Be Mine, Valentine!

Sending some love out from our family to yours.  Not that all of us are pictured here below...just half of the family that required valentines to give out at school.....but you can be certain that we ALL send our love!

(Reasons for unique posing was for candy placement...cut a slit in the picture and slip a sucker stick in...viola!  Vday card with a treat!)

**The cupid idea was all Jared's.  That's my boy!  His sense of humor is ahead of his time.  Since it was 1st grade, I figured the kids were too little to tease him about it, so let him do it.  If we do picture cards again, fairy wings will not be involved until he's old enough to put any teasers in their place! ;)  His looked awesome finished, like he was shooting the sucker from his bow.

Roadkill Possom...Opossum?!

Here's my funny for the day:

While checking out at Costco, the cashier and her helper loading my cart up were talking.  The cashier was telling her that ever since she was little, she can't eat fish because when she was young, her older brother would feed her odd things (like squirrel) and tell her it was fish.  (Aren't older brothers great?!)

Then the lady loading the cart started telling us that when she was on her mission, the people there would eat all sorts of weird things, like roadkill possum....I asked her, "Where did you go, West Virginia?"

She looked at me surprised, and answered, "Yes!"

I had to laugh....it pays to know where the hillbillies live. ;)

*photo credit: allfunpix.com

Mmmm, mmmm....good! ;)

I want to blog.....

I really do...but I have (obviously) been a SLACK lately and now I just don't have any material that I can come up with.  So, let's try this.  Maybe it will help some of you lurkers comment....because I know you are there...I have a sitemeter!

Leave me a comment, let me know you are there, then give me some material for a post.  Ask a question, request a recipe, story, whatever......within reason.

Who knows, maybe it'll be fun, maybe it'll flop...And by all means, even if I don't know you, comment.  I love meeting new people.  Unless you are mean or a stalker, then go away! ;)

I'm here waiting.....and doing laundry.....

Sanity Time

After going skiing for my birthday, but not really being able to ski - meaning we spent all our time on the beginner runs - Ron and I decided to take a day just for ourselves to really see if we could still ski!  He was leaving for Chicago on business, so he took a comp day, we arranged for Ellie to go play at Grandmommy's house for a few hours, and we headed to the slopes of Sundance.

I have a deep and abiding love for Sundance.  I learned to ski there a mere 25 years ago....excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor after figuring that out....am I really that OLD experienced?!  After I learned to ski, I stayed very loyal to Sundance, mainly because it was always the closest resort to home and easiest to get rides to.  Fact is, I've only skied at 2 other resorts in Utah: Brighton and Alta.

The day we went skiing, we were still suffering at home in the valley from an inversion a few weeks in the enduring.....in other words, a layer of warm air traps the cold air in the valleys, and subsequently traps all the junk, pollutants, fog, smoke, etc. in the valleys as well.  Pretty soon, the sky is no longer blue, if you can see the mountains it's through a brown haze, the sun isn't bright, the news stations tell you if you have respiratory problems that you shouldn't go outside, and the school doesn't let any of the kids outside to play at recess time because we have the dirtiest air IN THE COUNTRY!  Not kidding either about that dirtiest air thing either....

Anyhoo, it is possible to get above all the filth and see the sky and sun again, and that is to head up the canyon, strap on the skis, and ride the lift as high as it goes.  I suddenly found the brightness of the sun warming my face and remembered how incredibly blue the sky can be!  It also was an amazing day as my husband and I were able to enjoy each other, without the sounds of screeching and whining laughter and playing children surrounding us.  It was wonderful.

See that picture there?  We took that to remember the gunk we were above.....you should be able to see down into that valley and see Deer Creek Resevoir and the Heber Valley...but not that day month!  I also thought it would be funny to pose at the gate to Bishop's Bowl.....ha, ha, ha, right, like I'm about to take off into that black diamond run!  (Black diamond=steep and difficult ski run)



Here's where the story gets sort-of funny.  After a few more runs, and a stop at Bearclaw Cabin for hot cocoa and chips and salsa, I suggested to Ron that we do Bishop's Bowl.....I've done it before, plenty of times....as long as I stay over on the groomed side, it'll be great.

Sure it will.

