For All That's Good

Halloween! It's no Joke

2010-11-10T14:57:00.006-07:00

Halloween is serious business in our home. Max begins on about November 1st thinking about what he wants to be for the next year. Where as Zac tends to tell me the week of what he thinks might be fun. So we spend a great deal of time coming up with and putting together our Halloween costumes. This is what we came up with this year!

The Joker

The Travelocity Gnome

One little sour pumpkin

Calvin didn't make it very long, but he tried!

Hi!

2010-10-20T09:45:00.003-06:00

Now that Calvin has mastered crawling, he is moving on to talking.

The Crawler!

2010-07-28T13:13:00.002-06:00

Calvin has figured out how to crawl. He is all over the house now and loving his new found freedom.

Basketball Hoop

2010-07-17T14:35:00.006-06:00

We recently purchased a basketball hoop for the boys. I was impressed with Byron's ability to put it all together. It reminded me a little bit of the Little Red Hen.

I dug the hole
I filled the hole with concrete
I put the basketball hoop together
I installed the basketball hoop
Now who will play basketball with me.He really did do a great job with it and I think it got installed far better by him than it would have if we had hired it out. Way to go Byron (and thanks Jace and John for giving him a hand.)

We are all thinking it is great and having a ton of fun. I have decided that I am going to have to go out and practice when the boys are in bed in order to get to their level.
All are welcome to come and join us in a game of PIG (horse was taking too long)!

Iron Fist, IronMan, Stomach of Iron

2010-07-11T14:56:00.008-06:00

We have started our summer off and it already seems like it is almost over. June was busy with us getting ready for a party in our backyard. Byron wanted to have a graduation party for the exiting residents in his department, so we ended up with roughly 120 people in our backyard. It gave Byron and the rest of the people that he plays in a band with a chance to perform, and they had a blast. It was crazy trying to pull off something that big, but we ended up with A LOT of help from family that we are now going to have to repay big time.
On the day of the party Zac had his first Tae Kwon Do test to graduate to his yellow belt. My mom was gracious enough to take him for the three hours that it took and he passed with flying colors. He also was able to break a board with his fist. He is really enjoying it and we are proud of him.

About a week ago Max was complaining that his heart was racing. He had mentioned this to me before, but whenever I felt, it seemed regular. But on this particular day when I felt it, sure enough his heart was racing so fast that I couldn't keep up with the beats. We called his cardiologist and they said to come down and they would give him an EKG. When they hooked him up to the machine it instantly picked up his heartbeat that was going close to 200 beats per minute. So they decided to give him an echo to see if his heart was holding up under the stress. They were able to figure out that he had what is called Ectopic Atrial Tachycardia. In regular terms he has an extra area in his heart that generates a rhythm, when it is active his heart beats too fast. They sent us home with a holter to track what his heart did in a 24 hour period. His babysitter thought he looked like IronMan and that made Max happy. We just met with the cardiologist again this week and he has been put on Beta Blockers and according to her he is the poster child for the medicine. His heart is beating where it should and he is doing great.
Calvin just turned 10 months old and is our baby who can eat anything and everything. He loves to eat and we have yet to find a food that he doesn't like. Byron even gave him baked beans yesterday and he gobbled them up. He is trying really hard to crawl but has mostly just figured out how to push himself backwards. He can say dada and just figured out how to click his tongue on the roof of his mouth. He has really started to have his own personality and we are getting such a kick out of him. He can pretty much make everyone smile with his big blue eyes.

Dance Festival

2010-05-26T14:01:00.011-06:00

Life has been busy around here as we are trying to finish up school. We have done dance festivals, talent shows, baseball tournaments, and we still have 6th grade promotion and field day left to do! But the boys are feeling the summer fever (and that is metaphorically since it just snowed two days ago) and are ready to be done with school. As for Calvin even though he is not in school he is learning a lot. He now can sit up on his own and he his starting to eat some table food and can feed himself Cheerios. He has his two bottom teeth coming in which is good because that keeps the gain to loose ratio even in the house. Max lost his top front tooth and Zac lost one of his molars. Here are the boys at their dance festival. Sorry I am not sure yet how to edit so they are a little long. But enjoy!

We Are Alive!!

2010-04-26T20:09:00.005-06:00

I know that it has been over a year since I blogged, but I am back and attempting to keep everyone updated. It will be interesting to see if anyone even sees this, or if everyone has stopped looking.

Since I blogged last Zac has had two birthdays and is now 12 years old. He has grown so much in the last year and is fitting into his "preteen" shoes nicely. He is very involved in scouts, piano, his school glee club, and more recently tae kwon do.

Max is now 7 years old and is definitely keeping us on our toes. He started first grade and has had an interesting year. I must admit that I received my first phone call from the principal's office this year. Probably not an experience I should write on the blog, but sometime if you see me I'll tell you the story. It has for sure made the list of most favorite Max stories! He is involved in swimming, piano, baseball, and most importantly playing with friends.

Although never posted on the blog I will assume most people know that we had our third boy in September. Calvin Byron (who has been nicknamed Boo Boo) was born on September 2nd and is now almost 8 months old. We are officially outnumbered and are feeling the effects of that. He is sweet and rascally all at the same time. He is very different from my other two boys and with the seven year gap we are feeling like first time parents all over again. We all adore him and he is already showing signs of knowing that he is the baby of the family. Just the other day Zac said, "It's fun having a baby in the house mom." I would have to agree. He has just learned to sit up and roll over, and he LOVES to eat! He is a total Mama's boy and it both melts my heart and makes me go crazy. If I am in the room nobody else can hold him, and when I leave his sight he cries uncontrollably. But when he gives you a big smile you can't help but want to squish him.

Life is crazy around our home but we are happy and healthy. Hopefully I will be able to post more often, We'll See!!

Look Mom No Wheels!!

2009-03-25T22:39:00.004-06:00

Well, it's official, Max is growing up. Byron took advantage of the spring like weather last week and taught Max how to ride his bike without training wheels! Max wasn't quite sure what to think at first, but got the hang of it rather quick. It's all he wanted to do last week. He did discover that it is a little difficult to bike in the wind, but is ready to get back out there as soon as he can.

(Note the golf glove, aka his riding glove!)

Christmas Festivites!

2008-12-30T10:27:00.008-07:00

The holidays are nearing the end and we are ready for the New Year. Our Christmas had just the right amount of fun, family, and relaxation. The boys have loved being out of school, and I have loved not having a schedule. Santa came out in force this year and we have only had two toys that didn't make it through the weekend. One of the top toys was the dart gun game we bought. It comes equipped with six guns, 50 darts, Velcro vests, and eye protection. Needless to say pretty much everyone who has come through the house has gotten in on the fun. We ended up the Christmas week with a little sledding fun. Byron and his brother Austin helped to make a ramp that the kids could go off. There was contests to see who could get the most air. Yet, I think in the end it should have been a contest to see who had the most sore bum. It was a lot of fun. I hope your holiday was great and we wish you all a Happy New Year!

Tuckered Out!

2008-12-09T10:59:00.004-07:00

I wonder if the excitement of Christmas has already caught up to Max!

More likely it was because he had the stomach flu all weekend.

Swim Meet!

2008-11-19T22:36:00.005-07:00

Zac high fivin' one of the coaches!

This past weekend Zac had his first official swim meet. He was very excited to go and try out competing. One mother had told me to make sure and bring food, books, and playing cards, because it would probably be about four hours long. So we packed up our cooler and Max filled his spiderman backpack full of toys and we experienced our first swim meet. Zac competed in four different events. His first one was the 100 meter I.M. where you do all four strokes. He did well and came in fourth. The couple in front of me were laughing at me because I could see Zac at the pool but he wasn't getting on the block when the race started. I began to panic thinking that he didn't know it was his turn so I started to yell his name. Well, it was so loud in there that he couldn't hear me, so I didn't know what to do. The guy turned around and said, "I think he competes in the second heat, not the first." Which calmed me down and made me look like an idiot. But seeing how it was my first swim meet too I hadn't figured that out yet. His second event was the 100 meter freestyle which he did great and came in second. His third was the 50 meter freestyle, and like I said it was my first swim meet so what did I do when he didn't take the block. You got it I started yelling his name and freaking out that he was going to miss the race. Once again the man in front of me had to point out that he wasn't racing until the third heat and I had to apologize again for yelling in his ear. But Zac did great and came in fourth. His last event after four and half hours of being there was the 50 meter breaststroke and he finished it off by coming in second. He had a ton of fun and it was so great to see him out there doing it. He loves being on the swim team and according to his coach "Always has a smile on his face." We are very proud of him for how hard he works at swimming, and who knows maybe next time I will remember not to panic when he doesn't take the block!

