Happy we will be

Cutest Family Ever!!

2010-02-16T21:53:00.004-07:00

Bragging Blog Update!!

Just wanted to post our cute family pics we had taken. Its fun to get all dressed and styled but it makes my kids look too old too fast.

Enjoy...

Living the Future

2010-01-18T16:45:00.002-07:00

How did the year 2010 get here? I remember reading about what the future would be like. There would be robots and flying cars and moving sidewalks. We kind of have those things, they are all at the airport. Sometimes I feel like I am flying to fast into the future. I was trying to explain to Codie what things were like when i was little and it sounded like I was a hundred years old. I wish some things were still that simple. We just need to eliminate things that take up our time and use our time for the most important people.
Each year we all try to start out better and its a good thing to do. I like to say "don't quit quitting". It hurts my ears grammatically but it reminds me to keep trying even if it is the nine hundredth time. Here's to January!

He is 6!

2009-11-12T16:12:00.003-07:00

Carson is six years old today!
He loves going to kindergarten. He goofs off a little too much for his teacher but he likes her a lot. He loves cars and trucks and wants to drive tractors and diggers and dumptrucks. He has fallen into his mom's ways of loving crab to eat. I tried to buy imitation Krab, he was not impressed. He loves camping and riding the four-wheeler. Dirt is his constant companion. He is very polite. Sweet to his little sister and a stinker to his big sister!?! Likes to do his own hair. Adores his dad, especially when its time to go to the Jazz games together. I really have let too much time go by before realizing just how big he is.
Love that crazy "Rebel".

My summer (a review)

2009-09-08T21:58:00.008-06:00

So we had a great summer!
We had family from everywhere come home to visit.
Trips and parades and fun for everyone.
Here is the short version...

Callie and Carson whoopin it up at the fair.

Happy Day at the pool

Callie and Kenlee, so flippin cute!

Oh she loves parades, just like her mama!

Ma and Pa on the Bear Lake Beach

Carson at Liberty Park on Pioneer Day

Emily and Scott on their wedding day!

Grandparents love these kids

All the pretty girls!

4th of July

Another good day at the pool

Syracuse Days Parade

Sunset at Emily's Shower

Emily's hot mumu!

Good Morning Halls Family! (Campout)

ARRRRRRRGGGG!!!!!!

Callie is fashion forward at least one season.

Our stop in Vegas

San Diego has the best Sand

SMILE!!!!!

Scott is manly! He made Fire!!!

Jared and the girls ridin the tractor

Carson graduated preschool

Callie can see the future

Happy Birthday Callie!!!

These events were out of order but then again who says my life is ever IN order!

We are greatful for the great times we had with all our great family and friends.

Now we sleep.

Weekend Trip

2009-08-06T00:18:00.002-06:00

I love this picture for so many reasons! It is funny for sure. Callie just kept sticking her head into the sand and laughing at everyone.

The other reason why I love it is because it is in Bear Lake. We have such good times, when we go there. We sit by the water and snack and dig. We usually get a little too much sun. Then we camp and eat lots of sugar.

We just got back from there this weekend for a fun filled family retreat. We counted 15 little families with a total of 50 people eating dinner together on Sunday. It was a lot of fun and our kids had a great time hanging out with cousins and other family. The best part for me was that there were FIREWORKS!!! We happened to be there for Raspberry Days and got into town just in time to sit at the park and let the kids play until the show began. Callie covers her face like Faye Ray in the king kong movie and says "scary". Then she peeks and says what color they are. Soon she was saying "pretty" and "sparkly" and we knew she was a fan of the fireworks.

Good Summer times!

The most wonderful time of the year!!!

2009-06-29T22:53:00.004-06:00

It's coming! I love the 4th of July better than Christmas. (mostly because it is warm)

I love the parades, which now for some reason make me cry as I watch the flag being presented and the sirens following behind.

I love watching my kids wave at the people on the floats that they like.

I love sitting on a blanket eating sugary pop tarts and other non healthy breakfast items while we wait for the parade to begin.

I love eating warm taffy and tootsie rolls while we wait for parade traffic to thin out.

I love the "thank you" that I get for taking my kids to something that didn't cost me a thing.

I love the crappy carnival in the park.( Even though Chet hates it.)

I love seeing the cute family singing on the stage.

I love to see and visit everyone I run into. (The kids don't love that part.)

I love to eat random items from four different booths and still have room for a slushy.

I love getting the perfect spot to watch fireworks.

I love hanging out with my family playing games on the blanket.

I love the energy and excitement of the the first boom that makes everyone drop to the ground and stare up to the sky!

I love the Fireworks Finale!!!

I love the freedom we have to enjoy and I love the men and women who risk and give their lives for us all.

Please, God bless America.

Ramblings...

2009-05-02T00:00:00.003-06:00

This is a fun family pose that i found in my file. Usually the frog rock is huge and the people are small, but we found this one and everyone is smiling because they are not falling down the ditch trying to stand up. Fun day at the park!

This is the hard one to pose by for some reason. And no picture perfect smiles either. Still Cute!

Goodnight Ash!

Runnin' just as fast as I can...

2009-04-23T22:25:00.002-06:00

You remember that Tiffany song. That is my week! I could go on to declare my month but that would be whiny. So I am self employed (I have a lovely salon in my home where I can color, cut, nail or wax you:) so Chet keeps asking me how come I get overbooked and stressed out all the time.
I have not learned the art of declining the affirmative.
I can't say no. It is not polite, helpful, and certainly not going to win me volunteer of the year, so I just can't say it. Not being a martyr but it is getting kind of pathetic. I laugh about it because it is my fault.
On the other hand, I love being busy! I love that I don't sit and watch TV and that I have places to go and people to see. I love to visit and multi-task. When one of my neighbors is out and we visit for a minute, that makes my day. So if I happen to always be heading out when you call or driving someone somewhere, I might sound frazzled but I am really happy

Slacker?

