Foe Toe Time

It's late, my brain is no longer worth much, and my creative juices have completely evaporated, but....I just took some pics off my camera so I will post some. I posted some of these to my facebook too, sorry for the repetition. Caution: Extremely Random!
I know,I know, how ghetto am I to let him play in the front yard in his tighty whitey's? Well, after the 15th clothes change, I didn't even care anymore!

Tell me how perfect his hair would have been in 1991- shave off the sides, lather on the gel and ta-da, the sweetest "permed mullet" on the planet! He belongs on the beach in Cali doesn't he?

Lilies make me happy!

Jourden has perfected the tan! Better work on those lines!

Totally "bathed" in the dirt right before bed. Gotta love a trailer with a tub!

Not a speck of clean on the boy!

Ash and Julian fishing like "REAL MEN" bare-handed!



"fishing" in the spillway, they actually caught a lot of fish without poles.

Feels good to get soaked during the day.

Everyday occurance. Better than the other everyday occurance; torture, torture, punch!

Shae after girls camp. Too exhausted to even match!
Her face was buried in the couch, her arm was totally contorted, and her towel had just fallen off her head. She loved it!

DEAR......

You are so shocked that I am back right? I know, I know, just calm yourself and be ready for an interesting post. I need to express myself here for a minute.

Dear Disneyland,

I long to be near you! Oh how much I miss you. Soon my friend, soon.

From, H

Dear Metabolism,

You are totally LAME!!

From, H

Dear Summer,

I know I begged you to get here for many months, but ease up a little, you are coming on a little strong! PS I don't appreciate you totally ignoring spring. You and winter need to discuss.

From, H

Dear Chocolate,

Why? I love you so very dearly, why don't you love me back!

From, H

Dear Weeds,

I hate you-go away!

From, H

Dear Money,

Why are you avoiding me? I treat you so well, but leave me so quickly!

From, H

Dear Children,

Please STOP the madness!! You make me scream and the neighbors may call the cops any day now!

From, H

Dear Mom,

I am sorry!!! (refer to last post)

From, H

Dear Fat,

I hate you the most of all, I have never liked you, why are you still here!! You and money need to switch places. This would make me happy!!

From, H

Dear Beach,

I can hear you now, when can we meet again? Please discuss with both Fat and Money, and get back to me. Thanks

From, H

Dear Good Book,

Why do you turn me into a worthless Mother and Wife? We should just get along!

From, H

Dear Diet Dr Pepper,

You are OK, I do miss your sugar filled sister though. She is delicious!

From, H

Dear Sleep,

I LOVE you!

From, H

Dear Blog,

Sorry I abandoned you for so long, I am a loser!

From, H

Dear United States,

You the best, I love you, I hope you can survive the next 2.5 year.

From, H

Dear Shopping,

I miss you!

From,H

Dear Laundry,

I despise you! How do you multiply so fast? Please teach Money!

From, H

Dear Husband,

You are AMAZING!

From, H

Dear Children (again. they never listen the 1st time anyway!!)

You are my EVERYTHING!!

From, H

Dear Utah,

Why don't you smell like Hawaii?

From, H

Dear Pioneers,

UNBELIEVABLE!! Endlessly amazed by you.

From, H

Dear Maldives,

We will have an amazing love affair someday!

From, H

Dear Exercise,

I am HOT, maybe we can meet up tomorrow.

From, H

Ta Ta for now!!

Gone...and I never even found it!

Christmas is over already!!!! I had been trying to get the "spirit" of Christmas, couldn't quite capture it with the time I had, and wha-la...over! I am truly shocked at how fast the holidays came this year, and even more shocked that they are over already. I don't know if I am the only one that feels it, but I swear Heavenly Father is speeding up time so all the wicked and bad things can happen before Jesus comes. I remember "old" people talking about how fast time flies, but this is just overkill! I actually hate it knowing that the time I have with my kids as "kids" is in super-ultra-mondo-quick-speed. I want to work harder at being a good Mom an not a crazy loon that doesn't have fun with them, or play and enjoy their childhood. That being said, I'm pretty sure God knows what he is doing, and little ol' me can't do a dang thing about it! I guess all I can do is try to be better and enjoy them when I can.

