Story of My Life!

Happy 9th Birthday to my Banana-rama!

2008-04-13T17:16:00.009-06:00

Today my Ridge turned 9 years old. He was born at 4:40am on a wonderful Spring morning in American Fork, Utah.

9 Things I love about Ridge:

1. He is very sensitive to his parents feelings.
2. He is wonderful with babies. Loves them.
3. He loves Dinosaurs. In fact, it borders on obsession. ;)
4. He wants to be a Paleontologist when he grows up.
5. He is very smart. He receive an award from the Principal for scoring in the top 10% of the Nation in the Iowa State Tests in Science.
6. He is artistically gifted as well. He wanted Dinosaur stuff and art supplies for his birthday.
7. He loves nature and is very into the environment. He is my Greenie. :)
8. He has an interest in all things animals.
9. He makes friends very easily. People are drawn to Ridge. And the funny thing is, he is completely content to play alone without friends....LOL!

Aaron and I took Ridge to a fun little cafe and bakery in American Fork called Flour Girls and Dough Boys for lunch.

Then we spent the evening is Odgen as my niece was baptized today. My parents and my sister Doree were visiting from Arizona.

All in all it was a wonderful day for Ridge.

We love you Ridgey. Hope your day was wonderful!

Time Flies....

2008-04-08T21:08:00.003-06:00

I have been trying to be better about updating my blog. It is amazing how a week can fly by but then seem to just drag on....LOL!

Over the weekend we had my brother and his family up to see us. That was enjoyable for us. We took them to our new favorite restaurant in Utah County and they were in heaven. The restaurants in our home town don't even come CLOSE! And FINALLY something good in the valley.

Logan and Ridge had their first soccer game of the Spring season and boy, oh boy. My Logan can play soccer! I am just SO proud of him. His favorite position is defender and he plays it well. It is exciting to see him progress and get better with each passing year.

My parents and one of my sisters are coming into town late this evening for my niece's baptism. I have one sister who lives here in Utah besides me. All the rest of my siblings live in AZ. Ridge's birthday is this weekend as well so it will be fun for him to share it with his grandparents.

Wasn't General Conference this last weekend just outstanding! I enjoyed every single talk I heard. I do have to say though that President Hinckley was sorely missed by me. I cried a tear or two because I just miss his presence. I am sure I will grow to love President Monson as much but I think that Gordon B. Hinckley will always be my fave. ;)

This is how we found Quincy a couple of nights ago in her high chair. And I just walked into the kitchen and she is the same way now. Mommy better come to the rescue....LOL!

Savior

2008-04-02T14:35:00.005-06:00

This has touched me like nothing has in a long time.

How can I ever thank Him enough for what He has done for me...

My 10 Hour Marathon

2008-04-01T22:02:00.004-06:00

I was running on the treadmill tonight at a constant rate of 4.5 miles per hour at a 5% incline when I began to think about Kristi's husbands marathon.

I started crying because I wondered how on earth I was ever going to push myself to the brink of my ability. 5 plus hours and over 26 miles of running just seems like an insurmountable goal to me.

I was especially touched by the picture where Jeff's knees gave way and Kristi was there to hold him up.

But as I continued to run, it dawned on me that I *have* pushed my body to the brink before.

December 2nd, 2006 at 8pm my water broke with my daughter. So started *my* marathon.

I labored on my feet, unmedicated, for 6 hours. At which point, that is when my knees gave way and Aaron was there to hold me up.
I climbed in to bed and labored hard, unmedicated, for another 4 hours at which time Quincy Noelle was born.

My muscles quaked and ached. I cried. I moaned. I sweated. I questioned. I nearly gave up.

But....then I laughed. I squealed with delight. I cheered and I felt myself victorious. I had just labored, fought and endured to bring my baby girl into this world.

I was a winner.

~~Adventure Photo Contest~~

2008-04-01T18:52:00.007-06:00

So, I love pictures. I am such a visual person and photography always inspires me.

I thought it would be fun to have a little photography contest. The winner will receive a piece of jewelry from my store! :)

The theme for this contest is this....

Take a picture of something, someone, some place, somewhere, etc that invokes the feeling of ADVENTURE within you.

I will end the contest this time next week. Tell your friends, loved ones, etc that love to take pictures. Anyone can enter. Post about this contest on your blog. This will be fun!~

As I receive the pictures, I will post them here with the photographers name. I will choose the winner based on what speaks to my heart the most. My contest, my rules....ROFL! :P

charmeddesigns at gmail dot com

Have Fun!~

I've been Tagged!

2008-03-31T18:37:00.009-06:00

Here are the rules:

The Rules (whatever that may mean to you!)
Write your own six word memoir.
Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
Then tag whomever you want.

WHOEVER reads this is TAGGED! Make sure let me know you have done it though. :)

So 6 words that describe me with accompanying pictures...hmmm...

Ok here we go.

Wife.

Aaron and I in Hawaii 2007

Creative.

Adventurous.

Foodie.

Reader.

Mom

Trip to the Grand Canyon 2007

In stark contrast to yesterday....

2008-03-30T08:58:00.003-06:00

Look at what we woke up to this morning....

Is the bloody sun ever going to shine in this crazy state? LOL! :P

Well, well, well... Will you look at that!

2008-03-29T15:38:00.005-06:00

Lilac Bush

Tickseed

Butterfly Bush

Ornamental Cherry Tree

Rose Bush

Hedge

Spring really IS coming! Walking around my yard this afternoon I wondered whether Spring planned to show her head at all this year. And much to delight, I found evidence of it all over the place!

Spring has already sprung in San Francisco. I took these pictures as we walked along a residential street near Lombard Street. I love color!

Just some random thoughts....

2008-03-27T21:32:00.004-06:00

In no real order, here are just some things I have been thinking about; stream of consciousness style....

...Aaron wants 2 more kids.

....I want one more.

....I think it will be a girl. And I think her name will be Poet Annaleah.

....I am worried about Aaron's job.

... I daydream about my Europe trip next spring.

... I hope it all works out with Aaron's work and school schedule.

...My parents are getting older.

....They won't live forever.

...I am not a good mother.

....My kids need more of my time.

....I have so much work to do.

... I don't balance it all very well.

....Will Aaron get A's in his classes this semester?

...He has to. Or no medical school.

...We are so old to be starting this.

... It is Aaron's dream. How can I not comply?

... He will be a fantastic doctor.

.... How will we afford to fly him to all his interviews?

...I am excited to work in the yard this spring.

... When is it going to warm up?

... I have decided I need to live somewhere where the sun shines more during the winter.

... I wonder why Quincy was throwing up this afternoon?

... I feel so good when I run.

...I need to get back into the habit.

... I am thinking running a marathon this year is out.

.... I need to find a way to stick to the goals I make.

... Why is that so bloody hard for me?

...I am tired of Aaron's work and school schedule.

...Single parenting is for the flippin' birds.

Boy, that feels much better!~

Our San Francisco Treat

2008-03-25T21:29:00.027-06:00

Click each pic to enlarge

Whenever Aaron and I travel we always have a contest between us as to who is the better photog...LOL! I will shoot a shot and then he will shoot the same object but in his own way. It has been a really fun thing that we do. I am starting to think we both need our own cameras though because we both like to take pictures. :)

This trip was a much needed getaway for recharging our batteries and for spending some quality time with 2 of our favorite people. Aaron and I had planned to go to San Fran in June but as it turned out Victoria and Scott were planning to go this month and invited us along on their getaway. We wholeheartedly accepted.

We all laughed until our sides ached and walked until we had blisters. We saw a drug deal go down, MANY homeless people, the next Jay Leno from Russia (:P), an Obama hating racist walking his dog, lots of couples with an alternative lifestyle and plenty of Michael Jackson wannabe's trying to earn a buck or two. We were nearly killed with each and every taxi cab ride we took. Ate pizza in our bed while watching a poker tournament, experienced a trolley ride and saw a man dressed in drag.

Being with Aaron on any adventure is the best part of my life. But being with Scott and Vic, comes pretty darn close!

Sugahlicious

2008-03-17T15:03:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted any pictures of Quincy in awhile so I thought I would throw some recent ones out there. :)

I've been Tagged!

2008-02-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

5 Things on my list of things to do today:

*Work
*Call a babysitter for Saturday night
*Go to the post office, bank and grocery store.
*Clean the kitchen
*Take Sawyer to and from preschool
*Make dinner and get kids in bed

Things I would do if I suddenly was a Billionaire:

* I would get us out of debt. Get Aaron's parents and my parents out of debt. Pay cash for Aaron to go to medical school. Travel like crazy and then invest, invest, invest.

3 of my bad habits:

*Occasionally bite my fingernails
*Expect perfection when it is not possible
*I am hard on myself with my imperfections. I need to get over that.

Places I have lived:

*Arizona
*Colorado
*Utah

Jobs I have had:

*Movie Theater Concessions
*Retail
*Dental Assistant
*Jewelry Designer

Things most people don't know about me:

*I cannot handle the feel of cotton balls.
*I always wanted to work in medicine.
*When I was a girl, I also wanted to be a Fashion Designer
*I love Escargot

Our Beloved Prophet

2008-01-28T13:56:00.001-07:00

Aaron and I heard the news from his brother, who lives in Arizona, around 8:30 last night.

President Hinckley was so beloved. By me and my family and millions of others. Our hearts broke when we heard the news. Logan and Ridge were saddened when I told them this morning.