2009-04-19T22:52:00.002-06:00

I feel kind of like a slacker. I too have fallen into the facebook trap. So by the time I catch up on the latest status updates it is too late to blog. Slacker!
We have had some ups and downs lately and so I use that as my alibi for not documenting my life. Slacker!
Chet and I went to Salt lake for our Anniversary and stayed overnight. Any night without our kids is a restless night. Don't read into that the wrong idea! It is hard to have a room that is totally quiet, the sheets are tucked in and no crumbs. The temperature is just right and no one tries to snuggle into bed with you that wasn't there when you turned the lights out. No one coughs, throws up, or needs a drink of water that can't take care of it himself. So enough, you get the idea. So the next morning we went and did some work at the Salt Lake Temple. Too personal to blog about, but a very great experience.
Grandma Dorothy passed away, and so we got to gather with family and pay tribute to the awesome woman she is. She had such warmth and friendship with all of her children, grandchildren and anyone else who came into her life. I feel peace with her passing because she is not held back by her health anymore. We were talking to the kids about what a funeral is for and where Dorothy is now. We talked about how Dorothy won't need her wheelchair anymore and would be able to walk and Carson said "Now she can run!" I hope I can stay that open minded about leaving this life and going to the next.
We had a great day on Easter. Lots of family, sugar, food and fun. Auntie Rita brought presents to welcome spring. We got to see Zoee (Tawnee's baby). We celebrated Doyle's birthday with a quick song and candle blow. The cake was delicious and pie too. Then the in-laws hit the road, the kids hit the beds and we were done.
That catches me up for a while and now I can sleep better knowing I am not such a slacker!

I love this guy!!

2009-03-25T21:40:00.002-06:00

So Chet and I just celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary together last week.
I think this picture sums up quickly why we work so well together. Here is the story behind the photo.
On vacation (road trip that my husband loves, I prefer to fly or be sedated) our little baby girl decides she does not like milk and red Gatorade mixed in her sippy cup together. We hear the sound that makes the world stop and then our trip was at a stop. The baby was covered in gross stuff and we were all trying to quickly get fresh air before we joined the mess. So we head into town and were thinking of ways to clean the car seat when a great idea comes to me. I get lots of great ideas and this one was even better because my husband got to do the icky work. I simply used the excuse that I had cleaned Callie so this was his share. Now that is not an argument that is easily won. Here is the point. Do you see the smile on his face?
He loves me.
He is spraying a barfy car seat and posing so his crazy wife can capture this great moment in history and smiling. He is amazing.
For 12 years we have been friends, 11 of them while married and he gets it. I don't a need flashy lifestyle, just my man that understands my craziness and can stay calm when the panic button goes off. He is steady and true. Calming and strong.
I love him more.

The Best Weekend this year...

2009-02-11T21:26:00.002-07:00

Now I know it is only February but I have the bar set pretty high now. My husband pulled off a total surprise. He had a little help, but he did not blow it and I didn't want to know anything to spoil it. He only told me what dates to take off and to bring a jacket not a coat. Oh and a swimsuit.
So we went to the Jazz game on Thursday night and it was a late game so it got out around 11 pm. Then we came home, packed, slept for a few hours, then gone by 6 am. He drove to the airport where we went to........Las Vegas!!! I know weird place for a molly to want to go, but people watching there is so entertaining. We were hoping for a little sunshine but it rained the whole time. We still had a ton of fun. Some other couples were in on the secret and their hubbies brought their wives as a surprise too. Lots of funny times and plenty of photos, I will share those later.
Really the fact that after 11 years my Husband wants to do something that nice for me screams how much he loves me, I tease him that he has no moves, but he sure has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Christmas Crash

2009-01-13T15:35:00.002-07:00

So it is all put away and under the stairs, not one reminder of the wonderful time we were having last month. Sad. I need to check into a clinic where they sedate me for a few weeks and I can come out of the shock slowly. Everyone was so nice and sweet and then this month back to ignoring your friends because we are all just too busy. Well it has to go on.
I had fun with hosting neighbor parties and family parties and lots of singing and playing together. The Wii karaoke is so fun and Chet even braved the mike. We embarrassed just about everyone by making them hit the duets. Its all on video for our blackmail section of the blog! In all the fun, I somehow lost my digital camera and am very sad because I didn't upload anything since Thanksgiving. So if you were part of my Holiday, would you send me some pictures to have in my scrapbook?
I am hoping to keep busy this month so time will fly towards summer. If you are feeling like you need some quality time with your hairstylist/nail tech/wax guru/therapist, January is the perfect time. Call me for some much needed relaxation, I bet I can get you looking hot in time for your Valentines Date!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-11T22:09:00.004-07:00

Daddy's girl for sure!
My cute Family

Callie runs the show around here.

And she knows it....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LOVE THE TALBOTS

"7" Tag

2008-11-21T00:04:00.003-07:00

I got tagged with this one and it looked so easy. It made me think and that is never good. So answers may be caused by lack of sleep....

7 things I can do...
1- Hair (color,cut,rat,curl,)
2- cook like I was Italian
3- Bargain shop
4- splits
5- whistle loud (like New Yorkers getting a cab)
6- lay tile
7- make my husband laugh

7 things I can't do...
1- play my guitar
2- go to bed before 10
3- drive slow
4- remember anyones birthday
5- remember... a lot
6- grocery shop without a list
7- ride in the backseat

7 things I always say...
1- Are you listening?
2- "awesome"
3- No big deal
4- Sweet!
5- I said wii
6- sweep the leg
7- no one cries alone

7 things I always eat...
1- swiss cheese
2- wheat thins
3- Diet Mountain Dew
4- Nuts
5- apples
6- carmel apple candy corns
7- PB&J

7 people I tag...
1- Ash
2- Natalie
3- Brittanny
4- Holly
5- Barb
6- Melanie
7- Anyone?

