I'm still alive!

Hello blog world! I'm sure it seems like I've fallen off the face of the earth. Luckily, I haven't and it's just a case of craziness. I love the holidays. It's so fun to have so many fun things to do. I spent Thanksgiving in Brigham City with my family. Five days, in fact. The girls and I stayed at Grandma Greats house. It was such a nice break from life. We just played and had a good time. My friend Julie and I went shopping the morning after Thanksgiving. Yep, bright and early--4:00 a.m. to be exact. I got what I wanted though. Cabbage Patch dolls were on sale at Wal-Mart for $10, and after getting kicked in the ear and fighting the mob of women, I got not only one, but six. Julie ended up with six too. We took our time deciding which ones we wanted and gave the rest to a few very grateful women. Lucky for them, they didn't have to put their lives in danger. We had a great time. Julie took me out to breakfast (thanks again!) and she bought me a cute vest for my birthday. One night we got all bundled up and went to see a little Christmas village. Santa was there and everything. The kids got to sit on his lap and tell them what they wanted.

The next few weeks are busy too. I'm all done with Christmas for my family, I've just got to do my friends and a few brother-in-laws and we'll be set. This coming weekend we are meeting my family in Salt Lake to go to Temple square and have dinner. The next weekend I'm going to stay at my moms and finish some projects for gifts. We are spending this Christmas Eve with my family and then later on Christmas Day we will go to the in-laws. I'm really excited! Sadly, I'm sure my blogs will suffer. Hopefully, there will be lots of fun pics to post and fun stories to tell! Happy Holidays!

Week at a glance

My week has been so hectic. The kids have all been sick, including the ones I babysit. Last Sunday was my birthday and it sucked, for the most part. I just felt bad all day. Thirty was definitely not a fun one. At least it's over and I can move on. My two friends, Jamie and Missy, gave me a little birthday party. Cake and homemade icecream...MMMM. My friend Angel, crocheted me a scarf, and I love it. On Wednesday my little brother came home from his mission. We all got to go to the airport and pick him up. It was so good to see him. Two years is a long time. All the kids were great though. None of them were shy at all, which was suprising being that they were all so little when he left. Ray and I got to go on a date last night to a seminar about relationships and marriage. It was so good and I've used a few techniques on my kids today and it's worked! Maybe if I keep practicing, life will be easier around my house. Tomorrow is Ray's birthday and we are going to a friends house for dinner. I think we are going out again tonight also. I'm sure things aren't going to calm down anytime soon either. Thanksgiving, Christmas parties, School activities, and Christmas is right around the corner. Does life ever slow down?

Reggie the Rat

Two years ago I needed a bribe to make my girls stay in their own beds. I had a friend that told me rats were good pets. At first, I had this mental picture of the kind of rats you see in the movies. Big, ugly, smelly sewer rats. When we picked two out at the pet store, however, I changed my mind. We brought them home and named them Reggie and Peanut. They have been the best little pets. Emma carries them all over, pulls their tails, and makes them hang from her shirt. Neither one of them have ever bitten anybody. Ray and I get them out and hold them while we watch T.V.

Today, Reggie died. I am so sad. The kids are so sad. We all just cried and cried. We buried him in a little spot underneath our back porch stairs. Emma cried when I covered him because he couldn't see and he was all alone. We said a little prayer. None of the rest of the day has felt normal--just sad. Pets become such a part of your family. We are gonna miss him so much.

Drunk, or something like it

Whitney had a dentist appointment yesterday. She had a few cavities that needed to be fixed and her top front tooth had gotten chipped and needed to be repaired. She was given a dose of some sort of medicine that made her so LOOPY! Dr. Pearson carried her out to the van for me and she hugged him. That just isn't like her. At home, I laid her on the couch and put a blanket over her. A few minutes later I heard something. I went to see what is was and sure enough, it was Whit trying to walk. She looked like someone who had just walked out of a bar and didn't know which way was up or down. She was running into walls, falling down on her knees and crawling, and just laughing about the whole thing. I got out the camcorder and tried to catch some of it on video, but I was afraid she was going to fall and need a trip to the emergency room! It made for a very eventful day. Her sisters got a kick out of it. I wonder if they sell that stuff--There are definitely days that I could use it!

Novemer 8th

Don't you hate it when you have an hour and a half longer to sleep, but your brain turns on and won't stop? This was the case for me this morning. I need to go buy milk. Whitney has a dentist appointment in the morning. I forgot to pay car insurance and oh, crap, is there enough money in the account to cover it??? Dad is getting his surgery soon. I've been so worried about that, but honestly, do I have to worry at 6:00 in the morning? My 30th birthday is in 5 days. That sucks. I can't believe I'm not in my 20's anymore. Where did all that time go? It's just crazy to me the things that go through your mind when there aren't any distractions. I'm usually running through my day like a chicken with my head cut off, and there isn't any time to really "think". Maybe if I got up a little earlier in the morning I could meditate and my day would make more sense. I could stop and think about the things that are important. Busy-ness just gets in the way. As much as I like my sleep, I am glad to have those moments of alone time when I can gather myself and my thoughts and just be "me" for a few minutes.

