Friday FIVE

Since we are on vacation this weekend, these are my 5 top place to visit (in the US)...

1. Bahamas - OK, so it isn't really the US, but it's VERY close! Love the sun, love the crystal clear blue water, love the crazy taxi driver that almost killed me with his driving skills. LOVE the beach.
2. Florida - What can I say, I am a theme park enthusiest. Just DisneyWorld alone is enough to make my blood run quicker, but throw in Sea World and Universal Studios. I'm SO there!!!
3. Yellowstone/Tetons - Besides the fact that Scott and I honey-mooned here, I just LOVE this place. I love all the natural wonders and all the wildlife - and NO I have never seen a bear, dang-it!
4. Washington DC - I love the history in our nation's capitol. I love visiting the Smithsonians - you could spend a lifetime there. But don't go there in the summer - so freakin' humid (and crowded).
5. Southern Utah - Yeah, I don't have to go very far for this one. I love where I am this weekend - Lake Powell. Love our national parks - Arches, Bryce and my fav: Zions. Love hiking through these awesome formations. So incredible.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

Oh, What A Busy Day

Isn't that the title of a Richard Scary book??? Anyway, I have SO much to do today, yet here I sit at the computer wasting time. Oh, well. Items on my list of things to accomplish today...

1. Laundry (mountains of it, actually) - this is actually happening as I type, so see, it's not ALL wasted time.
2. Packing - we are going to Lake Powell over the long weekend - WOO HOO!!!
3. Shopping - need several things for our trip and a few items for dinner tonight.
4. Cooking - people expect me to fix dinner around here, so there you go. Plus, I need to make a few things in advance for the trip.
5. Errands - need to return the DVDs that were due last Monday, pick up some shampoo from the beauty supply, and put gas in my car.
6. Tanning - yeah, yeah, I know. But I don't want to look totally freakish in my swimsuit.
7. Mommying - probably the MOST important thing on my list. So far we've gotten dressed, eaten breakfast, played Polly Pockets and now we are gearing up for a snack.

So what are YOU doing today???

13 years...

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

Got hitched 13 years today. Scott and I have known each other MUCH longer though - we met in 9th grade (Scott was 15 and I was 14). We dated on again off again through high school - but were always best friends. I wish I had a scanner to add some of our wedding photos - please suggest for Scott to buy me one for Christmas!

I just got a delivery to my work... a dozen red roses, a cute stuffed animal and a mylar balloon. My friends were jealous.

Friday FIVE

This week's five is a list of the top five things I always check when I log on...

1. MSN - I must know what's going on in the world. This is my homepage and I can quickly see any breaking news (which I also have e-mailed to me), national headlines, world news, entertainment gossip, sports headlines, and most recently - current Olympic coverage. Must be informed!!!

2. My e-mail - I can log onto my work e-mail over the internet and I check it often. I use it as a personal account as well. I probably should get a hotmail account, but I'm too lazy to check TWO accounts. Through my email, I also keep track of a yahoo chat group I belong to and I have each post e-mailed to me.

3. eBay - Gotta watch, bid, buy & sell!!! Those of you who follow my blog know that I love eBay. I am addicted and I don't care. It is such a rush to win a really good auction for next to nothing. I have scored the cutest clothes for my girls for fall and I just won a Batman costume for Dallin for Halloween - he's so excited!

4. Facebook - I'm pretty new, but it amazes me how many people I have reconnected to through this networking site. It's fun to build your profile and put fun and quirky things that represent your likes and interests. For example, I get daily quotes from The Office and from Friends. It makes me smile.


5. Blogger - Duh - I love to check on my favorite blogs and see the comments made on my entries. I also use my blog to connect to some of my other favorite links and websites. Technology is awesome.

Why am I so tired???

You could pick from ANY of the following reasons why my eyelids feel like they are made out of lead right now, but "lucky" for me all of them are true...

