Why the writers strike hasn't been too bad for me:)

I have a love-hate relationship with the TV. I love it when all my shows are on, but I hate it, because then I am sitting in front of the TV doing absolutely nothing for however long the show is! Which brings me to how much I LOVE DVR!!! I love how I can fast forward through the commercials- I can wait for Chet to get home before we watch our shows, I can wait until I have laundry to fold to watch the show, or some other meaningless stuff to do- that I can do sitting down while watching my shows.

I CANNOT wait for the premier of LOST tonight!! I'm so excited! Last night- when I got home from mutual, Chet was like- Guess what is taping right now?? I was like WHAT?? He was like- You were wrong!! (And I'm getting REALLY excited about this!) And I'm like Lost? NO way! Really! I was wrong!! I'm so excited because I thought I would have to wait in anticipation for another whole 24 hours! Then- I go to my computer to see if they are doing like a 2-night thing, like they did for The Chronicles of Sarah Connors. Turns out:( I was right- and they were just repeating last seasons finale. DANG IT! So- here we are with 4.5 hours left... and I'm nearly losing my mind! Ok, not really- but it is one of those things where you just want it to get here, but then I'm going to have to wait for Chet to get home from work and back from the gym- which will probably be about 11:30 or so.... which puts me TRYING really hard to not succumb to the temptation to watch it without him. If I do- he knows! There is no hiding it- I can't hide anything like that- I'm one of those- "oh, I hate this next part" or "wait til' you see what happens next" kind of person, or "RUN JACK RUN!" Chet automatically knows what is up by that point.


I have also really enjoyed the "writers strike" because I have been able to read vs. watching TV and I'm ahead of schedule on my books! YEAH! I've also dropped a few shows due to reading instead. I rarely watch All My Children anymore- unless I have laundry to fold at that time. That is practically an extra 260 hours a year that I'm adding back into my life. I really still love the show-- but it makes me SOOO mad when I haven't watched for a little bit- or heck, even when I'm watching it consecutively and they switch actors on me! Like Greenley - the right one is back now THANK GOODNESS- but Babe has changed now- and I loved her old actor! Or like chief Derrek changed... and it makes me not like those people anymore. I'm like- that is not so and so!! But I guess that is how they roll in the world of Soaps! And how I'll stop watching for a while and someone would have been dead for a while- and all of a sudden they are alive again?? What is that? I mean- yes- I'm glad they keep bringing Ryan back- but he has died like 16 times- is he invincible?? Or- how I was soooo excited when Dixie was in fact alive and she came back on-- and then they killed her off for real like 3 weeks later-- I was like... are you serious?? Why tease us like that? I really loved Dixie- as if she was my own sister.

Now- I know anyone who does not watch AMC is probably going- Bertie is nutsos! But- I guess with all this TV talk- I had to get it off my chest! Maybe I can put in a complaint somewhere, to stop the madness?! Anyhow- this is my random post for today, until I can tell you all about each of my childrens ideas of fashion!

Why do I love being tagged?? Maybe....

because I love talking about me,me,me! I got tagged by my friend Candy:)


4 Jobs I have had
1. Life guard at 6 Flags WaterWorld
2. Professional telemarketer for Gold's gym
3. cold caller for Liberty Office Products
4. Stay at home mom too!!

4 Movies I watch over & over
1. What about Bob?
2. How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
3. Never Been Kissed
4. Tommy Boy

4 Places I have lived
1. Houston, TX
2. Roseville, CA
3. Provo, UT
4. Woodland, CA

4 Shows I watch
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Ugly Betty
3. Heroes
4. Lost

4 Places I have been (outside my country)
1. Venice
2. Paris
3. Austria
4. Germany

4 People who e-mail me
1. Chet
2. Katie
3. Amber
4. Melynda

4 Favorite things to eat
1. Fajitas!
2. Skookies!
3. chips and queso
4. nice-thick-juicy-extra-cheese-cheeseburger

4 Places I would rather be
1. any beach
2. Snuggled up during a thunderstorm, reading.
3. Cruising around on a moped on the Island of Santorini, Greece
4. scuba diving in Fiji

4 Things I look forward to this year
1. summer vacation
2. Erin going to Kindergarten
3. growing even more (except outwards):)
4. spending everyday with my family


It also had a place for me to tag 4 people- but it seems like 1 or 0 people will do it when I tag them. I know it is intimidating to follow up with my wonderful tags-- but COME ON:) Just kidding- but ANYONE is welcome to do this- even if you are just randomly reading this- and you have never posted a comment, or I don't know who you are- TAG AWAY!! BE MY GUEST:)

Hopefully today pictures will come! I'm still waiting for Chet to fix something with the driver. Until then- enjoy ME!

It's dunkin' time!

This past Saturday our gym had a trampoline dunk team come and perform. I decided it would be a fun family outing, since Chet had to work. I went and worked out for the first little bit- and then I picked the kids up from the gym child center and I wanted good seats- so we were in the basketball courts 20 min. early. Before we got to the basketball court, we stopped off at the balloon lady and all 3 kids got to pick what they wanted and then she made it for them. Then they were given these small rubber basketballs and dum-dums.

