Good Old Gramps

My husband went to the Vegas bowl and left his wife with 3 girls home alone with only a few days before Christmas. Every Saturday the 3 houses in my cul-da-sac take turns watching the kids, so while Vanessa watched the girls my mom and I planned an evening with dinner and shopping. Our time was running out so we called Gramps and asked if he would go get the girls. He said that he would just hang out at my house until we got home. We arrived home only an hour after we said we would. The house was standing, the girls were happy, and thankfully Savanna didn't poop because I am quite certain that Gramps would not have changed it. My dad wasn't ecstatic to watch the girls and I am sure that this adventure for him is not in my near future but all the less he did survive. We were getting ready for bed and Lexi comes to me and I can tell that she is emotional. I ask her what is wrong. As tears roll down her cheeks she expresses to me how much she loves Granny and Gramps, and how thankful she was that Gramps watched her tonight. We called Gramps so she could tell him this herself. As she struggled with her tears she told him how much she loved him and thanked him again for watching her tonight. I don't know about you but I had tears in my eyes and I can almost bet that gramps heart was swollen with love and maybe even a tear in his eye. Thanks Dad for loving me and Thanks for loving my Girls!!!

Boo and her Shoes

Like mother like daughter Savanna loves shoes. Every day she goes into my closet and points to my shoes until I figure out the ones she wants to wear. She then proudly struts around the house in her shoes. When wearing her own shoes she HAS to pick the pair that she is going to wear. She also is very vocal about what shoes she wants me to wear. We have had many fights over the shoes she wants me to wear. I am okay with her wearing red sparkly shoes with a purple outfit. My red sparkly shoes are for Halloween and not to be worn with purple. We went shopping yesterday and some how ended up in the shoe department. Savanna was in hog heaven going from box to box trying on one shoe after another. I am sad to say that no new shoes for her came home with us. Maybe Santa has a pair waiting for her.

MaKaya's program

MaKaya was so cute in her pre-school program. She sang so loud and knew all the words. Miss Julie has the best pre-school around

Baby Boys

OH SO CUTE!!! Hunter and Kaden are growing so big and so fast. They are smiling and giggling. Hunter often sleeps through the night. I wish I could claim that some of the cuteness came from me. They are adorable little boys. And sweet Angie has joined the "moms minivan club!" And boy does she look HOT driving her van!!!

Family Fun

On Saturday the Millard family went tubing to Soldier Hollow. It was fun to get all bundled up and play in the snow. I am happy to say that I am the proud owner of my very own snow clothes. I have a purple coat, black pants, purple gloves, and lavender Sorel snow boots. I was very excited to wear my snow attire. It was so much fun tubing down the hill and so much fun being towed by the tow rope back up the hill. The only problem with the tow rope is that MaKaya stays in her tube the entire time and her feet get cold. I never got cold tubing as a child because I had to walk my fanny back up the hill. I am not complaining, I am a huge fan of the tow rope. Thanks Grandpa and Zella for a very fun day!!

Dancing

When you have girls it is a given that they are in dance. On Tuesday we had the great opportunity to watch Lexi and MaKaya's dance recital. They were so excited and danced so good. Lexi and our neighbor Trae take ballroom (do I hear Dancing with the Stars) and MaKaya and her best friend Macy take creative. MaKaya is asking when she can start Ballroom. She has picked her partner to be Tyton. I hope that is okay with him and his mom. On the way to pre-school her and Macy were asking Cooper and Walker if they would be their dancing partners and they said ewww gross NO!!! I have never understood why men don't like dancing. You are very close to a women, she usually has very little clothing on, it can be very let's say "intimate Its all the things that men enjoy and yet the majority of them hate it. Go figure. I do hope that Lexi and MaKaya keep dancing just for "fun" for a long long long time.