We had a fantastic Christmas as usual. I always go into panic mode that we won't be able to keep up with our past years gifts, or won't get them enough, then after they mayhem of opening and exchanging, I am a little disappointed in myself for going overboard. Our tree had so many gifts under it on Christmas morn, Geoff and myself were a little guilty looking at it when we went to bed that eve. He is such an amazing and thoughtful husband, especially at Christmas, he always knows what I want, but won't get it if I ask. He always surprises and pleases me! Love him! He got me painting classes and all the supplies, which really means one night a week of relaxing time for myself to relieve some stress. I am really pumped about this. I won't go on about all the presents I received, but I must admit I was SPOILED once again. The kids were also VERY blessed with an awesome Christmas this year. I am just disappointed I missed out on the feeling I was looking for, maybe next year I will look for it a little earlier!

Seeing the room FULL of gifts before coming down stairs (Ashtons face really says it all!)

Ash getting one of the guns he asked for (we had a serious arsenal at our house: Geoff- a very "war-like" assault rifle, Shae- a pink stock 10-22, Ashton- a rifle, 2 pistols, an army gun and 6 real pocket knives, Jourden- an army gun and a pistol...note Geoff and Shae's real, Ashton and Jourdens- not real)

Uh...can I start to open these now or what?!

THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, AND ABUNDANTLY BLESSED!

I am going to ramble here for a while because, well, I just feel like it! I have a facebook account, and some of my friend and relatives there are doing a "what I am thankful for" post each day. I pondered doing this challenge, but decided I didn't want to, not because it would get difficult towards the end (this is what people posted in their challenge, that is gets hard toward the end of the month after posting for 3 weeks) but because I knew I wouldn't be able to post ALL I am thankful for in just 30 days or less. I have never kept a gratitude journal, but have often thought how easy it would be for me to think of something everyday to be grateful for. Maybe if I was actually writing it down it we be more challenging than thinking it in my head, but it seems like a cake walk to do that everyday. I can't possibly post about EVERYTHING here, but I am going to consolidate into categories and see if I can keep this rather short!



My testimony and beliefs in what is important in life. I can't imagine going through the everyday tasks of life, and wondering what will happen to me or those I love when we pass on. I can't fathom life without prayer, I can't comprehend the thought of life without a loving Father who wants happiness for me and cares about me more than I could ever understand. I don't know if I would ever leave my home or let my children out a 10 foot radius of me, if I didn't know the plan of salvation...can't imagine I would.



My amazing and ever-loving family. From my "best-on-the-planet" parents, to my fantastic husband, I have THE absolute no if-and's-or-but's about it greatest family ever!!! I have been blessed with awesome children whom I love dearly and treasure as my greatest gift. Shae is an amazing daughter who is kind and smart and responsible. Ashton is adorable and hilarious and loving. Jourden is sweet and goofy and affectionate. I love them all SO very much, I couldn't imagine life without any one of them. Geoff is the greatest partner I could ever desire. He is an awesome Dad and my best friend. We are true "soul-mates" (for lack of a better word). My Mom and Dad are perfect parents and I owe them credit for any "good" attributes I may have, (I actually credit them for a lot more than that, cause that's not a whole lot to brag about!) I could go on about my sisters and brother, and my Grandparents and such, but just know I love them also and cherish my great relationships with all of them.

I am ever grateful for the United States of America. For those brave souls who have made it the greatest country ever, and those who still show their bravery daily to keep it that way. As scary as the future looks to me, and as many freedoms and liberties I see deteriorating, I know this country is still the greatest, and I love all it stands for and allows me in my everyday life. God bless the USA!

I am thankful to be me. I know that sounds weird because I am sure no one reading this would ever want to be me, and sometimes I am not to fond of the idea either, but I truly love being who I am, where I am, and how I am. I love being able to walk and talk and breath and smell and taste and touch and hear and see. I love my body (as hideous as it may be!!) I love doing all I can with it and having "it" each day is a gift. You never know when the time will come that your body is through. I am sure I could be much happier if I took better care of my body, but none the less, I love all the things this flesh and bone blob allows me to enjoy.

I think I will stop now, although my mind is just flowing with gratitude that I would love to share. I am SO eternally grateful, thankful and blessed to have such an abundant life. My cornucopia flows over with so much. Most of the time, I don't even deserve it!

Halloween

The cute Kiddos on Halloween.
Shae...beautiful as ever Alice in Wonderland
Ashton...killer clown did an amazing job in the clown shoes!
Jourden...vampire who scared himself when he looked in the mirror, started crying and jacked-up the make-up job, so funny! Even funnier, he was sportin' a ponytail!




