it was very merry.

wow... quite the haul!

santa was definitely here.

jodi's favorite treat to indulge on... sprinkles cupcake mix from williams & sonoma
we made the chocolate peppermint ones.... yum, yum, yum

love the gingerbread house kit from costco... includes everything and looks great!

Tis the Season!

I haven't had time to answer questions and rather than go back and catch up, I'll just go on from today!

19. Snow. Love it? Dread it? Tolerate it?
**I love the way it looks and I don't think it would be Christmas without it but I HATE driving in it and I don't dig the cold all that much. I do think it's fun to take the kids sledding and I enjoy skiing (even though I haven't been in years)!

More questions!

11. What's your favorite holiday goodie to make and share?
**I love to make fudge (but I mostly like to eat it, not share it)

12. What's your favorite Christmas song?
**I love Christmas music... I don't think I have one favorite song. I absolutely LOVE the new Josh Groban Christmas album. I love hearing my kids sing Christmas songs too.

13. When did you learn the truth about the "magic" of Christmas?
**What truth? I'm not sure I understand the question... Christmas is still very magical! (Althouth I did always find it funny the Santa Claus had the exact same handwriting as my mom... wink, wink)

14. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
**Jammies! I love Christmas Eve jammies. We also open a family DVD to watch on Christmas Eve.

I got behind on Christmas questions...

8. What's on the top of your tree?
**A glittery, sparkly silver star

9. Do you have a nativity displayed through the holidays?
**Depends on the year. I have two nativity sets that I love. This year I opted for no nativities because we have a puppy who would destroy it!

10. Candy Canes, traditional or flavored? OR Chocolate Covered Cherries?
**I hate chocolate covered cherries so we'll nix that one immediately. I don't care too much for candy canes either but if I were to eat one, it would be flavored.

Christmas Questions!

I've seen this on a few other blogs and since I'm a LEMMING, I'm joining the masses and copying it too. Basically it's a countdown to Christmas with a new question each day... except today I will answer multiple questions to catch up!

1. Colored lights or white lights on your house or not at all?
** I prefer colored lights on the outside of my house.

2. Hot chocolate or egg nog?
**Hot chocolate for sure! My new cocoa latte machine is the BEST invention ever!

3. What's your favorite holiday dish?
**Homemade fudge (maybe this isn't your typical "dish" but it's holiday and it's on a dish and I love it)

4. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree?
**A little of both.

5. Do you hang mistletoe?
**Nope

6. When do you put up your decorations?
**Usually I decorate the day after Thanksgiving. However, it's December 7th and I still haven't put up one thing. Hopefully this weekend!

7. What's your favorite holiday tradition?
**My goodness... how on earth am I supposed to pick just one? I absolutely love Christmas Eve though. The kids get new jammies, we read lots of Christmas stories, maybe watch a Christmas flick and spend good time as a family. I also love Christmas books and I try to get at least one new one each year.

Cub Scouts!

Jackson is officially a Cub Scout!!! Isn't he so handsome? I cannot believe he's so big. He went to scouts this afternoon and absolutely LOVED it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I think this painting is so adorable... notice the cute little Beagles sitting at the dinner table!

Happy Birthday!

We've been so busy that I haven't had time to post. Aspen and Jackson celebrated their 8th birthday... WHOA! (do I seriously have 8 year olds???) We had a great couple of days starting at Chili's (each of them got their own molten lava cake and bellyaches that followed), we went to Chuck E Cheese and also had really fun parties! The girls played dress-ups and did art projects and the boys built dinosaurs. Thanks so much to my mom and dad for letting us have the parties at their house... it was PERFECT!

Where does the time go?

