dang tired of moving boxes into the truck....next thing we know, Tim comes walking out of the house in just his tiny little underwear and his socks and shoes and says, "Hey, do you guys need me to move anything?" There is no one like Tim!!

There is a first for everything!!

Wow, what a day. Today was one of those days that you wonder what you are doing wrong!! So, here is a first for me. Today was obviously Sunday and we have 9:00 church. We had a meeting with the second couselor today and so we had to be there by quarter to. Well, things seemed to be going okay until our normally sweet Alex decided that he didn't want to go to church. I was trying to get him in the shower and he kept screaming, "I am not going to church because church is stupid. It's stupid, stupid, stupid!!" He normally begs to go to nursery. So, I should have guessed from that what our day was going to be like. We got to church even though the wind almost blew us away..lets remember we live at the mouth of the canyon and morning feels like you are in the North Pole with the wind. This is a funny side story. I was asked to do the cub scouts as a second calling and then they decided to wait until the other lady moved so they were just seeing if now, I could do that calling too and Greg was like, "sure she can do another calling and Becky will love the cub scouts, blah, blah, blah". Which, I actually think it will be great considering I have three boys who will eventually be in the scouting program so I want to learn all I can. But, the funny thing was when the counselor said, "oh, Brother Johnson we want you to do it too." Gregs face was classic!! And of course he said yes but then when we went to go sit down in church he went down the list of things that we were going to have to do now being in scouts. I thought it was hilarious that he was sooooo excited for me until he learned his fate!!!!

Okay, on to the shocking part for me!! Well, church was as anticipated. The boys take some work to keep them all quiet and content. But, I guess we weren't doing a good enough job because with 20 minutes left of church the couple sitting in front of us got up and looked at us and then moved to another spot in the chapel. My jaw about hit the floor. I immediately listened and we weren't the only ones struggling with our young ones. I am sorry, but with kids comes a little noise. I decided to take the two little ones out for the rest of the meeting. I felt horrible. I know others saw it because it was so obvious. It is bad enough feeling overwhelmed with your children. So many times Greg and I have to remind ourselves that going to church will eventually pay off because the kids can be hard. I don't get offended easily but I couldn't help but go with the kids to a room and cry. I feel like we are doing our best and hopefully we will be rewarded for trying. Anyways, I now think it is funny. I feel bad for them because obviously they have an issue with patience. They weren't a really old couple. Probably in their fifties. But, I think I was just shocked by their reaction. So, now I have a story to tell and laugh about. Our children are so HORRIBLE in church that we make people scatter away from us!!! That's funny!!

So, for Christmas, Santa is bringing a lot of church books and quiet toys...and muzzles for the children at church!!

Tis the season to be crazy!!!

It has been a crazy past few weeks!! I thought I would rewrite some songs to explain:

1: Tis the season to be cranky,..fa,lalalalalalala! We have all been sick and frankly, I am sick of coughs, puke, and the runs!! The boys have colds and I have a toothache, falalalalalalala, An MRI for my sweet husband, I hope its nothing really serious.

AND

2: Oh, there's water down in the basement, It's coming up through the cement, the sump pump is clearly broke, Let it flood, let it flood, let it flood.

So, clearly, we have all been a little under the weather this season. Yeah, I know, join the club. I truly believe the flu shot was invented to just give me a dead arm once a year...that's it. Clearly it prevents against some type of flu...just not the 17 strains that run through my house all winter long. And poor Colton got the strain called the "Consta-flu" which happens to stay with you for the whole season. Poor kid. I think people at church are going to start thinking that the seminary teachers family is inactive...and maybe we are and maybe we aren't! All joking aside..poor Greg has been strangely sick. He has always suffered from migraines, but they have been a little extreme this past month. The finally decided to do an MRI after a week of a fever ranging from 101-103 that wouldn't break and these intense headaches. The MRI came back normal but the headaches continue. We went up to a rockin mama hotel (no, that is not a chain of hotels, but yet slange for "very nice") for our anniversary and we had a good time except for the fact that Greg woke up with a headache and threw up the whole way home. We would drive and he would scream.."Pull over" and he would puke as soon as the door opened. Once we pulled over by the Old Navy and so I thought I'd give him some privacy and I ran over to shop!!! Whoops, not so nice but slippers were on sale for $5..can you blame me? We finally got a cup for him to puke in and I tell you, it was quite the sight. For those of you who don't know me,..I don't do puke. My gag reflex is way to lose and I will puke just watching someone else puke. I rolled down the window of the truck and tried to hum loudly to myself but everytime he started going, I got the heaves. I was seriously having to talk myself through it. We made it home and Greg is now feeling a little better. It is amazing that his headaches can do that too him. I love you hun and I hope you feel better.

A few days ago, we went to go get the snow clothes out of the storage room and low and behold, there was a swimming pool in our basement. Supposivly, sump pumps don't break very easily..of course they don't,..but ours did! Luckily it was confined to the storage room and the office. We still haven't gotten the sump pump fixed, we like to live a little white trash and why fix it if you can go down and drain it manually 500 times a day!! Come on people, don't be so lazy!!! Theres nothing like the sound of water draining from your basement!!!

Although I focused on the negatives of the past month, life really is great. I joke, but we really are so blessed and I am grateful for my challenges rather that someone else's. We are so blessed and the greatest things in my life are my family and the gospel. Tis the season to be grateful!!! Ho, ho, ho!!!

P.S. I just went out to take Dallin to school and the garage is broken...when it rains it pours!!!

Happy 9 year anniversary to me!!

Where does the time go? Greg and I just celebrated our 9th year anniversary...what? I am still a teenager...okay, so at least I feel like I am. I can't even believe how fast the time goes. You know what they say, "time flies when you're having fun"! We went to the temple to do sealings for our anniversary...it is tradition and then we went to dinner. It is so much fun just to be with Greg and remember what our wedding day was like and the covenants we made.

So, here is my tribute to my wonderful husband. I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. Greg is so much fun. Everyone loves Greg. He is good for a laugh anytime of the day. I think I have laughed my hardest sometimes when we are laying in be going to sleep. (seriously...get your head out of the gutter) We are supposed to be going to sleep and sometimes we just get to talking and before you know it it is two hours later and I have laughed my guts out!!! He is the most patient person in the world. He rarely is mad..okay, he gets mad but you would never know it. I remember one time...yes, I said one time, when he got so mad at me that I honestly couldn't stop laughing because it was so out of the ordinary. He just sounded goofy. The more I laughed I think the more mad he became but it was actually one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I love that he knows the scriptures more than anyone I know. I know, it is his profession, but honestly. I have never known someone to know where each and every scripture is. I will share with him something I have found and he will say, "oh, yeah, I like that one, that one is in Alma chapter such and such verse you know what" But, he actually knows right where it is. (That was an example for those of you who can't find chapter such and such and verse you know what) His scriptures are incredible and he is such an inspiration to me.

I am so grateful for our three little boys. I wouldn't have wanted to go through all of their trying pregnancies and births with anyone else but Greg. They are a constant reminder to us of the miracles that still happen today. Even though it took just the right two people to have this disease, I wouldn't change any of it...Greg is worth it and my boys are worth it!! Greg is the worlds greatest dad. He truly is so patient with the boys...he wants to coach each and every team no matter what the sport is and all the parents try to get their kids on his team because he is so amazing. He gets down and plays with the kids, he reads to the kids, he teaches the kids, and he is such a constant example to them. My boys adore their daddy.

