merry christmas!

brock just turned 2 & all boy he is! brock has recently transitioned from a total mama's boy to a daddy's boy. it doesn't take these kids long to realize dad doesn't have as many rules as mom! brock is full of personality & loves attention (& he gets a lot!) he loves everybody, anywhere, anytime!

keegan is 7 going on 17! she is the perfect student & loves school. she is the best big sister to brock. she loves dance, gymnastics, & scrapbooking. she is very independent with a mind of her own (remind you of someone else?) we had a scare with itp this year but it is h=behind us & she is back to perfect health.

jake turned 8 this year & was baptized. jake puts up with school because he has to. he loves all sports (soccer, football, basketball, golf & baseball). he also loves scouts (& we know he did not get that from his dad). jake is very obedient & tries hard to always make good choices.

steve & shelby just celebrated their 10th anniversary. we are so lucky for all the time we are able to spend together. embellish IT! is keeping us very busy but no complaints. we still travel a lot. we are excited about an addition to our travel team, due in april :)

as we reflect on 2008, we are so grateful for our savior, family & friends. we wish you all a merry christmas! we would love to hear from you & hope to see you too!

las vegas

las vegas was fabulous! we got there & settled into our suite when vegas was hit with a snow storm - which in itself was no ordinary event. everyone was saying they hadn't had snow since the early 80's (not sure if that meant no snow at all or just not as much?)

anyways, the whole trip was planned around... take a breath, this will shock you ... BARRY MANILOW. for those that don't know this about me, i LOVE barry manilow. the last 3-4 times we've been to vegas, i've wanted to see him perform & he has either been sold out or not performing while we are there. i accepted the fact that there is no way i'd ever see him unless i went by myself since steve is NOT a fan of barry manilow. sad but true. so, steve totally suprised me & got us tickets to see him. he was awesome!!! during the concert, i leaned over a few times & asked steve if he turned to like him yet - all he'd say is "it's not too bad". they were having a barry manilow national fan club convention while we were there so you could imagine how crazy it was.

we also saw david copperfield. we were on the front row & i didn't take my eyes off him. he puts on a great show but i don't get it. he literally had a real car appear on stage out of nowhere. seriously, i am still in awe over the show - i just don't understand how he does what he does. simply amazing!

thursday we went to the price is right show (my favorite game show of all time :) it was SO fun! steve got called up & got to spin the wheel. the lady ahead of him spun .95, then he spun the 1.00. i jumped up & seriously about peed my pants. so, he got a bonus spin & he spun .15 so he got an extra $500 on top of the $350. they called a couple more contestants up then they called ME up. i was shocked because they only call about 12 people up for the whole show - what are the odds out of 600 people that steve & i BOTH get called up. well, i had to bid on a wine cellar- that in itself was a joke since i don't drink wine BUT i got the bid within $5 so I got to go on stage & play PLINKO. the host was totally razzing me & having fun with me. i'd have to say it made the show quite entertaining at my expense ... he asked where i was from & why i came to vegas. i kept saying 10th but couldn't think of "anniversary". when i finally got it out, he said YOUR anniversary, like i wasn't old enough. he put togther that the steve in shorts that spun the wheel & i were married. he asked me what makes a happy, long marriage - without thinking i said GREAT SEX. than you can only imagine how that opened the doors about being prego with our 4th, etc. he kept saying i needed to be careful jumping around & being pregnant & it was only a game - i told him i'd done much worse for $ while i was pregnant. it was hilarious. well, i had 4 products i had to price to get the plinko chips - i did not get ANY. they were the weirdest items & the prices were so out there too. so, he gave me one chip & i went up & dropped it into the $500 slot. so, all said & done - steve & i left there with $1400 cash. great little bonus to our trip!

everything was perfect until we were at the airport to come home. the slc airport was closed & they were not letting any flights into slc. we finally got out & home but it was a process. i was happy that we got home in time for our christmas party (we had at our house so it would of been really bad if we didn't make it back).

