Life 2011: Week 45

Monday, October 31, 2011


Happy Halloween! My kiddos were the cutest this year. Beth was a beautiful Belle and she even had her Beast with her. JJ was Agent P and he thought his costume was the best ever - so we're pretty happy around here. I went to JJ's Halloween Parade at his school and then headed over to help out at Beth's Halloween Party in her class. I cooked up some mummy hot dogs and Mac and Cheese for dinner. I was still feeling sick today, so Joey took the kids to the mall for trick or treating and then to a couple of houses on our street. They ran into the Price's and Beth was so excited - she got to go with her friend Annie to some neighborhood trick-or-treating. JJ hung out with Joey and me. It was a good Halloween.


Tuesday, November 1, 2011


Joey has been so committed to coming home at 6pm every night. It has been a blessing and the kids are loving it. They have been doing puzzles and playing games and just being together.


Wednesday, November 2, 2011


Our pumpkins had their last lighting tonight. The kids are sad Halloween is over. They are still wearing their costumes everyday, but that works for me. JJ just loves his costume and I'm so glad that I was able to make it work. We combined their candy stashes into one bowl and it will be used as desserts/special treats when they do their chores.


Thursday, November 3, 2011


Fall Sunsets are amazing. I peeked out my bedroom window just in time to capture this. I am really suffering health wise. I can't seem to get over being sick. First it was flu, then my period, then I had a day of food poisoning, and now I don't know what's up with me. Blech.


Friday, November 4, 2011


Joey had his podcast tonight and then stayed with Pete since he has a meeting in the morning. The kids and I hung out. We ordered Pizza in and the kids watched a movie. I'm still feeling pretty yucky.


Saturday, November 5, 2011


So the Utah snowstorms have started. Orem is in a bit of a hole and we didn't have any of the snow actually stick. We have lots of yellow leaves on our lawn though. Once Joey got home, he played with the kids all day so I could get more rest. JJ started having headaches today so he isn't feeling so good either. I've got to get better so I can do a major cleaning of the house and get these viruses killed.


Sunday, November 6, 2011


Well this day couldn't have gone much worse. It began at 3am when Beth threw up. I got her in the shower, soaped her up and before we could rinse her off - a pipe broke. Joey spent the next couple of hours under the house in the freezing cold trying to fix it. He did a temporary fix, because he didn't have what he needed. We had no hot water. Beth was sick, JJ was sick, I was sick, Joey wasn't feeling too good either at this point. So at about 5 am we checked into a hotel. We all really appreciated the hot showers and we tried to rest up a little bit. We tried making it an adventure for the kids, so they wouldn't realize how frustrated Joey and I were. I think it worked because they actually had a good time. 7 hours later, we checked out and went home. Of course we had to miss church again. But Joey was able to get the parts he needed and get the pipes fixed. Joey hung out with the kids again while I rested more. I need to be a real mom again - I think I'm just going to have to buck up and make it a better week for all of us.


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Life 2011: Week 44

Monday, October 24, 2011


I kept Beth home today from school. She was doing better, but I wanted to make sure she was at her best. We carved the kids pumpkins for Family Home Evening. Well - I carved the pumpkins anyways. The kids chose what kind of face they wanted and I did it. They were too grossed out by the innards to even do that part, but they were very happy with the results!


Tuesday, October 25, 2011


Beth was so excited to go to her friend Abby's birthday party today after school. They went to Kangaroo Zoo and had a blast. She loved bringing "Ballonie" home with her as well as a little treat bag!



Wednesday, October 26, 2011


JJ coughed all night and was pretty miserable so he hung out at home with me all day. He loved having the tv and remote control all to himself.


Thursday, October 27, 2011


It's that time of year again - soup season! I made a really yummy potato soup tonight. It was delish!


Friday, October 28, 2011


We made some fun Halloween Yarn Ball Decorations tonight. It was messy and fun. JJ had a bit of a texture issue with it though and I had to help him with his, but it was a fun Friday project! Joey and Pete went to dinner and then did their podcast.


Saturday, October 29, 2011


It took awhile, but the yarn balls finally dried and we hung them up. The kid want to do these for all the holidays now!


Sunday, October 30, 2011


We are really slacking in the going to church department lately. The sickness just keeps coming back to haunt us and we can't seem to get rid of it. Weekends have been the worst. But the kids were extremely sweet with each other today and that always makes things better.


