Bye-bye, 2011! Hello, 2012!

The countdown is on, but I honestly don't think I'm going to make it to midnight. Yeah, I'm dead by 9pm, so I don't think sitting here, trying to balance my checkbook is going to help me stay awake!

2011 has been full of ups and downs, big changes, excitement, disappointments, some sadness, but lots of memories! Uncertainty scares me sometimes, but I look forward to the new year. And, with that, here are my New Year's Resolutions:

* Lose 15 lbs. (I lost 15 lbs. during 2011, but can stand to lose another round)
* Coupon Harder!
* Make our house more of a home (declutter, organize & decorate)
* Pay off the last of our debt
* Become more financially savvy (as in, keep the checkbook balanced & know where our money's going!)

Are any of you making any resolutions? What are they?

To All of My Family & Friends

Just wanted to stop by and say.....

I hope this Christmas is filled with all the love and happiness only this special day can bring. May it remind all of us of the blessings and life's gifts that we have been given and continue to receive, and may the New Year also bring us love, joy and happiness!

Love,
Me

And, here I go AGAIN!

So about a week and a half ago, Scott and I decided to start working out together. Since he was doing P90X on and off, we decided to continue with it. The first day was Chest & Back, and that was okay. The next day: Plyometrics.

I just about DIED!

With just twenty minutes left of the routine, I started feeling sick and dizzy and had to stop. It was weird since I wasn't really pushing myself; a friend of mine thinks it's because I'm not as young as I used to be and can't handle all of the jumping. At any rate, trying to do the routines in the days afterwards were really hard, considering I was still feeling sick.

So a couple of days ago I decided to search eBay and see if I could find a DVD set of Turbo Fire for less. And, I did! Bought a brand new, never opened, Turbo Fire set for $50! I've completed the Turbo Jam series and always wanted a complete set of Turbo Fire (had used a ripped copy from my sister that she'd downloaded), but didn't want to spend $120!

The set arrived today and I'm excited to start tomorrow! Most of the moves and routines I've done before with Turbo Jam, but with a little more intensity. I'm hopeful that I can handle this.

Very hopeful!

Counting down....

Can't wait until Friday to see this guy!

Scott left yesterday for some work training in San Francisco and will be gone until Friday afternoon. It doesn't surprise anyone in my family that I become a hopeless mess when Big Poppa leaves town, but for some reason I always, always, always give myself a HUGE anxiety attack before he leaves. He's gone out of town before, for just as long, too, and I've survived just fine, but I must forget that fact whenever another business trip rolls around.

I guess the panic of trying to take care of four Crack Monkeys just really freaks me out....which in turn wracks me with guilt because what mother freaks out over her kids? Wait, don't answer that!

Anyway, today was the first day without Scott...it went smoothly, surprisingly. Yes, this is me totally surprised at the fact that I was able to get 3 of my kids off to school on time. Which shouldn't surprise me since I do this by myself even when Big Poppa is home.

What is wrong with me?

Is it Friday yet?

Giving Thanks

I've never understood why Thanksgiving seems to be an overlooked holiday, at least from a retail point of view. This year, most of the stores had their Christmas stuff set up along with the Halloween things. My sister thinks it's because Thanksgiving is more of a grocery holiday (meaning it's more about the food than the decor and whatnot in the sense of retail), and I'm starting to believe her.

But, that doesn't mean it doesn't make me sad to see Christmas everywhere before the big day of thanks. I love Christmas, don't get me wrong, but it should have to wait it's turn, y'know?

Anyway, this year was a real treat: my parents and I didn't have to do anything. And, when I mean anything, I mean NOTHING! Okay, so we did have to get ourselves over to my mom's cousin's daughter's house, but you get the idea. I was going to make some pumpkin cheesecake (I hate showing up empty-handed; it's a Hawaiian culture thing, I guess), but never made it to the store for the ingredients. But, my mom outdid herself with the sushi, pumpkin pie and the guava cake.

We spent most of our time together eating (of course!), but there were also football games to watch and the telling of corny (corn=thanksgiving, apparently) jokes, and just being together. The Crack Monkeys had fun playing with their cousin, who is really a gem considering he's the only "cousin" from my side of the family. Jeff adores Luxor and was so excited to see him!

Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful and to spend it with family, but I really want the kids to learn to be grateful everyday of their lives. It's one thing to remember Thanksgiving once a day, but to trulycelebrate it, I think you have to show your gratitude everyday. I mean, think about it: we live in a a great country with freedoms and privileges that others in the world don't have. And I have truly been blessed with all that I have and enjoy. My kids definitely have more than when I was growing up and sometimes I don't think they realize how good they have it.

So in honor of Thanksgiving, here are a few things I'm grateful for:

1) My husband. Scott is truly my best friend and the most patient person I've ever known! He puts up with so much for me, yet loves and supports me despite my flaws and short-comings.

2) Being a mother. Having depression makes everyday life a struggle, but my kids make it worth it. They teach me so much about myself and life, and strengthen me. I truly love them.

3) Family. Having my parents and 3 of my 4 siblings live 5 minutes away, makes me spoiled, but I love it! And it doesn't hurt that my in-laws live about 20 minutes away, too! It's good to be surrounded by loved ones!

4) My home. In an economy where many are losing homes or may not have one, I am truly grateful to have a place to gather my family at the end of the day.

5) Love. Being loved and being able to love is truly a gift.

6) The gospel, my testimony, my faith and the Savior. I'm not perfect and having a god who died for me so I can have second chances is a blessing!

What are you thankful for?

Such a sad day!

Tragedy struck our neighborhood this morning. The oldest child of one of the ladies I Visit Teach was struck and killed by a car while crossing the street, on his way to school.

He was only 13-years old.

I haven't gotten to know the family very well, but from what I have learned, they're an amazingly talented family and so loving. Their kids were some of the best behaved I'd seen at church and the parents were always involved with their kids.

It's heartbreaking that his life was cut so short, and my heart aches for this family. I know they're strong in the gospel and the belief of eternal families, but it doesn't make it hurt any less.

Rest in peace, Collin. You will be greatly missed, but we rejoice knowing you are with God, watching over your mom and dad and siblings.

Little Buddies

Jeff & his best friend Addie

If you ask Jeff who his best friend is, he'll always say, "Addie!" She's the same age as Jeff, although a month younger, but they've been friends for....I wanna say 2 years, but I'm not exactly sure when they became friends, to tell you the truth. Anyway, these two are always running around,terrorizing the neighborhood and just having fun together.

Now, if you ask him who his other friend is, he'll tell you it's Anna from down the street. She's actually the little sister of Ryan's friend Isaac, so sometimes Jeff will tag along when Ryan heads over there. Anna is a year older, but she really enjoys playing with Jeff.

The funny thing about these three is that they can't be together all at once. It's either Jeff & Addie or Jeff & Anna, never the two girls together. They tried once, but Addie and Anna didn't get along, so Jeff figured out to play with one friend when the other can't. I just find this whole friendship/situation interesting just because Jeff has friends that are girls. He gets along with boys, but he seems to make friends easily with girls. Of course, he doesn't see them as girls, just his friends.

It makes me wonder if Jeff and Addie will still be friends as they get older. I really hope so, as I had a best friend that was a boy when I was elementary school and life was good. Plus, I think it made me understand his point of view on things not only as a different person, but as a boy.

Was there a point to this post? Not really. I just find it interesting. It's fun to watch Jeff and Addie play together; it's always nice when your kids find friends they really like.

2 new waterbabies!

Today was the last day for swim lessons for Vanessa and Jeff. Of course, they were both sad and excited (this is normal for kids, right?): they didn't want the lessons to end, but the last lesson means BIG WATER SLIDE!

It's interesting to note that before lessons, both kids were apprehensive about getting in the water. Sure, we spent a lot of our summer days at our community pool, but those two would usually end up in the kiddie pool, which is all of a foot and a half deep! In fact, it was only this past summer that we actually could get Vanessa to go underwater for a second! Jeff had no problem, but again, it wasn't that deep.

Josie, their instructor, was great! She talked water safety with them, showed them the correct way to enter & exit the pool, and even got them to bob up and down in the water to get their hair wet! The best part is that Vanessa no longer freaks at being in water up to her chest and Jeff can float on his back! They're both so comfortable in the water now, I love it! By this last lesson, they were both begging for more!