Zac in the pool with his teammates cheering him on!

OctoberFest!

2008-11-03T14:55:00.015-07:00

It seems October always gets a little crazy around our house. Not just because of Halloween, but because it is Max's birthday. Yes, my little guy turned six years old. He is full of spunk, rascal, and just plain moo!! He has definitely come along way since the day he was born. As per Max's request we had a Halloween party full of all things scary. We decorated the house with spiderwebs, rats, skulls, tombstones, and witches brew. We bobbed for apples, ate pizza, and played ghost in the graveyard. I think it was a roaring success. Max is already planning his next party. I used to not care for Halloween, but having kids and especially one with a birthday in October makes for a fun holiday.

Just as we recovered from that it was time to go trick-or-treating. I am sure anyone who lives close by must agree it was probably the most perfect Halloween night. Our neighborhood is so fun to roam around. People do homemade scones, doughnuts, and hot chocolate. One guy hooks up his four wheeler to a big flatbed trailer and gives kids rides from house to house. Max (because he was a pirate skeleton from The Pirates of the Caribbean) decided to kibosh the traditional trick-or-treat and instead said,"Hello Poppet". Zac had his first official trick-or-treating with only friends. He and a few of his friends hit several houses I think more than once. We gave him my cell phone so he could call us if there was a problem. I'm not sure what he was more excited for, the candy or the cell. At one point he ran into us and told us he had been trying to call us but the phone wasn't working. When I went to figure it out he suddenly realized that he had been calling my phone number not Byron's. It's the little things that make the difference. I wonder how I ever managed to trick-or-treat safely without a cell phone.

After the kids were all done we took them over to my sisters house to sleep (thanks Emily&Ryan). Byron and I dressed up and went to a masquerade ball. It was a party being thrown by a guy Byron works with. It was a great excuse to get dressed up in a ball gown (thanks mom it was a big hit) and have some fun. Not a bad way to wrap up the month of October. Now the pumpkins have gone rotten and the spiderwebs are gone, and I wonder if November will bring snow on my lawn!

Any Ideas?

2008-10-07T14:24:00.006-06:00

Here I am making my monthly post, and what I need is a little help. I am trying to plan Max's birthday party. He wants a Halloween costume party. He also has informed me that he wants it at night about a thousand times. So I am wondering if all of you out there could give me some ideas of things I could do at the party. Max loves scary things, but I know that some of the little guys coming may not like it as much. So I am trying to think of things that might fall somewhere in the middle. So please chime in and let me hear your ideas!

Summer of the Monkey(Bars)

2008-09-04T09:08:00.018-06:00

O.K. I know that I have been awful this summer at keeping up with my blog. I don't have that great of an excuse, except that we were busy and having fun. So now that it is turning into Fall (yeah for Fall weather)! I thought I would give you all a summer in review. The biggest project we took on this summer was landscaping our yard. We had a ton of overgrown trees and bushes in our yard and we decided to tear them all out. We figured since we were hiring someone that it would be an easy job. We were sorely mistaken! It was a constant battle to get them to do what we wanted. I was nervous to leave my house when they were here because whenever I did I would come back and they had done something wrong. I was not making friends in the neighborhood because I had a massive dirt pile on my driveway that was blowing into everyone's yards and on their cars. Once the trees were down we realized how bad our existing fence was and decided to replace it. So that meant I had to get permission from three of our neighbors who shared the fence with us. I was told by the landscapers the fence would be down for a couple of days. Well, a week and half later I was getting to know my neighbors really well and realizing that fences have their advantages! Once we got the yard all cleared out we put in a new playground for the kids. It has swings, a slide, playhouse, monkey bars, fireman's pole, and a trapeze bar. We'll do anything to get the kids to go outside and play. Now that the weather is cooler we are getting all sorts of kids from the neighborhood playing on it. The kids love it and Byron and I are glad the whole experience it over!

Aside from that, here is a list of things we did this summer.
13 concerts (including a music festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming)
4 trips: Las Vegas, canoeing down the Green River, Jackson Hole, and a weekend in Park City
1 family reunion
2 summer school classes for the boys
8 Tee-ball games for Max
Endless swimming and piano lessons
And probably other things that I have already forgotten about!

Now we are back into the swing of things with school. Zac is loving his teacher and Max just started his first day of Kindergarten. When I asked how it was he said, "Not fun, we didn't practice our numbers and letters. And the teacher kept yelling at me." I asked why she was yelling at him and he said, "Because I wasn't listening to her and I kept messing around." Yep that will do it. This could be an interesting year for him!

Hot & ColdPlay

2008-08-06T10:01:00.003-06:00

I am late in posting, but better late than never right? A few weeks ago Byron and I and the kids headed down to Vegas for a weekend. My dad was kind enough to entertain us there, and we took the kids out on the lake. We had so much fun and we even got both boys up on water ski's. The water temperature was great and it was definitely HOT! When we pulled the boat out the car was registering at 113 degrees. We figured that was a good time to hit the IN N OUT burger and cool down. That night dad and Paula were nice enough to watch the boys so Byron and I could go see ColdPlay at the MGM. It was a great concert and it is always entertaining to see a concert in Vegas. The people watching is A+. We had a lot of fun and some great family time. Thanks Dad.

Brian Head

2008-07-15T20:13:00.000-06:00

We had one of Byron's brothers in town and we thought it would be fun to get us all together and have a camping adventure. Byron's brother Paul had found a campsite by Brian Head and thought it would be a great way to get out of the heat. So we packed up and went camping. The kids had a great time. We had brought their bikes and they were able to ride around on a dirt road near the camp. We ate a lot of food, biked, went swimming in this great reservoir near the camp, and of course had a campfire. There was only one small mishap. It pretty much goes like this; "Now Zac, when lighting a fire with a blow torch" (insert flames up in the air), Zac scream, and I hear someone yell "WATER"!! Luckily, no one was hurt and my heart receded its pounding about an hour later. The kids loved having cousin time. And it was a lot of fun getting so many Bankhead's in one place. There is nothing like sitting around a campfire talking until 1:00 in the morning. Fun was had by all!

Stadium of Fire!

2008-07-15T19:52:00.000-06:00

As most of you know Zac likes Hannah Montana. And when we heard that she was going to be performing at this years Stadium of Fire I tried everything I could to get tickets. But alas to no avail. So we figured we would get some of our own fireworks and have a scaled down version at home. And then low and behold Byron gets a call from his brother Johnny three days before, who has no more than four of the nye on impossible tickets within his possession! And being the great uncle he is wondered if Zac would want to go. We snatched up the "FREE" tickets and me and Zac experienced our first ever Stadium of Fire. There were skydivers, dancers, an awesome flyby, the Blue Man Group, fireworks, some very excited provoites, and of course Miley Cyrus herself. Zac wasn't quite sure what to do with his crazy mother who was dancing and singing, but I think he survived. It was a successful first Stadium of Fire and we owe it all to Johnny and Kara. Thanks Guys!!

Under Where?

2008-07-02T18:54:00.000-06:00

The other day I was sitting in church and Max was on the floor in front of me playing. As he leaned over to do something I caught sight of his underwear waist band. It was black and had TMNT(Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) on it. It got me thinking, how sad it is that we out grow themed underwear. I mean really, doesn't everyone think that spider-man, bat-man, and wonder women underwear is awesome. So why is it when you begin to get older they phase the whole concept out? I personally would be much more excited about getting ready in the morning if I was able to go to my underwear drawer and have a chance to pick between Barbie, Cinderella, or even Garfield's days of the week underwear. Maybe if we did this I wouldn't be so repulsed by the low rider pants if it showed a super-man band. Now granted I would no longer be able to wear white pants, but I would be willing to give that up if I could replace it with Care Bear underwear. It would provide us with an opportunity to feel five again while on your way to work!

