MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

Santa definitely stopped by our house last night.  Here's the proof!

Caramel Cashew Logs

First of all, I truely apologize for that last post.  It was GROSS and vulgar, but theraputic at the same time.  Sorry if any of you were offended and/or grossed out.

I loooooove this time of year.  It truely is THE MOST WONDERFUL time of the year.  My annual candy making is under way.  These scrumptious caramel cashew logs are the first of my creations this year!!  Seriously, once you start eating some, you cannot stop.  The are simply irresistible.

Dipping chocolates is happening really soon!

Shitty Day Today

How's this for a blogging come back???

Pardon my french everyone, but sometimes crappy or poopy just doesn't cut it. I had one hell of a shitty day today! LITERALLY!!! Compliments of one of my 4 year old day care kids who tried to clean up an accident by herself. And this doesn't even begin to show the mess. She had it all over the counters and cabinets, all over her clothes, hands, legs, face and in her hair. Seriously, I just about tossed my cookies. Here's to a better day tomorrow!!!!

It's Been A While

I have really missed blogging. I'm coming back, I promise. I've just been so crazy busy I haven't really had time. I haven't even downloaded the pictures off my camera to the computer for the last month - that is unusual for me. I still have to figure out this problem I have with not being able to drag and drop my pics I want to post though. But I promise, I'll be back really soon!!!

HELP!

I am having trouble with Blogger all of a sudden. I can no longer drag and drop the pictures that I want to post in my entries to the spot I want them to be or to even put them in order. Has something chnaged that I don'tknow about or is there a different way to do it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Aussie Pink Floyd

We went to see Aussie Pink Floyd in concert last night at the Usana. They were such a good cover band. I couldn't believe how much they sounded like the real thing!! We had such GREAT seats....10th row from the front. It's such a different experience when you're that close and can actually see the band and what they're doing. Being that close to the front meant that we were closer to the sound system!! I love feeling that rattle in my chest from the bass. It was a GORGEOUS night for an outdoor concert. I love Usana and have yet to be rained on =)

We almost missed the concert altogether. Chris thought it was on Saturday. Had it not been for his buddy hoping to get a ticket, we would have missed it. It was so ironic that Duane happened to ask Chris about the concert YESTERDAY and not today or Friday. When he went to try and buy a ticket, he immediately informed Chris that the concert was "tonight". Chris called me in a panic at 6:00 from work and told me to be ready when he got home. We were a little late...missed the first two songs, Breathe and Time, which unfortunately were our two VERY FAVORTIE songs and were the songs that we anticipated to hear the most. Oh well, techincally we still heard them, just in the car as we were creeping into the parking lot. We could have made it if it hadn't been for the STUPID constrcution on the road to Usana. But when it all comes down to it, I'm just grateful that we didn't completely miss it. Man, oh man, would Chris have been MAD if that happened. Especially if we had shown up on Saturday to find that Deirks Bently, Jimmy Wayne and Brad Paisley were playing that night. WHEW!!! That really was a close call! (He despises country music......but I don't.)


Toward the end of the show, they brought out this HUGE inflatable kangaroo! It was pretty amusing to watch it bounce up and down!!

My Kids Are Being STALKED...

...By corn stalks, that is!!!! Not to mention the earwigs, grasshoppers and spiders crawling all over the corn stalks. :)


They weren't very happy with me for stuffing these corn stalks in the van from grandpa's garden and then making them sit with them all the way home. I thought it was worth it though because now I can have a cute bundle of corn stalks to put with my scarecrow and didn't have to pay for them :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I swear I just wrote about it being Chelsea's 18th birthday! But here we are, another year later, and it's her 19th birthday. WHOA!

Chelsea is....well....a ray of sunshine!! She has the most positive, upbeat, cheerful disposition and is an absolute joy to be around. She has grown into a beautiful woman and has made her parents very proud. Our hearts swell with joy as we watch her stand tall and shine like a beacon for all to see.