MY SHELF! This shelf is in my bedroom and I absolutely love it. With a little help from Ikea, Kohls, Real Deals, TaiPan, the dollar store, and my Grandma... the shelf is complete and perfect!
My Grandma gave me this old sewing machine a couple months before she passed away. I love this little sewing machine and I used to "ooh" and "aah" over it at her house whenever I was there. She kept it on a bookcase in her living room. One day she called me at work and asked me to stop by her house on my way home because she had something she wanted to give me. When I got to her house she had the sewing machine all wiped off and wrapped in a white lunch sack. She wanted me to have it (and also gave me strict instructions on how to care for it and that it wasn't a toy for the kids to play with). I told her I had the perfect spot for it... MY SHELF. I also told her that I would take pictures of the completed shelf and show them to her so she could see where I put the sewing machine. Sadly, I didn't ever get to show her these photos but I'm sure that she'd love the finished product (especially since it's high out of reach of little kids)!

UPDATE... GRANDMA'S FUNERAL
The three amigos playing Gameboys during the viewing... Grandma wouldn't have cared at all... she would've asked them to show her what they were playing! Plus it kept them totally entertained and quiet!
These carnations were placed on her casket by the pallbearers... I love this pic.

Happy Halloween!

Hannah Montana

Tickets to the Hannah Montana concert: $370
Parking: $6
Lunch: $20
Souvenirs: $40
Treats: $10
Aspen's face upon seeing Hannah Montana....

PRICELESS!!!

In Loving Memory...

Rest in peace, Grandma! We love you & miss you already.

Utah Quarters

I love all of the state quarters and I have a little book that I save one of each of them in. I was excited yesterday when I was reading the newspaper (online, of course) and came across these pictures. This was the first viewing of the quarter coming off the press and the quarters will be released in circulation on November 5. And yes, I will be waiting in line at the bank to get a handful of Utah quarters!

Top Ten... Seriously

I haven't done a top ten in awhile and today feels like a great day to do one! Today's Top Ten is about what is currently my favorite show... GREY'S ANATOMY. I could give up a lot of shows that I watch but this is not one of them... SERIOUSLY.

Here are ten random trivia bits about Grey's Anatomy:

1. Every episode shares the name with a song title by various popular artists (several have been Beatles and R.E.M. tunes).

2. The show was originally called Complications (I much prefer Grey's Anatomy... maybe 'cuz I'm used to it).

3. Rob Lowe was originally considered for the role of Derek Shepherd but passed on it (and he should be kicking his own butt now seeing what an awesome show it is. However, I {heart} Patrick Dempsey and he's perfect for the roll so thanks to Rob Lowe for passing).

4. Christina was the first person to refer to Dr. Shepherd as "McDreamy" (bless the writers for this one... he is TRULY McDreamy and I love how it has stuck).

5. The theme song for the show is called "Cosy in the Rocket" and is performed by Psapp.

6. Alex Karev was not in the original pilot script. His role was inserted as an afterthought and scenes with him were either re-shoots or digitally altered (I, personally, am glad for this "afterthought." I like Alex's character and I like what he brings to the show).

7. The first episode not narrated by Meredith was narrated by George.

8. The character name Dr. Mark Sloan is a reference to a 'Dick Van Dyke' character by the same name in the TV show "Diagnosis Murder".

9. Sandra Oh was initially looking to audition for the part of Dr. Bailey.

10. The show's title is a reference to the famous anatomy book "Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body" by Henry Gray.


Maybe today's Top Ten should be renamed to Top Eleven
**BONUS** One of my all time favorite scenes was in Season 1 and it was either episode 1 or 2. All of the new interns are sitting together and George says, "Who here feels like they have no idea what they're doing?" And all of the interns raise their hands.


Note: The majority of today's Top Ten was made possible thanks to www.imdb.com.

Park City

I love Park City... love love love it! We went there over the weekend and had a fabulous time. The weather was quite cold and a little stormy but we still had so much fun. We strolled up and down Main Street, ate great food, enjoyed lots of shopping and went on scenic drives (and in Deer Valley there was quite a bit of snow and we saw deer). We also enjoyed a little R & R at the condo watching movies, reading and playing PlayStation! The leaves and trees were absolutely BREATHTAKING!