I think I was more excited then the kids to see this show. It was a lot of fun, however- it was a bit of a trial. I don't know WHY I expect ANYTHING to be able to actually overtake my kids attention spans for more then 20 seconds, let alone the same thing- for all 3. So, we are sitting near the corner on the floor, against a wall. Someone left a drink there that was playing basketball earlier- I should have moved it to the trash- but I decided just to put it in the very corner- corner - NOT close to us- AWAY from my kids! We are all sitting nicely- and the kids are fascinated with their balloons Dante is shooting Ethan's helicopter, and Erin is smelling her new flower balloon bracelet and admiring how gorgeous she is with it on. The show starts- and we are pretty front row- and everything is going good- and Erin comes over to me- and is like- mom can I sit in your lap- I was like- sure- why? She was like- I spilled that drink.... WAY OVER THERE? So- now I have a child on one leg- putting my leg to sleep. Not really that bad.... i keep watching the show- Dante at this point sprawls out and starts making snow angels and loud noises-- (luckily the team brought music and no one, except the people around us can hear and see Dante) However- because of the music- I have Ethan shouting and covering his ear- "It's too loud mom- it's too loud!" I reply- I know honey- it will be over soon and we can go. He starts chewing on his balloon--- I say- Ethan- don't do that- it will pop. He stops. i look over again he is chewing on it again- I'm like- Ethan- I will take your balloon...POP! One balloon down- 2 to go. Dante starts playing with his little rubber basketball- and out it goes onto the floor right to the guy who is going for the dunk..... the basketball guy stops running towards the basketball goal- and grabs it and throws it in the audience. One ball down- 2 to go. (don't ask me WHY they gave out little rubber basketball's before the show and not after.)

I give all of them their dum-dums, to keep them quiet and entertained- I WANT TO WATCH THE SHOW!! I for sure- thought they would all be fascinated too- but I was dead wrong! 5 seconds later- ALL 3 of them- EWW!! Mom- these are gross!! I don't like this flavor! So- now I'm holding 3 sucked on, sticky dum-dums, my left leg is dead asleep, Dante is still making snow angels(he is almost 7 and I'm like- FOR REALS D!) and Ethan's head is in my lap because the music is too loud- and he is still mad about his balloon popping.

I tell Dante he needs to sit up and watch the guys dunking- and he starts fiddling with his balloon gun- trying to make it into different things. What do i hear next--- POP!! There goes Dante's balloon.


20 minutes later- or WHAT seemed to be an ETERNITY-- the show is over- and I'm like, "What????" I didn't see hardly anything- and I had GREAT seats!!!

Erin's balloon survived and 2 basketballs survived the show. I was ready to go home and take a nap!.... i had forgotten that i had promised to let the kids bounce on the moonwalk on our way out- and what do you know- it is down. So- my kids all decide to throw a fit and I threaten them with the "ewww" sticky dum-dums and say- I'll make you eat these if you complain. They stopped and I never did get that nap.

Such is life and it is funny how much I LOVE it!! :)


PS- I will be back to regular blogging status as soon as my SD card thingy is back up and running- which will be tonight.... I've felt lost with out my daily blogging. I'm sorry to have been the cause of ya'lls withdrawals but- I will do my best not to let it happen again:)

This makes me happy:)

Whooohooo!! They now have sour cream that you can squeeze out of a bottle! :) This makes me oh, so, so happy! I love sour cream- I can eat sour cream by the spoonful and now I don't have to put a messy glob, unevenly on my tacos and then spread it with my fingers- I can nicely spread it with just the bottle and just the perfect amount. I want me some tacos!!!

(my favorite tacos are from Del Taco- and they are the chicken tacos- because all they have is chicken, cheese, lettuce and sourcream! SOOOO GOOD!!! And only for like 50 cents or something like that! I miss Del Taco!)

What kind of eater are you?

Ok, so I have noticed how each of my kids have their own eating style.

Dante is a cross between a ravaging monster and a bulimic- he will eat everything in site, he will not stop no matter what- he shovels it ALL into his mouth at once, he will come back for more- if there is more and then if he gets too full, he has no trouble whatsoever going into the bathroom and throwing up. His throwing up is completely involuntary- he doesn't even need to use his fingers- it just happens. Every since he was little he has had good throwing up ability- it is almost like he can throw up on cue. Blue ribbon for him.

Erin is borderline anorexic. She just doesn't eat. Period. She just doesn't eat. I don't know how to say that better. She is like a bird- and she is a tiny thing, but she is growing and she is healthy- but she doesn't eat. She used to only eat paper, and now that she is cured of that disease, she seems to only want gold fish in a cup, or cold cereal without milk in a cup. She is like forever 18 months.

Ethan is PICKY and inspired this post!! He is ALWAYS hungry- or at least saying he is. I can feed him a whole roast and he will leave for 2 min. and come back and be like- "I'm hungry!" I'll be like- ok- what do you want... He will then say.... ummmmm....MILK. So, he drinks more milk now then he did when he was a baby. Then after he is done with his milk, he will be like "I'm hungry!" He isn't hungry- he is just saying that- but that is not the bad part.... the bad part is how he won't SHARE and the food has to be in PERFECT condition! This means the food can not be broken or smashed and you better not try to take a bite. For instance- not 10 min. ago Ethan wakes up, comes to me and sits in my lap, and says:

Ethan: Mom, I'm hungry!
Mom: Ok, what do you want for breakfast?
Ethan: A peanut butter sandwich
Mom: Ok- I will get you a peanut butter sandwich.

Ethan then runs into his room to lay back down because his foot is hurting, and he needs the massager. I bring in his peanut butter sandwich (and I think eventually he will get over this- sharing thing) I have taken a tiny bite out of one of the halves and when I hand it to him, I try to conceal it, and hope he doesn't notice "just in case"

As soon as I hand him the sandwich- he is like- "Oh, THANKYOU mom- this will make me feel ALL better" I gave him a kiss on the forehead and went to leave the room in search for the massager and all of a sudden I hear Ethan bawling! "But MOM! You took a bite! Why did you take a bite? I need a new sandwich! I can't have this one. AWWW, MOOOOOMMMM!!! " sob, sob, sob! - you would think I had just given him a bag of candy and then taken it away and fed it to the dogs.

So, I, being a good mom make him another 1/2 PB sandwich, using one piece of bread and I fold it over.... what do I hear NOW! "MOOOOMMMM! You need to cut it on the side- I can't see the PB from this side!" So, I take that piece of bread, open it up, tear it down the middle and then put the pieces back together and wa la- a satisfied child.

