full to the brim...

I don't think we could fit one more kiddo in here.....

But, they sure had a BLAST!

First I am going to rant for just a min.... my Friday drive home up the canyon was a NIGHTMARE!!!!! It took me just over 2 hours. Now yes, it was snowing and I know that slows things down (or at least people should slow down) but, last night I think was the stinkin’ Sundance Film Festivals fault, or should I say the crazy people in their fancy rental cars that have NO idea how to drive in the snow..... Some would speed right pass you (but I saw them in the ditch a little further up the canyon) and others I think just parked their cars right in the middle of the road and cried. FYI~if you are from out of town, or just do not know how to drive in the snow... PLEASE, PLEASE get a DRIVER! For the safety of everyone….

OK, now on to the good news ~ they have started to Sheetrock the house, actually I should say they are ½ done!!! I don’t have any good pictures of the inside (sorry Linda) there are just too many people and too much stuff for them to turn out good, but here is a picture of the outside so far….

Hope to have inside pictures next week :)

Have a good night, and please drive safe and responsibly!

SICK!

Tyler only went to half a day of school, she has that awful cold that is going around ;( I have been so busy trying to keep the germs away from Grandma... I think I might have forgotten about myself! Now, I have a horrible headache and my ears and throat are staring to hurt!! NICE...

OCD at it's best...

I know I am CRAZY.... but what is a girl to do when they DISCONTINUE her favorite mousse! Did I mention that I have used this same brand for over 20 years and LOVE it! When I couldn't find it in the store anymore, I panicked and called the # on the bottle and that is when I got the bad news... DISCONTINUED!!! Oh, they tried to be helpful and tell me I could call around or look on the Internet to see if anyone still had some in their inventory! The only luck I had was on the Internet but, the shipping was ridiculous! So I waited, but as my last bottle got lighter and lighter and all the other brands I tried got crappier and crappier. I finally broke down and with my back against a wall, paid way more then I should have and bought this...

I really did try to like other brands ... but what can I say, I DON'T like change and that goes for my mousse too :)

Family fun

We had a good time tonight with the extended family. Daun and her kids, Dean and Riley, and Grandma Lee and Grandpa Jim came up to have dinner with us. It was so fun to see everyone and it was a BLAST watching Grandma Lee bowl on the Wii.....

Thanks everyone for coming to visit us! :)

One of these things just doesn't belong.....

My baby brother is married..... they looked great, good food, friends, family,

and THIS...........

Can you spot the uninvited visitor???

The little miss

This beautiful smile brightens my day!!!! Love you sis!

This morning Grandma asked me what I would say to my mom if I could talk to her. So, I thought about it for a while and I decided it depended on how much time I had...... You know, would it be a nice leisurely talk over some Cream of Weber chocolate milk like the good old days, or is it a 5 minutes that is all you get type thing?
But, for the sake of the blog I will just go with short….

First off~ I would thank her for her example, sacrifice, and never ending trust and faith in us. Then I guess I would have to thank her for her “tough love” she so wisely helped us endure. It was because of this; I learned that all actions have consequences, good and bad, and I had to live with the choices I made. LIFE SAVER to learn this early!!!!
Next~ I would have to tell her how much I appreciated the fact that she took us places, EVERYWHERE! Shopping, parks, horseback riding, long trips, short trips, from one end of the US to the other, even over seas. She never made us feel as though we were a bother. She truly loved having us around and we knew it. She built great memories I will NEVER forget!

She was always there for us, annoyingly so sometimes. But, I KNEW I could count on her 1000% day or night she would be there. Words cannot express the importance of that! So I dedicate my life to be there for my kids…. You never know how long that will be.
Last but certainly not least, and truth be told probably the first question I would ask is…… What in the heck were you thinking sending Kirsten and I on a Grey Hound BUS by ourselves when we were so little, or at all for that matter?????? Were you CRAZY!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday mom, we love you!

( and all the good times, bad times, and what were you thinking times!)

Tyler the professional hair doer

(at least that is what she calls herself)

... and Grandma the good sport :)

Nancy Drew... anyone?

Hope Grandma likes Nancy Drew, because she gets read to EVERY night :)
But don't worry she loves it!

She is home!!

Well we got Grandma home safe and sound. She seems to be adjusting well, Tyler is doing a great job at making sure she has EVERY thing she could ever want or need. It is cute to watch them enjoy each others company! I am so thankful for the love and happiness she brings into our home! (both girls actually) I'm sure we will have our days, but it is so worth it. I know when we look back on this time, it will be one of the best in our lives, and one that we will treasure ALWAYS.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday Kirsten and Garrett!

I hope where ever you are and whatever you are doing, that your day has been full of fun! (and safety.) You knew I would have to throw that in! Thought we would take a trip down Memory Lane...

What a cute little girl
Hey, Kirst do you think you cut your own bangs???

Garrett was such a cute and happy baby!

Love and miss you both!