Bunch of Blondes

These are my sisters. This last weekend we all got together to have a girl's night out, so to speak. It lasted 2 1/2 days though. We met Friday night at the Crystal Inn. As soon as everyone got there, we hopped in Becky's Tahoe and went to find a place to eat. We ended up at Sizzler and had a yummy steak dinner. When we got back to the hotel, we all put our swimming suits on and went to sit in the hot tub. It was so refreshing to just sit, giggle, and not have to worry about anything. We all have so much fun together. Saturday we began our shopping spree. Our first stop was to Gateway. It makes me feel like I'm in California at an outdoor mall, only you walk swiftly to the next store, because you're freezing! We spent a few hours there. I mostly looked because of the lack of money. Jamie and Michelle, the two youngest, scored big at the Wet Seal. My favorite stop was at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate factory. I got a caramel, white chocolate, oreo covered apple. Good thing I don't go there every day. Gardners Village was next on our adventure. It's this place with all of these cute little pioneer looking houses with shops in them. You just go house to house, like you would at a home show, only you can buy stuff. Tai Pan was the last spot and it's a wholesale store of sorts. There was so much to look at, it gave me a headache. All of my married sisters have a knack for decorating, so we spent a long time there. We were going to go and eat at PF Changs,(my favorite chinese restraunt) but the wait was an hour long and a day of intense shopping like that makes you hungry. Waiting wasn't an option. We settled on Chuck-a-rama. That's where we are in the picture. After dinner, we went and sat in the hot tub again. Both nights we stayed up way past bedtime. It was at least 1:00, before we could stop giggling and go to sleep. Sunday we went to Park City to shop the outlet mall. That's where I scored. We went into Aeropastle and straight to the clearance rack. I got three shirts for $7.41. Who says you have to be rich? My stepmom, Lisa, got all of her Christmas shopping done for the whole family, even the grandkids. It was so fun. At the end of the trip, we hugged and said our good-byes. We decided that this was going to be a new tradition for us. Seven women shopping for two days. That is dangerous. I was pretty spoiled this last week. So much to do, so much fun. It's going to be hard to top.



Back: Mom (Lisa) and Becky
Middle: Holly and Michelle
Front: Nicki and Jamie

Best I could do...

Since I didn't get to take pictures, I bought a magazine. I needed at least one pic. of him! It really was a bummer, but Misti is right, I have the mental pictures forever! Isn't he sexy???

The Continuation of my Perfect Night

I didn't get any pictures at the concert. I was so mad because they wouldn't let me take in my camera. Only cell phone cameras and disposables were allowed. What a bummer! I could've taken some AWESOME pictures. Then I would've been like a teenager and pasted them all over my walls.

The name of the opening band was Antigone Rising. I've only heard one of their songs on the radio, and they were fun, but I was too busy paying attention to Rob while they were singing. A few ladies that were sitting behind me had come down and sat about six seats to my right. I had no idea what they were doing, because it was on the side of the stage where all of the control panels were. I looked down at them and they motioned for me to come sit by them. To our suprise, there was Rob, standing by the controls with a beanie on. Maybe so he wouldn't be recognized, but obviously that didn't work. I could've jumped right over the wall and touched him--He was that close! Of course, I'm too shy to do anything, so the ladies (who were drunk, might I add) were saying his name. I think for a while he was ignoring them, and I was embarrassed by them so I went back to my seat. BIG MISTAKE! As soon as I sat down, Rob turned to them, smiled and waved. MELT MY HEART! At least I was still close enought to see, but dang it! A minute later, he pulled out a cigarette, lit up, and stood there and smoked while he watched his opening act. I felt like a school girl with a crush. I was all giddy with butterflies and all. It isn't every day you are 10 feet away from your favorite singer!

The best part of all this is that my cute husband sat there and laughed and let me have my little crush. He didn't understand all these women with this crazy obession with one man. He thinks it's so funny that everyone goes crazy, just because the man sings good. ( I think he looks good too, but I guess Ray doesn't see that).

After the concert, we cranked my Rob Thomas cd. We drove around till we found a Denny's and shared a piece of carrot cake. On a scale of 1-10, I'd have to rate this date an 11. It's taken me two days to come off of my cloud. I hope it's not TOO long before I get to climb back on again.

I'M IN LOVE!!!

