This IS how pumpkin pie is made...right?

Thanks AZ Chelsea!

GOAL!

This unsuspecting soccer PILLOW:

Caused this:

New rule at our house: No balls inside whatsoever.

Excuse me while I lock myself in my bedroom to protect the offender and to cry over the new frame I just bought Saturday at Hobby Lobby. (thanks Mirjam)

Have You Ever Wondered...

If the sign twirlers that stand out in front of businesses hate their life?
Do you think that it brings more customers into the business?
Or do you think it's just cruel and unusual punishment that they have to stand there hours on end?

As I passed the guy out in front of the taco joint in town 4 times today, I wondered all of these things.
(BTW, they have tacos for 99 cents down the street from me)

I feel bad for the "Lady Liberty's" and "Uncle Sam's" come January that have to stand out in front of the Tax places. BRRRR.

I did find this article that answered some of my questions.

I know. Sort of RANDOM, but I just wondered if anyone else wondered the same thing.

I do enjoy the extra exuberant Little Caesar's kid that dances for me while I wait at the stop light.

So Random

• My new favorite shoe store is Shoe Carnival. Have you been there? I love it because they have size 11's for those of us that have gargantuan feet. They have reasonable prices. AND they make you feel like you are at a carnival complete with a podium where a not so creepy guy announces their great deals. If you spend enough, you can spin the wheel of discounts. That's my kind of store.
  

• I appreciate that all the coupon clippers save tons of money clipping coupons and get free stuff (like glucometers when they aren't even diabetic). HOWEVER, I don't like getting stuck in line behind you at the grocery store. Do you really need 86 boxes of Kleenex? We get it, you got it for free. I think you need your own "special" line, because you are holding me up. (Now don't go yelling at me for having an opinion. I just call it like I see it. I'm happy you can save 800 bucks a month, but do you really need 38 boxes of chicken broth just because it was a penny?) Go ahead, yell at me. I can take you. For the record, I tried it for a day and got confused, so until they come up with a book called "coupon clipping for dummies" I'm sticking to my every 2 week Costco run.

• I am trying to avoid Christmas. It stresses me out. Let's just skip it this year.
  

• I'm upset that I didn't get to see P!nk in concert. She is now off to the UK leaving me behind.
  
  
• The 14 stitches I have on my back from my mole removal are really bugging me. (constant rubbing by my bra...sorry, is that TMI?) I need to just be grateful it's not on the side of my face. I'm really glad that they got it all out and it didn't progress to something worse.
  

• I saw "This is It." I need to download some MJ music. We no longer own a tape player, so therefore my 3 tapes I have in basement are obsolete. I remembered that my favorites are: Billie Jean, Wanna Be Starting Something and Beat It. As freakish and weird and eccentric and goofy looking as he was, Michael Jackson was a musical genius.
  

• I am liking the cooler weather for ONLY one thing...the clothing. I like that I can wear a blazer and it can cover up my muffin top.

• That makes me hungry for a muffin.

• When I went to vote yesterday, the little old ladies at the polling station kept going on about my hair. They loved it. Which makes me think, do I have old lady hair?

• My friend Michelle, Primary Pianist Partner in Crime and Salt City candle hook up keeps yelling at me to vote for her kid to win some contest. Well, I only have one computer, so I'm turning to you guys to help her out. Her darling daughter Cambrielle wants to win tickets to Disney on Ice. SO, could you click here and vote for her? She is #172. How can you resist those blue eyes:

That's all I've got.
The end.

The Obligatory Halloween Post

If you are a spider or a lady bug, watch out for brothers exterminators.

The Pumpkin Dance

Halloween just isn't Halloween without a flashback to two years ago. Elton's infamous "Pumpkin Dance." Because of this video, his guard is constantly up for fear I will whip out the camera and post something on the blog. Enjoy!

Have a great Halloween!

{If you are reading this on facebook, click here to view the video.}

When you are the youngest...

• You get to hang out with mom when the other kids are at school.

• You don't know that your sisters hand-me-downs are 7 years old. You are just as excited with the old stuff as you are with the new stuff.

• You get a new winter coat because your mom can't find your sisters coat from 7 years ago.

• When you yell "What the Hell?!" your mom tries really hard not to laugh because who did you learn it from?

• Everything you do is cute, especially when you can sing 2 Flo Rida songs word for word.

• Sometimes your hair doesn't get done and you leave the house with a serious mop top.