Big Blooms

I bought bulbs at Costco months and months ago and planted them EXACTLY according to the package directions. I have waited and waited (and waited) all summer for them to bloom and they finally did. I am sure they are going to die off rather quickly since the weather has taken a drastic turn for the worse but I am enjoying them for now. They are so beautiful and definitely WORTH THE WAIT!!!

Kermit

I found this to be quite funny so I though I would share!

Sweet Dreams

After I tuck my kids in bed at night, I usually check on them 2-3 times before I finally go to bed myself. Last night as I checked on them, I was particulary grateful that they were home, safe, and tucked in their own beds. It was kind of a stressful weekend for these two and I just hope they were having *SWEET* dreams!

School Pictures

So today is picture day. This is how our morning went.

Jackson:
Me: "Jacks, can you get dressed and comb your hair?"
Jackson: "Yep"


Aspen:
Me: "Aspen, get dressed and come let me do your hair."
Aspen (now in her underwear): "Mom, do you think this white shirt looks better than the other white one?"
Me: "They both look great. Pick one and come on."
Aspen (still in her underwear): "I'm wearing my pink sandals today not my Skechers."
Me: "Fine, get dressed and come here."
Aspen (STILL in her underwear): "Mom, can you loosen my skirt a little for me?"
Me: "Okay. Hurry. We're running late."
Aspen (now in a skirt but no shirt): "This shirt bugs me."
Me: "Fine- wear the other one. But hurry."
Aspen (finally dressed): "Mom, do you think this jacket looks better unbuttoned or buttoned?"
Me: "I like it buttoned."
Aspen: "Okay, I'm wearing it unbuttoned."
Me: "Let's do your hair."
Aspen: "I want to do my own hair. I know how I like it."
Me: "Okay, but on picture day, mommy gets to help."
Aspen: "You can straigten it a little for me."
Me: "And I'm curling your bangs."
Aspen: "I don't like when you curl my bangs."
Me: "Sorry, you don't have a choice today."
Aspen (now completely ready... finally): "Mom, does this smile look good for a picture?" (Obviously grinning at me)
Me: "That's a perfect smile! Do it just like that."
Aspen: "I need a little more hairspray on my hair."
Me: "No. You have enough. Hurry and go eat breakfast."

Top Ten

1. Jackson giving Chase a ride on his skateboard (even though it was absolutely hilarious to see a scared puppy on a skateboard flying across kitchen floor... imagine Underdog and floppy ears...we did have to review the "no skateboards in the house" rule).



2. Aspen looking at her new earrings in every mirror, every window, or anywhere else she can see her reflection.

3. My new "Under Pressure" ringtone. Except now I don't want to answer my phone-- I just want to keep listening to the song!

4. Good Things Utah: I started DVRing this show to watch while I'm on my treadmill (it really helps pass the time if you have shows to watch) but now I've fallen in love with the show. If I were home during the day I would faithfully watch it everyday.




5. The new iPod line (and the cheaper prices)! My iPod has totally been on the FRITZ so I'm eyeing the new Nano and also the iPod Touch.



6. Chase's new doggie bed. Can I just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Target? They have everything... including the best dog aisle ever. His new bed is so adorable and matches the colors in my house AND the cover zips off for easy washing AND it's comfortable... Chase loves it! (Although he loved his other bed so much that he ATE it which is why he needed a new bed).

7. Tony Hawk on PlayStation... so addicting!

8. A Route 44 drink from Sonic... I really love Diet Coke with a squirt of chocolate... yes chocolate. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

9. September.

10. The fact that it is almost the weekend... HOORAY!!!

Aspen has pierced ears!