Inner Tubes!

2008-06-14T10:15:00.000-06:00

As many of you know Max has been having some hearing problems since about November of last year. He first started complaining about headaches and I couldn't figure out what would be causing them. Then one day Zac was talking to Max, but his head was turned and I could tell that Max had no idea that Zac was talking to him. So I took him to the doctor, and sure enough he had fluid in his ears. The next several months consisted of many antibiotics and none of them worked. His hearing was getting so bad that unless he was looking at you and you were near his ear he couldn't hear you. The T.V. had to be at full decibel and everyone had to yell. We decided to consult an ENT doc, who confirmed that he had fluid about the consistency of peanut butter in both ears. So Wednesday he went in and had tubes put in his ears. He did really well and was very brave. He woke up from the anesthesia crying and saying that his ear hurt, but he got over it quickly and the nurses were impressed by how well he did. It is amazing how great they work, and he is so excited that he can hear again. He keeps covering his ears and saying "It's too loud!" How great is modern medicine!

Meet Me In St. Louis!

2008-06-01T16:01:00.002-06:00

So I know it was been forever since I last posted, but my excuse is that we were on vacation. Byron and I decided it would be fun to take Zac back to where he was born and go down memory lane in St. Louis. We also wanted to have a chance to go visit Byron's sister Laurie and her family in Chicago. So we decided to put it all together and make it one big family trip. It was great to see Laurie, Rick, and her two cute girls. The cousins had a great time together. We went to Navy Pier, Millennium Park, The Aquarium, and the Science and Industry Museum. Byron and I even had a chance to take a Architecture Boat Tour which was great. We had almost perfect weather and perfect company. (Except my poor brother-in-law was writhing in belly pain and was finally admitted to the hospital for gallbladder surgery the day we left. The things people will do to get out of visiting with their in-laws.) From Chicago we flew over to St. Louis and spent the whole time going down Memory Lane. We visited our old house, and we were lucky enough to have our old neighbor still living there. We visited with her for about an hour and then straight to our favorite place of all time Ted Drewes. It is the best frozen custard we have ever had, and I think people who visited us would agree with us. We made sure to hit it every day we were there. We took the boys to The Arch and took them to the top. It is such a great way to see the city. From there we walked over to the new Busch Stadium and saw a baseball game. We also hit the Zoo which is huge and we barely got through it all, and Byron walked Zac around Saint Louis University campus and through all of his old buildings. The baseball was such a raving success that we decided to go the next night. It was a little surreal being back there, and Byron and I felt like we still lived there. We have such great memories of that place, and it was so fun to bring Zac and Max to see it. It was the best way for us the ring in the summer!

The Tin Man

2008-05-08T10:52:00.000-06:00

Zac has officially entered the world of braces. He spent an hour and a half at the orthodontist getting impressions, brackets, bands, and other metal trinkets in his mouth all for the pursuit of straight teeth. This is step one in a multiple step process. He had three put on his lower front teeth. He is excited and even spent a good 15 minutes last night brushing, flossing, and rinsing.

New Discovery

2008-05-05T10:12:00.001-06:00

This post is mostly for those people out there who I do their blog design for. I thought I would let you know I was introduced to a new blog website LeeLou Blogs. The link is on the side. You can change your blog with some really great designs, and the best part is that it is all for free. It takes about two minutes and she gives you all the instructions. Seeing how I take forever, I thought I would let you know in case you don't want to wait around for me to change you blog.

Recommendations

2008-04-23T08:08:00.000-06:00

I have discovered a few things that I think are very worthwhile, so I thought I would let you all know about them. The first was actually a recommendation from my sister-in-law. It is a book called Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. It is a book about the physical differences between boys and girls. He writes that because of those differences boys and girls learn, make decisions, and react to discipline differently. It is very eye opening and information worth knowing about if you are a parent. Thanks Kristin!

My next recommendation is a CD I purchased recently. Most of you may have already heard of her. It is Sara Bareilles Little Voice. I think she is very talented and this CD is just enjoyable to listen to.

My last recommendation is to go to a summer concert this year. Several people are performing this is year; James Taylor, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow to name a few and buying these tickets and thinking I get to spend an enjoyable summer night outside at a concert is making me look forward to summer. So get out there and enjoy a Concert!

Hope you like my recommendations, and let me know what you think of them.

Camp Out

2008-04-10T10:04:00.000-06:00

We decided due to the cold weather last week, that we would venture down south and lap up some sun while camping out. Well, that and Byron and had bought a new camping stove and he wanted to try it out. So we packed up the kids and went camping. It was a short trip but we were able to do some hiking, hanging out, campfire stories, and sleeping under the stars. We had fun and it always makes us happy for the state we live in.

Max had brought this kitchen timer and buried it. He was so excited when he dug it back up!

Happy Birthday Zac!!!

2008-04-01T08:58:00.001-06:00

10 years ago today our sweet little Zac was born. We can not believe how quickly it has gone by and that we have a boy that old. He has always been such a joy in our home. He makes us laugh, smile, and enjoy life! He has such a great laugh and is so kind to everyone and is always ready to give someone a hug. We love you very much! Happy Birthday Z!

Workin' At The Car Wash

2008-03-13T10:20:00.000-06:00

Now I understand that I might be the last lone person who actually still washes her own car, but I felt the need to express my frustration at the car wash experience. First of all, living where I do this time of year is tricky in respects on when to wash your car. There is always hints of rain or snow on the horizon. So everyday you wonder if it is worth spending your money to get your car clean. You drive around for weeks with a dirty car only to finally give in and then have it snow the next day. So yesterday I washed my car and what a surprise it is raining today! Yet that is not the problem for me. I need someone to explain to me why the self car washes don't work. There are hundreds of them out there and there is always a huge line at them when it's sunny, so why are we tricked into thinking they are going to get our car clean. This is usually my experience at them. First I think I have at least four or five dollars in my purse only to finally get into my wash and realize I have three dollars. So I convince myself that my car isn't that dirty and I can easily wash it in 3 1/2 minutes! What I always forget is that you put in your $2.25 for your 3:47 minutes of wash time and that it takes 2:38 minutes for the actual soap to start coming out of the hose. All the while you have flipped the switch four times because you think maybe you didn't line it up on the right line. Then when the soap finally comes out I realize that I only have 1:11 minutes to wash, rinse and hopefully put some spot free rinse on it. And for some reason I seem to always become obsessed with the bugs on my license plate and I waste 35 seconds high pressure washing the bugs off of my plate only to realize I haven't even put soap on my back window. Then the beeping starts. You know how the machine begins to beep really loud to let you know you are running out of time and you need to put more money in NOW! This is where it becomes a complicated decision. Do I put in my remaining .75 cents to get the soap off or do I use that to vacuum? I decide to vacuum so now it's crunch time. I begin running around my car trying to get all the soap off only to have the swing the hose is stuck to get caught up on something and I begin cursing my decision to think I could do this in 3 1/2 minutes! Then the water runs out but I use the remaining water that is running at a trickle to try and get the soap off my side mirrors. But surprisingly my car looks clean as I pull out to the vacuums. You scan the vacuums hoping to pick the only one there that actually still has suction to it. I pull up close so I can reach both side of my car. I clean out all of the garbage me and my family seem to leave in the car, move all the car seats, push back all the chairs, and clear everything out so that I have an optimal vacuuming atmosphere before I throw my last .75 cents in the machine. Here is where the race really begins. I always wonder if I can get to the whole car before the time runs out. I usually start out easy thinking to bend properly so that I don't kink my neck or something, but as the time has been running and I'm only half way through all bets are off. I find myself contorting my body in ways I shouldn't and inevitably I end up with my behind up in the air for all other fellow car wash customers to see. Just when I think I am almost done the time runs up. But I'm o.k. with it because at this point I'm tired! I drive off the lot proud of my work only to look in my back window to see the grime is still on the edge's where my windshield wiper doesn't reach. Oh well, it's going to rain tomorrow anyway!

Spare Anyone?

