Some Things I Love...

Today I am in love with this bedding. If money were of no concern to me, I would paint my room green and order this bedding. I love it! I love the crisp white and the refreshing green. Of course money is of concern for me and I will not be ordering this or expecting to order it anytime soon, just daydreaming.

Today I went running. I LOVE running. Yes, it is hard. No, it is not even fun when you are trying to get up a hill. But it has its moments. A big moment is when you are done and you just feel so darn good! I love it!

Today I also thought about how much I love my neighborhood. We have some really great friends. I feel so blessed to live among them. And as far as running goes, I don't think I could live in a better place. There are some great places to run. And most of my neighborhood runs. So even though I can't keep up with them, it is fun to be outside exercising and see so many people, many of whom I know.

Ethan got to have a sleep over at this cousin's house this weekend. I love him and miss him so much! Our family is not the same when it is not complete. He is in good hands and I am sure he is having a great time, but I really miss him. I love being with my family. It is the best!

Modbe just came out with new swimming suits. And they are super cute! As usual, they are actually cuter in real life than online. I am not going to do parties anymore, but if any of you are in need of a suit, I can still get them. And I will pass along my discount to you. Just click on the link to check them out and then let me know.

The sun is shining today and it is so pretty. Even though it is cold outside, it looks beautiful. Yesterday I sat on my couch for about a 1/2 hour, just soaking up the sun. I love it and need it.

Who Knew?

Today was a day we planned to go to the zoo. We would have left earlier, but I was freezing cold this morning and it took me a LONG time to finally get warm. I am not sure why that happens some times. I really think it has something to do with being all sweaty in the mornings. Anyway, I finally got warm. By then it was about lunch, so we grabbed a sandwich and hit the road.

Who knew the rest of the valley had the same idea. Why are there so many people who plan a zoo day in February. There was NO parking. We drove around a bit looking, but found nothing. So we left. We will try again next week. Lucky for us, great grandma lives close by, so we went and visited her. Which is always good. She loves to see us and my kids love exploring in her backyard.

Since I hadn't even done the dishes, we left after a short visit so I could come home and get the house clean. I logged onto my blog and listened to my playlist while I mopped the floor and wiped down surfaces. And I really like my playlist! It made my work a lot happier. If my house would stay clean for a long time, that would make me happier too.

This morning I also read some blogs. There are some amazing people out there who make me feel very boring and untalented. But it is fun to live vicariously through you. Especially those who live in more exotic places than Utah...Tonight is book club. I am excited. Mostly because I am ready to get into a new book. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE reading? It is one of my favorite things to do. Any great book suggestions? And by suggestions, I mean all time favorites.

Cast Your Votes!

So I found some baptism photo cards yesterday! I had a hard time deciding between the b&w and the color. I think I prefer the b&w, but I got out voted. What do you think? The back is super cute too, but I didn't want to share too much information on the internet.


And now for the important stuff. Who is going to win the bachelor? Do you think it will be Melissa or Molly? I just don't know. Those tv people sure can make things tricky!

Please Help!

Where (or better how) do people make those cute photo invitations? I love the ones that are printed on cardstock and don't look so glossy. I would love to make one or even find one that I like and stick my photo in it. If you have any of this knowledge, please share.

My boys are having a birthday party next month. What do I do? I need some great game ideas or activities. Have you heard about some great birthday ideas? Please share!

I will be so happy and grateful for any help!

The Good Old Days

No, I am not talking about the 80's or when I was a kid. I am talking about when my babies were babies.


This week we went to the Blue and Gold Banquet for my twins who will be 8 this year. Wow, this is a big year for those boys. There are lots of new things for them to participate in and work at. The banquet was nice, my kids had a great time. Upon arriving in the gym, they were greeted with hugs from another set of boy twins their age in our ward. My boys love this other set of twins. I am sure it is fun for them to have friends that are twins. I guess the only way to know what it is like to be a twin, is being a twin. So I imagine they are able to relate to each other really well.

Part of me was/is mad at the scouting program. To me it is a constant reminder that my babies are growing up. When I think of scouts, I think of a few years of fun, then becoming an eagle scout, then gone to college and on a mission. Scouting gives me a timetable reminder that my boys are going to be gone soon. And it makes me sad. I remember when they were born and how happy I was to be a mother. There wasn't anything I wanted more. And I loved taking care of those 2 babies and being home with them all day.

Ethan came right along and soon enough I was home with 3 babies. It was hard. I was so limited in what I could and couldn't do. And everyone told me to enjoy it because they grow up so fast. I really did enjoy it!