I forgot how incredibly long, long, long of a run Bishop's is...and steep.  I thought my legs were going to give out they were hurting so bad!  I am sooooo out of shape!  2/3's of the way down I was just praying to get to the cat track!  But obviously, I made it, and it was a GREAT feeling to know I still had it!  After 9 years, I could still do Bishop's Bowl and survive with all limbs functioning.  I love you Sundance!

Not worried about Ron....he was a bit of a ski freak in his younger days....skiing every day with his season pass, looking for the mogul fields, etc. I feel bad for him having to ski with me as I slow him down! Not to mention, I don't look all that graceful. Oh well, he's stuck with me! :)

Ron and I have decided that we need at least one more Sanity Ski trip this winter!!!

Thank You John Hughes

Mr. Hughes,

Thank you for making some of the best , and funniest movies to grow up watching, and continue enjoying! Bless you for the soundtracks....not only classic 80's music, but I think I could use a couple as the soundtracks of my teenage years. Thank goodness that through the magic of technology, we will have these to enjoy for years to come...

Obviously, my very favorite film of his was "Pretty In Pink"....oh my....I even changed my name to Andie for a while when that film came out!




And last but not least, my other fav, "Some Kind of Wonderful". Best kissing scene just about ever in this one.....

Am I the Only One?

Am I the only one that has a purse cram-packed like the above photo when we are taking the family to a movie, or am I just cheap?!

We do buy a bucket o' popcorn there......

We saw Ice Age 3. Cute. Pretty much like the others, with the added feature of 3D. Although we didn't see the 3D version.....but everything was all close up and lots of stuff coming at the screen anyway, which I found irritating. Definitely not Disney, but we enjoyed it. :)

Suggestion Box?

Dear Mother Nature,

Please excuse me for this intrusion into your very busy life, but I have just a bit of a complaint I'd like to file. Just a small one really.

I think perhaps, sweet Mother Nature, that you are a bit confused this year about the date or season, and what the appropriate weather may be for said date/season. You see, it is April 15th.

Mid April.

Almost a month after the first day of SPRING.

You remember Spring.....warmer weather, flowers blooming, snow melting, trees leafing out, warmer weather, sunnier days, some rain storms, no more snow....warmer weather.

It's Spring Break for my kids this week. Monday was sunny and somewhat warm. They were able to play outside happily. It was dry. They wore shorts and t-shirts. We were looking forward to a fun week outside playing. All those plans were abandoned Tuesday when it got cold and really rainy. Now today.....THIS:


I had to turn THIS on in the Family Room:

And my kids are not wearing shorts and t-shirts. Instead, they are in the jeans, long sleeves, and fleece attire from January.


So really Mother Nature.....would you want to be cooped up in the house for Spring Break because of snow and cold?! Neither do I! It stinks that I put the snowpants away, the mittens have been lost, and the coats are all on the small side, because tomorrow would be a perfect day to take the kids for their first skiing lesson.

Maybe next year we'll give you a little "heads up" so we can actually celebrate Spring during our time off from school. Now.....where can I find the suggestion box to stick this letter into?!

Sincerely-

Crazy and Cooped-up in Utah.

PS....Do you like Ellie's toothbrush and stickers?! We ALL went to the dentist today for a check-up. The only cavity in the bunch? ME.

nice. :)

PPS....I hope Mother Nature doesn't strike me with lightning for registering this complaint. For you own safety, you may not want to stand too close to me for a few months....

If anyone is interested....

Our kids school is having a 5K/1 mi. Fun Run on Saturday April 25th, at 8AM(sign in 7AM). If you are interested in participating, you can find the information HERE.

Entry Fees are $10 before the race, $15 on race day. If you pre-register before April 10th, you get a t-shirt! :) Bonus! You would also get the added fun of taunting me as I make a fool of myself trying to run a mile. I hope to crack the 30 minute barrier...

Heidi....I hear you laughing. ;)

The Great 8 Tag

**I started this list a WHILE ago, and then it sat in my drafts folder.....so obviously some things are old (like what I did yesterday.....so I added a few to that category when I finished the list today!)**

Thanks to my cousin Shanan for the tag. Although I may not tag 8 people....I don't know if I have 8 people reading me anymore since I've been such a slacker as of late! :) Oh, and I'll be doing these eight things about the family, not just me....makes it much easier to come up with.

Here are the rules:
1) Post rules on your blog--done :)
2) Answer the six "8" items (they are in no particular order).
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment.

