The Cannon Family

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T11:54:00.003-07:00

Six Months Old

2009-12-02T22:18:00.006-07:00

Look at this cutie pie. He just melts my heart. Except that he still isn't sleeping through the night. Seriously! I'm dying over here! Shouldn't he be doing that by now? I try the crying thing sometimes, but I can't stand it. I just can't stand it!

Henry is growing up too fast. He is still so skinny, which is so different from Max. I took him for his check up last week and he weighs 15 1/2 pounds. He is only 15th percentile for weight! His head is off the charts and his height is 75th percentile. He spits up on basically everything. When will he outgrow that, too?

Mark surprised me with a new camera. We've been hard on my D40, so we upgraded to the D3000. I love it! My old camera still works, but the battery doesn't stay in due to the fact that Ben kicked it out of the car and the battery door and camera case cracked. I guess I could have duct taped it together....

Just in the Nick of Time

2009-09-17T22:12:00.008-06:00

I shut my mouth just in time...

All of my kids have been a little spitty and Henry isn't any different.

He is growing up way too fast. He loves his finger, as you can see in this picture. None of my kids have been thumb suckers, but Henry is partial to his pointer. He loves his binky, too. So, whenever I can, I replace his finger with the binky. After all, you can take away a binky!

A big milestone happened at our house today! I layed Henry on a blanket in our family room. I set him on his back, because he doesn't like his tummy. (I do give him tummy time daily.) When I came back to get him this is what I saw...

He was on his tummy and no one turned him over! I missed it! I tried to get him to do it again, but to no avail. He's growing up too fast! I am enjoying him so much. Even when he spits on my face. I was just holding him above my head, trying to get him to laugh. I was asking for it!

Tonight we had a little event in our neighborhood. For emergency preparedness, our area is divided into small groups with a group leader. Tonight we had a block party with special guests. The mayor of our city, the big command motorhome, the swat team, and multiple other police/emergency vehicles. They drove up with their sirens blazing and the kids were in heaven. It took place right in front of our house. I love our neighborhood. There are so many kids, they run in herds. We have such great neighbors and everyone loves each other. We are so lucky!

Max 3 years

2009-08-09T13:29:00.003-06:00

I've been such a slacker at getting Max's pictures professionally taken. I think that always happens to the 3rd and 4th children. Our cute friend Mindy was taking his picture and had him sit on this suitcase. She was trying to get him to laugh by telling him that he was breaking the suitcase. He didn't think it was funny and got his feelings hurt. He is so tender hearted. We love Max! He is a joy in our family! If only his older brothers would stop teasing him.

Baby Henry 6 Weeks

2009-08-09T13:22:00.003-06:00

Henry is such a darling baby boy. We all love him very much and are so happy that he is in our family. He is just starting to "talk" to us. He is always happy and will always smile, except for when he thinks he is starving to death. I can't wait for him to laugh!

He is a joy!

Four Weeks

2009-06-20T23:27:00.004-06:00

It's hard to believe it's already been four weeks.
He still mostly eats, sleeps and poops!
We love him and are so blessed!

Henry Oliver

2009-06-16T22:38:00.006-06:00

On Saturday, May 23rd, our little baby Henry Oliver joined our little family. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 ozs. and was 20 1/2 inches long. He has so much black hair! One of the nurses asked how much earlier his hair was born! He seems tiny. Tiny bird legs and a tiny little bum. We love him!

The labor went very fast. I was scheduled to be induced on the 20th. As we were sitting at home waiting, the hospital called and told me that the didn't have room for us, and that the doctor couldn't do it again until Saturday. I was devastated!

Saturday finally came and they called about nine o'clock, letting us know to come on in. Well, I got dressed in my gown and sat and waited and waited and waited - for THREE hours! I'm GBS positive, so I need two bags of Penicillin before I should deliver. Well, she finally started my first bag at one o'clock that afternoon. My next bag couldn't be until five o'clock. Dr. Froerer didn't want to break my water until the first bag was finished. They started me on Pitocin at the same time. By 3:45 my contractions were getting pretty bad and I felt like my water had broken. Sure enough, it had, and I was to a dilated to a seven. I finally asked for my Epidural and things went really fast after that. Henry was born at 5:45 after only three pushes. He is perfect and everything went so great! I cried while getting ready to push. It was emotional knowing that this is my last baby. That is a hard chapter in my life to close.

He is such a well mannered baby. He doesn't love the bath and getting his diaper or clothes changed. I am adjusting to having a baby around again, which is a huge adjustment. Trying to time everything. Running the older kids around while trying to time feedings and having to pump sometimes in the car while on our way somewhere.

(Mark's favorite is when the babies sleep on his chest. Why doesn't he let them do it at 2 o'clock in the morning!)

The boys love baby Henry! When we brought him home from the hospital, Max couldn't say Henry - he called him baby "Angry". He is finally starting to say his name correctly. They want to hold him constantly and it is nice to have the extra hands.

I've tried to take pictures of him, but he doesn't cooperate. Time to call a professional!

At Henry's two week appointment he was 7 lbs. 13 ozs. He is growing so fast everyday. I need to slow down and enjoy it. Before I know it he'll be married and gone.

Three Boys in the Tub

2009-05-23T08:11:00.003-06:00

Soon after our downstairs bathroom was finished, actually, the DAY the installed the glass for the shower, I started ripping out our master bathroom. It must have been the nesting, because I had all of the tile back splash around our tub removed and in the garbage. That weekend we made such a mess! As soon as Mark got home from work, we finished the tear out. We had to replace the entire sub floor under and around our shower. Our shower had been repaired once before, about five years ago, replacing the sub floor, but it still leaked. Luckily the room below our master is a storage room, because there would be a large puddle after anyone used the shower.

Our tilers were awesome and Mark's parents helped us frame a new tub surround for our new bathtub. I previously had a jetted garden tub, which was all great and wonderful at first, but got disgusting throughout the years. I haven't been able to have a bath this entire pregnancy because the tub grossed me out. I tried everything to clean it, and eventually the motor broke.

Without further adieu.........

I can't believe I let them use it first, before me. I think it just might be the last time, too. They got water everywhere! We aren't quite finished with the project. The new sinks, toilet and counter top are all installed. I actually had my existing cabinet refinished, so we are waiting on that and the glass. Can't wait to have it back! We did it really fast, in about three weeks! I have a little painting touch up, but it turned out great. I was just so excited to have a bath again, and the tub is gigantic! I actually had a bath this morning while waiting for the hospital to call. We are still waiting, but I know for sure it will be today. They are just waiting for some deliveries to finish and they'll call us. It will be soon and I'm so nervous!

Joy of Homeownership

2009-04-08T14:55:00.007-06:00

We've been preparing for the baby. We moved Ben downstairs a few weeks ago, to join his brother Will in the basement. We had a bathroom down there that we never finished and decided to get going on it. With 2 kids downstairs and a leaky shower in our master (that needs to be completely gutted), we need that bathroom! So, for the past month we've been finishing that lovely room. Seriously, I don't know how people build homes on their own (ANGIE). It has been the biggest pain getting bids and figuring out who I like best and if we've made the right decision in our contractors.

Mark isn't handy. He'd much rather hire everything out. When we finished our basement a few years ago, he actually framed and wired the entire place. So, he is handy, he'd just rather pay someone else to do it! Well, last weekend, we installed our shower head. We should have know then that something was wrong. Google was and is our friend. You can figure anything out online. The hot and cold was switched, so I googled it, and figure out how to switch it.

Yesterday, they installed our cabinets/counter and sink. So, last night we tried installing our toilet. The kids were so excited to be able to relieve themselves there this morning. After installing the toilet, we found that the water was HOT in the toilet. Nice! You should have heard the jokes that were coming out of our mouths, and a few expletives from Mark. I wanted to cry. If it's not one thing, it's another! Well, it turns out that the plumber we hired, switched the hot and cold, so everything was switched.

Luckily, the plumber, when I called him this morning, was so nice and stands behind his work. He came this afternoon and is currently fixing the problem. (Notice the rather large hole in our freshly painted ceiling.)

Here are some pics of our semi-finished bathroom. Is the brown/white checkerboard too much? I love it!

We are almost ready to take a sledge hammer to the master bath! I can't wait for that!!!

A Little Bribery

2009-04-01T16:20:00.004-06:00

I've resorted to bribery. I'll do whatever it takes to get Max potty trained before the baby comes. We took advantage of the cold weather this past week and really focused on training Max. He's done a great job with the concept, peeing is no problem for him. I just can't get him to poop in the potty. I basically sit on his lap all day, waiting for the poop to come. The second I let him out of my sight, he sneaks away and hides and POOPS in his underpants. We've gone through so many pair of underwear with weekly visits to Target to re-stock. I'm done. I've told him that I would buy him anything that he wanted at the toy store if he'd just poop in the potty. Watching cartoons he'd see a toy and mention that he wanted that toy. I would just say, "I'll buy it for you as soon as you poop in the potty"!

It wasn't working!

So, today Max and I ventured to the nearest Toys-R-Us. We spent nearly an hour deciding what to purchase. I ended up buying him one small toy as a reward for doing such a great job thus far, and saved the biggie for the first movement.

What do you think?

I'm thinking it just might work. HOPEFULLY!

**Yes, he is cuddling and crying into his Baby Bjorn potty insert. I know, Gross!**

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T20:30:00.007-06:00

We had a great St. Patrick's Day.

The weather was perfect today.

The kids were all decked out in their green, making sure to not be pinched. Will even wore his green shamrock boxers - I hope he didn't show those to anyone at school today! I got pinched because I am lacking in the green maternity clothes department. Nothing I have that is green fits over my ever expanding belly.

At their school, the leprechaun left golden rocks out on the playground. After school, we walked back to the school to make sure none of the gold had been missed. It was all gone.

While Max and I were out running errands today, the leprechaun apparently left gold coins all over the boys' bedrooms.

Will was a little suspicious - I think my days of surprises are numbered for him. He is starting to figure things out.

For dinner we had potatoes, corned beef and rainbow jello and for dessert, we had shamrock shakes!

Thanks to Kami for all the fun ideas!

Will and Max have been sick lately. Apparently it's going around.

Colds and fevers = no fun!

On Saturday, Will was complaining that his ears were bothering him, so I took him to Instacare, and sure enough, he had an ear infection. Thank goodness for antibiotics! Will is doing much better, but Max is still sick. He's taken naps these past few days, which is so unlike him. He stopped napping during Christmas break. I can't decide if I miss them or not. It's kind of nice to not have to be home for naps!

Yesterday we took advantage of the weather and flew Max's new Buzz Lightyear kite. Mark bought it for Max a few days ago. It basically flies itself because you blow it up with air.

I love this picture of Max. He loves being outside!

I especially love it because you can't see both of his nostrils, one is filled with SNOT!

Spring time is my favorite time!

It's a BOY - AGAIN!!!

2009-03-11T22:39:00.004-06:00

I've been such a slacker lately and have severely neglected my blog. Obviously, I never announced on here that we are having another boy. Facebook is my new obsession, but I really want to keep a family history. I will try and be better, I promise. I'm just lazy and feel huge lately. I have about 10 weeks to go until we meet this new little guy. I'm getting really excited!

We are all having such a hard time figuring out another BOY name. Seriously, we've used all the cute family names. My other options of family names are Kenneth or Lester, both or our dad's names. Yeah, no thanks!

So, Will and Ben are calling the baby "Oliver". What does everyone think? I don't even know if anyone reads this blog anymore.

Ollie is kinda cute! HELP!

What Would You Do?

2009-01-22T19:59:00.003-07:00

Tonight I had to get out of the house. I've been sick since Tuesday night and been homebound with Max. We needed a treat so we headed to a new yogurt spot in Draper. (I'm not going to name any names, but it is new and near Great Harvest). It's the kind of place where you serve yourself the yogurt and the toppings. I got Max's ready before mine, and I spilled some sprinkles on the counter. After we were all paid up and sitting there, enjoying our treat, I noticed something horrible. The guy, who had just taken our cash and change with his bare hands, was sweeping those sprinkles into his bare hands. The same bare hands that had just handled our money. That's not what was bad. What happened next was disgusting and I can bet you can guess what he did. Yip, he dumped those sprinkles right back into the container for the next unassuming diners. I couldn't believe my eyes!

What would you do?

I sat there and contemplated my next move with Mark. He knows me all too well and just thought I should call the manager in the morning. Well, I couldn't just sit there. Once Mark and the kids were basically running away from me, into the car, I confronted the guy. And he wasn't just some dumb teenager. He had to be at least twenty-something.

I casually mentioned to him that I saw what he had done. He told me that he had just washed his hands. I didn't care! I said that I wouldn't serve food that had fallen onto my own kitchen counter. He apologized, but you bet I'm calling there in the morning. On my way out the door, I told him I wouldn't be back.

Okay, I am a bit of a picky eater. Well, I just like cleanliness. It's next to godliness, right? If I'm somewhere eating out and I happen to see the kitchen, I get grossed out. Gross bathrooms - I can't finish my meal.

Yep, I won't be back!

Enough Already

2009-01-06T09:10:00.003-07:00

It's only the beginning of January and I can't believe how much snow we've already received. It is so cold and I'm ready for spring. I always get like this in January, but this time it is worse. I'm pregnant and if it were spring, the baby would almost be here. But, it's not, and I feel it's going to be a long winter. The storms just keep on coming, they are relentless!

Our street has been an ice sheet since before Christmas. Our lovely city never made it in time to plow and now it is complete ice. My brother came over yesterday and couldn't believe how bad it was. You bounce and bounce the entire way to our house.

Mark and I keep joking that if Merrill/Bank of America asks us to move, especially if it is to somewhere warm, we are gone! I'm up for the adventure, and right now I'm so sick of the cold.

Brace Face

2009-01-03T09:32:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks before Christmas, Will got braces! He only got them on his four front teeth and top back molars. He's always had what we referred to as the "David Letterman space" between his two front teeth, and the teeth next to those came in completely sideways! He's only going to have to wear them for hopefully nine months. Then we'll wait until the rest of his permanent teeth are in to do the final phase. They really bothered him the first couple of days and now he's doing great. We even have a list of foods that he's not allowed to have posted on our fridge. He's been such a trooper about what he can't eat.

I've had to constantly remind him that he needs to do a really good job at brushing his teeth. I just keep reminding him how pretty his teeth are going to be. Just wait until the 19th of January, when he gets HEADGEAR!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T21:44:00.009-07:00

We've had such a great holiday season. I can't believe all of the snow we have received so far this year. This morning we woke up to almost a foot of snow in our driveway. Why can't it stay in the mountains?