Birthday Time

MaKaya turned 5 on the 2nd. Grans birthday was on the 7th and Stephs birthday is on the 15th. On Friday we had the Grobbens over for some birthday fun. Every time we go to Sams Club MaKaya has to check the cakes out. She can't wait for her birthday so that she can pick her very own cake. Hello Kitty it is. I am sure that Gran and Steph would have picked out the very same cake. My dad surprised my mom with a brand new Suburban. She has wanted one since I was a kid. He wrapped the key in a box she thought he bought her a motorcycle. It was very fun to watch her surprised face when she saw her car. It even brought a tear to my eye. She said that she was too old for a surprise like that, it almost gave her a heart attack. Thanks for partying with us and Happy Birthday to all!!!

A good reminder

Last Sunday was fast Sunday and I am reminded of a fast Sunday five years ago. It was December 1st and I was very very pregnant with MaKaya (her birthday is Dec. 2nd) We were in a very large ward at the time. In order to get a comfy bench you had to arrive to church 30 minutes early. Of course church was at 9:00 and being oh so pregnant and dealing with Lexi the 2 year old I was not prone to moving oh so fast. So all morning I was nagging at Shaun to get to church early enough so that oh so pregnant butt of mine could sit on a nice comfy bench. When I walk into the church I am gazing at the benches searching for my husband only to realize he is sitting on a very hard chair. I am sure that he was nervous for me to find him. A pregnant wives wrath is something that you try to avoid. So all through Sacrament Shaun got the cold shoulder and all through Sunday School the cold shoulder continued. I was justified in my naughty behavior, I thought. What pregnant wife should have to sit on a hard chair. He departs and I go to Relief Society yeah soft chairs. To start the lesson we watch the movie of when Christ is born. As I am sitting on my soft chair watching very pregnant Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph walking along side her, my heart starts to hurt, and my eyes start to burn and I feel very ashamed of the way I acted toward my husband. I was very humbled and was taught a great lesson. My sweet sweet husband does the best he can. And at times it may not be what I or he was expecting. I realized that I need to be grateful for the effort that he puts to make my life so good. I am glad for the hard chair experience because every December fast Sunday I am reminded to be grateful for the little things.

The Tree is Here

We went to the tree farm on Friday and cut down the tree that we have been patiently waiting for. It is always a little hard to tell exactly what your tree is going to look like. When picking it out you are outside and there are many trees by your tree. So I kind of get a little nervous taking the tree home. We have had a few times where the tree just didn't look quite right. We got the tree home and put it on the stand and Shaun tells me it is the most perfect tree he has ever seen. (Didn't he get to pick out this tree) I couldn't agree with him more. I went to K-mart to buy more lights and I came across Purple ornaments and tree skirt screaming my name. As much of a pain it is to decorate a tree it sure does look good in the end. Happy decorating to all of you who haven't quite finished yet.

Check out my Slide Show!

Thanksgiving was at my house this year. I was really excited to be the Host! We had a lot of good food, good fun, and good entertainment. My mom and her sisters love to pull faces when getting their picutres taken. We had so many pictures I just couldn't decide which ones to choose, so sorry for another slide show. This year I am Thankful for my Sweet Husband who works so hard for our family, and loves me despite my faults. Lexi because she always looks on the bright side, MaKaya who makes me smile everyday, Savanna who can now say 20 words. I am also Thankful for the Gospel, my Neighbors and my Home. I am Thankful for my Dad and his good advice on everything, my Mom for making me laugh, Adam for helping me with various projects and for being one of the Greatest people I know, Stephanie for her creative ideas and the giving heart she has. I am very blessed with great friends and family who surround me with love. Thanks to all who help make my life so great!!!

Check out my Slide Show!

Kates wedding was one of the sweetest weddings I have ever been to. Myself and everyone around me could not stop crying our tears of joy!!! We are so happy for you Kate!

Biker Chick

Getting ready for the rest of our journey. My dad calls that my "cute" hat
Peacock and his leather
Peacocks cost-him-a-pretty-penny-trike.

