Live Well, Laugh Often, Love With All Your Heart

It's Overwhelming!

2011-12-23T13:15:00.000-08:00

We received a very special delivery last night...
A mound of clothes and blankets for the baby boys!
And a wall of diapers and wipes, and toys too!
These small piles everywhere represent different clothing sizes. It was my job to organize this -
And Scott organized the diapers and wipes along with all the other boxes we have been given. PEOPLE ROCK!!! We feel so blessed and are absolutely overwhelmed by the support!! WOW!! Thank you to everyone- truly! THANK YOU!!!

Christmas Time Is Here!

2011-12-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Babies look SO CUTE in Christmas hats and colors :) Especially these little boys! I am keeping a stash of pictures that will become available for 'public' view after and if we are allowed to adopt these babies. Until then, just imagine the cutest things you can, and then double it!

I took the boys to work with me today for our last day before the holiday break. It was so odd seeing some people today... for example, my boss. He was wearing a wig, and looked strangely like a little princess we all know and love that hangs out with 7 short men. Yeah. Kind of freaky. But silly? You betcha :)

Part of the school's tradition is having a wish box to raise money. People can wish for anything they want, but every wish costs them a dollar. People who are being wished against (like people who want other people to do things, like cut their dread locks off)can place a value on that wish. Today I saw someone receive a new pet rat (alive!), a cute kid get his dread locks cut off, and teenage boys 'trying' to sing Christmas carols. Someone wished for me to have flowers, and I got to take home a beautiful arrangement of Christmas flowers that I swore smelled of peppermint :)

Scott and I finally FINALLY got all our letters and gifts and whatnot ready for Christmas. Under the circumstances, I guess I'm surprised we attempted this at all! But we do have a lot of people to thank for the help and support and gifts and everything else that they've done for us since we've had these two babies in our home. It's been good :) Next year though...

And good news! According to the Neurosurgeon, Baby A is officially out of danger!! That fracture has healed well and will continue too :) Now, if we could just get him to stop scratching his face...

Both babies are over 10 lbs!! Holy cow, man! :)

Big Boys!

2011-12-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Both babies weigh over 8 lbs now! They are nearly 2 months old and still with us, obviously :) We are still adjusting (yep, it's true!) to being 'parents' to 'newborns' but getting better and better at it (I hope!) all the time.

Honestly, the hardest part is taking them to visit the mom. Truly, it sucks.

The easy part is caring for two babies at once. I really thought it would be so much more difficult than it is. Sometimes I'm amazed at how 'easy' it feels. Maybe its just natural... :)

A Cool "Mommy" Moment I'll Never Forget...

2011-12-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

My favorite movie (probably of all time) is the Muppet's Christmas Carol. I absolutely love it!! I could watch it all year long!! Sometimes I do, actually :)

So the other day I'm enjoying this favorite movie of mine, of course, with Baby A in one hand and Baby B in the other... arm, I guess. They were both cooing. They were both smiling, and looking at me, and responsive. It wasn't long before they began to fade, and pretty soon Baby B was sound asleep in my arm. Baby A wasn't quite there yet, but instead became fussy. I figured he just needed a little encouragement, so I put him on my chest and patted his back (yep, with the only arm I had free! Glad they're still little enough that I can do that) and he was out like a light. I checked on Baby B to see if he was still asleep, and sure enough - they both were! And to top it off - my favorite movie was playing in the background! It was the most precious moment I have had since Mommyhood has entered my home.

What I wouldn't give to have this last forever...

What I've Been Up Too Lately.... You May Have Heard...

2011-11-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

Summer Sum-Up

2011-08-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

This summer has gone by so fast!! I know it's still hot outside and still 'Summer Time', but it's officially over for me now that I'm back at work FULL time, and then some! So here's my Summer-Sum-UP :)

June
7th - We took Jack and Emery with us to my neighbor's wedding. They were perfect!! And what a beautiful bride she made :)

19th - I had my 30th birthday! Can I just say what a relief it was to wake up on that Sunday and feel, well, 29 still??? I guess it's true! 29 forever! :)

July
4th- My family (siblings, Aunt Karen, Cousin Lisa, Dad, Kathleen, and even Uncle Roger, Mark and Louise) all ran in the Clearfield Freedom Run! It was amazing! I ran my fastest ever 5k time (at that point) of 28:12. My husband tied my time, and my sister came in right behind me at 29.:07. Not too shabby! Uncle Roger, though - 21:02! What a super star. We all went to visit Mom's grave for photos after the run and parade were through.

Tarra, my Scott, and I all took 3rd place in our age groups :)
Plus, the fireworks in Clearfield City were AMAZING this year!!!

29th - Dad got engaged!! Hopefully you are able to see the video on facebook because I can NOT get it to work on the blog! He did a great job of making her feel super duper special and it was wonderful. And what a ring!

August:
1st - I've been back at work since then. It's been a roller coaster of craziness. My boss is a great guy - a bit scattered, but great. He treats me with respect and that is UBER important! My office has been painted red and white instead of baby poop (yep!) green, so that's nice. I've already had my first pregnant teen, abuse report, and witnessed a fight. Isn't it a bit early for these things!? It's only the first week of school!! The good news is that they seem to love me, they are giving me so much support, and I even got some applause today for doing such a great job. It's NICE to be back in the game that I love! I think :) I'll post pics of my big office and giant 15x12 foot window very soon!
3rd: Tryouts for our Stake Musical (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) were held. I am the assistant producer this year, and now also in the ensemble. It has been LOTS of work, but SO MUCH FUN!! I'm loving it and the people I get to work with. And might I say that CASEY is a phenomenal Narrator!! Just fabulous!
19th - I came down with the first cold of the year. It was a nasty sore throat, then a few days of nasty cold symptoms, and today I am happy to report that it is in the clearing stages! Phew! Made it :)
20th: Went to the Davis County Rodeo! I knew I would break down and cry when I saw Mom's favorite part of the evening trot out into the arena. And I did. It was a beautiful display of freedom and love for the country. Gosh! I miss her SO MUCH. You'll see this picture with Mom's name during the MDA telathon in September. So call in and DONATE!! :)

So that's it! That was my summer. We visited Flaming Gorge a few different times but didn't take too many photos (except these of the JETS!!!)
It was awesome seeing those jets on! I'm excited for Fall and slightly lower temperatures, slightly longer sleeves, and slightly fewer hours of sunshine in the day time. Bring on the colors!

Day 10 Finally! Colorado and Arches National Park

2011-07-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

Our trip finally ended after a great day at Arches National Park. Here are the pics!
A very flooded Colorado River here!
Mmmmmmmwah!!

I'm so strong :)
Eh, we tried.
That's me up there!
And that is Scott!
Almost to the Delicate Arch 'viewing' area.

Delicate Arch had such a big crowd! In fact, it was very difficult even finding someone we could ask (in ENGLISH) to take our photo!!

He was REALLY high up there... I was too nervous to move or I would have shown just how high from the bottom of Delicate Arch!

I know you can't see us, but we're under the arch together in this one!
I LOVED THESE!!!

Oooooo.... Big...
A lovely morning hike/walk :)

Sir Fatty Lizard :)

Every hole I saw, I climbed in and squeezed in :)
It was so good to finally see this sign!!

And it was SO GOOD TO BE HOME!!!!

Family in Chicago

2011-07-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

On our 10-day cross country trip, our ultimate destination was to make it to Chicago for a cousin's missionary farewell and for another cousins high school graduation.
Chicago was the best colorful sign I made on the whole trip :) And don't those color's do it justice?
We crossed over the Mississippi River again... or should I call it the long Mississippi Lake?
Have you ever heard of the World's Largest Truck stop off I-80?? We saw it!
This was a proud moment for me, seeing this sign. I'm' a Lincoln admirer, so yeah, being in the 'Land of Lincoln' brought that on :)
Toll Roads: Providing you with 4 signs every mile you travel on our road... We made it to the Chicago temple just in time to meet Grandma, Jana, Lorraine, Jerry, Chuck, Marilyn, Connor, and Dad for a session. It was lovely! Dad was trying to be so silly...
We took pictures after the meeting!
This is my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Chuck, and their kids Connor (the missionary), KayDee (the graduate), Jaron, and Jeffrey.
Connor with Jeffrey -
Connor with KayDee -
Connor with Jaron -
Connor with his parents. All these pictures are great mementos for him to have with him on his mission. Good luck out there, Connor! You'll be wonderful!
Us in Naperville! I loved these water towers!
It rained on us the whole time we were in the Chicago/Naperville area. And it rained a LOT.
So I went out and stood in the rain! It was pleasantly warm :)
Oh, and then I played in the rain!
This is KayDee all ready to graduate from High School. What a cutie! Congrats, KayDee! Good luck in college!

My happiest moment in Chicago, however, was being with my Grandma :)
I LOVE HER so very, very much!!