Tonight was the best birthday present! Rob Thomas Rocks! I had such a good time and my throat hurts! I screamed so loud and danced my little heart out. I love that man. Did I forget to mention that I had front row on the lower bowl? So, that means I was right by the stage and could see every expression, every drop of sweat, and every adorable look. It was awesome. I made a friend named Janna, who danced and screamed with me. Our husbands weren't really into it that much. At one point she said to me, "On the count of three, lets scream 'we love you Rob', and we did and it made him smile. At least that's what we'd like to think. The rest of this blog is more for my benefit than anyone else's, so read on if you'd like, but I have to remember the details.

The opening song was "Something to be". He had the panels with graphics going while he was singing with all sorts of crazy things. His opening band was a girl band, but I can't remember their name--Anti something rising. They were pretty good. He sang almost every song on his new album and some old songs from his matchbox twenty days including PUSH, and one other one I can't remember, but will jot in down when I remember. He sang two new songs from his new album called "Something More" which I am going to ask Santa for. He said a couple cute things. He said that he talked to a good friend of his that gave him permission to sing "Smooth", I am assuming it was Santana, and he said that he had permission to F*** it up any way he wanted. Someone yelled that they loved him and he said "I love you too" with this cutest little giggle. His last song was "Illusion" , at least until we screamed long and stomped hard enough to bring him out again. They came out and sang 4 or 5 more songs and ended with "This is how a heart breaks".

I am so exhausted and I'll probably write more, just so I don't forget. I got a key chain (since I collect them) and paid $10. Holy Cow. It was worth it though. I'll post a pic of it, just in case anyone is interested.

To be continued....

Rob Thomas...

Did you ever have a very favorite singer when you were young? I love music and I never did. I liked all sorts of music growing up. Country, soft rock, rock, you name it, I liked it. Now that I'm older, (not much :p) my taste has changed and I am obsessed with Rob Thomas. He used to be with the group Matchbox Twenty, but they broke up last Christmas sometime. Which broke my heart, literally. I started crying! How dopey is that? WELL, for my birthday, My adorable husband bought me tickets for the Rob Thomas concert and guess what????

IT'S TONIGHT!!!! I'M SO EXCITED THAT I CAN'T CONCENTRATE ON ANYTHING!

My grandma is coming to stay with my kids and I get to go on a date with my handsome prince to go see my all time favorite singer. I couldn't ask for a better birthday present.

I'M GOING TO ROB THOMAS!!!!

My little sister

My little sister came to visit us yesterday with her boyfriend, Cody. WE had so much fun! Cody wrestled and played with the girls. It was fun to get to know him. When I got home from church, we all hopped in the car and went to Cabela's. That store rocks! It's like visiting the outdoors, a museum, and a store all in one. Very cool. If you've never been, I suggest checking it out. When we came home we had a nice Sunday dinner. Pork roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, and rolls. YUMMY! After dinner we went to an ampitheater here by us and took some cool pictures. It would be a fabulous place to have our family pictures done. Annie wanted to have some pictures to do a scrapbook of her and Cody. It was freezing cold outside. We needed our coats! When we got home, we had some of the homemade oreo cookies that Annie made for us, and then sent them on their way. It's hard to live away from my family, but it sure is fun when they come to visit.

Leaves are falling all around

Our back yard is covered in leaves. It's going to take us hours to pick them all up and bag them. The mountains don't have any leaves anymore. Winter is almost here. I can't believe that Christmas is only a few months away. All three of my families have started drawing names so that we can begin our shopping. It seems like yesterday that it was July and we were watching fireworks. Time goes by so fast. (does that mean I'm having fun??) So, last weekend when my mom and grandma came they brought me some decorations. Fall leaves, gourds, colored corn, and pretend apples to put in a basket on my little bench. I decided to make it my little studio. For Christmas I'm going to make Mikaela's mom a cd with all the pictures that I've taken of Mikaela throughout the year. They turned out cute eh?

Busy, busy, Busy

Yesterday, grandpa came to spend the night with us. He brought his dog, Cricket, and a blueberry pie. *yummy* He also brought a package from Grandma with all sorts of fun things. The girls each got a trick-or-treat bag filled with Halloween socks, candy, and games. And what do you know? A new orange sweater just for me. I can't wait to wear it. Before bedtime, the girls hopped in bed by grandpa and gave him hugs and kisses so he could have sweet dreams.
We have been busy doing fun fall stuff. We decided to paint our pumpkins this year. It was fun.. and messy. Abby had her first real field trip last week, and I got to go. My friend, Jamie, watched Emma and Mikaela for me. I got to ride the bus and everything. It was fun. We went to pumpkinland. There was a corn maze, animals, playland, and a light alley. When we were finished, each child got to pick out their own pumpkin. It was super fun. Abby especially loved sticking her head in all these things. We had a great time and it was good for me to be able to spend time with just Abby. Okay, I take that back. I was in charge of 4 other kids, but Abby felt pretty cool having her mom there and her sisters weren't there to take away her glory.
The clown fits her well. Don't you think???

