Celebration!

Last weekend we headed south for baby Lilly Ellen's blessing. Here she is with her grandma Ellen. Her dress was so pretty and she was such a good little girl!

After the blessing we went to Mace and Amanda's house for some good food and good times. They have a really nice big heated shop that we ate in and played in. Santa brought them a HUGE trampoline that they set up in the shop and the kids loved to jump and jump. Here is Kendal with her twin cousins, Alissa, and Adrianna.

Kelsey, Aiden, and Larry partaking of the goodness.


We also celebrated Paige's birthday. She had lots of fun present to open and all the cousins were so excited to see what she was getting! Thanks for the super time Mace and Amanda!!

The Tooth Fairy was in our Neighborhood

Kelsey has had another loose tooth for a little while. Yesterday after school she told me that it hurt when she ate because it wiggled so much.
So last night right before bed she told her dad how loose it was and that he needed to feel it. Big Mistake! Matt said "Should we get it out tonight?" with that excited-fun-dad-look on his face. Kelsey was so very excited for the tooth fairy to come again so she agreed.
I grabbed her and took her in the other room pretending to cry and saying "No no, my little Kelsey is growing up if she looses another tooth." Kelsey loves it when I do this. Make a big fuss about her getting older, growing up, and not being mom's little girl anymore. So as I was holding her tight and pretending to cry, she was laughing, grabbed my face and then very seriously said "Mom, it is okay. Everyone has to grow up. I will still be your sweet Kelsey forever even though I loose teeth and get older." It was so cute.
So Matt proceeded the operation and got some dental floss. I said "Are you going to tie a knot around that tooth and yank it out like they do in cartoons?" Kelsey was loving it. He didn't tie a knot, just slipped it underneath and that tooth went flying across my bed. It happened so much quicker than I remember . I swear it took some massive encouragement to let my dad look in my mouth, let alone stick a string in there and pop out my teeth! Maybe I was much more dramatic. Come to think of it, that is not possible, Kelsey is ULTRA dramatic, I could not have been worse than her!
So here she is, she didn't want me to post the picture that shows blood on her lip, but the expression on her face is so cute!

She just woke up and informed me that the tooth fairy had really visited her last night again! I asked her if she heard the tooth fairy in the night and she said no. Thank goodness!

Girls Night Out

A few of us ladies went out to dinner/dessert/appetizers/whatever you wanted last night to celebrate our friend Amanda's birthday. We went to Mountain House Grill in Midway and had a super time.
Here is Jen, Vicki, Me, and Heather on the back and then Brittany, Amanda, and Wendy on the front. We had a super good-guy waiter that took very good care of us. He laughed at our jokes and put up with us very well.

When we were getting ready to pay, Heather made a joke about leaving his tip in a glass upside down. I told her that my old high school boyfriend did that once and there was no way she was going to do that, it is just too rude. A few friends at the table didn't know what she was talking about, so our amazing waiter did it for them! He put some of his tip money in the glass full of water, turned it upside down on the menu, put it on the table, and then slid the menu out from underneath it. So now the glass was full of water with the tip at the bottom. Amanda asked "So how you going to get that tip?" With a big fat mess!! We did have a fun waiter, if he can do that to himself for the sake of entertainment, then he deserved a good tip from the rest of us! I think he got it too.
This is a picture of me when I got home. I wore a pair of black pants that were too long for slushy snow, so I wore a pair of 16 inch boots. This was the first night I ever wore them and the last night. I told Amanda that because it was her birthday, and she is my ultra-fashionable friend, I wore them for her. I am not sure how people wear those all the time, 2 1/2 hours and I was ready to cry. I am putting those babies into the DI bag! I have a new respect for you Brittany!

We Love Playgroup

Last week we went to the rec center here in town for playgroup. Our rec center is the old senior citizens building and it is nothing like the rec center in Kamas, but hopefully we will be getting one of those soon! Anyway, we made due with our little gym.

It was fun for the kids to just run and play. Being cooped up all winter is hard on kids. I am all for getting them outside, but here it is either 8 degrees or there is 3 feet of snow, or actually, BOTH!!

They are so cute, here is a few of them: Kelsey, Auston, Logan, Kendal, and Golden. They liked playing on the mats, playing basketball (I could totally dunk it!), chasing balls, climbing, and just running around.

A few more: Abby, Felix, Tyler, and Auston.


I need to think of something for this week's playgroup. Any ideas?

Girly Girls

I never realized what a 'girly girl' Kendal is until Friday. Kelsey's school has been having a Once Upon a Dime week to raise money for a few trees to plant and on Friday all the students were supposed to dress up as a fairy tale character. When we got a dress for Kelsey to wear, Kendal wanted it on pretty badly, so we got one for her too.
She loved it, she twirled and swirled and danced and pranced. It was so cute! Kelsey has ALWAYS been a girly girl and Kendal has not, so it was fun to see her get all excited about frilly dress ups.

Then came the crown, she loved the crown. She kept putting it on upside down because it would stay on that way! If she put it on upside down, she could still ride her little bike and not have it fall off. See, she still had to ride her bike, even though her frilly dress kept getting stuck!

