Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Here are our pictures of the kids enjoying the snow we got last Sunday. I must admit it more fun to play in the snow than the rain. We went sledding and had a blast. The next morning we all woke up a little sore though. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Don't forget Zac's birthday is on the 30th...he will be 11....sniff, sniff. He is already getting that preteen 'tude. Just waiting for the crackling voice and pimples. BRING ON THE GRAY HAIR!

Saturday"s Swimmeet

Here are some picutres of the kids swimmeet on Saturday. They had a blast! Zac did a 200 free and a 50 breast. Zac came in first in his heat in the breast. Toni did a 100 free and 50 back. Sadly, Toni was DQ'ed on account of letting her foot touch the ground when she turned around on the backstroke! She was bummed but still had a great time. Do you love her red swim cap?

I get so nervous at their meets...sometimes I wonder who gets more nervous me or them?

Nothing to write about

I don't really have anything to write about today. Zac stayed home from school today because he is "sick". I think he is just sick of school and the Brittany girl he has to sit by that bugs him to death. Tomorrow both Zac and Toni have their first swim meet here in Utah at the Cottonwood Heights Rec Center. This is Toni's first ever and she is so nervous! She has been since I signed her up last Wednesday. Hopefully I will remember my camera and take lots of pictures to share with you.
Have a fantastic day!

I am grounded

Ok, yesterday I finished our christmas shopping. Yeah !! But today I have to finish my christmas cards. So on Tuesday I was walking out of a Cabellas and these 2 guys whistled at me. Secretly I smiled to myself because I got whistled at. I didn't dare look back a t them because I didn't want to see what they looked like. In my mind I wanted to imagine it was Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas (cuz you know they hang out alot together at Cabellas in Lehi, UT). So that night I told Dan about my whistle. He asked me if it was more of a cat call whistle or was it more of a calling the dog whistle because there may have been a dog near by and they were calling their dog. How RUDE!! He is just jealous! Actually we both laughed and I told him in my mind it some gorgeous guy .....that was probably leagally blind. Like Toni once reminded me when Dan said I was a "Hottie" she promptly responded with "Dad, she is a Mommy not a Hottie"! She also told me that I look good only one third of the day. It's a good thing I have all these people around me to keep me grounded.

4.5 Christmas Tree

So we finally got our Christmas tree on Saturday. After going to several places, we decided to go to Smith's (yes the grocery store). When we got there we saw a couple carrying out a tree and putting it on top of their car. So we all unloaded and went to get ours. What we didn't realize was that they bought the very last tree Smith's had. We were running out of time because I had to get the ham to church in 20min. So we went looking around at their artificial tree selection and that's when we found it! A 4.5 foot artificial Christmas tree on sale for $20.00! What a deal right? So we got it. It is the saddest most pathetic tree ever! Toni cried over it. We got it home and the kids decorated it with all of their ornaments. On Sunday we strung popcorn and put it in the tree. The best part is the angel who tops our tree. The kids love it and had a blast with our goofy 4' 5", $20.00 pathetically sad artificial tree.

Zeke's cool hair doo for the ward Christmas Party.

This is what he is doing now...I love it.

Feeling Blue

After I was done blogging yesterday I was feeling blue...and no I wasn't holding my breath. So I decided that I put everything else off (except vacuuming) and put up some Christmas Decorations. Zeke and I put lights up on the outside of the house (avery sad attempt I might add). When I got out the ladder and was about to climb up it, Zeke informed me that I couldn't get up on the ladder because I wasn't a Dad. Then we put up a wreath and a snowman wall hanging. Zeke then put some Christmas window clings. And Toni got out her giant nutcracker she won at a party with mom. So, it's starting to look like Christmas here. We had a great day!