10 years

steve & i just celebrated our 10 year anniversary! 

steve has planned a trip for us - i have no idea where or any details. he has just informed me to ready w/bags packed wed. morning. pretty exciting (& kinda scary) since i am the one who always makes the travel plans.

facebook

for those of you that are a little behind the times like i was you may be interested in looking into facebook.com
it is really cool - you can find & reconnect with people. it does have some security, you have to invite them to be your friend & they have to accept BEFORE you can view their profile/photos/etc. i guess it is a pretty good feature but some people i want to see but i don't want them to know i want to see them (ex: ex boyfriends, husbands ex-girlfriend, etc). HA!

steve left town on a guy trip sat. morning, i logged into facebook after i put the kids to bed sat. night & it has consumed my last couple of days (not that i wasn't busy enough with 3 kids) but when the kids go to bed at 8:30 & sleep 11 hours... i don't need sleep, much less 11 hours. i moved to hawaii soon after high school graduation & have not been back to tennessee much since. then, when i was in hawaii, i met SO many people from all over the world & have not kept in touch with too many of them either. it has been fun to reconnect with people from 15-20 years ago.

Observation:
it is amazing to me how most people look the same & haven't changed much, even after 15-20 years. some are doing the same thing they were doing 20 years ago. i guess that just shows you that MOST people develop their values, characteristics, goals, personalities, etc. at a young age. Yes, we mature & grow up over the years but those child/teenage years are VITAL!
with all that being said, i try so hard to teach my kids life lessons & i expect the very best - in that sense i am a strict parent. i feel like my kids are knowledgeable & aware of things that are beyond their years. they ask & i explain- no matter what. at times, i think that i should not discuss such topics with 7&8 year old kids but then again I ask WHY NOT?! they have to learn sometime. i always want my kids to know they can talk to me & ask me anything and i will tell them the truth. so, what happens when they ask if santa is real? HA! i think as parents we always question how we raise & teach our kids - they are ultimately our responsibility. i try to balance my high expectations of my kids with a lot of fun! i think having fun & being a kid with the kids is so important too (plus it is a great stress reliever). i was taught work hard & play hard - i try to implement work hard & play HARDER!  anyways, just my profound thought of the day. their are so many different parenting styles out there - what kind of parent are you??

steve is getting home soon from his trip to texas & i am excited to see him. it has been a good trip for him but we sure have missed him. it has been a long trip for him too. when we travel for work, we are so busy that we really don't have time to think & miss the kids too much. the time just flies. when it is a leisure trip, i think you have more time & realize how hard it is being away. 

let me explain

i guess i have some explaining to do...
here are the details...

due date april 16th - so i am 20 weeks

the baby looks healthy - whew!

we are having another brock, i mean BOY! (we hope he is as perfect as brock :)

i wanted to wait until christmas to tell but was afraid i would be showing

yes, i have been sick but not as bad as i was with brock - thank goodness!

we just really felt like brock needed a friend

the kids are beyond thrilled. had to convince keegan that being the ONLY girl would have GREAT benefits (she really would of liked a sister but is over it already & we are not sure we could of handled another girl :)

reason for waiting SO long to tell: 2 reasons really.
first, since i was SO sick with brock, i thought it would make it easier on me if nobody knew. i could almost forget about it?! it is hard when you feel horrible & everyone is continually asking how you are doing. so, i thought if nobody knew- nobody would ask & hopefully i could almost forget i was pregnant & sick (i never could forget about it as throwing up is a great reminder - HA!)
second, we had a scare with brock that he was down syndrome. i knew my age was not in my favor with this one & i was at increased risk for a down syndrome baby- i wanted to get the test results back that everything was normal before telling anyone. not that it would of made a difference IF it came back that this baby was down syndrome, i would of just wanted to know first.

so, we are excited & know for sure this is the LAST one!!!