Today was a crazy day!!! Grandma was supposed to be coming home, so we rescheduled piano, rearranged work, got everything all figured out, and were SO looking forward to grandma coming home! Then we get a phone call (after 2 pm) that it will be Friday instead.....GRRRRRRR! Why is it after you rearrange everything, they change it to the day you moved everything to?
Oh, well deep breaths….. On a good note; I was talking to a lady today at the school, and she gave me the # of someone that she recommends to cut hair! YAHOO, I need a hair cut in the worse way!

This picture has nothing to do with my post…. I just thought it was cute of the little Miss.

She has taken a liking to the eye shades. (as she calls them) She says it helps her sleep with ALL of Brayden's night lights on.

The joys of sharing a room :)

Lots of moving around!

Well, this is the final load of Grandma's stuff I need to go through and put away or in storage.... PHEW!!!!!
We had to move the kids in a room together, so that Grandma could have the other bedroom. The first couple of nights were rough!!! Tyler is VERY particular with her things and how she has her room, and she was having a HARD time adjusting.
In the end they settled with the room set up like this....
Yes, I know Brayden's futon is facing the wrong way but, it works out better for privacy reasons!
Bless their hearts ~ I know this is very hard on them.

Here is grandma's room .... All we need to do now is figure how to get all the stuff in the top picture to fit!

There is already a dresser, TV stand with a TV on it, a table, and lamp in the corner that you can't see !

Yes, we have our work cut out for us.

WELL.......

One of my goals was to take a picture everyday, and to post something here..... I am going to TRY to use this as more of a journal, and as you can see I am already behind! I have the pictures taken, just haven't been posting :(

Well, today is a new day and I am going to try again!

I am feeling a little like this.......... Buried :)

WISH ME LUCK!!!!!!!

Good bye 2009....

It is no secret 2009 has been a difficult year for me. I HATE change and 2009 was chuck full of it. But, with all challenges comes growth or should I say "room for growth" if we allow it, so I am doing my best to learn from all of my experiences.

I was going to say you could sum up 2009 with the big "S word" and the more I thought about it the more it is true. We have experienced lots of "S words" this year. (Not all bad)

These are not in any kindof order:

#1~ STRESS

I feel like we have had our fair share of stress this year: health issues, moving, building a house, moving, Grandma's health, moving, new schools... Oh, and did I mention MOVING!!!! We have done lots and lots of moving. Which stresses me out to the max!!

#2~ Surprise

I have been amazed by my Children and their ability to adjust! I think there is only one person in this whole world that HATES change more than I do, and that is Brayden. He has done so well, and I am so proud of him and his example. I also was surprised by how many people are NOT LDS and how Big it is here ! I have always heard that Heber is a "small town" hmmm....I have also been surprised by how nice the weather has been up here... LOVE the inversions :)

#3~ Support

I do NOT know what I would do without the support of my friends, new and old. I have been blessed with the most amazing Friends in the world! When I have been totally stressed out, here comes my friend (who had to drive 120 miles round trip) to help me figure out what to do with a problem with the house, or to take me to lunch, or to go shopping, I could go on and on.....

I just have to say, they are my life savers, and I love them and their families dearly!

#4 ~Sacrifice

All I have to say about this is, there is NOT one person in our family who hasn't had to do MAJOR sacrifice this year. I am thankful for the love and willingness we show each other, even in hard times!

I can hear my mother say "I never said it was going to be easy, just worth it"

I truly believe this and hope my children will see the blessings of sacrifice!!

#5~Safety

We have been blessed with safety, with all the time we have spent driving up and down the canyon. I am Thankful for Safety!

#6~Sickness

Man, it seems like we have been hit with a lot of this this year! Thankfully nothing to serious, but, we have learned to try to keep stress in check, Headaches are no FUN!!!!

#7~Sealing

There is NOTHING better, than the blessings of an Eternal Family!!!!!!

#8~ Stability

I am a list maker and schedule lover. My family is the same, so stability is what makes us have a happy home. Enough said :)

#9~ Storage/Savings

This kind of goes hand in hand with sacrifice, I am thankful that through this challenging time in our country, we have been able to save and receive the blessing from having food storage. I must say I have been freaking out a little (ok a Lot) that my food storage has been dwindling. We had to give some of it away when we moved, and have had to keep it kind of small until we get into our home. But don't you worry I have a savings account I put $$ in every month so I can rebuild that baby when we move in :)

#10~ Service

We have had great opportunity this year to serve and be served. I am so thankful for the willingness of others who have helped us out when we have needed it. Without even being asked, how they know we needed help I will never know! We have always tried to do service; take meals into people, watch kids, drive kids, shovel walks, help with yard work, ect.

But, lately I have found it can even be as simple as sitting by someone new in church, holding a baby for someone who has a toddler having a bad day, or hugging your kids, and husband when they are in need.

This is one of our goals for 2010. To try to do more service, the little things that make life easier. I want my kids to love to serve, and do it like second nature. My mom was a great example of service to me, and I want to be one for my kids!

So~ Happy New Year to everyone, I hope it is full of all the good

"S words"