Last night I got a phone call from Bro. ? from the activities committee letting me know that I could pick up the ham I signed up to cook for the ward Christmas party at his house tomorrow evening. Then he proceeds t tell me his address, that he lives in the twin home area and I would know his house by the 2 spiral Christmas trees on the side of the house. I thought this was so funny because I opened my front door to see that he lives directly across the driveway from me. I even said "Hi" to him earlier when I went outside to take this picture of our lights....he was putting up his spiral Christmas trees.
This is how far apart we live.

Sometimes I love not being known.

I am not going to win anyway

Ok... this isn't fair. I haven't checked any e-mail or blogs in some time so here it is the 7th of December and I just found out about this. I wouldn't win anyway. I just breezed through everybody's blogs and I have just decided that I am boring. This is probably why I do not blog. Boring and busy! That's my life. The most exciting thing in my day is when I empty the canister to the vaccum and I get to see all the dirt and dog hair the vacuum collected every time I vacuum. Oh and checking the mail. I love to check the mail but it usually a bill or my next netflix movie. Watch out cuz' we get crazy around here!

So, like I said, it is the 7th of December, and I haven't bought one present, pulled out 1 single christmas decoration, put up our tree or even done a single christmas card. Talk about being a bah humbug! This little condo we are in has absolutly no room for a tree. I suggested to Dan that we put it front of our front door and just not use our front door. He said that would be funny to have to open up our garage door when people come to our house. Not that anybody comes to our house ever so I don't see this as a problem. This is Dan's year to pick a tree because every year he says we should get a Charlie Brown tree, the one that nobody else would pick in the lot and take it home and love it. Every year I say no and get the tallest, fullest, most perfectly shaped tree I can bare to pay for. This year we only have room for a tree that is possibly 5-6 ft tall and about 2 ft in diameter with a budget of about $15.00. Not to mention the fact that I have absolutly no idea where we are going to hang stockings from with no fireplace to be seen in here. I am just waiting for the questions from my kids about how Santa is going to get in. Wish us luck!

I know this is not much of a blog but, I have million things to get done today and still none of it involves christmas. ( But I will vacuum again today!)

Moving?!

I know that I am very lame and haven't blogged in a very long time and I offer no excuses besides that I am a mom of 3 and lead a very busy life and I had to give a talk last Sunday and I got called to be a primary teacher and I have had back to school shopping and we are Toni's soccer coach and etc. But none of that matters because I said I wasn't going to give any excuses. But the reason for this blog (as if I really need to write this...and everybody doesn't know already) is to confirm what you are hearing. Yes we are moving...and yes to Utah! We have decided to hang our hats up (or should I say umbrellas) out here and go back to Utah to start all over again. This wasn't my first choice as a place to go, probably not even my 5th choice but it is what it is. Who knows maybe I will learn to love all the brown out there, it will definatly be a change from the lush green out here. I do know that I will enjoy seeing the sun more. That's all I can do for right now.
~Kristy

Part 2 of May

Zeke also had a field trip with this preschool to the local fire department. What a blast! He loved sitting in and climbing on that big red truck. Then the veteran firemen made the rookie dress up in all his fireman gear...mask, oxygen and all. (See what you have to look foreword to Alex?) Some kids cried but Zeke thought it was so cool because he sounded like Darth Vader(which is what he wants to be when he turns 5). Zeke has decided that when he grows up he is going to jump out of airplanes and be a fireman!
We also had record breaking heat in May. It got up to 100 degrees and the upper 90's which is very unusual for this area especially in May. So we took advantage of it and went swimming at Mom & Dad's place. The kids had a blast. By the end of the month we were back in sweatshirts and jeans. Crazy place!