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Life 2011: Week 43

Monday, October 17, 2011


It's a little late in the season, but we finally decided to go on a Fall Drive up the Alpine Loop for Family Home Evening. We will have to remember to go earlier next year, but there was still some pretty yellows! It was quite chilly and the kids forgot to bring their jackets, so they were not all excited to go out and take pictures. They liked just looking at the leaves on the drive better.


Tuesday, October 18, 2011


Not much going on today just kind of a normal Fall Day. I really enjoyed looking at some of the photos I took yesterday - I think this one is my favorite.



Wednesday, October 19, 2011


I had the opportunity to spend the day in Salt Lake City with my sister and her family. I really had a fun visit with Kori and I got to hold my nephew, Dustin for awhile which was awesome! And the real reason we were there --- I got to watch my other nephew, Colby win State Cross Country! He was amazing and it was so fun to watch him cross the finish line first! Good job bud! Then I got to bring Whitnee home with me so she could hang out and play with JJ and Beth when they got home from school. It was only a couple of hours though and then her parents picked her up because they had to head home. But it was a really great day!


Thursday, October 20, 2011


I was excited to hang out with my friend Brianne this afternoon. The kids played and we just talked and I really am glad her parents live in American Fork so she comes out here once a year or so. It's good to have some time with her! Love ya Brinner! It was Joey's birthday, but he likes to keep it pretty low-key. We just had pizza and brownies and ice cream. The kids bought him a couple of DVDs as presents.


Friday, October 21, 2011


The kids are on Fall Break (yesterday and today) - and we just didn't have anything fun planned. But I did print out these fun Halloween activity books that had coloring, crafts, and other activities with it and we did a lot of that today.


Saturday, October 22, 2011


We began the day with Beth throwing up and our pipes having huge draining problems. Not a great combination. Joey spent hours trying to get things cleared up to no avail. We finally called the community manager and found out that this happens every few years. Roots clog up the drain. But he had the equipment so he took care of it and we finally have clear drains again. Yay. It made a huge mess though and our house stinks, but hopefully it will all go away soon.


Sunday, October 23, 2011


Beth and I are both sick today. JJ and Joey seem to be okay though. We didn't go to church and just hung out. Beth drew me a cute picture on her marker board.


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Life 2011: Week 42

Monday, October 10, 2011


We got to go to Hee Haw Farms with Beth's Girl Scout Troop today. The kids played on the slides and fun swings. They got to see some farm animals and go on a little animal ride. Then they got to go on 2 hay rides. One was a trick or treat ride and they got to see Spiderman, Tigger, Pooh, Darth Vader, and some other characters who gave them candy. Then the 2nd ride was to the pumpkin patch, where the kids picked out some great pumpkins to take home. It was fun to be with the kids!


Tuesday, October 11, 2011


We finally got JJ's haircut today - he has really needed it for awhile.



Wednesday, October 12, 2011


We have really gone on a lot of outings lately and the kids have really had fun. Today we went with JJ's scout troop to the Fire Station. The firefighters had all kinds of demonstrations and fun for the kids. Smokey the Bear turned up too! We even got to see the Fire Fighters put out a real big fire (all controlled of course) - it was great. I ran into my cousin Jenny and her kids and it was fun to visit with her for a few moments.


Thursday, October 13, 2011


JJ wanted to be Agent P (His very favorite character right now) from Phineas and Ferb for Halloween this year. When I looked around, I didn't find much in costumes to purchase for this, so we decided to make our own. I couldn't find the exact color of sweats/hooded sweatshrits, so we went with a Dark Green. I found a great hat for him and a foam beak. But I knew that I would actually have to make the tail. I don't sew and I didn't even own a sewing machine. So I looked around and found a good deal on a Sew Mini Machine and purchased it and then I took some felt and sewed it together for his Platypus tail. It's definitely not perfect, but I was kind of excited that I actually sewed something! And JJ loved it. He makes a cute Agent P!


Friday, October 14, 2011


There's nothing better than snuggling down and reading books in bed. I still love seeing Beth enjoying reading so much!