Best Amusement Park...EVER!

2011-07-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

This was the highlight of our trip (for Scott and me, that is)!! It was beyond incredible! Cedar Point, in Sandusky, Ohio - Rated the best amusement park... IN THE WORLD!!
And it was Snoopy themed!

I wore my dry-quick running clothing because it was 90 degrees, with 80% humidity. Smart, I know :) It was only May 30!

Best Roller Coaster in the WORLD!!
Mantis: Sweetly known as the 'Nutcracker' Ride. They have you ride while you're standing up...

Top Thrill Dragster: 0 to 120 MPH in 4 seconds!! Straight up 90 degrees and 420 feet, staring at the beautiful Lake Erie on the way down... WOW!!

Hee Hee :)
This was called "Sky Hawk"... Those big arms picked us up and swung us till we were hanging face down and swung us back up to nearly see over our heads (upside-down)the other direction! Awesome!
I really should have bought this shirt!

Love that funny face, Dad!

It was a great day!!

10 Days, 10 States and 5,280 ft. Each

2011-06-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sure, 5,280 feet doesn't sound like much when you are a runner, but when you're not, it's a BIG number! As we crossed the country, I wanted to make sure my feet still got some attention, so I set a goal to run at least a mile in every new state I visited. For most, it was many, many more than one single mile, but for others, 1 mile was enough! Here's my photo journal of those mile runs, and no, there is not a place in Indiana called "Hi Grandma." (Just in case you didn't already know that..)
Wyoming
Nebraska
Iowa
Illinois
Michigan
Indiana
Ohio
Missouri
Kansas
Colorado

5 Temples in 7 Days

2011-06-17T14:26:00.001-07:00

Some of you know that Scott, my father, and I recently took a trip across the country - as far east/north as Sandusky, Ohio - and back. Part of our journey was visiting the different temples we happened to come across. We hit Winter Quarters on Friday (May 27th), Chicago on Saturday (the 28th), and then Nauvoo, St. Louis and Denver on the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Winter Quarter's temple was absolutely breathtaking!
We were with my Grandma, Aunt Marilyn, Uncle Chuck, Cousin Connor, Uncle Jerry, Aunt Lorraine, and Aunt Jana in this session in Chicago. AWESOME!
Scott and I were the witness couple in this session in Nauvoo :)
And this one too, in St. Louis...
Yep, and this one too, in Denver :) AMAZING.
We also stopped to see the Kansas City, MO temple under construction. It will be beautiful when it's finished!

The St. Louis session was the smallest, only 4 people! It was a great addition to this trip!

A Few Funeral Pics

2011-05-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Another Step Forward...and so many still to go...

2011-05-24T21:55:00.001-07:00

My Uncle Roger is a dear family member of mine, and gosh - I love that man :) He mentioned something to me recently about how the ache of losing mom will creep up on us all when we are doing our family things, and we notice she isn't there. I just wanted him, and y'all to know that we made it through another one; and it was okay :)

We have season tickets to Desert Star and as a full family, we just saw Sheer-luck Holmes, or something silly like that. It was pretty good! I didn't care for the olio, however. At any rate, as we were all sitting there to leave, it didn't hit us until we were walking up the stairs. It was then we realized it had been years since we were actually able to exit out the opposite side, since we always went with mom out the floor exit, following her in her wheelchair. There really aren't any words to describe that feeling as we stepped up, up... and out. SO crazy.

Well Mom, we're all using our legs for you down here. Every single one of us! Thanks for sending us the strength to keep taking another step...

Great Weekend!

2011-05-15T23:02:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my brothers, sister, husband, father, 3 nieces and I all went to our beloved camping place in Flaming Gorge. Yes, it is a bit early for camping, and yes it was a bit cold in the water, but WOW - was it incredible! We heard they had opened the jets and that the river was running considerably higher because of all the extra snow and water we've received this year. And since we couldn't resist, we went! Here's a video to show how the jets were opened to let more water into the river :) Click here!

Looking Back

2011-05-09T10:13:00.001-07:00

I remember 3 years ago when my father and mother called us all down into the family room to tell us the awful news that ALS had entered the life of this family again, only this time it targeted our beloved Mother. The news hit so hard; tears flowed, cries were heard - and we knew that the diagnosis meant death. We didn't know how long she'd have, but we did know she wouldn't beat it like other diseases could be beaten. There was no cure, there were no miraculous recoveries or transplants... nothing. The only thing we could do for mom was keep her comfortable. Dad ensured she had the BEST of everything, from walkers to wheelchairs to vehicles; breathing equipment, medicine, pillows, furniture - you name it, she had it. I remember trying to focus at play rehearsal during Bye Bye Birdie right after she was diagnosed. That was indescribably difficult. The following year, during rehearsal for Oklahoma, I remember becoming so happy about news that the ward members had helped with some of the remodeling in the new kitchen that it saved us something like 48 hours of work - that I actually hugged a stranger!(Thanks, Jenn!)Since it was Dad and the kids remodeling the entire upstairs for Mom, 48 hours was a life saver :) . We painted and sanded and swept and glued and put pieces together all over the house. My uncle and his group did a great job with that amazing ramp for Mom; it all came together so perfectly. We never really thought at the time that that house wouldn't need to stay like that forever, but none of us wanted to imagine life without Mom, even though we knew from DAY 1 that it would ultimately take her life. Even in her last days, though the talk consisted of concern for her well-being, her suffering ... we still never quite grasped that when she was gone -- there would be no more. No more wheelchairs, no more breathing machines, feeding tubes, hospital visits. And the worst of all, no more Mom. I know that somehow we knew that when she would pass on that she would be whole again - and she is! But no one really vocalized the fact (not that we needed too) that once she was whole again, she'd also not be on earth anymore. Strange as it may seem, thinking about this disease taking Mom AWAY never occurred; I think it killed her many, many times over with every loss of motion she suffered, but at least she was still there. She still smiled at us and looked at us and talked with that machine when she could... But now she's gone. Really, really gone... no wheelchair, no more medicine, no more tubes, or support belts, or "Please put my feet up". No more Mom to hug even though she couldn't hug us back. I look for her every time at at my parent's home; and every time, it is so strange that she isn't anywhere I look...

I think when people say "I can't imagine life without her" it is said because they really, really can not. It is something out of an awful dream.

My Mom

2011-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Colleen Joyce Fisher Chatterton
Born in Ogden, UT on Dec. 9, 1956 Departed on Apr. 29, 2011 and resided in Clearfield, UT.

CLEARFIELD - Colleen Joyce Fisher Chatterton, 54, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away peacefully in the arms of her husband, the one she loved most, at her home on Friday, April 29, 2011 after a long and difficult battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

Colleen was born in Ogden, Utah on December 9, 1956 to Ronald Dean and Joyce Heiner Fisher. She lived all her childhood life in Clinton, attending North Davis Jr. and Clearfield High Schools. She married her eternal sweetheart on March 20, 1975 in Malad, Idaho. Their marriage was solemnized in the Ogden LDS temple in 1976. She lived her entire married life in Clearfield, Utah.

Colleen loved life; she was an avid softball player with a powerful swing, an arm that could out-throw any NFL quarterback, and the chutzpah to challenge anyone, anytime. She was extremely competitive, and loved the outdoors. She enjoyed hiking, river rafting, camping, geocaching, riding her motorcycle, and most of all, spending time with her family. Colleen was incredibly talented as a seamstress, and her magic hands, even when stricken with the disease, have crocheted many, many afghan blankets, baby blankets, bibs, and dresses. It wasn't rare that she would single-handedly make each ornament, knitting them into fun Christmas shapes for the tree year after year.

Colleen also had a busy working life at Allied Signal/Fram, Deluxe Corp., and Hill Air Force Base, retiring in 2009. We'd like to thank her dear coworker's and friends who made her time there so enjoyable, and from which she, and her family, hold such fond memories.

Colleen is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved the Gospel with all of her heart and soul. She never waivered in her faith in Christ, never failed in showing love to those around her, and served each calling in the church she received with valiance and love. She also had a deep love for her ward members, neighbors, and friends. Her family is eternally grateful for their love, friendship, and care during this difficult time.

Colleen and her family would like to thank MDA for their support, guidance, and care through this battle. We would especially like to thank the Summit Hospice workers that took such good care of her, namely Kelsey, Jandie, Hannah, Brooklyn, and Becky (RN). We'd also like to thank Dr. Bromberg and the staff at the ALS research clinic at the University of Utah, and Jan from Helping Hands.

She was preceded in death by her father, and two nephews.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at the Clearfield South Stake Center, 2186 South 125 West, Clearfield. Friends and family may call on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at Myers Mortuary in Roy, 5865 South 1900 West from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and also at the stake center on Thursday, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to services.
Interment, Clinton City Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the University of Utah ALS Neurology department, or MDA Utah ALS Division at 801-278-6200, that a cure may be found for this disease.