What a joyous reunion will be had between him and his beloved Marjorie Pay.

He was a valiant warrior for the Lord and a stalwart leader.

I will never forget President Hinckley and the love I have for him as long as I live.

Thank you Heavenly Father for letting me live during President Hinckley's reign as Prophet.

A girl that loves her food :)

2008-01-20T18:32:00.001-07:00

A girl after my own heart! :P

This is fun! Everyone do it! :P

2008-01-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

January---------I kicked
February-------I loved
March----------I karate chopped
April-----------I licked
May------------I jumped on
June------------I smelled
July------------I did the Macarena with
August---------I had lunch with
September-----I danced with
October------- -I sang to
November------I yelled at
December------I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1--------a birdbath
2--------a monster
3--------a phone
4--------a fork
5--------a snowman
6--------a gangster
7--------my cell phone
8--------my dog
9--------my best frien ds' boyfriend
10---- ---my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19-------a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25---- ---a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an ipod
29-------a surfer
30-------a llama
31-------A homeless guy

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White--------because I'm cool like that.
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink----------because I'm NOT crazy.
Red----------because the voices told me to.
Blue----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want.
Green---------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple--------because I'm AWESOME!
Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------be cause someo ne offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange -------because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown--------because I can.
Other---------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself

Now type out the sentence you made, in the comments! :)

So, anyone know what has happened to Mister West?

2008-01-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

I used to love to listen to the Chunga and Mister show on 101.9 The End. But since I have returned from Hawaii, Mister has not been on the show.

Anyone have any deets as to what is going on?

~~ ALOHA~!~

2007-12-15T12:07:00.001-07:00

Aaron and I are off for a week long visit to Paradise.

Hang Loose All! :)

Rudolph the Red Nosed Sawyer

2007-12-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sawyer attends preschool 3 days a week with Ms. Karen and Ms. Amy. This preschool teacher has always got the kids making the funnest holiday crafts. Sawyer has come home with the cutest, most creative little projects that I have ever seen.

Well today when I picked him up she had the kids do a Reindeer Parade. And just look at the cute antlers, nose and bell she had them dressed in. She also had them make some Reindeer food to sit out for Santa's reindeer when he comes Christmas Eve night.

Cute stuff!

~~ Happy 1st Birthday Quincy~~

2007-12-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Her brothers thought it would be funny to make the balloon static-y and stick it to her head.

Fabulous cake made by Jessica

Singing Happy Birthday here!

Sugah digging in!

A hungry girl waits for NO ONE! :)

We had pizza for dinner because she loves it and can eat a whole piece by herself with only her 2 bottom teeth!

She got lots of fun new clothes for her birthday plus one little baby doll.

She is the sunshine in our family and the joy of my heart! :)

Love you Quinny! Hope your 1st Birthday was great!

~~ Happy Birthday to ME~~

2007-12-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

So, I want to give away this gorgeous pair of earrings but in order to do that, y'all will need to to know a little trivia about me. :P

1. How old am I today?
2. What state was I born in?
3. What is my middle name?

Of the people who answer all the questions right, I will randomly draw a name to win these earrings. :)

And to those who answer most of them right, well, I may make something for you to win as well. We'll see. :)

One entry per person. Leave a comment or send me an email with your guesses.

And if you have no idea on any of these questions but would still like to wish me a Happy Birthday, please feel free to do so....ROFL! ;)

HAVE FUN!

Happy 4th Birthday to my Sawyer!

2007-11-26T10:11:00.001-07:00

4 Things I love about Sawyer!

1. He is a Mama's Boy!
2. He loves Cars. Any kind of moving vehicle, he LOVES it!
3. He knows what he wants to be when he grows up. A fireman, police officer and EMT.
4. He is witty. His sense of humor keeps all of us laughing.

Happy 4th Birthday my Sawyer B!
Love you.

Kristi- This one is for YOU!

2007-11-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my first EVER 5 mile run! It wasn't too bad! LOL :P

My Phrase for the Year was/is......

2007-10-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

Run with It!

I have decided, thanks to Kristi's Marathon, that I will be running a Marathon next year. The training is under way and the running gadgets are on their way!

I want to see just how strong I am mentally and physically. I want to prove to myself that I am a strong and capable person. I can do hard things. I can.

It is just one step at a time. One mile at a time. One race at a time.

I Can Do This! :)

Please Consider Signing This Petition

2007-10-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

http://www.lightedcandle.org/telloprah.asp?f=send

We need to do everything we can to build up and strengthen marriages. Not tear them down!
Thanks!

Who wants to see some Sunday morning eye candy?

2007-09-30T10:10:00.000-06:00

Quincy finally has enough hair for 2 piggies :)

Pink October Breast Cancer Awareness

2007-09-29T17:33:00.000-06:00

Hi to everyone that visits this blog! Starting Monday, I will be hosting an auction to help raise money for Breast Cancer Research. Below are the details of what will happen.

PLEASE send everyone you know to my site. We all need to contribute to this cause!!
Thank you :)

Here is my site addy: http://charmeddesigns.blogspot.com/

Just wanted to give you all a wee update with regards to the Pink October auction beginning next Monday, October 1st.

I have all the beads and goodies here to make the bracelets with and I am SO excited. Everything is positively phenomenal!!

To refresh your memory I am auctioning off 3 items and 50% of the proceeds will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.

*October 1st, I will be auctioning off one DOOZY of a bracelet! The auction bid for that piece will start at $150.

*October 3rd, I will be auctioning off another bracelet which will be more simple in design but no less beautiful than the DOOZY bracelet. That auction will start off at $80.

*Finally on October 5th, I will be auctioning off a pair of earrings. The beginning bid for those will start at $30

I will start the auction off at 8am MST on every one of those days mentioned above. I will run it until 8pm MST. I will update the website hourly so that everyone knows where the bid stands. The auction will work like eBay so hopefully everyone is aware of how that works.

Please email me if you have any questions. I am SO very excited for this!

Money

2007-09-18T11:54:00.001-06:00

I walk a lot. When I walk I look for things, what ever it may be, but especially money. I remember as a kid finding more money than I do now. Now, it could have been that I was shorter then and closer to the ground.

I tend to think that people are not losing their money as easily they did before due to the financial times we are in now.. Things cost more. But most wages do not increase to compensate. The dollar needs to stretch farther and farther. And we watch our money, every bit. We get ridiculous about it.

When times are good, money is not as much of a priority. Hence, people can lose some money here and there. When times are bad our whole world revolves around that money.

Does our focus change when times are bad? Do we lose the way? I think we can and sometimes we do. Families are the first to suffer when our focus changes. If we worry solely about the money, there is no room for anything else.

I want to make decisions now about how I am going to react. Or, if I have already made decisions, I want to reevaluate them to see if they are in harmony with the teachings of the Almighty. I certainly do not want my family to suffer from poor reactions. I do not want money to be the focus of why I do things.

As you can see....

2007-09-17T12:09:00.000-06:00

Aaron has now decided he wants to be a contributor to my blog. Be on the lookout for some fun posts from his perspective! :)

Grand Canyon and Zions Park

2007-09-17T10:54:00.000-06:00

Well since Dana is so busy, I thought it would be nice to enter some information about our last trip we took in August.

We went to the Grand Canyon the first day. We spent the night at a little cabin in Jacob's Lake. The Grand Canyon was spectacular. What an amazing work of nature. One interesting note, the Indians state that the Canyon was formed in a matter of days.

On our way back home, we decided to go through Zions. Another wonderful creation by nature.

Here are some pics of the event.

More pics to come.

Has it really been a month since I updated this?

2007-09-03T10:43:00.000-06:00

Last month has just FLOWN by for me!

So, I am looking for menu ideas? What is your family having to eat this month?

So, it is that time of year again....

2007-08-03T22:24:00.001-06:00

Time for the summer to come to a close and for school to rear it's ugly head once again. I cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by. In some ways, it has been s o s l o w......

Like the times where the boys eat ALL DAY LONG. Going through 5 boxes of cereal in one week. Or a huge box of corn dogs in a few days. Or 2 loaves a bread a day. Or 1 gallon of milk every other day. Or one box of fruit snacks in an hour. Or one bag of apples in 3 days. Or one package of string cheese in 2 days. You get the picture, right?

Tomorrow we are getting a babysitter for Sawyer and Quincy and taking Logan and Ridge school clothes shopping.
I am not sure how this is but those boys can go through und*erware like you cannot believe! How do boys shred underp*ants? The rally stripes are to be expected but shredding them, I do not get.

Socks, the same issue. We have to buy 2 or 3 packages a year just because they get thrashed SO fast. :S

So, we are making a date of it tomorrow and braving the clothing stores. If the boys are lucky, we *may* provide sustenance. :P

*Where do you school clothes shop?*
*Have you found any good deals that I should be aware of?*

Bridal Veil Falls and the Blog Party

2007-08-01T17:37:00.001-06:00

Dairy Keen in Heber, Utah

Deer Creek Reservoir, Utah

Sunflower Growing out of the Sidewalk

Bridal Veil Falls, Utah

Blog Party 2007

Saturday was an enjoyable day all around. Good eats, good exercise, lovely scenery, exceptional conversation.

All in all, a first rate day!

Food Lover's Group

2007-07-30T11:38:00.000-06:00

Submit your ideas here! I will post them and then we will all vote on which we all like best.

