Girls Camp

This morning I dropped Kesley off for girl's camp with our stake. She was less than thrilled about it, which made me really sad. I LOVED camp when I was her age and have so many fun memories with my ward and my friends. She was almost in tears as I left her there. It seriously broke my heart and I have thought about her ALL day long.

My prayer is that she will grow closer to some of the girl's in our ward. They have been pretty judgemental of the "new girl" and I admit some if it is her own fault, but I wish she would just be accepted for who she is, faults and all. It's hard as a parent not to go up to them in the hall at church and say, "Hey, can't you see Kesley is really struggling and she really needs some friends to love and include her right now - get over there and be my child's friend!" I don't think that would go over very well.

Another issue is... a few months ago the YW leaders were changed in our ward and Kelsey is having a hard time bonding with the new ones. I'm hoping camp will forcefully give her the opportunity to get to know them better - and vice versa. She's like Scott - hates change, but she goes one step further - she practically protests change by putting up a huge wall. It's really hard to break through.

Finally, I know she still has a testimony. It's in there somewhere. She resists going to church and talks negitively about the gospel, but I know so much of it is to get a rise out of us. I find when I ignore it, she actually lets it go fairly easily. I am praying for some spiritual experiences for her as she goes through this week. I know they have some incredible things planned. I hope she will be open and receptive.

So, if you have a moment, please say a small prayer for Kesley at girl's camp this week. I'll update how it went for her when she gets home Friday. Thanks.

Technical Question...

I am noticing that the header on my blog looks different on my work computer than on my home laptop (where I created it). So, I'm not sure what the deal is, but need to figure this out. So since you are the people actually SEEING my blog, could you please comment back and let me know if my header (Reynolds Family...blah...blah...blah) looks distorted. If it is just my work computer I won't sweat it, but if it goes beyond that, I need to take a class in HTML (which I still don't fully comprehend) and get it fixed. Here's what it SHOULD look like:




Thanks for you help - please let me know what you see!

Friday FIVE

1. As referenced in a post earlier this week, I am in love with my new nail polish color... "turned up turquoise". I think I've mentioned before that I hate feet - they are just gross, but it's a must to have my toenails looking fabulous.

2. Cooking with my kids, especially my 3-year-old Hallie. She is a budding Betty Crocker. She loves to pour in the ingredients and watch the mixture go round and round. And yes, she's turned it on full blast and we've scraped cookie dough off the ceiling before. And her favorite part is of course licking the beater, the spoon, the bowl and whatever else she can weasel out of me. By the time our cookies are baked, she's usually full from eating dough.


3. My new swim suit. Who would have thought I would love a swim suit (they are mostly evil), but I found the cutest suit - I love the print, the colors, the style, how it fits, the whole shebang. I almost can't wait to go out in public and lounge around the pool. Below are a picture of my actual suit and a picture of one the same style, but different fabrics. Love the whole line: hapari swimwear.


4. Morning exercise time. I have been getting up early and walking/running at the park track next to our house. I am really enjoying having a half hour or so to myself before starting my busy day. It has made me more patient with my kids and since I am up early, I am getting more things done - and I have more energy with exercising! I missed this morning (cause I got woken up more than half a dozen times last night by every one of my 4 kids - what the heck???) and I am feeling real off!

5. Costco. This is a love/hate relationship actually. I love going in and finding all the great buys, new products, must-have food and of course - the samples! But, let's face it... checking out sucks. My bill is always WAY more that I intended to spend. Still, I love buying 5 pounds of tortilla chips, gallons of mouthwash and that ginormous bottle of vitamins.

New Work Schedule

Today Gov Huntsman announced that all State agencies will be going to four 10-hour work weeks. I job-share and work part-time so I am currently working Monday, Wednesday and every other Friday (8-hour days). This new change should work really well for me since it will mean I can just work Mondays and Wednesdays and have a four day weekend EVERY week.

Getting used to working 7am until 6pm (have to factor in the 1 hour unpaid lunch) will be a major adjustment - especially once winter comes and I am going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark.

Another plus is that Scott already has Mondays off, so he will cover taking care of the kids that day and between my mom and MIL, they can either split each Wednesday or alternate weeks.

I am also looking for a second part-time job (at night) since we are trying to pay off debt, the economy is crap and it costs a small fortune to drive anywhere (or buy anything since gas drives the prices of everything up). So having a more set schedule will make that easier to secure.

Anyway - so far I think I am looking forward to this change coming up the first of August. But keep in mind I work for the government, so expecting a wrench to be thrown into any situation is pretty standard. We'll see if it all goes as planned.

Don't you hate it when...

...You have to be somewhere (like work) by a certain time, you are already late and have dripping wet hair. No problem right, that's what a blow dryer is for - except for when you go to turn it on and all you get is "click". Half a dozen clicks later, you come to terms with the fact that it is beyond dead and begin to panic.

