Temple Square

On the weekend of December 15th we met up with my parents and brother, Jeff and his family, to see the lights on Temple Square. The kids were so excited to see their cousins again that they kept asking for a week if we could go. I need to learn not to tell them about things until just before they happen! We drove over to Tremonton and met my parents and then headed to Salt Lake together where we met my brother. There were about a million people there but it was a lot of fun and the cousins were all happy to be together. We didn't get to spend very much time together but we definitely look forward to having them closer and being with them more! It cracks me up because A & E rarely refer to their cousins by name, they always just say..."the cousins"!

Here we are!



A view from the top of the Joseph Smith building.

Mom and Dad

Jeff and his fam! (Aren't they cute?!)

Happy Halloween!!

We went to Boo at the Zoo this year and while it was fun I'm not sure it's something we will make an effort to do again, way too many people!! It was fun to see all the creative costumes though and the kids had fun getting candy. Later we went to trunk or treat with our ward where we got lots of candy, I'm thinking of turning around and giving it out to any trick or treaters we have come to our house on Halloween...good idea?!

They gave the several of the animals carved pumpkins to play with. Here are the meerkats devouring theirs!

A, E, and Ben on the carousel!

E as a ballerina cat, A as Mario, and Ben as Captain America. I dressed normally and said I was an incognito superstar since I was wearing sunglasses and a hat and A said I was a liar...nice!

Bad Bugs!

Warning: This post may be graphic for some readers!!

A couple of weeks ago Ben was going out of town for a week so the kids and I decided to pack up and go surprise Grandma since she had been really down whenever I had talked to her. We got there on Sunday night, she was ecstatically surprised and we settled in for a few days of fun. We went to my aunt's on Tuesday to help her can beans since my mom had some to do as well and she was not feeling well, we were afraid something was really wrong since she said her insides felt like they were going to explode. Well, the next day she woke up with the flu. We had made plans to go to Rigby Lake but obviously that was out. I offered to come and take her kids but she said they were fine. So on Thursday morning, about 3:30 am, I woke up and went into the bathroom where I proceeded to literally explode out both ends, at the same time. Luckily my mom heard and was able to be just fast enough to get a bucket to me but I will tell you I have never been that sick before, it was awful!! I was up about every 1/2 hour and tried to sleep in between but didn't get that much rest. Mom helped as much as she could since she is not exactly the most mobile person right now. I'm actually lucky that we were there when it happened, I'm not sure I could have handled it on my own. My aunt, feeling totally guilty, came over later and took the kids for awhile so I could rest. I was trying not to sleep too much because I wanted to sleep really good that night. We were supposed to head home on Friday. I was not eating or drinking because it was going right through so getting a little dehydrated which was frustrating. A had started acting a little "off" that night so I put a bucket in the bedroom just in case and went to take a hot salt and vinegar bath. I hadn't been in long when I heard "that" awful sound and E shouting for mommy so I tried to hurry and towel off but I was too late. A had thrown up all over the bed and E's special bear. She had gotten the bucket under him and gotten some of it so we cleaned him and the bed up and got them settled back in for a long night. He threw up a bit more, I was glad it was throw up and not the other end though which is harder to deal with in kids. His only lasted about 12 hours and he was over it though. I didn't eat for about 4 days. We drove back on Saturday and got back 2 minutes before we had to pick Ben up. E caught it on Sunday and was sick for about 12 hours then was fine. Ben caught it yesterday but is doing better today, guess I'm the lucky one that is not so resilient since it takes me a week to get over it. Hopefully we don't catch it again but I'm not counting any chickens!!

Poor Grandma...

Warning: Graphic picture below!!

I'm behind...again, grrr! I was doing pretty good but then life caught up to me so I will play catch up again. On July 31, I got a phone call from my aunt saying that they were loading my mom into an ambulance. I was like, ok, um, what do I need to do? Turns out they were at my Grandma's timeshare in Driggs and had gone for a bike ride. Mom and one of the kids crashed and mom went down, fracturing her hip (which is totally an old person injury, ha, ha). It was pretty traumatic for everybody that day and I spent a lot of time on the phone. Thankfully my in-laws were coming to visit us the next week so I didn't worry about leaving for a few days to go and help mom and dad. Mom had to have surgery and had 3 pins put in her hip and can't put any weight on it for 6 weeks (she uses a walker and crutches). She's been having a rough time since she's always been pretty independent and used to going all the time. Unfortunately, she was supposed to go and visit my brothers 3 days after all this happened which she didn't, of course, get to do! She has three weeks left of "down time" but the doctor said it would be about 3 months until she was really back to normal. Ben is out of town again this week so the kids and I decided to come and suprise her with a visit. She was pretty excited to see us and the kids were excited to see her. We'll help her out around the house a little and help her with some shopping and then head home at the end of the week!


Mom's hip after the surgery.

Happy Anniversary

Ben and I have now been married 13 years...holy guacamole! That is a long time right? Not as long as some people but still...Happy Anniversary Honey!!