The fun just never stops

I have had a crazy life the past few days. On Wednesday, Tayvens mom called and told me that she wasn't going to be bringing him anymore. She made a few excuses, but I know the real reason is because Emma scratched him. My life will be a little less hectic, but we need the money. Thus begins my quest for a new child to tend. Emma hasn't scratched anyone since, so maybe I scared her enough that we're done with that. I was on the phone yesterday and went upstairs to get something and when I came back down, Emma had found her big sisters scissors and had cut her bangs clear to the top of her head. She looks ridiculous. It could've been worse, and I knew it, but I still had to freak out and let her know that it was not acceptable. Then today I was getting ready for the day. (make-up, hair, etc.) Her and Kaydien, (another little boy I tend) said they were going to play in the playroom. After about ten minutes, I go downstairs to check on them and Emma had gotten into a brand new box of cheerio's and they were spread from one end of the basement to the next. I feel like I am losing my mind! I do not know what to do with this child. I took her on a "date" last night, thinking that maybe she just needed some attention. Didn't work I guess. Maybe she needs T's memo, but I doubt she'd listen either!

_____________________________________________________________

Visitors

Tonight my mom and grandma are coming to spend the weekend. I am so excited for that. Nobody ever really visits us, and it will be a welcome break for me. Tomorrow my church is doing a super Saturday. Basically, that is where all the women get together and do fun crafty things like paint, quilt, sew, and have lunch. They have a nursery provided for the little kids, so my kids will be occupied from 9-1. I ordered some new embroidery patterns. I'm excited about doing those. Tomorrow night Ray is going to watch the girls. The big girls are going to go to a movie. Then on Sunday, my girls are in a primary program. They have parts that they've memorized and everything. It will be fun for them to have their grandma's there to watch them. It should be a fun weekend.

Does anyone else have anything interesting going on???

Love Thy Neighbor

As bad as our world can be sometimes, if you pay attention there are all sorts of good things going on too. I have awesome neighbors. They are so friendly and always willing to share what they have. Today our neighbor across the street from us brought us a whole big grocery sack full of yellow apples. They are so yummy! We don't know them super well. They are an older couple with grandkids. Glenda and Herbie are their names. Glenda tells me sometimes of how she watches my kids out the window. She laughs at all the struggles I have and remembers how her kids used to do the same things. They watch our house for us when we are away, or just when I am off taking the kids to school. Glenda has had to come several times to shut the front door because one of us forgot. Two weeks ago our neighbors, Brent and Noreen, had planned to put a couch they got from a friend down in their basement. When they learned it wouldn't fit, Brent came and asked me if we wanted it or knew anyone who did. The couch we had was old and worn. This one is in great shape and even has a hide-a-bed. Jack and Idona Barnes are another couple in our church who I just love. They remind me of my great grandparents. They have an awesome garden. They planted quite a few tomato plants and have been so willing to share them with our family. I LOVE tomatoes. Their generosity has fed our family many tomato sandwiches and lots of homemade salsa. We've gotten peas, peaches and all sorts of good stuff from other neighbors. I just feel so blessed to live around such giving people. Just when I start thinking how bad things are and how rotten people can be, someone shows an act of kindness and reminds me that the world isn't so bad and that there really are angels among us!

Terrible three's

Why is it that when it comes to age, two year olds get a bad rep? I have never had problems with my two year olds. My trial begins when they are three. At least when they are two they are still little enough that they don't know they are doing something wrong, or at least don't quite understand the consequences. Emma, it seems, turned into a monster about the time she was turning three. She is always scratching and pinching everyone. Today she scratched Tayvens face. (he's one of the little boys I tend.) His mom was pretty upset, which I don't blame her. I'm pretty upset about it too. The two older princesses have scars from their encounters with their little sister. I just have no idea how to stop her. She even does it to her dad and to me. Spanking, time outs, long talks, and threats have not solved the issue. If she keeps doing it, Tayven's mom will stop bringing him. The most frustrating thing is that most of the time she is a sweetheart. I don't know what could be bringing out this naughty side of her. Is it just her age? Whatever it is, she's not going to like the consequence that happens next time she does it. I'm going to scratch her back and I won't be nice about it. We'll see if that tames the little beast!

