day 14 - some place I want to go

I have always wanted to go to Nantucket. Isn't it beautiful? It just seems like a quaint, slow-paced, peaceful, and scenic place - that is my idea of perfection. A close second would be the French countryside - mostly for all the same reasons with the addition of great bread and cheese....

oh lil

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, CREATIVE, LILY!!!!!

I can hardly believe Lily is eight today. I could never ask for a better daughter and oldest child. Lily is helpful, obedient, and a lot of fun. She is so smart (sometimes it seems unfair that school should come that easily to someone) and creative. She fills our home with beautiful pieces of art and is always ready to decorate for any holiday. Plus she is silly and super fun to be around. I LOVE LOVE LOVE you Lily with all my heart - your arrival eight years ago made me a mother and I will always cherish that! Happy Birthday!!!!

day 13 - a talent of mine

I have been blessed with the GIFT OF GAB!

Although some may not see this as a talent, I sure do.

I can strike up a conversation with anyone.

I can be asked last minute to speak in front of a large group of people and totally pull it off like I prepared for weeks.

I can keep Scott awake on long road trips with this talent (and late at night in bed sometimes).

I just know how to talk!

It's great and I love it!

(although sometimes it can also get me into trouble if I'm not careful...)

day 12 - something i bought recently

Scott and I are going on a cruise at the end of April to celebrate our 10th anniversary!!!! So I have been on the prowl for a swimsuit that I actually feel comfortable in. I went shopping a couple weeks ago with my friend Jenny who had an awesome coupon for Kohl's. I found this swimsuit, which on the rack I wasn't really sure about. But when I tried it on I LOVED it. It is totally flattering and I have the cutest bottoms to go with it. When I tried it on at home I loved it even more. I think I am now set and SUPER DUPER excited!!!

day 11: a photo of me taken recently

Don't you love the drool on my chest from Super Davie...

ouch!

Poor Adam...he got in a fight with the driveway and totally lost!!!

Here he is right after his little fall. He had the hugest goose egg the rest of the day.

Here he is today...two days later. It looks pretty bad!

day 10: a photo of me taken over ten years ago

I know I am the queen of overkill....but I went on a little trip down memory lane trying to find a great picture for this post. I decided to put a couple of fun pictures that I found...

This the summer of 1987. Renee and I were buddies! Don't you love the train engineer's hat (which is kind of in style now) and Renee's plaid overalls...gotta love the 80's!

Freshman year at BYU - 1996. This isn't my bed, it my friend Ashley's bed - I am not sure why I had fallen asleep in it holding a canister of Pringles (no doubt bought by her - I was too poor to buy anything superfluous) while doing homework with my keys wrapped around my fingers. This is why I studied at the Law library and not in beds (well that and the Law library was filled with hot guys going to law school). I think it is a funny picture...

July 4, 2000 - the day before our trek to base camp on my Kilimanjaro climb. This was our whole group - we were all Americans except for the short guy in the very middle wearing the blue baseball hat; he is Australian. Well, Felix, our guide (the black one in front) obviously isn't American either. Anyway, this was how we celebrated Independence Day that year. It was pretty amazing - oh we are standing in that spot because that is our goal behind us....it was pretty daunting in real life. By the way, I am the one in the red jacket and black pants.
Early morning of July 6, 2000 - the top of Kilimanjaro! I was soooooooo cold and so out of it. Not enough oxygen or sleep!(P.S. I have about five layers of clothes on...I promise I wasn't as fat as I look in that picture!)

This one isn't quite ten years old yet - next month it will be...This is our engagement picture taken in April of 2001. I just love this guy! Best decision EVER!!!!

day 9 - pet peeves

I have to be honest with you, not a whole lot really bothers me as far as pet peeves go.

There are a few things though that do really get under my skin...

Wal-Mart: I really really don't like that place. Whenever I walk in there I feel anxious and annoyed and when I leave I feel irritated and like I need to go into detox! I don't like how the employees know nothing, move at a snail's pace, and can't string a coherent sentence together. I don't like how most shoppers are advertising for the latest Disney star like Tinker Bell or Hannah Montana, or that they are dragging there tired, sugared-up children with them around at 9:00 at night. The whole dynamic of Wal-Mart just bugs me. I would rather pay a few dollars more and shop at Target where it is clean, the employees are actually helpful and there aren't people everywhere obliviously stopped in the middle of every isle!

Stupid People: I know that sounds harsh, but let me explain. When I say stupid I don't mean people who have legitimate learning problems. I don't even mean people who don't know a lot. I mean people who are lazy and don't use the perfectly good brain they've been given. I could go into a long elaboration on this topic, but I will spare you...In short, think of anyone who might be on Jerry Springer, the Price is Right, or basically most reality shows and there you have it.