8 Favorite TV shows
*Curious George
*Imagination Movers
*Little Einsteins
*Phineas and Ferb
*Dirty Jobs
*American Idol
*Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives
*Cage Fighting (this would be one of Ron's favorite.....)

8 Things we did yesterday
*I finished the laundry...oops, forgot to dry that last load!
*Ron spent all day at church....meeting and the usual.
*Riley went to her presidency meeting (she's the 2nd counselor in her Young Womens age group) with wet hair because she forgot about it and had just gotten out of the shower when they called to see where she was.
*We all went to church, and the kids were actual decent this week....so fabulous not having to feel like the 3 ring circus! :)
*Nicole went to Primary and got to help in sharing time in Primary.
*The kids were "ungrounded" from the basement, so they went down and were supposed to be straightening up the playroom, but I think it is now in worse condition that previously.
*I made dinner and dessert. Italian Chicken over noodles, broccoli, rolls, and Raspberry Crumb Bars.
*I tried to watch the Oscars, but Ron had the remote....I finally gave up and went in the bedroom to watch the end.

8 Things we did yesterday(for real!)
*Ellie and I went to Walmart
*went to the kids school and traded out take-home reading books
*Riley was on stage crew for the school's production of "The Wizard of Oz"
*Nicole watched the play in the morning with the rest of the school
*Jared had a hissy fit because the afternoon kindergarten class didn't get to see the play
*the younger kids went to the 1st session of their after-school art class
*I turned in Riley's schedule request form to the High School....that is so weird.
*I made a yummy chicken pot pie recipe for dinner....but it wasn't in pie form...

8 Things I look forward to
*Ellie being completely potty-trained (which she is now!)
*The kids look forward to summer vacation!
*Colorado this summer
*Spring!
* Ron's and my 10th anniversary
*Spring.....for real!
*Jared looks forward to 1st grade, so he can eat lunch at school and have 3 recesses
*braces...OFF :)

8 Favorite Restaurants--in no particular order
*In n Out
*Cafe Rio
*Zupa's
*Rumbi Grill
*Lonestar Taqueria
*The kids: Golden Corral....buffet=choices+no waiting!
*Italian Place
*Goodwood BBQ


8 Things on my Wishlist
*paid-off mortgage
*happy kids, read: no more whining!
*huge tax refund
*all the clutter to just disappear and my house to become magically organized
*a maid
*the kids to actually HEAR instructions given to them :)
*Government that works
*World peace?!

Play if you'd like!

Tease, tease, tease....

I don't enjoy Spring in Utah. It's a big tease for about two months. Mean I tell you! I will be enjoying my few warm days, you can be sure. I just won't be putting the snow blower or coats away yet. And I'll try to avoid thinking of my family and friends in Arizona whose kids are playing on slip 'n' slides..... ;)

Memory Lane

Thank you C, otherwise known as Mrs. Organic, for this post. I told you in the comments that I was now going to have to make a playlist, and I did it.

Folks, to your right, you will find some of the most awesome songs from the 80's. All the stuff I loved. All the stupid slow songs played at the Stake Dances. All the songs you'd call in a request for to the radio station and then sit for the next hour trying to record for your own personal "mix tape". Don't say you didn't do it, you know you did. :)

You don't have to listen to it....but I know that any of you that are my age, will peruse this list, and suddenly be struck with a title of a song you loved, and haven't heard in years....and you will listen to it! And yes, I know it is a very strange mix of styles and songs.....but it's my playlist, and I LOVE it! :)

Enjoy, and if you notice any that are missing, let me know! It's been a while and I KNOW I forgot some good ones.

***Edited to add***

Heavens! It's a sickness. I may be mildly obsessed! I add a few, and then keep thinking of more. I will have my computer bopping out tunes all the time now. I think I need to stop and just put them all on my iphone, since all that's on there is Beethoven symphonies, and I don't play it all that often! My oh my, this is fun. :)

Now THAT is a Cookie!

Yes, we are back. Sorry I haven't blogged about it. Something about coming home to immediate inundation with school volunteer projects (Spelling Bee and Presidential Pageant essay judging), not to mention the instant return of seasonal depression (this is self-diagnosed, of course, but I am SO ready to have sun and warmth here!) I have facebooked since being home, but the blog is still suffering! :)

I'll do better.