confession

i have a confession to make that is quite embarrasing but i have made great progress in the last couple days. Steve & I have had ipods for a LONG time but still in the packaging. We have purchased itunes gift cards that have sat in a drawer for over a year. We both have iphones which neither one have ONE song on them. it isn't that we don't like music, it just has not been a priority. there have been many times that i would of loved an ipod loaded with music but it isn't one of those things that i have to have by a certain date so it hasn't happened. in fact, i made a deal with steve over the summer that if he loaded my ipod with some good work out music then i would start running with him. (those who know me know that is huge for me - btw, that deal is NOT still on - it expired when it turned chilly outside :)
anyways, our friends sam & lori came over friday night & after dinner, i asked sam if he could show me how to upload new pics to my iphone (the guy at the apple store helped me load some when i first got my iphone but that has been over a year ago). sam about died when he realized i did not have a itunes account nor had i ever updated my iphone much less not have any tunes. after a couple hours of getting everything updated & set-up the FUN began (THANKS SAM!!). i started downloading games, songs, movies, etc. it is so easy. i have spent the most part of my weekend playing games, buying songs, editing pictures & just going down memory lane. let's just say that i have burned through the $50 gift cards that we had bought & it didn't take too long - HA! my iphone is chuck full of stuff now & i still haven't even used 25% of my capacity. i am just giddy thinking how it will not only entertain me at the airport, doctors office, etc. but also my kids - especially brock. he loves my phone (calculator, pictures, notepad) & thinks it is his. i know he is going to freak once he finds all the new stuff on it now.
anyways, i am EXCITED!! it is one of those things that i knew everyone was into & just loved but did not know what i was missing until now. this is just one of the things on my list to get done - i just didn't realize how fun it was going to be & how much time i would spend on it.

your list?

what is on your list of things you need/want to get done before christmas? i have had a list going in the back of my mind for a while but had not written it down until TODAY. Wow - it is a LONG list - but it always is.
However, i am REALLY going to TRY to get everything done BEFORE the 10th this year, ok maybe the 13th. that is huge for me as i am the one usually addressing christmas cards on the 23rd & having to express gifts that need to be mailed. i just don't want to be scrambling around & stressed at the last minute this year. that is MY GOAL. i want to relax & truly enjoy the season WITHOUT any distractions this year. i will report & let you know my progress.

100 days

i know it has been a bit since i have blogged but i have been a little focused on wrapping up 2008 - yes, already! can you beleive it?? i just got home from my last event of the year. so happy to be home for 100 days but also sad to not teach/see so many friends for so long. it is always a much needed break & my kids look forward to the 100 DAYS (i am not actually sure how many days until i travel again but it is around 100). My kids always count down the shows the last couple months until our 100 DAYS. it is exciting for us ALL to be home & together for 100 DAYS - catch up time & LOTS of FUN!!!



we started off the 100 days by going to see the play Peter Pan. it was great. jake & keegan were glued to the performance & brock was very good (considering it was over 3 hours). we have a new theatre company close by & are looking forward to seeing many more productions - they did a great job. jake has asked if he can audition for their next production, aristocrats. i will have to find out the time involced as he is already involved in so much.

does it get any cuter than this?

i saw this little guy & i want one! not sure how zoe would get along with a deer... i have always wanted a cute little money but then they get big & aren't so cute anymore. i guess the same would go for this darling deer. it looks like it will have to be one of santa'a new reindeer when it grows up. Read more here.

God Bless America PLEASE!?

i hope everyone takes the time today to vote (if you hadn't participated in early voting). All I can say is GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

happy halloween!

hope everyone had a fun & safe halloween!
halloween is such a fun time. it is by far my mom's favorite holiday (NOT!!) & i think it has just rubbed off on us. Actually, my kids love halloween just as much if not better than christmas?! brock was elmo even though by the time it was halloween, he really wanted to be cookie monster. keegan was the cutest vampire. not sure who jake was - he just wanted that cool mask & weapon.
we start trick-or-treating with this group & it gets smaller as the night progresses.


brock wanted to eat the candy from one house before going to the next house - as you could imagine that did not work too well. after about 20 houses, we put him in the stoller & it was much easier to have he hop out once we got to the porch. keegan, brock & i came home after about 1 hour & handed out candy. (we had left a bowl of candy on the porch & it had gotten dumped TWICE in that hour). in years past, the night ends up with steve, jake & madison being the last ones on the streets. here are some pics of our gang just before heading out for the night:

halloween party

we always host a halloween party for the kids & it is one of their most favorite things we do. this year was no exception. we had a houseful of kids, played lots of fun games, had yummy treats & made a HUGE mess! it just doesn't get much better than that.

another halloween party

this one was for the adults. we had a blast. another yearly tradition, just started. steve was gladiator & i was his roman beauty :)
super fun night!