The title with the majority of the votes will win! :)

1. Elegant Eatables
2. Luscious Ladies
3. Dinner Dames

4. Gourmet Girls

5. Gourmet Gossip

6. Delectable Dinners

7. Edible Evenings

8. Epicurious Evenings

9. Scrumptious Sisters

10. Delightful Dinners

11. Succulent Sistas
12. Dinner Divas

Revising my Food Revolution plans!

2007-07-18T20:36:00.000-06:00

I have decided to make it a Girls Only occasion! No hubbies allowed. So, rethink your thoughts (:P) and come and join in the fun.

So ladies, if you are in Utah and going to fun restaurants and meeting other neat women interests you, email me to join in!

I am starting a FOOD revolution!

2007-07-14T13:52:00.001-06:00

Aaron and I love to eat! We love to try new restaurants. We love to try ethnic foods. Mom and Pop shops many times have some of the best food EVAH!

So I am starting a Food Lovers Group. To be apart of this group you need to either leave me a comment here or send me an email.

We will meet once a month at a new restaurant. The one requirement I will make is that the restaurant CANNOT be a chain food restaurant. Does that make sense? So, no Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill or Red Lobster....anything like those types of restaurants. You will need to do your homework and find a place that is unique to the state of Utah.

The responsibility of choosing the restaurant will rotate monthly between couples. Picking a date will be tricky so I think to save all the back and forth of it, the couple whose turn it is to choose the restaurant will choose the date and time that we go.

This is an open invitation to all who live in Utah. The more the merrier!

If you love food, trying new restaurants and making new friends interests you, SIGN UP! I will need everyone to send me their email address so that each monthly invitation of where and when can be emailed to everyone who has signed up.

If you have friends whom you think would love something like this, let them know about it! :)

Because I am such a generous person....

2007-07-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

I must share in the wealth. If you love to cook or eat, this blog is for you! :)

Thoughts at the kitchen sink....

2007-07-11T10:33:00.000-06:00

Why do you think YOUR husband stays a family man?

So many men in this day and age are walking away from their wives and children and I wonder what changes for them.

Is there any way to help insure that your husband will stay a family man?

I have my own thoughts on this subject but am curious as to what you might think.

Self Portrait Tuesday!

2007-07-10T12:44:00.000-06:00

I clicked on Kristi's blog and realized that today is SPT! Apparently the theme is WHERE DO YOU GET AWAY FROM IT ALL!

There is only one place that I use to get away from it all......
Ahhhh. Worlds without end do I find between the pages of a book.

Discussions at Midnight.....

2007-07-10T09:59:00.000-06:00

I was expressing to him the hope I have in that our boys/kids won't choose to be rebellious teenagers. He laughed and told me that every kid rebels.

I gave him some examples of teenagers that I knew that did not rebel against their parents. He thinks that kid's rebel because they are trying to figure out who they are and their boundaries.

I told him that is is not necessary for every child to rebel to figure these things out. He laughed and stated that just because YOU did not rebel that it was not typical for most kids. He rebelled somewhat and made some poor choices and so he thinks our kids are likely destined to follow the same pattern.

I told him the difference between me and him was that I valued my choices. EVERY. SINGLE. CHOICE you make either takes you closer to where/who you want to be or further away from where/who you want to be. I told him that we need to teach our kids to value their choices.

That is the difference between us and say a homeless person with no job or home. Along the way, we valued our choices, they did not.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

FUN CONTEST!

2007-06-27T19:32:00.000-06:00

Go to my jewelry blog for all the details!

Taking a little break....

2007-06-23T14:29:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to let anyone who cares know that I am taking a little break from Blogs and Message Boards for awhile.

Nothing major going on just gonna spend some time with the kids for the summer!

I won't be gone long. :)

To my BFF Aimee

2007-06-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Aimee-
I want you to know that you will be my best friend for the rest of my life and beyond. My heart shattered when you told me of your last moments with your sweet Emma Elisabeth.

Please never forget the Plan of Happiness and that you will get to see and raise your sweet Emma and Ben in the next life.

All my love to you and Phil.

Up, uP and aWaY..... Goodbye Kylie

2007-06-10T18:34:00.000-06:00

We wrote our hearts on a piece of paper, put the paper in a balloon and sent them off to heaven so they could float up to Kylie and she could snag them one by one.

Thank You

2007-06-08T06:54:00.000-06:00

For all of the emails and comments with regards to the passing of my friend. Each word has helped to heal my heart, bit by bit.

Love to all! :)

Are you signed up yet?

2007-06-08T06:51:00.000-06:00

Found this on Jill's Blog.
I thought it looked like fun so I am posting here. Sign up. Today is the last day!

Lost a dear friend yesterday

2007-06-05T17:23:00.000-06:00

Kylie was one of the neatest women I have ever known. She loved to laugh and make others laugh. She was a kindred spirit in finding the raunchy side of things hilarious just like I do. She was a stalwart companion to her husband Anthony and a loving mother to her three littles.

Yesterday she lost her constant battle with depression and now our Heavenly Father has lovingly gathered her in His arms and led her to the peace that she so desperately sought in this life.

Many of us are shocked, saddened, angry, numb, heartbroken, outraged and just plain bewildered over this senseless death.

My heart has shattered into shards on the floor. In some ways, I will never recover.

KNoCk, kNocK, KnOcK....is this thing on???

2007-05-28T21:47:00.000-06:00

Until I get to present a proper update, here are a few pictures of my loves.....

Questions for those who have a housecleaner

2007-05-11T11:34:00.000-06:00

What kinds of things do you look for in a good house cleaner? What is a decent rate for cleaning?
How often do you have them come? What do they typically do when they come to clean?

Thank you!

Wish I had some time to blog.....

2007-05-09T21:25:00.000-06:00

Since I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I thought I would host a little game here on my blog! :P
The game will end on Sunday evening. I will send the winner a little goody in the mail.

This is a little trivia about my family. The person who gets the most right answers will win. So, Mom, Fungus, Deon, Denae and anyone else related to me cannot play! ;)

1. What is Aaron's nickname for me?

2. What is Logan's favorite video game?

3. What is my Bachelors in from BYU?

4. Where did Aaron get his Bachelors?

5. Where were Aaron and I married?

6. How did Aaron and I meet?

7. What does Ridge want to be when he grows up?

8. On June 1st, Aaron and I will celebrate which wedding anniversary?

9. How much did Sawyer weigh when he was born?

10. What is Quincy's middle name?

Have fun! :)

Introducing! The REAL Dana and Aaron :)

2007-05-02T14:12:00.000-06:00

Wanna see what happens when Aaron and I are in a silly mood at 11pm at night? One of the funniest nights of my life!

Thwap! Lucy! and Proud to be an American!

2007-04-27T21:54:00.000-06:00

It was 5:45 this morning when I was awakened by the sound of little feet running past my bedroom door. I got up and Ridge had snuck into the new cookies I just bought while watching cartoons. I sleepily remind him that the sun has not yet woken up and that he needs to give me the cookies and go back to bed. GEEZ! What is it with kids getting up at the buttcrack of dawn just to have a dang cookie?

I am just nodding off again when THWAP! Aaron smacks my back with his arm. I quickly roll over and ask him what the heck he was doing. For a few seconds there was silence. So, I ask him again. He then starts laughing his butt off. He told me he was dreaming he was playing basketball and when he hit my back he had just passed the ball to a teammate. We both started totally giggling over this. He said that his arm moved like a reflex. He had no control over it at all. We laughed for prolly 15 minutes over that one added to the lovely drum like sound effects that came from his buttocks when he was using the toilet this morning :P! I know, TMI!

So my day started at 5:45 this morning and we never did go back to sleep.

At 11:30 Aaron, Sawyer, Quincy and I met Lucy, Sammy and Henry for lunch at Noodles. That was just downright delightful. Sawyer acted like he has never been taught manners in his life. He was wandering all over the restaurant while we were trying to talk staring at people eating their food and climbing on the doors pretending to be exercising. Naturally I forgot my camera AGAIN! Luckily Lucy had hers so check her blog for pics of the outing.
Also, I am sure Lucy will give a better and funnier description of how our conversation went since she is better with words than I. I will leave it to her to present all the gory details of the lunch. :P

Logan is in an after school choir and today was their Patriotic themed concert. I need to get that boy into theater. Not only can he sing but he is dramatic as well. He did so well and was so serious about his part in the production. I think that this is one area he can really shine in since sports aren't particularly his bag (although he loves soccer).

Aaron and I were really pleased with him. He did a great job!

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a fun day. At 2:30 our babysitter Christy is coming over and we are meeting Scott and Victoria in Park City to check out the house that 20 of us girls are renting for Girls Weekend Away and then we are eating at a restaurant called Zoom.
Very excited about that! I will update later with my thoughts about Zoom either with a thumbs up or a thumbs down. :)

OK...so I am NOT complaining....

2007-04-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

But I think this summer is gonna be a rough one.

I am not a fan of summer break anyway. Having my kids home 24/7 is admittedly a challenge for me. I am not the kind of mom who comes up with fun, creative activities for her children to do all summer. They just seem to be underfoot and into the food ALL DING DONG DAY! Making bloody mess after bloody mess. SO! Here is where it gets really hairy...

Aaron schedule is set and he will have 3 classes at UVSC this summer. Psychology, English and his EMT course. Monday thru Thursday every single week he will be gone from this house 6:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night. For us, this is a lot. I know many people have it worse and for longer periods of time but when you are not use to this kind of schedule, it can be daunting.