Blowing Some Smoke

This morning my littlest princess, Emma, woke up at 7:30. She came into my room and crawled into bed with me. She wrapped her little arms around my neck and said, "I'm fweezin." We cuddled under the blanket for a minute to get warm. We had only just begun to get cozy when she says to me, "mom, I hear the garbage truck." I knew it was only the road construction, but today was garbage day and I never know quite for sure when they are coming. Sometimes it's 8:00, sometimes later. I crawled out from under my warm blanket and put my shoes on. "Whatcha doin mom?" I explain to her that it is garbage day and we need to take the garbage cans to the road. "I want to help!" We zipped her coat up, and put her Clifford the Big Red Dog slippers on and went outside. You know those moments when your child does something so cute and for a moment you just get this overwhelming feeling of joy and you could just squeeze them, never wanting to let go. This was one of those moments. As I pulled the garbage cans out, she grabbed onto the handle and helped me pull it all the way out to the street. On the way back into the house I chased her and picked her up. We were looking at the snow on the mountains and she starts giggling and says, "look, I'n blowin smoke." It was so cold outside you could see your breath. It continually amazes me how things are so fascinating when they're viewed from the eyes of a child. I wish moments like those were like the ground when it snows. It freezes and nothing changes. It makes me want to slow down, not be so busy and worried about having a clean house, or the errands that need to be done. I wonder how many things I miss because I let other, less important, things get in the way. I need to pay more attention, be more aware, because then I wouldn't have to wonder. I would know, and I'd be ever so grateful that I didn't let it pass me by.

Is it December?

It was freezing cold here yesterday. It rained all day. I think that fall lasted two whole weeks. It wasn't too long ago that I looked up and saw all the red leaves. After yesterday, I can't see any leaves at all because there is snow covering the mountains. SNOW! Holy cow. That means, unless it warms up, that winter will be at least 6 months long. We pulled out all of our winter coats last night and I had to go buy my oldest princess a new coat because all of a sudden she went from a size 6x to a size 8/10. How and when did that happen? I can't believe how fast they grow and it's right before your eyes. We had a fun time picking one out. She ended up picking one that is two zipped together. The inside of it is fleece all over, so she should be nice and toasty when she goes out to recess. Today I am going to buy another tote for all of their summer clothes. My toes are cold, and I had to turn up the heat. I think I will go write Santa Claus now. Maybe I will ask him for summer. *hee, hee*

BUT MOM... I REALLY GOTTA PEE!

We were out shopping tonight for the girls' halloween costumes. We were almost finished when Abby came to me telling me she had to pee. "Okay, just a minute.." which usually is fine. I continue to help Whitney pull her costume off to put it back on the hanger and all of a sudden I hear this sad little cry and here comes Abb with a trail of pee behind her. I felt so bad. I could tell she was so embarrassed. Luckily, my hubby was with her and took her out to the van. On the way home, it was late, and so the three of them fell asleep. When I woke Abby up, she started just crying. I didn't know if it was because she was wet, or just sleepy. Turns out it was neither. She said that she was sad and embarrassed because the people at the store were laughing at her. I didn't see anybody, but it must have been horrible for her. She's never done that in her life, but next time I don't think I'll tell her to wait a minute. For her sake and mine...

Worn right out

Today Abby came home from school and gave me the books we bought from this months book order. We sat down to look at all of them. One pack is a little monsters set by Mercer Mayer about manners. They were my favorite when I was a little girl. Abby sat next to me and we started reading. Once or twice I glanced over at her and her little eyes were so heavy. When we got done reading I ran downstairs to start a movie for Emma and when I got back upstairs I found a very tired, sleeping little kindergartner laying on the couch. Shhh...

I've never met a bigger horses butt!

Okay, I didn't actually "meet" him, but I talked to him on the phone and I'll tell you what--steam has been coming out of my ears ever since. Last January we bought a van from an auto plaza in S.L. City. We did all the normal things, signed papers, etc... In about April we get a collection notice from some agency telling us we owed the auto plaza $600.04. We had no idea what in the would it could be for, so we call them and it turns out that the dealer who was working with us never actually called and got the payoff amount from the van we traded in. So, they didn't calculate $600.04 into our new loan amount. My problem? No, but thanks. That's their freaking fault for not doing their job. We've been fighting with the auto plaza ever since and they finally agreed to only making us pay half. Okay, still irritating, but whatever. We ask for them to send us paperwork stating that we have come to this agreement. A month goes by, then two, finally I call and the lady says that "Tina" has quit and she will send something out on Monday. That was 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I got a collection notice from the same agency telling us that if we don't pay now, our account was due in full. I called the agency, and this guy named Chris answers. I tell him the situation and he chuckles and says "well, have you paid them off?" I go on to tell him that we were waiting for paperwork, and he says "I'll call them and see." All of it was being said with such an arrogant, I'm better than you, tone. Then hangs up on me. My husband calls him and confronts him with how he treated me. Chris says, "were you a part of that conversation?". Then goes on to say that "all of you are alike. I could look up your credit report and tell what kind of people you are. I don't have debt collectors calling me. I pay my bills. What's your problem?" Hubby proceeds to tell him that he has no clue what kind of people we are and that he doesn't know the situation. All we
are trying to do is inform you. The last thing this guy says is "you have pushed the wrong buttons with me today, I'm going to e-mail my attorney and there will be a judgment on this account." Then he hangs up. What a jerk! I better not ever meet this guy. I'll rip out his tongue so he can't speak. Good thing for him that I don't know where he lives. Good thing for him that once I cool off I will forgive him and pray that he won't treat anyone else as poorly as he treated us!