We had Barb for dinner?

2008-11-19T23:33:00.004-07:00

That sounds kinda funny. Everyone in the fam is bloggin about having interesting lunch dates so I had one to boast about.
I came home to my cute mother-in-law trying to take a much needed nap on my couch and pay attention while the kids showed her how "good" they are at the wii. She had a pretty rough day and so i convinced her to stay and have a rowdy dinner with me and my kids.
Not that it relaxed her with Callie throwing all her taco on the floor and Carson telling me for the 99th time that he doesn't like what is on his plate. I am so glad that she seems to like being in my home even when it is crazyville. But she didn't have to cook, and we enjoyed having her for dinner, as a guest, not as dessert!

In Secure

2008-11-14T22:39:00.003-07:00

So I just need to use my space to talk through this big security issue in the blog world. Every time the news runs a story about info being stolen off of a blog, everyone panics and slams the door shut. I am not saying you can't, I just wish it didn't make me feel like I got locked out of the fun party room. I like to read up on neighbors, friends, family and ward friends. I don't always comment so they might not even know I exist. But it is a way for me to get to know them and feel connected by seeing fun posts. I have had issues with the blog world from the beginning, just because it feels like voyeurism. You don't know who is looking at your world unless they comment. I feel like I should have been invited to the blog, but now that I am there I don't want to ask to stay. It is very weird to me. I just hope we all try to use some of the safe tips and keep our blogs smart instead of closed.
1. Don't give full names
2. Keep home and address out of view
3. Keep vacations secret until you come home
4. Code names for children are helpful to protect them

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T11:40:00.003-07:00

This year for Halloween even Chet got into the costume closet. He usually goes as a dad or a carpenter or even a Jazz Fan.

This year he went as Lt. Dangle from Reno 911 (tv show).

I went as the reformed Lady of the Night, Dep Clementime.

Chet made a great entrance at our friends house. He "cop knocked" and yelled "sheriffs' department!" He then carried his fresh made rolls and stretched out his handsome legs for everyone to enjoy.

Codie was a devil and got to go to a dance party, friend party, her school parade and our trunk-r-treat. Lots of miles for a cute costume.

Carson was Jack Sparrow and he kept asking for a weapon to go with the costume. It's funny how they get something on the brain and obsess over it.

Callie was a bee. She was irritated as one everytime we tried to put the hood on. Se we let her run around and eat some candy (her first candy ever) and she did just fine

We had fun at our parties and now are gearing up for the Holidays!!!

Sand Dune Trip

2008-11-02T11:23:00.007-07:00

We found out the hard way that going to the sand dunes on Conference weekend is not what the Lord wants us to do.

The weather didn't look too bad until the session started and then it rained so much that we all had to stay inside the trailer and listen like good little mollys. We had fun though.

The Hanfts came prepared with games and good attitudes and we all came home still friends.
We had some major quality time together and might even try it again.

The two Callies had a fun time together.

I VOTED

2008-10-28T22:32:00.003-06:00

Did you? Are you going to? I feel like you have to vote in order to complain. If you don't take a stand and vote, then you have no business telling everyone else what is wrong. I will be honest, it scared me when Hillary was still in the race, but now.....either way it is not going to be a big change. There is a big mess for someone to clean up and they both have good and bad ways to deal with everything. So go vote for someone and take a snack to eat because the lines are long!!!

Looking Good!

2008-10-21T14:57:00.002-06:00

We are looking for a fun photographer to take our holiday picture. We will never step foot into a mall type place again so don't say they are good. We don't need to spend our children's inheritance either. Come on Ladies, I have seen some of your blogs and you have some great photos. Please share!

Hindsite is 20/20

2008-10-09T21:45:00.002-06:00

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of chaos and think,"I can't wait to look back on this and see that it wasn't that bad". No pity story here, just when the highs of life seem out of reach we miss them so much. But then we would not appreciate those happy, high times.
It's a very cheesy solution but I could list some great things that happen on a daily basis.
Chet text me with his Joey from Friends-"How you doin'?" It makes me laugh every time.
Codie running in the door and showing me her splits were flat at dance tonight. Very excited.
Carson saying "Tarter sauce" when I tell him to clean up or come inside. He is going to curse like an old farmer I swear.
Callie shrugging her shoulders to the music and giving me the eyebrow. So cute.

See, within my life there is always little pieces of sunshine, and that is why I wake up and do it all over again tomorrow.

Mindy's Birthday Extravaganza

2008-10-01T20:55:00.002-06:00

First of all that is what my husband refers to my birthday as, not me. My birthday usually gets celebrated over the course of an entire week. Not my fault I like to go to lunch with anyone who offers. Then I have some pretty great friends who are always up for a fun time. Finally my family always has to get sugar loaded with enough cake to feed a small country. We always have carrot cake. Chet had the best joke as he walked in with the cake he said "Mindy, I brought you a 14 carrot..... cake!" Haha He kills me. I really just like having a big party and being around fun people. The gifts are nice but not neccesary. Anyways it was a fun week and I won't say why but I actually got asked to show I.D. and was flattered. Then I slipped when asked how old I am and said "23 er, uh 33!" Maybe I have aging issues that slip out when I don't think about it. What a fun week.

My Birthday

2008-10-01T20:50:00.000-06:00

Sneaking out...

2008-09-15T23:15:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I talk myself right out of having a little fun. I covince myself that my family will be sad or no one will want to or that I need to get things done. When did I turn into such a lame-O? Well the other night I wanted to go out and see a movie and i called a few friends in my "hood" and presto we had a party. We left for the movie at 10 pm (i know, totally past bedtime) and then after we got home around midnight (waaaaay late) my neighbor Britt and I stood in my driveway for a looooong time just chattin'. It was nice to let myself off the hook for a few hours and relax. We even took pictures to document our rebel ways. The preggers on the bike...she is so brave because we do not know the owner of the sweet hog she is straddling. The other pic is us getting our hug on. Thanks for making my night Amanda, Brittanny and Natalie. Such little things make suburban housewives happy!