I want to stay positive about it as much as possible because Aaron takes a lot of his cues off of my ability to cope. He will feel stressed as dad and husband if I do not show him that I can juggle it all and do it with some kind of flamin' dignity. SO! I am mentioning it this one time, here and now that I think this will be VERY hard to adjust to but in the end we will all be stronger for it. Plus it is just the precursor to what life will be like when Aaron is in PA school.

Nuff said! :P

I love this baby girl!

2007-04-24T10:28:00.000-06:00

She is so precious I cannot even verbalize it.

Spring Break Extravaganza!

2007-04-21T20:47:00.000-06:00

Boy have we had some fun and not so fun times in the last few days!

WEDNESDAY
Spring Break started on Wednesday. I wanted to try and do something fun with the kids every day of their Spring Break. We decided Wednesday that we would go see Meet the Robinson's. Earlier in the day Sawyer had been complaining of an ear ache but I didn't worry about it too much since his complaints were intermittent. We get there, buy some snacks, settle in and the movie begins. I thought it was kinda dumb but the kids were liking it so great, that was the whole purpose of being there, right? Well Sawyer's complaints about his ear has begun to get more frequent with small bouts of crying. We had about 45 minutes of the movie left and he was losing it. Screaming that his ear was hurting. I tried to call Aaron from the pay phone at the movie theater to make an appointment at the doctor for me but of course the pukin' thing does not work. So I break the news to the older boys that we have to leave RIGHT THEN and that is when the wailing and gnashing of teeth starts. Once I explain to them what was going on then they were a little more forgiving but they still felt jipped!

I get Sawyer in to see the doc at 2 and he confirms that indeed he does have a infection roaring in his right ear. Just as we were about to walk out the door the doctor stops me and warns that the ear may ooze pus and blood and if it does to call him in the morning. That night the ear drum did pop and was oozing blood and pus. No wonder my little man was coming unglued about his ear. I bet the pressure was SO painful.

THURSDAY
This day ended up being about the Nintendo DS's. Logan and Ridge did their chores early and quickly so that the could get their Nintendo DS's and play to their little hearts content. Playing these on any other day but the weekends is a rare treat for them. We do not allow them to play them or the XBox or the Game Cube or anything else during the week nights. They are reserved for the weekend and then they have had to do their chores and homework well throughout the week to earn the right to play them.

FRIDAY
Now Friday is what I call a fun day! Aaron does not work Fridays so we always have him home to do fun things with. We decided we wanted to take the TRAX transportation system from Sandy to SLC. In SLC, we went to the Planetarium and like a real dummy I forgot my camera! But before we did that, we stopped in Lehi to go to Cafe Rio first. Everyone was starving, naturally. ;)

The Planetarium has so many cool space exhibits. We saw and read tons of cool factoids about space and about space travel. The real highlight though was the Dinosaur 3D movie on the IMAX theater. And if you know my dinosaur Paleontologist inspiring son Ridge, then you will know that he was in HOG HEAVEN!

The movie was pretty cool! I think we all really enjoyed that. That TRAX system though was a lot of fun. You see ALL kinds of characters that ride that. Executives to homeless people. We want to take it again and go to Temple Sqaure and then to the Planetarium to see the Deep Sea 3D movie.

SATURDAY
Today we went to the UVSC campus and bought Aaron's books. He is taking Psychology, English and an EMT course this summer. The books for those 3 classes came to $300 and every single book was used. YOUCH! After we went there we went to a restaurant called Noodles. Has anyone ever eaten there before? SO SO GOOD! I got the Japanese noodles with beef. Super tasty!

We also mowed the lawn and took a load of toys and crap from the boys bedroom to the dump.

Spring Break is over for another year! HALLELUJAH!

I have also received some fun Good Mail that I want to mention. Kacey sent me a nice note with some fun organza bags that she thought I could use for my business. I love them Kacey! Thank you :) Amanda sent a super cute note that says Have a "Fairy" Happy Spring with a cupe little ornament that has a great saying on the back. Thank you Amanda. I love fairies! My business logo has a fairy. I have always thought that fairies should be loved by all girls, young and old alike! And finally I got a nice Thank you note from Jill. She is always so thoughtful about sending nice thank you notes. I also got the cutest Easter card from Kelly! You have such an fun eye for color combos! Visit my jewelry blog and give me some ideas Kelly! Thank you. I loved the card! And scatterbrain that I am, I failed to capture photos of my nice goodies. DUH!

Fun contest!

2007-04-19T13:43:00.001-06:00

Visit my jewelry blog for a chance to win some pretty earrings. The contest is easy peasy! :)

Ear ache?

2007-04-18T15:54:00.001-06:00

Anyone have a tried and true remedy for earaches until the antibiotics kick in?

8 is Great for my Ridge-a-rama!

2007-04-12T20:19:00.000-06:00

Ridge Johanson was born at 4:40 am on April 12, 1999. He was delivered by Dr. Kari Lawrence. He weighed 7 lbs. 7.8oz and was 19 inches long.

Labor lasted 4 hours from start to finish and he was an easy delivery.

Ridge is such a great kid. So tender hearted and sensitive. One of the best things about Ridge is his love and knowledge of dinosaurs. He wants to be a Paleontologist when he grows up!

We went to Chuck E. Cheese tonight at Ridge's request. ;P

We love you Ridge-a-rama! Happy 8th Birthday! :)

So, what is/was for dinner at your house tonight?

2007-04-11T17:26:00.000-06:00

I was talking to my mom on the phone and she wanted to know what we were having for dinner. I told her Sloppy Joes with Doritos and salad. My kids all groaned. Nice, huh!

Would your kids groan at Sloppy Joes?
What did you serve for dinner tonight?

Self Portrait Tuesday!

2007-04-10T09:06:00.000-06:00

EASTER 2007

Here are some snap shots of me and some of the kids on Easter and the day before Easter at our local Easter Egg Hunt. I am not sure why this is but Easter is a holiday for me that I want to forget exists (as far as the Easter Bunny, big dinners, etc) go. We are NEVER prepared in advance for the commercial side of this holiday.

Quincy is the only one I remembered to get new clothes for. :P The rest of us just got to wear our regular old scrubs.

The very best part about Easter for me this year was that Aaron sang a solo in church for the Easter program. I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful he did. I was so pleased with him. I was bursting with pride from head to toe. Plus it was sexy as all get out to see him up there shining in front of everyone. :)

The boys sang a Primary song and did a very wonderful job. Sawyer had a complete melt down on the stage. When he walked up there and began to sing he was all smiles and just fine but as the song progresses his face went from happy to Great American Freak Out in about 10 seconds flat. I was laughing my rear off. It was so hilarious!! :P

I need to find a way to make this holiday more meaningful and special to my family. Next year will be better.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T13:35:00.000-06:00

Our family would like to wish you all a very "Hoppy" Easter! :)

Has it been a week already??

2007-04-05T17:03:00.000-06:00

GEEZ! I am so behind in my life it is not even funny!

OK, well, since I don't want to let much more time pass before posting something meaningful, let me ask a few random questions and we can have fun reading each other's answers! :)

1. How old were you when you had your first kiss?

2. What is your favorite Bath and Body scent?

3. What is your favorite dish at a Mexican Food restaurant?

4. If you color your hair, how long have you been coloring it for?

5. What are your thoughts on me hiring a housekeeper once a week?

6. Who do you think will win it all on American Idol?

7. Favorite Cold Stone Concoction?

Boy, time marches on......

2007-03-29T20:30:00.000-06:00

It seems like I cannot keep up with my blog or reading and commenting on other peoples blogs either! The days just seem to be running into each other lately...LOL!

Lots has been going on around here lately and lots of stuff coming up too. I will just do a run down of each person :)

Aaron
He didn't get to register on Monday like we were planning. Come to find out you had to have at least 80 credit hours banked with UVSC to be able to register that day. So, he now gets to battle with all of the lower class man to get the classes he needs. We have a contingency plan though in case he does not get the classes. Say a little prayer for us on Monday morning at 8 am! LOL!

He has also been asked to sing a solo at church for the Easter Program. He has such an amazing singing voice. I am just so pleased with him. I want to buy him a new suit at Mr. Mac for his big performance. He has not worn a suit since his mission. Swore he would never wear one again after wearing one EVERY. DING. DONG. DAY for 2 years....LOL! I am using the angle that he will need one for PA school interviews anyway so we might as well get it now. :P

Aaron has also been going in to work at 3-4am every morning this week for one bloody reason or another. It is getting old so fast. Luckily he is the kind of person who can thrive on very little sleep.

Logan

Logan is in an after school singing choir and he is enjoying that. Every time he comes home though he complains of having those (ear worms) ? wait is that the right name? You know, when you get a song stuck in your head and you can't get it out? He comes home singing the songs from choir and then drones on the for the rest of the crazy night. Drives ALL of us nuts!

I worry about him too. For the life of him he cannot seem to make any friends. Aaron thinks it is because he tries to hard. I wonder if it because of 2 things. One; he isn't very interested in sports and all the "popular" kids are totally in to them. He likes them but does not LIVE for them, kwim? And two; he is a bit of an academic nerd. Smart, quick learner, etc. Maybe the kids in his class just plain think he is a nerd. No idea but I feel bad for him.