We are so excited to welcome her into our home for a while. She'll be here in 9 days to live with us for a while as she embarks on a new chapter in her life. No one is more excited than Emmy though! She won't be the only girl anymore :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Chelsea!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH <3

First Day Of School 2009....AGAIN!

Todd and Landon finally had their first day of school yesterday! It was quite the day for me, I tell ya what!!! I don't know why, but sending my kids to school has never been an easy thing for me to do. And yesterday, I got DOUBLE WHAMMIED!!! I had to send my very nervous Todd to his first day of Jr. High, and then I had to send my baby to kindergarten.

I wanted so bad to take Todd by the hand and be with him, to comfort and console him, and to reassure him that it would be OK. Could you imagine the humiliation for that poor boy if I actually did that! Not that I could have done it, but I really wanted to. He was so nervous that he wouldn't be able to find his classes....even though we did several practice runs last week. I gave him a big hug and sent him on his way with his friends, Sean and Travis. Luckily I was able to hide my tears from him, but the dam broke as I watched him disappear down the street. I was nervous for him :) I'm finding it very hard to detach a little and let him do this on his own, but do it, I must. I've got to let him have this independence, but it's coming with some growing pains for me that I didn't expect. What can I say, I don't want him to grow up!!!!

I had enough time to recover from the tears that fell when I sent Todd off and then it was time to take Landon. At least I COULD take him by the hand and walk him across the street to the school. I could even hug him and kiss him!! And yes, I cried! Like a baby! The great thing is that I had lots of support! Three of our neighbors were there, doing the same thing I was! Landon was so happy that he has friends he knows in his class. It helped ease some of the nervousness he was feeling. Last week during his testing session, his teacher gave him a bracelet that said "BE BRAVE". She told him to wear it the first day so he would remember that being brave would be his first job in kindergarten. Especially because mom would probably cry. Yea, she knows me! She taught Todd, Emily and Dylan as well. As the kids al lined up to walk into the school, one of the parents noticed that the class was mostly boys. Mrs. Lauritzen (the teacher) turned around and told us that there are only 3 girls in the whole class....and 18 boys!!! WOW!

So here are the pictures I took. I have LOTS of Landon - because I could. Todd, on the other hand, well, only two. My very favorite one of Landon is the one where he's showing me his BE BRAVE bracelet. It absolutely MELTS my heart....and makes me cry!!!!

First Day Of School 2009

It's hard to believe that a new school year is upon us!! Seriously, I can't believe it. I decided to start blogging a year ago, with the 1st day of school being my first entry!! Really, where does time go? It flies past me so fast now days that I can hardly believe it's real.

This year, only Emily (5th grade) and Dylan (3rd grade) started school today. Todd's first day of Junior High isn't until next Wednesday, and Landon doesn't start kindergarten until next Monday because the first week of school is all testing for them.

I took Emmy and Dylan outside for their traditional 1st day of school picture and started laughing as I realized that they were color coordinated, but opposite, of each other!! This wasn't planned....I promise!! They chose their own first day outfits. I had nothing to do with it, but I thought it was funny that even their shoes were opposite.

I hope in a few months from now, they're still just as excited and enthusiastic about going to school as they were today!

Just One More Reason....

In our neighborhood, we're pretty much known as the family with, what we like to call, "The Fleet", of junker cars/trucks sitting in our driveway. Mind you, they're ALL functional vehicles. They're just old! Our newest one is the 1997 Grand Caravan. Chris' "testosterone challenged" truck is a 1993, and our "Big Blue Whale" (that we paid a WHOPPIN' $500 FOR) is an '87!!! But guess what??? Thanks to my AWESOME, self teaching husband, they all run perfectly!! They don't just clunk their way from point A to point B. They really do run top notch.


NEVER, in the history of our marriage, have we paid a mechanic!! Chris has never taken shop classes, he just bought the Chilton manuals for each vehicle and taught himself. I'm so grateful that he's so willing to do that! He has saved us THOUSANDS of dollars.