April Means....

2011-04-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

(more)Sunshine! I don't know about you, but I am so grateful that the sun is shining more and more these days. Yes, I realize we just got dumped on with such wet snow that it snapped 6 of my daffodils in half, but I am still grateful that the temps only go up from here :)

We just spent 11 days with our little friend, Lily! She is a joy to have around. And now, she's officially one of the girls!
3 divas! It was a blast!

Roxie: October 16, 2003-Mar 28, 2011

2011-03-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

We'll sure miss you, Roxie!

Thanks for being our sweet little girl for so many years :) We love you!!

You Should Read This

2011-03-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I copied a post from my family's blog to here so you can all see it if you didn't see it there... it's from my Grandmother, Joyce, to my mother :)

To My Dear Sweet Colleen,

I have been thinking about you almost constantly lately. I’d like to share some of my thoughts with you.

You were born on a beautiful winter day in December. It was just before Christmas. I thought of the birth of our Savior. I felt quite special to have a baby at the time we celebrate his birth. A few days before I went to the hospital, Jerry came home from school with a fever. The next day he was covered in red spots. Chicken Pox! Three days later, Stanley did the same thing. The doctor didn’t want me to go home with the baby. But there was no other place to go. We tried to isolate you with just your father and me taking care of you. Two days later, Karen got the chicken pox. Then, low and behold, your father got them too. This was in the middle of the winter and I was trying to take care of everyone with the chicken pox and a new baby too. Remember, no automatic washer and dryer back then. Sure enough, when you were just 14 days old, you got the chicken pox too. You had a pox on your little toe that was as big as your toe. The Dr. thought you should have had some immunity from breast milk, but I had never had chicken pox. You managed to scratch a pox off that was on your cheek. It left a tiny scar, still visible today. Christmas was hectic but we still had a very nice one, as everyone was excited to have you in the family.

Did I ever tell you it was your father who chose your name? I had chosen Karen’s name, so he said it was his turn to name you. I agreed, as long as I liked the name too. When he said “Colleen”, I loved it. Also it was your father’s idea to add Joyce as your middle name. I was very pleased to share my name with you. I hope you like it too.
It seemed like you were always in a hurry. You could hold up your head immediately, you sat up and walked and talked early too. You had a bit of wanderlust in you. As soon as you could walk you were off to somewhere. By the time you were three, you often visited the neighbors, by yourself. It seemed like I was always looking for you. Sometimes, I would find you at Myron B. Childs. He would feed you cookies, which didn’t help matters.
One night you were about four, I awoke in the middle of the night to find all the outside lights on. I looked out the window, and there you were, in your nightgown, swinging as high as you could go. I was never sure what to expect from you. At age five, you tried barbering. You took the scissors and cut the cat’s whiskers. You thought they were in his way. On a vacation to Yellowstone Park, you fell while playing with a girl in the next campground, dislocating your hip. You were in a great deal of pain. I wanted to return to Ogden immediately, but the park ranger insisted that we go to the hospital in Mammoth. That hospital was small and no doctor was available when we arrived. So, without even an aspirin, they put you in bed until morning. It hurt you very much to be moved. When I took you to the bathroom, it hurt a great deal, I said I was sorry, you replied, “It’s OK mom, I know you didn’t mean too”. I almost cried you were so brave. A doctor came to the hospital that night, as there was an auto accident in the park at about 1 AM in the morning. Shortly, they came to look in on you. Under anesthesia, they put your hip back in place. Because you were so small, they did not want to put a body cast on you. However, you could not put any weight on it for six weeks. Could I keep you quiet for six weeks? (I couldn’t keep you still for 10 minutes). “Yes”, I said, “I will try”. The couch in the living room was a hide-a-bed, so it became your home for the next six weeks. You were wonderful at staying on the bed.

Remember when you broke your arm? One day at school, you dropped 2 pennies (change from milk money) down inside the cast. As you couldn’t get them out, they stayed there until the Dr. x-rayed your arm a few weeks later. By then they were black and corroded. When the Dr. saw this on the x-ray, he got real excited and cut off the cast immediately. Then he wanted to know what the H--- two pennies were doing in the cast.
You were a great athlete. You excelled in almost every sport. No one could bead you in tether ball. You had calluses on your wrists to prove it. You were also a great softball player. Playing soft ball was where you met your dear husband Brian, but that’s another story. The city league you were on took 1st place in the state, and you when to New York for the finals. You had to earn expense money and worked hard to do so. You were pretty good at riding the family horse, although you did take quite a few tumbles.
I will never forget the shock I felt when I cam home from work and found you had talked your dad into letting you paint you bedroom RED! I didn’t ever get used to it either. It wasn’t long before we softened it to bright pink.

Your teenage years were a challenge, although we did get through them pretty well. You worked hard in school and often had a 4.0 report card.

You super surprised me with your unexpected trip to Idaho, (That’s also another story).
I watched you grow as you took on housewife duties and became a mom. I saw how much you lived your husband and children. Thank you for teaching my grand children the gospel, for I love my grandchildren very much, and the gospel is true.

I was completely devastated when I learned you had ALS. I have always loved and admired you, but now I truly saw what a special, strong and valiant spirit you are. I watched you in the biggest battle of your life. Although this insidious disease would rob you of almost all your physical body, it could not touch your spirit. YOU WON the fight my precious child—YOU WON--. You have amazed me with your cheerful attitude. You always have a smile for everyone. I have never heard you complain. What a great example you are to me Dear Colleen. You are my hero.

I am grateful for the time you stayed at my house. It was a pleasure to take care of you. I loved every minute of it. You taught me so much. I am a better and stronger person because of you.

For the past eight years, I have had the honor and privilege of being an ordinance worker at the Ogden Temple. One of my choice experiences was the day you, Brian and Mandee came to the Temple. I was delighted to be assigned to that session. I had the privilege of giving you the sacred tokens. I was also able to take you through the veil. How grateful I am for that special memory.

I love you my dearest little girl. If I could have spared you from this trial, I would gladly have done so. I will try my very best to become a better person so I can be reunited with you again…. I know our Heavenly Father loves you and is pleased with all you have done. I am so grateful to the Lord for sending such a special spirit to our home. I am so proud to be your mother.

Eternal Love,

Your Mother
(Joyce Heiner Fisher)

Bunny Circles

2011-03-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a bunny spin in circles? Well, that's what our bunny is doing now. Her back legs have stopped working. For a while we thought one leg had fallen asleep, because she'd eventually move around. But the past few days, it has stopped working entirely. Just like you see with dogs sometimes --
-- where all they can use is their front legs to pull their bodies... that's what Roxie looks like right now. It's very sad to see. I thought I'd give you an update.

When Life Gives You blue Lemons...

2011-03-10T00:07:00.001-08:00

Make blue lemonade! Right?!

So when life gives you apples? What do you do? Make... pie?

When you feel like a no-one, how do you feel like a some-one again?

When you feel like an invalid -

Go validate someone.

When you feel alone -

Go visit a lonely person.

When you feel like shouting -

Whisper.

When you feel like running -

Sprint!

When you feel like no one is listening --

Write.

Have you ever had green eggs and ham? I have. It tastes just like non-colored eggs, and ham.

Forget each kindness you do, as soon as you have done it; forget the praise that falls on you the moment you have won it...

If you need an instant family, go join a play.

Everything is impossible until you do something to change it.

Who ever heard of blue lemons?!

Valentine Party!

2011-02-28T13:03:00.001-08:00

Since mid-January, my two nieces (Kelsy and Cherish) and I have been planning our fun-filled After-Valentine's-Day-Party! It would be a day of such great fun- making cupcakes, playing on the slide, painting fingernails, curling hair -- and was it ever! We started off with lunch at Chick-fil-A (they love the playground in there!) Then came home to frost and decorate Valentine cupcakes (and eat them, too!) and curl our hair, then douse our heads with glitter - and then go see Utah Gymnastics! They loved it so much the first time I took them, I knew this would be a hit too! They had special (A Utah Girl Am I) shirts on and so many ribbons and sparkles! And even some bling! We had popcorn at the meet (overpriced, but very good!) and just had a great, great time! We had a movie and sleepover when we got home. Breakfast the next morning was Pink Eggs and Pink Yogurt! Valentine parties Rock!

February Visitors

2011-02-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

Every week this month we've had a visitor staying with us in our home. The first week, it was Frankie, a fun loving dog that lives across the street from Scott's parents. He was the best potty-trained dog we've ever had in our home! I'll post a picture when I get one :0)

The following week, we had Lilly --
Isn't she just so cute!!? She's 3.8 pounds of pure fun. She belongs to a friend of mine from long ago, who was formerly my high school counselor and who is now my colleague and mentor. Lily is still a puppy and I can't wait to puppy sit her again!