Last night- Amy reminded me of an instant where she was trying to get Ethan to share his food, and Erin so adamantly replied, "AMY, forget about it! He's not gonna share!" Ever so with her over the top hand gestures.

You take a bite of whatever he is eating, whether a heap of ice-cream in a bowl, a banana, etc... he will NOT eat the rest of his food. Just the other day he was eating something, and I dipped my spoon in his bowl (impolite I know, but I'm the mom and I can do anything:)) and he snatched my spoon away from me and dumped the food right back in his bowl.

So those are my wonderful, delightful eaters whom I love and adore to no end:)

What kind of eater are you?

Possibly my new favorite show

Chet and I love this show! It just started last week with the premier on Sunday and then the 1st episode on Monday. So, tonight is the 2nd episode. It is on Fox. I'm not sure what time- or what time in each time zone- but you should check your listings- because it is definitely worth a shot-- especially if you liked any of the Terminators. It is one of those shows, where you can't wait to see the next one, and you wish you had the whole DVD set now! (but now- that I have said that, all of you are going to be like, what is she talking about?) :)

If you watch it or have watched it- let me know what you think!

(I'll have more cute pics and stories up soon- but for some reason my card reader, isn't reading on my computer)

Uh-oh- Dante learned a new game......

A side note to the video- I could only find people acting out ding dong ditches really- and I chose this one, because I thought the kids disguise was so clever with the pink ladies hat. I would have never guessed it was a 12 year old boy. Who'd a thunk:)

Yes- he learned how to ding dong ditch today! I swear - I didn't know what that was until I was at least 10! He is 6 and he has already learned the art. This afternoon he was out playing with our neighbor Alex (who is 7 or 8) and they always have so much fun when they are playing together. This afternoon, while I was finishing some things up around the house and a few misc. projects- I hear the doorbell. It is a landscape man, asking if he can give me a free estimate on our landscaping for Spring. After all that was settled, I went back to my work. I then hear the doorbell ring again, and I just figured it was someone else asking for something else. I go to the door- and oh, no one is there. I look around, and I'm like- that is weird. How could someone get away that fast- did I really hear the doorbell? (I was seriously questioning my hearing)Then I heard some snickering behind my car-- and KNEW what was up. So, I waited by the door and I saw Dante sneak back up.... and as he was about to put his finger on the doorbell- I opened the door and shouted RAAAARRRRRRR!!! He got so freaked out- and then was like- MOM- how did you know?? It is so funny- how when they learn something new, they think that we as mere "parents" have not done it before, and have no clue as to what they are up to. Anyways, I then was like- k- just don't do it to people you don't know, and only do it once (hoping to not say- don't do that- and then them do it anyway) I gave them a limit. Dante then replies (and I love how honest he is! Bless his heart) Oh, mom- don't worry- we've only done (and starts pointing) there house, there house , that house, that house and your house. NICE! So, then I said- k- well- why don't you stick to my door now- and yes, I paid for it, they never got tired of it- so I answered the door about 1500 times, saying, "Who's there??" Then I finally just stopped answering the door:) But- at least no one else was being pestered- and I figure kids should be kids while they are kids! Heck- if I could- I'd go out there and do it with them (but in all black, and at night) Not in the middle of the day. Oh- and should I mention- Ethan was with them- so my 3 year old knows this game now too- and he DOES NOT know how to control himself.... so if you hear a doorbell and no one is there- call me, because Ethan is probably in your neighborhood.
Oh, how fun it is to have kids and relive all your child hood moments.... that has been like my theme all week.

Happy birthday to you...

you smell like a monkey, but you only look like one when you flair your nostrils:) LOL! Happy birthday Peepers!!! 24 years and counting. I hope you have a remarkable day and you are so lucky to have mom up there with you celebrating! We all wish we could be there with you on your special day. You are no longer the princess in the trashcan- you are all growed up and getting married to a very small man, but hey, that doesn't matter- it is what is inside that counts. ;) You are amazing and looked up to by many- you are a great sister- and it just isn't the same going to Cold Stone without you, where we look like the biggest morons around, laughing out of control and chopping each others necks, and telling everyone there our embarrassing stories.... even if they didn't want to hear. (it was a miracle Jake was not there that night- this way he could marry you) instead of seeing "who can make the most ugly faces" game. I miss living in Utah with you and renting scary movies whenever Chet had to work late! You are a lot of fun, and I'm sad you didn't live down here longer after your mission- but I TOTALLY understand where your priorities lie! I love you and so does everybody else- and as everyone writes in high school yearbooks, stay sweet, stay beautiful, K*I*T (you know the number) and call me ovah the summah!

Who is in the house??

I'm on a roll today with these stories- and mainly these are for memories- so I can always have them to use against my kids- lol! Just kidding- but just for fun memories!:)

So, yesterday morning I was in the shower. I always tell Ethan and Erin before I get in not to go outside and that I won't be long, and to be good. I'm enjoying my shower when all of a sudden, Erin unlocks the door. I was like, yes, Erin - what do you need honey? She then turned around and says, "Mom is in here." Ethan is standing right next to her- and she is not looking or talking to Ethan. I was like, huh?? Then Ethan sees me- and goes- "yeah- my mom is in here". So, I'm like- is dad here? They say no- and I'm like- well then who is here (I'm starting to freak out a little)- then Erin goes Noah. Noah is here. (I do NOT know a Noah!!) I was like- wait, shut the door, shut the door! - My shower is all glass and when you open the bathroom door- you can see me from my bedroom door. So, I'm standing there in all my glory- and according to Erin somebody name Noah is standing in my bedroom. I quickly crouch down- and tell her to shut the door again. She shuts it... I jump out- and grab a towel- my conditioner is still in my hair.... and I'm like- why did you open the door for someone??? She is like- I didn't. I was like- well then who is here? Who is Noah?? Who were you and Ethan talking to?? She then looks at me really funny, and states, "NO ONE!" I swear they had an imaginary friend there- because they were clearly talking to someone, when they unlocked the bathroom door- and were like- "my mom is in here."

