Traditions

My grandparents had this broom table. When I was a baby I would play on it. I would assume that it was great fun. Although I don't remember it. My parents did photograph it since I would do it quite often.
A few years ago my grandfather died and I went with my dad to help clean out the house. I got to keep the broom table. Within days of getting it in our living room ~ Dallin decides it's would be great fun to play under it. He was almost too big for it, so it didn't last long. But I did snap just a few photographs...
Just last week, Miss Maggie has decided that it is also great fun to play under this table! Although she doesn't quite know how to get down when she is done. She quite frequently falls off of it. But that is ok. She will figure it out!

Back from Forks, Washington

Phew! I have now returned from my vampire world. My friend finished the last book, Eclipse. Now I am done. The next one isn't going to be released for another year. I can be a wife and mother again! Good thing too! We have family coming over on Labor Day for Maggie's first birthday ~ I have a house to scrub clean, grocery shopping to do, laundry to fold, the list goes on! It was a fun week of reading for me. I get a little obsessive when I find something that I love to do, I guess. But now it's back to my life! Which is wonderful!

Our basement family room is coming along great. Scott pulled the ceiling out last night. Next is moving lights and building a wall. Then we will contract out the drywall.

I can't believe that my baby girl is going to be 1. It doesn't seem possible. But I guess it needs to be since I will be needing to take care of an infant in about 20 weeks. She is so very close to walking it's crazy. She did take a little step yesterday... but I think it was more a reflex to stop herself from falling than actually a step! My mother just called and told me that my nephew who was born a month ago has already gained 4 pounds! He is in the 95th percentile. We can't seem to get Maggie out of the less than 5th percentile! Do you know how long it took her to gain 4 pounds?!!??!! We won't even be able to turn her around in her car seat next week! Oh well!

Dallin is starting his preschool group next week too. I think he will be very excited to get back into that! And it will give Mommy a little time to haul just one kid around to run errands! The football games at the high school are starting up again. We can hear the loud speaker from our house on Friday nights. Crazy how life just marches right along! Am I really almost 36?! Good Grief!

I will post some birthday pictures next week.

Truly Pathetic

Yesterday morning, my friend dropped off the 2nd book in the Twilight series that I told you about yesterday. It's called New Moon. I'm done now. I finished at 2:00 am. I really wanted to finish the book before I was needing to take care of my children the next day. I have to admit that I preferred the 1st book more... but it's not going to stop me from reading the 3rd one that just recently was released. I just need to wait for my friend to finish it first. UGH!

Thank you to my patient and loving husband to let me indulge in something that I don't typically do. Scott is a lover of reading. He is almost always reading a book. But he has never really seen me spend time reading. I just don't take the time to spend on myself. I don't know what he thinks of this side of me! Last night at dinner he asked, "So are we going to have dinner tomorrow night or will it be fend for yourself?" That was another incentive to finish before I went to bed!

Thank again to my hubby and kids for being so patient! Only one more and then I will have to wait a year! :) Now I can start taking pictures of my kids again and get them on our blog!

Busy Week

Wow - What a week! It all seems like a blur. Tuesday night was Donny. I didn't get to bed until after midnight. So Wednesday I was pretty tired... Before that though, on Monday I had decided that I needed to do something with the weed patch in my backyard that I try to pass off as a garden! I don't know if you can tell, but I have raised beds. So except for the HUGE zucchini plant - everything on the ground of the garden that is green - it shouldn't be there. They are weeds. Lots and lots of weeds. I started with the ones that were taller than the green posts and was digging and pulling, digging and pulling, digging and pulling...

We have lots and lots of visitors in our garden this year. Snails. There's a lot of places for them to hide and feed in. Scott usually throws them against the vinyl fence along the back of our house and smashes them. I am not strong enough to do that. So I throw them on the roof of our house so they will fry. Probably not the best for our roof - oh well. I found a ton of them on Monday. And I just assumed that I could put them in a little pile in the garden and then when I got to a stopping point throw them up on the roof. When I got back to them, this was the only one that was left. They aren't as slow as I had thought they were supposed to be. I think that they knew what was going to happen to them. So they skeedaddled. This poor guy was trying to make a run for it. But hopefully his life ended on our roof. Now I wonder if maybe they just climb right down - it kind of reminds me of the racing snail in "The Neverending Story". hmmmmm...
Then on Tuesday - was Donny... still loving him..