Then we had a very special birthday at our house. Toni turned 8!! We had a birthday party here at the house. She got to invite 2 friends and take them horseback riding. After that we came back to the house where she met up with her other friends and ate pizza, cake (which I made in the shape of a horse shoe but it turned out so disgusting nobody would eat it!) & ice cream, opened presents. Then they all got to decorate and paint a picture frame for their party favors. After all this excitement, they watched movies and had a slumber party. The next morning Toni & I went shopping with Grandma for her baptism dress. Grandma bought her a CTR ring and she got her very own set of scriptures from Dan & I. That afternoon she headed out to go see a Seattle Mariners game with her dad, but got 45 minutes into the drive up to Seattle and decided she had enough partying for the weekend! On Sunday Grandma & Grandpa came over to have edible cake and ice cream. This is when she got her big present which was her guitar! She loves to play it while listening to Hillary Duff or Lindsey Lohan. Whew! What a weekend!

Then we got prepared to have Toni baptized. She was baptized on Saturday, June 3, 2006. What a great day. She looked so beautiful in her white dress. After she was baptized she just glowed. We are so proud of the young lady is becoming. I am so happy she chose me to be her mom.

More to come...

Little Bits at a Time

So I know it has been a long time since I have done any blogging and if I tried to tell you all that has been keeping me busy through this last month, my blog would be be at least 30 pages long and I am sure nobody would want to read it anyway. So, I decided that I will tell a couple of things at a time, while posting pictures of each occasion that I took with my new camera I got for mother's day...which by the way was a fantastic day.
Here is the beginning of a small recap of what went on in May:

1) Zac did a science project on the effects sugar, coke and water had on your teeth:

I ....oops I mean "he" put in a lot of work on this. He did a great job, he is such a great student! Click on the picture to see the poster closer it is pretty good.

2) Zac also earned his webelos badge and several other merit badges and is well on his way to earning his arrow of light:


We went on several scout outings:

3) We went to the Portland Zoo and got to see a bald eagle up close...VERY COOL and we also got to see a peacock do it's thing with it's feathers which the kids also thought was fun:



4) We also got to hike 2 miles to the top (and back down again) of Multnomah Falls with over 20 boyscouts and Zeke and Toni...this was a real treat! It is any wonder that I have any sanity left? We made it to the top though!














5) Zeke started playing soccer and he loves it. I love this picture because it shows just how short he is! If you are wondering he is the one in the middle. He is doing really well, although the first time they scrimaged he cried. Sad, I know, but I bribed him with a cheesebuger and he went back out on the field.

So, I will start with this and pick back up again later. It is late.......

My Dedication To Mother's

I can't believe it is May already. I am trying to figure out what took up all my time over the last couple of weeks that I didn't have time to read any blogs much less update mine.

Lets see, I painted my kitchen what was supposed to be a creamy yellow that turned out instead to be a bright lemon yellow so I repainted it "Roxbury Caramel". It turned out much better. I also painted a hallway and helped Zac get his Webelos badge. Toni has had several more horseback riding lessons, Zeke started soccer and had a field trip to the firestation. I finally got the contractor to come back out and move the rock that he put in the wrong place almost 2 years ago, which I dug out all by myself, I moved a tree and planted a new tree. I also planted my hanging baskets, annuals and perennials through out my yard (which one of my dogs decided to dig up and rip to shreds 4 of the 6 Gerbera Daisy's that I had planted). Toni had a music program last week and her birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. She is turning 8 which means I am preparing to have a baptism the first saturday in June, and I have to teach relief society in 2 weeks. Zac and Toni both have field trips I am commited to going to next week and Zac is doing a science project ( which means I am doing a science project) that is due on the 16th. On top of all the normal things like laundry, grocery shopping, balancing the checkbook, changing pee'd beds, cooking, vacuuming, dishes and etc., my father-in-law has been in town for almost 2 weeks, and I managed to fit in cleaning, reorganizing and unpacking the office which included moving my 2 heavy wood filing cabinets all by myself up from down stairs and I am trying to find the time to squeeze in watching the season finally of my only me time shows, Grey's Anatomy and Lost! (Anybody else watch either of those?)

Whew! I am not complaining...this is just my life and I would not trade it for the world.

