ENOUGH Already!

Jace and Mommy shoveling the walks
Snow Doggy

Seriously! I've had enough! I know how jealous some of you are because of our snow....but really! I'm so tired of it I could scream! Maybe we should do a house swap! Jace and I just finished shoveling all of the sidewalks and I decided to call that my work out for the day! I am wet, cold, and tired!

....okay....I think I feel a little better now that I have let off a little steam!

What!? School Has Been Canceled??

Just yesterday I was chuckling at my Oregonian friends that were wondering if school would be canceled or delayed because of their bad weather....I'm thinking, "they are so lucky!" That NEVER happens in Utah! I mean, they get a little skiff of snow and they shut down school. We have a foot or two and it's, "wear your boots kids so you don't ruin your good shoes at recess! " So, imagine my surprise today when I get a phone call from the school instructing me to pick up my kids because the school is being shut down! What!? I spent the next hair raising hour and 20 minutes inching my way to the school and back to pick up my frost bitten children! They were ecstatic of course! Apparently with the 100 mph wind gusts pushing the snow at an angle some power lines were knocked down and they were without heat and power.....definitely a reason to close down the school....I just wish it would have been at the beginning of the day so I didn't have to risk my life trying to get them home! ...This picture doesn't do the weather justice! You could absolutely not see a thing and the roads were completely covered in ice! Cars were off to the sides of the road everywhere! So scary....makes me so glad I don't live in the East!

The Boys Earn New Belts!

Easton has advanced to the rank of a Jr. Brown Belt!
Easton's Karate Group

Press play to see Jace and Easton receive their new belts. Jace earns his White Belt Orange Stripe

Jace's Karate Group

I am so proud of my boys for all of their hard work! They earned every bit of their new belts. Easton is advancing into the more difficult degrees of Karate, so his testing and advancements will keep getting harder. He is up for the challenge! Jace just thinks he is the best little karate guy out there (next to Easton of course!) I'm so happy they get to do something that they love so much!

Tomorrow Happy Something and So On......

Rochelle posted this on her blog saying she had taken it from a friend, who had taken it from a friend etc....so....I'm taking it from a friend.....

Tomorrow....I will try to get all of my laundry folded and put away.

Happy....Bryan has been home so much lately.

Something I Know....I am loved!

Currently....reading a book I'm hating, but have to finish....why do I torture myself??!!

Wanting....a maid.

Favorite Gadget....my cell phone (I couldn't text without it!)

Thankful....for my family.

Wondering....if I will ever have a day when I don't have to do laundry!

So Thankful!

This was the note I had on my bedroom door when I got home from Hawaii......from Camry.

A great big thank you to Grandma Linda for taking care of our boys...and girl while we were in Hawaii! They were spoiled rotten! With Grandmas home cookin', clean laundry, clean dishes, trips to the library, swimming, eating out, etc. etc.....I'm not sure how excited everyone was to see us!--Also, a big thank you to my wonderful husband, who made me feel like I deserved a vacation. And...who did more than his fair share of work while I was gone! Love you both!...Oh and I can't forget Aunt Bonnie (for being the second mommy to my kids!) Thanks a million everyone!

Cruisin' Hawaii

I just got back from an amazing vacation with one of my favorite people! Laura and I spent 7 days cruising the Hawaiian Islands on the Pride of America. We spent most of our days on the beach. One day we were able to take a Helicopter tour thanks to Laura being a wonderful employee of Asphalt Zipper! It was incredible! The weather was beautiful. We had one beach day that was a little chilly, but for the most part it was around 80 degrees the whole time we were there. Compared to the 20 degree snowy weather at home in Utah we were feeling pretty lucky! Everything we did was so much fun! Seriously, the best vacation I've ever been on! Thank you Laura for bringing me along! I'll have memories to last a lifetime!

Happy Birthday Easton!

Happy birthday to my best buddy!Easton is 9 years old today.I love this boy so much!He had a little bit of a rough start in life, and I think this bonded us together.East is a mama's boy through and through, and though I try not to, sometimes I think I see him through rose colored glasses.He really is such a good boy. Full of quiet humor and spunk.His favorite things in life are Karate, Bionicles, and Captain Underpants (if you haven't read them you must....they are the ultimate in potty humor).His hero is his dad, and his best friend is his sister (he would do absolutely anything for her). Easton loves any kind of sports, and thanks to Uncle Jeff is constantly singing The Beastie Boys.Our house wouldn't be the same without him.We love you Eastie Beastie! Have a great day!