I think I'm in trouble this winter, lol!

I think fall is here

It's raining.

The sky is gray, I hear thunder rolling and there's rain showering down upon my roof. And through all of it, I have my windows open, letting the cool wind inside.

It's fall.

I love it.

Mission Accomplished

When Scott graduated from IT school (I'm calling it that since I have no idea whatsoever of it's official name!) way back when, he made it his goal to eventually work for the LDS Church. Having just quit from my job at HQ's mailroom and knowing firsthand of the great health insurance benefits as well as work atmosphere, I agreed that it was a worthy goal. But, having just graduated and entering the field, Scott knew he had a ways to go before he could make that goal.

Today he checked that goal off his list. Today was Scott's first day as a network engineer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Granted it was just orientation, but it's officially his first day. He was kind of nervous this morning, which was a bit weird considering I've never seen him get nervous about anything; it was cute.

I'm just so proud of him. He's worked so hard to get where he is today and he's shown a great aptitude for his chosen field. I know he'll do great in his new position.

Now I just have to get Jeff used to the idea of not having Daddy working from home anymore. ;-)

Wait....WHAT?!

Today is Ryan and Vanessa's last day of school, and then they're off for....4 weeks. Yep, that's right! They'll be home, underfoot, driving me crazy for 4 weeks. 4 weeks = 1 month.

Usually, it's only 3 weeks, but I guess in order for everyone to have the same amount of off-track days, they added to ours. I guess; I'm just speculating.

So now I'm trying to figure out how to keep the kids from killing each other. There's lots of stuff for them to do, but they always fall back on the good ol' sport of trying to annoy the heck out of each other. Fun times are a'coming, y'all!

I hope I can survive. ;-)

Thoughts, musings, what have you...

History has always fascinated me, but I have to admit that I didn't pay that much attention in history class when I was in school. Sure, I paid enough attention to do well on the tests and whatnot, but retaining that info? Fat chance.

Which explains why I was so excited when Scott and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Washington D.C. I think I mentioned before that the last time we'd been there had been eight or nine years ago, and back then, we'd explored on our own. Which meant we didn't get to see even half of what's there. So this time around, we took advantage of the tours that were available, which turned out to be the best decision for our legs and feet!

There were many tour buses available, but the one our hotel offered was at a discount, and who can say no to that, right? The fun thing about it was that the bus that took us around was an open-top double-decker bus; how cool is that?

Not only did the bus take us around the national mall, but it also took us out to Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon, as well as the streets of Georgetown. There was so much to see and learn, but I think my favorite stop was the National Archives, where the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution are displayed in the rotunda. Not only are these artifacts displayed, but the display also includes facts that I don't think you'd learn from a school textbook.

I think I learned more from just being there and exploring the display than when I was in school. Either that or I just wasn't listening, lol. Anyway, there was so much additional information that I didn't know, that it literally took my breath away!

I wish I could find the adequate words to describe this amazing trip that I had while in our nation's capitol, but even if I tried, I'd fail. So I will say this: if you haven't been to Washington D.C., I definitely recommend going there. No matter what you feel about politics, our government or even our country, go to Washington D.C. The history of our nation becomes more real when you have sites and monuments to help bring it to life for you.

Now I'm off to sort through the millions of pictures of our trip that somehow found its way onto my camera's memory card. ;-)

Guess where I am!

In Washington D.C.! (The picture is from the Arlington House, overlooking Arlington Cemetery; I didn't want to make it too easy, lol!)

Big Poppa has been here for the last several days for a work conference and he asked that I join him for a few days! Yay for mini-vacations!

The last time we were here was about 8 or 9 years ago, and back then, a lot of the exhibits were closed for some reason or another. So I'm really excited to see what's new!

Stay tuned for pictures!

Carrier Monkeys aka Crack Monkeys

For the last 2 weeks, "something" has been running rampant in our house. I say "something" because I couldn't distinguish if it's a cold or the kids' allergies that are bothering them. It started with the Princess, who gave it to the Fire Pig, who in true form, gave it right back to his sister. Just this past Friday, Ethan started showing signs of being sick, while both Vanessa and Jeff were slowly recovering.

