water fun~ grandma & charlie style

girl's camp, a big check & my day

A couple of days before my birthday the girls left for camp.Girls camp is one of the biggest highlights of the year! This year instead of a traditional "camp" the girls & their leaders went to one of the leader's family cabin & had a "domestic retreat." They cooked together, were taught cooking skills & techniques, learned to knit, went on a hay ride, were very crafty, made necklaces, performed in skits, did aerobics, rode horses, sat around the camp fire, ate lots & lots of ice cream... the leaders rented a soft serve machine- basically they had a blast!! (by the way, I think this is a brilliant idea for girl's camp. the girls came home with their own set of measuring cups, bowls, rolling pin, cook book, knitting needles... brilliant I tell you!- they loved it)
Hailey came home reluctantly a day early (my birthday) because she was one of the finalists for Bountiful's Got Talent- a town close to ours. She was having the best time and hated to leave... but opportunity knocked - she was in the top 13.

She was up 7th out of the 13. It was in the park, the sound system was good & she sounded GREAt. It was so fun to see her shine & we were crossing our fingers & toys that she would place!

Guess what!?

She won 2nd place!!!!

woo hooo hallelujah!

and got a BIG CHECK

We didn't realize that winning a BIG CHECK was on Hailey's 100 list. How fun! Now when we go over our lists at the beginning of the New Year she can cross one off. We have 100 lists (aka:bucket lists) that we go over every January. It was an absolute thrill for all of us. The first place winner was a friend of hers from H.S. who is trying to get on So You Think You Can Dance- who danced. He got through the second round last year & is trying again this summer. It was cool- the top 2 were from out town.

Afterwards we went out for a late birthday dinner & celebration- to chili's.

Brian & Laura came from her softball game & Trent was... freezing.

happy birthday & congratulations

What a great way to spend my birthday!

I also, went to lunch with friends & slacked off on all my chores.

good times

I kind of went crazy...

Father's Day 2011

The Menu:

Cole Slaw, country style ribs, baby back ribs, corn on the cob & hush puppies

top that off with Blueberry pie

all for the my world's favorite dad!!

what a mess
Yes I've gone crazy- I bought an electric pressure cooker & let me tell you nellie~ that dear thing makes the darn, dandiest ribs! Plus it looks kind of like R2D2- don't you think? I love R2D2. What I really want: an new oven, No two new ovens (I NEED double ovens people!) NO a new kitchen. Oh well, I guess I will settle for a new ice cream maker?? That's what I bought last week & there is a 1/2 gallon of fresh strawberry ice cream in the freezer at this moment.

Don't you wish you were here??

44~ it's my birthday!!

Forty Four things about me... If I can think of that many??

1. I am anxious about being 44

2. I wasn't about 40, 41, 42, or 43...

3. 44 just seems

4. weird & older- not old-

5. just older-- does that make sense?

6. I wanted to be an actress when I was a kid.

7. I always wanted to have a big family & I Do!

8. I am deeply in love with my husband

9. He is my very favorite person to be with always

10. He is my whole world & my greatest joy

11. I'm obsessed with cooking tools & products & cookbooks & electrics & dishes & it's getting ridiculous especially since I work at Williams Sonoma!

12. I love laundry & ironing- except I can't get caught up here lately. I proposed a NO CLOTHES day to help with the catch up--- no one went for it. cowards.

13. I also LOve fabric & I feel extreme guilt buying it when I have so much already.

14. Fabric-- it sucks me in-- right now I want/need some Sarah Jane by Michael Miller!!!

15. I could possibly be a vegetarian if it weren't for fast food cheese burgers or the ribs I learned to make in my new pressure cooker-- oh man, they are to die for!

16. probably the best present I ever gave myself-- for my 40th birthday I gave myself permission to stop going to public swimming pools. My life is better for it.

17. Lucky for Trent, Wende takes him swimming a lot.

18. I have the world's best friends

19. I LOVE being a mom & my kids - THEY ROCK!!

20. We are not perfect & I wouldn't even want to be anyway- which kind of makes them perfect.

21. Having missionary boys- changed my life.

22. And... made me realize just how much I Believe.

23. Having grand babies in my life is 100% beautiful.

24. I love to hear my kids make music.

25. and watch Chloe dance.

26. One of my favorite things is to listen in on Trent singing - a new occurrence- it's awesome.

27. I can make bubbles on my tongue.

28. sometimes I can blow them off & they float to the floor.