• You think you are just as big as your brother and sister and you can't understand why they won't let you play with them and their friends.

• The amount of pictures taken of you are significantly less then the amount taken of your brother and sister.

• You can manipulate your mom and dad to rock you before nap time AND bedtime.

• You make the cutest vampire ever.

Have You Ever Wondered...

...what would happen if you took a Hershey Kiss Pumpkin Spice foil wrapper and shoved it into an electrical outlet with the plug of an unsuspecting Halloween pumpkin bear? Well, let me show you:
And a fuse blew.

Have you ever wondered what your punishment would be for such actions? 1 week with no Lego's and 1 week unable to play with friends. Life sucks when you are 5. But, the punishment MUST fit the crime. Electricity is no laughing matter. We are just glad Dillon didn't get electrocuted. And yes. I do have the covers on all my outlets but this one. We have learned our lesson.

Need something to do on Monday night?
Might I suggest this:

The spectacular is being held to help defer costs for the upcoming Jazz game the girls are dancing at.

I'll be there helping with the games. It will be a fun time!

It's the Birthday That Never Ends

If I'm going to be forced to get older, then I am going to take advantage of it by living it up for the majority of October. I like to get the party started early, oh, maybe around the 5th. And then of course ride the wave clear until Halloween. Here is some of the evidence:
And, that is just half of the rendezvousing! The other half, I forgot my camera, so I couldn't document. Thanks to all my wonderful family and friends for making the 30 something birthday drudgery so much more spectacular by celebrating with me!

Wordless Wednesday

{I can't believe how much they have grown as evidenced here and here.}

Rejected

While slumming around on Facebook, I found Maksim Chmerkovskiy's "supposed" page. I became a fan of course. I saw that Tony Dovolani was also a fan of Maksim. I clicked on Tony's profile. It said I needed to be his friend in order to view his info. When I clicked to be his friend, this is what came up:
That's ok Tony. I didn't want to be your friend anyway. And BTW, lay off on the spray tan, you look orange. Oh, and your teeth...they glow in the dark. So there.

When the little box popped up, I had flashbacks of 6th grade, when I moved to Utah from California. I had no friends and desperately wanted to make some. When I tried to make friends with some girls in my class, they told me I couldn't be in "their group".

Thanks Tony for helping those painful memories to resurface. I'm glad that Maksim accepted my request. He's the bigger star anyway. So there.

{In other news...Did you hear that Maksim will be back on Dancing With the Stars tomorrow? Floppy haired Derek is sick, so Maks (I can call him Maks, because we are tight) has stepped up to the plate to help Derek's partner through her dances. I don't wish any harm to Derek, but I hope it's serious. Only so we can prolong Maksim's run on the show and for my DWTS viewing pleasure.}

So Random

I'm in a blogging slump. Is Facebook becoming the new blogging for me? I don't know.

Dillon passed off all his sounds and letters. He now has a phonics reader. They just start them earlier and earlier, don't they?

We got our flu shots. Vivi did great. The older two had to be held down. Elton and I were mortified. What wimps.

Why is our Fall Break this week and different than everyone else in the state? I guess that's good. Maybe the further north I go, the less crowded it will be.

Why does Elton always have to work over Fall Break? I need to remember to have him get work off on those days.

I won a wonderful giveaway from this girl. {go check her out!} Four passes to the Thanksgiving Point Museum of Ancient Life. If I'm brave, maybe I'll take the kids there for Fall Break.

I like pumpkin chocolate chip muffins made with 1 can of pumpkin, 1 spice cake mix and mini chocolate chips. It isn't fall without them.

I hate having the BBQ out of commission. It means I actually have to use my stove and oven.

It's my birthday on Friday. My mom already sent me my birthday card. Do you think she would get mad if I steamed it open to take a peek to see what she sent me? I'll just wait until Friday.

I don't like getting older. Birthdays aren't as fun anymore. Maybe I'll have a princess party and invite all my friends over and we can rent a bounce house, watch movies and have a clown make us balloon animals. Oh wait, clowns freak me out. And we might hurt ourselves on the bounce house.

I can't let Aubrey watch Glee. She asks too many questions and I don't want to explain all that just yet.

My favorite new shows this fall are Cougar Town and The Middle.

I watched The Office Wedding over and over just to watch Oscar "Vogue."

Does anyone else think that this song is catchy?


Now that Maksim is gone from DWTS, I'm just a little disinterested.