The next week we had a random occurrence of bringing a baby home. You read that right - we brought home a baby! I won't tell you his name (because I really don't like it!) but here is his cute mug shot :) We only had him one night to help out a friend, and it was a night full of surprises! For one - he slept a full 8 hours. Straight.

But I didn't!

It's been a fun month of visitors!

Our Valentine's Day Fun

2011-02-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

Scott and I had a great time for Valentine's this year. We don't typically make a big deal out of it, but since I have so much spare time on my hands, I wanted it to be fun! This was our battle plan:
I left this page for Scott before he left for work that morning, and whatever he checked would determine our evening once he got home. With him having no idea what any of them meant, it really got silly later on. For example, Yellow or Pink meant: buttered popcorn (yellow) or sweet popcorn (pink)? Red or blue (I knew he would pick red!) was the movie choice for the evening, which ended up being, conveniently, Red! He was happily surprised! It was awesome. We ran at the track right when he got home (Fancy or Free), and we had the place to ourselves! It was incredible. Then, rather than choosing a psycho-crowded restaurant(New or Old), we went to Subway, which we also had all to ourselves. The exercise and low-calorie dinner allowed us to have mint brownies (Green) rather than donuts(Brown) for dessert! I will admit, I had to make a few changes to the list as we went along because it didn't fit after we changed a few plans. But it was so fun!! And this was what he left for me on the counter that morning:
We exchanged gifts that night of awesome new Utah Utes shirts! Mine had stripes :)

It was a great Valentine's! Hope yours was too!

February Doggie Outfits

2011-02-28T12:24:00.000-08:00

The dogs had new outfits again! Cute Dogs pattern for my two, and Chewee got the Lover Boy sign, and Izzy - purple and white heart pattern.

Superbowl Dogs 2011

2011-02-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

I made my very first circle skirt and pleated skirt for the dogs for the Superbowl this year. Yay Packers!!

They are so much cuter in person :)

We'll Miss You, Jerry

2011-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

It was so sad to watch him, hear him speak of his resignation. He's been the coach of the Utah Jazz nearly my entire life! I can't help but think, "First Larry, now Jerry?!" Things just won't be the same without him.

Well, good luck, Ty!

New Mantle

2011-01-31T10:53:00.001-08:00

It's been up for a while now, sorry it's taken such a long time to post it. Dad, it looks great!

Doggie Haircuts, 3 out of 4 pups

2011-01-31T10:37:00.001-08:00

I know the pictures aren't that great, but it was still worth posting. Gizmo(2 pics), Scooby, and Jezi.

Their first haircuts!!

Ice!

2011-01-31T10:30:00.000-08:00

Ice hanging from a tree. I thought it looked so neat!

January Outfits

2011-01-31T10:23:00.000-08:00

Chewee and Izzy even got one this time :) Snowman rule!

So Much Snow!

2011-01-31T10:13:00.001-08:00

Scott and I went up to the mountain tops a few weeks ago to escape the nasty air in the valley. It was so pretty, and the snow was incredible! We really didn't stay long enough :)

Y-M-C-A!

2011-01-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

What's Up, Buttercup?

2011-01-17T22:08:00.000-08:00

Just an update for ya'all :)

Went to the Eye Doc today and he says my vision is improving. WOW! Now I don't need new glasses :)

Scott ROCKS. He's amazing!

Annie and Ally are spoiled. They have the cutest outfits now made by Elvis so they will last so much longer. Next outfit on the agenda: Cute Dog pattern, pink and black! Awesome!

I'm runnin' 4 miles now :0) Knees are strong, heart is stronger!

I see my grandma every week and we have dinner together. She's so funny :)

Mom is good. Clinic is Wednesday, so we'll have a good measure of how she's really doing.

Roxie was so glad it was warm today -- she was sprinting (have you ever seen a bunny sprint?!) across the back yard :)

I have a new Visiting Teaching companion, and 3 new ladies to visit. It will be fun! And the musical for my stake this year is none other than JOSEPH!!! I hope they do it Cottonwood Heights style :) and PS -- I've already been told I may not be Potiphar's wife because I am a married woman... hmmmm.....

Have I mention that my husband is awesome? Incredible? More wonderful than I could have ever imagined?? Yeah, he is :)

We're great! And there's your update :)

Interviewing Mom

2011-01-10T22:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T22:57:00.001-08:00

Christmas this year was extra special. We had a great time with family, and with each other. Enjoy the photos!
Matching scarves :)
All the crazy kids...
The whole family!
She was so excited!
Such a handsome guy!
Huggin' Papa's leg :)
A pro at unwrapping gifts, and not even 2!
What do you think he liked better? The books or the lolly pop?
I have such a sweet husband :)
I promise Gizmo is NOT being strangled in this photo! He was perfectly safe :)
See the luminaries the family set up down the street? So pretty!
Like our new mantle? We love it!

Yes, this says TWO half-pound cups! It was Scott's favorite gift this year!

Hope your Christmas was great as well!

Thanksgiving 2010 and Kathy's Birthday

2010-12-07T11:34:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year with my family and all my silly siblings. It was fun, we ate lots of food, and we had a memorable evening. Where else could I have taken a picture as crazy as this one? :)
After dinner, we played our favorite family card game -- Nertz. Mom played some music for us in the background while we slapped the cards around. Danny and Tarra beat us all!

There was an amazing sunset that night. This was taken from my parents backyard deck. GORGEOUS.

We kept Kelsy and Cherish that night so their mother's could hit the Black Friday sales. In our home, we get Christmas stuff out the day after Thanksgiving (like many of you, I'm sure) so Kelsy and Cherish got to be special helpers in deciding where things would go this year. And this picture will be a special one for a snowman frame that the girls fell in love with! Cute cute cute! :0) It's a Kelsy-Cherish sized snowman! We found two Christmas hair ties :0) My lucky dogs!

Saturday we went to Kathy's for her birthday party and for the BYU-UTAH game. I was delighted with the outcome :) The food was great, and Kathy is great. Hope it was a great birthday for you, Kathy! :) Todd drove 500 miles to be there for his Mom's birthday, and also to show off his new puppy, Gizmo :) And Kaiya was slightly set back from all the puppy commotion. All 3 little dogs only make up half her size! She's precious :) Especially in that tube! Now to show off my nephew a little bit. He's AMAZING!! Check out his awesome hand writing --
And for a 4-year old? WOW! And this is Jack showing me how he separated all the big nuts from the small nuts. Did you know this basket has 16 big nuts in it? Emery loved seeing little Gizmo :)
Welcome to the family, Gizmo!
You are just the cutest!!

Fun With The Kids

2010-11-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

We had Kelsy, Joshua, and even Cherish over the weekend a few weeks ago, and we had so much fun! We went to the 'race' track -

And made Halloween ghosts with balloons (that were so hard to blow up, Aunt Mandee nearly fainted!) -
And ate peanut butter!! We even created our own indoor slide!

Such fun :)

Why I Love Star Wars...

2010-11-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Say hello to Ally-One-Canobi...
And Yoda Annie...

:)

Meet Elvis!

2010-11-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is my new, and first-owned sewing machine! Compared to my family, I'm a LATE sewing girl for certain. But at least I caught on! And just look what Elvis can do!
He made this awesome Bronco's outfit, for a rather chunky dog I might add! What dog has a 13 inch neck that only stands 10 inches tall?!
And this is what Elvis created today! Isn't she the cutest little Thanksgiving Indian looking dog you've ever seen?! I sure think so!

I love my Singer!

Monster Mash!

2010-10-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for an amazing video of my nieces!! And Happy Halloween!

New Halloween Outfits!

2010-10-20T14:59:00.001-07:00

With the help of my sister, I attempted to sew, rather than glue, some Halloween outfits for Annie and Ally. Though they are kind of hard to see in the pictures, they turned out really cute!
Skulls and glitter never looked so good! Thanks, Goob!

Grandma's 88th

2010-10-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

For my Grandma's 88th birthday, my Dad and my Uncle Jerry gathered the families together to surprise her in her new home. She was delighted! It was so neat to see her with so many of her great-grandchildren, too.

Love you, Grandma!

Good Times :)

2010-10-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

My amazing friend Jenn came back into town this past weekend, and as usual, I was THRILLED beyond belief to see her! She was just as cute as ever!

We had a short, but nice visit and she is now back in big ol' Tex with her lovable Billy. Love and miss you, Jenn! :)

7 Lucky Years

2010-10-16T15:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us!! Lucky Number 7!!!

Mini-Family Reunion Aug. 2010

2010-10-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

In August, many members of my family got together for Grandma's birthday for a fun time, and mini-reunion. It was fun to see everyone and fun to enjoy the day Grandma had planned for us!
We had a "Decorate the Squash" contest... such cute ideas!
And then we broke out the Ice Cream shaped pinata!