It completely freaked me out!!! It was funny at the end of the "no one" but before that I thought I was gonna have a heart attack.

Giving it away

Last night I took my kids with me to church for some kickball because the Beehives were doing that as an activity with the achievement day girls. On the way home, my kids were starting to get a little whiny, so we started playing the "animal game". Here is how it was played out:

Dante: I'm thinking of an animal that is blue.
Mom: A blue jay!
Dante: No.
Mom: A shark!
Dante: No, mom- you already got a guess- now it is Erin's turn to guess. Oh, wait- but you got it. It's a shark.
Mom: YEAH! K- Erin's turn.
Erin: I'm thinking of an animal that is pink.
Mom: A flamingo!
Erin: Yes. Umm.........actually no.
Mom: Aww man, k- Dante's turn to guess then
Dante: Yes- it is a flamingo because that is the only animal that is pink.
Erin: No, a flamingo is not the only animal that is pink, a pig is too! (realizing what she has done, and starting to cry)..... and now you have ruined it Dante. Mine was a pig.
Mom: laughing hysterically - mainly because I had forgotten about the pig too - and because, how many times have we "given something away".


I remember one time when I was probably about 8 or 9, for my dads birthday, my mom had picked up a bunch of small gifts, and each of the girls got to choose which gift they wanted to give him. We were so excited for him to open up "our" gifts. However- somehow there was some confusion..... and when he opened Elise's gift (it was the one I had picked out) So, when he opened it from her, I was like- hey- that is the one I got for you. And she was like no- I got that for him.... and I then proceeded to say (because I have the best memory and I know EVERYTHING) - No Elise- you got dad the pocket knife, I got him the jump rope, Christie got him the tie, and Amy got him the shirt. Whooppss! Maybe that would have been fine- if he had actually opened up all the gifts- but he had only opened up "the jump rope". My mom was so mad at me! She was like- Bertie!! What are you doing?? I didn't even think or realize what I was doing... or that I might be spoiling gifts for my dad. And my dad- was like- what? What is she doing? I didn't hear anything, and totally pretended that he had not heard any of what I said.

I just thought it was so funny how Erin was so upset she had given up her pink animal, and we were actually stumped too:)

I am a Cemetary....

First off- thanks to everyone who left me a comment about our "little mishap". I'm glad it gave some of you a laugh and others tears of joy- that you are not in my shoes right now! LOL!Just kidding. So, this whole insurance/adjustor coming out has been somewhat of a nightmare. To make a short story long..... we have called on 3 different occasions- each time they have told us someone will be out within 1-4 business days between the hours of 8-5. Each time we have called, they have told us- "it has not been entered in the system- would you like me to enter it?" and then proceed to tell us again- ok, it is not in the system - someone will be there within 1-4 business days between the hours of 8-5. (So, this has been told to us 3 times now- and if they had just put it in the system the first time, then he would have been here by now.) Let's hope that they get it "in the system this time"

On a lighter note:) Saturday, Dante and Ethan got into a bit of a tiff and I heard screaming and fighting and I walk in and there is blood everywhere and pieces of skin on the wall, and hair flying.... ok- not true- but the way Ethan was screaming- you would have thought that is what I would have walked into. after I got everyone to settle down... Ethan was saying he needed a "bandage". He has always called Band-Aids, bandages. I go to the bathroom cabinet, and they are all gone. Ethan was still screaming his head off that he needed a bandage so I used an Ace- bandage to "wrap" him up. It worked like a charm and he has been happy ever since!

Ethan had a little cut on the side of his face and then a little cut on his lower bottom lip. This is what he was crying "I need a bandage" for:)
This is how I wrapped him up to let him know- it would make him all better! He then goes and take all his clothes off, puts on his boots and starts walking around with his arms out saying "I am a cemetary. I am a cemetary." Like in robot words. I think he was trying to say zombie or mummy-- but cemetary came out. This is my new favorite picture of Ethan! :)
:

and WE go out with a BANG!

You will want to stay tuned for the WHOLE story and nothing BUT the WHOLE story!



Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Sugar Land, TX! The kids behaved amazingly in church and everything was going perfect, except for my black necklace spontaneously breaking- and sending thousands of black beads EVERYWHERE! Every once in a while- I'd see someone 5 rows in front of me pick up a bead and look back-- but didn't know who it belonged too. Yeah- that is what I get for buying a 2 dollar necklace. I wasn't mad- i just felt really stupid. Then I had a great YW lesson- and I felt like they all participated beautifully and that they got the message they were supposed to hear! It was going PERFECTLY- and I was soooo looking forward to going home and taking my little nap before dinner time.


But what happened?? Oh, you really want to know what happened?? Well, on my way home from church I stop off at my moms to get some AA batteries for my camera, because I was out- and I wanted to take some pictures. I get back in the car and as I am pulling into my driveway, Ethan unbuckles and jumps over the back seat into the front, because he wants to "be the first one out" and all of a sudden when I start breaking- my car JOLTS forward! I was like "Oh, my word, what is going on... I then double checked to make sure my foot WAS in fact on the break, and not on the gas (which it was on the break the WHOLE time), and before I know it we have run over the basketball goal- in front of our garage.......... GREAT!!!!