Maybe. ;)

We had a kinda fun day Saturday. After dropping Riley off at the mall with friends, we took the younger kids to lunch at BYU Legends Grille. Good food. The kids liked the pizza, but LOVED the gargantuan chocolate chip cookies. We are such good parents. We bought them one pizza to share(dinner plate size), but each of them got their own dinner plate size cookie to eat. That makes sense, doesn't it? A little backwards for the health conscious, but it was Saturday!

We were planning on a trip to the Bean Museum after lunch, but Jared's meltdown nixed that. I'm sure it had nothing to do with all the refined sugar he had just ingested!

The Bird

I had one of the weirdest animal experiences yesterday morning. I'm still shaking my head and laughing about it.

Jared and I were in my bedroom folding clothes yesterday morning. Suddenly we hear this very loud and distinct knocking coming from the corner of the bedroom. It freaked us both out a bit, since it was so loud, and abnormal. I immediately started going through in my brain thinking about what utility lines or pipes are in that corner of the house, wondering if something had gone wrong. But, there is nothing over there. So the knocking starts again. It is coming from outside of the bedroom wall or floor, so I run over and look through the window, to see a bunch of birds in the tree outside. Then I realized what it was. I went running to the back door, look out, and there it was....a WOODPECKER! On the side of the house pecking on the STUCCO?! Obviously, not a very brilliant bird. I shooed it away, and then had to call Ron and tell him. He was concerned, and told me it would come back.....why? To peck on stucco?! But then, sure enough, it started again. I went out, while still on the phone, shooed it away again, and then went over to see why it was attacking our house, and if it had done any damage thus far. That's when I found the old mud nest of some yellow jackets that had been built last summer....so I guess the bird wasn't that dumb after all! So I got a shovel from the garage, scraped the nest off the house, and Woody hasn't been back since. But this still ranks right up there with odd animal experiences!

My "Done It" list....

Today is my birthday. I'm not going to publish how old I am, because it's old enough. :) But I've seen this list on a couple of other blogs and decided to, well, steal it because it was fun. All of the items in bold are things that I've done or experienced. Maybe I'll be able to make a few more of them bold in the years to come!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii....but I hope to soon!
5. Watched a Meteor Shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland...and I'm going to DisneyWorld the end of January! :)
8. Climbed a mountain...but do i have to get to the top for it to count?!
9. Held a praying mantis...I think I have, but I tend to block memories that include bugs....blech!
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill *gasp!*
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping....in the Sea of Galilee no less.....
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - lunar and solar
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run....does Wii Sports count?!
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors...recent ancestors, none foreign...yet!
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt...and it was LATE!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa...technically, Egypt is in Africa, but there's a lot more of Africa to see! Maybe someday.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma...and I can also add: bone marrow (ouch!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp, but I have been to the Holocaust memorial in both Jerusalem and Washington DC
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person...floated through it on a raft for 7 days...AMAZING!!!
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible - New Testament: yes. Old Testament: lots of parts of it, but not the whole entire page by page thing.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - a chicken
88. Had chickenpox...TWICE!!!
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby...3 times
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake...I live in Utah, but haven't stepped a foot in it....but I have swam in the Dead Sea. It was a painful experience. Just a head's up, don't ever shave your legs and swim in the Dead Sea on the same day.
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Great weekend.....mostly!

Well, Thanksgiving is over, done, and put away. Here we go with Christmas! Thursday was nice. Family, fun, and okay food.....my rolls didn't work and it sorta ruined it for me....and Ron. I did go get him 2 dozen good rolls the next day though to make up for it. They are now gone! I think next year, a nice idea would be to go to Mimi's cafe or somewhere that serves up dinner for you....no work, no dishes, just good food and then come home for a nap.....but then there's the no leftover issue..... Oh well. I have a year until we do it again, so no worries yet!

Ron and I planned on going out bright and early Friday morning for some shopping, but Jared decided to change our plans by getting very sick beginning around 1:30 AM......poor kid kept nothing down until about 3 in the afternoon. So I went a couple places alone but it was not all too productive. But I got some done, and a little more Saturday, so we are getting there in terms of Christmas gifts. It is so strange, I feel like I just got Christmas put away from last year, so I don't feel like I should be doing this yet!

Saturday we made our little excursion to the tree farm....pictures here...
The quest begins for the perfect tree....anything bigger than the stick Jared has is game....