Greg, I love you. I can't imagine my life without you!! Thanks for the last 9 years....here's to 99 more!!!!

To: All the slackers

You are all forgiven. I hope no one took me seriously! By the way, every single one of you slackers are hot, skinny, and incredibly divine!!!

From: the unslacker

Shame, Shame I know you name!!

I don't want to call anyone out, Minds, all the Jennies, Rachel, but I seem to notice that, Amber, Amanda, Natalie, no one is commenting on the book club blog, Megan, Kim, Debbie, and I am really wondering, Kellie, Kerri, Sharlynn, why people are not, Renee, Michelle, Devon, chatting it up on the book club for mommies webpage. Did I leave anyone out?? What the freakin heck. What are you telling me....that you all have freakin lives? I don't buy it!! Just kidding. I'll take the opposite approach, "PLEEEEEEEASE, on my knees, I don't tease, go to the book club for mommies!!!!!" I know you will never believe this, but I just made that up this second. I know, freakin amazing!! How I never became something more is just so incredible to me!!! Okay, a special shout out to the only participants on the book club....your beautiful and incredible, did I say skinny friend, BECKY, (there is nothing wrong with boosting your own self esteem), and of course the adorably hot Brooke, The breathtaking Jen, and the incredibly amazing (looking that is)Melani!!! See......, chat on my blog and I give fantastic compliments...who doesn't need that!!!

I'm just so impressed

I just had to share this cute story about Dallin. Yesterday we were sitting on the couch doing Dallin's reading. We were done and I was filling out his paper and he was just laying there and out of the blue he said, "Mom, I am just so impressed." And I so, "Oh, ya, what are you impressed about?" He said, "Everyday I come home and you are showered and ready and the house looks amazing, oh, I am just so so impressed!!" He cracks me up. You had to hear him say it too. He was dead serious!! I immediately picked up the phone to call Greg so that he could instantly have a lesson from his 7 year old son!! I told Greg and he was laughing and he was like, "he did not say that, let me talk to him". So I passed the phone to Dallin and I heard Dallin tell Greg what he had said and then Dallin said, "Hey Mom, what is a brown noser?" Greg is a stinker! He can't let his son just be perfect!!! So, the questions of the day are: 1: How do you train your husband to be like your 7 year old son? 2: How do you maintain that 7 year old son to stay the same on into husband years?

In all seriousness....I love Dallin...oh yea, and Greg's pretty great too!!!! (Even if he lacks some complimenting skills!!)

Kitty Blues

I seriously feel so dang depressed. I made a decision yesterday to call the shelter to come and get the kitties. I felt bad for them. I hadn't seen their mom for like two days and I didn't know whether I should just let them out of the window well or call the shelter. So, finally I told Greg to make the decision for me. He said he thought that would be a miserable life, not having a home and since they are kitties and we live right next to the mountain most likely they would end up hit by a car or some other animals dinner. So , I did it and when I got off the phone I seriously cried. And within 20 minutes a police officer came and picked them up. It happened so fast so I didn't even tell Dallin and Alex that he was at our house, and so when I came back in to tell them I seriously think I cried harder than Dallin. Pathetic. I can't even hold the little kitties because I am so allergic to them but yet I have gotten so fond of them...through my window...ya, like I said, pathetic. Anyways, I thought I was over it until I went out on my front porch tonight and there was the mommy sitting in the bushes meowing. Meow, Meow, Meow. And so the hormonal mommy in me feels bad for the kitty mommy! I feel horrible. I seriously miss them. But, I guess it had to end at some point. They couldn't live in my window well forever!!!! Sad, sad, sad!!! The worst part is that the window well that they were in is too the office and our office has started to stink like poop..(sorry, poop is the only way to describe it)..but when I came in today and smelled the poop it made me miss them. That is when you know you have reached the bottom of the crazy bucket when you miss the kitties because of the smell of their stinkies!!! Ohhhh, K!!!!! Well, we will miss Cookie, Oreo, Spot, and Shadow!!!! I hope that I wll be forgiven for taking them away!!!

Book Club Blog

So, I decided to put together a Book Club Blog. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. "My name is Becky and I am a book nerd." There, I said it. I love a good book. I have always loved reading, but since I became a mom I am a little obsessed. There is something about losing yourself in a book. I love to unwind after the kids have gone to bed and I have been known to slightly place my children at a project (come on, if they are counting or doing ABC's on Backyardigans..that is considered a project) just so I can read my book. But, it has to be a dang good book like Twilight to ignore the children.

Two things good and bad about me.....Bad first: I can read a book and not remember what it was about a month later. Good: I can read a book and not remember what it was about a month later....and so I enjoy it even better the second time. So, I think it would be fun to discuss the book before it is completely erased from my memory. Greg claims I can remember the tiniest details throughout my life... yet I can barely remember what I read yesterday. If I see a picture, I can remember all of the tiniest details from that moment from what we discussed and what we ate and what we did before and after. It doesn't work in Greg's favor when we discuss an earlier..."discussion" or argument. So my point, I may not be the best at leading a discussion, but I figure between all of my future book club blogging friends, I can start to remember what makes a good book,..such a good book.

So, go and visit the blog and since I know that a majority of the people I like have read the first book(s) lets discuss!! Book Club in Session!!!

P.S...everyone is welcome!!!

bookclubformommies.blogspot.com

A time to change!!

Okay, so it is no news to anyone that I am OCD and that I also like change. Greg goes crazy when he comes home and all of the furniture is rearranged, but hey, it is amazing what a new arrangment will do for ya! So, anyways, I have debated changing my blog layout because it erases all of the old stuff, but I think it was time to add new stuff in and take out the old.

So much has happened since I last posted. Where do I start. I guess with the most dramatic thing.

1. THEY LOST COLTON IN NURSERY
So the drama of the week is that on Sunday Greg and I spoke. Everything went pretty good. I was just glad to be done with it. Come on, we move a lot, which means we speak a lot. Can't I just be given the same topic each time??? Anyways, I came home during Sunday School with Colton and my parents to show them my new paint in my Living Room. I went back for Relief Society and decided to try Colton in Alex's nursery since we are still new to the ward, I figured why not try him in with Alex and that way maybe he won't be so scared. Besides, I felt like the women teachers as opposed to the men teachers would pay more attention to him...WRONG! I stayed for about 15 mintues and got him settled and then I stood outside the door for another five minutes just to make sure he didn't cry..he didn't. I headed to RS thinking, yeah, I get to enjoy RS before I head to the Primary next week with my new calling. Well, after RS I lingered for a minute talking to someone and when I came out of RS, there was one of the dads who was helping in nursery. He was just casually standing there and said, "Oh, do you not have Colton?" I say, "no, don't you?" and He said, "Well, he slipped out, but we don't know when he did." So anyone who knows me will know that this is my worst nightmare. I immediately started running towards nursery and the chick in there said, ya, I don't know where he is. So I panicked because church is out...people are leaving..and no one knows us and so who is going to notice him walk out side. My fear, was that he'd end up out side and be hit by a car. I ran down the first hallway, checking bathhrooms, library, classrooms all the way down. Nothing! I ran out to the first parking lot and ran up behind the cars..nothing...I ran back in and that dad is just following me..and when i had passed nursery they had let Alex follow me to...Great! I ran back in and people were telling me good job on my talk and I finally just said really loud, "Please, my baby is lost, I need help finding him". Of course people were looking at me like I just lost my mind....(worse people, it is my one year old) just then, I spotted Greg. I was hoping that he would be with Greg but he wasn't. Greg went running down the opposite hall and Greg isn't hard to freak out but I think he realized how tragic this could turn out. I passed Dallin on my way out of the next door to the parking lot. I left Alex with him, (Thank goodness for my mature Dallin..I love him). I ran into that parking lot in a panic as cars are backing out. No Colton. I ran back in and started heading down the last hallway in the church. As I reached the end of the Hallway, Greg came walking around the corner with Colton. I burst into tears. I felt so stupid but I have never been so thankful and relieved to see my baby boy. I think any mom would have felt the same with any child, but especially with all we went through to get Colton here....I couldn't imagine losing him to something so careless. Anyways, Greg said he walked into that last foyer and Colton was just standing at the doors looking out. When he spotted Greg, Greg said he just put his arms up and gave him a look like, "Where have ya been Dad? I've been looking for ya." Oh, how I love my kids. When I was talking to Dallin later he admitted that I looked like a crazy woman! He said, "I wasn't worried mom, I knew in my heart we'd find him." Oh, how I wish I had that kind of faith!!!