And was it fun!
Once it was empty and in pieces, Cherish wore the cone as a hat :) SO CUTE! Later everyone went to the water park and had a great time there. I love my family!

The Making of Mr. Potato Head

2010-10-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

I went with Dad(a.k.a. Mr. Potato Head) this year on his annual Potato Run. It was rather adventurous! We had a good time, had free fries, enjoyed the company of many dear people, and had more free fries after that! Dad arranged for 30,000 lbs of potatoes to be picked up and delivered to anyone who asked and just about everyone he knows, thus dubbing him worthy of the beloved name, Mr. Potato Head. What can I say? It fits!!
Here are the highlights!

The free fries were awesome! Isn't she the cutest potato baby you've ever seen?!
You could order one of these from the spud studs...:)
This place was huge!
Nancy drove one truck, and Dad drove the other! Grandma came along for the ride, as did Mom on the second trip up :)
We shared fries!
Haulin' the last load away...
This is called the Devil's Hand. See all the fun things one could learn on a trip to Idaho? It was all new to me! Thanks, Mr. Potato Head! (Love ya, Dad!)

I Want Candy.....

2010-10-13T23:46:00.001-07:00

What's the point of having candy if you can't have fun with it too? :)

Temple Quarry Visit, Summer 2010

2010-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Scott and I walked around the SLC Temple Quarry earlier this year. I thought it was beautiful, and it was even more beautiful being there with my husband!
He got to climb up since I was babying my knee at the time :)
He's so strong! Look at him hold up that rock, eh?
I'm really glad the river was empty...
Look at me and my strong back! Wow!

It was great :)

Love Your Body 6K

2010-10-11T15:37:00.001-07:00

I did it again! I ran the Love Your Body race this year. It was amazing, inspiring, and as always -- tough! Nauseating, but still great :0) It wasn't a 5K (3.1 miles) but a 6K this year (3.72 miles). It was nice running through Thanksgiving Point, too! I even spotted a place my Mom and I had sat and chatted several years ago. It was powerful! I'm such a consistent 10-minute-mile-girl that I REALLY wanted to beat my expected time of 37:20, AND I DID!!!! I ran it in 36 minutes, 21 seconds, taking 20th place in my age group, and 86th OVERALL!!! Out of 1067 6k runners, that's not terribly shabby :)

My sweet friends Meridith and Mary came to cheer me on and celebrate this victory with me, along with my sweet husband, who has been there supporting me during my running and training since day 1! How I do love that man! Here's a few pics!

It was amazing! Yay for number 6!!

4, 3, 2, 1.... Gone.

2010-10-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

All the puppies are gone now, and what a quiet house it is again. Annie and Ally are grateful to have all the attention back, and honestly, I'm relieved to have things somewhat normal again.

I will miss those little faces... But even the littlest of puppy faces grow up to be dogs. And for whatever reason, knowing that makes it a little bit easier to deal with.

The sending off of these 4 little babies did NOT come without tears. Tears of joy, laughter, and sorrow. ALL of which have fallen from my eyes.

On Friday, we had the puppies up at work with Scott and Dad, and when I asked Dad to find Turbo a home, he did! I ended up sending Turbo home with a sweet lady named Connie, and after a weekend with him (or a minute, really) she and her husband were hooked! That started the decline in puppy numbers...

Friday night, I got an awful bug that kept me in bed till 2:30 Saturday. I couldn't hold anything down for about 24 hours, so dinner on Saturday night, besides being AWESOME, was such a great comfort!! I say this because I realized during my sick-in-bed-time that I needed to get the other dogs to their homes as quickly as I could. It wasn't fair to have them just hanging out alone; they needed their families.

So, by 11:00 PM on Saturday, I handed over Bubba and Princess to their new family (such cute people!!) and was eager to hand Little Man over to his new family too. When Sunday morning came, we got a call from an unexpected second perspective buyer for the last little guy, which meant Scott and I had a quick decision to make.

When we arrived home from a long drive to Southern Utah on Sunday afternoon, all that was left to do was clean up and make it look like there had never been a puppy group around. So that's what we did. It's funny how painful it can be to let go of something that you love so much...

This was not easy. It was fun a lot of times as you read in my previous blogs, but certainly not easy. And what I've learned from all this? Well, it's simple. Business stinks without proper communication, hearts are still easily broken, and even puppy poop smells bad on your shoe. :)

7 Weeks Old!

2010-09-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

The puppies all know how to use the doggie door... it is the cutest thing seeing these little bodies go in and out of that door! They are incredible!
Princess is 1.56 lbs! What a sweet little cuddle-bug she is, too!
Little Man is 1.63 lbs! He is the instigator this week! Watch out, boys!
Bubba is 2.3 lbs! He's so adventurous, it's hard to get him to sit still for even a second! And Turbo... 2.3 lbs! As big as Bubba finally! He picks his ears when something catches his attention... so cute! And Kortnie's favorite, too!

Not too much time left with these little guys, and it makes me sad!

6 Weeks

2010-09-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

The puppies are 6 weeks old now! They are in the cutest stage (I think) and it's so much fun having 4 little pups running, jumping, and exploring all around! We're about to put them on KSL, so if you want us to hold one for you... speak now!

Princess is back to being the little girl in town! She's 1.365 LBS! What a growler she is!
Little Man is 1.402 LBS! He is so black, it's often hard to see his face! What an explorer he is... just when you think you've got it all off the ground...

Bubba is 2.138 LBS! He's the main instigator this week! You name it, he'll instigate it... like playing, fighting, or whining...
And Turbo is 2.037 LBS! Both Bubba and Turbo are bigger than Annie was when we brought her home. Turbo is a howler... oh you should see it... you wouldn't believe it! Looks just like his wolf friends under the moon... :) My little buddies!

5 Weeks...

2010-09-13T09:33:00.001-07:00

Walking, barking, playing, exploring, responding.... these puppies are INCREDIBLE!

Princess is a whoppin 18.91 ounces! She's over a pound, and bigger than her Little Man brother now!
Little Man is 18.80, not too far behind Princess but now truly the Little Man on campus!
Bubba is so big! 28.82 ounces! He has most of his teeth, but Turbo has more!
Turbo is 27.80, and has a full mouth of teeth! And not just any teeth... PUPPY teeth! Sharp little things!
All the puppies are playing with each other, their toys, and ME, of course :) It's amazing seeing them grow and change every day. Love it!

Grandma Got Me!

2010-09-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

I went up to Ogden today to surprise my Grandma. She works there on Thursday and Friday's and I love popping in to see her :)
As I walked into the dressing room, I heard someone shout my name...

Guess who!?!

Grandma got me! Before I could even turn around she was hugging me tight. She ended up surprising ME instead!! I do love that woman!! It was a wonderful hour with my grandmother, absolutely precious, peaceful, and WOW did I feel better when I left :)

One Barking Video!!

2010-09-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is a great video!

Click HERE to see it!

4 Weeks old and Walking :)

2010-09-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

They just keep getting cuter!! They are walking more steadily now, and all have teeth coming in! I love these little pups!

Princess is now 15.91 ounces! I saw her walk 4 solid feet across the room today :)
Little Man is 17.04 ounces! He challenged Princess to an all out brawl! And Princess won :) Bubba is HUGE!! 25.40 ounces! I am seriously in love with his little face; and he is always the instigator for fun times with siblings! Turbo is 24.55 ounces! Not too far behind Bubba :) What a cute poodle like face he has!!
Hope your Labor Day is great!

And Go Utes!!

Accident #101

2010-08-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

So I was driving down the street, paying close attention to busy traffic, traffic jams, lights, etc., when out of the blue...

I get hit.

Mr. 18-year-old and his 3 buddies weren't paying attention when they bumped into little Peanut's rear-end and left scratches and bruises all over her. Hell, they didn't even stay around to see what happened! As soon as they heard cops were coming, the three friends took off down the street, leaving me and the 18 year old alone in the middle of the road...somewhere in Odgen.

So there we are, myself and Mr. 18 year old idiot, we'll call him SETH, and I'm on the phone with 911 reporting the crash. I'm shaking so bad I can't think straight! And then I see a police car drive by, so I flag him down and he gets us safely to the other side of the road. It's at this point, I can feel my neck start burning and I realize I've got whiplash.

Lucky for me, I was buckled in tight, the first one in line, and just happened to have my good friend 4 cars behind me. We had just had lunch together. She came to my rescue and was able to help me write down the correct things, and she also literally held me up as I trembled from shock. After about 45 minutes I was able to thank the officer and get back in my car and leave.

I know fender-benders aren't much to talk about, but this was my very first accident! It took me 29 years (I guess 13, technically) and I'm still happy to report I have never CAUSED an accident. So there!