The Big 5-0!!

50 baby, 50!! 'nough said right? Boo-yah!!

(If you don't know why I picked this picture for my big 5-0, you don't know me very well, huh?!)

(If you don't understand this post, just go back to July 8 and it will make more sense!!)

Last Day of Swimming Lessons

I realize I'm a bit behind but, hey, at least I'm updating! The kids had their last day of swim lessons and they made such an improvement again this year! They love going to the pool and practicing what they learned, Miss Adrian even taught them a back stroke! It's so fun to watch them practice!!

With Miss Adrian, they aren't crying, the sun was in their eyes!

E messin around on the wall!

A sitting like he should!

Could I do it?

As I have been hearing stories on the news about the Aurora, Colorado tragedy I have been struck deeply by the courage and unselfish love of so many of these wonderful people. I first heard about what happened as I was grabbing a quick lunch at McDonalds with the kidlets as we were driving to Rexburg. They had CNN playing and I couldn't believe what I was watching. Luckily I also had my friend Linda's girls and niece with me to take care of the kidlets since I was totally glued to the tv. I have tried to follow the story without watching too much of the news since then and have been awed by the stories I have heard. So many people courageously tried to sacrifice themselves so that their loved ones would remain safe. I've read stories of men jumping in front of significant others so that the bullets wouldn't touch them, and friends carrying other friends who were injured out of the theatre to safety. I have been wondering...how would I have reacted had I been there? Would I have been willing to physically throw myself in front of my loved one? Would I have been able to carry them to safety? I like to think I would have, I like to think I have that much love in my heart that I would give my all for those I love. I really hope I never find out but in my head I have vowed that I would, I only hope that should the occasion arise, I can act as these brave heroes have.

1st day of Swimming Lessons

The kids took swimming lessons again this year from SwimBoise and Miss Adrian. We took from her last year and liked her so we decided to do it again this year. Here are some pics from their first day:

A taking his turn with Miss Adrian.

A gettin ready for kicks on the wall.

E doin kicks on the wall.

 It always amazes me to see how well they do in just six lessons. They love swimming and I should probably get them private lessons and they would be joining the Olympics in no time!! It was nice this year because this year there was only 3 of them so there were much less distractions and more one on one time. E had a little ADD trouble but I think it's just because she loves the water so much, Heaven help us if we ever had a pool of our own!!

Camping at Hyrum Lake

We went and stayed with some friends of Ben's parents in Logan for the week of the 4th and decided to give everybody a break from us and go "camping" one night. Camping for us consists of staying in a cabin, which is the very least I will do. It also requires many threats on my part to the children that we will be going home if they do not go to sleep right this instant, etc, and so forth!! It went pretty well considering that it was raining when we got there and continued raining for much of the first day. It finally quit and turned into a beautiful evening and then was a nice day the next day for fishing. They didn't allow fires so we had a dinner of cold fried chicken with a breakfast of cold cereal since they provided a refrigerator and microwave!! We also made marshmellow sandwiches (smores) in the microwave which are much messier than campfire smores! We had fun and if you have a chance you should check out the campground, it's very nice and well maintained, they even have showers!!

The view from our front door of the lake.

Our cabin.

We stayed in Jim Bridger which even had an ADA ramp which the kidlets loved!

Our dining area.

Our sleeping area and kitchen. Had 2 queen size bunk beds.

Ben and the kids fishing. A caught a crawdad and that's the only catch of the day.

What a great day...no scratch that...an awesome day!!

So yesterday I decided I needed to go through some of my old clothes that were boxed up in the top of my closet and have been since around the time I got pregant. My aunt has been complaining that she needs some "fat" jeans and since that's where my "skinny" jeans are I thought I'd pull some out and take them to her. Well, guess what!! She doesn't get them!! Yay me again because my skinny jeans fit, really well actually, I don't even have to squeeze into them. This led to me cleaning out my entire closet and getting rid of some of my bigger clothes which I sent to the VA with Ben to donate to the Veterans. I am so excited that I have been holding onto these jeans with the thought that maybe someday they would fit and now they finally do!! Oh, and I'm not going to tell you what size my skinny jeans are because for most people they probably wouldn't be considered skinny jeans. I do have a couple of size 8's put away (which is what I was wearing when I got married) which are my really skinny jeans and I am still hoping to one day pull out and fit into!

This Is A Moment!!

The Visions of Ransom Lake, Heavenly Surrender, and Shackles of Honor; these are the three books I knew I had to take with me!! Where was I going do you ask? Oh, only to a meet and greet with one of my favorite authors of all time, Marcia Lynn McClure!!!! If you haven't read her books...where have you been? She is so great, they are clean (but still give you a little thrill), romantic, have the guy every girl wants. Hey, my grandma even likes them :) Anyways...as soon as my best friend Linda found out that Marcia was going to be in Logan at this event she bought tickets and told me we were going (yep, didn't even ask). I read Shackles of Honor (one of her first written) in 1998 and Linda started reading about 3 years ago. She cusses me for not introducing her sooner but I'm pretty sure I told her about them years ago, she just chose not to read them (he, he). We had a great time, got to spend time with Marcia, her hotty hubby Kevin, and best of all...each other. Thanks a billion Lindy!!