Baptism Day!

2008-09-15T22:09:00.003-06:00

Saturday September 6th was Codie's Baptism. She was very calm about the whole thing. We had talked about it a lot. When her cousin Rylee was here visiting from Germany, she was baptized and Codie got to see everything for herself. Codie is a very faithful little girl. She goes to church with a blind faith. I mean that she does not challenge what we do to show our faith. She goes because she knows she is doing what is asked. By us and by Heavenly Father. It is overwhelming to see a child who seems to have more faith then a lot of adults do. I hope that this strength that she has now will help her through the next ten or so years.

The day was beautiful and Codie was supported by so much family. We had on my side, Grandma Myrna and Grandpa Tom, Rita, Lara & Marina. On Chet's side, Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doyle, Ashley, Matt, Eli & Alice (who made the drive from Oregon to be here, thank you very much), Jared, Holly & Mallory and Emily. We also had a few close friends who popped in to say Congratulations! It was a special day and Codie seemed very happy about it all.

Codie's big birthday extravaganza

2008-09-15T21:52:00.004-06:00

My little girl is getting so old. The big 8. She has just snuck past those little stages so fast. She is very mature and helpful. She is very smart and I am not bragging,( her teachers brag for me). Codie loves her family and sharing her room with Callie. It gives her more chance to play"mommy". She really does startle me at how wise she already is at such a young age.

So here are a few pictures of her on her birthday.

Bowling and Pizza.

Pretty cool Party

We had so much fun that Codie forgot to open her presents until we were home. I was so embarrassed. But the party was so fun that all the kids forgot too. We hurried and opened them and then took her friends home. I guess she isn't all about the shwag. (goodies)

Ketchup

2008-09-04T22:58:00.003-06:00

Here is just a blog to ketchup on what my crazy family and I have been up to.

We have been to Lagoon so many times that my children don't even complain when it is time to go home! Those season passes are a steal of a deal when you go a couple of times per week. I almost feel bad for the amount of times we went. When we averaged it out, it was like spending 3 dollars each time to go. Like I said, I almost felt guilty. We did have a lot of fun and the season is not completly over. FRIGHTMARES is starting soon!!

We enjoyed going to Roy aquatic center a few times. I would love to have a pool in our yard but that pool makes it worth the drive. Little ceasars pizza is on the way so 5 bucks for lunch and if i was really running late coming home 5 bucks for dinner. The fun of summer and not wanting to cook. Carson was very brave this season and would venture all over the place. Down slides and into the different pools. Codie learned to jump off the diving board and scare her mother. Callie just wanted to walk anywhere but where I could sit and relax. AHHHH.

Soccer has quickly consumed us all. Carson and Codie play city league and of course they don't play the same days or times. Chet really has done way more driving this time. Go soccer dad. Both kids like it but I think the treat thing has gotten way out of control. Whatever happened to orange slices and gatorade?

Finally, school has started. I didn't want to be that mom that wanted to get rid of her kids, but they were ready to go back. Codie started 3rd grade like a pro. She didn't want me to walk her in on the first day or even fix her breakfast for that matter. Big girl. Carson went to preschool a week later and I should have put him in the afternoon class. He gets so bored waiting for all of his friends to get home from school. And you know he doesn't want to play with Callie and me.

So now we are all caught up and happy. Codie turned 8 last Saturday and will be baptised this Saturday. So I will post that later. For now I just hope to get back to a little bit of a schedule and settle in for fall.

Scrapblog

2008-08-12T00:28:00.001-06:00

2008-08-11T23:10:00.002-06:00

Click on the link to see our vacation.

2008-08-11T22:59:00.000-06:00

http://www.slide.com/r/6D6CsOF42D-AmAOVRggXn56-vuGVmtQt?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Back to the Real World

2008-08-11T21:40:00.003-06:00

We had a great vacation and I have been slowly adjusting getting back to "normal". We drove to Seattle and stayed at Chet's family cottage. It is so fun to just let the kids play there with cousins and think how history is replaying in a younger generation.

We went to Seattle for Seafair parade and ran into people we knew from Layton High. Small world. We went out to the tide flats and found some little crabs and gooeyducks. They are gross. We went to my sister-in-laws house in Silverton, Oregon on the way home. We went on a really great hike/walk to see a couple of waterfalls. We even got to see the sun. HaHaHa. We had treats galore and walked all of it off before driving home. We had so much fun and we still like everyone we were with, maybe even more than before!

Parade Rest!

2008-07-18T00:56:00.003-06:00

Parades are fantabulous! I love them and I seek them out all summer long. The thrill of finding a good spot facing the shady way. Eating breakfast/lunch/dinner on the sidewalk on a main street. Letting your children literally play in traffic in the middle of the street to take candy from strangers! God bless America! I really do love this time of year and now when we see the flag and hear all the sirens, I cry like a betsy wetsy doll. I just get very emotional about those that are fighting to keep people safe and using their own lives to do it with.
On a lighter side my husband and his crazy band of friends have decided that parades are like walking ads and they need more fun. So see if you can find him.......( ARRRRGGGG!!!)

memory tag

2008-07-18T00:24:00.000-06:00

This is a fun tag that is running rampant throughout my bloggy blog world. I want to hear from ALL Y'ALL...even if you have never commented before!
Here are the rules.1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends, write about a post that is most memorable. If you don't have a blog and don't know how to sign in, please comment as anonymous.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you... either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you back!
3. If the memory happens to involve my husband, please include him!
4. If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all ☺Okay, let's see what you've got!