Last Saturday night we had our annual party with Mark's family. It was a small gathering due to the fact that Ryan (Mark's brother) is in England serving a mission and Kim and her family moved this past June to Kansas.

After dinner and a movie, we opened presents in their basement. Kim sent a framed picture for her parents. Nothing unusual about that, but there were packing peanuts in that box and the kids found it. They had a great time making a huge mess. The packing peanuts were everywhere!

The kids were having the time of their lives and we couldn't help but laugh. The peanuts were stuck to our clothes, up the walls, drug upstairs...everywhere! We had to get out the shop vac to tackle the job.

Christmas Eve was spent at my sister Karyn's house. We were lucky enough to visit with Jon's parents who were up from Arizona for the holidays. We had a delicious dinner of steamed clams, prime rib, shrimp and potatoes. My brother in law Jon is such a great chef. It is always fun to eat at their house!

Who needs a fork?

Don't you just love Charlie's crazy hair!

Mark and grandpa Dick.

The chaos!

Steve and my mom gave these great teepee's to each family. Will and Ben are going to sleep in their new sleeping bags from them and the teepee tonight.

Thanks everyone for all the nice gifts and great company!

Christmas Day

We told our kids that they couldn't wake us up until eight o'clock and they were great. They showed up in our room earlier and we sent them back to bed. At about ten to eight, they showed back up, anxious to begin the unveiling. We slowly made our way downstairs. Will and Ben had already sized up their packages and everything in their stockings. I think they knew what they had received even before they opened their presents.

I left my camera at my sister's house the night before. So, I was bummed that I didn't get any pictures. My mom and Steve braved the snow to venture out to everyone's house to see what the kids got from Santa. They even ate a little french toast at our house to hold them over until brunch with my grandpa.

We didn't make it to Mark's parents to be able to talk to Ryan, who is serving in London. If I had known we could call him from home like his sister did, I would have pressed the issue. It sounds like he is doing great, busying himself with the work. After missing Ryan's call, we headed to his grandmothers house for a little get together with the Cannon side of the family.

We were all pretty anxious to get home. The kids really wanted to play with the toys they had received for Christmas. I was also able to swing by my sisters and pick up my camera. After all, I needed to take some pictures of my cute family on Christmas Day!

A little naked rock band anyone? Luckily Max was the only one naked!

Merry Christmas!

For DeDee

2008-12-13T23:11:00.005-07:00

DeDee, this one is for you!
I had the best job a few years ago. It was perhaps the best, funnest job ever. I went part time after I had Will and quit when I had Ben. I worked at a small, local mortgage brokerage named City Mortgage. I made a great friend there named DeDee. We would totally goof off when the boss was away. We had so much fun. Our boss, Bob would frequently head up to Jackson to fly fish, and well, while the cat is away...you know the rest.

We worked with the funnest group. Just a bunch of people my age and we had such a great time. Brandon Burbidge did the worm. He was really good at it, too. He would catch air! Our other friend Brandon Woolston wore his mission shoes every day, even after being home from his mission for over a year. I finally had to confront him one day, it wasn't pretty. On Fridays, you'd find us in the conference room playing Rook most of the day. There are so many great and fun memories I could share!

My friend DeDee went to a Stake Dance and was dancing with this guy that did the craziest dance to this song. One day at work, DeDee played this song and mimicked his dance without hesitation. I nearly peed my pants! I was reminded of this dance tonight and had to call her. I think she should get her kids to video her doing the dance and post it on her blog. I challenge you DeDee!!!

(I can't believe they played this song at a CHURCH DANCE! After listening to the song in its entirety, I realize now that it is all about doing Cocaine.)

50 Things

2008-12-03T13:31:00.003-07:00

50 Things You Didn't Know About Me Until Now

Thanks Stephanie!!!

1.What color is your tooth brush? Purple
2. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Eating a tuna fish sandwich with Max
3. What is your favorite candy bar? Don't really eat candy bars...Mint Milky Way
4. Have you ever been to a strip club? No
5. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Max - GO TO SLEEP"
6. What is the best ice cream flavor? Chocolate & Vanilla
7. What is the last thing you had to drink? Diet Coke with fresh lime
8. What are you wearing right now? sweats and a sweat shirt
9. What was the last thing you ate? lunch
10. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Yes - 3 Gap sweaters
11. When was the last time you ran? ran? what is that?
12. Who was the last person to send you a message/comment on your blog? My cute friend Michelle from the Gap
13. Do you take vitamins daily? Prenatal vitamins
14. Do you go to church every Sunday? Yes, mostly :)
15. Do you have a tan? no way
16. Do you like Chinese food over pizza? That is a hard one. Maybe pizza.
17. Do you drink soda with a straw? only when I am at a restaurant
18. What does your last text message say? That my Verizon bill is ready - yipee
19. Are you someones best friend? yes
20. What are you doing tomorrow? Going to dinner with friends!
21. Where is your dad? who knows!!!
22. Look to your left, what do you see? A clock
23. What color is your favorite pair of shoes? burgundy patent leather ballet flats
24. Do you use chap stick? every night before bed
25. Whats your favorite thing to do in your free time? facebook, blog and read
26. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? drive-thru - those places are nasty!
27. Do you have a dog? no way! Been there, done that, not again! I tell my kids that they can when they have their own house or that Max is our little puppy!
28. Last guy you talked on the phone with? Mark
29. Last girl you talked on the phone with? My mom
30. Any fun vacation plans soon? nothing yet. Waiting for status on Mark's job.
31. Do you dye your hair? Totally!!! Darker than my normal.
32. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Never tried
33. Do you have a maid service clean your house? Every other week. Couldn't live without her!!!
34. Are you jealous of anyone? No
35. Do you love anyone? Many!
36. Do any of your friends have children? Most of them.
37. Do you use the word Hello daily? No, more of a "Hi" girl
38. Do you like cats? No way!
39. Have you ever been to six flags? Nope.
40. How did you get your worse scar? I don't really have any scars.
41. What is your favorite smell? Clean baby
42. What is the last DVD you watched? Get Smart :(
43. Have you ever been to Disney World? Yes
44. What is your favorite number? Don't really have a favorite.
45. Do you toast your pop tarts? Don't buy pop tarts. Are my kids neglected?
46. Have you ever waited tables? No
47. Where did you have your first kiss? On a cruise when I was in 9th grade. Some boy from Virginia. haha
48. What should you be doing? Folding laundry. Lazy day at home :)
49. Do you enjoy wasting time blogging? Love it, but love facebook more!
50. Who do you want to tag? Anyone that wants to.

Bye Bye Love

2008-11-30T20:55:00.004-07:00

I am a big believer in binkies. All of my kids had them and adored them. Will often had to have one in each hand and one in his mouth before calling it a night.

Each one of my kids had special names for their loves. Will affectionately referred to his as his "Muh", Ben named his "kiky" and Max's was "kikers". They loved them!

There is a window in which you can take them away and I think we waited too long with all of them. Partially because we weren't ready for the heartache that was to follow. When we would put Will to bed after he was in a twin, we often had to lock him in his room. Well, to torture us, but it only hurt him, he would slide his out underneath his door. It was the funniest thing!

Thanksgiving Eve was the last time Max got to put a kikers in his mouth. He didn't even get to say goodbye. We always left them home, only letting him have them in his bed. Well, after he threw up on the way to dinner, he fell asleep on Mark without his love. That night, after returning home, we laid Max in his bed without a binky. He lovingly asked for one, but I plainly told him that he couldn't have one. All he said was "okay mommy." What an obedient child! He's napped great without it and slept at night without it. He has been a dream. Today he's been a little ornery and he asked for one before church. I graciously declined. So, tonight I'm going to throw them away.

I'm very excited for the extra space on my shelf all those "kikers" have been taking up. I'm also excited for that ugly rash to disappear around Max's mouth. He's had that rash for weeks and it won't go away. Now it will!!

GO UTES!!

2008-11-27T00:55:00.004-07:00

Last Saturday Mark and I left the kids with his parents and ran away. We went to a late lunch at Happy Sumo with Sarah and Kevin to help them celebrate their 12th anniversary.

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know that we were there. We were at the best game of the season. We have season tickets and have for three years. It is so much fun to go to the games. Last year we bought tickets for everyone in our family, but this year, we upgraded our seats and just got two. Mark was able to take the kids on a little date night with dad. They loved it! Will went to the TCU/Blackout game and Ben went to the Oregon State game. I was able to go to the rest of the games. The kids really wanted to go to the BYU game, but I got to choose. And, because the weather was nice and not snowy, I chose myself. They were a bit disappointed, but they got to go have a party with everyone and watch the game in a warm house!

The game was AWESOME! And, I usually don't watch too much of the games. I like to watch the people - they are so much more interesting.

Too bad Mark can't leave work for year end or else he'd be in New Orleans or Arizona cheering on his Alma mater. GOOOO UTES!

He's watched the game in HD at least twice times since the game. And, he won't let me delete it off Tivo because he plans on watching it again. Tonight he is watching clips on You Tube. The kid is obsessed!

The Rack

2008-11-25T21:05:00.001-07:00

Nordstrom Rack is opening a new location in Sandy, just East of South Town Mall!!! I am so excited. Check this out.

Raingutter Regatta Hijinx

2008-11-13T22:55:00.007-07:00

Lisa couldn't bring herself to write about this event - so you get me (Mark) instead. The annual(?) Cub Scout Raingutter Regatta was tonight. Over the past few days, Will and I worked together to craft his vessel. He particularly enjoyed using the electric sander to smooth out the hull and painting it five or six different colors.

He christened his craft the Pokemon Ship and we were off to the event. As the heats unfolded, it became apparent that we had chosen a somewhat unorthodox (and apparently illegal) design. I was a bit surprised to find this out since I had specifically called the Scoutmaster to find out if there were any rules a few days ago. At that time, he suggested we sort of just go for it and so we did.

Since this was our first crack at the Regatta, I did the obligatory Google search and discovered some very serious (insane?) Regatta enthusiasts out there. Some have devised their own super-secret designs for dual-hulled Raingutter Catamarans and other offered custom regatta kits and plans for sale. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming.

Ultimately, I fell back on lessons learned during my three-year run of undefeated Pinewood Derby cars from my time in Cub Scouts. Back then, I learned that you wanted as little resistance as possible, so Will worked very hard to sand and shape the boat to glide through the water easily. I also recalled the concept that it was best to have the weight in the back, so we pushed the metal keel as far back as possible. This changed the balance of the boat and kind of made it plane on the water rather than nose dive into the water as many of the other boats did.

The last improvement was what ended up being the most controversial. I figured that the key to winning was stability. So we skipped using the mast and glued the sail directly to the boat causing it to stand up in a semi circle, perpendicular to the hull of the boat. This created a nice little pocket to catch the air and since it wasn't so far up in the air, the boat didn't tip like the others. It was also very firm. So as Will blew, the sail didn't really bend.

So..... the result was that most of Will's heats ended up with a margin of victory about like the one in the photo below.

Fortunately in the end, they really didn't make a big of a deal about who won or lost, and everyone had a great time. Will went home very happy after having won every race he ran.

So now... I am "that guy." The guy who takes it all too seriously, or something. I guess I'd better get working on next year's design. I have a reputation to uphold.

Cookie Anyone?

2008-11-09T20:23:00.002-07:00

The germs will cook out, right?

Happy Halloween

2008-11-05T10:28:00.008-07:00

We had a great Halloween. Monday evening we went to the Garden After Dark at Red Butte Gardens. We went with my sister Karyn and Jon and their kids Charlie and Lily. My brother Kenny also went with Camden and Emerson. The kids had such a great time! It was perfect for them, not scary at all!

Max, Charlie and Camden playing in the Children's Garden.

Making grass monsters - Ben, Max, Will and Lily in the beautiful yellow wig.

Black light - the kids loved this part, our teeth looked crazy yellow, just like Lily's wig!

Will and Max with their spider hats.

So, with my kids being off track, we sometimes go to my mom's school for the Halloween parade. So, this year we obliged and headed to her school Thursday morning. All of her kids were so anxious to meet Will and Ben. They'd heard so much about them!

Will and Ben even got to stay for their class party! My mom was a fly-fisher woman, walking around in her whole get up that Steve gave her while they were dating.

We've all been a little sick around our house the past couple of weeks. A flu bug that bugged us all, but not Mark. He lucked out! Unfortunately, Will came down with it on Halloween afternoon. He didn't feel much like dressing up. He wouldn't even let me paint his face. He was the "Skull Reaper", Ben was Batman and Max was an elephant and Winnie the Pooh. He decided to change halfway through the night.

As you can see, Max was a little tired. Once we got some candy in his system, he was good to go!

Will managed to get semi-dressed and Mark took them around our neighborhood. The night was so nice. I sat on the porch, reading a book and handing out candy. It was great!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Election Map Fun

2008-11-04T15:00:00.002-07:00

The election map part starts about 1 minute in. Just a little somthing to make you laugh. I know you'll all be thinking of this skit tonight as we watch the results!

End of Season

2008-11-02T22:13:00.004-07:00

It's official, Will's first football season has come to an end. They had a great season and really learned a lot about the game. Mark was Will's coach and loved every minute of it. I wasn't silent about not liking the time away from the family. It was hard. They were gone a lot and it kept us grounded at home. Practice started the end of July, and just barely stopped.

Mark is planning on coaching next year, this time with both Will and Ben on the team. He hasn't admitted it to me yet. I think he is keeping it secret so he can have a good holiday/spring/early summer with me!!! Is that bad?

It was a great bonding time with Mark and Will. And, I loved watching the games (when I could). Max wasn't really interested.

Now.....on to basketball! (I NEED A GIRL!)