Then on Wednesday - as I just got both kids down for a nap and I am about to lay down myself since I was still sleep deprived from the night before ~ there is a knock on my door. I don't know if you know of the Young Adult series called Twilight ~ but it is the rage in this area. We are even doing it for book club in our ward. So I have been waiting for someone to have a copy that I can borrow. Well, this girl in our ward brought it by because she was done with it. Now my one friend started reading it. She said she tried to go to bed three times but just had to get up to keep reading so she could find out what happened next. So I was dreading getting the book to read and just antsy with anticipation to be part of the excitement! After the knock on the door I just knew that I wouldn't be getting a nap that day. And I didn't. I read ~ and read ~ and read. And the next day, I read ~ and read ~ and read. We didn't even have dinner that night. Shame on mommy! 31 hours after getting the book in my hand, it was done. And it's hard to not go and buy the 2nd one right now! I am waiting again to borrow it!

Maggie just absolutely loves to play with the big kids. She tries to do everything that Dallin does. So when he is playing with his tool bench and tools in his room, Maggie is right there with him trying to butt her way in. Needless to say, Dallin doesn't appreciate it too much. But when he isn't around she will take his tools or whatever else she can get her cute little hands on and play with it. Here she is playing Rambo with his tool belt!

Friday ~ My dad and sister flew in from Arkansas (they moved from Indiana this month). My sister starts at Weber today and we had to get her moved in and all. So they were here all weekend. And then my friend, Christine, got here on Saturday. She is staying for a week. So we had quite the full house. But today - right now - I am all alone. My friend is sightseeing, my dad is gone, my sister is at school, my son is at a friend's house and my daughter is napping. I really ought to be getting things done around the house - but no - I am on the computer. Oh well!

Sundays are so dreaded around our home! Because of our church schedule Dallin doesn't get a nap and he is just grumpier than all getout. I can't really concentrate on what is being taught in church and I feel like all I do is yell at my kids. Not exactly the spiritual refreshing day that it is supposed to be. But yesterday - he took a nap!

And he looked so sweet. I hated to wake him to leave. But it had to be done. What a great and wonderful day! He even was getting along so well with Maggie in the evening. He was doing something to entertain her greatly and she would laugh so loud and happy! This is the first Sunday since I can remember that has been so wonderful! I had sweet happy children, my family and friends were here and we had chinese food! Not much more could have improved our Sunday!!

I love my family! My sweet hard working hubby, my beautiful kids, I am just one lucky lady!

Oh Donny~

So, I will be hating life tomorrow as this is as late as I have been up since I can remember (with the exception of camping in Yellowstone). My son will be coming into our bed at 6:00 am asking if it's morning and my daughter will be up at 6:05 am crying for her milk. But I simply could not go to sleep tonight without telling anyone who actually reads this about my night! My feeble pregnant brain just doesn't retain information like it did pre-Dallin. So I know that if I wait until naptime tomorrow most of my fun evening will be gone forever!

This afternoon I packed up the kids in the mini-van and was off to Scott's work. He took the kids home and I got to stay in Salt Lake with the other car for a night on the town with my girlfriend, Christine! We went to dinner and talked and talked and talked. She is from Indiana and so I don't get to see her very often. She is here for Education Week at BYU. She is the one who we needed to finish our bathroom for! Anyway... Scott emailed me one day and said, "Doesn't Christine like Donny Osmond?" I emailed back and said, "No... she loves him!" So he told me that he was doing a concert at Capitol Theatre while she is here. I promptly called her and she informed me that I needed to purchase tickets and we were going. I was like, ok... I guess Donny is good. Needless to say that when asked what I was going to do in Salt Lake and I said, "Go see Donny" - people responded "OSMOND?" It was quite funny. And now I must repent of my doubts and ask Donny to forgive me for not having understood the importance of his work upon this earth!!!!!!!!!! I remember as a small girl having a birthday party and receiving not just one but TWO brush and mirror sets. They were pink with Donny and Marie on them. I must have known who they were. And they must have been the craze at the time. But I certainly hadn't thought anything more about it. Except maybe a little disappointed in getting the same gift twice.