• Audrey is cutting some more teeth and is miserable, she can't sleep and keeps everyone up.
• Audrey just wants to be held about 4am and she screams, not cries, ScReAmS until I get her - which wakes up Hallie and then I have TWO whiney kids!!!
• I'm working 2 tens, meaning I job-share, so I am working 2 consecutive days out of our 4/10 workweek. They are killer.
• I keep getting hooked on watching the late-night Olympics!!!
• Scott snores - his medication makes him pretty much comatose, so I can't even get him to turn on his side. AHHHHHH!
• I have so many issues running through my head - I just can't turn it off at night.
• School starts in one week - so much to get done.
• My mom moves in this weekend - don't get me started.
• It was REALLY windy 2 nights this weekend and the noise kept me up forever.
• AND FINALLY.... I had another lovely kidney stone episode this weekend. Up at 3am in a hot bath trying to scald my pain away; then from 4-6am I watched all the good parts of Phantom of the Opera and PS I Love You . (I am a little obsessed right now with Gerard Butler).

Hope everyone else is sleeping better that I have been. Maybe it's time to break out the Tylenol PM.

Temple Square

We were so late for church today we decided to skip it all together and take the family to Temple Square. I felt kind of bad about it at first, but honestly it is just what I needed today. We sat through an awesome presentation on The Family. Everyone felt such a strong spirit, even Kesley cried. Such a great afternoon with our family, I'm almost glad we were slackers and missed our church meetings - don't worry though, it won't be a regular occurrence. :)

Friday FIVE

Today's five are my favorite things to do in my spare time - what, spare time? - yeah I don't even know what that is anymore. Anyway, here's my wish list of things I would do if I had a moment to myself!

1. Reading. I am almost done with Breaking Dawn and next on my list is Uglies and then Pretties. I'd also like to FINALLY read the Harry Potter series since we have them ALL and I have never picked them up.


2. Scrap booking/Card making. I am SO far behind, but I sincerely love sitting down and losing myself in this activity. I did get all of my pictures in complete order so all I have to do is get going, but it's a little overwhelming when you are five years behind. Still, I have so many cute ideas, so maybe this weekend I'll get on it. I at least need to finish Hallie's baby book and get STARTED on Audrey's book. Plus I need to make a memory book about my dad (one for me and one for my mom). And I owe Dallin a book of his first 8 years (he was baptised in March). See, overwhelmed!


3. Cooking. I love to cook and bake. I love to try new recipes. I even cleaned out most of my pantry cupboards yesterday and threw out things that have expired or I have never used. My little girls love to cook with me, so we have a good time. Night before last, we made fondue with the new fondue maker they gave me for my birthday. It was so yummy.


4. Taking naps. I love naps. I wish we had them mandatory every day. When I am chosen to be queen, it will be my first ruling. Seriously though, there is nothing like taking a time out and laying down in a soft comfy bed (or couch), pulling a blanket over yourself and closing your tired little eyes. Oh, love that. Until the little ones wake up and tiny sticky fingers are trying to pry your eyes open, "Mom, are you awake? Audrey's poopy."


5. "Working" on the Computer. Obviously. I always love to check 5 things when I sit down to the computer - you'll have to check back next Friday to see what they are...

I am Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Cute quiz - Thanks Tonya! So everyone - which Disney Princess are YOU???

A family of seven

Last fall my mom put her house on the market For Sale By Owner. In November she bought a lot to build on about 2 miles from our house. This spring she listed her house with a realtor and in July (after dropping the price a quite a bit) a couple made an offer and she sold her home. They close on it next Thursday. So now my mom will be homeless. No house, just a nice piece of dirt to call home. She didn't want to start builing her new home until the ink is dry on the closing papers and the money is in her bank account. (I really don't blame her - the market has been really crappy).