The manager of Nordstrom finally called to apologize over what her employee said to me a few months ago. I was hoping for a gift card as compensation, but I guess I'll accept their apology.

I finally got my Halloween stuff out. I also made THIS. I love how it turned out.

I hope we don't get the Swine Flu.

100% Natural

The lovely and talented Tiburon posted pictures of her before and after. Basically right out of the shower and then all done with her morning regime. (By the way - I think she looks stunning in BOTH pictures). But then she had to go and dare everyone to do it. She might as well as double dog dared me - because I can't resist a dare. So I give you Vanessa au naturel:


Right out of bed:Just out of the shower:

All ready for the day:


Who am I kidding? There is no way I'm putting myself on my blog without makeup on! That's like my trademark. If you really want to see me first thing in the morning looking au naturel and stinky and sweaty, click here.

Until then, I will be like the elusive Sasquatch when it comes to catching me without my face on. Don't get me wrong. I am not like Tammy Faye Baker who used to sleep in full makeup. I look extra funky in the morning just like the rest of you. I dare you to try and get a photo of me running to the kids school early in the morning or on a "clean the house" day.

Sorry Tib. I just couldn't do it. I hope I don't become Shark Bait. I hope I still get that prize you promised me, though!

"She has weird mom powers"

I will admit, Jon & Kate are everywhere and they are kind of bugging me. But, this is pretty funny.

It's a sad, sad day

Once again, Maksim is gone from Dancing With the Stars WAY too soon. Are you kidding me America?? You all thought that Tom Delay and Chuck Liddell were better dancers then Maksim and Debbie?? Lame. So now, I will suffer through the rest of the season without him and will hope for his occasional appearances during rappers/turned actors/turned singers performances.

{You will have to wait until :41 and suffer through some shaky singing until he makes his appearance}



Isn't he magical?

Duggars in Training

Not sure who the Duggars are? Click here. Basically, they have 18 kids and one on the way. When I first heard about them, I thought for sure they had to be Mormon's. No. They just love kids apparently.

I saw this van yesterday while at Wal Mart in Springville. You know I have talked about my "appreciation" of these bumper stickers, but this one really blew me away. 12 kids. That's right. 12. Hence the E-350 Econo-Van. Can you even imagine? I didn't think people still had that many kids. Only 7 more kids, and they can get their own reality show, too! So as my kids are bickering in the back of my van, I will be grateful that I have 3 instead of TWELVE!

Debbie Downer

Don't want to listen to Debbie Downer today? Then stop reading now.


The dog had to go to the vet, that cost a bunch of $$.

Dillon had to go to the ER, more dinero.

Aubrey and her appendix...why didn't I become a surgeon or anesthesiologist?

The STARS organization loves my monthly donation.

Elton's hog needs a new clutch. Cha-ching.

My car needs new brake pads. Keep on squeezing, there might just be a little more change in my pocket.

I am a dermatologists DREAM. When he sees me walk in, the money signs pop up. I just hate when he removes my moles and he calls me back. The follow up call usually isn't any good. It most likely means I must return to the office to get more of that nasty mole dug out because there are some pre-cancerous cells hanging out.

But this. This is what just sent me over the edge:



What are you looking at? That would be our BBQ. For some reason, a hose came loose, there was a leak and it melted the knob and the ignition button. And never mind that Vivi was playing right by it while it was heating up. I can't even think about what would have happened if Elton hadn't caught it before it blew or ignited or whatever. I have stayed pretty composed, tried to have a good attitude, take it all in stride. But the BBQ sent me over the edge. It's not the BBQ itself. It's the culmination of it all. When it rains it pours and it sure is a monsoon over here.

But, it could be worse. While I was feeling down in the dumps, I came across this post on my mom's Relief Society blog. Here is the part that I really liked:
There are many thing in the world right now that it would make it easy to become discouraged and cynical about the future. President Monson's message to us is to turn our thoughts from the troubles around us and focus instead on our blessings as members of the Church. The Apostle Paul declared, "God Hath not given us the sprit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

What are the blessings that come to you as a member of the Church?

None of us go through life without problems or challenges and often times tragedies and misfortunes. As hard as these events are in our lives, we are here to learn and grow from them. "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy."- 2 Nephi 2:25

How might we have joy in our lives despite the trials that we face?

D&C 68:6 "Wherefore, be of good ^acheer, and do not ^bfear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you..."

I'll try to discontinue with the Debbie Downer speak. I am apparently supposed to be learning and growing from all my challenges. It definitely could be worse.

