I Hope You Don't Mind, I Hope You Don't Mind, That I Put Down In Words...

How wonderful life is, while you're in the world...

Last Thursday, Steve and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary. I am so thankful for this man, I don't really even know how to put it down in words. He makes me happy every day of my life. I mean that. He makes me happy EVERY day of my life. I don't often express to him how grateful I am for the kind of man he is. I think sometimes, in the world that we live in, with lesser men all around, I take for granted the partner I have been blessed with. He truly is a good man.

He loves me unconditionally. And he has never ever for a second given me reason to ever doubt his love or devotion to me. He is also very patient with me. More patient than I would ever be with myself.

He also loves our children and he is such a good father to them. He works so hard for his family. He owns his own business and that means he is always working. Always. Most days, he works all day and comes home and still has hours of more work to do on the computer. Some days he leaves the house for work at 7 in the morning and doesn't get home until 3 or 4 or 5 o'clock the next morning. Once, there was a whole entire year when he worked every single day (except most Sundays) including all holidays.

He has a strong testimony of Christ and of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. He honors the Priesthood that he holds. He is a Valiant Husband, Father and Leader of our family.

Stephen, I love you and everything you stand for. Thank you for being the husband you are.

♥ me

See, he does love me. You can tell by the look on his face:

Monday Morning Musings - School's Out For Summer!

As the children slept in on their first official morning of summer break, they had no idea that I was downstairs planning ways to make their summer miserable. OK, really, I'm not that evil. But I was makin' plans. 'Cause I am always the woman with the plan. Dan. The three oldest slept in the playroom and this is how I found Aubrey this morning. You can't tell very well from the picture, but her feet are on the floor. She is 1/2 on the couch and 1/2 off. I don't know how she was able to sleep like that.

I let them sleep in as long as they wanted (I'm buttering them up for what is to come) and then we had "First Day of Summer Waffles" complete with celebration candles. We sang a chorus of "School's out for summer, school's out forever!" before blowing the candles out.

If you have been reading my blog for very long, you will remember my "Summer Fun" chart I make every week showing what we will be doing. It made it's first appearance on my mud room wall early this morning. After breakfast, when I told the kids it was up, they made a mad dash to see what was on it. I really wish sometimes that I could be more unstructured, and just kinda like whatever, go with the flow, mellow mamma. But that just isn't me. I have to have a plan at all times. I am one of those people that you probably wouldn't want to go on a relaxing vacation with because I operate on a schedule and I want to know exactly what we will be doing everyday so that I make sure we get everything in that I want to get in. I am not so structured that I am inflexible. This chart is just to give us an idea of what is happening. Sometimes things come up and we have to change things, or sometimes we just don't feel like doing what it says one day. But anyways, here is this weeks chart:

On Tuesday's we will be having a "Heroes In History" lesson. One week we will learn about a hero from the Scriptures, and the next week we will learn about a hero from American history.

I also revamped my "Summer Chore Charts". I have different charts for the school year. I am including it because last time I said something about chore charts I had a bunch of people wanting to know what I had on them. So here they are:

In the middle of each kids chart is a "Weekly Focus". I am rotating them for each kid. I have "Meals", "Laundry" and "Dishes". I am the kind of person who would rather have everyone clear out of the kitchen and stay outta my way when I am cooking. And I also have this thing about me being the only one who can load the dishwasher or sort clothes, because I am the only one who can do it right. But I have realized that that is not helping my kids to learn these basic life skills that I am supposed to be teaching them. So now they will be learning how to do those things, and I will be learning how to let go.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Flashback Friday - Thanksgiving In Utah

This picture was taken at Thanksgiving in 1992. The year I might have graduated from high school, if I were that old. I was living in Utah and my dad and Farrah drove up to visit me. This is what I remember about that time. It was my first holiday away from home and I was so glad that I didn't have to spend it alone. I was so excited to see some of my family again. We got our first snow about a week before they came and that was my first experience with snow. I remember being in a store and a lady that worked there just got of the phone with her husband and it was snowing where he was, but it hadn't reached us yet. I was so excited. When my dad and Farrah were on their way up, they got stuck in a snow storm and the highway was closed and they had to spend the night in a church. The three of us were so proud of ourselves for the Thanksgiving feast we made. I had fun showing them around and playing tour guide. Who knew that that would become my eternal calling, playing tour guide for anyone and everyone who comes through Salt Lake City that I know? But I love it! And no, I am not deformed in this picture. I have clear braces on my teeth. What a stupid idea. I look back at pictures of that time and I just look like I have funky mouth disease.