2. KITTIES IN THE WINDOW WELL
So, about two weeks ago I was in the office and I heard a crazy noise on my window. I yelled up to Greg and asked him if the wind was blowing. He said no and so I told him, "Well, then someone is trying to break into our house." He went outside and I heard him yell, "Bec, come here." I went out....hesitant..and there were four little kitties in our window. Well, we have grown to love the kitties..although, we enjoy them through the window because I am SOOO allergic to cats. We had a friend pull one in the other night and begged her dad for it..but just being in my office for ten minutes made my allergies start. I don't want to call the shelter because I know they don't keep them for very long before they put them to sleep and plus, their mommy still comes and feeds them. Crazy though, they were so weird yesterday on Halloween. I was convinced there was a boogy monster...or a cougar, in the bush because all day,...I mean all day, they were freaked out. They stayed in the same spot with their backs up and fur staning on end and hissing all day. Wierd. They are okay today.

3. HALLOWEEN
Halloween was of course great. Greg took the boys out and I spent my first year in 9 years of marriage passing out candy. We are never home on Halloween and I guess we decided it is time to stay home. We had a fun Halloween party last weekend with Gregs family. We played the "How to host a murder party." Greg was a Hollywood Mystery Script Writer and I was a valedictorian turned Soccer mom. I pretty much felt like I shouldn't dress up seeing as though I was valedictorian of my 6th grade class...and spoke at 6th grade graduation...and hello, I am the worlds best soccer mom. Anyways, I of course was the murderer...I knew I would be! We had a blast...thanks Jennie!!!

Okay, so, I will skip the rest! I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Personally, I am looking forward to the upcoming holidays!!!!

The little things do reproduce!

So just an update on the whole bee situation. I stopped by my moms last night to, um, well, to borrow a bra because we were going up to a soccer game and mine broke at dinner and the wire was piercing my armpit and seeing as though we live in the boonies...yeah well anyways the whole bra dilemma could be a post in itself. So on to the bee story. As I opened the door to leave my mom's I saw something quite wierd. I said to my mom, "What in the world is that thing?" It was kind of sitting in one main spot kind of flying back and forth in that main little area in front of her door. Well, to my disgust we finally looked really close and saw that it was two bees hooked together. Yes, they were mating and multiplying right in front of my eyse. Oh, what? You think it is a coincedence. Ridiculous! Those little bees saw me coming and said, "Let's mock that lady and show her that we are procreating and building up our army to attack her." Out of all the times they could have chosen to do that. And right out there in the open...right at the front door when I am leaving!!! My mom and I were laughing so hard. The only advantage of seeing this appauling thing was that I had a free run to my car. They were a little preoccupied!!! Sorry this post was rated PG-28!!!

Who's afraid of the big bad......bee! Um, I am !!

So obviously I have not a lot going on in my life if I decide to blog about one of my biggest fears. The "bee family"...aka, the hornet, the wasp, the bee...anything that chases me and wants to hurt me! I have something to admit, for those who don't know me. Yes, I am afraid of scary people, of monsters, of spiders, of anything that could harm me, but I am terrified of bees. I have found that as I grow older the fear only gets worse. Have I ever been stung you are wondering..??.... No I haven't and maybe that is the fear but the other part of the fear is that bees want my body! I know, sounds pretty vain right, but they freakin want me!

So, my family makes fun of me because of this fear but in the last two years whenever I go to my moms house, a bee immediately is there to greet me. Call it service, but I hate it. No one believed me. My mom finally said, "Look I will go out there and I will prove that there is no bee." So she went out there and stood for like ten minutes walking around her front yard. She comes in and says, "See, no bee" and I say oh yea, I will sacrifice myself and prove it. The second I step out on the front porch...."HELLO, the freakin bee is in my face." I of course embarass her by running like a screaming child back into the house. So point made. Then one day we were laughing about it and my brother and his wife were there and they walked us out to the car. I was sitting with my window rolled down and "wham, the bee comes at me. I swat it away and get my window rolled up. But the bee is now sacrificing himself and ramming into the window. Witnesses were there. No joke we drove off and the bee stayed attached to that window for the entire block. Now a family joke!!!!! Four witnesses..my mom, my dad, my brother, his wife and then of course those who live with me and deal with this fear on a daily basis. Could I have Greg, Dallin, Alex and Colton please stand! Let's give them a hand.

Well, the year passed and I thought, let it snow all year because bees don't bother me in the snow..hopefully they freeze to death..... Well, I must tell you that that stupid bee didn't freeze or he/she passed the obssession onto a relative because once again I am the only one at that house who is being attacked! Greg and my mom had to convince me to come to the car last week because I so maturely ran screaming back into my moms house when the bee found me. Sad, when your children have to say, "Mom just say Shew!" Glad it works for them but it doesn't work for me. So, why do we have bees...oh, I think we have some honey fans out there...not I. I hate honey. I was in total shock when I read in the newspaper that there was a shortage of bees. Boo hoo, who freakin cares. I seriously wouldn't care a bit. Greg says that honey is Gods candy. What? Now if those bees were poppin out hot tamales or swedish fish then I could handle an obsessed bee here and there but not for honey. I refuse to lay down and be stung for honey. I have decided that I must just smell really sweet because maybe some of my high school friends will remember Fred. Oh, "who is that" I here? That was only my pet fruit fly. He took up residence in my space. I swear wherever I went, Fred came too which is why I finally named him. It was quite annoying at first, but I came to realize that Fred didn't sting our bite and that whenever I was talking to myself and someone caught me that I could say I was just a talkin to Fred. Fred still visits every now and then but I think he is terrified of the bee and keeps his distance.

I have been known, although, I will deny it if authorities came a knockin, to leave my small children in their carseats at Costco,...in the parking lot,...while I have been running from attacking bees. I did come to my senses and realized that the poor innocent child...with a feeding tube...was probably also being attacked by the bees. So I sacrified and chased those mean bees away and got my children safely in the car while the bees were still attacking me. When I finally got in the car... I realized that I left my coke on the front hood of the car. You know it is a fear when you are willing to leave the coke on the hood of the car and just drive away and watch as it falls off. If anyone else has noticed, Costco is not only popular with humans but also with bees. Seriously..look around next time you are there.