Eight

2008-10-22T22:58:00.002-06:00

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. Greys Anatomy
2. Desperate Housewives
3. Dr. 90210
4. The Hills
5. The Office
6. Good Eats
7. Lipstick Jungle
8. News

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Big City Soup
2. Caputo's
3. Happy Sumo
4. Dodo
5. Pistol Pete's
6. Red Butte
7. Tarahumara
8. Red Iguana

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. Ben trowing up down the side of my car
2. Celebrated my grandfather's 84th birthday
3. Had THREE closings :)
4. Went to the Zoo with my sister
5. Went through the car wash to was the barf off my car
6. Hugged one of my mom's friends that just had passed gas and had to sit through it - hello pregnancy sensitivity to smell - YUCK!
7. Went to Shivers for the first time in my life
8. Got my shift cut at the Gap :)

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to
1. To find out the sex of my baby
2. Will's last football game on Saturday
3. Mark's 2 week vacation that starts on Monday!
4. Spending time with my kids while they are off track
5. Spring
6. Christmas
7. Halloween
8. Thanksgiving

8 Things I Love About Fall
1. Cooler weather
2. Beautiful color in the mountains and valley
3. Halloween
4. Fall clothes - sweaters and socks!
5. Fires at home
6. Soup
7. More home time
8. Halloween candy

8 Things on my Wishlist
1. Healthy family
2. Mark retaining his job
3. Economy to turn around
4. Vacation
5. Gas prices to go way down
6. Grocery prices to go down
7. Not to gain too much weight with this pregnancy
8. Paid off house

Thanks for tagging me Stephanie!!!

Afternoon Delight

2008-10-19T18:31:00.003-06:00

There's nothing quite like a caramel apple after dinner on a nice fall afternoon!!!

Payson Canyon

2008-10-08T15:08:00.009-06:00

A few Saturday's ago, my mom and Steve planned a little family outing for everyone. We left right after Will's practice and drove down to Payson. Steve told us it was about ten miles up the canyon. So, we started at the bottom and headed up to meet them. They said their car would be easily to spot off the side of the road. Well, after driving almost fifteen miles up and not seeing a dang thing, we decided to drive back down, thinking surely we must have missed them. That didn't work, so we headed back up. We were getting so frustrated! I kept trying to call both of their cell phones, but we couldn't get anyone to answer. Finally, I noticed I had a voice mail, and it was Steve. He said it was actually about twenty miles up, and that my mom would be waiting off the road for us.

So, we finally found them! We were about ready to head to Nephi and eat dinner there.

We decided to take the four wheelers for a little spin before it got dark. It was a lot of fun. Max and Ben kept telling me to go faster and faster. The kids loved it!

Steve made the most delicious dinner for us.

Ben helped make the cherry chocolate cake. Well, he helped lick the spoon.

Mostly everyone participated in the egg toss. Even my 84 year old grandpa. Then, the kids turned the eggs on the cows that were grazing nearby.

We had a roast filled with crab meat and covered in sauteed mushrooms and peppers...

and delicious cheesy potatoes. Everything tasted so good.

After dinner we sat at the camp fire and roasted marshmallows and made smores. We also ate our cherry chocolate cake. As always with my mom and Steve, they are never short on food. Everyone was so stuffed!

Steve entertained everyone by telling some scary stories around the camp fire. They also entertained us by their lovely jump suits.

Thanks Mom and Steve, we had a wonderful time!

Will, Ben and Max - Who knew they has so many moves?

2008-10-05T10:26:00.000-06:00

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A Little News

2008-09-26T23:22:00.006-06:00

It has been forever since I've posted. I think this is the longest it has ever been. We've been really busy!

First, I must report on our anniversary. We had such a nice night. We went to dinner at a restaurant I had never been to before. Mark had with people from work, so he made reservations for us at Cucina Toscana. It was delicious, but very, very expensive - $170 later! Ouch!

After dinner, we went to the Hotel Monaco and......(see sidebar). The next morning we stopped by the farmers market at Pioneer Park. I had never been there before and it was so much fun. I can't believe I hadn't ever been before. We got some fruit and vegetables and a little breakfast. It was so great! I'm trying to find a time I can make it back before it ends. With football on Saturdays, I wonder if it will be possible before the snow falls.

Thanks Mark for planning our wonderful celebration of eleven years of marriage! Thanks to my mom for staying with our kids. They had such a great time with her.

We've been super busy with football. It has pretty much consumed Mark and Will with their little team. They've won the last two games, but lost the first two. So, hopefully they are on a roll and will win the rest of the season! Will is playing center and loving it. It is fun to watch the games - what I do get to watch. Max unfortunately doesn't follow football. He is too distracted by everything else around him.

This is a rarity...

Mark has been really busy at work. He works for Merrill Lynch, and as you may have heard, they were purchased by Bank of America. That is very unnerving. No one knows what is going to happen. So, the unknown is making me stressed out. The economy is horrible right now. We just have to think about our cute little family and how blessed we are to have what we do. That our family is healthy and safe. It just makes you really think about what is important in life.

We are so excited about our impending arrival!!!

Just Give Up Already!

2008-09-10T23:07:00.003-06:00

So this was Max tonight. I'm sure this has happened to the best of us. He's asleep right in front of his door, making it nearly impossible to get into his room to put him in bed.

Someone lived in our house for a short time before we moved in. When we moved in we didn't have kids yet. Their son's bedroom door handle was placed with the lock on the outside, enabling them to lock him in his room. I thought that was the worst thing a parent could do. Then we had kids. Now I see the light! No, I don't lock Will and Ben in their rooms, just Maxie poo!

Today - no nap. He didn't wake up until 9:30, which gave me some nice quiet reading time to delve into Breaking Dawn. (I'm halfway!) So, I figured that Max wouldn't need a nap today and he'd go to bed early. It was a rainy day, so we stayed in the whole day. I made a beef stew, which was delicious! I love fall, it is my favorite time of the year. I love putting on a nice pair of socks to warm my feet and hang out in PJ's all the live long day. That is exactly what I did today.

So, 8:00 rolls around and Max is unbearable. After brushing his teeth and reading him 3 stories, we laid him down for the light. My plan didn't work. He wouldn't go to sleep and kept emerging from his room. We had to do it. We locked him in his room.

After a bit of crying, he finally gave in. I just had to take a picture of his dirty little feet. (We did play outside a bit this evening. I'm not that mean.)

Happy Anniversary

2008-09-05T17:30:00.003-06:00

Today is our eleventh anniversary!

My mom is coming to tend the kid overnight, we are off! It is hard to believe it has been that long. It doesn't even seem like it! I guess time flies when you're having fun. Mark is such a great husband and father. I couldn't have asked for a better guy.

Will took our picture and I must say he did a pretty good job and I even had a few to choose from.

What's a Mom to Do?

2008-09-04T22:19:00.005-06:00

It's 10:30 and Max is crying in his room. He apparently isn't ready to go to sleep. He did this last night, too.

Now, I have a decision to make. Do I stop the naps during the day so he'll go to bed peacefully at night? I really love nap time, as I'm sure that most mom's do. It is my time to clean or read, which is what I've been doing lately. I've been sucked in to the popular vampire books, and I'm addicted.

I have a decision to make...sanity during the day or night?

Well, after ten minutes with the door locked, he finally cashed them in!

The Bird

2008-09-01T21:56:00.007-06:00

This weekend we met our good friends up at Snowbird for a little rest and relaxation. The weather wasn't really going to cooperate with us, which we knew it was going to be rainy. So, while the weather was still nice, we headed up the Tram. It was a little cold at the base, but it was so cold and windy at the top.

This is my cute little family at the top of the tram, Hidden Peak. It is so beautiful up there.

There is a beautiful view of the Salt Lake valley. Luckily it was clear and we were able to get a good picture.

Will, Ben, Josh and Ashley riding the tram to the top.

Max on the tram.

Luckily there was a warming hut at the top. We were able to go in and have some snacks out of the elements. Sarah and Kevin's cute daughters, Addison and Ashley.

Mason, Max and Will in the warming hut.

We walked down the back side of Hidden Peak to a tunnel that they just finished that goes from Mineral Basin to Peruvian Gulch. There is a moving sidewalk, but it wasn't working yet. It could possibly just work during the winter to move skiers.
Here you can see the opening of the tunnel on the Mineral Basin side of the mountain.

Sarah, Addison and Ashley at the opening of the tunnel.

After going through the tunnel, some of us opted to take the lift back down the mountain. Mark, Kevin and Josh were the only tough ones that wanted to brave the 3 1/2 mile hike back down the mountain.

After dinner, the older kids went swimming with Kevin. Max and Mason had a great time playing in the hot tub in their room. I think most of the water ended up on the deck than in the tub. Water was everywhere!

This morning, we were eating breakfast at the Cliff, when suddenly the room went dark. We looked out the windows and literally watched the storm blow in. It was fun to watch the mountains get blanketed with hail and snow. We were just happy that we weren't out in it! We held off on going to Oktoberfest on Sunday, planning on going today. Well, we'll have to make it up there another weekend. Anyone up for a swim or a ride down the Alpine Slide? Not me!

Evening with the Overbaughs

2008-08-27T21:01:00.004-06:00

Jason and Angie had never been on the Alpine Coaster in Park City, so we thought it would be a great activity to do with the kids. It had been so long since we'd all been together. We used to hang out all the time before we had kids and before they moved away from our hood. Angie and I see each other quite a bit, but it had been a while since we'd seen Jason.

We had a great time. We went to dinner at our favorite Midway restaurant, Tarahumara and then headed off to Park City to enjoy the beautiful weather. We lucked out because the guys taking the tickets didn't really take our tickets. We offered - I promise. But, they weren't that busy and they let us keep riding. We got in three rides for the price of one - and one ride is $18 for the driver and a passenger is $6. It is a little pricey, but a lot of fun. Three times was enough for me! I was getting a slight headache from all the jerking around.

We finished off the night by driving back home through American Fork Canyon in the dark. It was quite the adventure!

Lake Mary

2008-08-27T20:15:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday, after church, we went on a hike again. I love being up in the mountains. They are so beautiful!

As you can tell, Will and Ben weren't super excited to go on the hike. Once they get to the destination, they are always glad they went.

Lake Mary

My reward was seeing these two moose at Dog Lake. We were careful not to get too close, and I forgot my telephoto lens. Mark's parents even came with us. We had a great Sunday evening and made it down just as the sun was setting.

No More Monkeys

2008-08-26T11:50:00.003-06:00

This is what happens when you jump on the bed. Mark was getting Max ready for bed last night and Max fell right into his headboard.

I wasn't home, and Will left me a message on my cell phone that Max had split his head open. I thought at first that he was playing a joke on me. I tried to call home and Mark's cell, but no one answered. Finally Mark did, and he confirmed that Max had in fact split his head open. I met them at the ER. It was horrible to look at. Split so wide open with blood gushing out. I didn't do so well with the whole thing. But, once he was finally stitched up, I was alright.

They had to papoose him and drug him with a mist in his nose. He was very loopy. It was funny, but sad at the same time. His speech was slurred and hard to understand.

When we got home around midnight, we came home to a mess. There was blood all over Max's bedding and his bathroom. So, Max slept with us. We NEVER do that and I didn't sleep well at all. Luckily my mom came and picked up Will and Ben at the ER and they slept at her house. Steve dropped them off this morning and I checked them into school late. We were able to sleep in, which was nice.

Today, Max still wants to jump on his bed.

First Day of School

2008-08-20T22:38:00.008-06:00

Monday marked the first day of school for Will and Ben. Will was so excited to start 3rd grade. His teachers are Mrs. Anthony and Mrs. White. They are team teaching and have for years. They rotate every three weeks. Ben was so excited to start 2nd grade. His teacher this year is Mrs. White. She was Will's teacher last year, and I absolutely love her. Initially Ben had another teacher, and I requested a change. We didn't find out that he made it until last Friday.

At our school, they invite everyone to come and meet the teacher the first day of school. The boys asked Mark to come, which was nice to have him tag along. They provide donuts and drinks in the cafeteria for everyone that morning. I think that was the deciding factor for Mark. Who can pass up a chocolate donut? Not many.

It was a little lonely on Monday and has been this entire week. I can't believe how fast they are growing up. It makes me sad. I miss them when they are in school. I miss having them around. Okay, I really miss sleeping in!

Thanks for all of the nice comments on my last sad post. It has been very emotional. I am doing better although a bit emotional still. Everyone has been extremely nice and thoughtful. Mark sent me flowers today, my sweet neighbor brought me daisys, another neighbor made me delicious muffins, and I even got a new handkerchief with a thoughtful poem. I am so lucky to have such great friends! I now know what it is like. I feel for women that have many. It is not something I want to go through again. Hopefully I won't have to.

Nevermind :(

2008-08-19T14:14:00.003-06:00

I always tell people early on when I am pregnant. This time was no different. Except for the fact that I'm not pregnant anymore. I started spotting this morning, so I got in to the doctor and had an ultrasound and some blood work done. I'm supposed to call back in the morning to make sure my levels are dropping. I am bummed. I've never had this happen before. Now I know what it is like, and it isn't any fun.

We'll try again!!!

Check it Out

2008-08-15T09:09:00.001-06:00

Check out what I added to my sidebar. We are all so excited for April 15th. Cross your fingers for a little girl, this is our last try!

Slacker

2008-08-13T22:37:00.005-06:00

I feel like I've been slacking a bit lately. I'm just trying to fit some fun things in for my kids during the day, before they head back to school on MONDAY. Yes, I am a bit sad for them to go back. I kind of like having them around. I also love sleeping in until 8:30 or 9:00! It is wonderful!!!

I've also become an addict. It seems like many people are becoming addicted to...

It is so much fun to find old friends, and new blogging friends. I love IMing people while they are online. If you're not one of my "friends" yet, please look for me! Isn't it all about how many "friends" you can have?

So, last night I decided to show my support for Will and Mark by attending one of Will's many practices. I couldn't believe how many parents/fans were there, in their lawn chairs, watching/rooting their kids. I had no idea!

I was laughing my butt off watching Mark tackle the boys. He takes it so seriously. Maybe I don't because I've never played the game or really ever watched a game. We have U season tickets. Come on, the only reason why I go is to run into people I know or to people watch.

This dog scared Ben and Max. You see the red box, well there is a bunny in that box. They both walked up to the fence to check out the bunny and this dog jumped out of his dogloo, which was right next to the bunny cage. They both came running back over to me as fast as their little feet could carry them.

Ben loves to tease Max. I think because there is finally someone smaller than Ben that he can pick on. He is constantly bugging Max. I was done and we decided to leave.

Upon entering our car, I immediately smelled this rotten, horrible and gag reflex inducing smell. I checked Max's shoes, nothing. Ben checked his shoes, nothing. I checked mine...
Yuck! I guess that is what I get for having such a bad attitude about football. No more eating out during the week, which is saving us money. But, I have to have dinner ready and they are out the door by 5:40. Tonight they didn't get home until 8:30. I have fun while they are gone. I do. I usually drag all of the neighbor kids around the neighborhood on their bikes for a little exercise. I love it!