His Scouts leader said some nice things about him at the Blue and Gold Banquet though. She thinks he is very polite, well mannered and thoughtful. So, I guess we are doing something right. ;)

Ridge

He had a report on Salt Water Crocodiles this week. He did well according to his teacher. He also got all A's on his report card plus here is what his teacher had to say about him.
"Ridge is a very smart boy. He is bright and perceptive and constantly surprises me with his knowledge. I get a kick out of his fun personality every day."
So gameboys did NOT fly Kelly....ROFL!! I was pleased with his efforts in trying to have better behavior in class.

Sawyer
Boy, oh boy. This kid keeps me on my toes. It is not an exaggeration when I tell you he makes himself at least 5 peanut butter sandwiches per day. This kid loves to eat. I walked into the family room the other morning and asked him what he was doing. He said, " Just eatin' some chips and watchin' my show." He was watching Bearnstein Bears....LOL!

He is a good helper for me during the day keeping an eye on Quincy. He lets me know when she fusses and needs to eat.

He is also a very good singer too. Sings songs all day long! We will, We will ROCK YOU is at the top of the list as most sungs songs though :P

Quincy

She is cooing and giggling and just being her totally adorable self. She is another kid that loves to eat. I have found that I cannot keep up with her appetite, LOL!So, I have started supplementing her with formula. She loves it! :) Thank goodness! All of the boys took a bottle with formula early on too so I am blessed that she will as well.

Me

I have been keeping very busy with my business. Custom orders and my Bracelet of the Month club have kept my creative juices flowing overtime. And you know what? I LOVE it!!
I have been itching to get outside and do some digging in the dirt. Hopefully it will warm up and stay warm here soon so I can get outside and do all the things that I enjoy doing out there.

I have been trying to focus a bit better on healthy eating and have the goal to have lost 10 pounds total by the end of April. I need to lose 6 more pounds to do that. Think I can do it?? ;P

My mom and sisters are planning a girls trip to Vegas to see the Celine Dion concert in August. We saw it as a group a while ago but they are planning to go again. I am going to try and make it. School clothes need to be bought in August too so we will see.

Also the beginning of May some girlfriends and I have planned a weekend in Park City for shopping, food and great conversation. SO excited about that! Cannot wait for some down time spent with my favorite girls!

There is a Gem Faire tomorrow at the South Town Expo Center so I am dragging Aaron and we are going to it. Hope to pick up some new little goodies there! But first! We are eating at the Red Rock Brewing Company...MY FAVE!

So, that is the run down of this motley crew! :)

Any questions? LOL!

Oregon Coast Vacation

2007-03-27T09:43:00.000-06:00

Family Vacation 2007

The kids packed up and ready to go!

Just inside the Oregon State Line

Aquarium in Newport, Oregon

Ridge riding the Wild Tortoise

Logan riding one too!

Aaron and I sitting atop a friendly dolphin

Aaron giving Sawyer a squeeze on top of another dolphin

Our favorite restaurant in Depoe Bay, OR

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Sawyer Whale Watching in Depoe Bay, OR

Notice the fog rolling in behind Logan, Ridge and Sawyer?

How Quincy spent most of the trip! :P

Multnomah Falls, OR

Since we didn't find a float on the Lincoln City coastline, I decided to blow my own float. Turned out pretty cool, eh!

All in all we had a very enjoyable week together as a family. The boys loved the coast. They spent hours there looking for shells and agate rocks. That area is known for having agate stones on their beach lines.

If we ever make it back as a family, we will likely stay in Newport next time. That is where the majority of the activities are anyway.

Thank you Lisa for turning me on to this wonderful area! We loved it!

Anyone want to meet Aaron and I for dinner tonight?

2007-03-23T10:02:00.000-06:00

We are going to The Melting Pot in SLC. If anyone would like to join us, let me know :)

Calling all Wannabe Travel Agents!

2007-03-22T11:41:00.000-06:00

I wanna find the very best deal I can to Hawaii this December. The dates we want to do this are December 16th-23rd and we will be flying out of Phoenix,AZ to Honolulu.

I would love to get a flight, room and car type combo package. If you want to take this challenge on and you find me the best deal, you will receive a very lovely lampwork bracelet and earrings set in the mail!

Get ready, set, GO!!

Life is Crazy....

2007-03-21T12:34:00.000-06:00

Man, do you ever have those days when your life seems to be on Manic Mode and you cannot for the life of you figure out how to get off the crazy train? LOL!

Before we went on the trip, I had several very awesome pieces of fun GOOD MAIL come but because of my above mentioned state of Manic Mode I neither took pics of what I received or sadly wrote down who I received said goodies from. So, PLEASE, if I forget to mention your name and you sent me goodies please know it is just because I have lost my mind. No other reason :P

Lisa P., Bridget, Anna, Carlo, Barb, Lucy, Amy W., Sydney and Jill all either sent me a little goody or a note in the mail. I loved it ALL! Thank you all so much for thinking of me!

Aaron gets to register for his classes next week. We are SO excited to finally start getting this show on the road. He will be taking Biology and Chemistry both with labs and he will be taking a class to get his EMT. The reason we decided getting his EMT to be beneficial is because he will feel more qualified doing his volunteer work with it. Plus next year he has plans to go with his brother to Guatemala on a mercy mission and feels like he will really be able to contribute something with what little bit of knowledge the EMT allows.

We have Parent Teacher Conferences this week. I really hope to hear some positive feedback from Logan and Ridge's teachers regarding their behavior at school. If not, Ridge and Logan are gonna be sorry they ever made one peep out of turn in class. Gameboys are gonna fly! ;P

I have got the Spring Fever bug SO bad right now! I wanna get outside and get my hands in some dirt. We have some big plans for our yard for the summer. Aaron is going to finish building the fence and we want to add a couple of flower beads to the front lawn.

**How do you punish poor behavior in school?**
**What kinds of flowers do you plant come springtime?**
**Anyone from out of town coming to Utah soon so that we can meet for lunch?** :P

HAWAII 4-0!

2007-03-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

Well the race is on! Aaron and I both need to lose 40 pounds. We are also going to Hawaii in December. So last night we decided we would have a contest to see who could lose the 40 pounds first and we named the contest Hawaii 4-0! We want to lose the 40 pounds before we go.

So, I need some ideas. We want to do incentive type prizes for the first person to reach 10, 15, 20, and 30 pounds.

Any ideas on what could be some incentive prizes that does not involve food?? ;P

Self Portrait Tuesday!

2007-03-20T09:45:00.000-06:00

Here is the challenge for this week!

this week's challenge is to show us a lucky charm. perhaps it is a piece of jewelry? or a talisman you carry in your pocket? do you have something on your desk or in your home that brings you good fortune? is it a baseball hat or a smelly old t-shirt? did someone give it to you? why is it meaningful to you? will you tell us about a time when it brought you good luck?

I started getting "lucky" with Aaron( ;P ) on June 1st, 1995. From that day on, everything that has ever happened to me that is lucky is because of him! He has also given me 4 Lucky Charms that bring me luck every single day!

Aren'tcha sorry you asked me about getting LUCKY! :P

Self Portrait Tuesday!

2007-03-13T11:56:00.000-06:00

Well you girls finally get to see a glimpse of the real me. Always making goofy faces and screwing around...LOL!

Here are the guidlines for todays challenge. I am fairly new to this town and am not sure about it's history. Therefore I decided to just take pics of myself out into my neighborhood and snap some silly pics!

Take a picture of yourself out and about in your neighborhood, your town, your city. do you live near a landmark or a setting that has ever been used by Hollywood? would we recognize it? does it have historic significance to your community? has it become more popular since it was featured on the big screen? if no movie locations come to mind, how about showing us a significant landmark from your area? get out there and get creative!

There you have it! Ugly Betty, watch out!! :P

Visual DNA!

2007-03-13T09:09:00.001-06:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I got a much needed haircut!!

2007-03-12T16:17:00.000-06:00

My hair has been a mess for months. I finally bit the bullet today and went and had something done with it.
Cecelie, my hairstylist, put an all over cover and then thinned this mess out and cut it into a long A-line.
She is wonderful hairstylist so if you are looking for a new one, email me and I will give you her number!

I decided that for this trip I wanted to look somewhat decent and not scraggly like usual...LOL!

I need Chocolate!

2007-03-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have a day where if you do not get some chocolate RIGHT AWAY, you will perish?!!

@$#@ Weight Watchers! :(

(I may sneak some anyway!) :P

Self Portrait Tuesday

2007-03-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall....

I definitely don't see no Cinderella there...LOL! How was that for bad English :P

There is nothing special about this picture at all. No fancy way of taking it, no cleverly posed shot. Just me sitting in front of a mirror in my exercise clothes, about to head straight to the shower, no make up on, glasses, and of course Sawyer in tow. ;) A typical day for me.

But. In my eyes do you see the reflection of the woman I am? The woman I was? The woman I can become? When I look at myself, I see all of those things.

When other people see me and look into my eyes, I hope they see the same thing. I hope I take their hopes and give them back to them with a promise that anything is possible.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

You wanna see some Sugah!

2007-03-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

I need to document some of the milestones that Quincy is accomplishing.

She has started cooing and mimicking talking to us. She is rolling side to side. We have almost gotten a giggle out of her. She is sleeping through the night. Nur*sing like a champ but taking one baba per day too.

Her dad and brothers are over the moon for her. She is a joy and light to this family.