happy birthday brock!

my baby is 2 - no longer a baby but a extremely active boy with more personality than anyone can imagine! brock doesn't really know it is his birthday but just excited about the fact that he can now officially have sugar (& he has had a overload of it today already). we thought about what to do today for brocks birthday & thought that everyday is like it is his birthday - our lives all revolve around brock :) brock always gets "special" attention all day long & always does whatever he wants.
so, happy birthday brock!

happy birthday keegan!

keegan turns 7 today & i swear she is turning 17!
we let the kids plan their day from the minute they wake up until we fall asleep.

here is keegans' day:
sleep in (that's my girl)
big breakfast including sausage, fruit, pancakes & oj
go to target & shop the dollar section :)
go shopping for new clothes
play games as a family
hip hop dance
go to sweet & sassy & get a makeover
eat at texas roadhouse
open presents
have mint brownies
watch movie & have a late night

what a great day!
she was so full of herself & loving every second of it.
happy birthday keegan!

nothing

i am really excited about tomorrow. i have a full day planned of NOTHING. i am not sure what i will do but i do know that nothing is planned & i am positive it will not be productive. i really hope to stay in bed until i am too hungry to lay there anymore (i use to say, "sleep until noon" but there is no way - i wake up early no matter what & i need food before noon). i have a fridge full of food ready to eat, no errands that must be done, clean sheets on the bed, kids are out of school, no work deadlines, no commitments whatsoever. i am not sure about others, but days like this are VERY rare in my life! so, i am going to embrace it & enjoy every minute of it. it will probably be a pj day for sure. keegan's been wanting me to watch a chic flick with her, jake wants to play monopoly, i have a stack of magazines to catch up on, we also have CSI's recorded - not sure what i will end up doing & i am 100% ok with that!

the surprise party

we finally were able to celebrate steve's birthday. i had wanted to give steve a surprise party for his 40th & as it got closer i had the hardest time scheduling it. we ended up taking a last minute family trip, then he has his golf trip then we worked the following 2 weeks. in my head, i had changed the date 3x due to our schedule & others. i ended up having to do it after his b-day (which by the way, i looked like the loser wife that blew off the big day by saying, we'll celebrate it later). so, i planned it for wed.15th thinking it would be a great day since school is out thursday & friday -  it was kinda a weekend w/o being a weekend. i did not realize that it was the big hunt weekend & how many people were going to be out of town. i think i picked the worst possible date (sorry to those of you that were out of town).

anyways, it was great! steve had NO clue whatsoever. we were a little slow in making it back home (i know, super shocking). me & the kids came in first - that is when i told the kids that it was a surprise party for dad - there is no way i could of told them before & expect them to keep a secret. then after what seemed like forever, steve came in. he was shocked!! it was fun. we roasted steve & it was hilarious - thanks to everyone! 

tarren (a friend of mine that does weddings/corporate events) came in & decorate & did everything - she did a fabulous job! i could not of pulled it off without her. although, i must admit - it is a bit awkward knowing that you have a houseful of guests in your house & you have no control over what they are doing, seeing, or what you might have out that you should of put away- ha!  it was a fun night! thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us.   

happy birthday steve!

forgot to take a group shot - duh. but got lots of good pics...

body worlds

we went to this exhibit hosted by the leonardo - it is here in slc for a few months. it is all real human specimens & quite a profound experience. it was very staggering to see how complex our bodies truly are. you could visually see firsthand the network of muscles, blood vessels, bones, organs, etc. it is one of those things that if given an opportunity you need to just go. steve & i decided it would be an good educational experience for jake & keegan. it was very graphic - but the kids LOVED it. i can understand how some parents do not feel like it is appropriate for children but i am glad we took the kids. it definitely promotes learning & wonder - left them with a thirst to learn more. we each had a audio tour - the kids version is shorter & more basic then the adult version. we listened to less than 1/2 - if i had gone by myself & could of focused on the audio is would of been worth it but since the kids had so many questions it was more of a waste than useful. they said it would take about a hour to go through - we were there 2.5 hours. 