2008-02-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile Max says something that makes me stop and think. And then when it hits me what he is meaning I can't help but laugh. So the other day my cell phone rang. I was on my home phone and so Max ran to answer it for me. He had a pretty lengthy conversation so I assumed it was one of my family members. After he hung up I asked him who it was. He said, "It was Terry from the bowling store, he has your spare." I sat there for a minute trying to figure out what he meant. Then I realized that about a week ago I had ordered a spare tire for my van, and it must have been someone from the shop telling me it was in. It really made me laugh. It's funny how kids interpret things. Gotta love my Max!

Happy Heart Day!

2008-02-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally have a new post. Sorry to you faithful friends who have been checking for something new for a month. I caught the January blues. I didn't think writing about me doing nothing aside from huddling up in my home to stay warm would be very entertaining. I figured I would let you know what my kids have been up to. Zac had to make a Valentine box to look like an animal. So we did a Cheetah. And Max just might wow you with his rendition of Skin-na-ma-Rink-a-do.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Let's Get Physical

2008-01-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

If any of you are like me, than one of your New Year's resolutions every year involves something about working out more and getting in better shape. In fact I write it in permanent marker because it never seems to go off my list. So every January I once again get reacquainted with my gym. Because I have been venturing to the gym it gives me time to ponder the perplexities that I call the gym lifestyle. So for those of you who are having the same resolution I thought I would impart to you the little tidbits of wisdom I have learned being apart of a gym, and pose questions to you about things that after three years still give me moments to stop and wonder why.
Confessions of a gym member:
These are things that I have done while at my gym. I do this at the expense of some embarrassment in hopes of others who have done the same may not feel so bad.
* I have walked up to a weight machine attempted several times to switch out one of the components only to assume that it must be broken. Moved on to the next machine
just to watch someone else come up the machine switch it and use it three seconds later.
*I have jumped into the pool to do laps and not more than 10 minutes later had someone ask me if they could share a lane. Now I hate to share a lane because of a fear that I might accidentally hit them. So I told them they could take it because I was just finishing up.
*I have pulled into the parking lot of my gym and debated weather or not I should just turn around and go home.
*I have started working out on the stair climber only to five minutes later decide it just wasn't working for me and I left and went home.
*I have worked out on those new walking machines that the feet move independently of each other (note: you should probably concentrate when using this machine.) while watching Price is Right on the T.V. I got too into the showcase and stepped off the belt and almost fell off.
*I have gone to the gym, dropped Max off at the daycare, worked out on the stair climber for 30 minutes, and then went into the bathroom to realize that I had my shirt on backwards. At this point I had a dilemma. I couldn't decide if I should switch only to have everyone know that I figured it out or don't do anything and seem oblivious when I went back to pick up Max.
There have been many more but I will spare you all.

Things I have wondered Why about the gym lifestyle.
*Why does no one use the row machine?
*Why is there always that one guy who struts around in the zebra spandex pants, muscle shirt, and the weight belt, but never seems to be lifting any weights?
*Why are there the same two guys at the gym no matter what time I go?
*Why are there men who wear speedo's in the pool area but never actually get in the pool?
*Why are there these incredibly fit women at the gym and to make yourself feel better you assume they haven't had any kids, only to watch them walk out of the daycare with three kids?
*Why do men have to yell and grunt really loud when they are lifting weights?
*Why is it that older women are the only ones who feel comfortable walking around the locker room naked?
*Why do I end up sitting next to the bigger fellow who slaps is stomach and makes funny noises in the steam room.
*And why after three years do I still feel like everyone at the gym is looking at me and thinking "She must of just joined as a New Year's resolution."
I guess I will keep going and see if I can get some of my questions answered. And good luck to those of you who also feel the gym is one big party that you weren't invited to.

Guns and Jesus!

2008-01-04T16:06:00.001-07:00

The other night Byron and I decided we needed to have a family home evening with the boys. Seeing how our boys are five years apart in age we tend to do two different lessons. We started with Max who is totally into guns right now. I felt like Max needed to have the gun safety talk because he is over at a lot of different homes and I wanted to be sure he knew what to do. I think it went well although he was obsessed with pinning down Byron on what age he needed to be in order to shoot a gun. Anyway, we then moved on to the lesson for Zac. We talked about repentance and forgiveness and how we need to be like Jesus and forgive people and always say we're sorry. Of course, by the time we were done with that lesson Max was restless and ready to move on to the game portion of the night. So we finished up by asking the boys what we had learned about and Max with a drawn out voice and eyes rolling said, "Guns and Jesus." I wonder if that lesson is in the Family Home Evening manual?

FA LA LA LA LA!

2007-12-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Fun was had by all this year for Christmas. Between Christmas, family, parties, and our anniversary we have stayed very busy this season. There were gifts to be opened, candy to be eaten, goodies to be baked, and lots of laughter and joy. We figured it was a hit with the kids because they are already counting down the days to next year. Now we are ready to take down the decorations and start our New Year's resolutions. We hope that the new year brings all of you happy times and wonderful memories.

You Might As Well Jump!

2007-12-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

12 years ago yesterday Byron and I were married. We don't think it's been that long but when we see our engagement picture we realize how young we were (and that was back when my hair was naturally that color). A lot has happened since that day but we are glad for where we are now. We thought we would ring in the New Year and our anniversary by going to Vegas. We debated hitting the Little White Chapel but decided to go to the MGM and see Van Halen with David Lee Roth instead. It was so much fun and we weren't the oldest people there which always makes us feel good. It was good entertainment, good company, and good food. We talked about what the next 12 years will bring and came to the conclusion that as long as we are together it will be just great! Love you Babe.

Peace On Earth Part Deux

2007-12-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have enjoyed everyone's comments on how to keep Christmas less chaotic. Thanks! I think today I found one way to keep peace in my home.

Having this outside my home!

And this inside my home (he is watching A Charlie Brown's Christmas)!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas

Peace On Earth?

2007-12-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

So tell me if this sounds familiar to anyone. Every year I try and think up ways around the Christmas season to make life a little less hectic. I've tried starting things early and abandoning long lived traditions that seem to just cause stress. Yet every year things seem out of control. It usually starts with the pulling out of Christmas decorations. You open up the first box to discover that the snowglobe your kids had to have last year has broken and spilled water all over your tree skirt. Then you put the lights on the tree. Yes, you have tested them all before putting them on, but after you have put 10 strands of lights on and you plug them in you realize half of your tree is not lit up. You would replace the one bulb that is causing you to fume but you realize that you tossed them all last year because it was too difficult to keep track of them. Now I don't know about you but my tree sits undecorated for at least three days after I have put it up because I need a break from the thing. All along my children are asking every five minutes "When are we going to decorate the tree?" Now that your house looks festive you move on to your Christmas list. It is a pain staking process to plan it out and make sure everyone is getting what they want and that it is even. This is difficult in my family because my children have the uncanny nack to ask for the impossible (AKA the year my son asked for The actual Magic School Bus). Then you head out to shop only to find that your brilliant ideas were everyone else's and no store is carrying it. So you rush home to order it online and pray that it gets here on time. You crawl into bed that night exhausted but feeling that your shopping might almost be done when you remember you haven't gotten anything for your kids teachers. You stay up half the night wondering what you should do for neighbor gifts because heaven forbid you repeat an idea. But you can't actually start neighbor gifts because you have to wait until you get them so you know who gave them to you because you may not have originally put them on your list. Now your mind turns to Christmas cards and the ever enjoyable picture. Why is it whenever you pull your camera out any other time of the year your kids are right there striking a pose, but on the day of family pictures they are in their rooms crying they don't want to do it. If only your Christmas card pictures could utter the phrase that was said just before the picture was taken then would we really know what a family was like. And through all this chaos you still have a life to live. You still have work, school, homework, laundry, grocery shopping, and blogging to do. Then somewhere around Dec 22 you have a moment of insanity and decide you are going out to get those last few little things. Only to be caught in endless shopping lines and unruly amounts of traffic. And that is when you snap! You find yourself uttering a strain of expletives that would cause a truck driver to blush and you have a strong urge to give everyone the bird (and I'm not talking a Butterball turkey). Finally you come home and relax from your frenzy, and it is at this point that I begin to wonder "why?" Why is this season so chaotic when the whole reason for this holiday revolves around the birth of a baby on a silent night in a lowly manger. There was no hype and no commercialism. Why does that get so lost during the holidays. Christ's birth should not be an excuse for you to do all this other stuff, His birth should be the point! So I am asking all of you who read my blog to tell me something you and your family do to keep yourself grounded in the true meaning of Christmas. Help Me!!
Merry Christmas!

