SPRING HAS SPRUNG...or so I thought! :P

While the weather was nice and sun shiny, the kids and I took advantage of it and went to the Discovery Park. It's the kids favorite park to go to. We finally had a good chance for some long overdue play time in the nice warm sun!! Now look, we get winter weather again....YUCK! Welcome to spring in Utah!! I guess at least we got to enjoy it while we had it...just long enough to give me SPRING FEVER!! They loved spinning on these silly things til they where ready to puke!! I got sick just watching them. Sometimes they would get it going so fast that it would throw them off. I dont think I can say that I've ever had so much fun that I was ready to throw up...but they sure did!

For now, we had a great day at the park!! I cant wait until we can do it more often. It is really fun to watch kids be kids and just have fun, spinning, swinging, slideing, playing tag...just being happy. That's what it's all about for me. Knowing that my kids are happy with who they are and what they are doing.

Trying something new!

My sisters (Jen and Rina) have got me to open up my creativity and explore my camera...something I have not done simply because I'M CLUELESS!! So here are a couple pictures I took of Kailey and just now decided to go online to one of those free photo editing places. I know it's very basic but for me...a huge accomplishment! I really did have fun messing around with a few different tools just to see what they would do! Anyway, this is what I finished with.

Where did the month go?

WOW! It has been a long time since I last blogged! December came and went, and I'm still not sure what happened to it! What a busy, fun-filled month we had. Because we did so much I will just do a quick run down on our holiday events. On Thanksgiving morning, J always like to take the kids and go shot a few clay pigeons. This has become a tradition that Austin really looks forward to. Later that day J's kids stopped by for their 2nd Thanksgiving dinner. They are so thoughtful, and it really meant a lot to both J and I that they would come to our house AFTER already having a big dinner with their mom and Gary. It's always nice to have them come and visit. I love to have family around! Knowing that my kids where going to california for christmas I decided to let the kids help me decorate the tree. (I'm usually a big scrooge and wont let them help with the main tree in our front room.) They where so thrilled that they got to help this year, and it was fun to watch their excitement grow as they put up christmas. This year I decided to dip chocolates with Jennie and Lisa. Every time I would get fondant or chocolate out the kids would BEG to please be able to help. I just cant let them though cause it can be soooo messy! So I compromised with them and let them dip the white pretzels, and I quickly learned why I wont let them help with the other chocolates. They made the biggest mess, but they had fun doing it. So I guess that's all that matters!! Next we went to the Candellight Christmas at This is the place state park. It was bitterly cold, but the kids had so much fun that they didn't really even realize how cold they where until it was time to leave. They had a train that we could ride around the village and each house that participated had different crafts or something neat for the kids to learn about Pioneer Christmas'. We saw an old newspaper press and they showed us how the used to print the paper and gave each of the kids a copy of the first christmas card ever printed. We went into a one room cabin where a lady was cooking some beef stew over an open fire. It sure smelt yummy!! But the kids learned that most people where very fortunate to have a cabin even that big to give them shelter. They also learned that pioneer children, if they where lucky, would get ONE piece of candy for christmas. And that the children that did get one would savor it and take just a few licks a day to make it last as long as they could. Those are just a few of the experiences they had. It was very imformative and they had a great time!! We have decided to make it a new tradition every year. One I look forward to! Then we move on to one of my favorite yearly activities!! SNOWMOBILING!! J and I have decided to make it our own tradition to do it every year for our anniversary. I had never been until J took me for our honeymoon. I have really come to enjoy it. We have been able to go somewhere different every year so far. We had a great set up this year!! However, we did run into a few bumps in the road. At first we didn't think there would be enough snow to even be able to go, but while we where there our first night we where expecting a storm, and it delivered! The place we rented our snowmobiles from only had open face masks though. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal at first, but man did I immediately realize the benefit to having a helmet with a full face mask! I took my ear warmers and wrapped it around my helmet to protect my nose and then had my scarf to the wind from coming up through the neck. So, all in all, I was pretty well off. Poor J though! He kept getting brain freezes and by the time we where done, his mustach and beard was FULL of ice chunks!! He didn't complain though. He said he had a lot of fun too!! Once again, it was well worth the trip and I look forward to next year! Christmas morning was kinda hum-drum without the kids. But once again, J's kids to the rescue!! They came over in the afternoon and spent some time here. To have the buzz of kids in the house brought back the Christmas spirit for me. After stuffing ourselves full, J, Jake, and Shaun went out and started to build a fort. While Lisa, Amanda, Izzy and I stayed in where it was warm and watched chirstmas movies. It took a little longer to build the fort than they had intended so they left the rest of it for the kids to finish. What could have been a very sad, depressing christmas for me, turned out to be wonderful. Thanks to J's kids. They really are a joy in my life! I can't express it enough!