A Day To Remember

So, we went to bed Sunday night with plans to wake up in the morning and head for the mountains. We were going to spend all day there hiking and roasting hot dogs and just having fun. Then I woke up Monday morning with a strong feeling that I needed to make sure my kids understood exactly what Memorial Day really is for. So I got online and looked up Memorial Day programs. And low and behold, there happened to be one at the cemetery where my Father is. So I called me mum and she met us there. It was a very nice ceremony with excellent speakers. It really touched my heart to think of all those men and women and families who have and currently are making sacrifices for our country.

After we left the cemetery, we went to my mom's house and had a delicious lunch (she made brisket) with her and my sister Lauren and their neighbors, Curtis and Kami and their kids.

Then we all loaded up in the van and finally made our way up the canyon. It was a beautiful drive and we had a blast once we got there. As soon as we all got out of the van and took a look at all the pine cones strewn about, a war ensued. And some of the innocent bystanders (mom and grandma) even got pegged a few times.

We found a dangerous rushing stream nearby and decided to risk our very lives to play in it. Thankfully everyone made it through the event unharmed.

Update: Aubrey shared with me what she wrote in her journal yesterday. She gave me permission to share it here. Here are the thoughts of a seven year old about Memorial Day.

I want to write about Memorial Day. On Memorial Day we celebrate about the people that were in the war and died. And the people that were working hard for us to have a free country. They went through hard stuff.

2nd Annual American Idol Finale Soiree

Can you call it a Soiree if you serve pizza on paper plates? Hey, we did have salad on the side to fancy it up. So if that doesn't make it a Soiree, I don't know what does. For the second year in a row we had our neighbors Lori and Andreas and their family over to watch the American Idol Finale. We were all at a dinner at the church on Tuesday, so we watched both nights of Idol together on Wednesday night. You can see from the pictures that the kids were really into the Idol viewing.

SIDE NOTE: If you google Soiree to see how to spell it and you spell it swaray, this is the definition you get from Urban Dictionary: The way stupid people spell soiree. Well, EX-KA-USE me!

Flashback Friday - Closet Friends

Chris, Allyson, Demond

I don't think you could find 3 more opposite people and put them together and have them turn out to be friends if you tried. I met Chris and Demond or Ronald or Ralph (he goes by several different names) when I was a freshman in high school and they were sophomores. I couldn't even begin to guess how many hours I spent sitting in my closet talking to them on a 3 way phone call. They are such good friends now, they torture me and send me pictures of Blue Bell Ice Cream or Blue Bell trucks whenever they see them. These pictures were taken a few weeks before I got married. I knew I would be leaving the great state of Texas and wouldn't see them for a while, so we spent the day hangin' out together.

FYI: I found the mother load of pictures today! You know how I have been bored with my Flashback Friday selections? Well, I am bored no more! I found a huge box full of old pictures. If you have known me for 15 years or more, chances are, there is a picture of you in the box! Look out!

Flower Girls

A few weeks ago, my neighbor needed to borrow my girls to model some hair accessories she made. We just went out our front door and into the ever prevalent weeds to take the pictures. I took my camera along and snapped a few shots of the girls too. They turned out mighty cute, if I do say so myself. But I did have beautiful subjects, so how could I go wrong? I tried to talk Z into donning a white shirt and jeans and joining us, but he didn't find my suggestion amusing in the least. Oh well, he missed out.