On Holiday!

2007-11-26T09:48:00.001-07:00

You must forgive me for being on blog hiatus, but we have been out of the country. I figured that might be a good excuse. Byron and I have just come home from a 10 day trip to London. We had so much fun. We started by driving to Vegas so that we could drop the boys off with my great sister and brother-in-law who watched them while we were gone. We then boarded our 11 1/2 hour plane ride to London. Now I remembered from the last time I went 14 years ago that I thought it was cold. But then I thought it might have been because I was living in Vegas then and I just wasn't used to the cold weather, surely now that I have faired Utah weather for six years London would not seem as cold. Oh what foolish thoughts I have, it was freezing. We were glad that we had thought to pack long thermals we used them everyday, and most days by the end of the night we were Popsicles. But regardless of the weather we had plenty to do. I had never appreciated how big London is. I pretty spent my entire time feeling turned around and Byron was constantly having to consult our map. Near the end of the trip when I stepped out of a building whatever my instinct was to turn I would go the opposite way. But the Bristish people are so nice that we rarely spent more than a few minutes looking turned around before someone stopped and asked if they could help us. It wasn't hard to look like we were out of town, all you had to do was watch us to see when we crossed the street that we were looking the wrong for oncoming traffic. It's amazing how ingrained those habits are even when they have huge signs on the the road saying "look left". So we decided to break up the city and take it small sections at a time. We started with the Bourough Market. It is a big open market with anything and everything. Including full sized deer hanging to be bought. Next we went to "The Golden Hinde" full replica of the 16th century warship of sir Francis Drake. Pretty much it is a really cool pirate ship. After that we took a tour from a local actor around the full size replica of Shakespeare's theater "The Globe" about 10 years ago they got the funding to rebuild to scale the theater near the same sight that Shakespeare had originally had his. They still do plays there, it was alot of fun. During part of the week Byron's sister Emily and her daughter Claire came and visited us. She has been living in Germany and it was fun to see her again. While she was with us we did a Bus tour of the city and hit the National Gallery. This was a great Gallery where we were able to see artists such as Monet, Titian, Rembrandt, Renoir, Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, and Van Gogh. It is somewhat of a surreal feeling to walk around a Gallery like this and turn a corner and be like wow that is a really famous painting and I'm looking right at it. It was so fun. Through the week we were able to hit such sights as The Churchill Museum, Tower of London and the Royal jewels, the House of Parliament and Big Ben. We went to the British Museum, Covent Garden(an open shopping market), and Harrod's. One night after doing a 2 hour walking tour about Westminster where we learned a lot of the history about the area we ended up at Westminster Abby in time for an Evensong. It was an hour long and is done by the boys choir and an older men's choir joins them. They sing songs and the congregation with the guidance of the priest join in on different parts of the sermon or prayer. It was really amazing to sit in that church and experience that. We had been told that originally the boys choir probably would not perform because they had just performed the night before for the Queen and her husband for their anniversary. So we were lucky to hear them. Byron and I were also lucky to get tickets to a couple of plays. We went and saw Wicked and The Mousetrap. We thought Wicked was amazing, and The Mousetrap entertaining. We felt that we should go to The Mousetrap since it is the longest running play in London. Somewhat of a London landmark. We ended up our time in London by going to St. Paul's Cathedral. I kept singing "Feed the Birds" seeing how that is the church steps that inspired Mary Poppins. It was a beautiful church and Byron and I hiked the 409 steps to the top of the Dome. It had an amazing view of the city, we loved it. At the end of our trip we took a day and went to Bath. This city is famous for the natural hot springs that Romans made into Baths. It turned out to be very cold and we were only there for a day so it was a short trip. Byron and I had so much fun we really enjoyed the accent's and the different words they used. Such as, instead of vacation they use Holiday. We also found the Tube system to be fascinating and an engineering feat. It is like its own little city below the streets of London. It was so well planned and so easy to use. It made a huge difference for getting around. Byron and I enjoyed being able to be alone for such a long period of time and are so grateful that we had the chance to do this trip. Thanks Amber and Mark again for making it possible! But now were home and ready for the Christmas season to start!

Fall Into a Book!

2007-11-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing that people have been playing a "blog game" where you tag someone and have them tell you something about them. Which explains the earlier post of how Byron and I got together. So I've decided to start a tag game myself. One that I can benefit from. As most of you know I love to read and love even more to get a recommendation for a good book. So I have decided to give you all my top ten favorite books of all time. With the hopes that the people I tag will give me their top ten favorite. Hence benefiting me with a good list of books to read. Because as Byron always says, "It's all about me." So here is my list:

1. East of Eden by John Stienbeck
2. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
3. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. Good Hope Road by Lisa Wingate
6. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory
7. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
8. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
10. Time and Again by Jack Finney

Honorable Mentions:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin
These is My Words by Sarah Agnes Prine

Now I must ask three people to take their favorite books off the shelf and fall into them.
1. Amy Bankhead
2. Kristen Grover
3.Katie Monson

Trick or Treat for Unicef!

2007-11-02T13:56:00.000-06:00

O.K. so we didn't really Trick or Treat for Unicef, but that didn't stop Max from yelling that at the door when someone answered. He must have seen a commercial for it because he had it in his head that that was what you were suppose to say. When we explained that if he wanted to do that then he would have to give away his candy, he then opted out of that saying and instead went for "Trick or Treat smell my feet give me something good to eat. If you don't I don't care I'll pull down your underwear." Regardless of what he said, the boys were able to bring home a bucket full of candy. This was our first year Trick or Treating in this neighborhood and we were a little worried it would not hold up to our old one. But they didn't disappoint. There were so many kids on the streets it was hard for cars to drive by. We were able to enjoy homemade doughnuts and hot cocoa. The kids got toys, playdough, cans of pop, and full size kit kat bars. I personally bought 54 packs of bubbalicious gum and after an hour and a half it was all gone. We were searching our house for more candy. Every year I love Halloween a little more. I discovered this year it is extra enjoyable to run errands on Halloween. There is no other time of year that you can be at a red light and look over and see a witch sitting next to you. Plus, it is the one day a year that you can actually wonder weather someone is attempting to dress up or if that was just what they chose to wear that day. I was driving down State St. and noticed a guy with an eye patch. My first thought was "Oh, he must be a pirate." But on further investigation I realized there was no other part of him that resembled a pirate so I thought,"then again maybe not." Needless to say Halloween can be fun. Max (venom from Spider-man) spun his webs up until the point when he said, "I don't want anymore candy, I just want to go home and go to bed." And Zac (Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter) was awarded house points for Slytherin by several of the houses he went to, and returned home with enough candy to rot his teeth out. This year was fun and now I must start hounding the boys to think about what they want to be next year. Actually, Max told me today he wanted to be an Indian next Halloween. That would be easy and cheap so I am going to hold him to it for the next 362 days!

Utah Exploring Adventure AKA UEA

2007-10-30T17:18:00.001-06:00

This weekend was UEA so we decided to head south to Bryce Canyon. We had yet to hit this National Park and it is on our list of Parks to see. So we rented a hotel room near the entrance. Packed us and my niece and nephew Kate and Marshall in the van and spent three days at Bryce. It was a great weekend. The weather was perfect for hiking and Bryce is gorgeous. The kids had fun hiking and of course swimming in the hotel pool. I was a little worried Max would refuse to hike because as we entered the park the park ranger said, "Welcome to the Park." Max of course picked up on the word park and exclaimed, "There's a park here? Awesome!" But with a little coaxing and a whole lot of stops to throw rocks off the side he made it. We've decided that National Parks are the way to go for a family trip. We always enjoy ourselves when we go, and there aren't many excuses to not go when we live so close. Yeah for UEA.

He's One Whole Hand!