So, small creatures like me. Some may say it is because I stink, but then you don't know me very well and the fact that I have an obsession with deo. and smelling good. So, for all of those who make fun of me day after day about being terrified of bees..don't come to my funeral when I die from a bee sting!!!

The new hut!!!

I only have these photos so far of the house. Notice the yard....Greg keeps an immaculate yard...so this yard will work Greg for a little while. I guess we have grubs...I know, sounds like a personal problem. The picture of the mountain is the gorgeous view I see out my front window everyday. Yesterday there was the first real fall storm and the mountains were amazing. The clouds were floating right on by us and the mountains had snow at the tip top and the leaves are so beautiful right now! We are loving it!!! As soon as I get all my painting and things done on the inside of the house then I will send pictures....for anyone who doesn't know me...I always have to paint to my style in each of my houses! I found this awesome color in my last house and I can't wait to use it again in this new house!!! For anyone with painting ideas that you have seen...pass them on!!!

The New House

Back to life..back to reality!!!

Yeah, the move is over and I survived. We have been in our home now for a week and we are loving it!! The move went pretty smoothly and we were so grateful to those who helped us...even complete strangers!! It is always amazing to me to see who offers to help and who doesn't!! Bless those who helped!! We have a considerable amount of crap and I say crap because 60% of it is in bins and boxes and just gets moved with us everytime. Okay, so I am exaggerating...slightly. I feel like I can finally settle in. I am one who comes and immediately sets up and hangs up pictures. I can't relax until it is all done and so by Friday I had every thing put away and all of my pictures hung. come on..just pat me on the back...I am obviously very proud of myself! Although, I never said it looked good..it just is done.

We haven't missed our last home for even a second. Not that this one is that much nicer,..but our last one was ....let's just say, lived in. The people before us used it well and you don't realize that when you only walk through it two times. This one was owned by one of my kind....the "OCD" kind. I was so happy to come and find an immaculate home to move into. Even when we built a home it was a monster to clean because there was sawdust and building crap. We definetly miss our good friends from the old neighborhood, but hopefully we will always be good friends. Dallin is having withdrawals from Tanner but he makes friends quickly and already told me that he is the boss of their club at the new school.... GREAT..the bossy kind!! Although, he said he is appointing a new boss today...sure!!! We love the area that we are in. Greg says it is like camping every day...my kind of camping..running water, nice beds, I'll take it! We do have a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and I love it. The wind does blow...hard...but only from 10 p.m-10a.m.. I can live with that!

Well, that is the update on our family. When I get a second I will take some pictures and post them! Thanks for all of the love and support through this whole move!!!!!

Whoops!!

For those of you who watched the movie earlier...I didn't mean to have my parents star in the movie!!!! Although, they do have some pretty hot dance moves....Greg and I are now featured!!!!

TOP TEN REASONS I AM READY FOR THIS MOVE TO BE OVER!!!!

1. No more driving three hours a day just for Dallin to go to school! (that is with no traffic my friends!!!)
2. That means I am done packing!!
3. I can actually check my blog without feeling like I am GI Joe'n it into the office so no one can see me.....there's too much to get done.
4. Greg can stop checking into mental hospitals...deciding where to place me!!
5. No more 30 + relatives of the family buying our house coming and just chillin' in the house!! It will finally be theirs!!!
6. My children will actually get attention....from me....not just from the television.
7. I won't ever have to use that stupid tape dispenser that I swear is going to kill me every time I try to tape up a box. (well, not for another year or so...when we move again....j/k) Seriously...just kidding!
8. Maybe I can pack up the potty mouth that comes with moving!!??!!! maybe? Oh, come on...don't give me that....it happens to everyone.......RiGhT????
9. A shower sounds nice!!! Well, okay, I shower but not until late at night...I'd like to look like Greg's wife and not like the moving lady..short of coveralls.
10. I can finally have this Coke IV taken out. Seriously if it is a steady stream of coke doesn't that still count as having only "one" coke a day.???!!!! (shhhh, don't tell Greg!!)

The whole family came in town for my mom's 60th birthday!!!

Fishy lips anyone????

Okay, so who doesn't like fishy kisses!! Personally my favorite!!! The kids and I went a little crazy with the camera yesterday. I let Dallin take the one of me with Colton and then I....yes oh yes...I took the one of Dallin, Alex, and Me doing fishy lips....Talent I know!!!!

Finally, a picture in my post!!!!

Yeah, I just finally figured out how to add a picture to my post! Sad, I know. It has taken me all of this time to do that. I never understood how people were figuring it out. Sad, but it only took a couple of months....it could be worse. Here is the latest picture of the boys!!! I know, the youngest two are laughing but I will take it over crying. I can actually hear Alex laughing when I look at this picture!!!!! Oh, how I love my boys!!!!!!

I've been tagged and you are...not.....it!!!!!

1. How did you meet your spouse?

Well, let's just say he fell madly in love with me when he saw me and okay, well I was inlove with him since like the sixth grade!!!! He finally noticed me and the fairytale continued!
2. What can you live without?
Um, seriously??? Body Odor, fish, and kids puke!!!
3. 3 Favorite Books
Well, I love to read and Greg can sit and talk to me and I truly just don't hear him. I love the Harry Potter series and I of course love the Twilight series and anything Nicholas Sparks!!!!
4. Who was your first kiss?
Shhhh, it was Greg!!!! (that's what I told him!!!j/k) No one before Greg is worth mentioning!
5. What was your favorite subject in school?
Does T.A in the boys weight lifting class count?
6. What is your favorite memory?
Size 2, size 4, and size 32 B!!!
7. What do you do to get ready for bed?
Um, climb in???!!!!!
8. How do you show affection? Gifts? Service? Emotion?
All three...if Greg brings me Gifts I show him service and give him a little "sumthin, sumthin" and then we are both happy...that is emotion right?
9. Random facts that make you you!
I am paranoid and terrified of everything. If something can go wrong I will think of it. I love candy. I am just a home body and would rather just be home with my hubbie and kids. I hate a dirty house. I will eat chicken but I hate to cook it. I always think someone is following me in my car...and so I drive around like a crazy woman making all these turns until the car stops following me....or goes in the direction they were intending to in the first place. There is nothing I love more than being a mom!!!!
10. How did you know you were in love?
When I didn't want to leave Greg's side and I couldn't stop thinking about him. I knew I was in love but after a missionary came home and Greg and I broke up, I went out with the "mish" and I told him to take me home after like 2 hours and I went and found Greg...I knew I was in love!!!!

Dallin is so cute!

So, we were driving in the car today and Dallin asked if we were going to have a baby and I said, "gee, Dal, I just don't know if we can" He than got frustrated and said, "But you said if we prayed really hard than we could maybe have one." I said that that was true and that we just didn't know at this point, and he so innocently said, "Mom, I will do the praying and you and dad can do the kissssing!" Okay, problem solved!!!!! I wish it was just that easy!!!

Doctor, Doctor!!!!