While I was reorganizing my office I came across pictures of my kids when they were younger. Some of these pictures were of when Toni was a baby and later when she was in ballet, Zac was playing t-ball and soccer and Zeke was a chubby, red headed baby that was (and still is) a fireball. Tears came to my eyes when I looked back at my babies because they are all growing up so fast. I realized that I have always been the luckiest wife and mom ever to have had a husband that has always provided a way for me to have been there for all those memories that have been made, lessons that were taught, sleepless nights, rushed trips to the bathrooms, soccer games, swim lessons, emergency room visits, kissing boo-boos of the knees and hearts of all three of my children.

I would scrub toilets, pick up toys over and over again and do all those things that I dread doing forever, just to have the opportunity to be a mom for my kids, just to be able to continue to see their faces looking back at me in the rear view mirror as we go to the many activities they have. It is what makes my life worth living. I am honored to answer to the name of "Mom".

A special Thank you to my mom who showed me so much love, who sacrificed so much to always be there for me, who is a huge part of my own memories as a child and has always been an amazing example of how a mother should be. You are my hero. A huge thank you to my husband and kids for being so forgiving of me and loving of me "in spite of". Thank you to my Father in Heaven for blessing me with my 3 beautiful children. I look forward to the continued time I have with my kids, because I know before too long when I look in my rear view mirror, they will have grown up.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have had and who will have these same experiences.

Toni, Horses & Dogs. Oh, My!

Today is Tuesday which in our family means horseback riding day. She is our little cowgirl complete with boots and all. (which is fine with me because the longer she is interested in horses the longer boys are not in the radar...plus she smells like a horse when she is done with the lessons and I do think that will keep most boys away) Every tuesday, since October, Toni gets to take a one hour lesson which she looks forward to every week. She has learned so much! She now knows how to clean out thier hooves, brush, bridle and almost sadle a horse. She is a natural. Toni has accomplished the rising trot, trotting and she has even been able to canter a couple of times! The other day, I even put a bridle on! That is saying alot for this city girl! I felt good about this for days!

(dosen't she look great?!)

Toni would really like to get a horse with the money she has been saving for the last 7 years of her little life, but we have nowhere to put one. Zeke suggested that we get a crate like we have for our dogs and it could sleep in our garage. I love how little kids minds work! We want to give her one but just can't for obvious reasons, which, as most parents do, makes us feel bad because she love it so much. So, Dan thought she should be able to get a dog. That would mean 3 dogs at our house. This didn't sound like a very good idea to me, so we decided instead that Toni would be able to adopt my dog, Sam. Believe it or not she agreed to this idea and now Sam is offically her dog. He even sleeps in her room. Dan took Toni on a special date Saturday night. They went to dinner (she got to pick and she choose Olive Garden) and then they took Sam to Petsmart (is it Pets Mart or Pet Smart? This is Zachary's favorite question) where she bought him a new collar and some toys, and treats with her own money. She came home beaming from ear to ear! Hopefully, this will keep the horse in the garage idea at bay for a little while and the keep the money from burning a hole in her pocket.

My Birthday

I had a great 32nd birthday this year! I told Dan that all I wanted this year for my birthday was a sunny day and he delivered! With a little help from above I suppose! Anyway, we went to the tulip festival again this year. I think I am going to make this an annual tradition. The only small downer of the day was that because it has been so cold this year, there were not many tulips blooming. Oh, well the sun and the cheesecake did make up for it. I did order some tulip bulbs for my garden so that will be fun for next year. I couldn't of asked for a better day. Thanks to all those who remembered me on my birthday this year....I won't mention the ones who didn't (Calixta & Ciria). I feel the love! JK.

It all started with the pinewood derby

It had been quite some time since I have posted anything. We have been really busy around here. It all started with the pinewood derby!