2007-10-22T16:07:00.000-06:00

This weekend Max turned five years old. We can't believe it. I 'm not old enough for my baby to be five. We even made a rule in our house that he was not allowed to grow any bigger, but he did anyway. I see we might have a rebel on our hands. Anyway, we had a great party for Max. We did a small carnival in our basement, seeing how it was a full down pour outside. We had booths such as; guess how many gumballs, crash the cans, ring toss, pop the balloon, a fish pond, a spider-man bouncy , and face painting. I had invited Max's friends and some of the kids Max's age in our new neighborhood we had not met yet. They were all such cute kids. We had prizes for the booths, popcorn, and cotton candy. My sources tell me that it was a great success. Some parents informed me that their child had a royal fit when told they had to wash the paint off before going to church. Thanks to all of our family who helped out. We could not have pulled it off without you! And the party was definitely worth while since we will never have to do another one because we are demanding that Max stay five forever!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

2007-10-16T14:53:00.000-06:00

I felt that I should give you all a small update on how our soccer season ended. As usual Max decided that out of eight games he would cry and whine at the first six and then opt out of that behavior and enjoy the last two games. Our last game was last night and Max stayed in the whole time. Not only that but he actually played. He ran up and down the field, he played goalie, and yes folks at the very last moment of the game he made a goal!!! He went home with a sucker, a trophy and loving soccer. When asked what he wants to do next he said ice skating. So here we go again. But one big difference is that this should be entertaining for me. Because really who doesn't get a cruel chuckle from watching their kids wave their arms wildly, grab madly for the kid in front of them, split their legs in unrecognizable directions, only to end up on their butt. So ice skating here we come!

Boo To You!

2007-10-16T14:31:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Byron was out of town so I decided to make an attempt at being a fun mom. So me and the boys went and bought pumpkins and a pumpkin carving kit(I highly recommend this if you are considering this activity). First, we had to dig out the insides. Now when I say "we" I mean me. Zac tried but his pumpkin was a little big and he tired quickly. I had sent Max upstairs to get into his pajamas before the festivities began and I had gotten his pumpkin completely hollow before he emerged from his room (he always seems to have impeccable timing). Then "we" got on the internet and found templates for our pumpkins. "We" then traced them onto the pumpkins. After that "we" got to use this cool battery powered mini saw to carve it out. This made it so easy that I wasn't even in a bad mood by the time the said pumpkin carving activity was over. Which made my attempt at being a fun mom even more convincing. At last we put them on the porch with a candle in it. Which "we" proceeded to OOHH and AAHH over. Then Max promptly sneaked back outside and blew his out. I figured the wind had blown it out so I relit the candle, only to have Max once again sneak out and blow it out again. I think that was the best part for him. Fun was had by all and at the end of the night Zac asked if we could do this every year. Operation "Fun Mom" accomplished.

As a side note: Sadly the next day Max's pumpkin broke at the edge's, upon which I tried to fix it by sticking sewing pins in it. But unfortunately his pumpkin now looks like a grouchy old man. We might have to go and purchase a new pumpkin in order for him to have cute pumpkin for Halloween.

Tag You're It!

2007-10-05T21:00:00.001-06:00

So my cousin is doing this thing where if you get tagged you have to tell the story of how you and your spouse met. So I've been trying to think of a way to tell the story without it becoming too complicated, and it turns out its been more difficult than I thought. So that is why it has taken me so long to get to this post. Here it goes.

How did you and your husband meet?
Well, Byron and I remember meeting each other for the first time at different times. I remember meeting him during a weekend where he and his friend Jeff met my family and me(I was probably 14 or 15 at the time) at our condo in Brian Head. I remember one of the nights we all went on a walk at night and he told us about the constellations. I thought he seemed nice and was cute. When I told him this years later he said that it couldn't have been him because he didn't know anything about the stars, and if it was him then he was spewing crap. Anyway, Byron remembers meeting me at the beach while we were vacationing with another family that he came with. Back then the age gap between us seemed so big that he barely noticed me. However, he did notice my older sister and during the summer before his mission he dated my sister. It was during this time that he got to know my family very well, but not really me because I still lived in Vegas and he was living in Provo. So off on his mission he went, all along I thought he would come home and start dating my sister again. That did not happen though and at some point during his mission they decided to stop writing. Shortly after he got home my sister was engaged to his friend (the one he had gone on vacation with). Because my sister married his good friend from high school he was once again hanging out with my family. So around January of 1995 I started to hang out with Byron. But for quite awhile we were just friends.

How we got together:
Around June of 1995 I went down to go to my cousin Brooke's high school graduation in Vegas. Byron and his friend were coming down to Vegas to see a concert, and were staying at my house. One night Byron came to the family room and hung out with me for most of the night, and at one point he kissed me. At first I didn't know what to think and then I thought "It could be awhile before this happens again, so I went for it." O.K. I know this is the point in the story where you are thinking, Wow that is really pathetic Heather, but I prefer not to think of it in that light. I prefer to see it as taking advantage of the present moment and being concerned for my future. Regardless, Byron kissed me (I might point out before we ever dated) and I began wondering if this would work out. So when I got back from my trip I didn't know what to do, and felt like I should decide weather or not I wanted to date Byron before taking it any further. Now here is where Byron would interject and tell everyone that I completely flaked on him. He was doing the gentlemanly thing and actually calling me after kissing me, and I totally dissed him. Although I was really wanting to be sure of us because I didn't want to screw up the great relationship he had with the rest of my family. I am however realizing as I write this that Byron should never have complained because he was in a win win situation. Either we started dating or he got away with a weekend of lovin' scott free! But I digress. Back to the story, shortly after that illicit weekend I went on vacation to the beach where Byron also had been invited. At that point I had decided that I really liked Byron and that we should go for it. So it was there that we decided to date. Things went very well during the rest of the summer.

The Break-up:
After the summer we started school up again and one night Byron took me out and we ended up in his car talking and by the end of the conversation we had broken up. It took me by surprise, but his dad had talked to him earlier that day about some of his concerns. That made Byron question where things were going and I think freaked him out a little, and he decided that we should date other people. I was so taken back by the conversation that I didn't know what to say. So I went home that night and cried. The next day I was talking to my sister on the phone who informed me that he was making a huge mistake, and that I should let him know that (Thanks Emily). So I took her advice and took Byron on a drive up the canyon to talk. I was as gutsy as I had ever been and I told him what I thought. I said his decision was ridiculous, and that I was the best thing that ever happened to him (he later confessed that it was then that he realized that I was right and that he really was making a mistake). Yet, if he felt like he needed to date other people then he should. To make a really long story less painful, two weeks later we were engaged.

How we got together again:
On October 24, 1995 Byron took me up to Sundance and proposed to me. It had taken a couple of weeks after we had found the ring to actually get the ring. I knew the day he was going to be getting it, so of course I was anticipating it. He called me that day and said he wanted to take me out later, after he had finished his homework (classic Byron). He also had bought me porcelain roses so that I would forever have roses from him, So Sweet. I said yes, and we were married on December 30, 1995!

So here we are 12 years, 2 kids, 9 years of schooling, 7 trips across country, 4 major moves, 3 cars, 5 trips to the ER, countless call and sleepless nights, endless tears and laughter later and he's still the one I run to, the one that I belong to, the one I want for life. Oh, oops that is Shania Twain. All I know is that marrying Byron was the best decision I ever made, Love ya Babe!

Bend It Like Beckham?

2007-09-26T16:09:00.000-06:00

This past week Max started soccer for the first time. He seemed really excited for it, and I got a resounding YES when asked if he wanted to do it. So I was a little taken back when we went to our first game. Within the first two minutes he was crying and it didn't stop the entire game. First he cried because he wasn't getting a chance to kick the ball. Then after I told him he had to get back in there and just take the ball, he came out crying again because someone kicked him. Next he cried that the other team was too good. After that he cried that he wasn't good at soccer and he didn't want to play anymore. By the time he came back crying that the game was taking too long I resorted to what I think most parents do, I bribed him. I told him if he would stick it out and not come back crying until the game was over I would take him to a convenient store for a treat. That seemed to work and finally he finished off the game. So off to the convenient store we went, Max to get a treat and me to get a really big Diet Coke to revive me after the game.