I remember feeding 3 babies. I remember all of the clean up from eating. I remember taking them places and having fun. I also remember taking them places and getting so mad because they were misbehaving. I loved it though, all of it. Everyone always said how as they grow up, you become busier, it is just different. I feel as though I am entering that stage. The stage I am in has been the best. I have had a breather. I have been able to have some freedom while they are in school and their lives are still simple. Now here comes the scouting program to make things more difficult. I know scouting is good, I just know that it is going to be a lot of work for me and I know that it is going to last for a long, long time (because I have 4 boys in a row)!

So here is to the good old days. When I stayed at home, changed diapers, and tried to survive until my husband got home. They were great times. Now is good too. It is just hard to see them change and grow up.

$156 Down*

I just started a new job. At least that is how I am going to look at it. It cost me $156 to get started and that will last me the whole year. Hopefully I will make it up in my work. I am going to be a coupon clipper and a pinching your pennies grocery shopper. I am not really in a position to work right now. And financially I don't need to, but I have four growing boys and I am hopping to cut down on our grocery bill. Wish me luck! I am going to Albertsons today and see what I can get. I heard there are some great sales going on and you don't even need coupons.

*Oh, the $156 down was for 4 newspaper subscriptions for a year. Perfect example of me not putting enough thought into this and publishing before even proof-reading!

Happiness

Yesterday I ran into a friend at the grocery store. She used to live in our ward and then they moved into a brand new house. A big brand new house. She is a sweet, humble, and hard working person. I asked how they were doing and if they were still in the same house. She said that they were, but that she didn't know for how much longer. She mentioned something about foreclosure. I felt so bad. But she is sweet and positive and said, "My husband is working, my children have testimonies, and we are happy."

That just puts it all in perspective. I have been nervous about this economy. We have been SOOO blessed so far. But I know it won't last for ever. But I guess as long as we have our testimonies, we can be happy. I love my little family and hope we can remember what is most important as tough times come. I know they are coming, I just can't shake the feeling.

On a lighter note when Tyler left for preschool this morning he said, "I love you too Mom, have fun!" It is fun to have a little break, but I sure do enjoy having him around, at least most of the time.

Admission to Trashiness

So I did put a lot of thought into this. I thought, "What should I write about today? Maybe I could write about the Utes to get a comment from my friend Janice (if she had a blog, I would have linked it with her name, but she is still hesitating)." Yesterday my mother in law was here and we went shopping, I could write about that. And I thought about a movie I saw this weekend. I could write a lot about that, but I will spare you the soap box. I still haven't written about Valentines Day, but it was pretty normal. I could write about how I led the music in church and I don't think my pits even got sweaty. There are a lot of things to write about, but what is most recently on my mind (prepare yourself) is The Bachelor.

I blame my running partner for causing me to watch this dumb show. She likes it and in an effort for conversation I watched the finale last year. Since it involves some of the same people, she was excited to watch this season as well. I too have been watching this whole season. And let me tell you it is TRASHY! And let me tell you this, I cannot wait for this finale!
They have really built it up as something spectacular. On a side note, although I have watched this season, I consider probably about 1/2 of every episode "unwatchable." The only way I can get through it is with my trusty DVR. I mean how much alcohol do they go through on this show? They should give us some statistics kind of like when you go to the MTC and they tell you how many tons of lucky charms they go through. I bet it is a lot. And those girls are crazy! You have to know you will get dumped eventually. Getting dumped is humiliating, yet they all sign up to do it on national television, crazy! And like my husband said, "no wonder these relationships don't work, they have to watch the show afterwards." Who wants a man or a husband who is "falling in love" with 3 or 4 girls and has to sleep with them all to help make up his mind? I don't!

Anyway, they make this season out to be the "most dramatic!" We will see. Does anyone else out there watch this show? What do you think is going to happen?

Diarrhea of the Blog

Sometimes people talk too much. Sometimes it drives my husband crazy. When this happens he likes to say that people have "diarrhea of the mouth". Pretty gross, huh. But it makes sense. Recently I have decided I have "diarrhea of the blog". I blog about something and then I think, "Oh, I should have called it this!" or "I should have mention this." And what you end up reading is not what should have been the final draft. I have been blogging too quickly without much thought. So here is to better blog entries with a little more thought.

It Started Out A Little Off...

Yesterday was a perfectly normal day. I returned to the gym after several days hiatus (Kirk had been out of town which forced me to sleep in since I couldn't leave my kids home alone in the morning). It felt good to go back after catching up on my sleep. My legs have been tired and sore and they actually feel better after running. So I came home, showered, got the kids ready, and we left to pick up the carpool early! That never happens. But it did yesterday. After the kids were dropped off to school, I got ready to take Tyler to preschool and help with his Valentine party. It was then that I realized I had left my cell phone in Kirk's car. I called Kirk and he confirmed it was there. How did we ever live without cell phones? Sometimes I just don't know.