There. I feel much better. Thank you for letting me vent.

And thank goodness grilling season is on its way out.

Monkey Business

I bet you don't have a monkey named after you, right?

I didn't think so.

{BTW, the baby elephant at the Hogle Zoo is the cutest!}

GOAL!! (less)

Three things that sum up 4/5 year old soccer games:

• Pandemonium

• Hubbub

• Free-for-all

The Coyotes were 0 for 10 this season. (ouch)

They didn't care. They liked running around the field chasing the ball and getting a treat in the end.

Elton calls this video: An Exercise in Futility

{Dillon is #8 in the blue}

12 years ago today, he smashed cake in my face.

I still like him...A LOT.

He still makes me laugh.

I still think he's cute.

He still gives me goose bumps.

I'm glad it's for forever.

Maybe later he can smash some more cake in my face.

P!nk's VMA Performance

P!nk - New Music - More Music Videos

And that is why I like her so much. Who else could sing LIVE while doing Cirque du Soleil moves?

{Before you go freaking out, the heart is ON TOP of flesh colored material. It took me several views of the video to figure it out.}

9

9/9/09 will be a day we will never forget. At 9 am on that day,

9 year old Aubrey had surgery to get her appendix out.

9 hours earlier, she complained of severe pain in her abdomen. Elton took her to the ER where they ran a bunch of tests and after a CAT scan, they came to the conclusion that her appendix was inflamed and needed to come out. At 4 am she was admitted to the hospital and we were told she would have surgery around 6 am.

But, in keeping with the 9 theme, the doctor was a little late and her surgery started at 9. I see a pattern. Here she is pre-surgery, and not very happy that I took a pic of her. I thought she looked so cute in her hair net. Sort of like a mini lunch lady. All went well and the doctor said it was pretty inflamed and she was lucky it hadn't burst. I have a picture of it, but I'll spare the squeamish and avoid posting it. She came through the surgery fine and slept most of the day after it was over.

{I may or may not have had an emotional breakdown many times throughout the day} {How precious is this picture? Elton feeding her a Frosty post surgery.}

We came home that evening. She is pretty sore and the thing she is most upset about, is not being able to go to school. Never fear, I picked up her school work today and she can do it in bed.

Thanks to all the well wishers, get well cards, treats, activity books, babysitters and phone calls. We appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Who needs an appendix anyway?

Run Forrest, Run!

I know, I know. You get it. I ran a 5K. If you are tired of hearing about it, quit reading now. But, let me just explain to you why this is such a big accomplishment.

Exercise. I hate it. I have always hated it. I was the girl in Jr. High and High School who dreaded running the mile. If we were running inside in the gym, I would run past the coaches office and then walk the minute I knew they couldn't see me. That's right. That was me. And in college, I don't think I exercised one second, hence the massive weight gain.

JoAnn and I started exercising together about a year ago. Last summer, we talked about running the Onion Days 5K. It was always far off in the distance so I never really thought about it. And then, August hit. That's when we became serious. I mentioned running to my longtime friend Laurie and she basically laughed in my face. She said she never thought of me as the running type, more of the shopping type (how you like me now, Laur?).

We registered and we decided we HAD to finish in under 35 minutes. We started training harder the last few weeks.

Race day arrived. We felt a little bit out of our league with all these running experts. Who would have thought that little old Payson would draw such a big crowd?

We were off and our course took us into the horse pastures (smelled GREAT), parallelling the freeway and finally back to our starting spot. It actually went by pretty fast. No, we didn't run the whole time, but we did really well. I was so glad to have JoAnn there with me to keep me going. She is a good motivator.

Final time:

34:44.2

Not bad for a first timer.

Will I be visiting other races around the state? No. {However, this girl is a rock star} Am I addicted? Not even. But for me, it was a big accomplishment that I am proud of. And I got a really cool BRIGHT YELLOW shirt. It makes me look official.

What do you think, JoAnn...should we try for a 10K next year?

{And now you know how I look first thing in the morning minus all the glitter. You are welcome Internet.}

So Random

-I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. So get ready for some random.

-It's my moms birthday today. I'd tell you how old she was, but then I'd have to kill you. I wish we could be in warm sunny San Diego with her celebrating. Through the magic of web cams, we were able to serenade her with a song.