Debbie Downers: Everyone has problems. It is okay to vent once in a while. It is okay to productively talk about your problems with a friend (or spouse). It isn't okay to walk around with a little dark rain cloud over your head all the time. No one likes it. It really bugs me. Life just isn't that bad or that hard (unless we make it that way). I am hesitant to list this pet peeve because I don't want all of my friends to suddenly think they can't talk to me or ever complain to me - that isn't the case. Like I said, it is okay to vent frustrations, it is also healthy to talk about things that are bothering you, as long as you are also trying to find a solution. I certainly do my fair share of complaining (mostly to Scott). But it is so very important to remember that the best way to work out problems is to choose to be happy. My formula for happiness is as follows (just in case you care): Smile, think of others but mind your own business, leave the house daily, and be productive! I find that most people who are chronic complainers don't do most of those things listed.

Okay, so now I have to put my footnote. This is the most important part of the post...I have listed two categories of people. I have made it sound like I can't stand those people. Like I said at the top; most things really don't bother me and that applies to those two groups - I am pretty good at taking a deep breath and letting things roll off me when I do encounter a person like either of the two I described. The bottom line is that as I get older I realize that no person is perfect and that most people (even dumb and downer ones) are just doing the best they can at that time. Most of all I have come to realize that we are all children of our Father in Heaven. And just like I don't want my own children to be mistreated by others for some of their less than perfect behavior, I imagine Heavenly Father doesn't want His children to be mistreated either. So even though these characteristics in people bother me I really try to look passed it and show kindness to all. I know it is kind of cheesy, but that is how I feel. I still can't stand Wal-Mart and I make no apologies for it...

day 8 - something i crave

SUNSHINE!!!!! Fresh veggies from the garden. Newly mowed lawn. Kids playing outside. In a word...Summer!

P.S. Scott helped me with this list.

day 7 -a piece of art

Lily did this about a year ago. I think it is awesome.

She has done several pieces of art that I just love...she is a pretty rockin' artist!

birthdays, field trips, superstars, and bathtubs, oh my!

I figure I should still update my blog on what the fam is up to.

Davie just loves to play in the bathtub (especially when there isn't water in it). He gets Adam's Hot Wheels cars and uses the tub as a ramp - he and Adam will be at this for hours. They think it is the best.

Here he is picking up a car from outside the tub...

Now rolling it down the side...

Oh, that was soooo funny! He is such a cutie!

I have learned (finally at 33) that if you want a birthday party then you have initiate it! So that is what I did. I asked Renee to plan a party for me and that I would be willing to bring whatever she needed (she didn't have me bring anything). So we had a lovely family party at my brother Sam's house. The lunch was so yummy and Renee and my Mom made the best German Chocolate Cake (my fave). It was really fun and really really nice of Renee to humor me in my old age...

Here is Renee, Angie (our adopted sister), and Melissa (Sam's wife)

Me, Davie, and the yummy yummy cake!

My dad doing what he does best with the Lily - drawing "piggies" on her toes. She loves it when he does that!

Sweet Baby James - Sam and Melissa's baby (with Elisabeth, their oldest, in the background)

Sam and my mom (she had surgery on her shoulder about a month ago - super hurty)

Steve and Angie (we love them) and Michelle

So the morning of my birthday I was getting Adam's backpack ready for school. I was taking out all the papers from Friday and low and behold, guess what I found...a letter from his teacher saying he was the new Star Student and that I needed to bring a poster that day!!!! Talk about panic. Maybe this isn't panic for most people, but for me it was. I am a super duper perfectionist when it comes to things like posters, cards, scrapbook pages, etc. I couldn't whip something up in 20 minutes! Luckily Scott was out of town for work on my birthday (boo) so I had all evening to get something made for Tuesday. Here is one of the preliminary pictures to help me remember where to glue everything. I still ended up making changes - I thought the word bubbles were too big so I made smaller ones. In the end it turned out super cute (I frame these and hang them in the toy room - that is partly why I want them to be cute).

I went with Lily on her field trip last week. We went to the Murray City Nature Center. It was really fun and very interesting. Plus now I have a little gem of a story to share.

As we were getting back on the bus everyone was finding a seat. One of the little girl's dad came also on the field trip and when he got on asked her where he was going to sit since she already had a friend next to her. She turned and looked at me and then her dad and said, "Lily's mom is pretty, sit by her!" (her dad is single). Well, she wouldn't let it go and it was clearly very awkward for both him and me (I am sure he could see that I am married). Finally I leaned forward and quietly said to her, "Lily's Dad thinks I am pretty too!" I think she got the point and quit pestering her dad to come sit by me...