About a year ago my Dad bought a motorcycle. I have wanted to go on a ride and now I finally got my chance. He told me that Peacock (his biking buddy and dentist) said that he had invited a few other couples to go with us. As we pulled into the meeting place there were about 15 bikes waiting for us. I was a bit intimidated this being my first time on a real motorcycle ride. Was I sitting right, did my helmet look funny, were my clothes okay. I didn't get off the bike because I was not sure if there is a right or wrong way to do this. But then maybe sitting on the bike with the kickstand down is the wrong thing. Do you see how confusing this was to me. Needless to say a few minutes later we were off driving through Provo canyon. I have often watched a pack of bikers and thought to myself that is kind of of strange them all riding together like that. And now here I was riding with a pack myself. Our first destination was to eat lunch at Daniels Summit. Because I had now ridden more that just around the block I wasn't quite so intimidated. Eating lunch with the unknown bikers also relieved some pressure because I realized that underneath all that leather are really nice people. I also learned at lunch that they have different biker groups. They have one that rides all over the country going to all the different temples. I guess at one temple they thought they were having an attack by all these bikers, but no they were there to do a session. I also realized that there was a purpose for all that leather. See me being a girl that likes to shop and wear clothes never has a purpose for something I am wearing other than it being cute. So I never imagined that wearing chaps and a leather jacket was more than just looking the part, it was to keep the wind off you. So as much as I want some leather chaps and a jacket to look the part it will also keep my legs a little warmer. After lunch we continued on our journey through Indian Canyon which spit us out into Helper and then we took Spanish Fork Canyon home. Other than my butt being a little sore I had a great time on the back of my dads motorcycle. So Dad anytime you need a passenger I am ready to go. And now I will be on the lookout for some pink leather!!!

I've been Tagged

Tag you're It!!!

4 places I've lived: Springville, Provo, and Spanish Fork (How Exciting)
4 jobs I've had:Clogging Teacher, Hogi Yogi, Dillards, Taylor Drug
4 things I'd like to do before I die: Perform on Broadway, Go to London, Sing the National Anthem at a game, Run the Wasatch 100.
4 favorite desserts:Chocolate Brownie with ice cream, cheese cake, Five Chip Cookies, Better than Sex Cake
4 interesting facts about me: At the age of 10 I learned to water ski on my first try. I am on a bolwing league, I LOVE to be pregnant, 7 layer bean dip is my favorite food right now.
4 favorite movies: Hairspray, Somewhere in Time, The Last Samurai, Barbie as the Island Princess
4 people I'm tagging: Krista, Jennifer, Sydney, Kerri
Copy and paste to your Blog and tag someone else.

Boo is 2

So pretty!!!

Savanna turned 2 on Friday. Kate got married that day so we celebrated Sat. Sun. and Mon. On Saturday the neighbors came over and we sang and had cupcakes. Sunday we went to the inlaws and had a little party. On Monday my family came over and we had another little party. Boo was so cute everytime she would open her presents she would say yeah and clap her hands. It was very cute. The few words that she can say are very cute. So thanks to all that helped us celebrate 2 years of Boo!

Fun with Gran

On Friday night Lexi, Myself, and Gran went out for some girl fun. Lexi loves to go out and pretend that she is a teenager. She is really fun to take out because she is "so mature". We went to Outback (my favorite place to eat) and had some good Aussie Autumn and a chocolate brownie dessert because Lexi loves dessert. Thanks Gran for taking us out to dinner.

Will She ever talk?

Savanna just turned 2 and can maybe say 15 words. And of those 15 words 7 of them sound the same. I thought for sure that she would be my earliest talker becasue she has needed to talk. She has a very demanding personality and does not just go with the flow. It is her way or no way. The problem is, we have a hard time figuring out what her way is. The other reason I thought she would talk early is becasue she has done everything else early. Lexi and MaKaya both were talking in full sentences by the time they were two. I have been waiting for this day for months and I am sad to say we are still playing charades every day. MaKaya said "Mom you told me that when Boo was 2 she would talk". I was just really hoping that would be the case. This is what I hear all day long. YeeAhh, YeeAhh, YeeAhh, in all different tones. She carrys on all kinds of conversations only she can understand. The only thing is she gets really ticked off when you can't figure out what YeeAhh means. I know that her speach is not a hearing issue becasue she understands everything I say to her. She is one sassy little no talking 2 year old.

