Temple Square

Last weekend we went down to Brett's family Christmas party. After the party, we followed tradition, and went to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. We rode the Trax system in (Parker thought this was really cool) and walked to temple square. It was beautiful and surprisingly warm. This was one of the first years that we were able to wander around at a leisurely pace and enjoy. Although the night had it's ups and downs (as anything involving our children does), we hope that it's the kind of holiday activity that our children will remember!

Santa Sacks

This year I was in charge of a project through Heart Expressions called Santa Sacks. Heart Expressions is a non-profit organization that puts together sacks of gifts and goodies for children that otherwise might not have a Christmas. Last year I helped with this project on a much smaller scale. I gathered the names of the children in need from our school, submitted them to Heart Expressions and helped assemble the bags. This summer, the lady who was in charge of the project for Logan City School District moved. She called and asked me to take it over. I of course said, "no, thank you for thinking of me, but I can't do it." I'm not sure exactly what happened (I do know that guilt was involved), but I ended up doing it. Now that we are almost through this Holiday season, I can say that I'm really happy that I did it! We have been working on this project for a couple of months now, sorting through supplies, raising money and purchasing items for the sacks. Each sack is filled with a fleece blanket, an outfit, a pair of p.j.'s, socks & underwear, a book, a toy and a goodie bag. I had a really great group of university students that helped me this year. They needed to do a service project for a class they were taking. We met two weeks ago and assembled almost 100 sacks. It was a great project, although it really wiped me out. I was sick through the last couple of weeks of the project and when I finally went to the doctor he diagnosed me with pneumonia. I've been trying to recover ever since!

Swim Team

I don't know if I mentioned it, but Savanna has joined the High School Swim Team. We are really proud of her. Her first official swim meat was on Saturday (it was 6 hours long - Yikes!). She did really great and shaved 15 seconds off her seed time. She is really passionate about swimming and we are really excited for her.

Visit with the Cousins!

I'm finally getting around to blogging about our weekend and Todd and Jillians. We went up a couple of weekends ago and spent some time with them. We miss having them live near by. We just love them and their kids, they have such fun personalities. We had a great time at the pumpkin patch with them.

This picture sums up our fun weekend! Isn't Cooper a cutie!!!

Life is Busy!

I feel like a "Loser Blogger"! It's not that I don't have anything to blog about, it's that life is just to busy! We have so much happening that there never seems to be time to sit down and post fun new pictures that we've taken. Now that Savanna is in High School I've become a full time Chauffer and Social Director (I think I deserve a raise!).

This week at school I was responsible for our schools 115th Birthday celebration. Our school is the oldest continuing operating school in Utah. We had a great big party! During the day the kids put on a program that we invited alumni to. We had one alumni that was 93 years old! That same night we had an open house for everyone. We had a great turn out of around 500 people (including the media). It was a lot of fun, but I'm glad to have it behind me. Now it's onward to the next project!!

Casadie Paige

Top 5 things I love about Casadie:

1. Her smile. Casadie has the most beautiful smile. It is contagious! She also has a great giggle. I love to hear her giggle, it makes me happy when she is happy.

2. Casadie is so helpful I know that I can always count on her to help me out and to do a good job at whatever it is.

3. Casadie's beautiful blue eyes. Casadie is a beautiful girl and has the most amazing blue eyes. We never thought we would have a blue eyed child, but we did!

4. Her imagination. Casadie has a wonderful imagination. She has always been able to entertain herself for hours. In fact, it's not unusual to hear her talking and singing to herself.

5. Her drive and self motivation. I love that Casadie knows what's important and goes for it. She rarely needs reminders from her parents to get things done.

Casadie's Birthday

Casadie's Birthday was this week. I can hardly believe that she is 12. We celebrated with a family party. Aunt Nicole, Uncle Jake and Sophie came up to have cake with us. It's nice to have some family close. On Friday night her friends through her a surprise party. It was a great birthday for her.

New Ride

Can you believe it?!? We bought a mini-van. Although the number of children in our family doesn't necessitate us having a mini van, the size of the children we do have made it a must have! Brett and I have reached our breaking point and decided that we had to have a vehicle that everyone could have their own seat and have enough room that they could not touch each other! It's great and we love it. Can you say "ROAD TRIP"?!!!!!

First Day of School!

This year the first day of school covered 3 different days and 3 different schools! Savanna is a freshman at the high school. Casadie is in 6th grade and at the middle school and Parker is in 2nd grade and with me at the Elementary school. It's going to be a crazy year keeping track of everyone and their schedules, but I know we're up for the challenge!

Camping...Again!

So last weekend we went camping, AGAIN! For those of you who know me well, you know that camping is not my favorite past time. There is just all together too much dirt, too many bugs and too much nature in general! I'm not sure how we ended up going so much this summer. We went with Brett's family this weekend and camped on his sister's property in Fruitland. The area was beautiful and we had a great time with the 4-wheelers. Thanks Jolyn.

We're not old enough!!!

Today I took Savanna to the High School to get her registered for classes. I just can't believe that either one of us are old enough for her to be going to high school! It seems like she has grown up way to fast. We walked around the school and checked out the building and found her locker. It was really strange how clearly it brought my high school days to mind. I know it's been over 20 years, but it seems like it was just yesterday. I'm excited for her. I know that this will be a great adventure for her.

Visit from the Cousins!

This week my brother Craig and his family
came to visit from Virginia. It was fun to see them.
We spent Craig's birthday at Bear Lake. Happy 30th
Craig!

My friend Carrie taught me how to make bread a couple of weeks ago. So, I did a solo run this week and it turned out great! I was very impressed with my self and my family says that it taste good also. We've been eating lots of bread with fresh summer strawberry jam!

Bear Lake Vacation

Camping in Logan Canyon

We went camping up Logan Canyon with a bunch of friends! We had a great time in the out doors, jumping into the Logan River and sitting around the fire. Yikes, but did anyone remember a comb!?!?!

No More Braces!

Savanna got her braces of this month! Look at that killer smile!

Cup Cake Pops

My sister-in-law Jillian showed me these great cupcake pops on Bakerella. We had a great time trying them out!

200 Things

A way to journal some things you have done or not done in your life.All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done. (Select the list, CTRL-C copies it, CTRL-V pastes it into your blog, select the list and CTRL-B bolds everything, then do CTRL-B again and everything will be un-bolded and ready for you to play)


200 Have and Have-nots!

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking

33. Adopted an accent for fun

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone

67. Bounced a check

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one (does put put count)

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Stole something from someone else's blog.