Okay, just a little update for my blog! Greg and I went and sat down with our perinatologist (spelling?) today. It was fun to see everyone at the hospital and to catch up. We haven't gone in for over six months and sadly it is fun to see those people even though our relationship with them was through a stressful two pregnancies....they seem like family. After all the catching up we got down to business and pretty much were told what we already knew...the risks and the possibilities that could go wrong with another pregnancy. I think they think I am just crazy but they said it is possible....JUST DON'T HAVE TWINS! I guess they just worked with twins and it didn't turn out great!! That is so sad!!! So the ball is in our court. Is it worth the risk? I guess all I want to do is make the right decision. I would hate to selfishly want another baby but then have something go wrong and me not be able to raise the three that I already have. Sounds easy right??? DON'T HAVE ANYMORE!!... but how do you get rid of the nagging feeling???? The doctor said that if the baby needed the transfusion before 23 weeks than it wouldn't be possible because the ambilical cord is tiny and you just can't get the needle in there to give them blood. There is a procedure where they inject blood right into the belly of the baby and the baby will actually absorb...hopefully....some of the blood and hopefully enough to get them to that 23-25 week period. Another scary thing is that if the baby needs the transfusion at 23 weeks and the heart rate goes down they will just let the baby die because of the complications a 23 weeker would have. AHHHHH, I am so stressed already and I really don't know if I can do this as I think about all of the risks which are to many to mention....but if we were so lucky to get another baby that ends up being okay, than it is worth the price. The hopeful thing is that the antigens that Greg carries are hetero...which means there is a 50/50 chance that the baby will even get the antigens....so prayers, prayers, prayers and a lot of faith that if we move forward that a miracle can happen and the baby wouldn't even be affected. We are really rare though because it is rare to have 1 antigen...let alone 3.....but the really bad one is the Duffy antigen and it has a 50/50 chance.....50/50 is good odds...except that all 3 of our boys have gotten Duffy each time. Okay, i am probably not even making sense. It makes sense to me because I know this disease probably as well as my doctor. So sorry if it is confusing. Brief description. Greg has 3 antigens that he passed onto my boys. He is normal...I think....it took just the right two people to have a reaction. I am negative for the antigens but at some point in my first pregnancy my blood crossed with Dallin's and so my body built up antibodies like it would when you have a disease. So with each pregnancy my antibody count gets higher and thinks the baby is a disease and destroys the babies blood making the baby enemic resulting in blood transfusion to the baby before they are born. There are only 2% of the nation that can donate blood to the baby...and of that 2% who really donates. Transfusions are very risky but we have an amazing team of doctors!!!! They do brain scans on the baby throughout the whole pregnancy sometimes 2-3 times a week and the flow of the blood in the babies brain will tell them if he is anemic and if we need to do a blood transfusion. (it's a little more detailed than that but you get the point) And why am I thinking about going through this again.....I think because I love my babies and they are worth it!!! The fact that I have 3 little boys who are healthy is an absolute miracle.....so why lose my faith now? I will keep an update!!!! Sorry if that is boring.

Well, with that said, Dallin turned 7 yesterday and Alex turned 3 today! I can't even tell you how much I love my boys. Dallin is so mature for his age. He has always been so grown up. He is my little helper and my little buddy. I can laugh so hard with him and we have such a good time together. He has such a sweet spirit and amazes me at how intouch he is with the spirit. His questions and he love for the church are absolutely incredible. I am glad he is my first. Alex cracks me up. He is a little ball of energy and love! There is nothing like fishy kissies from Alex. He and Dallin both are obsessed with sports(which makes dad happy) and Alex has a special love for baseball. He is dang good at it too. If we are watching T.V. and we come across a baseball game we have to watch it. He is so cute with his brothers and every morning when they wake up it is like a reunion all over again. He just hugs his brothers and kisses them like they haven't seen each other for years. I love it. He is so cute because he has such a hard time talking but he has made up his own sign language that we love to try and figure out! I love my boys and I AM the luckiest mom in the world.

Well, I have doubled my blog page by now so I better head to bed!!!

Summer is almost over!

We just got back from our last family trip of the summer and it is clear that summer is about to end. We are starting to pack for the move and I know the rest of summer days is dedicated to packing! I have mixed feelings because I am kind of craving fall days (which is my favorite by the way) but it seems like when school starts our lives just fly by.

Our last trip was of course to the Grace fair and rodeo. We go every year and we just have a ball. It was a little different this year with Greg's Great Grandma not being there ( she just passed in June). She was so independent even at 103 that she insisted in living in a nice little trailer next to Greg's grandma's house. Grace was all about seeing Great-Grandma one last time (which we thought the last time was everytime we went in the past ten years) and Grandma's amazing food. Oh, yeah and the fair and rodeo are awesome too. There is nothing like a Grace parade. On friday night they go up the street and turn around and come back down the street and then they do the same parade on Saturday night too! We laugh but it is so much fun for the kids because they collect bags full of candy and feast on it the whole weekend. There is nothing like being in a small town. The girls even went walking/running in the mornings and it was beautiful and peaceful except for the potato pickers whistling and hollering!!!! Greg's grandma is so amazing and giving and she just makes our stay so amazing!!!!

Life is good. We are meeting with our baby specialist this Friday to "discuss" our future with any more babies. We already know that 10 out 10 doctors say we are crazy to even think about another one but our specialist said we can sit down and talk and that if we are on board that he is too! I think I may be crazy to even contemplate another baby. My only fear is me dying and giving up my opportunity to raise my boys. The chances of that are actually fairly high but I think if they are ready for me each time we do the interuterine blood transfusions than we will be okay. The chances of the baby actually making it to 26 weeks in order to do the transfusion is pretty slim too but our doctor said he just performed a transfusion on a set of twins at 23 weeks and that it was successful and they got the babies to 27 weeks before they were born. That is the earliest they have ever done a transfusion. Colton needed one at 23 weeks but they refused to do it until 26 weeks and at 26 weeks they couldn't believe he was alive...he had had a stroke but he was alive and they were able to transfuse him three more times up until 33 weeks before he was born and then he had five after he was born. Anyways...I am just rambling but I guess my point is that we need the prayers if we are going to go forward!!!! I completely have faith that things will work out the way they are supposed too!!!

Well, I am slacking and I need to be packing...oh that rhymed and I didn't even mean it!!! See ya!!!!

New Pictures

Sorry, I had a lot of pictures stored up to put on the blog. I have like 300 more where these came from but I decided just to put a few on. Things are good. All the papers are signed for the house and we'll move in the beginning of September. I am really getting excited and now I can just start planning everything I want to do with the new house. I actually deep down like this because I love redoing rooms and seeing what they look like afterwards. I will post pictures when we move!!!!

Is overanalyzing a disease???

I swear, this should be a happy day! We just sold our house! Quick and easy! I don't know why I ever stress, we always sell..(knock on wood) There are ten houses just on our street that are for sale and we sold ours first! I should be happy right??? Well, wrong, I am overthinking, overanalyzing, overfreakin out!! Is it such a bad thing that all I want to do is make the right decision?? Some may call it a disease....I call it being righteous! j/k I just don't want to make a mistake and regret it later. I think I need some anxiety pills........seriously. I think I layed in bed last night thinking of everything that could go wrong,...from the big things of the house blowing down from the canyon wind, to the tragics of my children being hurt at different peoples houses. I don't even know these people but I have already dreamt up situations in my head of what could go wrong. I am also sad to leave some of my friends in this neighborhood. We have only been here a year but I have made a couple of really good friends and Dallin has made so many good friends they would be hard to replace. I hope what we are doing is right. We are moving next to Greg's brother Jeff and hopefully that will be a good experience. We spent two weeks together 24/7 and we had a party, so I think it will be fine. Best part is that the ward bouderies split right between our houses so we will be next to each other but in different wards....I think that is Great!!!! I think I am talking myself through this.....I felt that if the house sold than it was the right move and if it didn't than I was fine to stay...pretty logical right???