The basketball goal snapped in 2 and fell over to the side (thankfully!) But is that all? Couldn't the Ranger's have just hit the basketball goal and then figured out that something was wrong?? Nope- we had to go ALL the way to the garage door....


and I mean- it takes the garage door clean off. Not just put a dent in it- but clean off the springs and everything! SMACK! Ok- so what?! Who hasn't done this or known someone to have hit the garage door before? It can be fixed.... YES! That is true- and maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if Chet's BMW wasn't behind the garage door. So- now we have run over the basketball post, smashed into our garage door, and hit one of our own cars in the process.



Wow- I'm feeling pretty accomplished. But yet- again- the Ranger's can't just come in and do a "little" damage.. we have to KEEP going! So, the garage door smashed into the BMW, and we thought it couldn't get any worse, til' we went behind the garage- and this is what we found....



Yes- the BMW broke out the back of our garage! So- let me clarify...... "I" ran over the basketball goal, snapped it in 2, I then ran into our garage door, knocking it clean off and into Chet's beamer- which then decided to ram through the back of our garage. Bad, right?! You are saying to yourself.... "Poor Rangers, there can't be anymore!" Well, on TOP of all this... what car was I driving? Oh- that's right- none other then Aunt Christie's (my sister) BRAND NEW truck!!!

I was shocked to see there wasn't more damage on her car! It did sustain damage- but only the plastic and some damage to the lights. All the metal stayed in place..... a few paint chips here and there. The estimator is coming out here sometime today to let us know exactly what damage- but it doesn't look AS bad as I thought it was going to look- and I still feel TERRIBLE for what happened!

Ok, so- now I'm sure you are asking yourself.. how did this happen? Well, when people say accidents happen in a flash of a second- they are not lying! Here is our "culprit"



When Ethan jumped into the front seat, he thought it would be cool to climb to my side, hence putting his hand on the gas. Now- my foot was on the break-- but the car kept going. So, when I took my foot OFF the break, thinking that I had accidentally put my foot on the gas, the car just went further-- and it is all history from there.

Blessings from the accident:

1. Everyone is safe! The kids are all fine- Erin had a small bruise on her head, Ethan had a few bruises on his knee, but that was the extent of our injuries! - HOLLA!

2. I was not drop kicked by Christie or Chet.... DOUBLE HOLLA!

3. The basketball goal snapped sideways, vs. on top of us and breaking the windshield and sending glass everywhere.

4. It did not involve anyone outside of the family.

5. We are lucky we weren't going very fast- which I'm amazed at the damage- and am VERY glad we were not going any faster!!

6. If this counts as one of our "average of 1 accident every 5 years", or whatever the statistic is, I'll take it!

7. Very understanding family- letting me know that accidents happen... and that everything is going to be ok, and that the main thing is we are all safe!

They were also saying how ironic it is, that the only person in our family that has ever run into a garage door, was Christie when she was 16, and now I have run into a garage door- in her car.

Well, thanks for staying tuned to my crazy story- and with that- we are out with a BANG!

The joy of being there before

For the last few weeks it seems as though Ethan and Erin have been on a rampage of copying Dante. Dante will get home from school and immediately they will start following him and doing and saying everything that he does. At first he thinks it is funny, but then it gets old. Today they were sitting around our little table and I start hearing after it has been going on for about 15 min.

Dante: Stop copying me!
Ethan: Stop copying me!
Erin: Stop copying me!

Dante: MOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!
Ethan: MOOOOMMM!
Erin: MOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!

Me: K- you guys, let's not copy anymore. If Dante asks you to stop, you need to be nice and stop. (all the while really trying hard to conceal my laughter behind the door, because I know how Dante is feeling- but i know how much fun Erin and Ethan are having)

It just brings back floods of memories of me and my sisters. Siblings are sooo much fun- and I love how the things my kids will do will bring back childhood memories and how - right now - to Dante it may seem annoying- but he will laugh one day when he hears his kids doing the same thing. It is just part of being a brother or sister. Sometimes- if I'm on edge- this will bother me to the point of me wanting to "set my hair on fire and punch myself in the face" as me and Chet like to say! LOL!

But in the moments when I can sit back behind a closed door and just view their conversations and interactions, whether teasing or just plain fun, as a 3rd party and not as their "mom".... I can just laugh and smile- because kids are great, families are great, siblings are great - and we have all done it before, and if you are like me- you still tease your siblings or your parents or your husband - and in the end- you just love each other even more:)

I just love my kids to death and this is by far one of my most favorite pictures of them ALL together!!

Just a little bit longer..........

Yesterday morning Chet and I decided to listen to a conference talk for our "morning devotional". I was in charge of choosing it, so I looked through this past October's talks and ended up picking "Don't Leave for Tomorrow What You Can Do Today" by Elder Claudio R. M. Costa. I just picked it randomly and thought it might be on procrastination. I guess somehow I missed this one in real time. Anyways, it is an excellent, excellent talk! The poem in it amazed me and brought me to tears as I thought about my little family. It seems as though recently I have heard of some lives taken "unexpectedly", and this reminded me of how precious every moment really is. Here is a copy of the poem- the author is said to be "unknown".

If I knew this would be the last time I would watch you sleep,
I would hug you tighter. I would plead with the Lord to protect you.
If I knew this would be the last time I saw you walk out the door,
I would hug and kiss you and call you back to hug and kiss you one more time.

If I knew this would be the last time I would hear your voice in prayer,
I would record every gesture, every look, every smile, every one of your words,
So that I could listen to it later, day after day.

If I knew this would be the last time,
I would spend an extra minute or two to tell you, "I love you," instead of assuming you already knew it.

If I knew this would be our last time, our last moment,
I would be by your side, spending the day with you instead of thinking,
"Well, I'm sure other opportunities will come, so I can let this day go by."