Oh yeah, and when I visited the scene of the accident today, I saw 10 foot skid-marks. Yikes! The officer mentioned that SETH would be getting a handful of tickets from them, too. So it really is something to talk about!

I do have whiplash, and from my x-rays I got tonight, it will be a (more mental than physical) long healing process. My upper spine was jolted and my neck is in constant spasms, and my upper back and neck feel like they are on fire constantly. Ice is a good friend right now :) And it hurts :(

HOWEVER: I am extremely grateful that once again, the Lord has kept me safe. Every time I come away from something that could have been so big and awful, but it only ends up being so small, I thank Him because I know it's His hand keeping me safe! He ALWAYS protects me. Even when I haven't asked Him to protect me for a while, He still remembers, and He still does.

I survived Accident #101!

3 Weeks Old, and Barking!

2010-08-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

You heard me! The puppies are barking! They are trying to use their voices and it's just so cute watching them try to bark!! A few days ago, Turbo even tried to howl!!

I'm having a lot of fun, if you couldn't tell :)

Here they are on week 3!!

Princess is UP this week!! 11.43 ounces!

Little Man is right at 14.00 ounces. He is the squealer of the bunch! :)
Big Bubba has won my heart completely, I'm afraid... :0) He's over a pound now at 18.35 ounces!

And Turbo isn't far behind! He's a whoppin' 17.95 ounces!
All puppies have their eyes open (that happened between Monday and Wednesday last week) and all are starting to walk, have been in the sunshine, and prefer the comfy bed over the comfy grass. Love it!

I love how they all snuggle together, and their individual personalities!!

2 Weeks Old Today!!!

2010-08-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty certain that the puppies have doubled, or even tripled in size since their birth two weeks ago! I can't believe how big they are getting, and how fast!

Princess is now 6.84 ounces!!! This is a big surprise for us because she has had a hard time nursing and growing this week. But with a few prayers, and lots of hard work, she's gained over an ounce in the past 2 days!! It's wonderful!
Little Man is now 10.41 ounces! His eyes are the closest to being opened, too!
Bubba is HUGE!! 14.04 ounces!!! And still such a cutie!! I love his coloring!
And Turbo is barely behind his big brother Bubba, at 13.65 ounces! He has the biggest belly of them all!
This is Bubba and Princess, snuggling at the nose :)

Emery and Jackson got to meet the puppies (and Grandpa, Grandma, and Amy did too!)

And while we were there, Emery decided she wanted to wear Jackson's clothes over her own. She's so cute!
The puppies will be all over the place very soon! And honestly, I can't wait!!

1 Week Old!

2010-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

The puppies are growing so fast! And yet they are still so tiny :) Here's the update!

Bubba weighed in this morning at 8.36 ounces! Here he is in all his cute glory, and then snoozing with momma :)

Little Man weighed in at 6.63 ounces! What a keeper :)

Turbo is even bigger at 7.16 ounces! They are all very fond of Mommy :)

And little Princess is still so tiny at only 5.61 ounces. This morning I found her wrapped up in the blanket, without a care in the world :)

This is so much fun! They are so precious, and I am deeply in love with all of them. I can't wait for them to keep growing and just getting cuter! I love being a Mommy Grandmommy for puppies!!

Puppies!!

2010-08-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

They're here! Monday night (8-9-10) around 4:30 pm, Ally went into labor! About 90 minutes later, we had this darling little girl, whom we call Princess :)
Born at 6:11 pm, Princess weighed in at 3.39 ounces.
To give you an idea of just how tiny she is, we put her next to my cell phone, which is only is 3.75 inches long. She's tiny!!
Little Man came out with quite a squeal from Mommy Ally. And what a trooper this little guy was because we couldn't attend to him until after his brother --
BIG BUBBA was born! Their wires were crossed, so it caused some concern, but all was well in the end. Little Man weighed in at 3.63 ounces at 8:34 pm, and Big Bubba at 4.55 ounces, 8:56 pm. After those three, we thought we were done...
But then little Turbo arrived! He was actually born 20 minutes after his sister, Angel, who was sadly stillborn :( . At 4.02 ounces, and 10:58 pm, he's a keeper!
Don't you just LOVE those ears?!!?!
Ally is adjusting to being a new Mommy, and is really starting to shine! These little babies are incredible!!!!

Nearly a Month... Catch up time!

2010-08-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy summer. Crazy as in... well, crazy. I wear the same clothes (the comfy ones) over and over again, I watch the same shows over and over again, and I run in the same circle, over and over, and over again.

What a life!

That being said, I am coming to terms with my life as it is, how it is, and how it changes daily. Mom keeps my spirits up and focused, as does my wonderful husband, and my darling little girls! Oh, and did I tell you that we're expecting puppies? I can't wait!

Here are some things I've been doing this summer... and kudos to the camera phone!

We had sort of a bunny-tastrophy. Roxie is fine, but got a little infection that we had to handle.

And naturally, we went a little overboard on handling it! We took her once double-sided bunny condo, and sliced it in half!
I actually like the smaller version better :)
We also found a few unwanted nests, but all abandoned, thankfully!

When it was all said and done (meaning new home, shaved, bathed, and medicated bunny, she was popped!

We had my nieces and nephew for a weekend :) So much fun, and this was the only picture I snapped of Cherish dozing off in the back seat. So cute!

This is the pink hat I fell in love with on the 24th during our adventures in the park in Logan. I so wish I had bought it!
At least I have a picture :)
We visited the Willow Park Zoo while we were there, and saw fireworks (a whole 13 minutes of them) at the park later!

My amazing and talented student Nazih invited me to come see him sing the national anthem at the rodeo during the 24th celebration weekend. He was incredible!! I took them all out for ice cream afterword. We had a blast! So sorry I don't have it on tape... but if you were there on the 23rd, you heard him! :)
Oh, and Annie got to eat some of the candy we picked up on our adventure :) Though not much, I assure you!

It hasn't been uncommon for us to have a house full of dogs. My dog boarding business is doing pretty well, and this is what it looks like with a full couch!
Walking them is a blast too :)

So there you have it! I have only been a hermit this summer for some of the time... :)

4th of July

2010-07-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Scott and I went hiking to start off the Independence day weekend, and a beautiful hike it was! You could say we hiked to our hearts content to celebrate the 4th of July, but that might be over doing it a bit (we would have hiked 8 additional miles if that were possible :) ... We hiked up to Desolation Lake in BCC, and I'm happy to report that my knee did great! One of them, anyway :P But what a beautiful day we had together still :)

The camera is not zoomed here... he was really that close to us. (freaked me out a little!)

And isn't this the coolest twisty tree you've ever seen?!
(this is a view of the copper mine... can't you see it?)

The official start the 4th of July celebrations began on the 3rd of July this year, up in my hometown at the parade.
Mom and lots of family were there, and what a fun time we had!

The clothes were pretty darn cute too!
I have the cutest grandma in the whole world :) We had fun talking at the parade!
My darling aunt Jana was there with her kids, the lovely Briana... and Joshua is hiding somewhere, and Spencer.... well....
Spencer was trying to dodge the camera, but this shot turned out great even still!
Kelsy was so excited about the candy she scooped up!
He was such a little rascal!
Such fun running all over the street for candy! (she was well supervised, I assure you :)
A bagpipe band!! Look, look!! It's a real, high school, marching in a parade, BAGPIPE band!!!
Did I mention the rascal!?! Now on top of Mom's head is PLAYTIME!! This has been one heck of a parade...

Now on to the fireworks!!

This band kept us thoroughly entertained during the 2 hours we waited for the fireworks to start. I'd like to thank them for this, but I can't muster up the strength...
My nieces were so cute at the park... so playful, and lively... teasing each other relentlessly... it was wonderful! Mom and Dad were happy to be there :) My Aunt Karen and Uncle Gene were there too, dancing up a storm and laughing with the kids!
Joshua and Spencer were thrilled... that's what that expression means...
Playing with the glow sticks at the park before fireworks was awesome fun, and we got some great pictures!

4th of July celebrations with Scott's family were very relaxing this year...
Even grandpa got into the groove! Are you ever surprised to see me dressed up for my favorite holiday of the year? Note to self: when asking a 3 year old where he would like his holiday tattoo placed, do not suggest a place unless you want it there yourself. Such as: the forehead.
Nice blue tongue, Jackson!
Emery and her bubbles... just adorable!
Uncle Scott lit the fireworks again for the family and had a great time! He's so talented in the pyrotechnic areas :)

Unfortunately, this was Jackson's response to his first fireworks. Cute, but so sad! Next year Jack :)

We had a great time on Sunday, the 4th, up at my parents house and a lot of our family and friends. I think at the head count, I counted up to 56, 57... and then decided to stop! It was a lot of people, a lot of good food, and a lot of fun!
Danielle even took all 60 of us over to the park for some fun and games...
waterballoons, eggs....
And then dad grabbed attention from every one at the bbq, and had them sing to me for my b-day. Cute dad :) Thanks :)
The kids (and there were MANY) were adorable!
No 4th of July is complete without the fireworks... or the fire, that is!