-No more book fairs for me this year. I'm in charge of Box Tops. What are those? They are on the top of your General Mills products. If you turn them into your kids school, the school gets money. Please make sure before you submit them to the school, you cut on the lines. If not, then me and my trusty sidekicks have to spend hours tidying them up. That's OK. I'll take that over book fairs.

-Blog friends are the best. I have been coveting these amazing cups that Amy makes for over a year now. Lo and behold, she made one just for me. Complete with a tiara, purple glitter and a "V".
-The Shark went to New York New Jersey a couple weeks ago. I told her if she saw a purse that was Kelly green to snag it for me. She didn't disappoint. Check out the beauty of it. I thank her for adding weight to her suitcase and lugging it home for me.
-She also replaced my compact that she broke dropped with two new ones. AND she picked up an evil eye bracelet. So be careful, when I have it on...no giving me the evil eye. Thanks Tib!
-The kids made me take them to the Onion Days Carnival (where all the beautiful people are). I snapped this photo as they went down the big slide.
-After I uploaded it, I noticed the look of terror on their faces. Totally worth it.
-Aubrey and I ventured up to Midway to Swiss Days. As we arrived it was raining, so there was a mass exodus out of the town. Lucky for us, we were able to maneuver the booths a little better. Luckily Shannon's parents house was only a few blocks away from the park. We didn't have to pay for parking.

-Aubrey and Zoey were the shopping queens. We scored some cute hair bows/flowers. Shannon and I were just glad to get some kettle korn.
-And what is a trip to Wasatch County without going to "The Train." I plead the 5th on eating fries and a shake.
-Mirjam and Blake came out for a visit. We were so happy to visit with them and I was even happier to get to watch Blake for a few hours.Vivi keeps asking where he is and when he can come over again.
We'll have to wait until Christmas to snuggle his chubby cheeks.


How's that for random?

Dear Aubrey's Friends:

I know it is important that 4th graders have a daily heads up on what you will be wearing, how you will be doing your hair {scrunched today, in case you were wondering} and what to accessorize with. But, please! For the love of all things sacred {my sleep} , do not call before 8 a.m. on the days I skip exercising to sleep in. It makes me grumpy.

That is all.

Love,
Aubrey's mom

{I'm sure it's only going to get worse as she gets older.}

Feliz Cumpleaños

Hola!

Mi nombre es Elton.

It's my 30(+6) birthday today!

I will be celebrating with a big fiesta.

(Well, big for me.)

If you recall, the dove hunt opens every year on my birthday.

What more could a muchacho ask for?

And maybe later, if I'm lucky,

we'll swing by Rubio's for some $1.25 fish tacos.

Ole'!

{he is totally going to kill me for posting this pic!}

Watch for Tears Wednesday

V: "Are you excited for your first day of Kindergarten?"

Dillon: "Yes. I couldn't sleep last night."

V: "What are you most excited about?"

D: "Wearing my Skechers that light up and my new Batman backpack."

V: "Are you nervous?"

D: "A little. I hope a bully doesn't beat me up."

The Cone of Shame

This is what you must wear after:

• you get neutered,
• when you won't leave your stitches alone and have to be anesthetized twice to fix what you licked through,
• and when the vet tells your owners that you have a vitamin deficiency that makes it difficult for your blood to clot.

So, for a few days, we will need to keep him medicated so he doesn't get too overly active and start to bleed again. He does not like the "Cone of Shame".

Poor Griffey.

{So much for my new dining room set. We are in this over $350.}

I Like...

I like my new garbage disposal. It grinds everything up quite nicely. And it doesn't leak like our old one.

I like that I didn't have to purchase a new dishwasher. It was just leaking due to a clog. Thanks Mr. Repairman.

I like my fly swatter. It kills flies that the kids let in when they leave the doors wide open.

I like that I looked in the mirror before heading out the door and noticed I had a dead fly in my hair that I had just swatted on the ceiling. I wondered where he had gone to.

I like fresh summer salsa with tomatoes from my garden on top of omelette's.

I like that I can finally say that I finished that goofy vampire book Breaking Dawn. But, I can never get those 700 pages of my life back.

I like Back to School time. I like that Aubrey gets so excited to go school. I like how cute she looks with her new 'do and new duds.


I like that I'm not currently teaching and don't have to get a classroom ready.

I like that Vivi is potty trained.

I like that Dillon's head healed and he was finally able to get a haircut.

I like the Confession Booth on Mindi's blog. It makes me realize there are people out there with bigger problems than mine.


