Goodbye Crib!

She's a big girl now!

Rockin' Out. . .

with friends! Thanks guys for driving all the way up here to play with us!

What did you do today?

We licked beaters,

played barber,

and according to Parker

Made DADDY!!!

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

A neat little argument!

LOL LOL LOL!!!

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-193183

Hopeful

I am hopeful for our country today. Obama was not my candidate of choice, neither was McCain. And to everyone's disbelief neither was Romney. Anyway, on election night Christian would not leave the TV. He sat watching all night doing the math and then when it was over for McCain he cried. He cried hard and long. He cried himself to sleep. He's cried many days and has been counting down the days until, "Obama is the president" and confirming with us, "How many years?" Brandon and I have tried to explain over and over that it was time to move on. That we needed to respect Obama and pray for him as our soon to be new leader and the challenges he will face.

Well today Brandon and I watched the inauguration. Who didn't? What a great moment in history. Christian has a great teacher and as they filed into the room the pre-inauguration events were playing on the TV. She turned it off when school started and back on for the actual inauguration and speech. I remember watching Reagan being sworn in when I was about his age. I am grateful for his teacher who made it possible for my son to witness the same peaceful exchange of power that helps make this country so great.

For the first time in 2 months my little 9 year old came home with a smile when he talked about President Obama. :) He explained how excited he was because Obama was going to try and help with global warming and how in his speech he said he was going to make "my education better and better for college." Christian is hopeful!

Warmer weather

Is just a photo montage away! Our dear friends are planning a trip to San Diego. I wish we were there right now! At least I feel warm watching it!




San Diego 2008

AMAZING

VIEWS!!!

Out Ella's bedroom window.

Heading to town.

To the West.

More of the East.

Go AGGIES!

Aggies

vs

BYU!

And sitting there with all the college students. . .for the first time I felt really old. I am not a young cute 20 year old anymore. I am a thirty-something housewife with 3 children. Sigh. . .

Speaking in Sacrament!

aka Giving the Sermon (for my friends of other faiths)

Brandon and I will be speaking in sacrament meeting on Sunday.

I think I am the only person who actually doesn't mind doing this. LOL

Everyone is welcome!

9am Petersboro Ward, Mendon Utah

The topic is Prayer!

Brandon and I will hopefullybe covering these principles:

1. Faith and prayer are the keys to unlocking the vast storehouse of blessings that the Lord has prepared for each of us.

2. Regular daily prayers empower us to be spiritually attuned to hear and understand the still small voice of Deity.

3. The bounties of blessings that come from sincere prayer are far more extensive than we might ever imagine or anticipate.

4. Adversities are frequently a conditioning means to sufficiently humble us and thereby permit the Lord to bring about changes in our lives to serve His greater purpose.

5. Consistant prayer practices insulate us from deceptive seduction by Satan and draw us within the protective and directive care of our Heavenly Father.

6. Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, will respond to the pleadings of a broken heart and a contrite spirit and extend forgiving relief and hope through the matchless gift of His atoning sacrafice that washes clean and sanctifies the repentant soul.

Hope to see you there. :)

Temple Open House!

I am officially inviting all peeps LDS and not to attend the Draper Utah Temple dedication if you are going to be in the area. This is the only time the general public will be able to tour the inside of the temple. It's free but reservations are required. Our family will be attending March 6th @ 4:40 pm. Want to come?

Want to see a lot of snow?

We couldn't get home Christmas night. We came home to feet on the 26th!

This is a giant snow drift.

Do you see anything wrong with these icicles?

The icicles are horizontal. Look again.

Here they are almost touching our bedroom window. CRAZY I tell ya!

FINALLY!!

Pictures from Christmas morning and day! Enjoy! We sure did!

Santa Came!

Cool! Star Wars Guys!

ROLLER BLADES!!!!

Ella couldn't wait to swing her dollies!

What my brother Rob affectionately refers to as "The Octagon." You know like in wrestling? HA HA!