SO... my mom is moving in with us and will be staying for about 6 months - give or take. I am mixed about this. Of course I am more than happy to help out and get her into her new home and we really do have the room in our basement for her (just need to clean out the kids toy room and get her some space in my craft room for her clothes and her computer). And I absolutly promised my dad on his deathbed (literally) that I would take care of my mom. I really think that is why he finally let go. I would never renig on that promise, plus I love my mom too. BUT, mom is very different (almost difficult) since my dad died. She is very opinionated and because of the trauma from his drawn-out suffering and death, she has very little coping skills - she freaks out over anything and seriously everything. I'm not looking forward to walking on eggshells in my own home. I don't want our relationship to suffer and become strained during this time and I fear it might. My brother just laughed and said "good luck" when he found out she was coming to stay with me. I think I may be checking the progress of her home on a daily basis. Scott is less than enthused, but he made the same promise to my dad, so we are moving her belongings to our home this weekend. She's already called me twice today and reminded me to call her when I get the basement cleaned out (this week's project). I've told her for 2 weeks I am devoting the latter part of this week to getting it ready for her and I work Mon-Tues. I think she lays awake at night and stews about things she wants me to do, but I can't get to yet. Won't that be convenient to just tell me in person rather than call me with guilt.

Camping @ Whitney Lake

So maybe you've noticed I was MIA for a few days (no Friday FIVE for one - sorry). We've been camping in the Uintah Mountains with Scott's siblings, our nieces and nephews and his parents, as well as a few others thrown into the mix. It was a huge group and lots of fun...

Our campsite

Scott, Audrey & Hallie on sheep rancher's horse

Kesley, Angeleah & Spencer (cousins)

Eating suckers in the dirt

Me with Hallie & Audrey

Scott shooting skeet

Dallin eating lunch

Grandkids (most of them)

Our Family

MY book - FINALLY!!!!

I finally got my copy of Breaking Dawn (yeah, I know, as excited as I was you'd have thought I would have been first in line). Many people have already finished it, but here I am just buying the thing. Two reasons for this:

1. This weekend was busy and quite honestly I never had time on Saturday to go buy it; I don't buy things on Sunday; on Monday I went to Smiths hoping to get one but they were sold out (ok, don't panic!); so Today I was able to get to Barnes & Noble.


2. We are going camping the rest of this week and I really want to save it for vacation. Had I bought it Saturday, it would be finished by now.

So, I am looking forward to finding out what the heck is going on with Bella and Edward - as I hopefully lounge in a chair in the mountains. Can't wait!!!

This Weekend's Project: Little Girls Room

I finally got the time (more like I made the time) to finish Hallie and Audrey's room. It is SO much better then the room they moved into a year ago. Now I finally feel like it is "theirs". One funny thing: Audrey was scared to sleep in there last night because her bed was in a different spot. She bawled and cried, "Audy bed Audy bed" and kept pointing across the room.


BEFORE...







AFTER...

Friday FIVE

1. Cereal Sales. We eat a ton of cold cereal in our house so getting name brand cereal for $1.oo a box is sweet savings. Thank you Albertsons (last week) and Smiths (today).

2. Anticipating a night out, minus children. Scott and I are going out for my birthday and since I let Kesley have a sleepover with her friend last night, she owes me and is babysitting her siblings. If things go REALLY well,we might even go see Batman - let's not get CrAzY though.


3. Orbit gum. I love the fruity-mint flavors the best.


4. Ban deodorant - ok this one is a little weird, but seriously try this new scent they have out: Island Falls. I love it (as far as deodorants go anyway). This picture is a different scent, but it's SO new, I couldn't find a new one.


5. Cold Stone Creamery - Pleeeeease take me there tonight Scott!!! Cake batter ice cream with brownie chunks is calling to me!

It's My Birthday & I'll Cry If I Want To

Yep, today's my birthday - never mind how old I am turning. This is really the first year I am NOT thrilled with having another birthday. I don't feel this old, most people tell me I don't look this old (please don't burst my bubble and tell me any different) and I hope I don't act this old. This year my birthday just sounds old. But don't worry, I'm still accepting presents and treats - I'm old, not stupid! Scott gave me some A&F perfume (see, still hip) and a fondue pot (oh no!). Dallin gave me a pack of gum. Hallie sang to me and Audrey just grinned. Kesley is tending for us tonight so we can go out to dinner ALONE!

So Happy #%th Birthday to me!!!