Of course there will be a day to revise things,
And we would have a second chance to do things right.
Oh, of course there will be another day for us to say, "I love you."
And certainly there will be another chance to tell each other, "Can I help with anything?"
But in my case, there isn't one!
I don't have you here with me, and today is the last day we have—our farewell.
Therefore I would like to say how much I love you,
And I hope you never forget it.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old.
Today might be your last chance to hold tight to the hand of the one you love and show all you feel.

If you are waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
Because if tomorrow never comes, you certainly will regret for the rest of your life

Not having spent some extra time for a smile, a conversation, a hug, a kiss,
Because you were too busy to give that person what ended up being their last wish.

Then hug tight today the one you love, your friends, your family, and whisper in their ears how much you love them and want them close to you.
Use your time to say,
"I'm sorry,"
"Please,"
"Forgive me,"
"Thank you,"
Or even,
"That was nothing,"
"It's all right,"

Because if tomorrow never comes, you will not have to regret today.
The past doesn't come back, and the future might not come!

This reminds me that it is ok to let some things "slide" like a perfectly clean house, etc.... when it means spending that extra little bit with your family. My friend recently put this video up on his blog- and it also impressed me to spend more time with my kids or Chet when they ask- instead of "when I have time".



So, even though I wasn't going to post all of this (because I try my hardest not to be a sappy person)- but it has been going through my head for the last couple of days and figured- there must be a reason:) Maybe, so when I go back through and read my blog- I can constantly be reminded.

So, enjoy your time RIGHT NOW! No matter what!:)

New Blogging templates:)

So, for a while I was using Pyzam.com blogging templates, but everytime I wanted to change to a different template, I would lose all my sidebar widgets. I'm so excited, because NOW there is "Cute Blogs" at http://www.cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/. You can change your template as much as you want, and you can do it without losing your widgets!! YEAH!!! Have fun:) I'll also link this off the blogs that I love and frequent section for future reference.

Story time again:)

I was thinking about this funny story the other day, and I thought I would post it to always be remembered! :) When Ethan was younger, for him to stay in his room for naptime and bedtime, I would put one of those white childproof door knob things on the inside of his door, so he couldn't come out. Ethan has been my best sleeper so far, and he rarely ever has to come in our room at night or wake up at night. So, one night, this past summer, after I put Ethan down to bed, I went to bed too. Chet was out of town. I was sleeping peacefully until I heard this blood - I mean- BLOOD curtling scream- MOMMY!! MOMMY!! HELP ME!! I was for sure there was a man in his room trying to take him-- and I was his only hope! I dashed into his room as quickly as I could- and the screaming was still just as terrifying as when it started.. and getting worse! I open the door and he falls into my arms and I say, "What's wrong? What happened?" He replied still terrified and very tearful, "The junebug is going to EAT me!" sob, sob, sob-- "The junebug is going to eat me!!" Poor little guy was out of his mind- and I couldn't help but laugh, because it sounded so absurd (but mainly because I was SOOO relieved there wasn't a weirdo in his room for me to fight off) Somehow, a junebug had gotten inside the house, and "locked" into his bedroom with him! Whoopsies!



I guess I would be pretty scared of it too at that age. And I guess it doesn't help if you try to put one on his head whenever one flies into the pool. Oh, the joy of being a parent:)

New love and a little embarassment

Last night after Chet got home from work, we headed over to the gym for weights and a little racquetball! I have not played racquetball with Chet since we left Utah, because he would always yell at me and tell me that I was too bouncy, and I move around too much. I can't help it if I get excited when the ball is coming towards me, or if I anticipate where I need to be, etc.... So, we have been playing tennis instead since we have been here in Houston. However, yesterday Chet asked if I could call the gym and reserve a racquetball court so that we could play when he got home. I did as I was told, like a good little wife-- and told him that if he yelled at me, I would not play with him again!! Anyhow- he was VERY good- and didn't yell at me:) And I have now fallen in love with this sport! It was so fun and high energy.. and I felt like I got a really good workout in. I'm just like the guy in the above picture- I definitely miss more balls then I hit- but I hustle for each one!! :) Poor Chet didn't get much of a workout- I had to keep throwing the ball in the opposite direction for him, telling him to go get it- to get his workout in... or I would say- k- take a lap! With time- I'll be a great racquetball partner!

Now- for the embarrassing part..... we went to a new Vietnamese restaurant for FHE, because Chet wanted to try something new. It wasn't bad - but when we walked in, Dante walked to EVERY table just staring at people, then he comes back to our table- and is like MOM? Why is everyone here Chinese but those guys?? (while he points at "those guys" who are right next to us) The guys start laughing- and I quickly pull Dante's finger down and tell him that this is a Vietnamese restaurant and that Chinese/Vietnamese people really like this kind of food, it is from their home. Chet, saw me talking to Dante and then rolling my eyes at Chet- like I can't believe that just happened- and Chet goes- oh, did he make fun of that guys hair? (the guys next to us were very punk- and had the whole punk with Elmer's glue thing and spikes in their hair) I was like - no- he actually missed their hair and told him what happened. KIDS:)

HGTV Dream Home Sweepstakes:)

Who is excited!!! I meant to post this on Jan. 1st- but then everyone got sick in rounds- so not much time for "extra" stuff. I kind of like it when they are down though- because then I can just hold them:) Anyways! The HGTV dream home sweepstakes are now going on through Feb. 19th. All you have to do is enter your e-mail address in once a day- and you have a chance at winning the house! This year, I actually caught it right on time- and entered the 1st day, but have forgotten the last few days.. whoops:) So, just go to hgtv.com and click on the Dream Home! It is beautiful! Goodluck and may ONE of us win! (as long as I can come visit- then anyone of you can win:))

Mean, Mean WASP!!

When this thing

meets this cute little girl.....
Then we end up with a not very happy little girl and sad mama!

