Dancing Diva's

Gracie, Aniston and Lauren all take dance together. They had their Christmas program and here are a few pics. Santa came and they were able to wear their Pajama's. It was darling.

Only the Best Christmas Party EVER!

Every year Jake and I host a Christmas party for a fun group of friends. It's an adult party and we exchange white elephant gifts. This is the 4th year its been going on. I hope this Christmas tradition never ends. I make a big dinner and cocktails and everybody brings something to share. This year we had about 25 people.

I made a couple of roasts, a tri-tip, Jake and Daniel fried a turkey, we had rolls, green beans, mashed potatoes, and an amazing salad... thanks to Mark. I attempted a signature cocktail without trying it first... it was horrible. I made peppermintini's from a recipe off the Internet. BIG MISTAKE! After trying a couple of them, we knew they were not going to work out... so, we added some delicious chocolate syrup to them and VIOLA... they were fabulous! But we had to change the name to MOCHA MINTINI! They were so cute and festive with crushed candy cane around the rim and a mini cane for garnish... I wish they tasted as good as they looked.

So, the party was supposed to start at 7:00... it didn't. I should have known to tell everybody an hour early, because I think some of the goods got cold. It was a success nonetheless.

As people started trickling in, conversations were going on all around. One particular conversation stands out to me. I was talking to Jake's (and now my) cousin, Jenny Butterfield. and here's how it went:

Jenny: "There is a surprise coming"
Me: "who? You have to tell me." I am so dumb and didn't realize what I had just said, so then I said this... "Oh my gosh, it's Jason, Is Jason coming?"
Jenny: "No, that would be so awesome though. I wish he was coming.... it's someone else but I am not going to tell you" Note: she said this with the saddest look on her face... I was convinced it WAS NOT JASON.
Me: "Please, Just tell me" "Jenny, I thought it was Jason and I almost pooped my pants" "Now, you have to tell me."
Jenny: "I am not telling, you will just have to wait. "
Annie: "Ok, you don't have to tell me" ... as I reluctantly changed the subject and forgot about the whole thing.

About 20 minutes passed and I was busy doing who knows what when in walks the surprise....

Jason was here!

I screamed... I didn't know what else to do. He was not supposed to be here. He was in Kansas and leaving for Afghanistan in 2 days. WHAT IS GOING ON? Jenny Lied... I am mad! Not really... but that was the BEST SURPRISE EVER!

We all had the greatest time. I didn't make it to bed until 6 am. WOW! I am still tired.

We ate dinner and cleaned up a bit and sat down to exchange white elephant gifts. I was soooo excited because I had been planning mine for 3 weeks. It was amazing. I had made a poster size picture of Jake on Halloween in his speedo. Funniest thing ever. Jake gave Jason a going away "dance" and that was the highlight of the night. It may show up on youtube... you never know. Jeff professed his love to his "best friends" and we all cried for Jason.

This was one of the better nights we have had... and we have a lot of great nights with this group of friends. It almost seems not real.

I don't have my camera at the moment but will post pics when I get it back. Can't wait.

SLEEPING.THROUGH.THE.NIGHT!

Garrett is finally sleeping through the night.

HALLELUJAH!

It only took him 8 months... he actually has been sleeping through the night at least 4 times a week for that past few weeks but I didn't want to jinx myself by blogging about it.

Needless to say, I am one happy momma!

STAIRS...

So, this morning I was working on the computer while the kids were playing on the floor. Gracie came into my room and was there with me for about 10 minutes playing her Leapster. She said, "Mom, I am going to check on Garrett." What!!!!!! I totally forgot about Garrett....At that point I realized how quiet the house was. I jumped up and started running frantically through the house searching for him...I had forgotten to put the baby gates up so he could be anywhere. Gracie ran up stairs while I searched the main floor. Much to my dismay, he was upstairs... he had climbed up 16 stairs all by himself. When we found him, he was in the playroom playing with the toys as happy as can be. Wow! That scared the crap out of me. I am just glad he made it without falling. Silly Boy!

This is a perfect example of Garrett's Personality. He is determined and Strong. He has tried to climb the stairs before but we usually stop him before he gets too far. Now we just have to teach him how to get down the stairs safely.

NO CAVITIES...YAY!

Gracie was in the South Valley Journal this month... How cute is that. She won the no cavity contest at her dentist. Dr. Johnson's office gave her a HUGE stuffed Hippo and an electric princess toothbrush. Gracie was super excited but she keeps asking why people are calling her about it. Isn't she the cutest little muffin? I think so.