It was a fun day!

Gracie got to go to a birthday party for her little friend down the street - it was such a fun place with all sorts of rides. Grace was in HEAVEN!!!!

I am making Lily's baptism invitation and wanted to get some pics of her for it. Here is one of the ones that I love. She is getting so big and so beautiful!

day 6 - a fun fact about me

hmmmmm....a fun fact about me. This is kind of a hard one. What would be considered fun? The fact that I am 5'8" isn't really fun, although it is a fact. Everyone already knows that I love to sing and bake (sometime even simultaneously), so I am not really sure if that fits in the "fun" category either. Oh, Oh, I know! Did you all know that I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro? It is the tallest peak in Africa reaching 19,340 feet! That is kind of fun. Here is one that I bet even my family doesn't really know; I played softball from pretty much birth (they know that part) and through high school I consistently had the highest batting average on my team. I always thought it was pretty fun at the end of season when they would announce it (because I definitely wasn't the star/stand-out player, yet there I was with the best batting average). Boo-yah!

P.S. This isn't a softball in the picture... this was just the coolest pic related to the sport...

day 5 - favorite quote

You know when someone just pops into your mind and you think maybe you should call them or do something in particular for them. Then you talk yourself out of it because you have...going on or maybe you just forget. Maybe I am the only one this happens to, but none the less it happens.

When I was in college my sister Renee and I were talking once and I mentioned a scenerio like the one I described above. I must have said something to the effect of, "I really wanted to, but something came up." To which Renee said,

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions!"

I have never forgotten that quote. Sometimes there are legitimate things that get in the way of our good intentions, but for the most part it is only our excuses that get in the way. Every time I think I should be doing something or intend to do something but start talking myself out of it I can hear Renee's voice in my head. How's that for a lot of self-guilt!

My other favorite quote is from Elder Joseph B. Worthlin - it is "Come what may, and Love it!"

Isn't that a great quote! I try to live by that quote.

So there you have it; two of my favorite quotes!

day 4 - fave book

I never read this book in high school like everyone else in America. When Lily was a baby I found an old copy that our local library was selling. I bought it and read it and it has been my favorite book ever since.

That book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I really really loved this book. I love Atticus Finch - I wish I were more like him. He is wise and thoughtful. He shows such quiet courage that spoke so loudly to what he believed. Plus I love how he is with Scout (his daughter who narrates the book).

I also love The Count of Monte Cristo. It is nothing like the movie that came out a few years ago (which I also really enjoyed only because I had to think of it as a completely different story). I love Edmond Dantes (although for very different reasons than my love for Atticus Finch). Edmond is complex and Alexander Dumas illustrates his complexities so beautifully. As you read you aren't really sure if you should like Edmond so much and sometimes I didn't. But then there are times when I think he is such an amazing character I wanted to be more like him. It was a really interesting book and I couldn't put it down.

There are also some children's books that I love.

I Know a Rhino has long been a favorite in our family. I bought it when Lily was a baby and at one point all of my kids have had it's pages memorized.

Another favorite is I Heard, Said the Bird. The illustrations are beautiful and the end makes me cry every time because it is so sweet (you will read it and wonder why I cry...Lily wonders the same thing). We got it around the time I had Davie (which might explain the emotions).

Just for You is also a great one. It is a Little Critters book, which I just love. I think I like this one in particular because Adam remind me so much of the Little Critter - he just loves his mom so much! It is a sweet book and both my boys just love it when I read it to them.

I have a million other books (adult and children) that I really like as well, but these are my faves!

day three - 20 favorite things

1-Scott

2- Lily

3-Adam

4- Gracie

5-Davie

6-cinnamon rolls (good ones; so basically they have to be made by someone I trust...like me)

7-Utah summers

8-a newly mowed & very green lawn

9-a clean house

10-Christmas Eve

11-happy kids

12-a really beautiful and well-done musical ("Hello Dolly" and "The Drowsy Chaperone" at The Hale a while ago were both spectacular)

13-a great pair of jeans

14-my mornings at the gym (I hate missing)

15-snuggling with the kids

16-BBQ's

17-the morning light through my bedroom window

18-singing show tunes or church music to the piano (something I rarely get to do anymore)

19-mint chocolate chip ice cream served over a chewy brownie

20-miniature golf, batting cages, or bowling with Scott

day 2 - fave movie

This one is easy:

I knew Scott was the one for me when I showed him this movie on our second or third date and he liked it!