So what did I do? Turned up the AC and tried to get some of my hair dry over the vent in our bedroom. Then I flat-ironed the heck out of it in an attempt to steam it dry. I have A LOT of thick hair, so this took FOREVER.

The result? Weirdly enough - poofy hair, even though I used my flat iron spray and leave-in conditioner AND anti-frizz serum. It just felt fluffy and I had fly-aways ALL day long. Gross. It was a bad hair day for sure!

The positive? I have wanted to buy an ionic hair dryer for a long time and finally got one on the way home work. They aren't as expensive as when they first came on the market, so that was a plus. I can hear it as I type this because like most of my new things, I have a 14 year old who always manages to "test" them out before I can have a chance to even think about using it. Just like my new nail polish I bought yesterday - she already had it on before I even removed my old polish (BTW, I love this new color - tune in to my Friday FIVE cause it will get an honorable mention).

Other than big hair, it was a good day.

Summertime Blues

Well, here it is already - one more week in June and we are onto July. Here in Utah, July moves pretty quick: we celebrate not only the 4th of July, but also the 24th of July (also called Pioneer Day when our pioneer settlers first came to the Salt Lake Valley and established our area). And then once July is over, we can pretty much label August as "back to school" month as we prepare for another school year.

And so far what have we accomplished? Not much. So, I am making a summer list of things I want to do with my family (some just with the kids while Scott is at work, others with all 6 of us)...

• Get a pioneer picture taken at Lagoon. We haven't had one done for a few years and need to get one with Audrey! So, I guess going to Lagoon, period is on the list - even though it really isn't my favorite place to hang out.
• See Kung-Fu Panda.
• Go swimming at the Bountiful Rec (I still haven't ever been there).
• Visit the Museum of Natural History - this is Kesley's request. She remembers it from when she was little and wants to go again this summer. Ahhhh.
• Roast hot dogs in the canyon.
• Go on a 4-wheeler ride in the Bountiful hills.
• Go boating with Jones (they invited us to go to Powell with them this week, but we just couldn't make it work - yes, we are feeling super bad).
• Obviously attend fireworks in July!!!
• Have a family barbq in our sweet backyard - hopefully more than once!
• Go camping in August with Scott's family (really looking forward to this one, even though we'll be in a tent for the 1st time in MANY years).
• Dallin has already talked with our dentist and asked if we can go swimming at their house - there is a long history here, so I know we'll do this one.
• Spend a day in Park City and go on the Alpine slide, etc.
• Scott really wants to take Dallin to the Larry H Miller Sportspark.
• The zoo (done once, but we'll probably go again in Aug/Sept)
• Lots of running through the sprinklers (at home and at Grandma Bee's/Jennie's).
• Spend afternoon at the Gateway fountain.
• Rent (or maybe buy) Horton Hears a Who.
• Hike Timpanogas Cave (and no, I have NO idea how to spell that).
• Raging Waters (maybe - it's gotten so expensive).
• And finally, we are still planning to go to Disneyland in Sept - but since we are driving to CA, if gas keeps going up, we might wait until spring so we can use some of our tax return to help with the costs.

Even if we accomplish half of this list, I will be happy. These aren't must does, just ideas to keep the kids busy, me sane, and make some fun memories!

Happy Summer!!!

Friday FIVE (almost!)

Dang, I missed it by 12 minutes - better late than never...

1. M&Ms Dark Chocolate candies. Very rich, so I can't eat very many, but totally fills the chocolate craving. Fewer eaten = fewer calories!

2. Clean sheets. I love the clean crispness of just washed cotton sheets. They smell so clean and seem colder than usual. I always sleep so well when I have fresh sheets on the bed.

3. A mini vacation. I had a work training in Denver this week, just 2 nights away, but it was nice to get away and be by myself for 48+ hours. I actually slept through the night twice in a row - bliss! I was ready to come home today though and my kids were glad to have be back - it's nice to be missed!

4. Old-fashioned tin advertising signs. I collect these for my kitchen and they make me happy. I love the variety I have accumulated and hunting for a new unique one is a lot of fun!

5. Our new mouse. Not the furry rodent kind, the new one for our computer. Why we put up with that old tempermental one for SO long, I have no idea. This one is quick and precise. I just really like it right NOW.

Fathers Day Fotos

For some weird reason I couldn't get these pics to upload Sunday night or yesterday - we really did have a nice day ourselves and Scott enjoyed celebrating his day...

Breakfast & gifts in bed

Audrey exausted after church - with a fat lip from crashing off the bathtub that morning.

Dallin - self protrait (LOVE those blue eyes)

Scott enjoying Fathers Day to the fullest

Dallin was trying to get a picture of Kesley, but she pushed him out of her room and he could only get a shot of one of her shoes.