Sunday in the Mountains

2008-08-05T23:28:00.005-06:00

On Sunday, after church, we drug the boys up Big Cottonwood to do a short hike at Donut Falls. They weren't too excited to go. You see, our last hike was a bit more than they bargained for.

We made sure that they knew that this hike wasn't very long. In fact, we made it from our car and back to our car in ONE hour! The kids had such a great time.
We saw a plethora of many flowers that I had to snap with my camera.
We saw many shiny rocks that Will and Ben thought were so cool. Will always picks up a few rocks to bring home. I'm going to start making him bring his own pack just for his rocks.
They are usually not very loving to each other. I was completely taken back by this shot. See - they really do love each other no matter how much they fight. Look how cute they are!

Once we got to the falls, Will and Mark (with Max on his back) decided to try and climb up the falls. Ben and I followed a bit, and he slid on the rocks and cut his hand. He was a little sad.
Watching Mark and Will made me very nervous. Ben was freaking out, too. We were both yelling at them to come back down. Ben was in tears. Max was very upset and kept telling Mark "caful". Imagine being up so high already, and being rocked all over the place. I don't blame him.

You can see that Ben is upset and wants them to come back down by us.
They finally decided to turn around. I'm sure the people around us thought I was crazy. I'm just a concerned wife and mom. I don't want anyone to get hurt. Especially since Mark had my baby on his back!
Me and my handsome boys! We had such a great time being together as a family. They are so much fun to watch experience everything. Will can't wait to go back. He wants to climb to the Donut with Mark. Maybe....when he is older.
Our little monkey!

We had such a great time. I can't believe how crowded the mountains are - especially on Sunday. On our way up the canyon, we just missed an accident between a guy on a motorcycle and a car. We saw the guy laying on the ground and the car all smashed and everyone around so upset. When we got home that night, we watched the news and there was a story on the crash. They said that the man was alive and was taken to the hospital. We were seriously on the scene right after it happened. I thought the guy was dead, so glad he survived! It was a great lesson - see, that is why you guys are never getting on a motorcycle. Doesn't every mom say that?

The Great Flood

2008-08-04T16:14:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday, Will came upstairs and informed me that his window well was full of water and his carpet was wet.

Let me back up. Last Wednesday evening, I noticed that one of our sprinklers was spraying out back patio instead of the grass it's supposed to water. I mentioned this to Mark and he quickly went and adjusted that sprinkler. Well - HE FORGOT TO TURN OFF THAT SPRINKLER STATION and it watered that section all night.

Okay, so after Will informed me of the mess in his room, I immediately phoned Mark at work. I asked him if he thought that it was alright if I turn off those sprinklers this morning. Or, did he want me to leave them on for ANOTHER 12 HOURS!

I was already a little irritated with him because of FOOTBALL. Need I say more. Actually, Mark loves football and decided, that since Will is finally eight, he needed to sign him up to play. Mark, being such a great dad, signed himself up to coach. What a guy! There went our summer! Do you know that they practice every night of the week for over two hours and also on Saturdays? Once the games start in September, they only practice three times a week and games are on Saturday. That is a huge commitment!

Will on his 1st day of practice

Anyways, back to my day. Mark came home and ripped up his carpet and tore out the pad and we got some fans and started drying out the mess. To top it all off, the water wasn't clean, culinary water. No, in our city, they have IRRIGATION water. It smells delicious! So, the past week my basement has been a disaster zone. Will's room is spread out throughout our basement. And, for those of you who really know me, I am so anal about my house. There isn't a dang thing I can do with the mess. There isn't anywhere it can go. I go downstairs and just cringe and run back upstairs.

Last Friday, the carpet guy came and re-installed the carpet and today, I had the carpets cleaned in our house.

There have been some good points to all of this. We have spent the last few days making D.I. runs and cleaning out the house! Our garbage cans are overflowing and we even made a run to the dump.

Hopefully we can get Will back in his room tonight! I won't hold my breath...because we have FOOTBALL!

Have you ever heard that saying: A happy wife equals a happy life? Poor Mark!

Zermatt Resort

2008-08-04T15:04:00.009-06:00

Last weekend we decided to head up to Midway and visit the Zermatt. The kids had such a great time there last year!

On our way up, we stopped in Park City and rode the Coaster again, this time with Mark.

Max loves tractors. One the ride, they were doing some work on the mountain and Max was in heaven!

I tried to take our picture, not so great.

After the ride, we headed to Main Street to get a treat. I tried to take a picture of the kids next to the bear, but Max was afraid, and made Ben sit by the bear.

After we checked in and put our stuff in our room, we headed to dinner. Mark's parents met us up there so they could go to dinner with us and hang out in the evening. Memorial weekend we found this great little mexican restaurant in Midway called Tarahumara. It was so good, so we decided to head there for dinner. I would drive up there for dinner every week if the gas prices weren't so outrageous.

At the Zermatt, they have an 18 hole putting green. We got some clubs for everyone, including Max, and headed to the course. The course is surrounded by craters and water, which made it a little more interesting for Will and Ben. They loved the water more than the golf. They spent their time trying to find the fish and throw rocks at them. So BOYS!

(Isn't this a great picture of Max...lining up his shot!)

He's Growing Up

2008-07-31T22:08:00.003-06:00

My little monkey is growing up way too fast. At first, he wasn't too sure of the idea of leaving his crib. Now, he loves it. We are on day three, and he is doing so well, perhaps better than Will or Ben ever did. We put him to bed and he stays - it's amazing! Ben doesn't even do that! He even stays and falls asleep for his daily nap.

One thing is for sure - Max loves to sleep! He definitely takes after his mom!

24th Celebration

2008-07-29T14:30:00.008-06:00

Last weekend was great. Mark was able to take some time off of work and hang out with the family. Thursday was Pioneer Day here in Utah. We cleaned in the morning...I know, no fun there. But, it needed to be done. I have a cleaning lady and she's been off all July.

In Cottonwood Heights they have Butlerville Days, which we have gone to the past few years. It is fun because I always run into people we know from back in the day. They do a parade in the afternoon, and it was so hot! We hang out at Cannon Mortuary with all the Cannon family and watch the parade go by.

Max and Grandma Mookie. (Mark's grandmother)
Hanging out in the shade.
Chet and Ally. We were laughing about blogs and bloggers, and I promised that I would share this one on mine.

After the parade was over, we quickly headed over to Grandma Mookie's house for some delicious dinner.

After dinner and once it cooled off, we headed back over to Butlerville Days to watch some fireworks.
Oooooo Ahhhhhhhh

The fireworks are lit right across the street from where we were on the grass. We had all sorts of debris flying all around us from the fireworks. Even the occasional flying ash. I was worried one would misfire and land right on us.

It was a fun day with our family!

Lagoon

2008-07-23T22:50:00.013-06:00

Today we were nice parents. Mark took some vacation this week and we decided to take the kids to Lagoon today. It was such a hot day! It stunk everywhere we went of sweat. I even stink, and that never happens! The first thing we did when we got home was shower, especially Ben (read below).

We had a great time spending the day together. We tried to hit most of the wet rides so we could cool off a bit. While in line for the Log Flume, I recognized the people behind us. I went to Oakdale with them, the Meservy twins, and it was great to catch up with them.

Poor Will, he is too tall for most of the kiddie rides. Lucky for us, Ben still does, so he was able to ride with Max.

Dying of the heat while waiting in line for the Tidal Wave. Max was able to ride with me and he was shaking and red faced because he was so scared. It was so funny to watch him. At the end of the night we went on the Tilt-A Whirl (one of my favorites) and we really got it spinning. Max hated it, but it made us laugh. Is that bad? I thought he was for sure going to throw up!
Waiting for their turn on Puff. Lucky Mark!
He looks like he is having fun - just thrilled!

Will and Mark on Jet Star II

I took Will and Ben on Wicked. The line was so long, and we were nearing the end, when Ben informed me that he needed to go to the restroom. Great. I just told him not to think about it and we would go right when we got off the ride. I kept trying to distract him, get his mind on something else. Did he expect me to just walk away? We were almost there!

Ben suddenly got a worried look on his face and I looked down and noticed a drip on the ground. Oh NO! I just stepped ahead, pretending that I didn't know what was going on. I have a bladder and I know how they work. How does Ben not know that his bladder needs to be emptied before he gets in line for the ride? I usually have fair warning when I need to relieve myself. And, I am able to HOLD IT! The worst part, besides the smell of Ben the rest of the evening, was the fact that I saw people walking in his urine. Little did they know what they were actually stepping in! After the ride was over and I ran him over to this splash pad to rinse off. Was that a bad idea? What else was I to do? It helped relieve the itching and irritation. It was all I could think of to do. I don't pack a change of clothes for them (Max, yes, Will and Ben, no).

While driving home, Mark and I were talking about that and how there are random puddles all over Lagoon. We could all be walking in someones urine. I do try to avoid those puddles. Next time you are tempted to walk through a puddle, think twice. You never know!

Cub Scout Camp

2008-07-21T08:17:00.005-06:00

I just dropped my oldest son off at the church for a day long adventure with his scout troop. When I went down to his room this morning, at 7:15, he jumped right out of bed. He never does this. I have to practically pry him out of bed with a crowbar during the school year. And, this summer, we sleep in. He is so cute. He said that he couldn't fall asleep last night because he was too excited. I am a little sad that he is growing up so fast.

This camp goes for two days. The only rule that the Scout Master instilled was to use the buddy system while going to the restroom. He also mentioned that he will be implementing new rules as the day goes on. I'm sure he will!

So it's just Ben, Max and me until 4:00! I think we just might go downtown and take Mark to lunch. I kinda want to check out the new Caputo's. It is an overcast day, with scattered showers. I'm sure Will will come home very dirty.

The Police

2008-07-20T00:15:00.009-06:00

We just arrived home after a very late night for us. Well, not necessarily late for us when we are home, but we aren't used to being out late. I am kind of a night owl if you haven't noticed by the timestamp on most of my posts. Mark and I were both yawning during the concert. We are getting old. The concert was great. We arrived just as Elvis Costello had begun playing. I knew a few of his songs.

Sting looked particularly nice in his tight black shirt:) I think Mark should get one EXACTLY like his. He disagrees. He doesn't think he'd look quite as nice as Sting does. Two words: MAN BOOBS! I knew about half of the songs that The Police played, and it was fun dancing to the ones I knew.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at the local Market Street before heading out to Usana. Neither of us had ever been to a concert there before. It was fun. It took us FOREVER to leave after the concert was over. I thought of Sherine and Todd zooming out on their motorcycle and was wishing that we could do the same!

I didn't take my camera. Bummer! The people watching was some of the best I had ever witnessed!

A First

2008-07-16T22:10:00.007-06:00

Today my good friend Cindy invited us to go to Kennecott, to visit the copper mine. I am embarrassed to say that I have never visited this Utah landmark and I've lived here my entire life.

While driving through Herriman, we stumbled upon this cute little fawn standing right in the middle of the road.

It's mother was on the other side of the fence, clearly waiting for it's baby to join her. As we drove by, the baby was frightened and ran in front of the car to the other side of the street, but there was a fence on that side as well. The baby couldn't get over either side of the road.

I don't know what happened, hopefully they were reunited!

Once we finally arrived at the mine, we watched all of the big tractors, dump trucks and other various sorts of large vehicles. The boys were enthralled!

I love that little finger!

Where's Waldo?? (Can you see Ben?)

I think everyone that has visited the mine has a picture like this. Can you believe how big that tire is! Thanks for inviting us to go, we had a great time!

Plate Lickin' Good

2008-07-13T19:01:00.003-06:00

I just made the best cobbler recipe. It was so easy and everyone loved it! I used fresh blueberries, raspberries and Granny Smith apples. De-lish!

You can find the recipe here.

An Afternoon in Park City

2008-07-12T14:51:00.007-06:00

We didn't just sit around in our jammies all day long yesterday. We actually ventured out to ride some rides in good old Park City. We were lucky enough to be able to tag along with our good neighbor, Nurse Debbie, and her two kiddos. Debbie's kids had never been on the Alpine Slide or Alpine Coaster.

We first went down the Alpine Slide. Will and Ben each went by themselves, and I had Max with me. I was a little nervous to take him on the chair lift, worried he'd fall to his death. Well, he didn't and we had a great time.

Will opted to ride the lift with them...

I had Max and Ben...

I tried to take a picture of the three of us, but as you can see, it didn't quite happen. You try hanging your camera out in front of you, 20 feet above the ground, while trying to hold each of your kids!

The slide isn't as fast as I remember, or maybe it's just because I've been on the coaster before, so nothing really compares. The boys both drove their own sleds and I had Max with me. At first he wasn't so sure about hopping on that sled with me, but with a little force, I got him on and we were off. He loved it, and I didn't go slow at all.

Next we headed to the coaster. There was quite a line, which took about twenty minutes. Max occupied his time by climbing and playing in the rocks.

It was finally our turn to ride. Will was able to drive his own car. Ben had to be a rider because he wasn't quite tall enough. He rode with Logan because Will had to go all by himself. Thanks Logan!

We were off...

Cute little monkey!
Debbie and Madison

Will starting his adventure...

While driving up Parley's Canyon, the traffic headed down to Salt Lake was horrible. We decided at that point to head back down via Guardsman's Pass. The mountains are so beautiful and green right now. The kids and I met Mark for dinner after he went golfing at Eaglewood with some buddies from work. We even got a snowcone at our favorite snowcone shack!

What a great day!

Don't You Just Love...

2008-07-11T10:35:00.003-06:00

Max's fluffy hair in the morning...so cute!
That Max is taking after me. I really need to let my laptop go.
That Max is hanging out in his diaper and it is 10:45! Don't you just love those lazy days of summer!

Cecret Lake Hike

2008-07-08T23:20:00.014-06:00

For the 4th, we usually go to the Brighton breakfast, put on by the local singles ward in Mark's parent's stake. It has gotten so crowded up there, you wait in line forever for your food. We decided to change it up a bit this year. We met Les and Sue for breakfast and went on a hike up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

We drove up the canyon and you can usually drive past Alta on a dirt road, up to Albion Basin. We drove past Alta only to find that the road wasn't open yet, and wouldn't be for another two weeks! We thought about it and decided to go ahead with the hike. We had to park at the gate and start our hike from that point. The hike to Cecret Lake is only about 3/4 mile from Albion Basin, so starting from the gate added another mile to our hike, for a total of about 3.5 miles!