Easton's Birthday Party

Easton wanted to have a birthday party at the bowling alley this year. All I have to say is..."thank goodness!" Eight 9 year old little boys are a handful! I was really excited that we got to celebrate at the bowling alley for 2 hours rather than at my house! The boys all had a great time bowling and eating pizza.Easton and his buddies

The bowling alley gave Easton this bowling pin that all of his guests got to sign. He LOVES it! He has seriously carried this around with him for 2 days!
Kaleb, Easton, Caleb, Nick, Elijah, Carson, Brayden P, and Brayden E

A Few Of MY Favorite Things...

I was really spoiled for Christmas this year. I got so many fun things...some of my favorites were from my parents. Bryan got the Planet Earth series (which he absolutely loves), and I got this awesome watch (pink...my favorite). Anyway, today I am at the store and this lady says to me, "your watch is so cute...I think I saw it on Oprah's favorite things." So, I rush home and Google "Oprah's Favorite Things 2007". Sure enough! Here is my watch and Bryans DVDs on her list. I just have to say how much more exciting my Christmas just got knowing that Oprah had a hand in picking out our gifts! So...today I say thank you to my mom....and also to Oprah! Great job we love them!

Go Jazz!

It is Jazz season at our house. Just about everything we do is scheduled around when the Jazz are playing. Tonight Easton got to go to the game with his dad for his upcoming birthday. He loves to watch them play.....personally I would rather stay home (no offense to all you die hard Jazz fans), but to me it's just not that exciting! I'm sure they will have a great night together. They are good buddies, and Easton looks forward to any opportunity he has to hang out with his dad!

Things I Treasure About My Grandma

Me And My Grandma

• Fabric shopping


• Swimming at night...NOT getting her hair wet


• Riding on the back of the moped to Alphabeta to buy groceries


• Swinging on the porch swing, while she sang to me


• Riding Splash Mountain, and her trying to recurl her hair with her lipstick container after getting soaked!


• When the bird pooped on her head while we were visiting the Queen Mary


• Watching her sew and make dolly clothes


• Cuddling in her bed watching tv


• The smell of her perfume


• The sound of her voice


• The sight of her hands


• Visiting her mom, my Great Grandma Black


• Watching she and Great Grandma Nielson make honey candy


• Her Cauliflower Soup (or casserole soup as Camry thinks it's called)


• Going to the cabin in Strawberry


• Giggling and playing games all night with her and my Aunt Jeanne


• Being born on her 25th wedding anniversary


• Hearing stories of her childhood


• Murphy Brown (her dog)
• Meeting 1/2 way between Blanding and Phoenix at the Cameron Trading Post
• Going to visit Grandpa at the Pottery Shop
• Driving to see Jack and Bonn and the mink farms, and blowing bubbles with our gum the whole way

These are just a few of my most fond memories of my Grandma Northern. I wanted to wish her a happy birthday....even though I have no idea how old she is! If I ask she tells me she's "fifty-through". Thank you Grandma for being a light in my life! I treasure our special relationship and I love you more than you'll ever know! Happy Birthday....

Our Seamstress

My mom gave Camry a sewing machine for her birthday last year. She loves it! This year for her birthday Grandma gave her a quilt kit. It was a bunch of fabric that we had to cut up and make a quilt out of. Easier than it sounds. It took her almost an entire day to complete her project, but she didn't want to stop until she was finished (she obviously didn't inherit this from me!) It turned out so cute! I am so proud of her....she really did it all herself other than me cutting out the blocks for her. She decided to give it to Emmy to enjoy....and of course she is loving it (since I'm pretty sure that Emmy thinks she is a human!)

Friends Forever

Prom 1992

Oasis Cafe 2008

KerrieLeigh, Lisa, Autumn, Jenny

Through the wonderful world of blogging I have been able to reconnect with some of my favorite people! Last night I got together with 3 of my very best friends from highschool. We had such a great time catching up...and of course, eating! KerrieLeighs meal left something to be desired, but I think everyone else enjoyed theirs.

KerrieLeigh's Vegetable Parfait....Yummy!
I'm so lucky to have had these girls in my life growing up...when the person that you become depends a lot upon the people you hang around with. I always try to teach my kids the importance of choosing good friends. My friends are perfect examples of this lesson. Lisa, Jenny, and KerrieLeigh...thank you for all of the life lessons and love you have given me!

Rockin' New Years Eve!

Jeff and Bonnie hosted our New Years Eve party this year. We had a ton of food, kids, noise, games, movies, etc. All of the things you need to have a great time! The kids played games, and watched movies...I can't believe all of them lasted until midnight! (I was paying for it the next day!) The adults sat down for an intense game of Pictionary along with the traditional Newlywed Game. We had some good laughs at Uncle Jeff's expense...(Jeff, we all know you are more like Batman than Charlie Brown!) It was a great way to ring in the New Year! Looking forward to 2008!