Saturday, October 15, 2011


We had our annual Family Photo Shoot today and I was so excited to have Maria do our pictures. We went to a great location - the Provo Orchard/Castle on the Utah State Hospital grounds. We arrived a bit early - since I'm a little OCD about times - and it was so fun to see all the deer hanging around the orchard. I can't wait to see how our pictures turned out! Joey got to go see the Courageous movie with a friend. I can tell that it really had a huge impact on him and I'm glad he got to go. He's been having such a hard time lately with some computer problems, gout, and work issues. I'm a bit worried about him and I hope things turn around for him.


Sunday, October 16, 2011


My brother went to Orderville this weekend and so he stopped on his way back to Logan and brought me more meat! We were running way low, so it was awesome to have him bring us more. Thank goodness for my parents and their willingness to provide this for us. I love the way its prepared by Ray's family and its just a blessing!


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Life 2011: Week 41

Monday, October 3, 2011


There's nothing like warm chocolate chip cookies, especially after a day at school. The kids loved coming home to these!


Tuesday, October 4, 2011


It rained all night and was very cold. We got a call that Beth's field trip was canceled and she was so disappointed. I got her off on the bus and was doing some exercising, when I got the call that the weather had cleared up and that the field trip was still on. So I rushed to get dressed and headed down to the school and was just in time to walk with the kids to PumpkinLand. It's so fun that it's so close to Beth's school. It was fun to be with Beth and get to know her classmates just a little bit. I enjoyed watching Beth play. It ended up being the warmest day of the week.



Wednesday, October 5, 2011


We have had a cold front here in Utah all week and its been a lot darker in the mornings. After I walked the kids down to the bus stop and got them off to school, I felt like walking. So I walked around for about 1/2 hour, enjoying the silence and time to myself. It felt incredibly early since the street lamps were still glowing. It was just a very beautiful morning - I love it when its overcast. Later, I did some shopping and got to go to Olive Garden for lunch with Joey. A really good day.


Thursday, October 6, 2011


So cold this week. It really does feel more like winter than fall. Today was the perfect day for a little hot chocolate, raman, and some family movie time! It's that time of year when we watch Nightmare Before Christmas a few times! :)


Friday, October 7, 2011


I was excited to see a beautiful yellow leaf on my lawn today. It seems like the trees around where we live, always start to change colors a little later than the others.


Saturday, October 8, 2011


We went to see Dolphin Tale as a family today and we all loved it. A great emotional story and family show. Later we got to have Mallory come and be with us for awhile. She's so adorable and it was so fun to watch HER watch Tangled. She made us all laugh when she got the giggles throughout the movie. So cute!


Sunday, October 9, 2011


Joey had had a gout attack this week and so he has spent most of his time at home. I hate that he's having such pain, but it has been nice to have him home all week with me. He was able to get into work a little bit this week and his brother helped him move to his new office space. It looks like we are going to have a rough fall every year, as that is when his gout attacks seem to happen. Joey is sporting some of JJ's Halloween costume that I bought this week! I love seeing his bright blue eyes popping out!

We got to go to a baby blessing today. My friend Brianne, blessed her Isaac today. It was great to see her and great to see her new little boy. Joey's mom also showed up today to spend the night so it was fun to have her with us too. A very eventful day.


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Life 2011: Week 40

Monday, September 26, 2011


I am not much of a decorator. The kids think its so much fun though, so when I was out shopping today, I picked up a couple of Halloween decorations that was in the Target Dollar Section. The kids thought they were awesome!


Tuesday, September 27, 2011


We had a scheduling conflict tonight so Joey and I divided and conquered. Joey took Beth to her last soccer game of the Fall Season, where she scored her 2nd goal! Yay! And I took JJ to pack meeting where he earned his Bear Badge. I'm so proud of both of the kids!


Wednesday, September 28, 2011


So I had forgotten that Joey's mom was coming today so it was a nice surprise to open the door and there she was. We had a nice visit all afternoon and the kids were SO EXCITED to see her when they got home from school. They enjoyed playing with her the rest of the day and it was nice to have her take them to play outside while I had my crop. She took us and Uncle Aaron to dinner at Red Robins too, so it was nice to have another break from cooking dinner.


Thursday, September 29, 2011


So I splurged and bought a box of each of the Halloween cereals and surprised the kids with them. They loved it - we have never purchased them before. The kids are already getting so excited about Halloween.