Shae and Geoff went to a Daddy-Daughter-Dinner a few days before Halloween and looked really cute. I think they were both awesome considering they were seriously last minute costumes. They had a great time and had a lot of fun together.

I'm Alive!

I'm sure you all thought I was dead, but here I am still kickin! Life has been a whirlwind of crazy for us for the past three months or so, and blogging was not picked up in that twister. There have been really good, and not so great things in life, but through it all I have come to the conclusion, you make your own happiness. I find myself looking at others a lot and saying, Why are they so lucky? Why do they have everything managed so perfectly? Why are they blessed with it all? I very soon correct my thinking on those idiotic thoughts. And often times I find myself saying, Why do they have such a sad family life? Why is she given so many trials? Why were thay sent to that sad situation? Some things we are given as a challenge for our own good, others, a consequence of our actions, but it all boils down to, you make your own happiness. Wherever you are in life, down and out, or up on top of it all, it is my conclusion that you make yourself happy. Create what you will with what you have and you can have it ALL!
Enough of the sacrament meeting talk. I was actually hiding under a rock for over a month. We were without television (it has been a year now since we have been without that one-eyed monster and I am thriving- go figure!) without newspaper, without Internet and the only news source I had was 5 minutes here and there of FOX radio (conservative talk shows) in my car. I was pretty clueless about trivial things and worldly gossip and such, but I didn't really mind. My Mom would inform me here and there of death's and such, but I can say I was mostly in the dark. And guess what, I was Okay! I am grateful to have the Internet back, but we will stick with our boycott of trashy TV and just watch movies here and there. My kids are fine and haven't complained once about it. Maybe now that I think about it, I am reverting back to the good ol' days like it was when I was little. We played outside a lot more than kids do now. My kids are always asking to go play with friends outside, I love that! This next "thing" is pretty funny, but it does point back to the good ol' days too. We have chickens! Yes, we now have 14 hens in a coop in our back yard! My kids put on their rubber boots and go get the eggs everyday. I have wanted to have chickens for a long time and we finally have some. I feel like a farmer sometimes when I go out there and step in "it" but, guess what...that isn't that bad either! I am sure sounding weird aren't I ! Who would have thought, no TV, kids outside, and chickens in my yard! That twister I was in must have dropped me in 1952! I think I'll stay a while, I kind of like it here.

Us on the Oregon coast, a wonderful vacation in the middle of the CRAZINESS! (Please ingore the "humidity hair").... impossible!!!!

Love the Mountains

We finally had our first camping trip of the summer last weekend. YEAH!! We are definitely a family of campers. Only in our trailer, if we were still tent camping, that would be another story. I love nature, I am so appreciative of my surroundings here in SO Utah. How blessed we are to be in amazingly beautiful surroundings in 15 minutes or less. I also love camping because my awesome hubby is a pro. He loves it, cooking, planning, cleaning-up, he pretty much takes care of it all. That makes if fun in itself, I kind of take a break from the servant I feel like I am sometimes (not from him, but my kids). We didn't have the ATVs this trip, but Shae decided she was going to drive something anyway and had her first real driving experience...SCARY! She took the Dodge Dually for a spin around the campsite with Dad as the passenger, and crazy Uncle Greg on the back of the flat-bed! He isn't that bright apparently. She learned the sensitivity of the brakes and he learned he could do a backward somersault-awesome. She was actually on the road when a truck came up the road and had to pass her, good thing it wasn't a Forest Ranger! We dined on delectable dishes, played LOTS of hands of rummy while listening to rolling thunder, sat for hours around the mesmerizing fires, had good conversation with Geoff's great family, caught fish, slept in and loved every minute. Can't wait to go back next weekend. This time in our bigger better trailer that Geoff is on a trek to get as we speak. I made him go all the way to Denver to get it this morning, I am SO excited!!

11 Year old's first driving lesson...Greg on for the ride....what an idiot! Love him anyway.

My cute Shae learning the ropes like a farm girl.

Ashton, Geoff and Shae around the cozy fire (first night was a little chilly)

PLEASE don't report me to CPS, yes I let my 3 year old use a hatchet!

Geoff checking the coals for the YUMMY chicken.

Jourden trying to keep his hotdog safe from Rilo