Poor wittle Erin got stung by a wasp this afternoon. She was out playing on the tramp and the wasp was on the ground, and Erin must have stepped on it, because it stung her on the bottom of her foot. She was screaming bloody murder, so I run out there as fast as I can.... thinking maybe she has fallen off and broken her arm or leg. She's crying and yelling, " Mom, something bit me!" and Ethan is saying- the cat came and bit Erin. And I look around for our neighbors cat, that sometimes comes into our backyard, and I don't see her- and I'm like- Erin, did the cat bite you? And Erin is like- no, it was something red and on the ground. I said, was it a wasp? She says, no- it was small, and it had wings, and it was on the ground. I told her it had to be a wasp- and ran her inside to look to see what it actually had been- and sure enough... poor baby had gotten stung by a wasp! :(

Day at the museum!

Chet and I took the kids to the museum yesterday afternoon, and as we were on our way, Chet asked if I had the camera-- -and WHOOOPS! - I had forgotten it! So, no fun pictures- but the kids had a lot of fun! Dante's favorite part was the butterfly center- where you get to walk around and see tons of pretty butterflies!


Erin's favorite part was the gem section with really pretty jewlery and rocks.
Ethan's favorite part of the museum was very unusual! As we walked through all different parts of the museum, he was ok with the dinosaurs, and ok with the gross bugs, and ok with the children's section in the basement... but OH! How he got SOOO excited anytime he saw.......

AN ELEVATOR!! Don't ask me why-- but he would run up to it, and be like MAMA-MAMA! An elevator. If he saw another one - he would be like MAMA, another elevator!! Isn't that cool!!?? So, I'm glad to know that Ethan has an obsession with elevators:) I guess I shouldn't be surprised as I used to have a fascination with them myself... ALL day ANY day on vacation- that is where you would find me- riding up and down on the elevators! The joy of being a kid: people would look at me like I was crazy if I played elevator tag now!

New blog!!:)

OK, so any of you who have clicked on my profile before would have noticed 2 other blogs that I have never posted in. One is Happiness from the Inside Out and the other is Life: Have it Your Way! I have now posted my 1st post in Happiness from the Inside Out and will be doing a post in Life: Have it Your Way soon. These 2 blogs, next to my family, are my passions!! I can't wait to keep them going and spreading the word that YOU can be happy no matter what- and that you can have the life you want to have! I have posted the links to the right side of my blog, so that you can click on them from my main blog vs. having to go into my profile. Please spread the word, if you feel like these 2 new blogs will help others out, or give them inspiration. You are all awesome and I could not be who I am, without each and everyone of you! Every friend you have shapes your life in some form... and I'm grateful for friends and family who have helped to shape mine in the best positive ways imaginable:)

MY favorite Christmas gift:)

Ok...... so some of you might think, why is she writing this delicious dessert post, when she just previously wrote a post about healthy eating. Well, that is the beauty of intuitive eating:) It is ok to have desserts! Hard to believe, huh!:) Anyhow- this Christmas and my most used Christmas gift EVER probably (even though I have only had it for a handful of day) is SKOOKIE!! These are AMAZING! I was first introduced to the "skookie" at The Pizza Factory in Provo- but it is called a Never on Sundae there. Anyways, I have been mimicking the Never on Sundaes for a really long time now- and would just put them on a plate when they came out vs. keeping them in a skillet. Now- I have the skillets:) I have also added this item in my store- because it is DEFINITELY one of my most favorite desserts ever!! With the skookie you get a chocolate chip cookie mix or brownie mix (whichever you choose), you get 2 skillets, 2 skillet holders, and a recipe book for other things to keep warm on the skillet. I usually serve them with Bluebell Home made vanilla ice-cream and then hot fudge, carmel sauce and whip cream! It is to DIE for! I had it recently as the dessert at my New Years Eve party, and it was a HIT!! People who were not dessert people were going back for 2nds:) So- if you love warm cookies/brownies/cold ice-cream and toppings-- I say GO for it! You can also make these in the round cake pan- that is what I had to do, til I got these:) Bon apetit!

New Store!

So, I thought with all the books that I have been reading and will be reading, that I would start a little Amazon store- so that if you read a review on one of my books and you would like to read it- you can just buy it from Amazon used or new for cheap... and I just provide the link:) So, check out the link on the right that says "A few of Bertie's favorite things" I'll be adding more- right now I just have Intuitive Eating in my store! Can't wait to fill out my store:)

Intuitive Eating

Since, most people decide to "lose weight" or "get fit" as a New Years Resolution, I thought it would be appropriate to put this summary out here for everyone to see. This is my favorite book about healthy eating, and I've read my share of healthy eating books!

I tried to write a good summary of the book- but didn't feel like I was really getting the message across- so I stole the "summary" from the Intuitive Eating website, which is www.intuitiveeating.com. It is amazing and it REALLY works!

Intuitive eating is an approach that teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with your food, mind, and body--where you ultimately become the expert of your own body. You learn how to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and gain a sense of body wisdom. It's also a process of making peace with food---so that you no longer have constant "food worry" thoughts. It's knowing that your health and your worth as a person does not change because you ate a so-called "bad" or "fattening" food.

On the surface this may sound simplistic, but it is rather complex. For example one of the basic principles of Intuitive Eating is the ability to respond to inner body cues, “Eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full”, which may sound like a no-brainer. But when you have history of chronic dieting or rigid “healthy” rules about eating it's quite difficult because a number of things need to be in place, including the ability to trust yourself! Here is a summary of the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating, from our book, Intuitive Eating, 2nd ed, 2003.

Intuitive Eating Principles

1. Reject the Diet Mentality Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating.

2. Honor Your Hunger Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for re-building trust with yourself and food.

3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can't or shouldn't have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing When you finally “give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in Last Supper overeating, and overwhelming guilt.

4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud "NO" to thoughts in your head that declare you're "good" for eating under 1000 calories or "bad" because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created . The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loud speaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating.