In other news, the reservations are made for the Oregon trip. We are SO excited! We have decided to surprise the kids with it. They have no idea we are going. You know what is funny about taking a holiday in our house? Aaron ALWAYS drags his feet when it comes to taking a vacation. I am a spur of the moment kinda gal and so whenever we have some free cash to spend I always want to take a trip. It drives Aaron bonkers that he has to go along with all my hairbrained plans...LOL!
But the funny part of all of this is, once we get there, he acts like a big kid. He LOVES it!
One of the very main reasons I want to ever have money in this lifetime is to travel. I want to see things and places and I want our kids to see things and places too.

Business is crazy for me right now. I have lots of custom orders that I am working on. I love the chance to be creative. Making jewelry brings me so much happiness. I love what I do!
Work is busy for Aaron right now too. He is also busy trying to get himself into Spring Term at UVSC. He has had some hang ups in the process and I can only take that to mean that we are on the right path. He is still feeling really good about his decision to follow the PA path.

Hey Jenny C! Doug gonna need a PA in about 4 years? Aaron remembers being friends with him back in the ward and would love the chance to be reacquainted again! :P

I received some awesome Good Mail today. Anna! I love it all! The box was filled with so many fun goodies. Each thing I pulled out I was like OHHHH! AHHHH!! I love your handmade cards. So much creativty goes into them! Thank you! :)
Yesterday, I hate to say, we ditched church and spent the day together as a family. Aaron didn't have to teach Gospel Doctrine and I didn't have to teach the Laurels so we played hooky. Life gets so crazy sometimes that it feels like we never get time together. So once in a blue moon we will skip church and hang out together all day long.

Saturday I met some girlfriends for lunch (Hi Shayla and Victoria) :P It is SO nice to get out of the house once in awhile and have some adult female conversation. We met at the Olive Garden in Murray and had a lovely time gabbing about everything and nothing!

I think I will make Pizza Bread with salad for dinner tonight.

**What are your dinner plans?**

Lookee where we are going!

2007-03-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

We have made plans to take a quick little jaunt to the Oregon Coast the third week in March. Lisa, a friend of mine, mentioned that she and her family were going there this weekend and I was intrigued by the picture so I started doing a little research about the place.

I found some interesting little tidbits here. I think the kids would have a blast trying to find one of these colorful floats! Plus the kids have not been to the ocean before so that will be a treat in and of itself. And according to Lisa there is a town nearby called Newport that has lots of fun, educational things that kids like!

Has anyone ever visited Lincoln City, Oregon before? If so, what do YOU recommend we do? Eat? Stay?

Wednesday Weigh In

2007-02-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

The good news is I am down 2 pounds. The bad news is I forgot to measure inches before I started this journey. So I will measure all my trouble spots today so I can actually see, in inches, what I am losing.

Areas that I want to improve in this week are:
1. Tighten up my eating on the weekends
2. Drink more water

It seems that for now, eating the Smart Ones meals by Weight Watchers are helping me to count points the best until I learn what the points are for all the foods I like. Plus since I am so busy during the day, popping on of those into the microwave is easiest.

I have noticed I get the major snackies from about 2-5pm. I have to totally distract myself during those hours.

2 pounds down-38 to go!

Girl Scout Cookies

2007-02-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hey, we need some Girl Scout Cookies in this house. I don't know any Girl Scouts.
Do any of you have a girl selling cookies? Let me know cause we want some! :)

Self Portrait Tuesday

2007-02-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Lelly issued a challenge to all of us in Blogland to take pictures of ourselves on Tuesdays and post them. Today our feet are the subject.

Here are my feet, chipped nail polish and all.

These feet have carried me many places. I have walked thousands of miles on these feet. These feet; have carried 4 babies, walked down the isle to my wonderful Aaron, up the podium to receive my BYU Bachelor of Science, along the beach, up mountains, are one of my best features, have lead me on paths good and bad.

Your Feet

Walk gently over the flowers of life,
Take each step with ease,
Run rampantly, forcefully over the path,
Creating your very own breeze.

Take the path less trodden,
Or follow the common road,
All signs point to somewhere,
All can handle your load.

In the end the choice is now,
Not for left or right,
But for something true to you,
That gets you through the night.

Just don’t break the flowers,
Or swelter in the heat,
There are no excuses,
Only you control your feet.

-Tina Louise

My Ridge-a-rama!

2007-02-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Lest you get a one sided view of Ridge here are some of my very favorite things about him! :)

1. He loves dinosaurs. He can tell you ANYTHING you want to know about ANY dinosaur in any time frame in which dinosaurs lived! He knows what they ate, how big they were, how much they weighed, what time period they lived in, etc!

2. He strongly believes that he is meant to be a paleontologist.

3. He is very sweet with babies, especially Quincy. If she is fussy, Ridge will pick her up and sing to her and she quiets right down.

4. He takes time everyday to play with his younger brother Sawyer when he gets home from school. He knows Sawyer has missed him all day long and so he makes time everyday to play with him.

5. He is very likable. He has many friends at school and makes friends easily.

6. He is tenderhearted. Anytime my family is here for a visit and they are getting ready to leave, Ridge without fail, will cry because he is sad they are leaving. He cries when there is a sad part on a movie or song. He cries when one of his siblings gets hurt or something happens to one of our pets.

7. He takes getting baptized very seriously. He expressed to me this weekend that he doesn't want to be baptized until he can quit his habit of lying or omitting the truth.

8. He is concerned for his family's welfare. He is always the first to offer me a drink if he thinks I am thirsty. He is the first to offer a hug or kiss if he thinks I am sad. He will attempt to rub my shoulders to if he thinks I need it.

9. He is completely fine to play by himself. He can play for hours outside making up games and magical, far off places that he visits.

10. He is a great academic student. Straight A's for this boy! :)

Ridge is a wonder to me in more ways than one. I am honored to be his mother. He challenges and humbles me. Just when I thought I knew it all Heavenly Father gave me Ridge to raise. ;)

Tidy up some things...

2007-02-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, all of you poor people that read my blog are going to have to read about my many failings as a mother.

I have made it no secret that mothering does NOT come easy to me. I believe that some women were just born to be mothers with innate abilities to be good at it. I believe that I was not born with those abilities. In high school I was the girl who wanted a career and maybe marriage later in life. Children were questionable.
Well obviously Aaron ruined that plan for me. ;P But I still struggle with mothering my children. I think some of my problem is that I have very high expectations of myself and my children ( read perfectionist, in a bad way) and so when they don't meet my expectations or what I feel they are capable of, I get really down and disgruntled with myself and with said child.

Let's take my sweet Ridge for instances. I do not know how to mother this child. He was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten and he obviously still suffers from it as he will probably the rest of his life. He has little to no impulse control. Even on his medication, the choices he makes are not always great. He likes to make people laugh which results in being in trouble a lot with his classroom teacher. We have a reward system for him in that he gets to post 4 colors in one month and then we will buy him a used Nintendo DS system, similar to a Gameboy. We were under the assumption that Ridge has only posted 3 colors for th month of February so when I see Ridge's teacher standing outside with him on Thursday I knew something was wrong, especially since Ridge was crying. Well Ridge had been lying to us about posting colors. He had actually posted 10 colors this month which resulted in a lunch detention for him. They get 10 warning colored posts per month before they have to serve a lunch detention.

I am upset with the fact that Ridge felt like we were not the kind of parents that he felt he could tell the truth to. Granted Aaron and I are tough disciplinarians. We let our children get a way with very few shenanigans. He felt that lying to use about posting the colors was going to be better than telling us the truth. I have a major problem with this. How do I teach my son that telling the truth, NO MATTER WHAT, is the only way to live your life??? How do I change myself, as a parent, so that he feels safe enough to tell me the truth???

The is what the big ARRGGGHHH was over. My inadequacies as a mother. Heaven... help me.

But then I must do something right because my Logan wrote me the beautiful note and gave me some of his BEST and CUTEST cards. Such a wonderful gesture from the boys who has HUNDREDS of these cards and plays with them everyday.
One of the reasons this gesture touched me so was because I feel that I don't have love from Logan like he shows to his dad. Logan's world revolves around Aaron. Always has. Logan tries to please Aaron is everything that he does. He always wants to talk to Aaron, be with him, do things with him, tell him about his day, etc. A lot of times I feel that he does not have much affection for me. But then he goes and does something like this and my heart melts into a puddle at his feet.

I needed to purge these thoughts so that I can read them and look back at what it was like when my little boys were 7 and 9 years old.

As a disclaimer, I CANNOT imagine my life without these spirits sent from God. I would be a shell of a person without them. I am so honored that Father in Heaven saw fit to take a chance on me and let me raise some of his CHOICEST children. He must really love me and have the confidence in me that I do not have in myself.

This makes all the bad days better....

2007-02-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

From my dear, sweet Logan (9).

Eeyore

2007-02-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

I am in a grumpy, foul mood today so I decided instead of posting about it, I will just give a big ol' AAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH and be done with it!

Wednesday Weigh-In

2007-02-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is official! I signed up with Weight Watchers online this morning. I decided I needed some help with making some healthy lifestyle changes and so I enlisted Weight Watchers to help me.

If anyone out there would like to join me today in signing up for Weight Watchers or any diet plan of your choice, leave me a comment and we can take this journey together.

I will be reporting in each Wednesday with my weight, ideas, recipes, support, help....etc.

My theme for the year is RUN WITH IT and that is how I plan to approach this weight loss journey. I want to lose 40 pounds before we have our next baby so I need to stay focused. I am not getting any younger...LOL!

GOOD LUCK!