It was such a beautiful and overcast day. Max was great, but who wouldn't be. He got to ride in the pack on Mark's back. Will and Ben practically complained the entire hike up to the lake. We stopped to rest quite frequently and let Max out to run around.

This chair lift was very high, I had to lift the kids up to it. We toyed with the idea of leaving them there and picking them up on the way down.

About half way up the trail, we started to encounter SNOW! Yes, it is July and there is still a lot of snow in our mountains. Will, Ben and I don't have hiking boots, just Chacos, which are usually really great to wear. Our toes were COLD!

Once we got to the top, our destination, they were so excited. They loved checking out the salamanders in the lake and feeding (bad, I know) the potguts some granola bar and goldfish.

Our mountains are so beautiful! There isn't anything like being out in the mountains and getting a little exercise at the same time. Will and Ben did complain a bit, and parts were tough, so I don't blame them. Overall, I think they really had fun - although they won't admit that to me.

We are so lucky to live where we do! Anyone want to go hiking?

Happy Birthday Benny Boo!

2008-07-02T23:39:00.006-06:00

I can't believe that my little guys is SEVEN! Happy Birthday Ben! I've rather enjoyed myself tonight looking through old pictures of my kids. You forget how small they used to be.

Today also marked the their first day off of school for summer break - gotta love year round school. We invited friends and family to his party at Crestwood Pool. It was such a great time! We couldn't get in the pool until eight o'clock, so we had dinner, cake and presents at the pavilion before the pool. Nearly everyone got in the water, even Mark's dad.

Ben is such a sweet little boy. He has always been so affectionate and loving. He is such a good brother, although he teases Max sometimes, following his brother Will's footsteps. Ben was my smallest baby, he weighed 6lbs. 3oz. when he was born. He was such a cute little baby, and now is such a handsome little boy. We love Benny so very much! He is such a big part of our family and we love his sweet little spirit. Happy Birthday Benny!

Wonderful Weekend

2008-06-23T12:41:00.018-06:00

This past weekend, my sister invited us to come and spend some time with them at her in-laws cabin. Their cabin is in Island Park, Idaho on the shores of Henry's Lake. It is about 15 minutes from West Yellowstone and the surroundings are so beautiful. I really love it up there. I have fond childhood memories of spending time up there with my family and my parent's friends and their kids.

It was short notice, and Mark couldn't take time off work, so the kids and I drove up by ourselves. Mark flew up on Friday after work - lucky guy! I am quite proud of myself and them, after all, it was a five hour drive! The drive went really fast, and we only stopped once in Pocatello. We left on Thursday and arrived at the cabin around four o'clock. Just in time for dinner :) My brother in law Jon is such a great cook. We had burgers and fresh trout that they caught that day. Shortly after arriving, we walked down to the lake for a little fun.

Friday morning, Jon woke up Will and Ben and took them out fishing on the lake, early in the morning. Will caught the biggest fish, but wouldn't touch it. They both caught fish and went out the Saturday morning with Mark, as well. I stayed in bed with Max. I'm not a morning person.

That afternoon, my sister stayed home with Max and her little one year old, Charlie so they could nap. I took the kids and Terese horseback riding at Harriman State Park. Terese is from Sweden and she is here this summer, spending time in the U.S. and helping Karyn with her kids. Her dad works with Jon and they came last summer and toured the U.S. Terese wanted to come back, and Karyn loves the help. She is a sweet girl and we'll miss her when they take her back to Sweden in a few weeks.

It was a two hour ride, which was way too long for an old girl like me. My back and bottom hurt for the next two days. After the ride, we went back and I got ready to pick up Mark from the airport. I was so excited for him to come. We hardly ever spend time apart and I missed him and his help with the kids.

Saturday morning, the boys went fishing on the lake again. When they got back, we went into West Yellowstone for lunch and Mark and Jon went fly fishing.

After lunch, we headed back to the cabin so the little ones could nap. Karyn stayed with them again and I took the kids and Terese on a float trip on the North Fork of the Snake River at Mack's Inn. They drive you up the river, about five miles, and you float back to Mack's Inn. The float took about three hours. We all had such a great time. I sunblocked the kids well, but only did my arms. Needless to say, I got burnt on my face and thighs. I'm still feeling it two days later :(

While floating, we were talking about scuba diving...Suddenly we saw Ben's head in the water. It freaked me out. He went "scuba diving". What a dork!

Can you see the moose? We saw two on this little boat ride. Thankfully it wasn't a bear, I would have peed my pants.

For our last night, we went to a rodeo/dinner show on the other side of Henry's Lake. It is just a small operation, but the food was really good. Dutch oven, steak, salad and peach cobbler. The first part of the evening was the rodeo. Apparently they put on summer camps for kids all over the West, and the kids put on the rodeo. Wouldn't that be fun to go to a rodeo camp? Will really wants to, but you must be nine years old. Maybe next year!

The kids nine and older got to go out and chase around a cow. There was a ribbon tied on the cow, and whoever got the ribbon, got a prize. I lied about Will's age and let him go. I have to admit I was a little worried about his (broken) leg and running in the dirt. The first cow ran right out the other end of the field, through a crack in the fence. They tried again, this time with a larger cow. He ran around for a bit, but escaped as well. Everyone that participated got some candy.

Fun times. Max was a little shister the whole night. There was a little stream that he couldn't stay away from.

After dinner, they had a singer (ye-haw) and a little lesson in line dancing. We had such a great time! Thanks Karyn and Jon!

Father's Day

2008-06-15T22:48:00.007-06:00

~Happy Father's Day Markie~

We had a great day spending time with our family. Isn't that what it's all about?

Mark made us the best dinner. I helped, but he got a new smoker for Father's Day and he wanted to try it out. We had a Brisket in the freezer from a cow that we bought and split with my sister and mom, and it turned out delicious. I'll let him cook anytime, and if it's something he is really excited about, he'll cook more often. He seriously spent so much time this weekend searching the net, figuring out how to do it just right. It paid off, and it was so good.

After church and dinner, we went up to Mark's parents for dessert. Scott and Lisa were up there with their two boys, Josh and Brady. The kids had a great time running around, playing with their cousins.

Mark, Scott, Les and Sue. Kim and her family moved to Kansas this past week and Ryan is in England, on the mish.

Without a nap for Max today, he was done, ready to be put in bed.

Patriotic Program

2008-06-15T22:34:00.002-06:00

Friday morning we were lucky enough to be invited to Will's program at school. With Flag Day on Saturday, a program about the flag was fitting. The program was fabulous. Will has the best teacher this year, her name is Mrs. White, and she is wonderful. You could tell that she spent so much time with them, practicing their songs and parts to recite. Each of the kids had to recite a small paragraph about the flag. They all did such a great job! I can't believe that next year I'm going to have a 3rd grader!

Sad Day

2008-06-14T15:44:00.002-06:00

I enjoyed watching and listening to him on TV. He seemed like such a great guy.

A Great Day

2008-06-12T22:34:00.008-06:00

Today was a joyous day. The weather was so beautiful and I was able to go on a ride this afternoon in our beautiful mountains to Park City. We were able to visit with a certain doctor up there and he removed Will's cast. Yes, it was a joyous day. The stench that cast exuded was unbelievable. Horrible. His feet are all calloused where the cast rubbed his feet. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. We are all titillated that it's gone.

Last night, during his bath, I got a washcloth and tried to get up as far as I could in his cast. There was a thin layer of dirt up his whole leg. Yuck! When his cast was finally removed, we were laughing because there was grass up his leg. Maybe that was what stunk so bad. You know that stench that your garbage can holds after moist grass clippings sit out in the can for days in the hot, sweltering sun.

He stood right up, with a slight bit of hesitation, and walked right on that leg. It is still a bit tender and he really needs to be careful. So, no jumping around like a crazy man for a while. He doesn't want to break it again, which he could, very easily. The doctor suggested that I get him some high tops to help support his ankle. He said that the juvenile ankle braces on the market aren't that great. These came to mind...

Do you think Will would ever be caught dead in these? They would be very supportive.

Maybe some nice Chuck Taylors?

I'm sorry. When I think of high tops, all that comes to mind are those boys that wear these...

Talk about a fashion faux pas. You can't even tell if there are socks being worn. I wouldn't let my kid be caught dead in those. I think we'll just take our chances.

He was so excited to run home and show all of his friends and I weeded and raked our flower beds. Ahh...summer!

Must Have...

2008-06-09T00:01:00.006-06:00

Doesn't everyone love the chewy edges of brownies just out of the oven. They are definately my favorite part to eat. This pan is perfect! You can buy it on Amazon. Why didn't I think of this?

Back to Normal

2008-06-08T23:00:00.006-06:00

I'm finally starting to feel better. I did sluff church today and convinced Mark to take my nursery lesson for me. Luckily he was able to switch with someone else. The lesson was I am thankful that I can smell and taste. I helped him prepare the lesson by placing about twelve different things to eat in baggies, enough to share with all of the children. The thought was to have them smell and taste the food while blindfolded and to try and guess what they were eating. It didn't go over as planned...funny thing, it never does. They have the shortest attention span. The lessons usually last about one minute. They didn't love the idea of being blindfolded, and most couldn't tell you what they were eating. They didn't know. There aren't many three year olds in the class, it consists mainly of two year olds, who are just starting to figure everything out.

I enjoyed my three hours alone at home. It was nice. I caught up on some Conan that I've had on Tivo for a while. I always tivo Conan, I love him, he is hilarious. I don't watch all of them, I usually fast forward to exciting parts and delete the rest. I saved this particular episode which featured Colin Firth. I love him. Remember him from Bridget Jones' Diary?

I also spent some time searching the net for BPA free sippy cups for Max. I am a little obsessed with that lately. I bought some new BPA free Camelbacks at REI a few weeks ago. But, I need some for Max. I'm thinking about getting the Sigg with a sports top, or a Kleen Kanteen with a sippy top. While searching I realized how many products could potentially carry BPA. It's a wonder were not all dead!

Tonight we went up to Mark's parents to celebrate our niece Hailee's ninth birthday. They are moving to Overland Park, Kansas on Wednesday, so we also said our goodbyes. I'm excited for them to embark on their new adventure. Just glad it's not me!

Last year we remodeled our kitchen and in February we replaced our front door. Saturday, we replaced the wood on our stairway to match the rest of the wood in our house. We tried staining it, but it looked horrible. I wish that I had taken a before picture, but here is one without and one of the new railing. I'm surprised that we didn't have a serious accident on the stairs. It was off for nearly a week!

I really need to straighten my pictures
I'm happy that I am feeling better. Hopefully the weather this week is warmer, so we can go and do some fun, outdoor activities. I really need to weed my flower beds. It's never fun being sick, but it was nice to catch up on some sleep!

I'm SICK

2008-06-07T20:29:00.003-06:00

Yes, this was me last night. I have the flu. YUCK! Thanks to Mark, he has been helping me out so much. He just took Max grocery shopping so I could rest. Last night, he was rubbing my back while I was puking. What a sweet, loving husband I have. I am so lucky!

The people I assigned to teach the Nursery lesson just called me to inform me that they can't find a sub and they are in Bryce Canyon and won't be back in time for church tomorrow. Nice. I would send Mark, but he has to teach the Priests. Hopefully I am feeling better tomorrow so I can go to church and throw a lesson together in the morning. Thank goodness for 1:00 church!

Happy Birthday Maxie Poo!

2008-06-02T23:50:00.008-06:00

My sweetheart MAX is TWO and I can't believe it!!! He is a complete joy to have around. We all enjoy him immensely. He has the sweetest little personality and is extremely loving. I love him so much! He loves to play outside. His favorite show (he's just now starting to watch TV) is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves popsicles. He asks for Mickey and popsicles constantly. He loves nursery and loves his friends. He is a mommas boy, which I love. Isn't it great to be needed!! I am the Nursery Leader right now in our ward, and he cried every time I have another child on my lap. I love him. He is a great eater. He'll eat practically anything. Although, since it's been a little hotter outside, he hasn't been that great, but then again, who has much of an appetite when it's so hot. He loves to repeat every last word that anyone says.

We had a great birthday weekend. Sunday night we had a big party at our house and invited our family over for homemade burgers and lots of great food. A party at our house isn't complete without a delicious custard filled cake from Granite Bakery.

It was a little cloudy and windy when we were getting ready to light the candles and sing. Luckily when it was time for the blowout, the wind was there to help Max with his "wish". "Again" was Max's response. So cute!

We gave Max his own four-wheeler. We have a John Deer tractor ride on, but it is still a little too big for Max. He doesn't have the steering thing down yet, so this little toy should help. He didn't want to share it and he was so excited. He kept crashing into things, which made him pop a wheelie. Luckily he didn't hit his head.

Opening presents. My sister, Karyn, helping with that annoying toy packaging. Seriously. Look how intently the kids are watching. (Karyn's little girl Lily and my brother's little boy, Camden with Max.)

Max and I

My brother Kenny's newest addition, Emerson, or as Max likes to call him "Epperson". He is a doll!

Karyn's little Char Char (Charlie). He is just starting to walk at 14 months.

Tonight, for Max's actual birthday, we went out to dinner and took Max out for his first flavored, purchased snow cone. (I make them at home for him a lot.) My mom's school is just up the street and they just installed new playground equipment. We totally broke through the fencing (no trespassing sign) and enjoyed the playground with other law breakers. Max loved his snow cone and didn't even go down one slide. He was too busy consuming with his fingers. Yum!

Notice Will's new cast. Yes, it is ALREADY duck taped again. We took him up last Tuesday and had his old cast replaced. It only took two days for this one to start looking pretty sad. So, out came the tape and Mark went to town. I will so happy when it is finally removed once and for all. It is driving me crazy, I can only imagine how Will feels about it.

I couldn't resist snapping a picture of one of Marks distinguishing qualities. Yip, he is already going grey. I know that it is because of me, and I'm so sorry.

Memorial Day

2008-05-31T23:20:00.003-06:00

We had a nice, relaxing holiday weekend with our family. On Sunday, we went to the cemetery where Keith is buried. Keith was my mom's husband that passed away from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in January 0f 2005. Mark's parents live within walking distance from that cemetery, so we walked over with his mom and dad. Mark's aunt Vickie is also buried there, so we visit her grave, too.

They put in a nice pond/stream and the kids had fun playing and throwing rocks into the water.

It was such a beautiful evening. On our walk, we stopped by the local elementary school and let the kids play on the equipment.