I like meeting blog friends in real life. Shannon and I got to meet Jeanelle. She was here all the way from Washington. I like that we ate at Cafe Rio. Yum.
I like that fall TV is just around the corner.

I like that this show and this show and this show {don't judge me} can keep me sort of entertained until fall TV gets here.

I like that my SIL Mirjam is coming out with Baby Blake for a visit.

I like nice SIL's.

I like that LeAnn and I were able to see my BFF Shannon present at the 2009 Stampin' Up Convention. Click here. You will like it too.

I like smoothies that consist of frozen strawberries and Sprite Zero.

I like getting fun prizes in the mail from people that live far away.

You Might Be A Redneck If...

...one Saturday you are doing this:

{yes, I crawdad fish. Wanna make something of it? And they taste good, too.}{our litte Redneck children w/the Butterfield's}

And the next Saturday you are doing this:
{in Nephi at the Demolition Derby. It's too loud for Viv.}

We went to see our friend Jason, #71. It was a fun night full of interesting sights. Mostly in the crowd.

Next thing you know, we will be buying a big huge truck, putting it on a lift and covering it with deer and elk stickers in the back window. Yeah, probably not.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

He was primed. He was ready. He was all warmed up to throw out the first pitch at the Orem Owlz game. We were in position, ready for them to escort Elton down to the field. And then we hear:

"Now throwing out the first pitch for the evening....some girl that works at Curves." WHAT???

{it was explained to us as a simple breakdown in communication.}

Thankfully, Elton's nice coworker Tom saw the look of sadness in the kids faces and he had the Owlz make it up to us. Dillon and Aubrey got to run the bases with the mascots. Check out that little gem here:

{Yes, that is Elton dragging Dillon around the bases.}

It was a fun night and a great work party. Thanks MVH! We had a blast!

Why?

{ Image swiped from Tammy}

Is it just me, or are the hooks in public bathroom stalls that you hang your purse on slowly disappearing? I'm definitely NOT putting my purse on the floor, so all that is left is my lap. It's sort of difficult to get my business done with my purse in my lap. And now that I have to take my two year old into the bathroom, it's doubly hard to balance her on the toilet and hold my purse at the same time.

This may be TMI for everyone, but I know I'm not alone.

My Life According to P!nk

Since I am afraid of Shark attacks, I am being forced politely asked to play along.

My Life According to...P!nk

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Pick your Artist: Pink

Describe yourself: Missundaztood

How do you feel: So What

Describe where you currently live: Funhouse

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Gone to California

Your favorite form of transportation: 18 Wheeler

Your best friend: Bad Influence

You and your best friend are: Trouble

What's the weather like: Glitter in the Air

Favorite time of day: Private Show

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Family Portrait

What is life to you: Long Way to Happy

Your relationship: Just Like a Pill

Your fear: Stupid Girls

What is the best advice you have to give: Could've Had Everything

Thought for the Day: I Got Money Now

How I would like to die: I'm Not Dead

My soul's present condition: Numb

My motto: Get The Party Started

And just because I love her so much, here is my fave song of hers at the moment:

Wanna play along? Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

So Random

-It's always great to reunite with old High School pals. It's been over ten years since we have ALL been together. Thanks to the magic of Facebook, we can stay connected. It seems like just yesterday we were roaming the halls of PGHS...and we haven't aged a day!{Shani, Mailee, Me, Laurie & Shannon}

-My dad is a red head. He burns after just 5 minutes in the sun. He wears long sleeve shirts even in the summer. While he was at the Costco in St. George, he spotted some polygamist gentlemen (for those of you that don't know, the polyg men wear long sleeve shirts at all times). My dad really liked their shirts. So, he went over and asked them where they got them. After they got over the initial shock that he wasn't giving them crap over having more than one wife, they had a nice pleasant conversation. So in case you are wondering, the Eddie Bauer outlet is having a sale on long sleeve shirts. For some reason, this story cracks me up.

-If I say that Vivi is potty trained, that will just jinx it. So I will just say we have been accident free for a few days and it's still a work in progress.

-Elton gets to throw out the first pitch at Friday nights Orem Owlz game. I'm sure as soon as they see his mad baseball skills, he will be drafted. He could definitely teach those young guys a thing or two.

-My favorite part about attending the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House was the fact that Vivi thought we were going to see Jesus there. She was a little disappointed that we only got to see him in pictures. Aubrey loved every second of it and even got a little emotional at times. Dillon was just glad he got a cookie at the end.