Food, Movies, Life and Death

2007-02-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun day as a family yesterday! Aaron needed to run some errands in the morning and when he was on his way home he called me up and told me to get everyone ready that we were going out to lunch. I suggested that we also take the kids to a movie, so that is what we did.

We asked Ridge where he wanted to eat for lunch and he said Dairy Keen in Heber, Utah. This a a fun little mom and pop hamburger joint up there in Heber. The best part about this little place is that it has train sets running everywhere inside. The kids loved it!
The boys all order a Dairy Keen kids meal and with the meal came these crazy glasses. It was so fun to see all the kids inside the restaurant wearing these fun and crazy glasses.
We got tickets for the 4:30 showing of Bridge to Terabithia. I must give this film 2 thumbs up. What a wonderful portrayal of fantasy and reality mixed. I was kept on my the edge of my seat the entire movie. Such an imaginative, heart warming piece of work. Please be forewarned though, there is an element of real sadness in the movie too.

I was just enthralled with the character development of the children that starred in the movie. And the characters as seen here that came from their imaginations.
One of the best kids movies I have seen in years! Take your family. They will LOVE it!

Another subject that has been on my mind lately is what would happen to my family in the case of Aaron or I's unexpected passing. Do you and your spouse ever discuss this? As we were driving to dinner on our Friday night date we were discussing what either of us would do in the event we found ourselves raising these kids alone.

We both decided that we would want the spouse left remaining to remarry. I believe that my kids will need a mother figure in their lives should anything happen to me. Aaron also feels that the kids will need a father figure in their lives should anything happen to him. We also discussed who we would want to raise our children should anything happen to both of us.
Is there a legal way to go about appointing someone to raise your children in the event that both parents are deceased? I guess a will would cover that but since we don't have a will, is there another way?

I know a lot of people don't care to discuss this kind of thing with their spouses but I think that is not such a great idea. I think it is important that you both know how the other feels about issues such as this.

What do you think?

Our Weekend...

2007-02-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Friday's are always a fun day at our house. Aaron works 4-10's with the city and so he has Friday's off. A lot of times we will go out to breakfast after we drop the kids off at school. Our favorite place to go is Cracker Barrel. I love their Biscuits and Gravy! Taste like homemade. While we were at the Cracker Barrel, I found some goodies to send out for Good Mail! SO excited about that.

After we ate we headed for Salt Lake. Kristi, we decided on that stroller after all. I talked her down to $75 for it and when we went to take a look at it, it was in really great shape. So, we are the proud new owners of a nice jogging stroller. I have been wanting to get something as I don't have any way to exercise with my kids in tow.

Friday night I met up with Victoria and Shannon at the American Fork Cafe Rio and we grabbed a quick bite before heading to Shayla's for a Stampin' Up party. I had such a great time! I made two cute cards and had some wonderful, much needed female adult conversation. What was so fun was that everyone's cards turned out differently so it was fun to see how creative everyone was. My name was also drawn to win the door prize and it was a lovely Salt City Candle with the scent Pear Berry. Delish!

Shannon brought along her catalog and Scentsy samples. They are a wonderful way to make your home smell nice and fresh without lighting a candle. I ordered the warmer and 3 or 4 scents to melt in the warmer. Email me if you would like Shannon to contact you about Scentsy!

Saturday Aaron and I headed out early for a walk/jog. We are both trying to work our way up to being able to jog full time. I am tired of being chubby. I am not really fat per say just chubby. The chub needs to find a new resident. My butt is long tired of being the host. When we got home we began to move all of our furniture outside so that we could get our carpets clean.

Michael Heath from Cougar Chem-Dry came to clean our carpets and I must give him 2 thumps up! He did a great job! He prides himself on having the very lowest prices in this area for his work plus he maintains and, I agree, that he does a great job in getting your carpets clean. Call him if you need your carpets cleaned: 377-6767

Saturday evening Aaron made good on his dinner invitation from earlier in the week. We went to my favorite restaurant; Red Rock Brewing Company. I am still dreaming of and tasting the food in my mouth. I adore the food there and am delighted every time we go.

I had the Warm Goat Cheese salad, chunky Creamy Potato soup with bacon chunks and drizzles of sour cream over the top, a Caprese sandwich and finally Bread Pudding with a Whiskey Cream sauce and ice cream drizzled with caramel. SO SO tasty!

I teach the Laurels at church and today the lesson was on having Love and Harmony in the Home. I think this topic is so great for these teenage girls. Teenagers by nature are self centered little creatures. It was good for them to look beyond themselves and realize that if even one person is "out of tune" in the home then harmony cannot exist. Each family member plays a role in making sure that harmony exists. Just as each note in a chord of music is in tune to make a harmonious sound, each person must contribute to the happiness of the family to make sure the family is "in tune" too.

**What has your weekend been like?**

So....Lucy....

2007-02-16T23:35:00.000-07:00

How did it go tonight? I have been thinking about you all day and have been SO excited for your debut!

Deets, when you have a few minutes....purty pleaze!

HELP!

2007-02-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

I need someone to help my Ridge with Flat Stanley! If you would be willing to help him out with that, we would really appreciate it! :)
I will need to your address too, if I don't already have it. Thank you so much!

So, what did YOU have for dinner tonight?

2007-02-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

I love hearing about the different kinds of meals that people prepare for their families.

Also, if you have any good tried and true healthy snacks and lunch food that you eat, I would love to hear those ideas too!

2007-02-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by Victoria to list 10 things I love about Aaron!

1. He makes me laugh. And not just giggle, I mean he makes me guffaw!

2. He is really smart and I enjoy having an intelligent conversation with him.

3. He can fix just about anything. He is very handy around the house.

4. He kisses and tucks our kids into bed every night. Love that!

5. He is an excellent Gospel Doctrine teacher. I love that he gets emotional during his lessons.

6. Whenever he goes to the store, he always brings me home one of my favorite treats.

7. He has the sexiest eyes, calves, smile, soul patch and back.

8. We both love to garden and I love that he likes to design how our flowers should be planted.

9. He is very spiritual and takes the Gospel seriously.

10. He remained loyal and loving to me during a very hard time in our marriage.

This is what I found on my desk this morning. My favorites chocolates from Sees Candies and a lovely card. :)

Anyone the reads my blog today, you are tagged to write 10 things you love about your spouse!

Here are the goodies we got the kids this year.

My head feels full like a bag of popcorn

2007-02-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

So many things just bursting to make their way free...LOL!

I want to express my feelings about sisterhood. I have so many dear and wonderful people that the Lord has blessed my life with. Many if not all of them have been brought into my life through the Internet. Back in 2001 I was searching on the Internet for something with regards to Ridge who was 2 at the time. Whatever it was I was searching for brought me to iVillage for my answer.
I began scouting around that site a bit and discovered they had a message board created for LDS Moms to commiserate. I just lurked on this board daily for quite awhile before I ever posted anything. I wanted to make sure these people weren't a bunch of nut jobs before putting my life out there for everyone to read.

Well 6 years has passed since I did that and from that one chance I took, I have found friends that I love and cherish and still talk with daily. Blogging is another world that has opened up anew for me. I am so giddy that I have the opportunity to share, laugh, cry, pontificate, comfort, and love so many lovely women.

Sisterhood is what gets us all through this life somewhat unscathed. We lean on one another. We help one another when we stumble. We put our arms around each other in comfort. I believe the Lord has given us mediums like this so that we can help one another back to live with Him again. We need each other. We should always build one another up. Never tear each other down. We should never compare ourselves to another with the idea that we are not better or not as talented. We should embrace and use the talents of one another. I told Aaron that I will pay a stay at home mom for her talents rather than screw something up myself just to save little moula. God has given us all things that we excel in. Let's all share our talents with one another.

Lucy has a real talent for drawing her readers in with a well written, thought provoking post.
Victoria has the talent of being a leader and getting things done.
Jill is a mother hen. She gathers us all in and we feel important because of her.
Annalisa is a runner. I feel inspired because of her.
Janae is a fancy. She is such a free spirit. I love reading her enthusiastic posts.
Ana is a warrior. She is the best cook and strongest woman I know.
Kacey is an artist. She has reflamed my love for writing. And makes the cutest darn stationary to boot!

These are just a fraction of the women who I depend on everyday to bring light into my life.

Sisterhood. The tie that binds.

I am SO blessed!

2007-02-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Man, oh man has my day improved by a million percent!

I just received some of the most thoughtful, loveliest Good Mail ever!

Hannah sent me a touching handmade Valentine's Day card. I think it is beautiful Hannah, thank you!

Bridget responded in a very touching way to the big decisions Aaron and I have been making lately. You know, I love the hand written notes just as much or more than the goodies themselves! And Bridget wrote a lovely note. I love the goodies and the note Bridget so much, thank you!

And Amanda who is wonderfully creative, sent me some of her handmade magnets! She also sent a fun note, which I loved reading, thank you Amanda! I loved the note and the magnets! My refrigerator is Blahsville so those will liven it right up!!

I sent 4 pieces of Good Mail out last week and am so pumped because I bought some goodies this weekend to send out some more this week.

I love Good Mail. It does my heart good to be thought of and cared for by friends and "strangers" alike. Although, once Good Mail is sent and received by someone who you did not know before, I consider that person a friend for life from that point on!

Keeping Love Alive!

2007-02-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Look at this email I got in my Inbox this morning:

Time: This Friday or Saturday at 5:30PM

What We Will Be Doing: Dinner for sure and some other fun activity.