We even took our fire pit and made smores with his family. I always forget how stinky you get, and it takes a few washings of my hair to get that campfire smell out! Have you ever tried to roast Starbursts? They are de-lish! Try it next time you are out and about. Just stick that candy right on your stick and pull it out of the fire when it is bubbling. Let cool before placing in your mouth, I know it might be tempting, but you'll be sure to get a sore tongue!

Time for Bed

2008-05-26T23:39:00.003-06:00

I've spent so much time on the Internet this evening. Do you ever feel like this?

I have nothing to blog about. Nice relaxing weekend thanks to the rain! I did take some pictures, but I left my camera at Mark's parents house.

I'm going to bed...I reached the end! There is nothing more to look at, I've already seen it all. I keep checking Reader, but nothing! Good night.

One Stubborn Kid

2008-05-20T22:53:00.003-06:00

So, this is Will's cast which has been signed my many of his friends:

Will won't wear the shoe the doctor gave him to walk in. He says it is UGLY!

Do you think it's ugly? He is ruining the bottom of his cast. The last thing I want to do is to drive up to Park City every week to get his cast replaced. He is so stubborn and will not wear it. He could stop using his crutches and just walk in the shoe, but NO! I wonder where he gets it from????

So, this is what I had to do to help hold his cast together and protect it. Any suggestions? The top of his foot is all bruised and he doesn't know how it happened. I guess it could be from his brake, or if it's something he's not telling me.

The countdown to June 12th is on! (Cast removal day)

You Know it's Almost Summer When...

2008-05-16T23:00:00.004-06:00

The BEST snow cones in Salt Lake County!!! Every year around this time it arrives in this grocery store parking lot. Tonight, while up around that certain place, I cranked my head to see if it had arrived. Sure enough - it had :) It always opens Memorial Day weekend, except for last year, they opened late due to business licensing. We drove by and read the notes "regulars" had left wondering why the delay. I'm serious, they are the BEST!!!

Our neighbors think we are crazy for driving 20 minutes just for one of these tasty treats. If I tell you where it is...I may just have to kill you. The lines are already long enough, so go early. The later it gets, the longer the line.

Make sure to add cream - it is DELICIOUS!!!

Poor Will - UPDATE

2008-05-14T22:21:00.004-06:00

The Radiologist called us tonight with an update on Will's x-ray. The diagnosis is that there is an apparent lateral sprain and acute mid medial malleolar hairline fracture. We and the doctors are concerned because it is near his growth plate.

I'm not used to broken bones. I am raising three boys - I'd better get used to it! Max's broken finger on Thanksgiving was our first and now this makes two. I wonder how many more??

Our dear neighbor Scott is a Surgery Tech and he called the Orthopedic Surgeon that he works for and he referred us to a doctor in his practice to go to. And, he can see us tomorrow! Their practice is in Park City. Thanks Scott and Nurse Debbie for helping us out!

Will is not excited to get a cast. He said that he doesn't want to go to school with a cast. He is really upset. The office we are going to just did surgery on Tiger Woods, and I mentioned that to Will, hoping that would cheer him up. It didn't work! When I was three, my mom, my sister and I were in a horrible car accident. We were hit head on by a semi truck. I broke my leg and my nickname was "scooter". I tried to comfort Will again with that story, but he didn't want to hear it again. I've already told him that before.

He is overly tired and ornery. I just had Mark help me give him a bath in our bathtub and Will was throwing a royal fit the whole time. If it gets late, Will turns into a little boy I don't really like. He gets really mean! I lay next to him today while Max was napping and was able to take a nap for two hours. That hardly ever happens. Will didn't even sleep. He played DS or on my laptop the whole time. Kids don't take advantage of naps. I wish that someone forced me to nap everyday!!!

Poor Will

2008-05-14T10:54:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was a pretty uneventful day until the evening. Will and the kids were outside in our back yard playing around and jumping on the trampoline. Yes, we have a trampoline and I know they can be dangerous. I had to beg Mark to let us get one a few years ago.

Well, Will was jumping and landed on his right foot wrong and sprained his ankle. He was crying so hard, I felt so bad. Mark rushed him to the doctor and they x-rayed both ankles. We'll know more after the radiologist examines them. His sprain is near the growth plate, so they want him to stay off of that leg. So, no school, no baseball and maybe no Fathers and Sons on Friday night. We'll take him in for a follow up with our pediatrician on Thursday or Friday.

Today Will is still really sore. He has been lying on the couch all day and night, keeping his foot elevated with ice bags every hour for twenty minutes. He is such a big kid - so tall, and you should see me try and carry him to the bathroom. It is quite hilarious.

I hope he starts feeling better soon. I know it is killing him to be stuck in one spot. He is usually a very active kid, always on the go with all of his friends.

Love you Will!!

My Blessings

2008-05-11T22:21:00.004-06:00

I absolutely love my boys and I am so lucky that they are mine. They are the cutest, sweetest boys on earth. They are all so independant and very different from each other. They are so affectionate and I love that they love to hug and kiss me often. How did I get so blessed? Seriously! I have the best husband and the best kids around. Thanks for making today so nice for me. I am so lucky that I have had the opportunity to be a mother. I can't imaging my life without my husband and children. I love them very much!

Max is becoming quite the funny guy. I love his face, it shows what a character he is. Max's newest saying is "watch this" while showing me his newest trick. He has this little friend, Alexander, at the ballpark during Will and Ben's baseball games. I know that he picked it up from "Zander". Today he was trying to see what was in the sink, so he asked me to "watch this" while he pulled and climbed up my cupboard.

I had the best day today. Mark made us a great breakfast, which was enjoyed by all. Ryan (Mark's brother) was calling his parents house around noon, so we had to hurry up there before church. We had to wait around while ten of his closest friends conversed with him. We finally had to butt in to chat because we needed to leave to go to our church. I had to teach Nursery and Mark had to teach the young men.

We had the best dinner, thanks to Mark again! After dinner, we ran up to my mom's to visit with her and Steve.

It was such a nice day, but a very busy day, too!

Happy Mother's Day!!

p.s. I got my Chariot Cougar!!! YAHOO!!! The hints worked! (It was on sale at REI-even better!)

Boys Will Be Boys

2008-05-06T17:09:00.010-06:00

Meet the local snake tamers. It is a yearly ritual of the boys in our neighborhood to go on snake hunts. They love them and I think they are disgusting. Ben wants to keep one as a pet. I told him he could, as long as it stayed in our backyard :) I finally explained to him that those snakes probably have a family and that you are taking them away from their families. They agreed and let them free! That doesn't mean they won't be searching for them again tomorrow!

This morning while getting the boys ready for school, I sent Ben in to put on his shoes and socks. He came out looking like this...

I laughed so hard and just happened to have my camera nearby. Ben ran from me, as you can see. He always comes out with the craziest outfits, he makes me laugh! Boys have no fashion sense!

Will's Special Day

2008-05-03T21:45:00.003-06:00

Today was such a special day. Will was baptized a member of our church. He is so excited to finally be a member of the church. I am so proud of him and his decision. He is such a loving and sweet son and we are so glad that he is a part of our family. He is such a great example to his little brothers. We love him very, very, very, very much!!!

We had the busiest weekend and I am so glad that it is over! Is that bad to say?

While Will was getting ready, Ben and Max found the primary room at the church and did what any normal kids would do. They played with the microphone. I thought it was so funny!

The Newest Scout

2008-05-01T21:33:00.005-06:00

Tonight our family had the privilege of attending my cute little Will's first Pack Meeting. They welcomed him to the pack; Mark and I even got to put on his neckerchief and ring thing in a special ceremony in front of all in attendance.

A few weeks ago we took him to the local scout store and bought him everything that he needed to become a scout. He's been reading his scouting book so much that I'm sure he's got the entire book memorized. He is so excited to start scouting! Now I just need to figure out how to sew on the patches. I guess I need to dust off my new sewing machine that I've had for a few years and never used. I hot glued the patches on for tonight. Don't laugh...my neighbor Debbie told me to do that! It worked, but apparently I didn't glue the corners down, so they kept poking up the whole night. I'm learning!

It was so fun to watch him interact with the other scouts. It is so sad because he is growing up way too fast. This Saturday Will is going to be baptized a member of our Church. It is going to be such a wonderful and special day. I am so excited for him!

Mark fell asleep the other night while surfing the web. I heard him breathing deeply and I knew he was out like a light. I had to snap a picture...don't pay any attention to his shirt!

We've been so busy lately. It seems like every night we have something going on, whether it's baseball, young men's or something else - it's craziness! When did life get so busy? We've been busy getting our house ready for Saturday.

On Sunday, my brother is blessing their baby boy, Emerson. They live in a condo, so I offered to let them have their "open house" at our home. I've been spending a lot of time getting our house ready for the parties. Patching and painting walls and cleaning - heck, I even stained our swing set/tree house and deck on Monday and Tuesday. My house has to be perfect. I hate to admit it, but I am one of THOSE people!

The Blankie

2008-04-28T22:06:00.004-06:00

To say that Max love his blankie would be an understatement. Ever since he was a baby, he has slept with his blanket wrapped around his head. I would cover his face with his blanket and he was sure to go right to sleep. He also loves his binky, but I need to get rid of it soon. I only let him have it when he is sleeping and sometimes at church. But, I am quickly learning that the binky doesn't really keep him quiet anymore. He talks around it and sounds like a fool! He is such a monkey!!! We love him so much!

Friday Fun

2008-04-25T21:26:00.005-06:00

Mark has been really busy at work this week and will be again this weekend. You see, his entire office is moving South two blocks down Main Street. He has been in charge of the entire process - meeting with the realtors, architects, designers, and anyone else that is involved. It's been his project. It is finally moving day - today and this weekend. I haven't seen much of him lately, although he did meet us tonight for dinner.

After dinner, the kids and I went on a long bike ride around our neighborhood. I kicked their butts! There is this big hill I love to do - it is great on the thighs and they were such good sports!! We have a bike trailer and Max loves to ride in it. I really want to get a new, one child bike trailer. I've hinted to Mark that I would love a new one - hopefully he gets the hint and orders me this for Mothers Day.

Will and Ben's school is right down the street, so after our bike ride, I took them and some other neighbor kids there to play. We played tag. Yes, I even played tag. We had so much fun! They are such cute little boys. I must say that we have great neighbors. I live in the best neighborhood, which will make it really hard if we ever decide to move.

I made a fellow blogger's recipe for poshdough, and it is really great play dough. The kids have been playing with it all afternoon. Even the neighbor kids commented on how soft it was. I highly recommend it - thanks Julie for the recipe!

Will and Ben have been so into Pokemon lately, that they made....Pokemon guys with their dough. I get so sick of picking up those dang cards!!!

Max decided to "cook" his - YUM!

Spring Visitors

2008-04-24T20:52:00.003-06:00

Every spring since I can remember, these same two ducks take up residence in our neighborhood. I don't know where their nest is, but I am thankful that it isn't in our yard. The kids love feeding them bread, in fact, they are probably stuffed with bread with all the kids around. Yesterday morning they were in our front yard, and they seemed hungry, so we got out some bread and fed them. They aren't very afraid of us, this morning they followed my neighbor Brittany down the sidewalk and over to our house.

Max was having a great time throwing whole pieces of bread at them. No wonder I'm going through bread so quickly lately. (Doesn't Max have great hair?)

Max was getting a little too close for comfort, so they took off, and so did Max. Notice the large piece of bread in his hands, ready to launch!

They finally had enough, and flew away.

Happy Birthday Will!!!

2008-04-19T22:57:00.011-06:00

This weekend our little Will turned eight! It is so hard to believe that he is already that old. It just seems like yesterday he was born. I still remember that day and how excited we were to welcome our first child into this world.

We had a great day, which started very early with a 7:30 a.m. baseball game. We had a great time just spending the day with our little family. We took him out to lunch, Mark took Will and Ben to a movie, and we went to dinner at Bonsai Steakhouse with Mark's parents. After dinner, we had everyone over for cake and ice cream.

Today we had his baptism interview with the Bishop and he passed! So, he'll be baptized on Saturday, May 3rd. He was so cute during his interview. He did such a great job answering all of the questions the Bishop asked.

Will is such a great son and a joy to be around. He is extremely bright - always straight A's on his report cards and reading well above grade level. He is such a teaser and loves to make everyone laugh/cry. He is my early riser, and often wakes me up with his humming. He is very active and always has been. He was such a busy baby and toddler that I couldn't keep up with him. He is very social and loves his friends very much. He is so tender and has such a sweet spirit, he is so affectionate! He is such a great helper and is very obedient. We love him very, very much and are so glad that he is ours.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!!!

Will throughout the years...

I can't believe how handsome and big he's gotten. I'm having a great time looking through old pictures. I just need to scan the earlier pictures to my hard drive....someday!

My Talk (as requested)

2008-04-15T23:51:00.003-06:00

There will never be another role more rewarding than that of a wife and a mother. Motherhood is the noblest and greatest of all callings. I am speaking today on the Joy of Motherhood. One of our greatest joys is helping our children to learn of the Lord and his plan for our happiness. The Apostle Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Ephesians, in Chapter 6 verse 4, "…provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

When the bishop informed us of our topic and as I have been thinking about the "joys" that I have felt, many great stories of "joy" have come to mind. Unfortunately, most of the stories that immediately came to my mind are probably not appropriate to share over the pulpit. As I’ve spent the last two weeks pondering this topic, many other great stories have come to mind about my experiences with my own children.

Many of you know Mike and Kelly Solomon, who lived next door to us for several years. As a pilot for Delta Airlines, Mike was often gone overnight and Kelly made a habit of turning in as soon as the sun went down. It is worth noting at this point that their daughter, Erin, was known to walk the streets of the neighborhood with candy falling out of her pockets. The smarter kids in the neighborhood figured this out very quickly and would follow Erin wherever she went until the candy ran out.

One particular warm summer evening, a group of the neighbors was gathered outside in the street enjoying each other’s company. As usual, Kelly rounded up her children and ushered them off to bed well before anyone else was ready to call it a night.

Some time later sound asleep in her bed, Kelly was startled by the sound of rustling coming from inside her house. With Mike out of town, she was already a little uncomfortable and this noise was more than alarming as it sounded as though someone was in her kitchen.

Kelly slowly worked her way to the kitchen, on the way confirming that both of her own children were sound asleep. By the time she reached the end of the hall, she was confident that she had an intruder in the house.