Hallie playing in her room after church - she really isn't naked!

Happy Fathers Day Scott - Thank you for all you do for our family.

Happy Fathers Day

This is one of those days that are hard for me. I miss my dad and going to visit his grave isn't fair on a day like this. I want him in person. I do like that I can reflect about all the fun times we had and the good man that he was. It just kills me that my youngest kids won't ever get to know him like the rest of us. He is just a photo in a frame named Papa. So it's my job to make sure they are aware what an amazing person he was, no he is.


A few memories...

• We went on some fabulous vacations growing up. We traveled often with my dad for business. My mom was a history teacher and my dad could have been one too! We toured battle fields, walked through colonial houses, frequented museums (love the Smithsonian), and saw so much of the US. Funny thing I remember is my dad would stop at EVERY historical marker, you know the ones that you drive by and wonder, who seriously stops to read those? Well, we did!


• My dad gave me 2 tickets to Les Miserables the year I was 17 for Christmas - 2nd row, center!!! He said I could take anyone I wanted with me. I took him. We had a fabulous time and went out afterwards for dessert. I will never forget how much that night meant to him... and to me.


• The night before my wedding day, I stayed at my parent's house and he and I chatted until very late. I loved that even though he was exhausted from setting up for my reception, he stayed up with me ( I couldn't sleep) and felt it important to keep me company and to offer advise. I will always cherish that.


• Every year for memorial day we would pile in the car and travel to Logan and Bear Lake to decorate relatives graves. It was always important to my dad to not only spend time with the family around us, but to remember those who were no longer with us. I guess thats why it is so surreal that now on that day we decorate his grave and reflect about him.


• My dad would often dissapear Saturday afternoons. One of his favorite things to do was to wander around Grand Central (pre-Smith's Marketplace) and buy toiletries and household items. He'd come home with 10 tubes of toothpaste and a half-dozen boxes of lightbulbs and batteries. It happened ALL the time. He also loved shopping the JC Penney Catalog.


• My dad was CEO at University Hosital. No matter where I went in that hospital, I would always run into someone who sang his praises. People spoke of him with such love and admiration. It made me so proud to be his daughter. When he was sick, we had to put an actual security guard at his door to keep people out - not to be mean, but he just needed to rest and have quiet.


• After my dad got sick, I would spend a lot of time with him just tending to his needs. Sometimes he was pretty out of it and would say the funniet things. I guess when you are in a horrible, sad situation like that it is helpful to find humor in it. One of the funniest things he said is when he turned to me once and told me there were just too many dots on the ceiling (in the hospital) and that my brother should get the award for the most dots. An he once to my mom to get the monkeys dancing on his toes off. He went on for a half hour about that. Yeah, he had some really good pain meds.

And a few photos (please tell Scott I want a scanner for my birthday)...

On my blessing day with my mom & dad

LOVE my dad's converse all-stars. Gee, he was HIP!

We always carved pumpkins on Halloween - it was SO fun!

Were the 70's really THAT orange???

Becoming a grandpa! (This is Kesley)

My wedding day.

Vacationing at Disneyland.

Summer 2001.

Summer 2003 in Park City.

The night before my dad started chemo treatments. This is a quilt I made for him for comfort.

I LOVE YOU DAD!!!

My baby got a job!

No, not Audrey! My biggest baby (both at birth and now), Kesley got her FIRST JOB!!! She will be working at an assisted living center taking dinner orders and serving food to the elderly. One of her friends already works there and begged her to come in and apply. They offered her a job on the spot and she starts on Monday. She'll be working a couple of evenings a week. I am so excited and this job really seems like it will work well for several reasons:

1. It isn't far from where we live, so I won't have to drive a ton to get her to and from work.
2. Her friend works there and between the 2 moms, we can share in the pick up/drop off responsibility.
3. She will only work a few hours at a time (she's only 14 for crying out loud!).
4. She doesn't have to work on Sunday.
5. She doesn't work late, so getting off when it's dark is not an issue.
6. It's a safe environment.
7. They will be flexible with her summer schedule (girls camp, camping trips, etc).
8. She will work with the elderly and hopefully gain a better perspective and respect for them.
9. She has to wear a uniform.
10. My almost 90 year old grandma lives there (Kesley's great-grandma), so she can keep an eye on her and is SO excited to see her at dinnertime!

So, here we go - a new phase in her life - the world of the employed. She can hardly wait to get her first paycheck and some cash in her pocket. I am ecstatic too - her fashion tastes have gotten more expensive in the past few years and she has begun to ask for money on a daily basis!

Yeah for Kesley!!! I'm so proud of you!

Friday FIVE

In honor of Friday the 13th, these are my 5 favorite scary/thriller movies...