Everyone's favorite gift of 2008!

Next stop, Grandma Joyce's!

More Princess stuff! Ella's favorite!

After a VERY long day everyone stopped for a family photo.

From left to right. Back: BIL Robert, neice Jayci and her new baby Payton, Jayci's boyfriend Steve, Nephew Nick. Front: SIL Lisa, Parker, Christian, MIL Joyce, Ella, Me, Brandon, BIL Rick, his girlfriend Linda, Linda's son Xander.

Frugal

Borrowing this from another blog but it sums up how I feel today after my shopping trip.

"Being frugal, shouldn't be about how much you save, it should be about how little you spend. "

Alberston's is my store AGAIN!!!

Run don't walk to Albertson's!

Today I bought ALL my groceries for the rest of the month and probably next month.

You name it I got it. Meat, milk, bread, cheese, eggs, CEREAL, snacks, veggies. . .

I used lots of coupons, double coupon vouchers in the ad AND I got $15 off several separate transactions because I bought $30 worth of participating products several times over.

My total bill should have been $412.84


I paid. . .















$163.43!!!!!!!!!!!!



I saved $249.41!!!!!

All we will need is milk, bread and a few fresh veggies as we run out.

If Parker's class doesn't win the Box Top contest it isn't from my lack of trying!

How Grandpa saved Christmas

Cookies and milk. . .

AND carrots!

A LOT of carrots.

For several years now we have been leaving carrots for Santa's reindeer. Usually just a couple baby carrots. I always have a bag in the fridge so it's no big deal. Before we go to bed we throw the carrots back into the bag and the kids wake up and all is good.

Well, this year Christian had a new idea. Santa's reindeer MUST have big carrots. They are reindeer after all and reindeer are big. And we couldn't have just one or 2 but we HAD to have 9. (sing the song) This all came about on Christmas Eve. I did not have big carrots. I was NOT traveling 20 minutes into town on busy Christmas Eve for a bag of large carrots to feed reindeer but I had to do something right? (Remember the whole last Santa believing year theory I have going.) SO I called my sweet dad who works at a grocery store here in Cache Valley (but lives in Ogden, long story). This was my second request of him. You see earlier in the morning my sweet children reminded me that Santa always brings one toy for the cat. Well, someone (me) had forgot this major detail so a call was placed to my father to purchase ANY cat toy on the pet aisle of his store. The phone call went like this,

(in a hushed voice in the bedroom with the door closed)

ME: "Dad it's me again."

"Do you have any big carrots left at your store?"

DAD: "Umm ya." (You can imagine my worry that maybe knowing my luck the stores would be sold out of large carrots today)

ME: "Can you buy me some for Santa's reindeer?"

DAD: Chuckling "Yes"

ME: "Oh and there HAS to be 9 carrots in the bag. Can you please make sure there are NINE carrots?"

DAD: "Nine? Why nine?"

I instantly start singing, "Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner Blitzen, Rudolph. Count them Dad. There are nine. And did you still remember the cat toy?"

DAD: (Who at this point is sure I am crazy.) "Yes I remember the cat toy. Let me add NINE big carrots to my mile long list. (My mom had called too) Have fun eating all of them tonight!"

Wouldn't you know it his store was SOLD OUT of cat toys! So my poor father after leaving for work at 2 am made it back into Ogden with my bag of exactly NINE carrots and stopped at Petco just before closing on Christmas Eve and GRABBED the first cat toy he could find off a display next to the cash register. A $5 tiny stuffed mouse. Which the children were AMAZED that it looks identical to the real mice that live here. How did Santa know???

And in case you are wondering Brandon and I did not eat the carrots Christmas Eve night. I had to make them disappear but I couldn't put them back into the fridge like usual. SOOOO I peeled them, sliced them and froze them in baggies in our chest freezer. If you stop by our house for soup or stew in the near future you will be eating reindeer carrots!