We'll see you someday...

I got a call this morning from my dear friend, Jamie, telling me that her mother had passed away last evening. Her voice was shaky, she is so sad, and is trying to be brave. In all the things that I believe, the one thing I am most grateful for is the knowledge and belief that we will see our loved ones again someday. Death is not an easy thing for anyone...especially me. I don't fear being there, it's how I'm going to get there that frightens me. But the conviction that I have of life after death is strong, and it gives me a sense of calmness, knowing that when it is my turn I will be met and welcomed by those who have gone before me. I didn't know Jamie's mom very well. I know a lot about her by talking to Jamie and hearing the stories the kids have to tell. She will be missed tremendously by everyone who knew her. Please pray for my friend, that she will have the strength to go on and be able to feel peace during this time in her life.

Happy Birthday to my sister!!!

This morning I woke up and remembered it was my sisters birthday. For me, that is remarkable, seeing how I have 7 sisters and 4 brothers. My parents divorced when I was a year old leaving me with the wonderful blessing of having a lot of siblings, since they both remarried. I've loved it! I am close to them all (some more than others :) .... Anyway, in one family there is Becky* *happy birthday!**, Holly, Nicki, Dustin (who passed away as an infant) Jamie, and Michelle. In the other family I have Brandon, Kassie, Matt, Annie, and Josh. So, on with my morning. I talked to Emma and told her it was Aunt Becky's birthday. She looked at me and said "liar, liar, pants on fire!" Then immediately after she said, "lets call her!" So, at 8:30 in the morning we called her and sang Happy Birthday with Abby ending the song with "cha, cha, cha". We got to visit for a minute and catch up a little. We live two hours away from each other and don't see each other often. So Becky, from the May family, Happy Birthday to you! We love you and miss you! Have the best birthday ever!

When to excercise?

I woke up this morning, looked in the mirror, and decided I really do need to excercise. Not that I'm obese or anything, just flabby. It's really driving me crazy. My question to myself is this, "when do I excercise?" My husband leaves for work at 5:30 in the morning. The kids come at 6:30. The problem isn't that I'm not willing to get up at 6:30, it's that all the rooms are taken by sleeping children. By the time they wake up, it's time to get my 2nd grader ready for school and my day begins. Night time rolls around, hubby doesn't get home till 7:00. Homework has to be done, baths given, and kids put to bed. By that time I am so exhausted, excersing is the last thing I want to do. Priorities. That is what it all boils down to I'm sure. I've never LIKED to excercise, but I think I'm at a point in my life where I either do it, or get fat. That doesn't sound like a good option to me. I keep telling myself 20 minutes a day. When to take that 20 minutes--that is the question.

My favorite things

This morning I woke up to thunder and lightening. I love the sound of thunder. I love the smell of rain, especially in the spring. My grandma used to sit with us on her porch and we would watch the rain. My mom did it with us too, and does it with my kids when we are there to visit. Here is a list of some of my favorite things. Not necessarily in order of importance.
1. My girls' laughter
2. Date night with my hubby
3. Going to book club
4. Eating at P.F. Changs
5. Reading a good book
6. A clean house (although rare, I love it)
7. Going to church
8. A call from a friend, my mom, my grandma, my sisters, or my daddy.. :)
9. Flowers for no reason
10. Jets flying low (another of my favorite sounds)
11. Family vacations
12. Girls night out
13. Family reunions
14. Fireworks
15. The 4th of July (my Favorite holiday)
16. Visiting family--even my in-laws
17. Getting pictures
18. Getting a day off work
19. Swimming
20. Embroidery
21. snuggling with my kids (sometimes it's the only way I can fall asleep)
22. babies and that new baby smell
23. milk
24. a good nap, for me and the kids
25. alone time

THE BOOBY SISTERS
Saturday I was downstairs cleaning my house. As usual, I am frantically trying to get everything done so that I don't spend the whole day cleaning. Just as I turned off the vacuum, I heard some mischievous giggles coming down the stairs. "Oh no," I wondered. What were they up to. All of a sudden my youngest princess turns the corner and to my surprise--BOOBS! Whit had spent all morning blowing up small water balloons. I had no idea what she wanted to do with them, but it kept her occupied, so I didn't ask. Then the next two came around the corner. BOOBS--again... Whitney had even put on one of her undershirt bras to hold those balloons in place. I took one look at them and had to stop and grab the camera. This was for sure a Kodak moment. They all stood in line for their picture and Whit and Abby said, "We are the booby sisters! Do we look grown up?" I'm afraid I have a looong road ahead of me.