Please RSVP

Thanks,
Aaron

I love fun little things like this! In your marriage how do you keep the romance alive? How does your husband keep the romance alive? Do you think romance is an important part of marriage?

Help!

2007-02-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

**Just for you Kristi**
I decided not to get it. I was talking to Aaron last night we decided that we will hold out and get a new one. :)

I am considering this stroller:
http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/bab/271080781.html

The gal said it is available and that she is NOT firm on the price. What do you think this stroller is worth? What should I offer her?

Gospel (philosophical) question....

2007-02-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

What is the difference between Savior and Redeemer? Or is there a difference?
Reference is 1st Nephi 21:26 and 22:12

This question was brought up in Aaron's Elders Quorum class.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

I am such a heathen!

2007-02-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

I downright about blew a gasket when I saw a bump sticker today that said:

Beaver or Bust!
Labor Day Weekend
Beaver, Utah

Aaron and I always joked that we were going to take a pic of the sign that said the Filmore Beaver Area and send it to Jay Leno.

I have the grossest sense of humor....LOLOLOL!!!

I have been tagged!

2007-02-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

I am supposed to list 6 unusual things about myself! Here goes....

1. I love to dunk graham crackers in milk.

2. I wore Doc Martens all throughout my Freshman year at BYU. You know the black goth looking ones? Yeah, even with my dresses....GEEZ! What was I thinking???

3. I spent one semester of my junior year in high school with some friends in Colorado. An ex-boyfriend was harassing me and so my mom got me out of there.

4. I cannot stand the (red) Cherry Starburst in the pack of Starburst candies. I always give them away.

5. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream is the WORST invention ever! Aaron loves it and I sit there and gag while he eats it.

6. I won't let Aaron shave off his soul patch. He grows it simply because I love it. I wonder if he will have to shave it off for PA school? :(

I tag Lucy, Amie and Laurie! List 6 unusual things about yourself on your blog! And then tag 3 more people.

Life is funny....

2007-02-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed since I have started blogging. I love that I have only wanted to improve myself and my attitude since I have started. I have met SO many new and wonderful people. I have been reacquainted with 3 people who were in a married student ward with Aaron and I about 10 years ago ( Hi Jenny, Lucy and Tara)! :P I feel so blessed that I can ask questions and receive thoughtful answers. I appreciate the support that people show to me and my family through responding to my silly posts.

I especially appreciate the wonderful feedback I received from friends with regards to my plea for info on med school. Because of the great posts and emails we have received I think it is safe to say we will be attending PA school and not med school. Everyone was so generous in the info they gave. The one that touched my heart and resonated was Lucy's. Aaron and I both read it and we realized that family is the most important thing and by the time Aaron would even close to done, Logan will be leaving for a mission. We don't want the majority of his growing up years to be without his dad. He is the one that clings to Aaron the most as it is.

Thank you again. Aaron and I both read every single comment and email. I love you all for caring enough to respond. :)

In other news, we have taken care of the Gold's Gym ordeal. Aaron called and reached someone named Cody who sent us a fax stating that our account was closed and that they will not charge us anymore money. We had our credit union deny any access they might have to our account, just to be safe. Cost us $18 stinkin' bucks to do that though. BAH HUMBUG!

My Visiting Teaching companion approached me on Sunday and had set up some appointments for a visit. She told me not to worry about coming until Quincy gets a little older. The Lord has heard my pleas to soften my heart towards visiting teaching. I was grateful for this blessing. I will post pics tomorrow of the cute Valentine goody I came up with for the ladies we see.

I have received some Good Mail too that I want to make mention of. Victoria sent me a wonderful note thanking me for our friendship and these great body sprays! Vic our friendship has been my pleasure. You are the most loyal friend and I love ya!

Jill also sent a lovely thank you card too. I am so stinkin' blessed in my dear friends. :)

I have 4 packages of Good Mail fixing to go out! I am so excited for the ladies to get these packages :P

**What are you grateful for today?**
**Do you have any Good Mail ready to ship?**

Are we insane?

2007-02-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

I want some honest opinions here...

Aaron has just about decided to forgo PA school and just apply to medical school. He is 36 turning 37 this year. This is a 10 year journey should we decide to set foot on this path.

We can't quite seem to get over the numbers (his age). Since he is relatively healthy and quite determined, how much should we factor his age into our decision?

He cannot seem to shake the feeling that the Lord wants him to pursue an M.D.

What are your thoughts? How would you honestly feel if you were in my shoes and your husband decided to embark on a journey of 10+ years of schooling which results in NO money and lots of alone time for you to do something he REALLY wanted to do?

Those of you who are doctors wives will you answer a few more questions for me? You will probably have to ask your husbands some of these questions. I am very interested to hear their point of view.

If you had this to do all over again, would you begin the journey at the age you are right now? Would it be worth it to you? Is medical school just a total pipe dream for someone Aaron's age?
And on the home front, would anyone be willing to admit how much a resident makes and how much, realistically, we are looking at for student loans over the course of this journey? One of my biggest fears is that Aaron's career won't last long enough to pay back the loans.

Email me if you don't feel comfortable posting about it. Thank you for all opinions!

Quincy Noelle...

2007-02-04T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today was Quincy's blessing day. Her dad gave her a beautiful blessing. The one thing that stood out in my mind the most was that Aaron blessed her that she would have the COURAGE to do what was right and to follow the plan that our Heavenly Father has in store for her.

Everyone that came up to me thought that Quincy was just a doll and I must admit that she looked like an angel in her little blessing dress. :)

My only wish is that we would have had some family and friends there....

I am feeling very spoiled today!

2007-02-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that every time (which is not that often) I receive some Good Mail I get so emotional about it. I always feel tears start to well up when I contemplate that someone thought of me. Someone cared enough to send me a little something :)

Janae sent me this wonderful little package containing a gorgeous handmade card, courtesy of her sister Anna, with a Cold Stone gift certificate and a super cute Valentines dish towel! Janae I am so happy your remembered my love of Cold Stone. Thank you, thank you! I love it all!

Next I have a fun, goody filled package from Jenny!
She sent these super cute Mary Engelbreit note cards to me. How did you know I love EVERYTHING Mary Engelbreit?!? She also sent all kinds of fun candies and a nice note. Thank you for thinking of me Jenny :)

And finally a very fun and unexpected collection of recipes that Allison collected from a variety of gals here in the blogging world. Allison, I am tickled pink because I collect cookbooks. LOVE them! Thank you bunches for thinking of me! :)

Jill also sent me a bunch of Charmed Designs by Dana stickers to put on my packages I send out with goodies in them. Thank you Jill, they are wonderful!

Thank you again to all of you! You have brightened my day by leaps and bounds!

Story of My Life!

Happy 9th Birthday to my Banana-rama!

Time Flies....

Savior

*My* 10 Hour Marathon

~*~Adventure Photo Contest~*~

I've been Tagged!

In stark contrast to yesterday....

Well, well, well... Will you look at that!

Just some random thoughts....

Our San Francisco Treat

Sugahlicious

I've been Tagged!

Our Beloved Prophet

A girl that loves her food :)

This is fun! Everyone do it! :P

So, anyone know what has happened to Mister West?

~*~* ALOHA~!*~*

Rudolph the Red Nosed Sawyer

~*~ Happy 1st Birthday Quincy~*~

~*~* Happy Birthday to ME~*~*

Happy 4th Birthday to my Sawyer!

Kristi- This one is for YOU!

My Phrase for the Year was/is......

Please Consider Signing This Petition

Who wants to see some Sunday morning eye candy?

Pink October Breast Cancer Awareness

Money

As you can see....

Grand Canyon and Zions Park

Has it really been a month since I updated this?

So, it is that time of year again....

Bridal Veil Falls and the Blog Party

Food Lover's Group

Revising my Food Revolution plans!

I am starting a FOOD revolution!

Because I am such a generous person....

Thoughts at the kitchen sink....

Self Portrait Tuesday!

Discussions at Midnight.....

FUN CONTEST!

Taking a little break....

To my BFF Aimee

Up, uP and aWaY..... Goodbye Kylie

Thank You

Are you signed up yet?

Lost a dear friend yesterday

KNoCk, kNocK, KnOcK....is this thing on???

Questions for those who have a housecleaner

Wish I had some time to blog.....

Introducing! The REAL Dana and Aaron :)

Thwap! Lucy! and Proud to be an American!

OK...so I am NOT complaining....

I love this baby girl!

Spring Break Extravaganza!

Fun contest!

Ear ache?

8 is Great for my Ridge-a-rama!

So, what is/was for dinner at your house tonight?

Self Portrait Tuesday!

Happy Easter!

Has it been a week already??

Boy, time marches on......

Oregon Coast Vacation

Anyone want to meet Aaron and I for dinner tonight?

Calling all Wannabe Travel Agents!

Life is Crazy....

HAWAII 4-0!

Self Portrait Tuesday!

Self Portrait Tuesday!

Visual DNA!

I got a much needed haircut!!

I need Chocolate!

Self Portrait Tuesday

You wanna see some Sugah!

Lookee where we are going!

Wednesday Weigh In

Girl Scout Cookies

Self Portrait Tuesday

My Ridge-a-rama!

My 10 Hour Marathon

~~Adventure Photo Contest~~

~~ ALOHA~!~

~~ Happy 1st Birthday Quincy~~

~~ Happy Birthday to ME~~