5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you're comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what is your current fullness level?

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence--the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide you've had "enough".

7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort , nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won't fix any of these feelings. It may comfort for the short term, distract from the pain, or even numb you into a food hangover. But food won't solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger will only make you feel worse in the long run. You'll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion, as well as the discomfort of overeating.

8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It's hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape.

9. Exercise--Feel the Difference Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If when you wake up, your only goal is to lose weight, it's usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time.

10. Honor Your Health--Gentle Nutrition Make food choices that honor your health and tastebuds while making you feel well. Remember that you don't have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It's what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts.

Last years resolutions

Last year I made quite a few resolutions, and I can't really remember any of them now. I'm sure I wrote them down somewhere..... but the one that I am most proud of is how many books I have actually read this year. I set a goal last year that I would read 1 book a week, which would be 52 books by the end of the year! I got to 45!!! I'm VERY proud of that... because I swear- that is more books then I have read in my entire life (actually- I think I started saying that after book 15:)) So, I didn't hit 52 - but I did "shoot for the moon, and fall among the stars" I'm going to have the same goal this year, and if I make it past 46 I'll be happy:) Here is my book list.

Books read in 2007!

1. Mans Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
2. For one More Day - Mitch Albom
3. 10 Secrets Wise Parents Know - Brent L. Top and Bruce A. Chadwick
4. Intuitive Eating - Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
5. Pay it Forward - Catherine Ryan Hyde
6. Life after Life - Evans D. Hopkins
7. Wins, losses, and lessons - Lou Holtz
8. The Balanced Mom - Bria Simpson
9. Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say - Warren Farrell
10. No Doubt About It - Sheri Dew
11. The Power of Intention - Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
12. The Price of a Child - Lorene Cary
13. If Success is a Game, These are the Rules - Cherie Carter-Scott
14. Jack Welch and the GE Way - Robert Slater
15. A mormon in the White House? - Hugh Hewitt
16. Laughter: A Scientific Investigation - Robert R. Provine
17. The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family -
Dave Pelzer
18. NEVER FORGET: An oral history of September 11,2001 - Mitchell Fink and Lois Mathias
19. Life Matters - A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill
20. Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer
21. Super Mom Saves the World - Melanie Lynne Hauser
22. Advice to a Young Wife from an Old Mistress - as told to Michael Drury
23. Raising Motivated Kids - Cheri Fuller
24. Lincoln's other White House - Elizabeth Smith Brownstein
25. The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
26. Confessions of a Slacker Wife - Muffy Mead-Ferro
27. Who Wants to Be Me? - Regis Philbin
28. Holy Places - True Stories of Faith and Miracles from Latter-Day Temples - Chad S. Hawkins
29. Final Exam - Pauline W. Chen
30. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town - Kimberly Willis Holt
31. If You Can't Lose It, Decorate It - Anita Renfroe
32. 1001 Nights in Iraq - Shant Kenderian
33. Men Like Women who Like Themselves - Steven Carter and Julia Sokol
34. Puccini's Ghosts - Morag Joss
35. Flawless! - Louis A. Tartaglia
36. American Spy - E. Howard Hunt
37. Into the Minds of Babes - Lisa Guernsey
38. Relentless Pursuit - Kevin Flynn
39. How to Ruin Your Life - Ben Stein
40. Shirley, Goodness, And Mercy - Debbie Macomber
41. The Ocean in the Closet - Yuko Taniguchi
42. Dizzy City - Nicholas Griffin
43. If Love is a Game, These are the Rules - Cherie Carter-Scott
44. Trail of Hope: The Story of the Mormon Trail - William W. Slaughter and Michael Landon
45. Passion - Barbara de Angelis


Every book that I chose to read had no rhyme or reason! I'm usually a major "judge a book by its cover" kind of gal. If it looked good- I got it, if it didn't I left it on the shelf. I only had a handful that I probably could have done with out, but learned something in each one. I think the biggest lesson I learned reading all these books - that GOD is huge and present in so many people's lives, whether he is known as God, the universe, a higher power, Budah, etc.... and that everyone is so much a like in this world! We all have struggles, we all try to HIDE our struggles, we all want to know how to deal with our struggles, etc..... We are all human, we all have the need for good friends who love and support us, we all want to try and be the best that we can, but feel lost at times. We all have dreams and aspirations, we all get hurt sometimes, we fall down and get up, we all learn how to ride a bike the same way, we all have feelings, etc.... And when "God" is present in our lives... people seem to know more about themselves and their purpose and are more joyful, then the ones who don't. Here are some of my favorite books from this year! ( I enjoyed all of them, but this way you have a kind of "top 10" list, and in no particular order)

1. 10 Secrets Wise Parents Know - Brent L. Top and Bruce A. Chadwick (lds book and had lots of good points!)
2. Intuitive Eating - Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (BEST BOOK EVER!)
3. Wins, losses, and lessons - Lou Holtz (AMAZING)
4. Life Matters - A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill
5. Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer
6. Final Exam - Pauline W. Chen (really enjoyed this one!)
7. 1001 Nights in Iraq - Shant Kenderian (this book really surprised me!)
8. Flawless! - Louis A. Tartaglia - (again, AMAZING)
9. American Spy - E. Howard Hunt (fascinating! - all that alias stuff is kind of true)
10. Relentless Pursuit - Kevin Flynn - (very good!)
11. Passion - Barbara de Angelis - (short and an inspiring read)

Ok, if you have any questions or want a synopsis about a book in my 45 books- let me know- and I will give you one! Reading has become a passion of mine- and I'm not ashamed to admit it anymore! I guess that means- I have grown up a little:) I will also be starting my bookshelf on the right side of my blog over- with the books I read this year. So, if you need to refer back to the books I have read in 2007- you'll have to come back to this post.

HAPPY READING!!