Hope your Independence day was a happy one!

Flaming Gorge Trip 2010

2010-06-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of our trip to Flaming Gorge was lovely! After the trip up the night before, Scott and I got an early start the next morning and went to hike the river around 6AM. It was beautiful! The day was followed with several river trips, lots of family time, and with me giving a few of my nieces and my dear mother, camping pedicures! OH! And we got a close up of a turkey vulture. So cool!

Day 2 in Flaming Gorge was my 29th birthday, and it was wonderful beyond measure to spend it with my family in my most favorite place in the world! Below are photos from day 2: many shots of us playing in the water (or being thrown in the water), riding on the boat, seeing the osprey bird in her nest on the bridge, a happy Mom photo, and a hanging BoBo. Enjoy!

Day 3 took us on a morning hike out to my favorite spot, and as a gift from my 3 siblings for my birthday, I asked them to come out there with me. It was amazing!

And as a going away present, the pine trees decided to send the yellow beauty of pollen our way...
It was incredibly thoughtful of them.

That was our trip! Great times, great memories!!

That's Not Steve!

2010-06-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Are you convinced? That's NOT Steve!!

Belated Mother's Day

2010-06-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

This year we had a great mother's day at both ends! I'm a bit late blogging about it... lots going on and sickness too, so here's the info you've been missing! We visited with my mom on Saturday were we had a big family breakfast at the park. It was a beautiful morning and the food was divine! Mom was so precious and happy -- it was wonderful! Later the afternoon we helped Scott and Tara move into their new home. It was great!

My mother's day (hey-- animals count!) was awesome -- look at this great picture of my little girls!They are gorgeous :)

Later we went to Scott's Mom's and had a wonderful dinner made by the kids. Since I have zero talent in this area, I simply sampled the food to ensure it's greatness. And was it!! We had a very nice afternoon with family and we were very entertained by Jackson. See for yourself!

It was a beautiful Mother's day! We love you Mom and Kathy!! (and all other Mom's out there, and grandma's!!)

Happy Birthday, Scott!!

2010-05-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Scott turned a whoppin' 28 on the 28th! We had a great day, and I loved having the entire day to be by his side. No work, all play, and lots of fun! This is how the dogs looked at us when I said, "Hey Puppies, guess what?! It's daddy's birthday today!!!" It was a very exciting moment :)
We had a delicious breakfast at the Silver Fork Lodge, with the most darling waitress in the world, might I add. It was wonderful!
We had planned afterword to walk around our favorite lake, but the snow was still piled on it pretty deep. It was beautiful, nonetheless!
We drove down the mountain after our lake trip was cut short and stopped at one of our favorite hiking trails. We were going to see how far it would let us go, and before we knew it, we had hiked the whole thing! It was awesome!!
A truly beautiful morning, and a beautiful day!

Happy Birthday, Scott! I love you more and more and MORE every day of my life. Thank you for making every day with you a beautiful one :) I love you!

South Dakota

2010-05-26T20:34:00.001-07:00

Third time is the charm!

Mom and Dad finally got to see Mt. Rushmore today without the cloud cover! Isn't it just breathtaking? :)

They'll be in Wyoming tomorrow!

Off to MT...

2010-05-25T06:52:00.001-07:00

Mom and Dad were in Montana last night... This little cottontail bunny was about 6 feet from dad outside of Cracker Barrel in Billings. Pretty cute, eh?

I do wonder where they will end up next! Hmmmmm.... :)

Trackin' Mom and Pop...

2010-05-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad are out on an adventure! Friday, they went to Idaho Falls and Saturday, they ended up in West Yellowstone! Who knows where their adventures will take them next! I'll keep you posted!

(this is a buffalo in the parking lot at their hotel!)

Love you Mom and Dad!

Bees Game!!

2010-05-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, Scott and I had the opportunity to take the day off of work and go to the Bees Game! It was so much fun, and my star student sang the national anthem in front of 12,000 people! Yep, that's Nezzie and gosh, did he do a great job! A bit nervous in places, but overall -- absolutely amazing! And we have a great person to thank for this experience: Steve James. Steve is the one in charge of getting people to sing at these events, and he also treated us to free food and an awesome suite to watch the game in! SO MUCH FUN!! Check out these great pics of our crazy, fun day!

Zoo Trip!

2010-05-16T20:02:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, I decided to take all of my nieces plus little Joshua to the Zoo for an adventure! Little did I know that half of Utah had this same idea, too! Despite the overwhelmingly large crowd, we had a great time and it was a joy being with my darling nieces and that sweet little Joshua for a day.

And, you should know that about twenty minutes into our zoo trip, I turned the camera over to Kaytlyne and WOW! She got some great shots!! Hope you enjoy!

I love my 6 little Monkeys!! :) It was a great day!

Desert Star and Mom Update

2010-05-06T19:54:00.001-07:00

We had our Desert Star night last Friday and got to see a rather clever rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean. Dad got a tiny bit camera happy, but only managed to get these two shots. I personally love the one with my Mom :)

And just yesterday, I got to go with Dad to take Mom to her clinic visit. During these visits, as you may recall, she meets with all sorts of people to help her with her needs. Everything from a social worker, to an occupational therapist, to the Doc himself! Here's a little video that tells you about the most concerned part of this disease: her breathing levels. Thanks, Kari, for being such a good sport!

Isn't she just adorable? And in such good spirits! Love you, Mom!

As Random As It Gets -- RIGHT HERE!

2010-04-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

I'm in a very strange mood right now. I'm bored, exhausted, concerned about my sickly husband, annoyed at the very WINDY state we're in right now, currently listening to Annie, a tiny bit sad, and just UGH, I think. In light of all this randomness, here's my story of "Random" from my life these past few weeks:
This was the scene as Scott and I watched the University of Utah Red Rocks enter the arena on Ute Senior Night some weeks ago. It was incredible!!
And this was my present from this fun night -- what a great shirt!
This is the scene when we are able to get to the track in the evenings. We can't go very far due to my knee being so stupid, but hey -- it's worth it every time we go!
Know anyone this could be about?
Know anyone who thinks like this?
Know any middle schooler who doesn't live by these standards??
Those were just 3 of all my brand new books! OH how I love getting new books! It was Christmas in April!
Yeah, she's cute even upside-down!
And we tied her ears up, then she shook, and this is the end result! 80's pup!
Are you kidding me?
Have I told you how much I love these lip glosses? Cause I do!!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow.... you're always a day away...

I wasn't kidding :)

Saturday Night Basketball

2010-04-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

WARNING:

We really stink! :)

Oh the Critter's You'll Find...

2010-04-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

... when you go to Grandma's house!

"Financing Available"

2010-04-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last night, Scott and I went to La Caille with about 80 students from work. All the kids taking French 2 or the Foods 2 class got to go experience the French food they serve there, and in a very 'French' environment. For those of you who have been there, you know what I mean... Tu che! (?)

SO... the experience :)
The first thing I noticed when we arrived were all the animals!

Aren't they so cute?
Woooo what a tail!
You know how much we love bunnies!
And the dining hall, or impressive French country home, the restaurant itself-- beautiful!
The grounds were so pretty, both before (when the sun was out) and after, when the skies were a dark, mysterious gray!
The infamous horse-drawn carriage, though not in bloom-
And pictures on the bridge! We actually had to wait in line for this one!
This is one of the darling ladies I work with, Kathy, with her daughter Amberlee.
Now, tell me, is this puke, or is it escargot? Well, whatever it was, I ate it... (I'm a little shocked myself!)
And all during dinner, Scott found this to be the most fascinating part of the whole experience...yep, a Monkey lamp over the fireplace. Who knew they could be entertained so easily? :)
Ah, this is my $49 meal... at least that's what the Internet menu says.
And Scott's would have been $52 if we didn't have the discount via the school! SHEESH!
And after the lovely dessert(a.k.a. IT WAS DISGUSTING), the walrus in his top hat and bow tie was there to see us off.

And did you know that rather than post a price online for the lobster tail they serve, they simply say "Financing Available?" Who knew?!

Overall, it was a fun night, a neat experience, and now that I've done it once, I never have to go back! (HA!) But I was so glad to have had this experience with my cute husband! It's awesome to add this fun memory to our wonderful life together. Oo la la!

Now, enjoy the flambe!