I thought Dallin would cry when I told him it sold...and I was right, he did, but not for the reason I thought he would. Last year we moved on his birthday and we are scheduled to move around the same time and so Greg and I were comforting him and we said, what are you sad about? And he said, "I want to have a birthday party!" Stinker...true kid for ya!!

So, I may be in and out for the next month while I try to pack my house. I am just a little OCD and was so organized on our last move. I had everything packed and labeled with what was in it and what room in needed to be taken to and then everything was ready to go right in the family room so people weren't having to go find things throughout the house. People commented on how much faster it went...but yeah, do you know how much time that took....let's just say I am busy for the next couple of weeks before we move. I am actually really excited. I will miss a lot of things about this house and my friends but, I think we will love our new home and hopefully like always, we will find some great people to be friends with. We ought to know all of the County pretty soon! This will be our sixth move in nine years!!! Yes, we are crazy!!!

Drama at the swimming pool!!!

So I have a crazy story. Maybe it is just crazy to me....but I feel like it was right time at the right place. So on Wednesday, I went back and forth trying to decide if I was going to take the kids swimming or not because the air was horrible from the fire. Anyways, I decided that we would go for an hour and that if no one else was there that we were turning around and coming home because I didn't want to be the only abusive parents out in the smog...or whatever it was. So I drove over to the pool, and it was packed. I have never seen it that packed with cars. Well, I drove into the parking lot and there was a truck trying to park in a spot, well I guess she decided that the spot was too small and so she backed out and drove away. I was excited and so I went to go pull in there but realized that the butt of my van was sticking out. I turned around and saw that there was another parking spot on the end so I thought, PERFECT...but I noticed that the truck was turning around and was heading for the spot...so I decided to try and park again in this same spot and see if I couldn't pull up farther. It didn't work and so I backed my car out to go and drive around the parking lot to find another spot, only when I turned my car around I noticed that that truck had tried to pull into that spot but had hit the car next to her and was pulling forward and hitting it and then backing up and hitting it, over and over. I couldn't believe it. We were right by the exit so I pulled my car into the exit and got out of the car to go help. I told the girl to stop and that I would help her pull out. I told her to turn her wheel straight and after much help she finally got out enough so I could look at the damage. She got out of her car and came around and said, "I didn't do that" and I said, "yes you did" and she said, "I didn't feel myself do it" and asked her if she really couldn't feel herself hitting this car over and over and she said that she just knew that she couldn't get her car to move enough to park. (Her car was also damaged). Anyways I told her that she needed to find out whose car this was and that she needed to leave a note while she ran inside to call the cops and find out whose car it was. She was like, "I didn't mean to" and I said I know you didn't but if this was my car and you didn't fix what you did then I would be really mad. I asked her if she just got her driver's liscense because I couldn't believe her driving skills. She told me she has had it for awhile...(by the way, she had on a Orem tigers shirt....that explains it). Anyways I told her to repark her car and leave the note and run in. So she goes to park the car and freakin runs into the car again!!!!! Holy crap! I ran around to her side because she wasn't turning her wheel right and she was like, "Do you want to park it???" He-- no!!! I was not getting blamed for her wreck so I said, no way, I am not getting in there, just listen to me and I will help y0u. Needless to say she parked and headed in. I drove to the other side far away from her truck because I wasn't getting hit by her..the girl obviously pulled one over on her driving instructor. It is one thing to hit a car and then it is another to hit a car over and over and over and claim not to feel it. So I decided that I probably should have gotten her liscense plate but I wasn't hiking back down there with my kids. So I went to the front desk and told them what I had seen and told them the descriptions of both of the cars and I left my name and number just in case the victim needed anything answered and I told the girls to go out there and write down both of the liscense numbers. They said they would....hah! Well, I decided to just go ahead and go in but I was so bugged by the whole thing because....the girl wasn't at the front desk. They said she had asked to go in to find her sister. When I was walking through the locker room I passed her and her sister on their way out. I heard the girl say..."it wasn't my fault". But, I didn't say anything. I walked around the corner out to the pool and I saw one of my friends from my old ward. We were in the same ward and her husband was Greg's first counselor in the Elder's Quorum and they really are just amazing people. They had tried to have a baby for seven years and finally they just had one and he is 7 months old so it was fun to see him and catch up with her for a minute. She was on her way out. Well, I went to go walk away and I said, "By the way....what kind of car do you drive?????" I about died when she said,,,,"A subaru outback" I said, "What color was it and where did you park it?" Yep, you guessed it. It was her car!!!! Is that crazy. With all of the other people there at the swimming pool and the first person I see when I walk in is her and she was just leaving,....if it had been a few seconds different I never would had seen her. Well, I told her that I just saw her car get hit and that I saw the girl heading out there and so I put my stuff down and followed her out to go talk to them. By the time we got out there the girl and her sister were heading back inside. I told her that that was them and so she said, "Hey did you just have an accident?" and the sister goes.."No, she just left a little scratch on someone's car" (a little scratch?? Where is the honesty?) and Brancy said." that would be my car". Well, I figured she had it from there and I went back inside. Well, I called her later and she said the girls fessed up and called their mom..(By the way the sister was like in her late 30's, you'd think she'd be more responsible" They got their insuranse information and Brancy left. She should have called the cops though because the insurance called Brancy today and said that the family will not return any of the phone calls and that if they don't talk to them and they don't fess up then State Farm refuses to pay for her car to get fixed. By the way, Brancy had just made her 2nd car payment on the car that morning. It is her word against theirs!!! Stupid people. So Scott? Any advice for them? Since I witnessed the whole thing, could I do anything??? As wierd as it was that it was me and that it was Brancy's car....would anyone even believe that story?????? That we knew each other and I just happened to run into her and ask her what car she drove...I know all very wierd. It brings meaning to the talk by Elder Bednard about "tender mercies". Anyways. I can't believe some people. I totally believe in being at the right place at the right time, even when it deals with something as simple as a small car accident. CRAZY!!!!

Well, that about sums up my life at the moment. We just do the same old same old each morning and then it is off to the pool. I am going to feel like the pool detective each time and you know that I am parking in no man's land from now on. I always make fun of Greg because we have to hike into any store we go to. Don't want anyone to hit the "minivan"!!! It will look pretty funny wearing my hiking boots with my swimming suit!!! Stop, don't visualize it...or if you do visualize it with me about thirty...okay, fourty pounds lighter!!!

I have pictures to download but....we are off to the pool so I will do it later!!! Chow!!!

Celebrate good time, Whoo-hoo!!!!