She could see the pantry door was open and could hear distinct rummaging sounds coming from inside. She approached quietly until she could see the intruder quite clearly. There in her pantry was two-year-old Will Cannon foraging for some candy.

To this day, no one remembers Will going missing and no one knows how he got into her house.

As many of you know, Will and Ben are not quite fifteen months apart. Shortly after giving birth to Will, I struggled with conflicted feelings about so quickly welcoming another baby into our home. To put it bluntly, I was a wreck.

As I am sure many of you have felt, I didn’t know how I could share my love with another baby without taking any love away from Will. Once Ben arrived, those feelings quickly diminished and I was in love all over again. As time went by, the boys were so busy and I felt very overwhelmed. I felt completely outnumbered and very incapable. I hardly left the house without Mark. I am sure that once Mark arrived home from work, all he wanted to do was be home and relax. I on the other hand – had been home all day and was ready to get out of the house, I needed a change of scenery.

Looking back now, I realize how hard it really was. That I was so overwhelmed with everything I didn’t completely enjoy the moments with them. Now that my little family has gotten a bit older (and with the addition of our little Max – a little larger too) I have been able to be more relaxed even though my responsibilities as a mother have increased. I know what to expect, at least for now, and I am so much more comfortable and able to feel more joy. It seems though as the kids have gotten older, the busier our lives have become. With sports, school and church responsibilities, it is overwhelming at times. A friend of mine recently shared a story with me, and wondered to us, her friends, how to resolve her feelings of inadequacy.

Before I tell this story, it is important that you know that a "tuppance" is a UK monetary unit roughly equivalent to two pennies.

Mary Poppins told Michael & Jane about a woman who sat on the steps of the cathedral to feed the birds every day. She wondered if their father ever saw the bird woman as he bustled to and from work everyday.

Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's
The little old bird woman comes.
In her own special way to the people she calls,
"Come, buy my bags full of crumbs.
Come feed the little birds, show them you care
And you'll be glad if you do.
Their young ones are hungry,
Their nests are so bare;
All it takes is tuppence from you."

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."
"Feed the birds," that's what she cries,
While overhead, her birds fill the skies.
All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares.
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares.

Though her words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, she's calling to you:
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."

I don't want to miss the important moments because I'm constantly busy; I want to feed my little birds! I am sure all of us mothers feel the same way. Struggling with keeping the house clean and running the household, just keeping on top of everything……

Last weekend while listening to General Conference, I was grateful to hear the words of Elder M. Russell Ballard and his remarks on young mothers. During his talk, he asked and answered four questions regarding how to make mothers’ lives more rewarding. The questions he asked were:

What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more?
What more can a husband do to support his wife, the mother of their children?
What can children, even young children, do?
What can the Church do?

I loved his instruction to the husbands - to let your wives have time away, to play and active role in your family, to validate your wife and thank her often and to regularly talk with your wife about each child’s needs and what you can do to help.

One evening after arriving home from some "away time", I walked into our bedroom, to Ben, fast asleep, under the foot of our bed. I could only see his leg, which was extended out past the foot of the bed. I immediately noticed the paraphernalia surrounding Ben and wondered where Mark was during this time.

I pulled Ben out from under the bed and notice his new, nicely painted red toenails. He actually did a good job, for a two-year-old. I also noticed the red polish that was spilled on our carpet surrounding out bed. After trying and failing to remove the polish from our carpet, I resolved to rearrange our furniture, covering up the lovely reminder. I only look back now with laughter, and wish that I had taken a photograph for posterity.

I also loved his instruction to the children - You can pick up your toys when you are finished playing with them, and when you get a little older, you can make your bed, help with the dishes, and do other chores—without being asked.
You can say thank you more often when you finish a nice meal, when a story is read to you at bedtime, or when clean clothes are put in your drawers.
Most of all, you can put your arms around your mother often and tell her you love her.

The question directed at young mothers was what impacted me the most while thinking about this talk. He said,

"First, recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

He shared these thoughts from author Anna Quindlen. "The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less"(Loud and Clear [2004], 10–11)."

We need to remember that amid all of the chaos in life that our children are learning and are still trying to figure everything out.

Just last week, when I found a spare moment to jump in the shower, Max decided to help his dear old mom by "cleaning". I knew that something wasn’t right when Max wasn’t standing on the other side of the glass from me, as he always does every day. He hadn’t been around for a while, and you just know that it isn’t a good thing when a toddler is quiet. I quickly finished and rushed out to see to where he had disappeared. As I was leaving the bathroom, Max met me in my bedroom with the empty industrial sized Jet Dry from Costco in his little hands. As I stepped into the blue goo puddle on my bedroom carpet, sis reaction to me was simply put – "cleanin." I followed the drips to the kitchen, where I noticed he cleaned the walls, the rug, and a kitchen cabinet door. What a great helper! Whenever I am cleaning, he loves to help out. After all, it’s just the two of us most days, and he is my little sidekick. He has to get out all of the attachments to the vacuum, or to my steamer, and is right along side me to help me out.

Elder Ballard continued, "Second, don’t overschedule yourselves or your children. We live in a world that is filled with options. If we are not careful, we will find every minute jammed with social events, classes, exercise time, book clubs, scrapbooking, Church callings, music, sports, the Internet, and our favorite TV shows. One mother told me of a time that her children had 29 scheduled commitments every week: music lessons, Scouts, dance, Little League, day camps, soccer, art, and so forth. She felt like a taxi driver. Finally, she called a family meeting and announced, "Something has to go; we have no time to ourselves and no time for each other." Families need unstructured time when relationships can deepen and real parenting can take place. Take time to listen, to laugh, and to play together."

"Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Pick one or two things that you would like to learn or do that will enrich your life, and make time for them. Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others, even to your children. …Don’t allow yourself to be caught up in the time-wasting, mind-numbing things like television soap operas or surfing the Internet. Turn to the Lord in faith, and you will know what to do and how to do it."

Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel. Pray deeply about your children and about your role as a mother. Parents can offer a unique and wonderful kind of prayer because they are praying to the Eternal Parent of us all. There is great power in a prayer that essentially says, "We are steward-parents over Thy children, Father; please help us to raise them as Thou wouldst want them raised."

A friend of mine sent me the following poem from an unknown author:

No written word nor mortal plea
Can teach children what they should be,
Nor all the books upon the shelves
Except what parents are themselves.

I want to thank my Heavenly Father for this opportunity to stand before you this day and to also thank him for my beautiful family, whom I love with all of my heart. I am so thankful for my sweet family and the joy that they bring to my life. I hope that we can all be more mindful of the joys in our lives and take time to "feed the birds."

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(Thanks Amy for the Mary Poppins blog post and Debbie for the poem and Elder Ballard for the GC talk! It really wasn't that bad, but I don't want to do it again any time soon. Now I can get on with my life and quit stressing about it!!!)

Let's Play Ball

2008-04-15T21:16:00.004-06:00

Saturday was the first baseball game of the season and this year Will and Ben are on the same team. Yea!! They are in the 7-8 year old league. In our city, the priorities are Baseball, Family and God. In that order... well the second two may be the other way around. But there's no competition for #1. The league they play in has 18 teams of 7 & 8 year olds. That's 216 kids!!! All of whom have dads that think Jr. is the next Babe Ruth.

When I say it is intense, these kids play on a field with lights and games can end as late as 10:00 pm on weeknights. Who cares about school, right? Half of the games are machine pitch and the other half are kid-pitch. Did I mention that these kids are 7 & 8? Above, Will logs some time in the outfield.

Ben chose his own shoes this year and managed to choose red shoes since his team is the Reds. Lisa should know that GAP hoodies are completley unacceptable performace apparel. It needs to be Under Armour or Nike in this league. The most important thing about this picture is you'll note that Ben is wearing his pants correctly - showing the correct amount of sock. No pajama look (baggy pants, resting on shoes) for him

Will got a hit boh times up including this one with the bases loaded that drove in two runs.

Ben went 1-for-2 also driving in a run during a seven-run fourth inning that helped us tie up the game before the time limit was up.

Max loves the ballpark already too. He was very excited to watch the kids play "bay-ball."

*written by Mark*

1st Grade Program

2008-04-15T20:39:00.006-06:00

I am a bit late in posting this, but Ben had his program at school a few weeks ago. He was so funny. The theme was about family and they sang songs about each member of a family. Ben had to have the last line of the program memorized, which he did, which was the good bye and the thank you for coming. He did such a great job! They had to dance to a few of the songs during their program. It was hilarious. I guess Ben doesn't really like to dance, so his teacher told him to do the "air guitar" instead. Well, he did, and it was so funny!

Last Sunday Mark and I were asked to speak in church and Mark's topic was the joy of fatherhood. I thought I would share with you an excerpt from his talk:

In my line of work – Investment Banking, the few days following the end of the calendar quarter is a particularly stressful and busy time. Long days are the norm and vacation time is essentially unavailable. It is not uncommon for my staff to work through their lunches and log an additional 10-20 hours of work per week each during these periods. As luck would have it, on April 3rd (just three days into our crunch time) ******** Elementary School’s First Grade scheduled its annual student program, the aptly titled, “Love Makes a Family.” Compounding the bad timing was the start time for the program - 2:30 pm – late enough in the day that by the time the program ended, there would be nearly no point in driving the 30 minutes back to the office as by the time I arrived it would likely already be after 4:00 pm.

In the days leading up to the program, I struggled to find a way to attend without shirking my responsibilities at work and without creating morale problems with my staff by cutting out on them at the worst possible time. The night before the program, I was resigned to having to miss it entirely.

As I met with some of my staff that Thursday morning, I found myself trying to find a way to bring up the program and my desire to attend. As the meeting progressed, I found myself simply beginning to relate to them the excitement Ben had been feeling as the program approached, how he’d learned his lines and how he was so hoping that I would be there. Much to my surprise, all three of them immediately insisted that I leave work early to attend the program. In turn, each of them volunteered to cover a portion of my responsibilities for the remainder of the day.

Relieved, grateful and humbled, I left the office and quickly zipped down I-15 to the school. Upon arriving at the school, I sat by Lisa and Max in the audience and began to scan the stage for Ben. As I looked over the children on stage, I could see that some were very excited and some were quite uncomfortable, but all of them seemed to be searching the audience looking for mom or dad. Finally, I found Ben sitting right on the front row. Initially he didn’t see me. I could see the apprehension on his face and I knew what he was thinking. In his mind he wondered, “Where is my dad? Why isn’t he here yet?”

As his eyes finally met mine, I could see a sense of relief wash across him, as his entire countenance changed and a smile suddenly beamed across his face. His dad had made it just in time. Suddenly the thoughts of the emails, the meetings, and the conference calls melted away. I do not remember the songs they sang or the lines they recited, but I will never forget the look on his face when I was there for him.

Each child made a portrait of their parents for them to keep. It was so sweet. Ben is such a loving, tender boy. We love him so much!!

Funny!

2008-04-09T21:56:00.000-06:00

This is exactly what Mark sounds like when he's hurt...

Interesting...

2008-04-09T10:30:00.002-06:00

So, now I'm throwing these away because they have a #7 on the bottom. Max's sippy cups are safe, they have a #5. What do you think?

A Friend

2008-04-04T23:13:00.003-06:00

One of my dear childhood friends passed away years ago from cancer. She was such a great friend and I spent a lot of time at her home growing up. Although we didn't attend the same high school, we still kept in touch. I remember when she died. I remember how it was hard to see her sick and I was afraid. While watching the news tonight, they had a story about her and her close relationship with President Monson. It made me sad to see her again and see her sweet parents. President Monson spoke at her funeral and had a special relationship with her. Her story is a great one. She was such a great example to us all.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3011363

Take Me Out

2008-04-01T22:37:00.006-06:00

Will and Ben started practicing for baseball a couple of weeks ago. I love baseball and watching them play. I don't know if it's because of the spring and the beautiful weather, that we finally get to be outside, or if it's because of the game. They are both going to be on the same team this year, which will be so nice for us! Last year they were on different teams, but Ben is playing up this year.

They are both funny. Their friends are extremely important to them. They had a practice game tonight against another team in their league, and it was my responsibility to get them dressed and ready to go. Easy enough, but they were playing with their friends. And, if I try to pull them away, they transform into two little boys I don't like very much. Well, I was able to get them dressed, much to their dismay, and I let their friends know that they had to leave. The friends stayed in our back yard, playing basketball. That was fine. But, Will and Ben were fighting tooth and nail with us. Saying that they hated playing, that they want to do Karate instead. EWWW! Ben is usually pretty mellow, sweet kid. Will is another story - very ornery. Every morning when I wake him up for school, he yells at me, yelling about how much he hates school. He is going to be my challenge and I've know this since he was little. Very strong willed, intelligent and talks back - I think I know someone that was just like him (me) when she was little. My mom used to say "I hope you have a child just like you", and I think I do.

They've played baseball ever since they could. I think we started Ben when he was two. They love it once they are there, but it's getting them there that is the most difficult part. They are like that with a lot of things - church, running errands. It's just they love playing and hate being ripped away. With church, I used to let them watch cartoons in the morning. Not anymore. No TV on Sunday mornings, and it has made getting ready for church more pleasant.

I thought they had left with Mark when suddenly Ben and Will appeared from the garage. Mark just got so sick of them that he just left without them. Mark had to be there because he is helping coach their team. I was mad! When baseball sign ups were upon us, they both really wanted to play. We informed them that they couldn't pull any of the "pranks" and had to take it seriously. That we were paying for them to play and if they fought with us about playing later in the season, it was wasting money.

I sent them to their rooms the entire night, only to let them out to eat dinner. While friends played outside, they sat inside, reading. I made them apologize to Mark when he got home and they both said that they would never do that again.

New rule: No playing with friends until their homework is done and they are dressed and ready for baseball.

It was so nice to have them locked up. I even made Will dust his room. Isn't parenting fun?

Things You Should Never Do...

2008-03-30T22:08:00.007-06:00

Never answer the phone on a Sunday if the caller ID is from your bishop. If there is a mysterious cell call early on a Sunday morning, you can probably guess that it is a member of the bishopric looking for the prayers for Sacrament Meeting. Well, tonight our caller ID showed the bishop and Mark did the unthinkable - he answered the phone.