Half full of half empty

2008-07-10T10:53:00.002-06:00

Summer is in full swing and the other day someone said "Summer is half over next week". True to the calendar it might be, but come on. I like to think that since I personally don't have to go back to school this August then my summer is until September. As an adult, I can go to Pineview and play all day or the mall or the movies. Summer can last forever! Well not forever, but longer than three months. We wait all winter, through snow and cold and grey days of clouds to sweat it out. So yes the 4th of July might signal to some that the fall is coming but to me I will look at the glass as half full and make summer stay a little longer.

What are you doing with your glorious summer?

Father's Day

2008-06-17T00:35:00.004-06:00

We took off and went to Bear Lake for Father's Day. We have a travel trailer but we got a little worried when they received SNOW on Wednesday. Two inches fell and we were a little worried but we decided to go for it and had a great time. Chet deserves a break from working and this way all he had to do was sit around and hang with us. We got him a new camping lounge chair and a new cooler with some treats inside and he was a "happy camper". We played on the beach for two days and Chet's parents and sister came and played too. We had so much fun. I always give credit to Chet for being the calm parent but he knows how to have fun and be silly and make his family have a great time too! Love you.

Father's Day

2008-06-17T00:35:00.001-06:00

Callie is 1!

2008-06-17T00:07:00.002-06:00

I need to get caught up on my photo blog. So much happens when the weather warms up and i lose track of it all if I don't take a picture of it. We had Callie's 1st birthday party here at our house. She had 33 people come to party. It was a fun time and I am so shocked at how time just slips away so quickly. I did go down memory lane a little as to where i was a year ago and how things have changed. It is good to assess your life a little bit every once in awhile. Usually that's when I find that things really are pretty good and not so much gloom and doom. Callie coming to our lives was a jump in parenting faith but we love her so much and now the other two have someone to blame for everything. Happy Birthday Baby!

Callie's Birthday

2008-06-17T00:05:00.001-06:00

Sand Dune Saturday

2008-06-02T23:43:00.003-06:00

We managed to get to the sand dunes the Saturday before Memorial Day. It felt sneaky because we still have a few things to finish in our yard, but Chet needed a day to play. We invited some neighbor/friends of ours and family too. We had great weather, too many cookies and plenty of dirt in our eyes. You can see by the smiles, everyone had a great time.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-02T23:41:00.001-06:00

Preschool Grad

2008-05-27T00:41:00.002-06:00

He made it!

Carson had his last day of preschool and I want to know how that came so fast. He really liked "Mrs. Connie" and her rabbits and that she let him color with markers. (Mom never lets him use markers, hmmm I wonder why). He liked her cats too. Maybe I should put him in a petting zoo for the summer since he could only tell me about the animals everyday. She is a very patient teacher. Not only patient with the kids but with the mommies that stand out in her garage in blizzards and rain to get one last glimpse of their baby's face before the door closes. Not me! Carson loves to run up the stairs so fast that I gave up that whole clingy thing and let him be a big kid. He has done great and is so excited to hang with his friend James next year.

More Pics

2008-05-27T00:23:00.006-06:00

Grandma Dorothy's 86th Birthday Party!!!

Sugar for the kids, snoozes for the birthday girl. It was so sweet to see all the kids gently hugging their great grandma and bringing
her cards they made.

Singing sweetly?!?! It was Maddie's birthday also so we had two cakes and lots of blowing out candles.

Audry and Callie found their own fun.

Way cute Mamas and sweet new babies!

We had such a fun time. Thanks for putting such a fun party together everyone.

A photo journey

2008-05-27T00:04:00.006-06:00

Ok so that is my cheesiest title ever but if you watch "So you think you can dance" you giggle a little.

Chet got me a new camera for Mothers Day and I have so many fun shots to share. Here goes

This was on Mothers Day at my moms house. I was running around like a chicken with my head chopped off and he was taking care of the baby. He is such a good Daddy.

This is Codie, my neice Tawnee, her b-friend and my neice Melanie and her little girl Rylee is in the corner.

These are the flowers my cute husband brought me in front of my whole family when I was not expecting anything. Boy did he get bonus points from everyone in the room. He is very non-romantic but every once in a while he gets it right for a moment.

Isn't this what makes being a mom the greatest job in the world. Seeing my children sleep, stops my frantic mind with peace.

I love being a mom.

Our yard is looking like a yard!

2008-05-18T22:03:00.005-06:00

Amazing!!!

Our yard has transformed from dirt heaven to St. George Style landscape. If I squint I would swear I was on the 9th hole in St George basking in the red rock heat. It is still a work in progress but so much nicer. Can't wait till we have our first barbecue with out a mouthful of grit in my hamburger.

Our little Callie didn't love crawling on the grass at first but she is getting better and I think it makes her want to walk and stand more.

Tonight after dinner we went out and laid on a blanket and let the kids act crazy until bedtime. I even got on the trampoline with them and played "crack the egg" .

You forget how nice having a yard is until you do without. It is so great to have a yard again.

Scrappin fools

2008-05-08T15:24:00.003-06:00

So I just found the cutest scrappin' site and my cousin happens to own it. I know all of you are so talented, but she has some great ideas and she sells them in themed kits all ready for you to create. Check her out

http://www.mysweetspuds.blogspot.com/

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-27T21:59:00.001-06:00

Beautiful grass!

2008-04-27T21:13:00.008-06:00

We have grass! It may not be perfect yet but it is so great to see green grass instead of 8 inch weeds. We had it delivered on Friday and our wonderful friends came over and helped get it done so quick. Thank you! Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doyle helped us with children maintenance and sprinkler activation. I am so grateful for all the help that we have had. A yard is one of those projects that can spiral into a spending frenzy. Grass, dirt, gravel, tractor work, sprinkler heads, boulders, pretty rocks, maybe flowers, trees, shrubs and so much more. (imagine a scream here)

Well we just have to keep working on it and then we will be able to have a yard that our friends and family will want to come over and hang with us and our kids. Because we won't be able to afford anything else for awhile (ha ha ha).