Our latest issue is the van. It just quit one day...totally dead. He did some diagnostic tests and figured the problem to be the starter, which he replaced only a few years ago. A little stumped as to why he'd have to be replacing the starter again already, he took it out to replace it. But rather than just run to Checker to buy a new part ($60), he took the old one apart to see if he could see a problem. The fix ended up being quite simple. The contacts that the current runs through to engage the starter were REALLY grimy, greasy and dirty. So he disassembled it, cleaned it all up with rubbing alcohol, made look all shiny and new, and wouldn't ya know......it worked!!!! What seemed to be a horrible problem because the van wouldn't start AT ALL, ended up not costing us a penny to fix!!! So, as he finishes up ANOTHER auto job on one of "The Fleet", I just had to snap this picture!! This is just one more reason why he is my HERO!!

14 AMAZING years!!!

Today, August 5, 2009, I am celebrating 14 AMAZING years of marriage to my best friend, my soul mate. Chris, you are my EVERYTHING. I am so blessed to have you. I could not have wished for a better husband and father. I truly appreciate all you do for us, for your hard work and dedication to provide such a wonderful life. All my dreams came true when our paths crossed. It's been an amazing journey! I'm so glad I had you by my side, holding my hand and supporting me through the ups.....and the downs. Neither one of can ever deny that we were meant to be and that is the BEST security one could ever have! Let me share a story with all who read this.........
While we were dating, Chris and I, on more than one occasion, felt the spirit testify that we were on the right road. There was one night that Chris pulled out a bunch of slides that had just collected dust in the basement since his parent's divorce. We set up the screen and started looking at the pictures on the slides. I will NEVER forget that we were eating Bagel Bites and just having casual conversation about family and how important it was to each of us. He was telling me about each picture and talking about random things in the pictures….nothing too intense. I specifically remember that we were looking at a picture of Chris, as a young boy, gathered around the table with his family for Thanksgiving dinner, when out of nowhere, the room was filled with the sweetest spirit I have ever felt. Not knowing whether or not Chris was feeling what I was feeling, I didn’t dare look at him as my eyes began to fill with tears and my heart started to swell with so much love and joy. I realized in that instant that he had quit talking. Our eyes met and he said in a soft, cracking whisper, “Do you feel that?” At that point, the dam broke and the tears fell. All I could do was nod my head. Once we were able to regain our composure, we talked some more and we KNEW, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that our decision to be married and start a family was the right choice. Not once did we pray to ask if it was right. We didn’t have to. We just knew because of the awesome things that were manifested to us through the Holy Ghost. Although we had several other experiences similar to that, the one I have shared is the one that truly solidified our decision. Our experiences were so UNDENIABLE that there was NEVER a question or a doubt in our minds or hearts.

The rest is history.............still in the making :)

Our Summer Staycation!

WOW!!! What a week we've had!! We did not plan things to happen like they did, but EVERYTHING happened all in one week! It all started with my last post (which was Monday of last week) when we got together for a barbecue with our friends from Korea. This is how the rest of our week went: (I'm warning you now, this is going to be a long post with lots of pictures!)


Tuesday, July 21, 2009


My Aunt Tami, who was more like my sister/best friend growing up, and her family came to Utah for a short visit. They live in Apple Valley, California and don't make it this way very often. We're hoping they get to move back sometime in the near future because the cousins have sooo much fun together!! Tami's kids are actually MY cousins, but they call me Aunt Jennie. They're closer in age to my kids and all the cousins here in Utah. There are 20 years in between my mom and Tami, with four brothers in between, so that's why we're so close in age. Anyway, they all came up to our house for a barbecue. We had so much fun in the few hours they were able to stay. Hopefully next time they come, we will be able to spend more time together.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009



Chris' brother, Todd, and his family flew in from Florida. We were really bummed when we found out that they had scheduled their trip to Utah for the same week that we would be on our annual camp out with my side of the family, so in order to spend as much time with them as possible, we went to Chris' mom's house in Bountiful for ANOTHER barbecue. I only took one picture that night.....