After considering a few, including a very blue Blue Spruce(maybe next time, I don't know if I'd get sick of a blue Christmas tree after the first couple of days!) we found the perfect tree. Good height, color, straight, and lots of open spaces for our ornament collection.

The cutest picture of Ellie....she is starting to look so much like a big kid, which makes her mommy very sad! I am still in denial that she'll be three in a month! I guess I should get her potty trained and perhaps moved out of her crib. Ellie chose this itty-bitty tree as her favorite.....we told her that maybe when she's about 16 that tree might by bigger than the stick!

When we got home, we discovered that of the three long strands of lights for the tree that we had, only 1 1/2 of them worked. Lowes had mini lights on sale, so we just decided it would be less of a headache to get new ones...while we were at it, we switched from clear mini lights to multi-colored. A little change is always fun. While at the store, the kids found these fun Santa hats and had to pose:


The finished product!


I stole all of these photos from Ron's blog. How sad is it that I didn't pull my camera out once? I let him do all the pictures with his iPhone, and then he blogged them the same day, practically the same hour, on his iPhone. He's doing a better job of documenting things than me, so if you ever wonder what is going on with us because I haven't posted in a while....check out my husbands blog!

We have a very busy week ahead.....Christmas prep, and then my sister and her hubby come up to help with some work on my mom's new house. She closes on Tuesday, and then Wednesday evening we will start ripping out vinyl flooring and carpet, tearing down wallpaper, laying tile, and painting the master bedroom and some shelves....all topped off with moving her out of her old house on Saturday. I'm really wondering how that day and saying goodbye to that house will go. It was home for me from age 10, up until I moved out on my own. Lot's of memories there. I'll make sure to take some pictures.

Just had to share.....

My husband made this today.....I had to giggle!

**for any non-BYU followers, that's Max "Mr. SIX turnovers against the U" Hall sitting over there....the outcast!

Goodbye Autumn

This is almost pretty enough to not mind that this is what it looked like around here today...almost.

**photo stolen from my husbands iPhone!**

Simplify....

Time for a new look, after all, it is almost Halloween. (I suppose I should get the rest of my decorations out...cough, cough....my poor kids!) I was feeling the love for a fun new topper, and simple for the rest. What do you think? Yes, I know Riley is missing....she didn't get a picture taken last year...wasn't feeling the love for Halloween I guess...but I'll put a new topper up in a week and we'll all be there!

I know what you are thinking....why don't you just blog more?! I have lots of intentions to, it just hasn't come to fruition yet.

Fun day Thursday. I got a call at almost the end of school that Nicole got hurt. Apparently some kid wasn't paying attention to where he was going and knocked her into the outside wall of the school, cutting her head open....nice....we all know how head injuries bleed like there is no tomorrow, and Nicole did just that. The little itsy-bitsy cut on her head, that was too small to even think of needing medical attention, bled and oozed for about 4 hours. Then I, smart mother that I am, gave her a shower. I had to wash the blood out of her hair before school tomorrow....so the bleeding began again, but stopped much quicker this time!

I am SO excited for tonight....it's Nicole (a little sussy's) wedding day! Hooray! I am so excited to go spend the evening with one of my favorite families ever and celebrate with my divine Hill girls! I can't wait to see what Nicole has come up with for her day....I'm certain it will be incredible.

This Weekend's Forecast...

This weekend does not bode well from me ever getting rid of this cold. I have been robbed of my ability to breathe through my nose, talk, and sleep all night. Wah! And yes, I'm whining about it.

Everything's dropping...temperature, stock prices...

At least I know I will get better. Nicole is back to 100%, and Jared and Ellie are improving. Riley never got it, lucky kid. Ron and I are left to suffer. But now to add insult to injury, winter is coming early to these parts. Look at that....73 on Wednesday, and 46 on Sunday. I was so wanting to get fall pictures of the kids, but I guess I'll change those to winter pics! :)

Breakfast

Ellie informed me this morning....

"I need a phoom mommy, I need a phoom!"

A spoon with which to eat her cereal.

Well, I gave her a "phoom", and she proceeded to eat her cereal with her fingers. Just like every morning. Picking all the marshmallows out first. Thanks for the Marshmallow Matey's dad! We like Malt-O-Meal cereal at our house, cheap knock-off that it is!

So, everyone, grab your "phooms" and enjoy! :)