I could kind of hear the conversation on Mark's side, "well, she doesn't really like to speak in public." As I heard Mark coming up the stairs, I immediately shouted "no"! I know, I'm bad. But, I really dislike speaking in front of large groups of people. Will happened to be upstairs and he was coaxing me, urging me to accept. He said that he wanted me to speak so he could laugh at me the whole time. Great! I know there are a lot of people out there that feel the same way as I do. I am great one on one of with a group of peers, but I die in front of large groups of people. I've done it before, but it's not my most favorite thing to do. I can think of a million things I'd rather be doing!

Mark said that I only had to take two-three minutes and he'd do the rest. DEAL (after much negotiation)! My topic is the joys of motherhood and Mark's is the joys of fatherhood. The topic will be great, I get to talk about my kids. I'm not very excited about it, but it will be good for me and good for my kids to see me up there. I'd really hate them to get my fear. Hopefully they'll be more like their dad in that aspect. Mark is so great at public speaking.

Wish me luck. I have two weeks to stew about it!!

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

2008-03-26T13:44:00.005-06:00

I think I've mentioned before that my sister Karyn and her husband Jon are currently renovating their home around 15Th East and 15Th South. Her contractor and the guys working on their home informed them that they do in fact have a ghost at their house. The know for sure that it is a man. He frequently makes himself known and will watch over the workers while they work. He wants to let you know that he is there. He is probably upset about his house. They've torn it down to the exterior walls and floor boards. She has heard noises in the home before, but blew it off, thinking it was the heating/cooling system. They've never seen anyone, but Jon said he's felt weird things and seen a light at the bottom of the stairs. But, the contractors have had many experiences. They finally had to tell "him" to calm down, that he needed to get the house done - that they need to exist together. I think Karyn and Jon might head over there and have a little talk with the ghost. Hopefully that goes well!

A couple of years ago she had someone show up at her house. It was an old man that said he had grown up in the home. We're wondering if it might be him, if he has passed away, or his father. Luckily he left his card, so they are going to try and get in touch with him.

So I've been online searching out ghost busters in Salt Lake. I would be freaked out if it were my house and I had to live there. But, it's Karyns house and I'm thinking it is pretty cool. I've emailed two different ghost hunters that I located on the Internet.

Do you have any ghostly experiences to share? Please share!

Utah Ghost Organization

Some of my Favorites

2008-03-24T23:34:00.020-06:00

My friend Kami just posted about some of her favorite kitchen gadgets. So, I thought I would do the same and show my fellow bloggers some of mine.

This is a total splurge, but it is the best garlic press ever. You don't even need to peel the clove.

I love my Boos block.

I love my cast iron skillet. It is a must have.

I love my salt cellar from Alton Brown. I only use Kosher salt now.

My favorite knife is my Henckels Santoku.

I absolutely love spraying this on my counter to keep it clean and smelling great.

I can't wait to try this...

because I adore this...

How could I forget about these...

they are a staple to every kitchen!

I love this citrus juicer, too.

That Rosle brand has very nice stuff!!! Check it out next time you are out and about.

Doesn't this look fun?

I could spend hours at SurLaTable or Spoons & Spice perusing all that is to be seen there. I could spend a small fortune with each visit. I wish that I was a better cook. I just need to practice more, but life is so busy!!!

What are some of your must haves?

Easter Weekend

2008-03-23T21:39:00.007-06:00

Happy Easter! We've had such a great weekend spending time with each other. Today we went to church and went up to the Cannon's for dinner. The kids had fun searching our house this morning for their hidden baskets while Mark made a delicious breakfast. I even sneaked in a nap and it was wonderful!

Mark was off for Good Friday and he took advantage of his time off and treated himself to a massage at the Kura Door. After his massage, he met up with us at the zoo. We went with my friends Adrian and DeDee. The weather wasn't great, it was a little cold and windy, but sunny.

Our cute neighbors put on an egg hunt every year and everyone who is around usually attends. They cook scones and everyone brings juice and honey butter. It is such a fun tradition.

My neighbors husband is getting in to riding motorcycles and he showed up in these beautiful pants. Man, I wouldn't be caught dead in them!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Day at the Museum

2008-03-20T22:09:00.005-06:00

My dear friend Becky invited us to tag along with her and her cute kids to the Children's Museum. We are always up for an adventure...so we were off.

We played on the main floor for a bit, but it was so busy due to the fact that all the kids are out of school. So, we headed upstairs to see this...

We had such a great time. Will had so much fun chasing Thatcher around he was sweating!

After the museum, we headed to Ben's Cookies for a little afternoon snack. After getting all the kids settled in the car, I decided to take off Max's shoes. He hadn't had a nap yet and I really wanted him to fall asleep on the way home. Can anyone tell what is wrong with this picture???

Seriously, what kind of mother am I? The poor thing was running around all day with two left shoes. About a month after I bought these shoes for Max, we lost the right shoe. So, off to the store I went to pick up the exact same pair. He needed shoes, right? I don't know why I didn't ever throw away the extra shoe, but I didn't. Now I will so this doesn't happen again!!!

Thanks Beck for the fun day! My boys love your boys!

Happy First Day of Spring

2008-03-20T09:13:00.002-06:00

I am so happy that spring has finally sprung. Now only if the weather would cooperate! It seems like everyone in my neighborhood is gone for the weekend. They all went camping to Zions National Park and we didn't tag along. I'm not much for camping. Imagine that.

The kids are out of school until Tuesday, so wish me luck keeping them busy in the rainy, dreary weather:) Happy Spring!!

What???

2008-03-19T10:25:00.005-06:00

There is a SEPHORA in Utah. I know, I know, you don't believe me, but it is true. It is is Ogden on Riverdale Road of all places. I read in the Money section of the Tribune this morning that Sephora was opening a distribution center on the West side of Salt Lake City. What? We get a DISTRIBUTION CENTER and not a real store. So, I got on their web page and did a search of stores that were opening. And, lo and behold I found IT. I even called to make sure. It is located inside JC Penney (WHY?)and their GRAND OPENING is this weekend. She said that they carry most of the brands - but not everything the larger stores have. Why Ogden of all places??? I'm not trying to offend any Ogdenites out there, but really! Hopefully that means there will be a large store in Salt Lake sometime soon!!! I probably won't be loading Max in the car to make the trek way up North any time soon. I'll just continue to take advantage of their free shipping. And I was wondering what I was going to blog about today...

A Little Gossip

2008-03-13T16:49:00.007-06:00

Mark had a meeting today with the Church and they said that H & M is coming to City Creek (the new mall in Salt Lake City). Well, the guy would neither confirm or deny about H & M, but when Mark asked and mentioned that his wife would be thrilled, his face went bright red. He was speechless. He also said that 50-65% of the stores are going to be new to the state. The new Nordstrom is going to be 60,000 square feet on each level (2 levels total - wahoo), the creek (City Creek) will be stocked with trout, an 18 foot, cascading waterfall, a retractable roof and the restaurants will be able to purchase their land, so they can serve alcohol. Some of the stores there it might be their first location in the U.S. How exciting for Utah!!! I really just want a Crate & Barrel, Sephora and H & M. We'll see...

Mark is always in the know. I try and beat him to the punch, but with him working downtown right in the mess of it all, he sometimes beats me.

Waiting for Daddy

2008-03-13T14:13:00.019-06:00

This is my first video - yeah for me! I've had my Flip since Christmas and haven't posted any videos to my blog. I can't believe it! It was a little difficult. Apparently Google is having some issues and I had to change the case of some words and add some quotes around other things. It's a good thing Google has a help section, otherwise some nice man wouldn't have posted his "fix". I wish I knew HTML, but I'm not that smart! Maybe someday...

Max and I frequently go downtown to visit with Mark and take him to lunch. Our favorite place, as I've mentioned before, is Big City Soup. I had the Corn and Crab and it was delicious!!! We were a bit early and Mark was finishing up his conference call, so I decided to talk to Max. We rolled down the window and opened the sunroof, just enjoying the weather, which is a bit rainy. He was saying "hi" to everyone that passed us. They all smiled and waved. I know that they thought he was the cutest little thing - I could see it in their eyes! Don't listen to my voice. I hate listening to my voice after it's been recorded. But, Max's voice on the other hand is so sweet. I love him so much! Isn't he so smart? I think so! He is really talking up a storm. Mark asked him what he'd been doing this morning and he responded with "ball game". Really! Balls are his favorite!

He has a huge scratch on his nose from Saturday at Red Butte. He is so clumsy and trips a lot, but he's still learning.

I love that it's just the two of us all day long. He is my buddy and a joy to be around. I'm really relishing this time and am not ready to add to our brood yet, but it is a definite possibility in the future.

It's a Party!

2008-03-09T22:00:00.013-06:00

My sweet niece Lily is celebrating her fifth birthday this week on Tuesday, the eleventh of March. Saturday, we had the opportunity attend her friend party at Red Butte Garden. I can't believe that she is already five and will be going to Kindergarten in the fall. She is the only girl in our family of six boys and has to put up with a lot around all of them. Isn't she so lucky??? We all love her so much!

The party included painting terracotta pots, which they got to plant a Pineapple Sage and bring home.

They also went on a scavenger hunt around the Children's Garden looking for various animals that would be there.

Doesn't Mark look great? He's lost nearly fifty pounds and he's still plugging along on this diet thing. He is so handsome, if I do say so myself.

One of Lily's friends, Parker, fell into this pond. I'm so surprised that Max didn't go in. There were some orange gold fish and he desperately wanted one. At one point, he was starting to climb in. Anyways, Parker came into the party soaking wet. He is autistic, but can really talk up a storm. He was so funny! Although, he was a bit embarrassed by all of the attention. He really just wanted to get back to chasing the girls. All boys are the same, no matter what age. They just want to chase us around!

This is Lily's baby brother, Charlie. He looks just like Lily did when she was a baby. Charlie turns one in a few weeks! He and Max love each other very much. Max loves to say his name.

What is a birthday party without cupcakes??? They were delicious!

The Farm

2008-03-07T21:33:00.012-07:00

Today was such a beautiful day! After school and Max's nap, I took the kids to Wheeler Farm. I knew Max would love it because he loves reading books about animals. We had a lot of fun. There were two new baby cows that were running around their pen. Will and Ben thought that was so great.

The bunnies are always a hit. They thought they would share some of the bread we brought for the ducks with the bunnies.

Seriously - what a PIG! (enlarge pic)

Ben found a stick, which he smuggled into the car. I told him to throw it out, but no. He would later regret bringing that stick with us. He hurt his hand with the stick and our car. Don't ask. But, maybe next time he'll listen to his dear old mom. She knows best!

Will couldn't stand all the excitement and had to listen to his music.

Max loved chasing the ducks (notice the small stick in his hand). I think it's a boy thing because Will and Ben used to and still do the same thing. I wonder where Max gets it from?

While chasing the ducks, Max chased them right back into the pond.

Max got a little too close to the pond's fence and slipped down into the water. I should have taken a picture, but I figured that I'd better get him out before the ducks got him. When I pulled him out, we lost a shoe. Luckily, I was able to save it.

After getting bit by a duck, Max didn't like the idea of feeding them anymore. His face is priceless!

A First

2008-03-06T21:36:00.006-07:00

Mark calls Max's arms "Go Go Gadget Arms" because he can reach anything on the counter top. It seems as though they telescope. After dragging him around this morning, our last stop was the grocery store. While unloading the food, Max wouldn't leave the food alone. He kept throwing stuff down on the floor. Well, he grabbed the grape tomatoes and threw them. They went everywhere. I was so frustrated that I decided to put him in "time out". This was a first for him. Surprisingly, he knew what was going on and stayed in place until I lovingly explained to him why he was there. But, before I did that I snapped some pictures. He is so dang cute and I had to post...

Isn't he just the cutest. My favorite is the one where he is obviously crying. He is such a doll. As you can tell, I love him very much. I feel bad that I got mad at him, but he's a little tornado around the house. I took him to XPEDX to get some wrapping paper and he was throwing a fit in the store and he never does stuff like that. I'm in for it.

It was such a nice afternoon, that we walked down to pick up the kids from school today. Max loves being outside, as do I.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer - if you consider the 50's nice. I do, considering the winter we've had. I want to take my kids somewhere - maybe Wheeler Farm. Anyone want to go?

We are all feeling much, much better. Max and I still have a small cough, which is supposed to linger a little longer. That gunck we had was HORRIBLE! And, I'm glad it is over. Can't wait for summer!!!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring

2008-03-01T14:16:00.005-07:00

March is appearing to come in like a lion. It was a nice day this morning, but now a storm is blowing through. Hopefully it won't last long, I need to get outside and enjoy the weather as I haven't been able to this week.

I am so miserable. I don't know what I have, I hope it's not that nasty Influenza going around. It all started on Monday after school. I met Ben as he was walking home from school and he was crying, saying that his head hurt. Later that night, Will started complaining of the same pains, headache and sore legs. High fever set in through the night and it's lasted for days and days. Will and Ben missed the rest of school this week. Will is pretty much back to 100%, with a slight cough. Ben is still sick, you can really see it in his eyes. Although he is much better than he was. I haven't given him Motrin since last night. Ben is asleep now - he fell asleep downstairs while watching the television.

I started to get achy on Wednesday night after my friends dinner. Thursday I seemed to be okay, just a little cough. Yesterday was the worst day. Mark stayed home from work to help me, which was the ultimate life saver. I have the worst headache, body ache, fever, chills and cough. I haven't thrown up, but have wanted to because my cough is so bad that it gags me. Last night I couldn't fall asleep. I wanted Mark to give me a blessing so bad, but I didn't know who to call at such a late hour. I finally gave in to taking some NyQuil (that stuff is horrible) and was able to get a restful night's sleep. I didn't get out of bed until 1:30 this afternoon.

Today I am feeling better. I don't seem to have a fever anymore and my body doesn't ache as bad. My body is just sore from the coughing. And it's not a real productive cough, although it is starting to be more productive. I know, this is exactly what you wanted to read from me today. I'm sorry, it's the only thing that is going on with me lately. I just hope and pray that Mark and Max don't get this bug.

Mark has been such a trooper through this whole ordeal. Doting on me, doing laundry and taking care of the kids. In fact, right now he is at the grocery store with Will and Max. What a guy! He even put socks on me and helped me put on my "under" garments last night.

I hope none of you get this sickness, it is horrible. I know my friend Kami was sick this week and a few of my neighbor kids have been sick with this same thing. I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy - I don't think I have any!

I just want spring to be here soon so we can all be outside, planting flowers and playing at the park. It is raining outside now...

Test Your Skill

2008-02-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

64 words

Speedtest