-I think it is pretty laughable when someone de-friends you on Facebook. Especially when you are related to them (by marriage). Guess I shouldn't expect a birthday gift this year?!

-I won Ramona's awesome giveaway. Since she lives in the next town over, she dropped my prize by. Unfortunately, THIS had just happened, so we were running around, trying to stop the bleeding and head to the ER. I feel bad that I wasn't able to visit with Ramona for very long. I do hope to catch her as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Payson Community Theater presentation of The Wizard of Oz. I can't wait to start on this book, seeing as I just finished The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck (loved it, btw!) Thanks again, Ramona!

-I'm hungry.

-I don't know if I'll go back to Nordstrom in Orem. I asked the woman in Intimate Apparel which Spanx undergarment she would recommend to hold in my stomach so it doesn't flap around while I'm leading the music in Primary. She merely suggested some diet and exercise. Hmm, never thought of that. Thanks. I'm waiting for the store manager to return my call.

-Need a lesson in appropriate grammar usage? Click here.

I Have the Answer...

...on how to end world hunger. Plant a couple of zucchini plants. There. Problem solved. The zucchini we have growing in our garden could feed a small country. Just sayin'.

As I await my Nobel Peace Prize, I'll just make some Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins.

You are welcome.

*Warning* Blood and Staples

Did you know that 5 year olds can sneak up behind you while you are pulling the just filled propane tank out of the back of your truck?

Did you know that a propane tank can slice your head open?

Did you know that cuts on the head bleed profusely?

Did you know that Tuesday nights @ 7pm can be a good time to visit the Emergency Room?

Did you know it is kind of embarrassing to tell the ER staff (and coworkers) you whacked your kid in the head with a propane tank?

Did you know that the mention of the word needle can cause a 5 year old to go from calm to raving mad man within a matter of seconds?Did you know that 4 adults have a hard time holding down said mad man?

Did you know that staple guns aren't used just for reupholstering furniture?

Did you know they will let you keep the staple gun to take home as a souvenir?

Did you know you can't go swimming in the pool for 10 days while your head wound heals?

Did you know that a visit to the Pharmacy to see your dad's coworker Sandra who buys you some Starburst for being tough makes everything better?

This is Pine Valley:

This is where Pine Valley is:
(look for the red arrow)

This is where we stay when we go to Pine Valley:This is what we do in Pine Valley:
{roasting marshmallows and movie nights} {riding the 4 wheelers and collecting lava rocks}{riding our bikes on the deck for hours} {dressing up and playing Guess What I Am!}

This is how Pine Valley celebrates Pioneer Day:{Pioneer program at the Pine Valley Chapel and pancake breakfast}{Pioneer games for the kids}

This is Mindi:I have been reading her hilarious, pop culture-tastic blog for over a year now. (two words: confession booth)

COINCIDENTALLY her parents have a place in Pine Valley. (it was fate) We played Pioneer games together, chatted it up with the locals and donned our Pioneer garb. We hope that our parents will become BFF's, hang out and play cards, and do whatever it is that empty nesters do. (which is sitting around and talking about their crazy kids)

Thanks Mindi for escaping the St. George heat just to see me. (well, and your family)

It was a great weekend! Thanks mom and dad for your hospitality! The kids are planning their next trip down already :)

And THANK YOU Pioneers for your suffering as you made your way west to settle in this great State. I bet you never thought we would celebrate by bbq-ing, stuffing our faces and having a nap.

{and if you were wondering...Elton had to work all weekend so he missed out on all the fun. BOOOO!}

Don't Bogart my Fountain Machine Space

Bogart

Definition: to selfishly take or keep something; hog

Picture this. You are at your favorite Fast Gas location, or at Cafe Rio or anywhere that you fill your own cup with (insert fave beverage here). You politely wait your turn until the person before you exits the fountain machine space. And then you are up. The whole machine is yours. You ice up and you are just about to stick your cup under your fave drink of choice. And then BAM! it happens. An arm reaches around you just to sneak in there real quick and top off their cup. Umm, excuse me. When I am standing in front of the machine, that means I have FULL REIGN. There is no touching the machine when I am here. Don't BOGART my fountain machine space. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

I have found that the biggest offenders of this behavior are men. Men who are on their lunch breaks at Cafe Rio who see that I have three cups to fill up to their one. I'm sure in their mind, they think I won't notice. Well, they are wrong. I notice, and it bugs me. And it especially bugs me that when I am filling up my Diet Coke, they are all up in my grill as they fill up their Coke. Too close, get away, I need my space.