* it was so funny, the first exhibit we saw keegan said, "oooh, mom I see, i can see mom, i can see that this one is a boy".  i bit my lip trying not to bust! and just replied, "yes, it is very obvious isn't it".

happy 40th birthday, Steve!

wow- 40 use to seem so old - now it just seems so ... good!
we were in Kansas City during Steve's big day.

40 things about steve:
(these are random = no particular order)

1. he is VERY patient
2. he laughs with me
3. he loves spending time with his kids
4. a very hard worker
5. he is sensitive (he doesn't necessarily want everyone to know this)
6. he makes sure the house is always safe & secure
7. he shops & even tries to find deals/sales
8. he doesn't care what is for dinner (or even if there is dinner)
9. he is strong
10. he honors the priesthood
11. he is competitive & loves to play games
12. he does laundry (yes, all of it :)
13. he is generous & charitable
14. he can change a dirty diaper without being asked to or complaining about it
15. he compliments me often
16. he knows every sport (& every stat/record & every player & every game)
17. he can deal with Keegan when i can't
18. he never asks about $ (what i buy, how much i spend, etc)
19. he is never stressed
20. he has the biggest conscious
21. he is athletic & stays active
22. he puts the toilet seat down when he is finished
23. he loves watching cartoons with the kids
24. he'll give me back massages w/o me begging
25. he makes sure the cars are always full of gas
26. he showers before getting into bed
27. he always takes time to talk/listen
28. he is caring
29. he'll watch the same CSI episdoe several times w/me
30. he loves eating frozen cookie dough & ice cream in bed late at night
31. he always scoops/bags zoe's poop when we go on walks
32. he communicates with me first before making any plans
33. he is the best example of the perfect dad to our boys
34. he drives the speed limit
35. he shovels the sidewalk/driveway first thing in the morning
36. he always makes me his top priority
37. he gets out of bed to fart & always laughs afterwards
38. he makes sure the kids are always respectful
39. he has a very DRY sense of humor
40. he is so supportive in everything i do

Happy Birthday Babe! I couldn't ask for anything more!!!

ty detmer charity dinner

steve & i were invited to sundance for a ty detmer charity dinner. it was beautiful & held here:

after socializing a bit & a delicious dinner - there was a live auction. can i just tell you how fascinated i am at auctions. the excitement is right up my alley. i don't know how the auctioneer can talk so fast & see everyone at once - simply amazing! well, i ended up bidding on a gun safe??? from when i started bidding on it there were 5 of us then just 2 of us back & forth. i ran the bid up $1000 & finally decided to let it go. after it sold to the other bidder for $3200 they right then offered another one to me for my last bid of $3100 so I took it. talk about being put on the spot. i think the bidder got a kick out of me & since i was the ONLY female all night that bid - he was having fun with it. this is my new purchase:

now what?

steve humored everyone by telling them the only gun we own is a 38 special that my grandmother gave me years ago. (She decided the gun probably did her no good being carried around in her purse since she knew she couldn't pull the trigger due to her arthritis). i have no intentions in collecting guns - just thought it would be good to have to store important documents & files. we have safe security box at the bank & it would be more convenient to have those things here.

i got it for a good deal too - apparently, the safe i got is about a $5000 safe. plus, it is a tax write-off & the money went to charity ... it doesn't get much better than that.

anybody know of any other auctions i can be entertained with? never know what i might bid on.

fall family pictures

ok - so i decided a couple months ago that i wanted to get some FALL family pictures this year. we always get summer pictures (vacations & such) & we typically get christmas pictures but never have done any in the fall. so, i scheduled it for saturday. well, the weather in utah has been goregous. it has been in the low 80's & sunny - just beautiful. when i talked to the photographer earlier in the week they said that the leaves were all still green & not "fallish". i was a little disappointed & looked at rescheduling but realized they were either booked or we were out of town - the soonest we could reschedule would be end of october - which very well could be snow/winter here in utah.