On a family note, today Jared blessed Mallory. They had a garden party at their home after. We love to hang with the fam. Some pictures are included to show our fun day.

Weekend update

2008-04-20T21:40:00.003-06:00

Here was our week in a quick review:

So we are finally getting our yard started/finished. We started a lot of it last year but with a baby on the way we stopped after sprinklers and waited for this spring. So we have waited patiently for the freak snow storms to stop and the wind to quit blowing semi trucks over. My friend has his own tractor and he was so nice to come and dig our trampoline pit for our kids. I am sure Carson liked the fact that

1- He got to work the scoop and thumb to move rocks 2- He got a huge dirt pile created from the pit to play on/in. 3- It was all here in his own backyard.

So now just a little level work from Grandpa Doyle and we are ready! I keep asking Chet about the steps to get ready. To me laying sod can't be that easy. I make everything harder then it is. I want to read up on it so I don't mess it all up.

Soccer season has been fun for Codie and Carson. Codie gets the game and the idea so much better this year. She knows what she is doing and has fun playing. Carson is still learning and that is funny too. The last game he kept running right along side this other boy who was wearing a beanie (cold weather still) and trying to get a look at him or his hat. I had to coach the last game and the second half, the kids were all laying down and wanting to take a rest. It is funny to watch the difference in ages.

The most crazy thing on my week list was that I started working a little at the Washington Terrace Playhouse again. Doing choreography for a show. I swore to Chet that I would limit myself and would only go up once a week. It was apparently more traumatic then I remembered. On the way there, I completely blocked out how to get there. I started calling Chet and I couldn't reach him, so I was panicking and dialing. I finally figured out the turn and made it there. But I can't get swallowed up in community theatre again. Just a little dab here and there.

Today was one of those days where all pistons are firing and I "heard" the message at church clearly. To summarize: I am a mother of Zion. It is not an easy job. There are blessings that I will inherit for this call. Prayers are said in my behalf.

Have a great week.

Teeth part II

2008-04-14T21:29:00.002-06:00

So here is my jack o'lantern child. She has two big top teeth and then lots of big holes.

Tooth Fairy Bank of Syracuse?

2008-04-09T23:06:00.002-06:00

Ok seriously, does anyone know what the NORMAL amount of teeth a child should lose at age 7. Codie pulled another one out at school today. It has become some weird obsession. She just barely gets it to wiggle and then a day or so later, gone! She really does look like a jack-o-lantern. I am just happy she hasn't started to lisp or change the way she speaks. Anyways the good old Fairy better have some serious cash if she is going to keep my little girl smiling. And Codie thinks she is so sneaky. She keeps trying to catch the fairy. She will tell Chet and I that the tooth is on her night stand and it was under her pillow. I am surprised she hasn't set out a decoy that explodes with ink. Codie is a stinker for sure.

My day off!

2008-04-07T22:39:00.000-06:00

I know moms don't get a day off, but Tuesdays are supposed to be mine and sometimes I want to stay up all night to get the most out of it. I start thinking of all the things I would like to do. Like go to Tai Pan. Or to lunch with a friend. But most the time I end up with laundry, groceries and making dinner. Very exciting!
I have been running so fast with both kids in soccer on different nights and dance classes too, poor Chet sees us all runing out the door as he comes home from work.
My whole life I imagined that I would be this super mom and my kids would be so happy and look great all the time and would be in sports and dance and everything they could get into and I would have all the patience and time to be there for all of it. Whew was I dreaming. And now it is all reality it seems so strange that I am the crazy mom running everywhere. I always thought that part of my life was so far into the future. I better wake up and smell the soccer cleats before it passes by. It is fun and I hope my kids will look back and remember it all as good times.
Recap of our week: Codie lost another tooth. She is pulling them all out herself with no crying or fuss. (I think she wants the $$$) Carson has started blaming Callie for things around the house that go wrong. (she is 10 months old) Callie is speed crawling and the smacking of her little hands on the tile is so funny. She is trying to let go and take a step but still likes her crawl. We all tried our best to watch conference and had dinner at Doyle and Barbs' on Sunday. Tom-car rides were had, we got to see Jared, Holly and Mallory and they sent us home with cupcakes!!
Delicious.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-24T22:59:00.001-06:00

2008-03-24T22:16:00.000-06:00

Cutest Family ever!!!

2008-03-24T22:14:00.000-06:00

Carson, Codie & Callie

Easter Weekend

2008-03-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

We had a busy weekend as usual. I always joke that you can sleep when you are dead, but some weekends it would be nice to rest a little.
We always have crazy Saturdays. Chet was working so my new neighbor Michelle and her son came with us to the city Easter egg hunt. I warned her it only lasts 10 seconds at the most. Funny that you start training your children just after Valentines how to pick those eggs up and get the most candy. My Carson has become a picky candy eater. So it was hilarious when I am trying to coach him and say " grab that and that one". He just stopped and looked at me and said "I don't want too many eggs because I don't like that kind of candy and I don't want any stickers." Kids are definitely too spoiled if they will turn down mass amounts of sugar. We had fun though and we were back home within a half hour of leaving. It was kind of a rush. Then I worked a little until we left for the Jazz game. Good game, lots of screaming!
Sunday was pretty dresses and outfits for the kids. We had family dinner and the weather was so nice. Hopefully we won't see snow anymore.

Spring?

2008-03-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

First Day of Spring?

It's winter in Utah
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At twenty-five below.
Oh, how I love Utah
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Utah
'Cause I'm frozen to the ground

Funny poem from someone else's blog.

2008-03-19T22:14:00.000-06:00

St Patricks day on the "Brooklyn Bridge"

Lots of bands playing U2 (a little irish I guess)

2008-03-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

"Fancy "Todai Japanese restaurant

2008-03-19T22:10:00.000-06:00

The Bellagio

Vegas Baby!!!