Friday, September 30, 2011


Okay, I'm such a geek, but I have anxiously been awaiting the new "Pottermore" website from JK Rowling. I was so excited to be chosen as one of the million people who get to enjoy the beta version of the site before it is officially released sometime in October. The site has been crazy busy, so I can't always get on, but I have enjoyed what I have done so far. So fun!


Saturday, October 1, 2011


For General Conference this year, I wanted to find something that would occupy the kids, and hopefully help them listen and learn better. So I printed out some Conference Packets and surprised the kids with a little bucket of scissors, crayons, glue, pencils, and treats. They were excited and spent all morning/afternoon happily using it all. I hope they got something from conference!

Unfortunately, I overscheduled myself and had to host a crop during a little of conference. Digitals is celebration their 7th birthday and we had a great chat, but it was a little difficult to listen to conference, wrangle the kids, and host a crop at the same time. Unfortunately, Joey is suffering from a gout attack in his foot the past few days and it has been pretty miserable for him. Thank goodness for a laid back weekend.


Sunday, October 2, 2011


We were excited to have Lane join us for the morning session of General Conference. The kids were THRILLED to have him there. We enjoyed conference and a wonderful lunch before he headed to Payson to be with Cody & Becki & Mallory for the last session. We enjoyed a wonderful Sunday in our Pajamas listening to our church leaders.

This Conference I especially enjoyed hearing from the Prophet, President Uchtdorf (The Forget Me Nots talk from the Relief Society Meeting) and Elder Bednar (on Family History). There is so much I need to recommit myself to and I hope that I can remember the spirit that I felt.


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Life 2011: Week 39

Monday, September 19, 2011


Love it when the kids find delight in life and the simplest things. Today that simple thing was a light-up top. Very fun to watch them.


Tuesday, September 20, 2011


I have recently found delight in re-watching F*R*I*E*N*D*S. I haven't been very productive as of late. Not completely sure what has been going on, but I'm struggling. I have lots of time alone now that my kids are in school - but I haven't been motivated to getting anything done - housework, design work, etc. has really been hurting. But I'm trying to cope and turn this around - watching movies helps.


Wednesday, September 21, 2011


Today was our annual IEP meeting for JJ. I enjoy hearing from all his teachers and hearing about his progress. We made some good goals and I was very happy to hear how much everyone enjoys JJ. The paperwork for these IEP gets thicker every year it seems - but that's good that JJ has goals and that we have the people to help him.


Thursday, September 22, 2011


Tonight was Beth's Fall Carnival. The kids were thrilled that since they go to different schools that they got to go to TWO festival/carnivals this year! Joey was able to join us for some of it and that was exciting for the kids. They enjoy all the games and little prizes and of course its nice to be able to eat dinner out and support the school. One of the games tonight, could earn you a goldfish. The kids were so broken-hearted when they didn't win one, especially Beth. They have been begging for a pet for a long time, but we just haven't felt we are in the right place for that. But tonight that changed. After the Carnival, Joey surprised us and took us to Petco, where we purchased 2 goldfish. Meet Sabrina (Beth's fish) and Perry (JJ's fish). We are all really enjoying them!


Friday, September 23, 2011


Last month, I was so excited to have a won a blog giveaway of circus tickets. I kept it a secret from the kids. Today about noon, we picked up the kids and we drove to the Trax station and then we rode the train to the Energy Solutions Arena. We didn't tell the kids where we were going. When we got there, Beth saw the advertisements and stuff around and guessed that we were at the circus! It turned out so well. We went to the open animal show and saw some of the animals up close, then we went to the preshow and finally got in our seats for the Circus. It was amazing and a much better show than the last time we went to the circus when JJ was a baby. We were all thrilled with all of the different things that they had. I loved the Elephants, and the different performing acts. Beth was so excited about the tiger show and seeing a real live "Sasha." She just loves white tigers. It was a great day. After the circus, we left Joey to go do his podcast and came home and had McDonalds for dinner. A really great day!


Saturday, September 24, 2011


Beth is #10 this year and she is loving her soccer uniform. After her games she just wears them the rest of the day and usually as pjs at night. She says it is the most comfortable thing she owns.


Sunday, September 25, 2011


I am loving that reading time has become a tradition in our family. We are currently working our way through the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books, which is really fun since Joey and I both read them when we were kids.



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