so, i had to bribe steve & the kids for cooperation :) about 1 hour before our appointment the photographer called us & said that she was on site & it was SO windy. she said we could still do it but that we had the option to reschedule. well, we were all showered & almost ready so we went ahead & went for it. we got there & it was very overcast (perfect for pics) but thundering. we took 1 picture & then jake informed us all that he felt a raindrop. in less than 5 minutes, it was pouring. we went under a tree & they tried to take another shot. after that, we all ran across the park for coverage under a gazebo. can you visualize us all running, me in heels w/brock (which he did not like his hair getting WET), steve w/zoe (the dog trying to chase the leaves) & the kids as if they were going to melt. we took a few shots there (yes, wet hair & all). then, we decided it wasn't going to clear up & call it a day. the kids were great. the dog couldn't of been been better. steve was putting up with it all even though i know he wished he was at home watching football. i just forgot to bribe the weatherman ... i'll know better next time.

they think they got a couple shots - i am anxious to see. i'll have to post them, i am sure they will be comical.

salt lake scrapbook show

i just wanted to say that i am SO excited that i have a relaxing weekend at home this weekend. It is odd that we travel ALL over to do scrapbook conventions & the one that is literally 5 minutes from my house - i am not doing this year. no offense to utah scrappers- go & shop your heart out at the show BUT I am going to ENJOY every minute of my weekend at home & glad to be spending it with my family!
*note: the slc show is run totally different than any other scrapbook show! it is more like a garage sale atmosphere & we don't really have garage sale stuff.

cookies?

the doorbell rang & our neighbor brought over a plate full of warm chocolate chip cookies. the kids came running in so excited. i told them as soon as the massive legoland they had been building was picked up then they could have some. they put the cookies on the counter & were working very hard to pick up. about 10 minutes later, i went to check on them & i about died. brock had gotten on top of the counter & had a cookie in each hand. I said "Brock", he said "cookie". He had eaten about 10 cookies... he had chocolate all over his face & a smile from ear to ear. one of those moments that i wished i snapped a pic but i was too occupied consoling the kids that 2 cookies each was enough.

jake's baptism day

well, to make a long story short - jake wanted to be baptized on saturday, september 6th. he was very excited & i was scheduled to be out of town for a girls weekend. i attempted to talk him into doing it later but he wanted nothing to do with that. his best girl friend, madison, which lives next door was going to get baptized on the same day. so, i rescheduled my flight to come home a day early. my flight landed at 3:05 & i had to be at church by 4 (the airport is 30 minutes away) & had my mom pick me up curbside (thanks mom!). I left my luggage in pheonix (thanks corinne!) & changed into my dress in the airport. i made it - i even got to the church before steve & jake did. my sister (thanks somm!) came by the house & helped get brock ready & help with brock so steve could focus on jake w/o the distraction of brock. the baptism was great!! jake was so nervous but looked handsome as ever! afterwards, we all got together at katwyks (thanks ambra!) for some yummy food & good times. it was beautiful weather! we had so many people come & support us. jake was thrilled. we are so proud of jake & the decision he has made. we hope he will always remember what a special day it was & how he felt.

here are some pics of our special boy on his special day:

update

i know it has been a while or at least it seems like it has been forever since i have blogged. labor day weekend was fun. we had planned on going to the lake for the long weekend but the weather did not cooperate. we spent the day on the lake saturday - beautiful 96 degrees then on sunday a storm blew in & tempertures dropped 35 degrees. a high on 61 on monday - yikes. that was a shock that i did not welcome.

then, steve's older brother, andrew & rebekah were married. it was fun to be with steve's family. most of his family are here in utah but we do not see them very often. it was a long day but a GREAT day! brock just loves wedding receptions (all the food, the music/dancing, the attention from every female....what's there not to like about them :)

the morning after the wedding, i was off to arizona for a ME weekend. it was 103 degrees when i landed - i was in heaven!!! the first thing i did was eat at abuelo's - love that place (in fact, i ate mexican 3x while i was there - love mexican food period). it was great to be with so many friends & have fun. the wild horse pass resort was awesome. i know steve would of loved to play the course there. creative escape was great!! if you have never been, i highly recommend it. it is well worth the money & time.

crop

for those in the area that are interested...



Bingham High School Minerette's are hosting a fund raising scrapbook crop
Saturday, Septemeber 6th at Bingham High
(2200 w 10600 s in south jordan)
9am-2pm.