I have never heard a voice so milky and smooth as Donny Osmond! It actually sounds like I am describing a Toblerone or something... And what a great performer! He was HILARIOUS! If you didn't know - he is a grampa. His 2 year old grandson was there. He said that when asked what grampa does he says, "Wok and wole". Very cute! Every time someone yelled, "I love you" he would say in a silly little voice "I love you too". That is until a man yelled it. Then he said, "So - about that football game - YOU NEED HELP MAN!" So how old is Donny? He is close to 50 he says! So as he is shakin' it up on the stage I am thinking, "Wow - this guy can really move for being that old!" Then I start to think - my sweet hubby and I are only about 10 years away from that! Maybe one or two years more. As I am starting to have a mid-life crisis and say that it's right around the corner, my dear friend comes to my rescue and says, "Yes, but it's a really long corner!" I sure hope she's right about that! Back to the concert ~ We started out feeling pretty hot stuff! I got the tickets and having never been to Capitol Theatre thought we had some pretty up front tickets. They were 1C. Well, at this theatre it goes A-Z and then 1A-1D. So we started in the 3rd row and when were in someone else's seats ended up in the 2nd to last. But that was ok. I also did not realize the craze of Donny fans out there! I knew about half the songs that he sang. But I didn't know ANY of the songs that he sang from his younger years except for Puppy Love. But these people knew every word! He hit every note so smooth (like that Toblerone, mmmmm) except for Sacred Emotion. But he corrected it quickly.

His band was SO cool! There was this one guy who - bless his little feet - couldn't dance to save his life. But he could play the sax and it would just melt your soul! He was so funny too! He had this black hat on top, red shirt on, then black pinstriped pants and these bright white tennis shoes! You just looked at him and thought - I love it! And then the bass player looked so cool too! I just thought it was really neat how Donny didn't want to take the spotlight the whole time. He gave each of the band members lots of solo numbers. When it came time for intermission some yelled "NO"... He said, "Man, I'm 50! I need the intermission!!" He just seems really down to earth. I start to think of the really messed up child actors/singers of now-a-days and admire how he has stayed true to what he loves to do.

I was thinking that the last concert that I had been to was with Christine as well. While I was living in Indiana we went to a Faith Hill/Tim McGraw concert. When I told her that she said, "That is really sad!" I love my friend! But then I did remember having gone to a Billy Joel concert with my hubby pre children. Other than that and Air Supply with my mother and Bangles with my high school friend... that is all the concerts I have been to. I guess that is pretty sad!

Anyway... I am probably boring most of you. But I had a most wonderful girls night out! And I have a new respect for a voice that I had never really paid attention to - except for maybe when he was hosting Pyramid.

Mock me if you must - but true believers shall never waiver! Now off to the DI to find old Donny albums!

Renovations....

We did have quite the busy weekend. Well, I guess I should say, Scott had quite the busy weekend. When we bought our home it was in desperate need of updating. We bought it from an 80 year old couple who had lived here for 40 years. For those of you who never saw it, you missed out. We got most of the upstairs done before we moved in 2 1/2 years ago, but then got really tired of painting and scraping and whatever else needed to be done. About 14 months ago we decided to get back on it and start on the downstairs. The bathroom needed some major help...

The shower - ick!

We bought tile, grout, etc to redo the shower, new vanity, linoleum and paint. It got done up until the tiling really quickly. This past month Scott has been working diligently on getting the tiling done too. We have a friend of mine staying with us starting this Saturday and we felt she needed her own shower/space. So we are ALMOST done!!! Tonight is sealing the grout and tomorrow is putting in the shower fixtures! WAHOO!!! Then at some point we will get the molding on the floor and maybe I will find a new window curtain!