2008-03-19T21:46:00.000-06:00

I know it throws everyone off when I tell them we went to Las Vegas this weekend. Our ten year wedding anniversary is tommorow and we were supposed to go to Maui for our big Ten. We were talking about it all last year and then around Christmas time we started asking each other if we had made any arrangements. We had not picked a date, saved money, got a babysitter, nothing. So I said the most grown up thing I think I have ever said since "I do", I said lets just put our yard in and go next year. I really want nice grass again and shrubs and rocks. I was so spoiled at our last house to have grass done when we moved in. But it will make the wait worth it when my kids can stay outside to play and I won't have to sweep every night all the dirt that gets tracked in. So back to Vegas. We always get the winter blahs and head to St. George this time of year. But it has not been that warn there and gas prices are crazy. So I found a trip and we flew there with no children for the first time in our parenting years. We have left them overnight with grandparents but never for more than 18 hours. We stayed out late and slept in even later. We ordered room service for breakfast (another thing we have never done) and I took the longest shower in my whole life! (Sorry to waste water but once in my whole lifetime?) I am sure people who go to Vegas do a lot worse. We ate long dinners and went to a couple of shows. We walked and walked! We watched the Bellagio water show from the top of the Eiffel Tower at Midnight. This was such a fun trip for us to reconnect as a couple who got married because we were interesting to each other. We sometimes forget to check in with each other on that flirt level that brought us together in the first place. Some weeks we are "mom and dad" and that is great but we need to remember what started this whole thing we have here. So home again, tired and a few pounds heavier but very happy.

Activity Days

2008-03-13T22:08:00.000-06:00

Today was like a mad dash and the finish line just keeps getting moved. I had to work a little first thing this morning then my next appt cancelled. Sometimes that happens at just the right moment. I needed more time to slow the pace down a bit. We had activity days at the church and I had some of the students from Fran Brown come down to help the girls learn to style their hair and polish nails. The girls are very sweet. We have one girl in the group who didn't want anything done to her hair because she is"sporty". Isn't it funny at age 8 and 9 they are already labeling themselves and others. She finally did paint her nails but no hair.
Codie is not old enough but since her mom is a leader she usually gets to go and do what they all do. Carson and Callie go and sometimes I feel like i should get a sitter but I already abuse the parents enough. Activity days are also hard because I get home and dinner is now going to be late. I should do a crock pot but that would require planning. We ended up with gopher for dinner. That is where you "gopher" yourself and find something in the fridge to eat. I feel like a bad mom when we eat crappy but I try to make up for it later on in the week.
It was a pretty fun day and I am totally exhausted.

2008-03-13T22:04:00.000-06:00

Callie is on the move. She looks kinda like "Slimy" the worm on sesame street.

Weekend flash

2008-03-10T21:32:00.000-06:00

I swear when I was a kid, weekends lasted a long time. We had time to have a slumber party and go roller skating. Saturday we would clean inside or out. Go to the mall, a movie and dinner and still play until bed. Then Sunday was our rest day.
Now we see if we can get the house straightened a little before Sunday because the time has escaped us once again. We all felt pretty good this weekend. Yeah! Friday night my wonderful husband stayed home and babysat for me and my friend Stacy. We went to dinner. It doesn't sound like much but I needed it. Just to order and wait for my food. No bathroom trips or coloring on the menu. We talked about where our lives are going and what we have learned. I felt like I was in a movie where they talk about poetry and books written in french. I felt smart that I had something to contribute. We came back early and our kids didn't miss us at all.
Saturday was monster shopping day. If you know me you will know how exciting this next sentence is. Ross opened in Layton. No more driving to Bountiful! There is also a DSW shoe store that is very fun. My poor family tagged along for all my shopping adventure. They probably wanted to see if they could score an item or two for themselves. The sad thing is that when I shop it is almost always for them. We had a busy day and then Sunday we had to turn the clocks ahead so now it is Monday.

almost there

2008-03-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

I feel like we are almost there. Almost out of the sickness days that have been so much fun. Callie had RSV, and we had to avoid everyone and stay home. That is hard when you have two other kids who want friends over. Then just when we were in the clear, Codie gets a whopper of a virus. Sometimes I wonder if "virus" really means "I don't want to figure out what you have so go home and treat yourself". I really don't think that but it seems like you take your kids in to be on the safe side and it is a virus. But if you take them in after weeks of trying to get over a virus then it is something bad and the nurses look at you like you are the worst parent. I will just be better when it gets past scary sick season.
Tonight was a good night, my mom watched Carson and Callie while I went to enrichment night. She gets a kick out of my kids. And Callie is having a great time standing next to things (to hang on to) but she will scream because she can't figure out how to get back down. It goes by way too fast. Everyone says it. But it freaks me out.

2008-02-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

My little Mud Boy

When is is going to be Spring?

2008-02-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

We have been watching the snow melt very quickly off of our yard. While this means warm days are coming it also looks ugly. We have a dirt yard and it is not pretty green grass. So I almost would rather have a little snow to hide until we can plant grass. It has been tough on carson not being able to walk in the yard and stay out of trouble. I know I have a son, and boys naturally like dirt. I can handle dirt, just not mud. So everyone is getting cabin fever and trying to get over the last of the cold season. I work from home so even I am getting a little edgy sometimes. There are days when I want to go to the store just to wander. I have a really hard time scheduling time that i can do what i want. (This is very whiny of me but it's my blog) So I guess this is one of the many moments in my life where you think to yourself,"Hmmm, my mom and every other mom must have been so crazy when they were my age". I know I chose this life and I remind myself of that when I am struggling. I remind myself how lucky I am to have a good husband and a great bunch of kids. I sometimes have to repeat it over and over until I get over my mood of darkness.
I sure hope the sun comes out tomorrow!