A true classic that should be enjoyed by all (even if you aren't a Barbra fan you might still enjoy it).

There are others that would be on my top five list. They might include:

Ever After

Sherlock Holmes

The Music Man

The SpongeBob Movie (I know, I am a total dork - but it is a really funny show)

Despicable Me (one of my new favorites)

My criteria for a favorite movie is usually whether or not I can watch it again and again and not get bored - these all pass the test!

day 1 - fave song

Seriously?! This is like asking a mother to pick a favorite child (which is David by the way...no! Just Kidding; I love all four of my children). It is no secret that I LOVE music - it is a part of my soul and who I am. I have been thinking about this little question now a lot and it is hard to pick a fave, so I will have to make a short list of favorites by genre.

Broadway/Show Tunes: "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" - I love this song; I have always loved this song. It is happy and bright and Gordon McRae looks so handsome singing it as he rides through the fake corn fields. Plus his voice is so dreamy. The other one I love is "As Long as You're Mine" from Wicked. It is just a pretty duet and love song and it gives me chills when I listen to it.

Classic Rock: I can't narrow the field to one so my favoriteS are: "You're So Vain (Carly Simon), "Seven Bridges Road" (Eagles) - I like it b/c I can do awesome harmonies with it, "Killer Queen" (Queen) - I don't know why I like this song; maybe b/c it sort of tells a story and is sort of quirky, basically anything by Simon and Garfunkel but mostly "Baby Driver" & "Keep the Customer Satisfied"

Indie (ie Chill) Music: "Lucky" (Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat), "The Way I Am" (Ingrid Michaelson)

New stuff: "Lifeline" (Angels and Airways), "Sometime Around Midnight" (The Airborne Toxic Event), "Sweet Disposition" (Temper Trap)

Teeny-Bopper Pop: "Naturally" (Selena Gomez)

80's fave: "The Promise" (When in Rome)

Love Songs: "She's Always a Woman" (Billy Joel) - this is the best song, "Morning Lullabies" (Ingrid Michaelson), "Only You" (Yaz - the Richard Stannard 1999 Remix version), "Angel" (Sarah McLachlan), "Hello" (Glee Cast)

Religious: "All Through the Night" and "Homeward Bound" both done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

So I do have to say that overall, through all the years one song in particular has always been a favorite and that is "I Want to Break Free" by Queen. Lest you think it is because I have a secret hope to break free from Scott you should know I have loved that song since high school; long before I knew Scott. I think it must be my sub-conscience wanting to break free from my deep and abiding love for ice cream...either that, or I like it because it is just an awesome song that can get my toe tapping no matter what!

Try watching the music video on YouTube - I would post it here but it may offend some and I don't want that. It is really really funny! (I don't find it offensive, but Freddy Mercury was a flamboyant, gay man and he is dressed in drag which I know bothers some people)

you're a what!

I'm a Blog Mooch. Yes, you read that right; I said a Blog Mooch. It is a term I coined myself. It means I get online, read all of your blogs, enjoying the fruits of your labors and seldom post anything myself. It seems a little selfish when you put it like that doesn't it. So in an effort to not be a Blog Mooch I have decided to take my friend Heather's (Utah Heather, not Washington Heather) 30 day blog challenge. I like the way she puts it; it is a chance to write more than just a caption under a picture of my kids, which we all know I am very guilty of. Plus you might learn something new about me (maybe I will learn something new about me too). So here is how it is supposed to go:

Day 01 — A favorite song
Day 02 — A favorite movie
Day 03 — 20 favorite things
Day 04 — A favorite book
Day 05 — A favorite quote
Day 06 — A fun fact about me
Day 07 — A piece of art
Day 08 — Something I crave
Day 09 — Pet peeves
Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of me taken recently
Day 12 — Something I bought recently
Day 13 — A talent of mine
Day 14 — Some place I want to go
Day 15 — My celebrity crush
Day 16 — A favorite food
Day 17 — My worst habit
Day 18 — Dream house
Day 19 — My future wedding (**I might have to change this one**)
Day 20 — A hobby of mine
Day 21 — A favorite recipe
Day 22 — A favorite joke
Day 23 — A video
Day 24 — My day in great detail
Day 25 — A favorite photo
Day 26 — A funny (true) story
Day 27 — A child I love
Day 28 — A place I love
Day 29 — A person I love
Day 30 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

Oh, and just so you know it will most likely take me more than 30 days to do this and I am still planning on putting pictures of my kids up since I figure that is why most of you read anyway...