She dosen't miss a thing

What an Outfit!!!

MaKaya is my very observant child. She is my shopping companion and is very aware of peoples clothes, shoes ect. She has dressed herself from the time she was 18 months. If I want to buy her clothes she has to come with me because she is so picky she has to approve of the clothes I buy. I can pick what Lexi is going to wear but everyday MaKaya picks out her own outfit. Now I can't guarantee that the outfit meets my approval but she indeed is the one picking. She will tell you that she likes your shirt, or that your shoes are cute. She may comment on your hair style or the bracelet you are wearing. She may also whisper in my ear that a certain person doesn't look very cute or that her outfit is ugly. She watches me get dressed so she asked me why I wear a bra. I told her it was to help my boobs not be saggy. One day we were at Shauns Grandmas visiting and MaKaya kindly tells Grandma Ardelle that she likes her shirt. When we get in the car MaKaya tells me that Grandma Ardelle does not wear a bra because her boobs are really really saggy. As true as this is what 4 year old notices stuff like that. Stephanie came over to visit, MaKaya was talking to Talyor and then asks him why the extra tire was not on the back of her Jeep. She notices everything. She has a very good memory and will tell you what you wore to a certain event. She is not only excited about her own clothes and shoes but she gets excited for other peoples new purchases as well. Another thing about MaKaya is that she doesn't really like to share. She will because she knows I will make her but it is not done with a smile. If you borrow something from MaKaya just know that she will NEVER forget what is was and that she will be impatiently waiting for you to return it. If I have misplaced something or need help remembering something MaKaya is the girl to ask. I hope she uses this power for good in her life.

Flirting

So Lexi is 7. Should she be flirting? Becasue she is. We have a lot of boys in our neighborhood and when the ones she likes come around a whole new Lexi transforms. She starts acting very silly and drawing alot of attention to herself. It makes me crazy. I just want her to be herself. The sad thing is, I remember doing the same exact thing. There is one boy named Jayden and they have a love hate relationship. I don't know if he hates her becasue she loves him and then she hates him becasue he is rude to her, or if he hates her becasue he likes her. Flirting at age 7 is differnt than flirting at age 14. They hit each other, chase each other, tease each other, call each other names. So I guess the ruder you are the more you like each other. How am I going to survive years and years of this.

Melanie Downing

There are many amazing people that I have had the chance to know but Melanie is at the top of this list. She has been a best friend of mine for years and becasue of that I know a lot about her. Melanie was not raised in an LDS home. Her parents smoked and because of that other girls parents wouldn't let their children be friends with Melanie (great example us Mormons are) thankfully my parents didn't care and we spent a lot of time together. It really bothered Melanie that she smelled like smoke . It makes me sad to think about it now becasue it was such a huge thing for her. You could say that her family life wasn't the easiest for Melanie. Going to church was hard without the support of your family. But even without their support she graduated from seminary and then served a full time mission in Russia. I remember when she was getting set apart Melanie credited the example of her friends for getting her where she was. What she didn't realize is that she was so much more of an example to me than I ever was to her. I had a great family, the gospel was handed to me. I had support from every direction. For her it wasn't that easy, but she still strived to live the gospel. She asked me to hold onto her temple clothes for her while she was on her mission. When she got home we were at the airport and she was asking for her clothes. She wanted to go to the temple the next day. I was blown away. She then said that for 18 months she had watched people sacrifice so much to make it to the temple and she taught about the importance of going. Becasue of this she just couldn't wait to go. After her mission she moved home with her family and I remember she wanted as much of her room to be white. She wanted to make her room as "clean" as possible in an "unclean"atmosphere. She soon met Tommy and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. That was one of the happiest days of my life. Melanie was concerned that she would never get married. So when she did my heart was bursting with joy. I could not stop crying through her ceremony. Not only because she was married but because the odds were always against her. She rose above her deck of cards and she was so happy because of it. She now has two kids. Olivia is 4 and Tyton is 19 months. And just recently she got temporary custody of her sisters kids. Gabe is 4 and Journey is 20 months. So now Melanie is the mother of two sets of twins. I am so happy that these two precious spirits are in Melanie's care. (I have failed to mention that she is an amazing, loving, positive, mother) They finally have the chance to be in a home where they can feel the spirit and feel of her love every day. So Melanie as hard as this may be for you I am so happy that you are the kind of person that lovingly and willingly took these two spirits into your home. Once again she has set the example for me to be a better person, and serve my family better. I am so lucky to have her as a friend and as an example. I named MaKaya Joy after Melanie Joy. Lets hope MaKaya has many of the incredible qualities that Melanie does.