This isn't the greatest picture to show how bright the bathroom is... sorry.

Our new shower! Isn't it pretty!!!

So now we are working on the family room! That has to be done before it's my turn to do joyschool in October!

I love my hardworkin' hubby!

Playin' in the Rain

Dallin absolutely LOVES to be outside. He will be "in his toes" all the time if we would let him! (that means bare foot) This weekend we had a bit of an afternoon rain storm. He desperately wanted to put on his duck rain boots and rain coat and go play in the rain! So we let him since there wasn't any lightning. He is just too cute!
Earlier in the day we were clipping the parsley shoots that have the seeds on them. So he decided he needed to continue on with what we had started that day.The storm only lasted a short time... too bad for Dallin!

Pole Dancing???

We were putting up the tent in the back yard on Monday night after we got back from Yellowstone. The kids were playing in and around the tent. Maggie has this thing that she does. She will stand at something and hold on to it as tight as she can and then with all of her might rock back and forth like she is trying to pull it over. For instance, on our wood stove she will hold onto the handles and pull with everything in her; a chair (although that sometimes moves on her); a cabinet with handles in our living room; her crib... Well, she was doing this with the canopy poles on our tent. Then she started spinning around it. She thought that was just FUN, so she did it some more.

Remember when I told you about trying to get her dressed? It's an absolute nightmare!! I don't know what it is about trying to get this girl dressed.... but even my sister Robyn found that I wasn't exaggerating at all! Scott turns to me and says, "Should we be concerned that she doesn't like to wear clothes and she is pole dancing??!!"

hmmmmmmm.... are we in trouble?????

Camping in Yellowstone....

We just got back from a really fun trip! We went camping just outside of West Yellowstone, MT. Scott's extended family goes there every year and he took me while we were dating. But we haven't been back since. So this year we decided to go. Lots of lessons were learned and we were saved by the rest of our family's preparedness!

We start the trip off at the grocery store because I left the sausages out all night and we HAD to have sausages for breakfast every morning!

We get to Montana and find our tent site. Scott diligently starts putting up the tent while I am getting stuff ready for dinner. This is when we realize that maybe having a baby who crawls to go camping with you isn't the smartest idea... But we can deal with this. Then as we are unpacking we realize that I didn't bring any pillows. hmmm.... Then as we are putting our sleeping bags out we realize that I didn't plan enough padding to cover the rocks underneath us. Then we just plain realize that I shouldn't have prepared us at all since I am pregnant and just can't remember ANYTHING!!! Oh well... we will just deal.

We woke to a very cold morning (about 40). As we couldn't have any campfires because it was so dry... Dallin decides that he needs to sit in the car with the heater on while we make the hot chocolate and breakfast! Silly boy!

After the most miserable night of any of our lives, we realize that we ought not to bring a teething child that doesn't sleep through the night camping. This is how we ALL felt the next day.

But we pushed through and decided we were GOING to have fun even if it was the last thing we did!!!! So we went into Yellowstone Park and went to Old Faithful first thing. I had been hearing that Old Faithful wasn't as faithful as he used to be... but he was right on time for us! It was really cool! Then we had lunch and ice cream. And went to see some really beautiful geysers!

Josh... Oh Josh... If I weren't married to your cousin - I would marry you! Josh loaned us an inflatable mattress and Scott's aunt loaned us a couple of pillows that they weren't using. We were in seventh heaven!!! Even Maggie didn't sleep horribly!

The next day we went to Wade Lake with the family. It was a great day of playing in the water, watching our kids have the time of their lives and just relaxing by a beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere made of ice cold glacier water!

It is seriously in the middle of nowhere! I don't really know how anyone actually discovered this place! But it's wonderful!! Of course the first thing that Dallin goes for is throwing rocks. He even throws them backwards!

Then he tries his hand at balancing... hmmmm....

He wants to go on a floaty thing (don't remember what they are called). He must wear a "light jacket" in order to be safe. Unfortunately for him they only had a pink one in his size! Nice face!!Meanwhile Maggie and Uncle Mike are getting along famously!! I think he needs to be a grampa!! I told that to Shannon and she agrees with me! Now we just need to get the married ones in on it!!