She used to cry when Kelsey and I would make her wear dress ups so I put them in a box downstairs a few months ago. I guess I ought to go get them back out.

My Girls

I had the girls' pictures taken last week. It was a good time. They took 104 pictures and it was rough picking out the ones I wanted! Kelsey loves having her picture taken and Kendal gave those photographers a run for their money! She wanted to be chased and she wouldn't leave her legs where they kept putting them. She kept them busy!

So I finally replaced the 8 by 10 pictures in my living room. Kelsey's last one was a year and a week ago and Kendal's last one was from Jan 2007 - over a year ago! It is about time Rachel.

I'll show you Sports Authority!

I have been doing a lot of research online and yesterday I FINALLY made up my mind. So at 9:20 am I got in my car and headed to Park City to go to the sporting goods store called Sports Authority.
I was headed up there to get a heavy bag, like a boxing bag, like the kind that Rocky used to use in the good ol days. So I found the store and walked in. I was impressed with how roomy the store is, 2 floors of sporting goods fun. So I wandered around the store, saw the snowboards, the ice skates, the sleds, the skiis, the warm winter clothing, the gloves, etc etc. I walked around the ENTIRE store and found nothing related to boxing. Actually I didn't even see a baseball bat or mitt. I should have known, this is Park City we are talking about right?
So I walked up to the the punk kid cashier who was texting on his cell phone while I was trying to talk to him. I said "I am looking for anything boxing." He got a very amused look on his face, then laughed, and said "Uhm, uhm, I think we have a pilates ball upstairs." I wanted to give him my nice combination I have been working on that goes a little like this - left jab - left jab - right cross - left round kick. But I didn't. It wasn't that he acted like a complete mannerless idiot, it was that he laughed at me! I knew better than to trust SPORTS AUTHORITY in Park City, I mean come on! Everyone knows that Park City only does snowboarding and celebrities, not boxing, even though the online Park City store said they had heavy bags. I wanted to say to the punk "So, you are not the sports authority, you are the snow boarding and texting authority" but I didn't. I left.
I went home, got on the phone with the Orem Sports Authority and asked if they had heavy bags. "YEP!" So I headed south around 11:00 to Orem.

Look at what I came home with! I am so excited. I couldn't decide between a heavy bag that you hang and the ones like this that stand up on their own once you fill the base with water. I decided on this one and I think I am really going to like it. It is the kind we use at my kickboxing class. Filling it up with water once I got home is another story! Matt was very helpful though and I think he is going to like it too.

Just one more thing, when I was talking on the phone with my brother the other night trying to figure out the Super Suffocation lyrics (lyrics, not words - that means it is a REAL song!) he said to me "You are not talking about Greasy Grimey Gopher Guts are you?" I laughed because that brought another memory to my mind and I had to sing that song. Boy, the fun things small town kids do for fun! Actually, Matt has never heard of any of these songs, although I know they existed in Sevier County because one of my friends remembered another verse to Super Suffocation. It is in the comments if anyone wants to enlighten themselves.
Okay, here is the other song's LYRICS:
Great green gobs of greasy grimey gopher guts, mutilated monkey meat, little turdy birdy feet, french fried eye balls rolled up in camel snot, made without a spoon but I brought my straaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
You gotta draw out the last part of 'straw.' My dad sang it a little differently for me on the phone, but this is the way the southern half of Lyman kids used to sing it because that is how I remember it.

Super Suffocation

Kelsey's Kindergarten teacher teaches her class a new little poem/song for every letter that they learn. It is a pretty cute song usually and Kelsey sings them all the time. Yesterday afternoon she was singing the F song, something about fish and frogs and it goes to the Alouetta tune. You know, "Alouetta jointie alouetta" that we all learned and we all have no idea what it says. I was folding laundry listenening to her sing the F song in the other room and I broke into my own song, without consciously even knowing it.
Here is my version that sprung up from the back of my brain from at least 25 years ago to the same tune:
Suffocation, super suffocation
Suffocation the game we like to play.
First you get a rubber hose,
stick it up your nose,
turn it on, then you're gone,
Oh oh oh oh, Suffocation super suffocation
Suffocation the game we like to play.

I started giggling at myself because those words came to my mind so easily.
The problem is that I can't remember the other verses. I know there are more, I distinctly remember hearing my brother sing them. I called him last night and he says the cobwebs in his head are rattling around and he will see if he can think of some of the other verses in the next few days. Does anyone else remember that horribly, morbid song?

Okay, I just did a google search and the song goes "Alouetta, gentile alouetta" and, you will love this, alouetta is a bird and the song talks about plucking the bird's head off!! I guess super suffocation isn't too horrible!

Goodnight Sunday

As I sit here at the computer, Kendal is in bed, Matt and Kelsey are doing their nightly reading and I really should be doing an assignment for a class that is due at midnight, but I just need a minute to unwind. Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and this day has not been very restful. It has been a good day though and I am grateful for it.