Date Night

Something I really really love is Date Night. We try to go out at least once a week. We haven't always been consistent but for the last little while we have. A Few Saturdays ago we went out with Sammy (the best friend snatcher) and Kate. They are two lovebirds. Not so lovey that you can't carry on a conversation (you know what I am talking about) with them but lovey enough that it makes you remember back when you were first in love. We went to Outback and then to a show. Nothing spectacular happened just some good food, with good company.

Baking

I sort of have a problem. I love to bake. Now some of you are thinking that is not a problem but to me I think it might be. This last week I have baked, 3 Poppy seed cakes, 1 batch of Five chip cookies, another batch of Chocolate chip cookies, Gooey rice Krispy treats, Homemade Oreos, Chocolate pudding cake, Bread, Rolls twice, Brownies, and then today I made Jaimes really good marshmallow popcorn. Yummy. The problem we have hear is that because I bake so much my family is not too excited when a treat awaits them. Thankfully my neighbors have graciously accepted but a lot of the goods get thrown away. So instead of sitting down relaxing and reading a good book or catching up on DVR I start to bake. I really wanted double ovens, imagine the fun I would have with those. Any suggestions? Or Recipes?

Halloween

So Cute!!!
Boo and her friend Halle
MaKaya and her buddy Tyce. He inspired her to be a Pirate. She was supposed to be Cinderella.

I really love this Holiday. Thanks to Daylight savings being a week later than usual and some great fall weather we had a great day. The ward had a Trunk or Treat. I love these. You get so much candy in a really short time and you still get to see all the people you want. This was first year that Boo understood what was happening. And for a girl who loves candy could not have been more excited. She ran from car to car and couldn't get her bag opened fast enough. She gave her candy givers the biggest smile and a pat on her had Thanking them for the candy and telling her how cute she was. It was so fun to watch her. After the Trunk or Treat we went to our house and Shauns family came over and we had some Halloween fun. Food and games what more could you want.

The talented Mr. Adam

I have yet to find something that Adam can't do. He can cook, he can paint, he can fix anything, he can photograph, his tile work is absolutely amazing, he can do electrical work that makes my brain hurt, he makes me laugh harder than anyone else, he is sensitive, he is blunt, he is gorgeous, He can do anything with computers, he can design a sprinkling system that leaves you with complete water coverage. He can put things together without saying sh$@ a hundred times. He is athletic, he is charming. But his most amazing gift is putting a glove over his face and blowing it up with his nose. WOW!!!

I want to play too!

On Saturday while we were having our fun, the dogs Sammie and Toby wanted in on the excitement. We put a chair in the way so they couldn't bug us, but like most dogs are, they tried to out smart us. Aren't they cute?

Fall Fun

Despite fall meaning that it is soon to be cold I love this season. The fall festivities are so fun. On Saturday the Grobbens came over to my house and we carved pumpkins, decorated jars, painted wooden objects, and frosted cupcakes. I love the smell of carving pumpkins. After the fall fun my mom and I went shopping and then to dinner. It was great fun.