To finish the year off the kids have had a BLAST going to the park to sled. The boys got a snowboard with their christmas money and they have had sooo much fun with them. The weather lately has been perfect for a fun day at the park boarding down the hills. Even Kailey enjoyed it. I thought she would whine about having cold feet, but she didn't complain once. As a matter of fact, she didn't want to leave when it was time to go!! The kids brought along the neighbor kids and they all had fun together.

Last but not least, we went to Temple Square with Jennie and Chris. It was nice to be there after Christmas and not have to worry about the crowds! There was still plenty of people there, but we didn't have to swim through them just to get to where ever we needed to go. The kids had fun and where satisfied that we where able to make it this year. We had originally planned on going with other family while they where in California, but those plans fell through. I'm glad I was able to enjoy the trip with my kids though!!

I feel very blessed and am so fortunate to have a family that I love. I am so greatful to have a husband who is willing to build memories for us to have. Because after all is said and done, that's all you have is your memories.

Peeweeflophouse

So I've been tagged by Alisha for my 4th picture in my 4th folder.

This was last year. Jen and Chris watched the kids for us while J and I went on our annual snowmobile trip for our anniversary. That weekend we had a huge snow storm and Jennie said the kids had a ball playing in the snow. By the time the night was over they where all so exausted they just crashed. I dont think any of them even changed into PJ's! It's fun to have all the kids so close in age. It makes for great friendships with your cousins, and they all get along so well! I love my family and am so grateful that we are close to each other. Thanks again Jen for taking on the task of 8 kids all under the age of 11, just so J and I could enjoy time with each other.

I think just about everyone on my blogging list has already been tagged by this at one point or another. So, if you haven't, consider yourself tagged! It's kinda fun to go back through pictures and remember what they where all about!

My day with Izzy

Lisa called me one day and asked if I would watch Isabel for her while she went to the Temple with her Dad and sister. Of course I was more than happy to watch her. When Lisa dropped her off she was so stinkin' cute. Her little personality is sure starting to show. She kept smiling and cooing. She is growing way to fast!! She is almost 2 months now! Can you believe it?

FROM ONE PUMPKIN TO ANOTHER

A woman was asked by a coworker, 'What is it like to be a Christian?' The coworker replied, 'It's like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all of the dirt off of you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all of the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.'

That little message was printed on our Relief Society handout on Sunday. I had never read that before and I really enjoyed it. So although many of you may think I'm weird, I thought I would share my pumpkin carving experience with you. First the kids decided what they wanted the end result to be, and carefuly drew their faces. It was fun to see their creativity. Then as they cut into the top to start taking all the seeds out, this thought popped into my head and I couldn't help but start to imagine what it was like in Heaven when Heavenly Father started the process of "picking" us. He picked us at just the right time. He knew what he needed us to do for him, so he went to work, creating his masterpiece. As my kids started digging inside to remove "all the yucky stuff" I was overwhelmed with the spirit as I realized how often I turn to my Father in Heaven to remove all my "yucky stuff", and how greatful I am that he is willing to do it time after time. Every time he does, it seems that he always puts "a new smiling face" and a brighter "light to shine". Carving a pumpkin takes time and patience. Two of which I dont seem to have much of. I am so thankful for this experience.

As my kids worked on their "masterpieces" , again, I was overwhelmed with the idea of them being creators, and working toward their own eternal glories. I love the Gospel and the simpleness of it! I love the fact that we have such a loving and forgiving Father in Heaven who is always there to watch over us and to help us keep his light shining within us for all to see. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Always want what you cant have!

Kailey is absolutely obsessed with having straight hair. She is always begging me to straighten it, but I hate to do it. Not only because it takes FOREVER to do, but because I dont want to damage her hair. So very rarely do I do it for her. However, she is so freakin cute!!

I was really surprised as to how long it really is. With the curls you cant tell because it just bounces right up around her ears. She is so funny to watch when she has straight hair though. She's always flinging it around or tucking it behind her ears. It's just so cute!

I personally still love the curls!!