Dinner Guest

The other night we were sitting around the table eating dinner and we heard a very loud THUD against the window. We went outside to check it out and found we had a hawk for a visitor. It looked like one of his eyes had been poked out... GROSS... and probably the reason he flew into the window! After a couple minutes of recovery on the ground he flew up to the fence. We got tired of watching him and waiting for his next move so we went back in to finish dinner- but I think he stayed there for awhile!

Top Ten

1. High School Musical 2

2. Sabra winning SYTYCD a couple weeks ago (and I read somewhere that she was from Utah... that's cool)

3. Not having the flu anymore

4. Fresh garden tomatoes (especially on toasted cheese bread with shrimp... thanks to The Todd for teaching me that one)

5. Finshing Harry Potter 7

6. Finishing Eclipse

7. My mom and dad FINALLY moving into their new house... YAHOO!

8. The new season of Psych starting

9. My new Quickutz SILHOUETTE (A digital craft cutter that ROCKS!)

10. No more water bans in Eagle Mountain so my lawn can green up again!

2nd Grade!

It's official. Jackson and Aspen are second graders. SECOND GRADE? How did this happen? I'm freaking out a little bit... they grow up way too fast! Aspen was completely full of first-day jitters. She couldn't eat breakfast because she was too nervous... "I'll just have a glass of milk." She had planned all week to wear her brand new Skechers but after walking around for awhile she resorted to crying on the floor of her closet and trying on 3 different pairs of shoes because the new ones "bugged" her. She finally decided on older, more comfortable shoes (after lots of tears). She didn't want anything done to her hair that would draw more attention to her than necessary so we brushed, parted and called it good.

Jackson wasn't nervous at all... he got right up, got dressed, spiked his hair with gel, found an awesome wristband & Spiderman watch to wear, threw on his new Adidas and tied them (by himself!), then ran downstairs to play with the dog before school started. A few minutes later... "Mom, can I make myself a waffle for breakfast?" Talk about independence! Maybe having 2nd graders isn't so bad... next time maybe he'll pop a waffle in the toaster for me!

The final report of the day was a great big A+! They made new friends, met up with friends from last year, they love their teacher, the classroom is awesome, recess was fun... and no homework for a week!

Our Homerun King (step aside, Mr. Bonds)!

What an awesome night at the city league softball games! Jared hit **THREE** out of the park, homeruns. Woohoo! It was so exciting! Aspen and Jackson were so proud of him-- they couldn't wait to congratulate him along with the rest of the team. Andy (a.k.a. WHEELS) hit an in-the-park homerun too... he seriously runs faster than I can pedal on a bike!

And to top it all off... our AMAZING Ballers slaughtered the other two teams tonight. They had a total of 55 runs in just two games (WOW). We won both games (obviously) and it wasn't even close... we won by 10-15 runs in both games. We were on fire and I was wearing my matching Ballers shirt cheering loudly!

**Special shout-out to my Uncle Mark... he played so hard tonight and fit right in with all the 20 & 30-something year old boys. You would never guess he's turning 58 this week! :o)

Buy Me Some Peanuts & Crackerjacks!

This post was intended for the morning of August 8th but I've been a little busy! Jared has always been a HUGE Giants fan which has, in turn, also made me a Giants fan! We have been watching every game waiting for Mr. Bonds to hit homerun #756. It happened on August 7... and on Giants home turf. Barry Bonds is now the homerun king! It was so fun to see history in the making. There were tons of fireworks, a message from Hank Aaron, and Barry was greeted on the field by his godfather- Willie Mays. We had DVR'd a bunch of the games and watched them later but fortunately we were watching this one live. Way to go, Barry Bonds!

Mini Photo Shoot

On Saturday Aspen was wearing the cutest green outfit. Yes, green. She threw a mini fit about wearing green ("the shorts look like Jackson should wear them") but I finally talked her into it after compromising a little (she added her touch with pink glittery bracelets, a purple beaded Jasmine necklace, and pink/purple glittery flip flops). Anyway, her eyes just POPPED... so green and so adorable so we had a little mini photo shoot.