And did I mention Scott left for Washington, D.C over the weekend?

Yep, he left me at home with 3 sick Crack monkeys.

Anyway,the weekend was spent mostly sleeping, but we did manage to make it up to my parents' house for Sunday dinner...where my brother promptly accused my kids of being carrier monkeys for disease and sickness, lol. Not that I blame him; they get sick after my kids visit.

Vanessa still has a slightly congested nose, while Ryan only had a headache, so they were able to go to school this morning. Wouldn't want them to miss the all important School Picture Day, lol!

Jeff has fully recovered, so he's been driving me crazy, as usual. Ethan, however, is still complaining of aches and a sore stomach, all the while sneezing and coughing. Poor dude was supposed to start back to school today, but it was a no go. We did get to meet his new bus driver, Rafael, when he came to pick Ethan up; I LOVE that Ethan's new pick-up time is now 7:30 am, which means he doesn't have to wake up so early, which also means no more 5am exercising for me, woohoo!

So here I am, just chillin' with one energetic kid and one sick boy who desperately wants to go to school. If he rest all day today, then we can try for school tomorrow. Until then, I guess I'm at his beck-and-call. ;-)

Uh, DUH!

How is it that I didn't do a "Back-To-School" post?

What is wrong with me?

Hmm, I guess that means I have to go and dig thru all my picture files to find the "1st Day of School Pics" that Ryan and Vanessa were forced to sit thru. You'd think I was torturing them or something that morning, lol! I mean, seriously! Is it too much to ask to just stand still for twenty minutes while I take pictures to capture the moment?

Sheesh, some kids are so selfish! /sarcasm

Now where did I put my external hard drive? ;-)

TRAX Adventures!

For the last several months, the Utah Transit Authority has been busy constructing the tracks for 2 new lines for their TRAX (light rail trains) routes.It's finally been completed and after several weeks of test runs, they opened the routes to the public today, even though they don't officially open until this Sunday, August 7th.

For a few cans of food (to be donated to the Utah Food Bank), we received a sticker to wear, which also served as our "ticket" to ride the TRAX. Since Ethan doesn't start school until later this month, I took him and Jeff to ride the new Red Line, which runs from Daybreak in South Jordan, all the way up to the University of Utah. To say the two of them were excited is a total understatement, lol! Even when the train finally did arrive (we only had to wait less than five minutes!) and we found some seats, they were still bouncing around!

We didn't go all the way to the end of the line. In fact, we were only supposed to go to the TRAX station in Midvale and catch the other train back. But, Ethan wanted to go downtown and once Jeff got wind of it, I really couldn't say no, lol! We went as far as the Courthouse Station, got off, then went in search of something to drink and restrooms. Once that was taken care of, we went back to the station and caught the train back to West Jordan.

Our TRAX "ticket"

Excitedly waiting for the train

Still waiting....

The train! The train!

It's here!

"This is so cool!"

Waiting at the downtown station for the train to take us home

Of course, when we got back to West Jordan the boys didn't want to get off and Jeff was beginning to throw a tantrum....until I suggested we go to McDonalds for lunch. After that, I was walking too slow to get to the car, lol!

And, of course, Ryan and Vanessa were furious with me for taking their brothers on the TRAX without them, which meant another ride had to be taken after school. Of course!

Waiting..waiting....

"Show me your cute face!"

He's so excited, can you tell?

"Look, Mom! I'm like a big person!"

I jokingly asked Scott if this was our Family Home Evening for the week and he said, "Well, we are spending time together, right?" Yeah, I'll go with that! The Crack Monkeys said they really enjoyed the ride, so I think I'll have to plan some outings on the TRAX!

Mom, I want a moo-hawk!

With year-round school starting on Tuesday, Big Poppa and I took the Crack Monkeys to get their hair cut. Ryan and Ethan got their usual styles (short with spiky front for Ryan, a buzz for Ethan), we took nearly 5 inches off from Vanessa's in hopes of making it more manageable, and Jeff wanted his "moo-hawk" again. It wasn't too long of a wait and once they kids were called back, it really didn't take long.