I did it.....I really did it!!! I went and I survived and I am actually happy that I went!!!! Okay, so what am I talking about?? My "sweet" 10 year high school reunion that I swore up and down that I would never attend, due to my "sweet" ten years later hot body!!! So , here's the story. I had just decided that due to my own insecurities that I would be better off just not going to my reunion only to feel worse about myself. I even decided not to get my hair colored because I knew myself and that it would keep me from going...Ha! Wrong. I never know what I am going to do. Well, I went to lunch with my fabulous friends..(shout out to Megan, Kim, Michelle, Melinda (aka "Mindy"),Annie, Jen, and Devon). We of course missed those who weren't able to make it! Needless to say, just as I thought, I had so much fun seeing them and being with them. Before long, I was feeling a little bit of regret that I wasn't going to the reunion. Just a little bit, until Kim said she'd go if I went. AHHH, I can't handle that kind of pressure. I went back and forth in my mind and told Kim to call me later. Well, .....I went and I only have a couple of regrets....first, that I didn't just decide to go in the first place and go with blonde roots rather than brown and gray, and that I didn't take the opportunity to need, I said NEED a new outfit, and biggest regret is that Greg wasn't there with me. Greg is my life and I would have loved to "show him off" to all the schoolers of the past!!! But, really I had a fun time and it was great seeing 97% of the people and the best part is that I don't have to return to school on Monday and find out that someone said I glared at them or that someone thought I was fat or that someone wanted to beat me up,ect. What a good feeling. No, really the best part was catching up with people and then coming home and kissing each of my boys before I headed for bed. I have the life!!! I will say, without Greg I felt a little like a teenager again, coming in after midnight. I had a blast going to Melinda's afterwards. I just kept giggling over absolutely nothing. I truly don't know why I was laughing half of the time. It could have been the allergic reaction to her cats. Maybe that is a side affect. I knew I was allergic to cats but I never realized what could actually happen with a full fledged reaction. But, sadly I had so much fun that I didn't want to leave until all the fun was had!!!! In the end, my biggest regret is that I can't just be confident with who I am. I don't know why I do it, but I point out all of my flaws to everyone. I guess I do it so that no one else does it before me or I guess so that other people know that I know what is wrong with me. I have always been that way....but I am working on it. My friends were right.....I did have a wonderful time and I would have regretted it if I didn't go....so thank you to those who convinced me into going!!! I felt like no time had passed....ten years is a long time and now I have ten years to get that tummy tuck (and maybe a lift...if you catch my drift) before I have to see all of those people again! Go Bruins!!!!

Who wants to be a cowboy anyways

This blog is in dedication to my sweet little Dallin who has just finished his last year of riding the sheep. Yes, the sheep...once more...the sheep. I know, I am paranoid and I let originally my four year old get on the back of a sheep...not just a sheep...a moving sheep. I don't know what ever possessed me except the fact the Dallin was wanting to so bad and I thought in the past I had laughed along with everyone else while these cute little kids came trotting out on these sheep, slipping to the side until BOOM they hit the ground. Not so funny when it's your kid hitting the ground. I remember the first time Dallin rode the sheep. It didn't help that when they announced Dallin and his age everyone around me seemed to gasp because how young he was...I shrunk and pretended like it was someone else's kid. No, just kidding I cheered and tried to videotape the whole thing. Problem being that I was shaking so bad that you could barely see what was going on. He did great but he didn't win the trophy or the prize. He was disappointed but still had the rush of riding on a sheep. Last year he was more determined to win the trophy. This time I sent the video camera with Greg because I thought he would be able to get a perfect shot right down there in the shoot or whatever you call it. It was perfect, he had a nice shot of Dallin getting ready to ride his sheep....one problem. Greg followed Dallin with his eyes and not the camera. We do see Dallin take off and then he disappears at the top of the camera. We laughed and laughed. What a funny, typical, Greg story. Well, this year was different. Dallin was older and very determined to win it all. He thought that there was a $100 prize if he won and he kept saying, I am going to win and I am going to give the money to my mom and dad so they are not poor anymore. Ahhh, what a sweetheart...if only $100 made us not poor....dang wouldn't that be nice. Needless to say, Dallin didn't win and to make it even more crummy,....the sheep stepped on his "whoo-hoo". Poor guy. He cried and cried when he saw his beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, mommy...which is me of course!!! ( I'll always take a confidence booster even if it comes directly from....ME!) I love him and I am so proud that he would even have the courage to ride the sheep. So here's to Dallin, my courageous, brave, and strong son!!!! Yee-haw....(let's hope the rodeo'in is out of his system)

Other than that, life is great...it is summer days by the pool and summer nights by my hunk...okay, okay, even I am puking over that one. No really I just love summer. I love being with my kids and I seem to want to eat healthier and excercise more. I said I seem to want to...I didn't say I am actually doing it. It is the thought that counts...right??? The one problem with summer is that it goes to quickly and then a new school year comes and it goes so fast and before I know it, my kids are another year older and life only gets faster. Sad...I love the stage that I am in. I have never been so satisfied and happy with my life. I am so content and comfortable with the life Greg and I have made for ourselves. I am so blessed. Anyways, enough of the soap box...time for Dallin's baseball game!! Did I mention he is the best little player on his team....he get's it definetly from............................................................................Greg, ofcourse!!!! Tootles!!

Home Sweet Home

Yeah, we are home. I always love coming home and of course it is nice to come home to a clean house even if it is overtaken by laundry in the first five minutes. We had an absolute blast though! We stayed at a great hotel. I was so happy when we drove up. I had booked it on priceline and after our hotel in Phoenix, I was a little worried, but yeah, it was great. It was nice to actually have a maid come in everyday to clean the room. We were in Phoenix from Sunday until Saturday and the maid came in once! We went to the beach on Monday and that was great. The boys had so much fun. We then did Disneyland for three days. I have never seen it so busy in my life. The average wait was 1 hour at least and the new Nemo ride was a 3 1/2 hour wait. We obviously decided we would have to try Nemo on another trip. The boys loved every second of it. In fact in church today, Alex was looking through a hymn book. He was trying to tell Greg something and Greg wasn't understanding so Greg sent him down to me. He was looking at the picture on the front of the book saying, "See, there is Mickey's house." We went with Jeff and Kerri and we had so much fun. I was so glad they were there because we were able to trade off and do stroller passes and the boys loved having Cooper there. It was fun to see the kids having somuch fun and of course the kids all walked away with all pirate stuff. The funniest was when Colton saw Mickey Mouse. I don't know why but he went crazy when he saw him. He just started jabbering away at Mickey and trying to hug him and kiss him. He was in awe of him. He didn't do that with any other character. It was funny to see. We had thought about either going to Sea World Friday- Sunday or going to Las Vegas, but we have been gone since May 31st and so we decided to make the trek home on Friday. It was long but it was nice to have Saturday and Sunday to recover. There is no place like home!!!!!

Just a shout out to the wonderful men in my life. I am so grateful to my dad and the man that he is. He is such a wonderful person and an amazing example to me. I am also grateful for my father in law.....he is wonderful and raised an amazing son. Which brings me to Greg!!! I love him with all my heart. He is such a good dad and I think my boys are so lucky to have him as their example. Happy Father's Day!!!!!

We have a busy week ahead. Dallin has swimming lessons and on Thursday he gets to ride the sheep at the P.G. rodeo and Alex has two days of speech testing this week plus his speech pathologist and his occupational therapist coming!!! Oh, and Dallin has baseball too!!! And it is the Manti Pageant...mine and Greg's famous first date and Greg has inservice this week so we will not be seeing much of him!!! Back to life!!!!!! It feels nice!!!!!

I will Survive!!!

Just have a few minutes to write. I am sitting on our hotel bed in the lovely Aneheim. I can see Disneyland right outside my window. It is wonderful. We went to Huntington beach today and it was great although when we got home I found sand in places I never thought it could venture. It was great. The boys just had so much fun. We actually got a picture of all of the boys buried in the sand. Yes, even Colton. We just sat him up and actually when we pulled him out he cried because he loved being in it. He was covered completely in the sand.