29. I refused to get physical therapy on my broken ankle (3 years ago) and now I have a permanently fat ugly ankle.

30. I can be really stubborn & that is not a good thing.

31. I wonder if I am doing what I was meant to do with my life?

32. I want to be a good person

33. I LOVE to recycle & I am passionate about it.

34. I struggle with wanting to lose weight. I know I need to.

35. But at the same time- I like myself just the way I am.

36. Until I have to get dressed... blah

37. I don't like ice cream but I make up for it with my love of GOOD cake.

38. I love to shop at Costco- especially on Saturdays. The crowds & samples- love it.

39. I collect fiesta ware- all different colors- but my serving ware is all RED.

40. I loathe paper/plastic plates... at my house- I am happy to use them anywhere else.

41. Primary is my favorite place to be at church.

42. I teach Relief Society- I like that too.

43. I love this blog. It's the most successful journal I've ever kept & it is 5 years old this month!

44. I love comments so please say hi!

just a few pictures

two kids far away

missing them both today

a quilt for Joey

Two days before I left for Megan's house- I finished this quilt for Joey. I Love it... but not as much as I love that little Joey! One of my favorite things about Joey is he looks like one of us. Right after he was born I said- hey, he looks like Jack, wait- he looks like Trent, no-- he looks like megan--- WEll guess what? He looks like himself & he looks like us! It's amazing to see a bit of your family in a grandchild. just plain amazing. This quilt is made up of fabric from the cutest fabric.. but I can't remember the name- so sorry. It's also sold out everywhere. The pattern is called Double Dip & I got it here. I'm a huge fan of Camille- she's got skills that girl! It's a great pattern & really easy to use. I wanted to do something new- a tumbler quilt was perfect. It's just like plain square quilt- only different.

Look at this pile of scraps!
Lovely


Lucky for me Hailey was home when I was putting the colors together. she has a keen eye & helped me get them just right.

I quilted it myself.

Oh how I love this machine. My sisters got an Alaskan Cruise for Christmas & I got this machine. I know it sounds crazy but- I think I will get more joy out of the machine!

this past weekend

*we went out to dinner with friends.
*I taught an ice cream & popsicle making class.
*we took our family's turn cleaning the church.
*Brett mowed the lawn, finishing just before a storm hit.
*Brian & Laura came over Saturday night with Nya for a late dinner after work.
*Jack's mission president & his wife spoke in their ward. They just returned home last week. Upon seeing us - they recognized us as "messers" right away~ thanks to mini Jack, aka: Trent.
*my parents & two olders sisters left on an Alaskan cruise & called me from the ship to say happy birthday (just before it sailed since they can't call my actual birthday)- wow that sounds fun!
*Trent went on an over night camp out.
*The Moores invited us for Sunday dinner! woo hooo- we never are invited anywhere for Sunday dinner! A serious thrill for us.
*It rained & the wind blew through the upstairs two nights in a row!

How may photos do I have?

zero

blah

How was your weekend?

I guess you could say~ we are BIG fans!

Last week when BRett picked me up from the airport, as the plane was taxiing- he texted me & said- "guess who I just saw?" I asked, who? He said, "The kids from American Idol- they are here in the airport." I didn't believe him--- until he texted me his picture with Casey! (Casey was my favorite all season) I was stunned- and jealous - and boy when the kids found out they were ticked off that they didn't get to come to the airport!! We came home, looked up the ticket & tour information, AND BOUGHT FIVE TICKETS!

Last night was the concert & we were not disappointed.

We picked up our will call tickets & headed to our seats...

We checked out the t-shirts & souvenirs... $40 a t-shirt... ouch.

We were all so excited!

Even Trent- who is a super Scotty fan.

We had been singing (practicing) the words to Gone for several days now so we could sing along to the chorus... seriously fun. I kept getting the words wrong- Trent corrected me- until I got them right. Thanks bud.

Our seats weren't bad at all, considering how late in the game (3 days before the concert) and how much we paid for them. I won't say- it was still ridiculous- but worth it.

We bought four seats together & Brett was right below. It was cheaper & better seats to do it that way. GREAt family crowd-- except for a few weirdos that I tried desperately to get photos of. The ladies in front of us (next to Brett) were getting a little drunk (funny how drunk people can be so darn friendly.) Plus we saw one mighty short skirt along with a couple see threw dresses with thongs underneath-- my eyes-- they're still burning.

Yes it was worth that too. I took this picture above of Paul for Megan & Tony- he was their favorite this season. My favorite was Casey- Oh ya I already said that. He played his base & ya- he was GREAT!

But all night we were waiting for Scotty!

He didn't come on until the end- sang a couple of songs then -- GONE.

Oh ya we rocked the chorus with him!!

I took this picture of the girls just after 5 or so teeny boppers above us kept screeching their heads off for him... it wasn't cool or cute- just annoying & ear piercing.

I know you can't see from the photos- but here is Scotty & Alaina.

She was darling & so sweet. she took the barrette out of her hair & gave it to a little girl in the audience. Nice.

It was a GREat night- so fun!

Everyone was Awesome- they sang mostly songs that they had performed on the show- and hey- that's exactly what we wanted to hear.

Salt Lake City was the first stop on their summer 11' tour.

WE LOVEd it!

Are you AI fans?

wordless wednesday

just charlie & me

I just can't tell ya, how much fun I had with charlie last week! He loved taking photos of us (well mostly he loved seeing himself in my phone's camera.)
we played outside

we played inside

we visited mom & dad & joey in the hospital

(he's drinking chocolate milk here- not a bottle)

I bought him a shopping cart & surprised him with it one morning. Can you tell he just woke up? I love that sleepy face.

he raced through the house with it!

we went shopping

and I got to see how he can reach his toes while sitting in his car seat.

we took naps

and colored pictures

and pretty much I had the time of my life.

I Love you Charlie!

Independence Day- this one's for you Jack