God Bless America

I just watched a prayer service for the Hurricane victims on c-span. It brought tears to my eyes! Our President, who everyone is belittling, gave a remarkable speech. He loves our country and the people in it. It infuriates me to hear people talk about him the way they do. Who are we to judge? Could any one of us say what we would do? Certainly not. You never know what you would do, until you are put in that situation. We need to learn to not blame others for things that happen. God is in charge of our world. Nobody could've stopped the hurricane. President Bush is doing the best he can with what he knows and what he has. We can not ask anything else of anyone. We all do the best we can. So, lets be proud of the things he does right. Lets be glad that the leader of our nation believes in God and in prayer. Lets unite, instead of fight. If we can't unite, then what are all of our soldiers fighting for? I'm proud to be an American. I love this land. It's the people in it who make it less than perfect. So, I, along with President Bush, say "God Bless America". Let's all work harder to make it the great nation that it is.

Workin' like a dog

My husband, who doesn't have a nickname yet because he doesn't like sunshine like I do, so I can't call him Mr. Sunshine, works his guts out. He started a job in June as an Asst. Mngr. at Arctic Circle. His hours are so long! He usually leaves our home at 5:30 a.m. and doesn't usually get home until 7:00 p.m. That is just a long freakin day. I am so proud of him though. This is his first time being a manager and he's doing a great job. Hopefully, the experience will pay off and it will all be worth it. I miss him though. He's not around a lot and I feel bad that he misses out on so much at home. What a great guy! It just goes to show how much he loves his sunshine girl and his 3 little princesses.

Your blogs been highjacked!

I whipped this up real quick tonight. Going to work on another one right now. But i wanted to do this real quick b/c I love love this pic of the girls.

Love ya and miss ya,
Misti Lee

Aunt Shelley's fabulous hairdo

Aunt Shelley's fabulous hairdo,
originally uploaded by sunshinegirl3princesses.

I'm testing how to do all this stuff, so excuse the thousand posts today! This is Abby's princess hairdo that her Aunt Shelley did up at our grandpa's cabin. A crown. How fitting.

MY CHEESY GIRL

This is my baby--pulling one of her "CHEESE" smiles. Everytime you pull out the camera, you can expect this from her. What a nut!

I need a magic wand--OR a Fairy Godmother!

You know on Cinderella when she's kneeling down crying because she wants to go to the ball? All of a sudden her Fairy Godmother appears, waves her magic wand, and POOF! She has a beautiful dress, and is on her way to the ball to meet her handsome prince. Well, I have a handsome prince. I have 3 beautiful princesses. I even live in a castle. Well, it is to me anyway. My problem is I need maids to clean my castle. I can't keep up with all the Royalty that lives in this house. Laundry is in piles(the rest of it is clean, it needs to be folded & put away) , the floor needs to be mopped, bathrooms are filthy. You know, the whole sha-bang. This would all be fine, except the fact that I can't just put on my rags and go to work. I have kids to watch, food to cook, and homework to do. (My kids' homework is driving me bonkers!) So, I'm wondering if I kneel down and cry, could I get a Fairy Godmother with a magic wand to *POOF* clean my castle?????

Abby's kindergarten checkup

Abby loved her checkup. My doctor is AWESOME. She didn't cry at all for her shots. She is growing up so big!!!

What is wrong with my mom?

Today started out like any other day. It's 7:57 and my little Whitney is not wanting to get ready for school. The bus she catches comes at 8:40, therefore leaving her with a half hour to get dressed, eat, get her hair done and be to the neighbors to walk with them to the bus stop. Normally, it's a rush, but it gets done without any trouble. Today, however, was a constant battle. "Why can't I watch TV? Abby gets to watch TV. "(Abby doesn't go to school until 12:15) "Why do I have to ride the bus, I hate the bus." So, at 8:35, she is in front of the next door neighbors house screaming and crying that she is scared. What? What was that? SCARED? I yell at her to get in the house and once she is in, I freak out. I'm not talking a little tantrum, I start screaming and yelling, telling her what a brat she's being (which is against EVERYTHING I believe in) and send her to her room, but not before I spanked her butt. " What is wrong with me?" I'm thinking to myself. Maybe she is scared. I went into her room and tried to talk to her about it. I explained that there were reasons she has to take the bus. Then I get all the kids, load them in the van, and take her to the bus stop. I'm thinking the whole time that all this is going on, that Whitney is also wondering "What is wrong with her?" Most of the time I feel like a really good mom. I love my kids more than anything, and despite their little moods, I am usually pretty patient with them. Next time I feel like freaking out, I hope I won't leave my kids wondering. "What is wrong with my mom?" Thankfully, for my sake, there is such a word as forgiveness.