Life has been absolutely crazy the past week. We went up to Grandma Smith's funeral and that was great...well as great as a funeral can be...but hello, she was 103 and wanted to die so bad, so it wasn't like your normal funeral, it was mostly a happy day because we know she is happy. Well, Sunday we drove all night and got to Phoenix around 9:00. I really would have liked to turn around and come home because the "motel" that the EFY program had us staying in was beyond belief. I have never in my life been so scared in my life. I will just summarize by what I saw just outside my "motel" door: A homeless person going through my trash...right outside my door, prositutes....using the room right below us, a man being arrested...right outside my door, a drug deal going down,..right outside my door, two drunk men, naked,...okay, topless hanging over our balcony....two doors down,..more naked men barbequing in the parking lot,..right outside my door, a domestic arugment...beating is a better description..right outside my door, and may more interesting occurances happening right outside my door. To top it off one of the counselors at EFY was kind enough to share with us his story. You see about four months ago he decided that he would go out and take a walk. It was about 9:00 at night and he lived just a few block from hotel, supposevly in a little nicer area that what we were in and he said a car approached him and he thought they were stopping for directions until he noticed the back door open and a gun. At that point he started to run and was shot in the leg...yes he was shot. Just a nice looking guy. He ran to the neighbors house and rather than taking a chance with the door being locked he rolled under the truck in the drive way and proceeded to call the police. He then heard the car speed off. The officers later told him that he was so lucky because they found the empty shell on the ground and than another round on the ground. They think after that first shot that the gun got jammed. We even got to see the pictures of his leg. Crazy. We were lucky enough during the day to go and swim at some of our friends house who live in Mesa. It was a thirty minute drive each way but it was worth it. We are so thankful to the Lathams for being so nice to us. We really had a nice time when we were spending the time at EFY. Greg of course did amazing and the kids adored him. It was so nice because on Friday it was my birthday and he had told the kids without me knowing that it was my birthday and how wonderful they would be to write me a note, so on Friday I went to listen to his talk in the morning and all of the kids and counselors brought me birthday cards and notes. It was so much fun and they sang to me before Greg gave his talk. I of course, being me, actually loved the attention. It was also nice to have Greg's brother Jeff here and his wife Kerri. We have had so much fun together and the party has just started because we are going to be in Disneyland for the next three days. Yeah. We also got to spend the weekend with Greg's uncle Fred. It was so much fun to be with him and so nice to be in his beautiful home...especially after living in the hood for a week. Ahhh, vacation is nice.

Well, I better rest these beautiful eyes of mine j/k, because the kids won't care if I am tired tomorrow...hello we are in Disneyland!!!! I will write more when I get home!!!

I'm Tired!!!!

Okay, I just have to vent for a minute for my sanity. I hate getting ready for trips. I always like leave a clean house, which makes no sense because you just come home and drag all the luggage through and within a matter of two mintues tops your clean house is now a dirty house. I really think I have sat for three mintues today and I still have packing to do for our Grace Idaho trip and for our Phoenix trip. AHHHHH! I am so tired.

I am on the other hand very happy. I know it doesn't matter in Kindergaten but Dallin did another amazing job on his report card. I am such a proud mom and it is so much fun to watch him learn and grow. I can't believe he is reading....next thing to work on.....get him to like reading!!!!! He also had a coach pitch game last night and not only did you hit a home run, it was a grand slam!!! He has done so well with coach pitch and Dallin and his buddy Tanner are the only Kindergarteners on the team, the rest are in First and Second grade. What can I say, I am a proud mom. Let's just say he didn't get any of it from me. If he was out there picking the flowers and doing cart wheels then I would say he got it from me....I am a little worried that that might be Alex. Just kidding, we set up t-ball for him at the game last night and people kept commenting on how far he could hit it and then when he'd throw the ball back to Greg he has an arm. Once again....not my genes!!!!

Wow, I am starting to feel better already. Now, I need a nice big Coke to seal the deal!!!!

Chow!

Wow it really works

Well, I can't believe it! It works. All this time I didn't think that my blogging page worked and I was looking at Jen's and saw all the people she had hooked to hers and so I got on and started looking at everyones. well, I decided to attempt it again and it said I already had one and so you can imagine my surprise when I saw that people actually got on my blogging page. Yeah,...I am starting something new and it worked. See Greg and I are a match made in heaven except for the fact that neither of us can fix anything or figure anything out on our own and that makes for a sad mix. Take for instance our swing set....could have been a good reason to maybe divorce...just kidding...but it has been almost put together for two months. We spent a Saturday doing it and we got it almost put together and decided it was either stop putting it together and finish later and still be ...you know...."inlove" or keep going and yeah...well.

Life is good. My little Dallin finishes kindergaten tomorrow. I think I will have a harder time with first grade since he will be gone all day. I can't even believe how fast time flies. My babies are growing up. Where does the time go? I am started to recall memories of my mom and her friends from when I was little and I can really relate to her. I always thought my mom was so old when I was younger but she wasn't. I am sure that is what my kids think of me...although I am a goofy mother. I think they think I am just a little strange sometimes when I turn on the music and dance around the house. Let's face it... I will always be a little goofy. I will do things with the boys and then they will do it infront of others and people will say.."oh, that is something Greg would do.." That's funny since I just taught them to do it....(I say in my head) All though, Greg and I are two peas in a pod. I know what he is going to say even before he says it. We definetly share a brain.

We are getting ready to head out for two weeks. This is Greg's third year directing EFY and we are heading down to Phoenix to do an EFY there this week. Greg's brother Jeff is going to be one of the speakers and so that well be fun. We are then heading over to Disneyland for a week after that. I am dreading the driving. Greg's sweet great grandma just passed away on Memorial day and so we are heading up to Idaho for the funeral and then heading straight down to Idaho. Hello, 17 hours of driving with three little boys! Crazy. I am just glad she died before we left because Greg would die if he couldn't go to the funeral. She was one of the most amazing women. She would have been 104 years old in August and her husband died when she was around 50 and she has been so ready to die for so long. She has always wanted Greg to sing at her funeral and so there is no way we could have missed it.

Well, I better start doing something!

Give it a try

Okay, I am going to give this whole blogging thing a try. Since becoming a mom I have become not so hot on the computer, but I think it might be fun. Life is great and i love being a mom. Dallin is now six, Alex is two, and Colton is now one. I can hardly believe how fast time flies. It scares me that it goes by so fast. I love every second....okay almost every second of motherhood. I just potty trained Alex and I kept putting it off because I dreaded that whole "germs in the bathroom" thing and it actually has worked out great. He hasn't had one accident, even through the night. I really can't complain because so far, out of two potty training experiences, they both have gone great. I just have to get over the whole germs thing and I think we will be okay. Right now, as I am trying to type, Colton is screaming because Alex is trying to give him a blessing. Poor Colton. He has been sick and so Greg gave him a blessing and now Alex follows him around everywhere trying to give him a blessing. Atleast he's trying to be righteous.

We are trying to work on our yard. The yard in this new house is awful. I think the previous owners planted a billion flower beds...huge flower beds with a billion plants.....ugly plants...and then they never weeded for about seven years. It is killing us because we had just finished our yard in our last house, just last summer and it looked so nice and was so much work. It is sad starting over again. We spend hours out in the yard and it doesn't even look like we touched it. I guess I shouldn't complain...if that is all that is going bad in life, than I think we are lucky. Knock on wood.

Time to run!!!!