I am also grateful for banana smeared kisses.
I am grateful for stick people pictures and love notes delivered under the bedroom door when I am getting dressed.
I am grateful for the words "mama" said with a big smile and wide open arms.
I am grateful for good health so I can play 'bucking bronco' on the floor with my cowgirls.
I am grateful for dishes that find their own way to the sink.
I am grateful for my bed being mysteriously made this morning.
I am grateful for the words "thank you" coming out of my husband's and little girls' mouths.

For Senor R

This is for one of my friends who is a Gemini. I will have to ask his wife Jen what she thinks about the truthfulness of this one!

GEMINI - The Twin
Nice. Love is one of a kind. Great listeners Very Good at confusing people... Lover not a fighter, but will still knock you out. Gemini's will not take any crap from anyone. Gemini's like to tell people what they should do and get offended easily. They are great at losing things and are forgetful. Gemini's can be very sarcastic and childish at times, and are very nosey. Trustworthy. Always happy. VERY Loud. Talkative. Outgoing VERY FORGIVING. Loves to make out. Has a beautiful smile. Generous. Strong. THE MOST IRRESISTIBLE. 9 years of bad luck if you do not forward.

Horoscope Snoroscope

My cousin sent me an email about horoscopes, how true they are, what will happen if you don't forward it to 34 people, and then of course, it gave me my horoscope. Here it goes.

CAPRICORN - The Passionate Lover
Love to bust. Nice. Sassy. Intelligent. Sexy. Grouchy at times and annoying to some. Lazy and love to take it easy. But when they find a job or something they like to do they put their all into it. Proud, understanding and sweet. Irresistible. Loves being in long relationships. Great talker. Always gets what he or she wants. Cool. Loves to win against other signs especially Gemini's in sports. Likes to cook but would rather go out to eat at good restaurants. Extremely fun. Loves to joke. Smart. 24 years of bad luck if you do not forward.

I only see one or two things that are true, I do like to have my way, but darn it, I don't always get what I want, and I am irresistible! Well, Matt might think that 'great talker' thing is true, sometimes I talk him right to sleep!

Lies - I am NOT lazy, I don't like to go out and eat because I am a tight wad, I don't have a very good sense of humor, I really hope I am not annoying and I apologize to you right now that think I am, I am not that competitive in sports, GROUCHY??? There are a few more lies, but I would like to trick myself into thinking they are true, so I will leave it at that.

Miniature Golfing

We let Kelsey decide what our family would do to celebrate her birthday. She had it narrowed down to going to Build a Bear Workshop or going miniature golfing. Golfing won so we went to Trafalga.


Last year we also did this for Kelsey's birthday. Kendal was in a stroller and we were all totally miserable with an onery 1 year old last year. This year we gave her a ball and her own club and she was happy as pie. Kelsey had a super time too, she loves golfing. Everytime we drive by Trafalga and can see it from the interstate she asks if we can go.

We had a super time, but I have to say the funniest part was the last hole. It is an outhouse and you hit your ball into the outhouse, trying for the toilet hole, and then it disappears. Kendal was NOT happy about all of our golf balls disappearing. Here she is saying "All gone?" and wondering where her ball went. She was sad and angry. She tried to climb into the outhouse to retrieve her lost ball and when that didn't work, she just started banging on the plexiglass. I wasn't too worried, I thought it was funny until I saw the 3 inch crack she would make between the plexiglass and the wood frame everytime she would bang into it saying "ball, ball." After that, I quickly grabbed her and swept her away to the arcade games so she would forget about her ball. That is all I needed, my 2 year old to break the outhouse! She isn't even potty trained!

FAIRY CAKE

Kelsey turned 6 years old yesterday. Here we are making her birthday cake. She loves to help in the kitchen. Kendal thinks she likes to help, but all her help turns out into a mess.

Kendal's first beater experience. When she was done she asked for "Mow."


Kelsey's fairy cake. I would like to say she decorated it, but that would be a lie. Why am I fessing up to this? Okay, Kelsey did a great job with the purple Betty Crocker icing tube didn't she? Heather, don't you dare comment!

Snake Bites

I have a leatherman that I keep in my purse. It is my leatherman, I bought it when we lived in Washington and I used it nearly everyday at work when I worked at Crossroads Nursery doing plant stuff. It has been missing from my purse for about a month.
Sunday I asked Matt "Sweet husband of mine, can you take my staples out today? It has been about 10 days." He replied with "Sure, what are we going to take them out with?" I thought he was joking, but as I watched him look through my purse I knew he was looking for my leatherman. Startled and worried I said "My leatherman is missing and you are not using that to take out my staples!!!! What do you use at work to take staples out?"
Chuckling, Matt says "We have a little tool that takes them out. Oh, I know where your leathergirl is, (a term we got from my dad) just a minute."
He returned with my leatherman and I told him there was no way he was using that on me. Well, it didn't take much convincing because he did and it didn't hurt!

Here is how well I healed up, not to bad. I was a little sad to see my 'piercings' go because I was going to wear shorts in our 2 1/2 feet of snow on Valentine's Day and do some intricate ribbon weaving to show it off, but oh well, maybe next time after another mindless accident!

A few little tugs and ta-da, I was as good as new - almost.

I hope my snake bites go away a little more! I never knew where he hid my leatherman for a month, but it is safe in my purse again.