Let's celebrate, It's PEACH DAYS!

This past weekend was Brigham City's annual Peach Days celebration. Brigham City is where I grew up and each September I would look forward to the big weekend when I could socialize all weekend. This year was no exception. I love to go and see who I will run into. This year I ran into my favorite High School teacher. His name is Jim Fuller. The moment I saw him, I felt myself light up. He was awesome. He was like a dad to me. He noticed me at the same time and we gave each other a big hug. It's been 11 years since I've gradutated and at that moment it felt like yesterday. It always has amazed me how fast time passes me by. I had my girls with me and it was so fun to show him my family. There is so many people there and we couldn't talk long, but I wish we could have. I ran into a few of my old friends and we caught up on our lives. This year, it felt like winter. It rained on us during the parade, and the rest of the day everyone walked around with pants, jackets, and hats. The best part about Peach days, even more than seeing everyone, is being with my family. We stayed with my grandma, which is "grandma great" to my girls. They love being there and she loves having us there. Whit sat and did her hair and make-up for what seemed like hours. They talked about school and Whit's friends. Then Whitney asked her about the "olden days". I love to watch my kids with her. I love to see the generations between them disappear and listen to their conversations. We were able to have Sunday dinner with my family. We watched a home video of my nephew being born, and laughed at what a terror he is now. It was a good weekend. There really is no place like home.

Romance

Tonight my husband and I took the kids on a ride to try and get them to sleep. We listened to them whine and fight it for a while and then in a matter of minutes they were out. We decided to drive around for a little while and while we were driving an old song started playing on the radio. It was a song that we listened to when we were dating and every time I listen to it, it brings back a flood of memories. At that moment I realized how different things are for us now. Not necessarily bad, just different. I miss the butterflies. I miss gazing at each other. Sometimes I feel we are so caught up with life, that the romance is lost. Can those feelings ever come back, or are they just something you feel when you are young and twitterpated? Would I change what we have now? Not really. It's so much deeper than it once was. If I went back, I wouldn't have my girls, or the relationship that comes from knowing and living with someone. Maybe one day life will settle down and we will have those moments again. I guess until then, the songs will have to tide me over and help me cherish those dating days.

An uplifting day

I went to church today, kind of with a bad attitude. It is hard sometimes to sit through church with 3 children not wanting to sit still, needing a potty break every 5 minutes, and thinking it's funny to constantly annoy each other. Once I got them to their classes and was able to go to my own, I breathed a sigh of relief to have a moment to myself and enjoy the lesson. The rest of the meeting went rather nicely. I love to be there. I love the way I feel. I love how I come home determined to be a better person. We have two goals we are supposed to work on this month. The first is to read a good book. The second is to listen when we are promted to do something. I think I can do that. It's nice that I can come home and feel like I want to take on the world. By Wednesday or Thursday I lose that vision. Life gets in the way. There's a house to clean, kids to take to school, kids to tend. I'm glad that I get another reminder next Sunday....

Friends

This morning I got a phone call from my friend Julie. We have been best friends since High School. We talked for two and a half hours--which we do often. So, during naptime today, the house was quiet and it gave me time to think. What would I do without my friends? I think about how much I really depend on my best friends. I have a lot of friends, but not too many would I call my BEST. Mist and I have been best friends for 11 years. What makes a friendship last that long? What makes me so lucky to have friends like that? I draw a lot of strength from my friends. They help me make it through the day. I know I can count on them any time, any day. I have relatives who really don't have friendships like I do. That's so sad to me. I feel like these women are my sisters. I just wasn't able to have them born into my actual family. I went to a website one day to look up friendship quotes and found several that I loved. But here is one that I love:

"I'd like to be the sort of friend that you have been to me. I'd like to be the help that you've been always glad to be; I'd like to mean as much to you each minute of the day, as you have meant, old friend of mine, to me along the way."

Here's to my Best friends. I love ya tons!!! Thanks for all you do for me.

my dear friend Misti, has been doing this forever. It's going to take me a long time to figure it out. Like pictures and everything. It will be fun though. I'm going to need some pointers Mist. Thanks for the pic of the suburban. :) I sure love ya! Today has been a hectic day. Watching 3 kids under 3 is definately a treat. I found out today that I have a low thyroid. Any suggestions? Picked up my medicine today. What a bummer. The kids have been in school for two weeks. I'm sad summer is over and (sorry about complaining) but gas prices really are killing me. I can't even afford to go visit my mom. I'd rather deal with gas prices though than having my house under water, or not knowing where my loved ones were. It's good to remember that someone always has it worse than we do. I'm going to love this.