3 Steps To A Perfect Life (sort-of)

2010-04-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

Presented by the Media Darlings

PS - watch the whole thing if you want all 3 steps!! :)

Easter 2010

2010-04-19T19:55:00.001-07:00

I just now realized I haven't blogged about Easter this year! So, here's Easter time in a nutshell:

Our Easter
- Annie with ears
- Ally with ears
- Dog's Easter basket
- Scott's Easter basket from Mrs. Easter Bunny
- My Easter basket from the Easter bunny himself, and a little help from the new Easter Beagle
- Roxie's celery shaped-like-a-bunny Easter treat
We love having fun with our furry family :)

And now, the many faces of Emery (all captured at Easter time!):

And this one was just cute :)

Easter Egg Hunt at my parents house...

And another Easter Egg hunt, this one with MDA, and breakfast at IHOP afterword :)

Easter was FUN this year!! Hope yours was too!

Girl Time

2010-04-19T19:41:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went with my good friend Jayne to get a much needed pedicure. It was very nice to sit and relax and enjoy the free massage, and loverly painted toes!
This is my lovely Jayne and below are my lovely painted (with a huge white flower on each BIG one, mind you) toes!
I liked this so much, I convinced my sister to bring my mom up for a day of pampering too!
Mom really enjoyed the arm/hand massage and loved having her nails tended too. Some of you may know that over the past few months, Mom has acquired a weapon -- oh yes! A weapon that is very long, sharp, and dangerous!

Oh who am I kidding? It's just an overgrown, very long and straight thumb nail. (Well, Dad calls it "The Knife.") Since she can barely (if at all) use her right hand anymore, there has been plenty of uninterrupted time for that nail to grow, and has it ever! I'll post a pic of it sometime :)

Tarra got a pedicure while mom and I had our matching nails done, too! A very bright, bubbly pink!
Doesn't she look cozy?

It was a great time with the girls on both occasions! Love all my girls!

Is This A Daffolip?

2010-04-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

Some weeks ago ago, I posted a blog about my worry that a crossbreed of daffodils and tulips would occur due to the large number of bulbs so snugly planted in my front yard of the two flowers, and that I would know when they bloomed in about 6 weeks. Well, almost exactly as predicted, (6 weeks and 3 days to be exact) we finally had one bloom!
Many lovely daffodils have bloomed along with it, and the tulips followed after.
Such a beautiful, rich red! But when we had daffodils come up, then tulips, and then this thing -- I really wondered if my first concern was totally bogus!? Is it a daffodil-tulip, crossbreed? Or is it some other flower I've never heard of nor seen that just happened to end up with the daffodil bulbs?

Either way, it's been fun to wonder! But could someone set me straight, please? Otherwise we're giving it a name! (like Breedy, or Chris Cross, or Daffy!)

Thank you!

Emery's 1st Birthday!

2010-04-18T20:46:00.001-07:00

Our darling little niece Emery turned 1 on the 7th!! She had the prettiest little cake, the most darling little smiles, and the funnest 1st birthday a girl could want!

Happy Birthday, Emery!!

Joshua's 1st Birthday Bash!

2010-04-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Joshua's 1st birthday last weekend, and it was a hit! He had such a fun time diving nose-first into his cake! Of course, it came with a series of feelings as he clobbered that cake, like a hint of guilt?
Innocence?

Or the feeling of a sugar coma taking over??

All that and cake boogers too :)

I had a chance to teach Kelsy boo what it means to 'strike a pose' for a picture. How did she do?

No birthday party would be complete without some crazy event occurring... and thanks to this cake -- yeah, looks all innocent, right? --we noticed that everyone who had eaten some of it suddenly had black teeth and tongues... and, well... the rest speaks for itself :)

We even gave some to the dog!

But all said and done, Joshua loved his gifts and his whole birthday bash!

Happy Birthday BoBo! :)

PS - To see the entire cake clobbering session, minus the 'dying cats' Happy Birthday song, click on the movie below! ENJOY!

35th Anniversary Surprise!

2010-04-03T12:06:00.001-07:00

I promised you a blog about the fam, and here it finally is!!
I just had to stick this picture here so you'd know who was talking :)

On Monday, March 22nd, my siblings and I (with LOTS of help from Grandma and my aunts, uncles, and cousins) decided to throw a HUGE party for my parents 35th wedding anniversary! We were all in charge of different things, and before we knew it -- it was here!
The set up took many hours, with lots of balloon decor, some great colored table cloths, and of course --
A WEDDING CAKE!! Grandma is SO amazingly talented!
This was the table that the guests signed in at, equipped with cards for writing memories of Mom and Dad on.
Tarra had this framed as a surprise for my parents and wow is it beautiful!
Here's a glance of the food table, filled with all sorts of baked goodies and yes -- even chocolate fountains!
We had two other cakes made, one congratulating them on 35 years and the other wishing Mom and Dad a happy anniversary. All this being said, the moment finally arrived for MOM -- to arrive!!
She was delighted...
Overjoyed...
Excited...
And exuberant!! She was so thrilled!!
Isn't she just beautiful? :)

Then all her guests started to arrive!
Her friend Donna Lee with the Fenn's; long time family friends.
Danny with Joshua...
Cherish being her darling self ...
Everyone circled around Mom!
These are my cousin Justin's kids (he did a FABULOUS job with the music!!!)
Good neighbors, the Barton's...
Good friend of Grandma's and my parents stealing a hug from her...
Mom taking a picture with Sharon, neighbor and friend ....
Cherish and Tara...
Mom's good friend from work at the base, Sandy, and what a sweetheart that woman is!
My cute cousin Lindsay and her fam...
And surprise! My Uncle Roger in visiting from Washington, and my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Teri, too! What a great surprise!!!
This is darling, blue-eyed little Miles...
And our long, long time friend and chiropractor, Dr. T! (and Meredith, too!)
TWO SURPRISES! Uncle Kim is in from Colorado, too!! So great to see my fam! And yeah -- Mom was thrilled! And slightly overwhelmed :)
The chef emerges from behind the chocolate fountains... :)
Aunt Karen with little Alice...
Mom with her youngest sister, my cute Aunt Jana...
Scott said we needed a mug shot, too -- so here ya go :)
Chocolate covered marshmallow, anyone?
This is my cousin Staci's baby little Acaidia being held by her grandpa trying to pop a balloon! I couldn't resist putting this picture up here of Mom laughing with Aunt Jill...

And now they cut the cake!! It was PRECIOUS!!

Aren't they so cute?

Absolutely pricesless!

There was also a DVD slideshow with pictures of Mom and Dad from over the years :)
Love this little man :)
Here are the girls begging me to please let them pop all the balloons! Pretty please?
Me and Mom and Dad :)
My fam!
Me and My mom :)
Tarra and Mom :)
The two boys and Mom! Love this picture!
Me and Karen and Mom all giggling....
My crazy fam...
One big happy fam, missing a few members, but still big :) With both grandma's, too!
And we end this story by showing that the little 3 year old's understand how to give bunny ears to someone having their picture taken :) Yep, those kids definitely belong to us! :)

It was an amazing night, and I'm so glad we got to do this for my parents. We put it together in about a week, so I apologize if you heard of it late, or not at all :( But even still, my parents had a wonderful, wonderful time... and that's all that mattered on that day. :) LOVE YOU, MOM and DAD!!!

The Bella!

2010-03-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

Scott and I had the chance to tend one of my co-worker pups, Bella! It was such a RIOT having her with us, and gosh was she a cutie! This is when she tried to jump in the bathtub when I was rinsing out a fountain...
She ended up just taking a drink from the shower head :) But what a nice wet mug, eh?
And this was how Ally responded to her playfulness... like a snob! Funny that poodles would act that way, right? Right.
See those ears? Naturally like that! She is absolutely adorable!
And she was so cute with Scott; in fact, I had NO say when Scott was around! She loved him!
And sticks. So couldn't get enough sticks, or enough of Scott (we have something in common!). What a life!
She was just so cute!!

My Family ROCKS!

2010-03-23T20:10:00.001-07:00

And that's all you need to know for now :)

Many, many, many pics to come!!! Here's just a taste of what you have to look forward to :)

I Shouldn't Be...

2010-03-21T19:14:00.001-07:00

... more like everyone else....

Because I am great the way I am!

And some people just have to deal with that fact :)

I Should Be...

2010-03-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

... more like everyone else.

Or is this wrong?

Simple Joys

2010-03-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

These are the flowers Scott bought me to congratulate me for earning my Level 2 counseling license :)

This is a close up of 2 of the 3 roses for my 3 years of work at my current school :) These are my cute girls with their cute tongues sticking out of their mouths :)
And it's Scott's favorite picture... he just laughs and laughs when he see it :)
This is my fish who makes me laugh at his spazziness at work, Crimson :)
And you know Roxie, our dearest, sweetest, cutest little bunny in the whole wide world :)

Ahhhh.. the simple joys life brought me today :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-16T22:05:00.000-07:00

Ally and Annie wish you a very happy, and lucky St. Patty's Day!

And in case you haven't heard, today was my LUCKY day :) I got my level 2 licensure!!! That means I'm officially official! (or something like that)... YAY!!!