At the beginning of it, Jeff didn't want to get his hair cut; he actually begged for me not to make him do it. But, I knew that if I just got him to sit in the chair, he'd go through with it. And I was right. In fact, after he was done (and the stylist had done it up in a faux-hawk), I took him to go potty, and as we were walking back from using it, he got up on his tiptoes to peer at himself in the mirror and declares, "I really like my hair!" Said with all the seriousness of a 3-yr old, lol!

Life is never dull with that kid! ;-)

Camping at Jordanelle

This past weekend, Scott and I took the Crack Monkeys on our annual camping trip. In the past we've gone to Bear Lake, but last year Scott decided the drive was too long, and this year he didn't have any vacation time yet, so we've been going to Jordanelle State Park.

We always rent a UHaul because the kids like to bring their bikes and the cargo area in our Armada doesn't fit that much. Plus, this year Scot decided he wanted to take his grill because he didn't want to use the small portable one we have. Um, yeah. I don't know. Anyway, we ended up packing that, too, which turned out to be a really nice thing to have while camping, lol!

We had to wait until Scott got done with work, which turned out to be around 3pm, then started loading up the car and the trailer. By the time we got everything in, the asphalt from the re-paving had dried and we were able to leave.

It was after 6pm when we finally arrived at our campsite, but the sun was still out and boy, was it hot! Luckily this yeat I reserved a site that has a lot more shade than last year's. There was also two tent pads, so Ryan and Ethan's tent had an area all to itself. The kids helped unload everything without being asked (wow!), and eagerly helped pitch the tents so our campsite was up in less time than if it was just me and Scott.

Ta-dah! All done!

This little stream was right behind our tents; it helped put us to sleep after exciting, fun-filled days

We thought about going for a swim, but the kids wanted to roast marshmallows and make smores, so we were overruled. It mostly consisted of the kids having their marshmallows catch on fire more often than not, but there was fire to play with and smoke to cough on, so they were entertained.

Burning the 'mallows

Adding the chocolate and graham crackers

Burning even more gooey stuff

RAWR!

Mom, I think my mouth is glued shut!

SMORES!

Do you think I can fit this in my mouth, Mom?

Saturday we had a huge breakfast (thanks to Scott's grill!): pancakes, bacon, sausages, eggs and hot cocoa. It was only when I started to cook that we discovered the lighter we bought to replace our old ones was temperamental; it seemed to work only when it wanted to, which was definitely not when we needed it to! So Scott had to run to the campsite's general store to buy some matches. It worked out okay in the end: we got the grill lit and now have matches for our camping equipment.

Once breakfast was done and everything was cleaned up, we headed to the lake for some swimming! The kids were really excited....until we got down to the beach. Just some backstory: in January we went to Hawaii to celebrate my grandpa's 100th birthday. It was the first trip to Hawaii for both Vanessa and Jeff, and the first that Ryan and Ethan were old enough to remember. And what the four of them chose to remember was the beach.

So when we got to the shoreline of the lake, the Crack Monkeys were disappointed. I had to shush Ryan because he kept saying, "This isn't sand!" or Ethan from complaining that he had to walk through weeds to get down to the muddy water. Vanessa wanted the water to be warm "like in Hawaii!" and Jeff complained that he couldn't build a sand castle (he totally could!).

I think they got a bit spoiled. Or maybe were just brats that day, I dunno. At any rate, it took awhile for us to assure them that the lake was just as fun as a beach in Hawaii and that they should just have fun. They grumbled for a bit, but finally warmed up to the idea.

"Hmm, so how are we gonna do this?"

"It's not cold....It's not cold..."

"Hmm, the shallow water isn't that cold...I think I'll stay right here!"

Vanessa bossing Jeff around...as usual!

Watch out! He's armed!

Lunchtime rolled around and we drove to nearby Heber City for lunch at Wendy's (the Crack Monkeys' choice!) because in all the hubbub of packing and the kids driving me crazy, I forgot to pack the red Hawaiian hot dogs! Everyone was disappointed, but we made do with Wendy's....until I found something that looked like a vein in my chicken sandwich! Completely grossed me out, so I had to resort to stealing chicken nuggets from the kids. When that didn't work, I ate everyone's share of the french fires dipped in the kids' chocolate frosties. ^_^

Got back to the campsite, took naps, then headed back to the lake for more swimming. This time, the kids needed no cajoling and we had a hard time trying to get them out when the sun started to set. We managed to get back to our site, take showers, then make some smores before the first raindrops started to fall. We'd noticed the dark clouds headed our way, which made the need for the Crack Monkeys to stop swimming even more urgent.