Honestly, I don't have big personal space issues. But because of a traumatic experience as a teenager while filling up my drink at the Hart's (HOLLA, PG!) I was hip chucked out of the way by a large woman who had to get her 64 oz. mug filled. I'm not even lying, ask my dad, he witnessed it.

So note to all blogging peeps. Next time you are at the fountain machine, notice all the rude people reaching around you. And if you reach around me, you might just lose a finger.

HOT Summer Night

Don't laugh. And nobody have any open flames next to their computer screen because that is a heck of a lot of hairspray on all that hair below.1993. Big hair and plaid was in. This is Chelsea and me. We were roommates at the Glenwood in Provo. I think this picture was taken before heading out to go dancing at The Palace on Ladies Night. (sorry dad) We have been friends for 17 years. We have stayed in touch over the years through many moves, marriages and babies. She currently lives in AZ. This is my friend Rachel and her husband Dave. We became friends while we lived in Pocatello, Idaho. She was a teaching assistant at a school I taught at. She got to follow a couple of my Behavior Disordered students around all day long. We may or may not have shopped online when we should have been attending to the students. I will neither confirm nor deny that. She currently lives in AZ.

In case you have been living under a rock, last November I went to the NKOTB concert when they came to SLC. If you need a refresher on that night, click here. When I heard they were bypassing SLC and going to AZ, I thought it would be great to reunite with my old friends. (oh, and Rachel and Chelsea.) Chelsea saw the New Kids THREE times as an adolescent (two up on me) and she couldn't wait to see them all grown up. Rachel on the other hand was a neglected child whose parents wouldn't let her see them in concert while growing up in Ohio. Personally, I think that borders on child abuse, but that's just my opinion.

In preparation for the event, I ordered some shirts from this place. They were the most coveted shirts of the night. (In case you don't know, those are the names of the New Kids on the Block)

The very best part (well next to the actual show and really cool shirts) was that our tickets were ONLY $7!!! How did we manage that? We didn't buy them until the day before the show. And they were actually really good seats. But, unfortunately, our $7 tickets and cool shirts didn't get us in to the VIP entrance. Lame.

First up: The Jabbawockeez. If you don't know who they are, where have you been? Click here to see them in action. Next up: Jesse McCartney. All I can say is YAWN. He didn't even warrant a picture. When he grows some more chest hair, I might start paying attention.

And then, it began...the night we had all been waiting for. They sang some old, they sang some new. We screamed our guts out, turned in to 16 year old girls and sang along.

How can you not dance along to this? It will take you back to the good ole days:

Don't worry, I didn't sing along. You won't have to cover your ears.

Rachel's favorite is Joey. He sang to her all night. Her personal favorites were "Please Don't Go Girl" and "Popsicle" (yes, he sang that!) Unlike Chelsea and I, Rachel is very quiet and wasn't swinging from the rafters. But, I could tell by the look on her face she was so excited to see her teenage crush who she had planned on marrying.

All of a sudden, the guys disappeared and then they reappeared 10 rows below us. Jon and Jordan were pretty close.

Joey wasn't too far away either. We looked around and couldn't find Rachel! Where had she gone?? Did she sneak to the bathroom and was totally missing this? Chelsea and I climbed on top of our seats and were waving our arms around screaming. We started blowing him kisses and then it happened. He looked our way and blew a kiss back. That's right. Joey saw two crazy 30 something moms going nuts. He acknowledged our craziness and all was good with the world. (I'm sure he also thought "what great shirts!")

Rachel reappeared. Where had she gone? In her quiet observing nature, she saw them appear below and ran down and was two people away from Jon and Jordan. She did see that Joey spotted us. Way to go Rach!

And then it was over. We thought about scoping out the tour buses, but did I mention I was in AZ? And even at 11:30 at night it is 110 degrees?

It was a fun time and I'm glad that I got to share it with my two long time NKOTB friends. We got to escape reality for a little while and just go nuts :)

Thanks to Chelsea and her family for being the hosts with the mosts and letting me crash at their place. AND for getting us the hook up at Maggiano's in Scottsdale before the concert. You are the bestest! I forgot to mention that I conned her in to going to Sephora AGAIN. She stepped out of the box and let them put color on her eyelids. I thought she looked great!

And thanks to Kami for her heads up on The Names Brand site which provided the t-shirts and for her tutorial on how to get blog pics ginormous.