Too much tv

2008-02-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

I usually make sure my kids don't spend a lot of time in front of the tv. But this winter weather is enough to melt their eye sockets right out. I didn't really notice until today. Codie got home from school and my neice came over. They were watching one of the kids channels that has Hannah Montana. My neice was singing every word and I almost said something to tease her that she knew the words so well when Codie belts out the next line and even did little dance moves to go along with it. I felt like a horrible parent, that she has spent that much time watching tv. But then sadly I thought how cute she looked and how she likes to sing any song she can get into her brain.
Carson repeats lines from commercials and every once in awhile he says one and has no idea what he is saying. The one he says a lot is "one call, that's all". He will hear someone talking about using the phone or saying the word call and he just mutters it. Funny and disturbing all at the same time.
I remember doing the same thing when I was little and I sort of turned out normal.
"Big mac, filet 'o fish, quarter-pounder, french fries, icy coke, thick shakes, sundaes and apple pies."
I know you know that commercial.

Death and Taxes

2008-02-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Sounds pretty grim, but the saying goes,"Only two thing in life you can count on, death and taxes". It really isn't that bad but I would rather go to the dentist than get my taxes done. At least at the dentist they give you something to numb you up for the pain and you maybe even watch a little tv.
After that the day went better. Callie is crawling. She was just doing push ups a few weeks ago and no she zooms across the room. Every child (at least of ours) knows the remote is important and to try to get it at all times. Funny how it is almost a born instinct. Codie had a report in school to do on rattlesnakes. (Thanks barb and doyle) She wanted to show a skin from a snake but instead had to settle for a really crafty looking poster that I helped her make. Oh, ok so I let her glue the pages on the poster that I had fun making. I miss easy stuff like making posters and playing with markers and glue. I can't wait to see what kind of grade we got on it! Carson is so lucky he gets to hang with me alllllllllllll day! He usually rolls out of his jammies around 10am and starts checking his options for play friends for the day. He is so funny because he will always ask what time he has to be home and he does not know how to tell time. I am thinking he probably tells the mom what time to send him home. He is just very responsible for such a little guy. Some days nothing much happens, and those are probably the good days.

An unexpected day

2008-02-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

When you are a mom, there is no such thing as days off. You can turn in all the unused sick leave and vacation time you want but the laundry will pile up and the babies will still cry. So today started out busy and then a weird thing happened. People cancelled appointments (which does make me sad) and left me with the rest of my day to do things that i really needed to do.
When I get a day or really an hour that is mine to control, my mind races like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what to do first. My first thought is always to leave. I love our home, but it has been a long winter and I avoid dragging the kids to the store as much as possible. That is probably why I end up at Wally world on a friday night at midnight and come home two hours later. Anyways, I wanted to wander Target, or old Navy and then I thought of the laundry and the Tax appointment coming up and I did the very grown up thing and started our tax prep. It is like doing homework from highschool. It has to be done and it is not that hard, I just don't want to do it. So I didn't leave and find some treasure but I did relax and dress comfy. I let the kids run and play and when Chet got home we had had a pretty good day.

Weekend?

2008-02-18T22:20:00.001-07:00

What weekend? The weekends fly by so fast and we try to cram so much into them, so come Monday we are exhausted.
This past friday Chet and i went dancing. Oh i know the hubby doesn't look like a Mambo king, but he knows what is good for his marriage. We have fun dancing because he doesn't know how and he doesn't mind me showing him. I always make him look good. It is better than a movie or even dinner, because for a few hours you get to be right in each others arms and there are no distractions. Every word i speak is heard. Not always listened to, but it is heard. There are wonderful couples to take a look at too. Beautiful white-haired couples that have danced through the war, through children, and some i bet great- grandchildren. They glide onto the floor knowing the step of their partner as well as their own. They take proper position, giving support to each other. Then they add their own touch of combinations and moves and it becomes a story. I could watch some of the couples and see the love and tenderness between them. It was beautiful.

2008-02-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Happy "Valentimes"

2008-02-14T22:59:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning there was a buzz in the house of love. Everyone had made or bought something for everyone else. It was cute to have secrets to share with the kids as they helped pick a card or candy. We try to let the kids know that presents are for birthdays and Christmas, but a box of candy and a card is a fun treat. Chet and Codie picked a DVD "The Princess Bride". Several (10) years ago I took a class to prepare for marriage. The instructor (very serious type) asked on the first day what brought us here together today. Several students tried to explain their situation in dating or courtship. Finally thinking of a line from the movie, I blurted out "Mawage" (marriage). Totally embarassed but that was the answer he was looking for. Funny even now for a teacher who was supposed to have all these important answers about such a huge decision, and he started the class off with a joke. Maybe we all need to laugh a little more.
That movie came out 20 years ago! It seem like just a few years ago we were all pretending to sword fight and annoy everyone with that line from the movie "you killed my father, prepare to die!"
So now as my kids wonder what this movie is about, I get a little excited to find some time maybe this weekend to watch it together.
In the words of Carson Rebel Talbot "Happy Valentimes!"

2008-02-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

In the beginning....

2008-02-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

In the beginning I thought I would never figure this blog thing out. Or have anything to say. (I always have enough to say, but why write it down? ) Because I am human, and I have a terrible memory. Family and friends have shown me that it is fun and even a little theraputic to write things down.
So here goes, a journal of our life. The ups and downs of raising a family.
The title "Happy we will be" comes from a silly song that I sing when no one is around. I sing it to Callie, just like I have sung it to my other kids. I love to sing silly songs when no one is watching. So, sing along with me....In a cabin, in the woods a little old man by the window stood, saw a rabbit hopping by knocking at the door. Help me! Help me! Help me! he said, Or the hunter will shoot me dead, "Come little rabbit come with me, Happy we will be."
I never said my songs are normal, just silly, and they make me happy.