Monday Morning Musings - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

The above picture was taken:

A) On Christmas Eve
B) Last February
C) Just a few hours ago

Yep, it snowed again today. Old Man Winter, who knew you had such a stubborn streak? Oh well, it's all blue skies now. Please note my grass (overlook all the interspersed weeds) that is now growing where once upon a time there used to be just dirt. And weeds.

It's always nice to know that you just aren't getting through to your three year old. You see, on an ideal day, I am showered and dressed before I wake the kiddos up. But not every day is ideal. Today was one of those days. And once I get them up, I can pretty much just forget about taking a shower until I get the older ones off to school. Every time that happens Addy and I have the same conversation. It goes something like this:

Me: Addy, I am about to get in the shower. You cannot answer the door while
I am in the shower. If the doorbell rings, what should you do?

Addy: Come and tell you!

Me: Should you answer the door first, and then come tell me who is at the
door?

Addy: No! I tell you first!

Me: OK. So DO NOT ANSWER THE DOOR! Come and tell me and I will tell you
what you should do.

Addy: OK! I WON'T answer the door.

And then I leave her upstairs in the playroom watching Dora and playing with her toys.

I used to think that was working, but apparently it only worked because no one ever actually came to the door. That is until today. When Addy suddenly appeared at the shower. With a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet in her hand. "Mommy a lady and a man just gave this to us!" Yeah. I guess from here on out if I don't shower before I get everyone up in the morning, I just don't shower. That should be...fun...

Apparently the Lost finale FINALE was last night. Everyone is talking about it. Steve and I are so behind on our Lost viewing. I checked the DVR this morning and we have 9 episodes we haven't watched. I didn't even know it was the finale until I heard everyone talking about it on Facebook. Oh well. Now Steve and I have something to watch this summer. And if we watch one every night, all in a row, it will be easier to remember what is going on. Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? We still won't have any idea what is happening.

Last Friday my mom called and her neighbor had 5 extra tickets to Cirque du Soleil Alegria, that was starting in just a few hours. She and Lauren were going to use 2 of the tickets and we could have the other 3 if we wanted. Well, Steve and Zac were going on a Father/Son campout and Aubrey was going to a birthday party, so it worked out that there were just 3 of us (Emily, Addy and myself) left at home. We got ready and jumped in the car and headed out. It was so much fun! Thanks Curtis and Kami!

Flashback Friday - Dang

Las Vegas, Nevada 1992

I was having the same problem with this Flashback Friday as I was last week. I couldn't find anything I wanted to post. Then I came across this picture and I was like

*DANG*

I used to LOVE that cute wrap around skirt

and then I was like

*DANG*

I used to LOVE being that skinny

and then I was like

*DANG*

That dude in the blue shirt was PSYCHO with a capital

P-S-Y-C-H-O

We went on one date and then for our next date he surprised me and we hopped on a plane to Vegas so I could meet his parents. And he got really mad when I wouldn't marry him when we were there in Vegas. And I was like

*DANG*

I have only known you for a week.

Funny that the boy I did end up marrying was a boy I had known for less than a week when we got engaged. But that boy wasn't Psycho with a capital P-S-Y-C-H-O. So there.

Flashback Friday: Pink Spandex

So I couldn't find any pictures I wanted to use for my Flashback Friday. Every picture I found I was like, "Meh" or "Blah". That's when I had the brilliant idea to look through a box of Steve's pictures. And then I was like, "Meh" or "Blah". Until I found this precious little gem of a photo. And then I was like ROFL. I don't even know what to say except:

• A) Thank you babe for never wearing spandex in front of me or the children. As hot as it would be, thank you for refraining.
• B) FYI: Steve owns nothing that is pink at the current time
• C) I got such a good belly laugh workout from this picture
• and lastly
• D) Yes, he is still that skinny and I pray every day that he passes that blessed gene on to our children
  

And it would be mean of me not to post this picture to show you that pink was obviously the color of the day:

And also this one with the same sexy as all get out spandex shorts and boring normal shirt. Steve is the 3rd from the left, just in case you didn't recognize him without the pink tie-dye.

♥I HEART YOU HONEY, BABY, SUGAR DADDY!♥