So after 2 hours of preschoolers and sugar, I was a little TIRED! I sat on the couch for a few minutes, chatted with my mom and Kirk. Kirk just realized he had left his wallet at home, oops! And I then planned all the errands that I needed to run in the next few hours. Tyler and I had lunch and then the phone rang. It was David and he was crying. So we left to go pick him up from school. Good thing he called before we left because I didn't have a cell phone.

David fell off of the top of the slide and landed on his back. As soon as we got home I gave him some Tylenol and listened to a message from my angry husband. He had gone to pick up my desk and without his ID, they wouldn't let him take it. He had just talked to me and couldn't figure out why I wasn't picking up. So I got ahold of him and got that straightened out, and then I called David's pediatrician, and he recommended that we go to Primary Children's Emergency Room. I hate emergency rooms! I asked, "are you sure?" and "what about insta-care?" But I was told to head to primary's, so we did. But first I had to drive to Kirk's work and trade Tyler for my cell phone. Kirk came home and I left for the hospital.

And let me tell you about the mess I saw at the hospital! Poor little kids throwing up and no one even helping or noticing, a man bragging about his 17 year old daughter giving birth, a little girl crying in pain from a broken arm who had been there for hours, crowds of people who didn't speak English and needed interpreters, little boys with pierced ears, a rough looking mom (who forgot to put the jewelry in her cheeks so she was sporting holes instead) cuddling a sick infant. It was awful. And we waited amongst them for about 2 hours.

After x-rays and a CT scan, they determined nothing had been broken. Yipee! They gave us some instructions and sent us home, finally! We got home about 9:00 pm and had dinner. We were both starving. David got a blessing and is going to be just fine (although he can't play in his last basketball game and he is missing his Valentines party). We feel lucky and blessed! Also when I got home, I had this waiting for me.

Shopping Success!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was having a bad day. Well it was because I got a new calling, sort of. I was called to be the ward chorister. I am not a music person and have NEVER led the music in Sacrament Meeting. Nor did I ever want to. So I hesitated to say yes. And then I was racked with guilt. I cried and cried. This is seriously the LAST calling that I would ever want. And I seriously did not want to do it. So I told the bishopric and they prayed about it some more. I am sure you are thinking that I am a big baby and obviously I over react, but this was a rough experience for me. I know better than to turn down callings, but I still didn't want to do this. I had to reflect on my testimony. Luckily I still have one:) Weeks later the bishopric came back and said they still wanted me to do this. They also were going to call someone else to help. That was nice of them since I still teach Sunday School. So this Sunday I will be leading the music. Unless I make myself sick. I trust this is the right thing for me and I hope I make it through.


In the midst of all this drama, I told my husband that if I was going to do this, then I was going to treat myself to some new church clothes. I have a few basics that I mix and match, but I need something new. New clothes brighten my mood and in turn will help me have a better attitude about this calling. So I went shopping and it was a success! That was quick, right? I found lots of cute stuff. So watch out Young Women, hopefully we won't be twiners. I found a couple of things. Among them, this skirt. I bought it in white and it is the best. It is something that I will probably wear everyday when spring is here. It is sooooooooo comfortable. Which is just my style. Could it get any better? Yes! It is also knit! No ironing. I wanted one in gray too, but they didn't have my size:(

Can You Help Me?

I would like a new dress or a skirt and top. I even have the permission and encouragement from my husband. But where in the world do you find such clothes? I am off to check out the local Shade and Down East stores but, I would like something a little more original. And it would be nice NOT to wear the same outfit as the young women in my ward. Anyway, just wondering, where do you like to shop?

Open House

We went to the Draper Temple Open House today. The temple is BEAUTIFUL! Just as every temple is. I remember going to the open house for the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. One of the rooms that stood out to me was the bride's room. It was amazing! I got married in the Manti Temple and don't really remember the bride's room. I am sure it was pretty and I was probably preoccupied. Well the bride's room in this temple is amazing. I loved the couch and the pillows. I think it is wonderful that they actually make a room in temples for the bride. And it isn't just any room, it is a beautiful room. It is quite possibly the second most pretty room in the temple, the celestial room being the prettiest.

Afterwards they shuttle you right out to a church building. You enter the cultural hall which is filled with beautiful art work, warm rugs, and amazing decorations. They even serve you cookies and little bottles of water. It was by far the prettiest cultural hall I have ever seen! Who knew a gym could look so good?

Sometimes I Forget...

Today I went to Costco and used my coupons. There were some good ones. And it went a lot better this time. Last week I went there and had my cart half loaded up before I realized the coupons hadn't even started yet. Lucky for me I realized this before I got the the register.