1. The Sixth Sense - I loved that this movie completely tricked me up to the end. I had no idea the twist that was coming and it made you want to watch it again just to catch all the clues. I love it when a movie can completely pull the wool over my eyes.


2. The Shining - Stephen King is the king of horror. Although this movie was pretty tame as far as Stephen goes, it is a classic horror movie and I have watched it many times. Red rum! Two others by King that are good: Carrie and Salem's Lot.


3. What Lies Beneath - it doesn't end really scary, but there are some super spine-tingling moment of anticipation. I watched several scenes with my blanket up to my nose.


4. Kiss the Girls - I love suspense and crime solving movies. This one is rated R (sorry, maybe Clean Flicks would have an edited copy), but I saw it more than 10 years ago. I really like Morgan Freeman - and he is so good in this role. The second movie in this series (also with Freeman) is good too: Along Came A Spider.


5. An a few from my youth... Something Wicked This Way Comes, Poltergiest and Lost Boys (I think I liked the music in this one more than the actual movie though).

Oops, it looks like my list is longer than 5 this week. Oh well, it's my blog - deal with it.

Right Now

My head is going to explode. Hallie is sitting in the family room banging on the fisher price xylophone, singing a song she is making up as she goes along. In fact, she just told herself, "That was a wonderful song, let's sing another." I have no idea who she's talking to - she's the only one in there.

Audrey for the moment is quiet, but only because 2 minutes ago she was screaming and I stuck a binki in her mouth. She is tired and ornery since she woke up at 3am this morning and would NOT go back to sleep. I finally brought her downstairs and we watched 27 Dresses at about 4am. I am so exhausted I am ready to pass out.

Dallin is a half hour late coming home from his friend's house and will be in a bit of trouble when he finally shows up. He just can't grasp the concept of coming home on time. And then he's so upset when there are consequences!

Kesley went to 7-11 with some friends to buy slurpees. She actually cleaned her room today, which means the earth must have fallen off it's axis.

And now Scott is home from work and the girls are going nuts cause daddy is here. They just about explode when the garage door goes up.

So, here I am, counting down the minutes until the girl's bedtime and hoping I can finally get in a shower today. Yeah, it was one of THOSE days.

Random Weekend Pictures

Our weekend was pretty low key. The kids and I traveled to Vernal with my in-laws and BIL & SIL to attend a nieces baptism (Scott had to work). It was a LONG drive, but glad we were there for Hunter. I didn't get many pictures - my camera is not the best (Kellie, send me copies of yours if you get a second!) But, here are some shots of the rest of our weekend...


Hallie & Audrey all dressed up for the baptism.


Pulling Audrey down the stairs in laundrey basket. Hmmm... is that really a GOOD idea???



Kesley in her standard spot - at the computer with her ipod. I just had to show that she really IS a part of our family and this picture is why we have hardly any pictures of her.



Audrey is DONE being in the laundry basket!



I don't know. They wanted capes, but then it became more like a nativity reenactment.


Outside playing with Dallin's remote control jeep. Notice Hallie's nightgown and snowboots ensemble.

Friday FIVE

1. I am really into trying new recipes lately. Not all have been successful, but it's fun to try new and different things. I just got a new ward cookbook recently and am having fun going through it and picking out my neighbor's favorites to try. And I love going through magazines and finding great recipes. Oh, and Annemarie has a wonderful cooking blog you should check out!




2. Summer weddings. We went to a friend's wedding this past weekend and I love seeing all the wedding garb... the beautiful dresses, the flowers, the food, the cake, the pictures, wedding video, gift table, etc... I think I should have been a wedding planner. Wouldn't that be a FUN job?



3. Bath & Body Works. They are having their semi-annual sale right NOW. Need I say more?


4. I'm kind of into sewing again lately. I guess I should be, I just spent $170 to get my sewing machine fixed/tuned up. It's a great little machine though and is 15 years old. Now it's running like it's brand new. I love making things. I'm even thinking about making some items and seeing if I can sell them on eBay.




5. This one is boring, but I love this toothpaste: Crest Whitening Expressions Cinnamon Rush Liquid Gel. I don't like mint flavored toothpaste - when I was pregnant with Kesley, I had a really bad adversion to mint flavor, it would make me dry heave. And I still can't stand it, so this flavor is my absolute fav!

Made for Hallie

So last weeks taggie blanket I made for Audrey was a huge hit and Hallie felt a little slighted that she didn't get one. This afternoon I remembered I had purchased some fabric last fall to make trick or treating bags that I never got around to making, so I pulled it out and made this cute strawberry bag for Hallie, who being such the girlie girl L-O-V-E-S purses! And what do you put into such a lovely bag? Your Polly Pocket Princess collection of course!




I made Kesley a ladybug bag today too, but she's out with her friends tonight and I can't find where she put it! Now, what to make for Dallin???