Jackson didn't want any pictures taken of him and was scowling most of the time but I did talk him into a couple shots for our mini photo shoot. I can't believe how big they are getting and how fast the time goes!

Top Ten!

Since I haven't blogged in awhile I thought I'd throw down a quick top ten for this week.
1. Sudoku... obviously! Isn't the new widget on my blog awesome?!?

2. A brand new box of crayons.

3. Bare Escentuals mineral makeup.

4. My 10 year high school reunion coming up this Friday... call me crazy but I actually am excited about it!

5. The school supply aisle at Target. (This goes right along with a new box of crayons... I just love school supplies in general)!

6. Mini Madame Alexander dolls from McDonalds.

7. The cafeteria at American Fork High School. (I've been there for a conference for the past two days and the cafeteria is AMAZING. There's a section on the walls for each generation going from the early 1900's to now. There are a lot of pictures of my family up there. It made me nostalgic about my childhood days! Who knows... maybe my kids will be CAVEMEN one day and make their place on the history wall)!

8. Dreyers Take the Cake American Idol ice cream... so yummy!

9. Jackson's faux-hawk.

10. Hearing Aspen read books out loud in her room when she's bored.

Chase's New Door!

We found the coolest doggy door at Home Depot for Chase. Before, whenever Chase wanted to go outside he would sit on the rug by the sliding glass door and tap the door to go out. He had to wait there until somebody would let him out. Same thing for when he wanted back in. We found out that Home Depot had a doggy door that is already installed in a big window- thingy so it just pops into the door frame where the sliding glass door is. No cutting holes in the wall or anything! It was kind of expensive but has been totally worth it. Chase loves it... he comes in and out as he pleases now!

While I'm on the subject of Chase... check out the tricks we've taught him: sit, shake, high five, kennel (he doesn't like this one and he walks sadly to his kennel), and my favorite... DANCE (if I hold my hands out with my palms up and say, "Chase, dance" he totally stands up on his hind legs and put his paws in my hands to dance)! BEST. DOG. EVER!!!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to us... it's been two whole years! In a way it's weird it's only been two years because it feels like we've been together forever! I had to work this morning but then we had a great lunch together at Chili's! Big thanks to Becca for tending while we had lunch! Aren't my roses gorgeous???

Hairspray

This weekend I took Aspen and my niece Becca to see Hairspray. Our unanimous review was TWO THUMBS UP... way up! We totally loved it. It had a Grease-type, High School Musical-ish feel to it and since I love both of those movies it was no big surprise that I loved this one too! Jared took Jackson and Daxton to Transformers while we were at Hairspray (probably a wise choice)... and it also got good reviews from the boys! Now, I'm hoping to go see Hairspray again with my mom and my sister!

Best Friends and Cousins

Check out this darling scrapbook page Jaime did! We are so lucky that we live so close to each other and that our kids are not only cousins, but best friends as well. They have so much fun together and this picture is not an uncommon sight. Seeing the four of them clumped together experiencing a new adventure! I imagine when Emily starts walking she'll be tagging along right with them!

Happy Birthday Becky!

(Imagine the zoom tune playing...) My name is Zoom and I live on the moon, but I came down to earth just to sing you this tune. Hey, Becky, it's your birthday! You're the big star today!

This blog was supposed to be posted yesterday... but I was too busy to sit down and do it so I'm a day late! Happy Birthday to my sister Becky... she would have been 37 years old yesterday.

Check out her beautiful resting place... thanks to Aunt Lynnie for all of her TLC and for making the hard times more bearable for us! I know Becky would appreciate the effort put into making her gravesite look so phenomenal and artistic!

I don't know if someone drank a diet coke while visiting Becky or if they left the can there to remind us of her. I do know that sometimes on my way back to work from lunch I stop and drink a coke "with" Becky and it makes me chuckle that someone else has the same idea!