My Hubby

I love this time of year because it is when Shaun and I met. It is hard for me to believe that it was ten years ago, because I remember things so perfectly it just could not have been that long ago. For instance on our first date I wore my Jeans from Lerner a white short sleeve shirt that buttoned downed. It was a size small. I remember that because my boobs have not been a size small probably since that date. I wore brown shoes that had a really high heel. Shaun wore Docker levis (I quickly got rid of those) a cream button down shirt and a vest that had a zipper. My sister kind of set us up and she told me that if Shaun mentioned some things that weren't exactly true to just go along with it. We were sitting at the light on University Pkwy and State and he asked if I liked to go to Vegas. I told him that I wasn't old enough to gamble so I saw no reason in going (at this time in my life I was unaware of the shopping there) He looked kind of puzzled and said "oh your only 20" I said “um 19" He lost all color to his face. (He was 26) I then realized this was one of the just go along with subjects Stephanie was referring to. After he got over the initial shock I think he was inwardly proud to be dating a very young "hottie" I also remember liking Shaun instantly. Our first date was the night before the infamous hike that my family attends. The whole next morning Stephanie had to listen for hours on end how much I liked him. I also remember that he gave me the best compliment any guy ever had, he said I was so nice. Our second date was to Los Hermanos and that is when Shaun knew that I was to be his forever. When I met Shaun I was still dating Jake. When I broke up with Jake it was really hard for me. Not because I didn't love Shaun with all my heart but because I invested so much time with Jake and I really cared about him. Shaun did not know the day that I broke up with Jake but he could sense that something just wasn't right. When I returned to work I had the most beautiful bouquet of red roses that I had ever seen. The card said "You are the best. Love Shaun" That is the day that I knew I was going to marry Shaun. Not because he sent me roses but because he cared about me enough to know that something was wrong (without me saying anything) and he wanted me to know that he cared. I could go on and on and on and maybe in another post I will. What I am most happiest about is that ten years later I am happier than I could ever imagine possible and my husband is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you Shaun!!!

Traditions

This is the Tree
The girls love coming here
Boo getting a ride from Dad
Shaun holding the measuring stick

One of the traditions that we have is picking out our Christmas Tree at a tree farm. Around this time we take a little drive to Alpine and wander around until we find the perfect tree. The first few years we went Shaun thought it was kind of dumb and he was trying to encourage me to buy a fake tree. But I did not cave to peer pressure (good thing I didn't because now he loves it) and we continued to go and now I hear a dozen times "Hon over here I found it the perfect tree" We then inspect and find a flaw or two. This goes on for about an hour and then we finally pick one. (It is usually one of the first ones that we find) This is the first year that size was not an issue. It made it a little easier picking one out. I wanted the tall skinny tree and Shaun wanted the fat tall tree. Because I always get my way I was nice this time and let Shaun have the tree he wanted. Walking around the tree farm is really fun but also kind of sad. There are so many trees that get looked over year after year because they are ugly. So one year I am going to pick the ugliest tree I can find and bring it home and make it the prettiest tree around. (Just imagine how happy that tree will be) In a couple months we will return to the tree farm and bring our tree home. I just can't wait.

Favorite Day of the Week

Danelle, Kate, Me, My Mom
Kate dancing down the alley
I have a purple Tinkerbell ball, and purple bowling shoes

My mom would say that Wednesday is her favorite day of the week because that is the day we Bowl. Yes I am on a bowling league. We have a lot of fun and even are kind of good bowlers. Last year our team won. My teams name is the Knock-out Niners because we get soooo many nines. Kate is the best bowler, her high is I think a 241. Danelle and my mom trade off as to who is next in line, but you can always count on me to be the weakest link. But because I am so fun they let me stay on their team. So ladies if you are looking for some good clean fun come and join us on Wed mornings at Fat Cats for some Bowling.