Anyway, long story short, it stormed through the night, complete with thunder, lightning and a whole bunch of rain. The kids slept thru it all and by morning, it was sunny, blue skies again.

Just in time to pack up and go home, lol.

Woooooooooooow!

The Crack Monkeys are like this...

this....

this...

and this...

because of this...

and this....

and this!

                                     

It's kinda interesting to see how fascinated they are by construction workers re-paving our street!

4th of July Shennanigans

Happy 4th of July!

I have to say it: our 4th of July was pretty awesome! I mean, it's always awesome because we celebrate our great nation and all those who serve and protect us, but it was made the tiniest bit more so by some changes. Utah recently changed the laws regarding aerial fireworks (they weren't allowed), which meant that now that they're legal, Big Poppa went crazy buying some, lol! We normally don't spend a whole lot on fireworks, but this year...this year, oh, boy!

We had a quiet BBQ with my parents and siblings (except my youngest brother who decided to stay in his "cave" lol), then waited for it to get dark.Big Poppa's pyromania got the best of him and he started with some roman candle-type ones. The kids busied themselves with sparklers and throwing Pop-Its! at me (feel so loved!), in between watching Big Poppa light things on fire.

The first aerial firework we lit was...an adventure. It fired the first shot, tipped over and proceeded to shoot fireworks towards us; I don't think I've seen the Crack Monkeys scatter that fast! Big Poppa quickly righted the base, but it fell over the other way and shot fireworks at the cars parked across the street. After the 3rd time making it stand right, it finally stayed. Once it was over, we checked on everybody and everything, and were relieved that both were alright, no damage. Big Poppa read the warning label on the firework, which said: "Warning! May tip over on grass!"

We had it on the road.

Hmm, go figure.

Anyway, the 2nd and 3rd aerials went on without a hitch and the Crack Monkeys were satisfied.Of course, they were disappointed that they ran out of things to burn, but they got over it when Tutu & Papa said they could sleepover. As a friend once told me, "Their house is like Disneyland to them!" LOL

Lots of explosions, good food and the reminder of what and who makes our country great; yes, it was a very good 4th of July for our family! ^_^

Some pictures to commemorate the event:

Starting things off with some smoke grenades

Hehe, FIRE!!

My Pops, My Hero! He served 2 tours in Vietnam!

Tata showing her patriotism; ain't she cute? ^_^

Mom! Don't touch my stuff!

I love yard sales; just the thrill of finding a bargain or something you've wanted always makes it worthwhile for me. With that said, I don't like having one myself. Maybe I'm lazy, but it involves way too much work to get ready for than I'm used to. The Crack Monkeys didn't make it easy either, but I did manage to get my act together for our community yard sale. We didn't do too bad, either; almost half of our stuff was sold and we just donated the leftovers to the DI. Not too shabby.

But, I really wanted to write about the events that happened while getting ready for the yard sale. All this past week, I tried gathering unused/unwanted items to sell. I also tried getting the Crack Monkeys involved, but that proved  useless, as they answered the question "Keep or sell?" each time with "Keep!"

One particular instance comes to mind. While I was going through Vanessa's toys with her, Jeff asked what we were doing. When I told him we were looking for things to sell, he immediately grabbed his plastic bucket full of Hot Wheels and yelled, "No, Mom! Don't touch my stuff!"

It was hard not to laugh.

After that, everytime I walked into the room, Jeff would stop playing, clutch as many toys as he could in his hands and yell, "No, Mom!"

He's such a weirdo, LOL.

So there, Random Jogging Lady!

It's been a week since we took the training wheels off of Vanessa's bike, and about 5 days since our run-in with the Random Jogging Lady....after watching the video below, you tell me if Vanessa is still pathetic (as RJL said) for not learning to ride earlier!

I think she's doing great for just beginning! Granted, she needs practice with the brakes, but overall, so proud of her! ^_^