WARNING:I feel the need to rant on something I discovered while at the convenient store. So Max had to use the bathroom while there. We went in there and while I was helping him wash his hands I noticed the poster they put in bathroom's on how to wash your hands. Now folks, I have seen these a thousand times in public restrooms but for some reason it finally struck me how odd these are. I mean what is our society coming to that we have to actually put a 20 point instruction on how to wash our hands. I mean is there that much confusion on how to do this act that they have to put these up? Not only that, but for those who these companies are putting them up for, they are obviously lazy and would they take the time to read the instructions? I was a little reassured that they put pictures to show you how to do this, because it did cross my mind that maybe those who don't know how to wash their hands, also may not know how to read. There was also a moment there where I panicked and wondered whether or not I would pass the wash test. I think I do it right but then again I have never had one of these signs in my home to help me check off the step by step actions that are involved in washing my hands. Which then made wonder if I should have one in my home to help my boys wash their hands correctly. I mean what kind of mother would I be if my boys were not capable of doing what every convenient store, fast food, and grocery store employee is not only capable of doing, but required to do! Yes people all of this crossed my mind all within seconds of being in the bathroom with Max. In the end I decided that maybe these were advantageous signs to have in public restrooms, and that I really hoped that the girl handling my precious Diet Coke had in fact checked off all 20 items required to a successful hand washing.

After the treat was purchased (chocolate ding dong's for those of you who were curious) Max was happy and claimed he would be willing to try harder next time at not crying!

30 Something!

2007-09-20T13:49:00.000-06:00

It turns out that not much exciting has happened in our lives this past week, so rather than an update on the family you all get to enjoy another ranting about the inner thoughts of my mind. I know you are all wondering "what could she be thinking about now?" Well, I'm going to tell you-my age. Yes folks I have officially come to the conclusion that I am getting old. Some of you might be thinking "She can't be old because I'm older than her." But it turns out I have proof. Just so you guys believe me I will now write my top ten plus one list of how I know that I'm getting old.
1-I make noises when I both sit down and get up.
2-I'm looking for reasons why I shouldn't go to bed at 9:00 at night.
3-My kids think I was born before the T.V. was invented.
4-I actually went to college when they were still using overhead projectors.
5-When I sleep the creases on my face stay much longer than time should allow.
6-When I put eyeshadow on the skin moves with the brush.
7-I honestly used the word "hip" in a conversation the other day with another mother.
8-I officially agree with my mother that Abercrombie & Fitch play their music way too loud.
9-The other day when I walked into Forever 21 I truly believed that the "you're too old to be in this store" security guard would personally escort me out. And when that didn't happen I felt giddy that I had gotten away it, like I was some underage kid getting into her first bar.
10-I thank people when they ask to see my I.D.
11-And lastly, even if I wanted to feel fun and fancy free and run away from it all I couldn't, because running makes my knees hurt, my hips sore, and the fat on my butt jiggle!
See I told you I had proof! So next time you see me feel free to tell me how rad, hip, cool, awesome, or 2 legit 2 quit I look!

Annoyance Bureau!

2007-09-12T14:06:00.000-06:00

Ever since we moved into our new home and had to change the number, something weird has been going on. About every other day my phone rings and on the other end is a random beep. Although frustrating at first, it has since gotten out of control. Usually, I just hang up, but then it started calling me somewhere between five or six times in less than a half an hour. Then I really reached my point when my phone rang at 2:00 in the morning. After the third time of hanging up I had to just take my phone off the hook. So the next morning I called my local phone provider and complained about my problem. Do you know what they told me? They told me they had an annoyance bureau that I could contact. All I had to do is when the beep rings me I *57 and it will trace the call to the bureau. Then they call the company and request that they take my number off their list. What a novel concept. I have been obsessed with the idea ever since (hence my reason for blogging it). I mean really think of all the things in your life that you wish you could call an annoyance bureau for.
When the five dogs surrounding our house bark at 1:oo in the morning-*57 them.
When our neighbor decides to mow his lawn at 11:00 at night-*57 him.
When our neighbors choose to leave every light on in their house all night long-*57 them.
When you get the clerk in the grocery store who is both slow and chatty-*57 her.
When your kids ask you a question and then don't actually listen to the answer so they ask the question again two seconds later-*57 them.
When your kids choose to have a meltdown at the most inopportune moment-*57 them.
When your kids sneak a box of cheez it's upstairs and eat the whole box five minutes before dinner-*57 them.
Actually, I've been toying with the idea of starting a fad. Instead of the action of putting up your hand and saying "Talk to the Hand", next time my kids do something outrageous I'm going to pull out my pretend hand phone and start dialing *57. Or I might get the term going around "Don't make me *57 you"! I think I'll try these out for awhile and I'll let you know which one seems to get the best reaction.
So, as you can see there are many uses for an annoyance bureau. It did make me wonder what other kind of bureaus do these companies have they are not telling us about. Because it seems like whenever I call a company I get the "I don't really know what I'm doing, so I will probably be of no help to you" bureau!

Hey There, Hot Lady!

2007-09-08T20:00:00.000-06:00

So it took me going to the Utah State Fair to get heckled at and called Hot Lady. But let me tell you something, I have no pride and I'm taking it (I can now check that off my list of things to experience before I die.) Yes folks we went to the State Fair. I have been begging Byron for six years to go. It wasn't until my veteran fair goer cousin Brooke and her husband Trevor moved here that he finally agreed. The boys had a blast they rode every ride at least three times. We had Pronto Dogs (3 corn dogs for $5), caramel apples, old fashioned spun cotton candy, and churros. The boys experienced their first Fun Haus (I did get the urge to sing "Your the One that I Want" from Grease.) Zac rode the Octopus, Moby Dick, The Buccaneer Boat, and the Starship. Max loved the Dragon Roller Coaster and the Nascar's that spun him around the corner really fast. Byron enjoyed the food and I rather enjoyed the people watching. We found ourselves saying on more that one occasion "only at the State Fair would you see that." But that is why you go! Max left with a small bear, Zac with a stomach ache, and Byron and me with sore feet and backs. So fun was had by all, thanks Brooke and Trevor for helping me in my cause. Will we go back next year? Only if they promise to bring back the 1,000 pound pig and the two headed demonic monster!

Rocky Mountain High, Colorado!

2007-09-04T10:12:00.001-06:00

Due to the good graces of our family (Thanks-Emily, Brooke, and Kristi) Byron and I had a chance to go on a trip to Colorado over the Labor Day weekend. We had a lot of fun and it was great to get away by ourselves. We left Thursday and drove to Boulder. We got there in time to have a nice dinner, and then we went to this old historic barn near the CSU campus and saw Amos Lee in concert. If you have the means to get his CD I highly recommend it. He is very pleasant to the ears. Then on Friday we got up and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. We did two or three small hikes to some pretty lakes and waterfalls. It was kind of neat because it was raining in the park when we got there, but we lucked out and the storm took a course that was just opposite of where we were. So we benefited from the cool 60 degree weather and an amazing lighting and thunderstorm, but never got rained on. After hiking we decided to take the road that took us to the top of the park and out the other end. Now when I say the top of the park I really mean the top of the mountain. At one point we elevated to 12,200 feet. It was amazing and a little scary, because we got caught in a rainstorm and the lighting was what seemed like eye level to us and the temp. drop to about 42 degrees. But the scenery was incredible. We also got to see many elk along the roadside, and they are beautiful. We finished off the day by driving to Denver. On Saturday we took full advantage of being on vacation. We slept in, watched some tennis, hung out by the pool reading and enjoying homemade chocolates we had bought. Saturday
night we went to another concert with a group called Wilco. It was in this great old auditorium called The Fillmore. With old wood floors, posters that lined the walls with everyone who has performed there and six huge crystal chandeliers that when the auditorium darkened they shined black lights on it. It was a great venue in a very shady part of town. At one point I told Byron that if my mother knew the places he took me to for concerts she would die. But the concert and people watching was fun and Byron was glad to finally get to see this group in concert since he has been enjoying their CD's for a few years. Then after a relaxing weekend we made the drive home ready to start again. Thanks again to our wonderful family who are always so willing to take our boys, we really appreciate it and hope to return the favor whenever you ask!