Tickets are $20
* page layout contest w/prizes awarded
* make & take projects
* LOTS of prizes given away during the crop
* everyone will receive a goodie bag

All proceeds will go to Bingham Minerette's drill team.
Email sandi@paperloft.com to purchase your tickets.

GO BINGHAM!!!

a day at the lake

another thing that keeps me from getting the mother of the year award ... i took my kids out of school yesterday so we could spend the day in the sun on the lake. it was awesome! we had the lake to ourselves until late afternoon. the water was warm & not real smooth - perfect for wave runners & tubing! we are going to be out of town for jake's b-day so we celcebrated it yesterday. he wanted to spend the day on the lake then go to dinner at Tepanaki (japanese steakhouse where they cook in front of you). it was a great day!

i am off to tulsa this afternoon - looking forward to it. We have been gone most of august so we are looking forward to some time home :)

valley forge

we had a GREAT weekend in valley forge last weekend - VERY tired but it was a really good show. we were delayed out of philadelphia, missed our connection in vegas & ended up staying there all night & getting home late the next day. my luggage got lost but finally got it back - happy about that even if my shampoo leaked over everything. home for a couple GOOD days. i am heading out the door now for CKU. Not a work related trip but a girls weekend. i am looking forward to relaxing! enjoy your weekend!

water slide

remember the days of the good ole slip'n slide??
we got this waterslide for the kids for the summer- steve found it at costco & could not resist.

it is great as it only takes about 10 minutes to get it from the box to up & ready to play. the only bad thing is that it continually uses electricity & water (which we will find out real soon when our bill comes how bad that really is - HA!) anyways, we have had a blast with it this summer. brock at first just played in the pool at the bottom but it wasn't long until he was up & sliding down over & over & over again. the water guns on it are steve & jake's favorite.

click on this pic to see brocks face - the best expressions ever!

keegan's hair

keegan has been begging me for a year now to let her get her hair cut super short. i LOVE her beautiful hair (including the curling it, putting it in updo's, braiding it). so i FINALLY gave in - i mean it is her hair after all & i did not want to be a controlling mother - HA! so, today was her appointment & she could not of been more excited.

as she was sitting in the chair after getting 12+ inches whacked, she had the biggest smile on her face & i had big tears in my eyes. Not just because her beautiful hair was gone but more because my little girl is growing up. it was time for me to let go & let her become who she is & do what she wants. it was hard but it is good. i have a feeling this is only the beginning ....

here are the before & after:

keegan's kindergarden teacher last year got cancer. her teacher would talk to keegan about her chemo & relate it to keegan's itp treatment - keegan was so proud to have a needlepoking buddy. keegan was the most upset about her teacher losing her hair. keegan wished she could do something for her. i thought it would be a good expereince for keegan to donate her hair to locks of love. She will be sending in her 2 ponytails of hair (which are 12" long ) so they can make a wig for a child with cancer.

orlando vacation

we are home FINALLY! we had such a great time in orlando but we are ALL very happy to return home. steve & i need a vacation now - we did TONS of stuff & had a blast but are very tired. it rained everyday but not the sprinkle for a few minutes shower then the sun back out - it was thunderstorms EVERY day. we still rode roller coaters, saw shows at seaworld & even spent the day at the waterpark in the rain & it was all super fun!

rain or shine - there was fun to be had for all!

aquatica is a new waterpark by seaworld - it was a ton of fun!!!

this was part of the resort - fun area for the older ones

we wished more of this happened ...

we went to universal & islands of adventure

we went to arabian nights (dinner show with lots of horses)

brock just pointed & giggled during the shows at seaworld

jake fell & broke his front tooth & cut his lip hence the fat lip

feeding he dolphins - i just love dolphins!

things learned on this trip

1. don't fly with a child from 9-24 months & never, ever a 5 hr flight

2. make sure your camera battery is fully charged before leaving town

3. if you are given a pt cruiser as a rental - refuse it

4. never go to florida in july

5. don't even try to eat somewhat healthy

6. trip=with kids vs vacation= no kids

7. always get the express passes for the parks - so worth the extra money

8. rain in flordia does not make it cooler (it just increases the humidity from 100% to 200%)

9. always take more money than you think you will ever need

10. the questions WHEN, WHERE, WHY should be banned from vacations!!!