Here is some quick background....This is the third year that Zac ahas been in scouts. The very first year Dan and Zac put off doing his pine wood until a couple of days before the race. Because of that, they had a very basic wedge shaped car. On race night they were pretty excited to see how it held up compared to the other competitors of the race. Soon it was very clear that the car was a bomb! Zac was disappointed and Dan felt bad that it had all gone so badly...Especially since the cars that were doing so well were the ones with batteries taped to the top or loose change hot glued to the car, so he vowed to Zac that next year they would learn everything they needed to know to make a fast car.

Fast forward to the second year... (Disclaimer: if you read any further you are here by sworn to secrecy and I will never speak to you again if this information EVER gets back to Zac.) Dan and Zac searched the internet for pinewood derby "secrets". They bought this video and when it came they watched over and over and then they went out and bought hundreds of dollars in tools. They worked on this car for 2 weeks straight...Polishing, sanding, shaping, painting, weighing, aligning and then doing a series of test runs and measurements of distance. It was completed the night before the race. The next morning, the day of the race, Zac left it on the kitchen counter. I asked him if he thought that was a safe place to leave it and he said yes. After he left to school, I came home and decided to move it, fearing that where he left it, it would surely get broken. So, I picked it up and started to go put it in a safer place when, you guessed it, I dropped it and it broke in half! Aaaaagggghhhh!!!! What did I do? First I used several @#*! type words, then panic set in, then I cried. I hurried and grabbed the wood glue, touch up paint and the hair dryer. I fixed it so you couldn't see the damage. By this time I had called Dan, he came home to evaluate the damage and we both decided never to mention this to Zac. We went to the race that night and surprisingly the car did very well and he came in third place in his troop. Which made it more clear that Zac could never know what happened because if I hadn't broke it, he might have won 1st place.

This brings up to date......
Zac and Dan started again on the pinewood and doing much of the same stuff (just a different design change) worked on the pinewood derby for a little over a week and again completed the car the night before race day. At 9:30 pm all that needed to be done was insert the wheels. Zac went to bed and Dan and I were reliving last year when I asked him about a certain design issue. I predicted that because the weight was so far in the back, with the original wheel placement, once the wheels were attached the car would do a constant wheelie. Dan quickly put on the wheels to see that I was correct and attempted to make a quick and easy correction of moving the wheels back further and all problems would be corrected. Easy, right? Wrong! When Dan drilled new holes, the bottom of the car crumbled! So, here we were, 11:30 pm, deciding what to do. Like any good parent would do, we hid the car and decided we try to fix it in the morning. Zac and Toni left for school and Dan & I raced to the Boy Scout store picked up a new kit and spent the next 5 hours rebuilding the car. When it was time for the kids to come home, we were not done yet. I picked up the kids and I had to tell Zac what happened. He said "That's ok mom, at least we had fun building the proto-type"! What a sweet boy. Anyway, we raced home and once again I was blow drying the paint dry. We finished minutes before we had to leave. Zac came in 4th in his pac. All is well!

Which brings us back to why I haven't blogged in awhile. As a result of the record time pace of building a worthy pinewood, our garage was in shambles! So much so, we couldn't even pull one of our cars into the garage. The next Saturday, Dan pulled everything out of the garage to clean and reorganize. After everything was out on the driveway and in my entryway he decided to paint the garage. Fine, but this meant that most everything stayed on our driveway and entryway for 2 days! When we were finished he decided that before he put everything back he wanted to paint the concrete floor....But he couldn't do this before next weekend. So everything we didn't care about getting stolen stayed on our driveway and everything we did not want to get stolen was in my entryway until the following weekend. We painted our floor but we had to wait an additional 2 days for it to dry completely before we put everything back into the garage. People that came to the house literally had to walk over weedeaters, navigate through misc. power tools and around the dog crate. My freezer was in front of the house plugged in outside, which made it very convenient to find my way out the front door to get a pound of hamburger out for dinner! We looked like WT! Even mom said so when she came over on Sunday. Thanks, mom. Well, to put an end to this long boring story, everything is put back...finally...after 2 weeks! Wouldn't you love to be our neighbors?