A Kid Again

Last night we bought and watched Madagascar 2. We went and saw it as a family in the theaters and loved it. Last night was no exception. That movie is hilarious! I love it. The penguins, King Jullian, and Moto Moto are so darn funny! I know we will watch it again and again. And we will laugh out loud every time.

I just watched HSM (High School Musical). Go ahead and laugh or gag or whatever. It is a super cheesy movie. But today as I watched it, I felt like a little teenage girl (maybe because my husband is out of town...) and all of the sudden I thought, "Troy Bolton is hot!" I get why all of those girls go nuts. Who wouldn't love to be Gabriel Montez or whatever her name is. Wouldn't we all love the attention of the cutest, most popular boy at school. Even if it was just to toy with their emotions. They make high school look like so much fun.


Since my husband is gone he gave me my Valentines present early. A shiny, new, pink, nintendo ds, to keep me company. My kids are just as excited as I am. Which is funny because they all have their own. They even wanted to play mine and use my pink stylus. Silly boys. But it is pretty exciting. I love it!

So even though it is Sunday, there will be no "Sunday Dinner" today. After church we had grilled cheese sandwiches and soup (from a can). And in honor of being a kid again, I told the kids to go down in the storage room and pick out their favorite sugar cereal. And whatever they pick out, will be dinner. Yummy don't you think? I think so.

25 Random Things

This little ditty has been making its way around facebook. I thought I would post it here as well. I don't know about that whole facebook thing.

1. I want my own Nintendo DS. Mostly I just play Skipbo, but I really, really want Tetris!
2. I don't really like sports. But I did marry a HUGE sports fan, who just informed me that he would like to be a sports broadcaster. I think he would be great at it, but a little too late for a career change:)
3. My mom used to always tell me, "You'll marry the kind of person you date." Meaning, be careful who you are dating. I just thought, "Whatever, I am not going to marry some one from Richfield," but I did and now I count my marriage as one of my greatest blessings!
4. I also count my mission as one of my greatest blessings.
5. I feel really bad that I never got a little girl.
6. Jane Eyre is my favorite book and has been since I read it in high school. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a close second favorite.
7. I LOVE Christmas. I love the decorations, the colors, the music, the smell, the excitement, the giving, and the anticipation.
8. I wish I lived near the ocean.
9. My favorite jeans are Big Star.
10. I LOVE being a mom.
11. I hate getting dirty. I think I am allergic to dust.
12. Weeding is very theraputic for me. I love to pick out the bad parts and make things pretty.
13. I love flowers. I love to plant them and receive them.
14. I wish I could grow a garden like my dad.
15. When I work out, I sweat A LOT. The only person I have ever seen who sweats as much as I do is my dad.
16. A long time ago, I had really nice handwriting. I never write any more.
17. I hate being told what to do.
18. I've always wanted to go to Cosmetology school.
19. If I could go back to college for fun, these are some of the classes I would take: calligraphy, cake decorating, floral arranging, creative writing, and more interior design.
20. My mom made me take piano lessons when I was living at home, I wish I would have practiced and cared about improving. I love playing the piano now.
21. I am not very good at making friends. I put my foot in my mouth a lot.
22. I like baking, but I do not bake bread or grind wheat.
23. I love a good romance. Especially when set to music. The Sound of Music in my all time favorite.
24. Before kids, I taught 5th grade. I loved teaching about the Revolutionary War and I loved the children's literature.
25. I love to travel. I haven't really done a lot of traveling, but I hope to some day.

The Snuggie

My husband has got the flu, or something like that. He has been shivering and bundling up tonight. After being tucked in, Tyler wandered out to get something and saw Kirk applying more blankets. He said, "Dad, you need to get a snuggie. It is a blanket and it has sleeves. You can put your arms in it." I couldn't stop laughing. He sure has learned a lot from the tv.

A Gold Star

I am a stay at home mom. I find it very difficult to get things done. My floor goes un-mopped, the bathrooms don't get deep cleaned, and sometimes we run out of clean clothes. Forget about hobbies. Who am I and want to I like to do? I forget sometimes. But that is ok, I love what I do. Even if it never gets done.

Yesterday I mopped the floors (it had been a long while) and cleaned the blinds and windows. Then today I ran 8 miles. I am so proud of myself. Silly and small accomplishments you may think, but I think I deserve a gold star.

Shake Your Groove Thing...

This morning at breakfast Tyler was singing, "shake your boob-ez, shake your boob-ez, oh yeah!" I have absolutely no idea where he got that from. It gave us a good laugh.

Here's Hoping

I wish for a new desk!