Thursday, July 23, 2009


How we got all packed up and up to the campsite by 1:30 in the afternoon is beyond me. Usually we take our time and pack a day or two in advance, but since we were gone EVERY night before hand, we did most of the packing the morning we left.

We had a GREAT time with my family. We always look so forward to these camping trips and usually have them planned a year in advance. All of the cousins get along so well and love the time they can spend together. Every year they make a chipmunk trap in hopes of catching one. I'm not sure that they've ever been successful, but they got close this year! We ALWAYS take a traditional cousin picture with the kids sitting in order from oldest to youngest (or youngest to oldest, which ever)! One of these days, I'm going to go through all of my pictures and make a little book from the very beginning of our cousin pics!

We went to a campground (Granite Flats up AF canyon) we'd never been to before and I have to say, we (me and Chris, anyway) didn't like it much. (sorry, J) The elevation was waaaay too low and there was no cool mountain air, which is part of what we look so forward to. It was SO HOT and miserable!! There was really no need for a fire, other than to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, but the kids enjoyed it. I kept my distance because it was just too warm. We even slept without sleeping bags! That was a first!! Other than that though, I had no complaints. Tibble Fork reservoir was just a short drive down the road, so we were able to go play in the water for a bit. Unfortunately, we discovered that there are leeches in the reservoir...YUCK!!!!...and didn't stay for long. And, of course, IT RAINED!! Never have we been camping without rain. BUT...we did escape without a single puking episode!!! That was also a first!!!!! How grateful I was :)


We ended up leaving a day early so that we could get as much time with Todd and Pam as possible, so we packed up and came home Saturday morning. From the sound of how things went Saturday night, we missed out on some great fun! My little brother (who is a big, burly poly) was really goosey of the dark and his wife and my sister really took advantage of it!!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

We just had to take Todd, Pam, Kyla and Chandler hiking to our very favorite place in Utah....Albion Basin, just above Alta Ski Resort! The wild flowers are absolutely breath taking for a very short span of time from late July to early August, so this was the perfect time to have them here! Pam and Ky opted to stay home, but Todd and Chandler loved it. They even got to see snow...just a little bit, but still, it's almost August!! I will never get tired of the scenery on the Cecret Lake hike. I wish I could live there. You can't help but be taken aback by the beauty of God's creation!! The mountain sides are covered with wild flowers. Ahhhhhh.......

Monday, July 27, 2009

My two nephews, Jordan and Corbin, are both life guards at Centennial Pool in West Valley. The perks of that are that we were able to reserve the ENTIRE pool all to ourselves for the night! (Actually anyone can do that...for a price) We had a GREAT time and an awesome poolside barbecue. The big water slide was a hit with everyone! Dylan was being chicken, as usual, and refused to go on it. We wanted him to see how much fun it was, so Chris took him kicking and screaming the first time. That's all it took though. He absolutely LOVED it, so Chris did a victory dance with him in the water! We couldn't get him off it after that!! We swam until about 10:30. It was the perfect end to a perfect (but VERY busy) week. We were sad to have to say good-bye to Todd, Pam, Kyla and Chandler when we left. We don't get to see them very often, but cherish the time we do get. Hopefully next time they come, Heather and Mike can come from Michigan, CC will be home from his mission and Chelsea can also come from Florida...or maybe she'll still be in Utah, who knows!

How one girl can be so blessed with such AWESOME family all around her is beyond me! I am seriously so blessed to have a sweet little family of my own, great extended family and the BEST in-laws on the face of the earth!!!! THANK YOU to all for blessing my life with so much love and happiness and for helping to create such a fun filled, exciting week!! THIS is what life is all about :)