Did you notice the horse in the background? Oh... I mean the dog! That is Cooper. He is huge and Dallin absolutely loves him! He even prayed over dinner one night that we would be able to go to Cooper's house that night.

Ok... Who is your mother that she would allow you to suck on a Red Vine??!!!???!!???

Dallin did fall into the water while playing and patiently waiting his turn on the floaty thing. Instead of helping a son out what do I do??? Click, Click, Click.... naughty mommy!!

Dallin did get out in the floaty thing with Daddy. Whoever was in charge of these forgot the paddles, so they are kicking with their feet and holding onto a rope that was teathered to Shannon's chair (without her knowing). I think there was a conspiracy to get her into the icy water!!

Overall, we had a wonderful weekend. Camping in the mountains ~ freezing in the mornings ~ grateful we woke up in the morning and not been eaten by a bear ~ learning not to let a pregnant lady get a family ready ~ probably ought to think about the timing of teething and overnight adventures that wake others.

Just a cute shot of Maggie at the lake. She looks a little goofy with only one top front tooth. I keep telling her to get the other one in...

Oh - and last but not least. Very interesting story here. This is called Earthquake Lake (or Quake Lake). Some time ago there was this earthquake that pulled down a lot of a mountain. It stopped the Madison River and made this lake. It is just very odd to look into this lake and see what used to be all these trees! Very eery...

So camping in Yellowstone! We had the very worst of times and the very best of times! I guess you really do need to experience the utter depths of the hot place in order to appreciate the euphoria of being in the middle of nature with the people that you love the absolute most in the world! Can't wait to do it again next year!

Our Newest Purchase...

Well, we are now owners of a mini-van. GULP... we made the plunge. It is really pretty. It has a really great stereo in it. So I took Scott out on our anniversary date this past weekend (only over a month late). We went to dinner and a drive in to see Bourne Ultimatum. Scott figured out how to get the surround sound to work and it was a pretty cool show! I had to ask if the bass was coming from our car on one part of the movie because it sounded like one of those cars you can't find when you are at a stop light that is making YOUR car shake... It was pretty cool! We were at the drive in early and Scott had the owner's manual out. "Did you know the van does this??" "Did you know the van has this??" I have to say it was quite funny hearing him so excited about such a thing as this!



We are pretty excited about it, though. Especially Dallin. He will just go and sit in it for 10 or 15 minutes before we are supposed to go somewhere because "our van is SOOO coooooool!" What a crack up!!!



So now we are trying to get rid of an Oldsmobile... anyone know of some high school kid in need???!!!

Princesses....

It takes a lot to be this beautiful.... You might think that I am just naturally this way... but no... I cause my mother quite a lot of stress every morning.

I guess it's just what I feel I must do. Being the princess of the house and all.

I have to start out by screaming and hollering and not sitting still for her to get me dressed. After she has tortured me by making me get dressed, she pulls out this water bottle. Then I really start running away! Of course I am still crawling. But I am pretty quick! Finally my mom catches me and then wrestles me between her legs and tries to distract me with a hairbrush. Like I am going to fall for that one!!! Whatever...

She keeps calling me Donald Trump. I just don't get who that is. She must be the most beautiful princess ever!

But then she finally gets the clips in my hair. Then rubs it all over to make it curl. I don't know why it has to curl. I am just going to straighten it when I get old enough!

I think I took over my mom's title of princess of the house. I keep hearing about how when my dad asked my mom out on their first date that she said yes. It was summertime and when he asked her what she wanted to do she said that she was up for anything. Then she added, "As long as I don't sweat". She grew up kind of a city girl. Wasn't quite used to the outdoor life of Utah yet. Luckily my dad looked past that and still married her.

And I think that she has come a long way! She actually goes camping and biking! This is in April when they biked across the Salt Lake out to Antelope Island. They took my brother and me. I don't think I have come that far though. I cried most of the way.

But then again... I do know how to get dirty... This is what I can do with an Oreo cookie!