A Tribute to the 80's

2007-08-28T17:06:00.000-06:00

I must first preface where this post is coming from. I have been listening to the 80's radio station in my car for the past week and just laughing at the songs I have forgotten about. And then this weekend I rented "Music and Lyrics" and found Hugh Grant in his 80's Pop character to be hilarious. So after that my mind has been running amuck with all things 80's. I must first apologize because this post will be gender biased. Seeing how I grew up in a all girl family I can only reminisce about female 80's pop culture. So if there are any guys out there reading this feel free to comment on any of the male gender 80's culture I am unaware of. Lastly, I make a challenge to all of those reading this post to make a comment on the one thing you think should be brought back from the 80's. So with that being said please join me down memory lane.

First, we start with the fashions of the 80's. My hope is that it never returns but defiantly holds a special place in my heart, and a miserable existence in many of my scrapbooks. Here is my list: Jelly Shoes, Plastic bags so that you and everyone around could know what was in your purse, Brooches and shoulder pads, tight jeans that you folded over at the ankle to make it "pegged". Of course, to go with those jeans were the double socks usually two different colors(how exactly did our feet fit in our shoes?) For those of you out there who were into Madonna you will remember the florescent ___(you fill in the blank). This next one might have only been a fade in Vegas where I grew up some of you will remember "Units" clothes. The clothes where it could be a shirt or skirt or anything else in between. Banana Republic t-shirts back when they were all about safari(whatever happened to the jeep that was crashed through the display window). For the Preppy crowd there was the polo shirts with the collar pushed up just so. Lastly, one of my favorites-Leg Warmers which were a must in Vegas because we had all sorts of reasons to keep our legs warm.

Second, we move on to the music of the 80's. About the only thing good that came out of the 80's in my opinion. Some of these group might be an after thought from the 70's but still should be recognized. Michael Jackson (who knew he would turn into such a train wreck). Madonna (which my mom refused to spend money on and support her career). Such one hit wonders as Billy Ocean's "Hey, Hey, You, You get into my car", Eddie Murphy's "Party all the time", Lionel Richies "Dancing on the Ceiling", and the Jets "Got a Crush on You". ABBA , The Pointer Sisters, Duran Duran, Debbie Gibson (which I hear is now going by Deborah), Tiffany whom I think is still going by Tiffany, Prince who has gone by all sorts of things but has come full circle back to Prince, and Whitney Houston whom I have seen in concert and would not recommend. And a honorary mention to Farm Aid's "We Are The World" because it featured all the good, bad, and ugly (Cindy Lauper) artists from the 80's.

Lastly, T.V. and Movies of the 80's. Movies: Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, License to Drive, Sixteen Candles. Okay just to shorten this post I will say anything with Molly Ringwald in it. Girls just Want to have Fun, Goonies, Top Gun (I'll admit it that I only liked that movie for the Volleyball scene and yes I owned the Soundtrack). Better off Dead and anything else with John Cusack. Back to the Future triology. I am sure there are more, but I can't think of them and this post is getting long.
T.V.: Solid Gold (who didn't want to be a Solid Gold dancer), Star Search (Maybe it didn't do as well because they had Ed McMahon and American Idol has Ryan Seacrest. Also, at what point did they take out the Acting competition portion. And how nervous would you have been waiting to see how many stars you got). Eight Is Enough (who didn't love the pyramid they made at the beginning of each episode). Facts of Life, Bosom Buddies, Fantasy Island, and lastly the old Wheel of Fortune. Many of you have heard me rant about how they need to bring back the old format to Wheel of Fortune, you know the one where after they solve a puzzle they get a chance to buy stuff from the different rooms of the rotating stage. Such items as the porcelain cat, toaster, luggage set, china set, and all the little items once their dollar amount got below $20. I also think Vanna White should start working for her money again and have to actually turn over the letters. Which brings me to my poll question, who thinks they should bring the old Wheel of Fortune.
Well, there you have it my trip down memory lane. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and please comment on what you remember about the 80's and what you think they should bring back.

Children of the Corn!

2007-08-22T15:38:00.000-06:00

I've had my sister Amber's kids for a couple days this week and I decided to take them to Wheeler Farm. I had never really wandered around there and it was pretty fun. We brought a picnic and couple of little boys invited the kids to play football. After that we walked around the grounds checking out the different farm animals. It was "udder" chaos. I thought the chicken was awesome, and the kids got the "party started" at the party house. Jared kept informing me that he had never seen a real live cow, sheep, or duck in the water in his whole life. I was just glad that his whole life has only consisted of five years, and that he will have many more opportunities to see other things. They all did really well and we all survived.

At One With Nature!

2007-08-18T16:07:00.000-06:00

For several weeks Max has been asking us to go hiking. So finally we were able to find time to head up the canyon. One of the best parts was watching our temp gage go from 97 degrees to 62 degrees. It had just rained and there was no one on the trail except me, Byron, and Max. Our destination was doughnut falls, but we made many stops along the way. Some to throw rocks, some to climb rocks. And one as you can see, to become "el natural" in nature. Max hiked the entire thing on his own, which he was very proud of and it was a good reminder living in Utah is such a great thing.

A Certified Bubblemaker!

2007-08-15T11:03:00.000-06:00

I had my kids in swimming lessons this year and they both were doing very well. Zac as most of you know secretly has gills and fins. So after he had passed the highest level possible three times I really didn't know what else to do with him. Then we discovered that the swim center I had him at offered scuba diving classes. Zac didn't even have to think twice before answering yes. So he strapped on the gear (good thing everything is lighter in the water or else he would have toppled over) and he learned the beginning basics of scuba diving. It was a blast to watch and he had a ton of fun. They learned in the pool and just swam on the bottom of the pool while all the other swim classes were going on above him. On the last day he was able to dive to the bottom of the 12' deep pool, but this was of course after the teacher figured out that he needed weights in his gear because he kept floating to the top. He now wants to go on to get "seal" certified. Byron has even thought about getting certified so that maybe some day they can go do a dive together. But regardless or not if he gets certified that adds one more fun thing Zac got to do this summer.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2007-08-13T11:13:00.001-06:00

Last night there was an amazing meteor shower. So Byron and I kept the kids up late so that we could go up the canyon and watch the meteor shower. The reports said that if we hit it at the right time we would see one every minute. We thought we had found a great spot up parley's canyon and so did everyone else watching the meteor shower. What turned out to be a ratio of one every minute was cars heads lights shining in our eyes. And a meteor about one every five to ten minutes. But it was still fun to be outside looking at the stars and making wishes on the shooting stars!

Not So The Drama Camp!

2007-08-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

Zac has been getting into acting and performing, so we decided to put him in a Drama Camp this summer. It was one week for 6 hours a day and at the end of the week he performed at Raging Waters. They performed Peter Pan, and he played one of the indians named "Rapscallion". He had alot of fun doing it and did a great job with his part. And after it was over we had all day to hang out at Raging Waters. There to support him in his first onstage performance were many of his aunts and uncles. Thanks to Aunts Emily, Kara, and Natalie and Uncle Alan for being there for him. Who knows maybe we've got the next Zach Braff or Zac Efron on our hands!

Surf and Turf

2007-08-10T22:50:00.000-06:00

Because we are new to the blogging world, I have decided to go back to the beginning of the summer and start there. So for the coming weeks you will get a summer in review. Hopefully, I can get through all of our summer adventures before school starts. Our summer started out as all summer vacations should with a trip to the beach. We piled the kids and half of our home into our van and started the long 10 hour drive to California (note: this is just 10 days after we had just moved). The fact that I could even find our swimming suits was a miracle. But we arrived unscathed from the journey, and parked our behinds on the beach for a week. We vacationed with my sister Amber and her family. My mom and her husband Kim and his son Ryan, with a short visit from my sister-in-law Meg. There was boogie boarding, campfires, castle building, movie watching, and as you can see from the picture s'mores. And as a special treat for me and Byron we spent one night in San Diego shopping and going to a John Mayer concert. When the sun had baked us to the core we packed up again and came home refreshed and ready to start our summer.

Welcome Family and Friends

2007-08-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

So our family has decided to enter the world of technology. We have finally started a blog. We hope this will help keep all of our family and friends up to date on our crazy life. We have had a great summer so far, and hope within the next few weeks to catch you all up on the things we have done. Welcome to our Blog!