Here's a link about the event:
http://www.awhc.org/index.php/have-fun-with-us/events/marcia-lynn-mcclure-dinner-and-book-signing/
Here's the link to Marcia's site:
http://distractionsink.com/

The Big 4-0

And I don't mean years!! I mean pounds!! I finally made it. I have finally lost 40 pounds, yay me. I still have about 40 more to go but I am finally feeling like I am making progress and actually getting somewhere. Wa-hoo!!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America!!

Thanks Baby Brother for making us proud & keeping us safe!

Mesa Falls

We went to Mesa Falls with my parents, brother Jeff and his family, aunt Louise and her kids, and my friend Linda's girls. We had tons of fun hiking and having a picnic  and letting all the cousins play together!!

Everybody (except Louise and I) in front of the falls!

Me and the kidlets

A caterpiller that decided to hitch a ride on my backpack.

Update on Wellness Challenge

Week 1: 67/70 points
Week 2: 65/70 points
Week 3: 67/70 points

Not too shabby I should think!! I'm going to make a goal once I get home to have a week with 70 points and then a week with no free days!! Think I can do it? I think I'm up to 40 lbs lost since the first of the year so I'm really excited and getting proud of myself!! I love it when I see people I haven't for awhile and they say, I almost didn't recognize you, have you cut your hair (which I actually did)? This next week is going to be rough though so wish me luck, we are visiting my in-laws who are visiting friends who have cookies and treats everywhere!!

Camping on Memorial Day

The Friday night before Memorial Day we decided to go on a little camping excursion. We went overnight and stayed in a cabin at Three Island Crossing at Glenn's Ferry. It was very nice and clean and we enjoyed it...except the kids would not sleep!! I was this close to taking them home in the middle of the night and throwing them in their beds (it's about a 2 hour drive?). It was probaly about 12:30 before they went to sleep, the little stinkers!! It rained on Saturday morning so we cooked up some scrambled eggs and little smokies on the gas griddle and let the kids cast their fishing poles a few times then headed home. It was fun and just about right for a camping trip!

Our Cabin

Dinner...hot dogs cooked on the smokey campfire!

Inside of the cabin

Breakfast on the swing

Fishing in the rain

Wellness Challenge

As many of you know I am on a quest! A quest to loose a ton (no, not literally) of weight. I have lost 30 pounds already this year and have a goal to lose 50 more. I was doing really good at first, those first 20 lbs came off pretty fast and easily. The next 10 were a little more stubborn but still came off. I have recently hit a plateau and no weight has been coming off and I have been a little frustrated. When I first started taking the weight off I had the incentive of a fitness challenge at my gym, I didn't win but it was still fun and challenging. I recently got an email from a lady in my ward telling me about a wellness challenge she was hosting and wondering if I could help spread the word since I host the ward Relief Society blog. I decided right then that I was joining her challenge because I knew it was what I needed!! I need accountability, I need a goal, I need someone to work on this with me so I talked my mom and best friend Linda into doing it with me also!! My first week I got 67 out of 70 points. Not too bad! There are 10 goals you work on every day and you get a point for completed each goal every day. You do get a free point for each goal each week so you do have a "cheat day". The site for this challenge is http://youcanbethebestyou.blogspot.com/p/blog.html in case you want to check it out for yourself. I'm excited to do this!!!! Oh, and before you think I am totally bummed about the weight thing...I have been going to the gym 3-4 times a week and can now fit into clothes I was wearing pre-pregnancy! Yay muscle, boo-yah!!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to our favorite daddy!!

Emmett Cherry Festival

Today we decided to go to the Emmett Cherrry Festival and have fun (and dad told them they could ride some rides!!). We didn't actually see that much to do with cherries but that's okay. They had a classic car show, fair rides, yummy and very bad for you food, a petting zoo (complete with mating alpacas), and the standard booths that try to sell you all sort of things you wouldn't normally buy.

  We all had fun and the kids can't wait to go back...unfortunately they'll have to wait until next year!!

What are we up to?

A LOT!!!! I am very behind on my blog and am hoping to catch up...some day!! So here is just a little of what we've been doing!!



Ben built a pergola with some help from a few friends in the Elder's Quorum.

A & E graduated from Preschool.



We visited Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, and SeaWorld!!

We visited the zoo a couple of times.



We visited the Boise Aquarium where I fed fish, shark, and rays by hand while the kids watched.

 Here's just a little of what we've been doing and hopefully I can get more blogged later. We have been having a fun summer already and are excited to do more fun things as the summer goes on!

Happy Mother's Day