Baby Tooth #3

Garrett got another tooth. Bottom right... just next to the first bottom right, but this one is righter.

He He, I crack myself up!

He Pee's, He Pee's

This is a quick story that I don't want to forget. Kim reminded me of this the other day and I thought it hilarious and very blog worthy.

I was in the hospital the day after Garrett was born and Kim and Lauren were visiting. The girls were playing in one of the rocking chairs and Garrett had pooped that disgusting black tar. So, Jake equipped me with a diaper and wipes and all the neccessary tools to complete the task. I began to change the diaper and get him all cleaned up when the poop began to ooze again. This time it was a lot of poop. So, I started yelling while trying to stop it from getting everywhere and Kim and Jake jumped up to grab more wipes and another diaper. These diaper changes were a team effort so luckily Jake and Kim were right there to assist. During all the chaos, Kim started to walk across the room to grab something more to help (I think a clean blanket, but I am not sure). As she was walking and talking, Garrett started to pee and the stream ended up directly in Kim's open mouth. Poop and pee was everywhere. We laughed for days. The girls kept saying "Baby Garrett peed in your mouth" while laughing as hard as they could at Kim.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2008

What a wonderful holiday. There is nothing better than getting together with the people you love, eating perfect homemade food, sitting and just enjoying the company. I must say we had a perfect day! We had 2 turkey dinners. YUMMY!

First, we woke up, had our morning coffee, and Jake started watching the Titans Football game as soon as it started. The Titans killed the other Team... I am not sure who it was but I do know that the Titans won again... strengthening their one loss record. Jake was happy, but it made for a lighthearted argument about him being slow because he was so into the game. Grrr! Our goal was to arrive early to Jake's grandparents house so we could visit with Jason before dinner (who was only in town for the short weekend). We were "on time" for Thanksgiving dinner to say the least. Luckily, Jason didn't show up early either.

I was able to get myself and both the kids ready and in the car after making 2 platters of Meat Pickle (Pickles rolled in Ham that has cream cheese spread on it)... Sooo Yummy! Jake helped make the dish and for that I was "Thankful".

Our first stop was the Thomas family dinner. The food was as good as ever. We were able to visit with the whole fam and the kids played outside in the sunshine.

Then we went to my family's dinner at Auntie Ya Ya's and ate AGAIN! It was fabulous! We played with the wii and even got my mom playing... she loved it! Tennis, of course!

We got home late and I still hadn't had a chance to look at the ads for Black Friday. I put the kids to bed, set my alarm, and online I went. There is something about Black Friday that I LOVE. I think it is all the chaos, but I am not sure... I get a kick out of people watching and seeing how they fight over everything.

I woke up at 4:08 am the next morning and off I went to shop. Rena drove because she has the biggest car. We picked Kim up and started at Walmart then moved on to Target, JCPenney, The Buckle, and Famous Footwear. Somewhere in there we stopped the shop to eat at Village Inn. We were home by 10:30 with a car full of wonders.

Later, we had dinner plans with Jason and many friends at Tsunami. Love the Sushi! Love the Friends! We had an all night sitter, thanks to my sister in law, Becky, and brother Eric. My son was a shit (as usual) and Gracie choked on 3 pennies... Lovely!

After dinner we ended up at Club 90... enough said! I love to people watch and this just may very well be the perfect place. It was a great time. Jeff reserved us a table and gave several lap dances to perfect strangers! Steph was a good sport about the whole thing... the things she puts up with to give us a good laugh. Thanks Steph! Oh yeah, Jake got hit on by a super cute girl... I am so lucky to have him!


Saturday was amazing. We picked up the kids in the morning went to the store to buy baby gates and stayed home the rest of the day. I was able to watch 5 episodes of Prison Break before our company showed up for a friendly game of Texas Hold 'em. Good Times.

Sunday I watched 4 more episodes of Prison Break (I am finally caught up) and made my own turkey dinner. I was impressed with myself. Here's what was on the menu: Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, stove top, green beans, and rolls. It was pretty good. I really love to cook. Have I mentioned that Rena and I made the most fabulous Fish Tacos last week. I think I am obsessed with them. Jake may argue with me on this one, but I think they were Rubios good!

FISH TACOS: JUST ONE MORE THING TO BE GRATEFUL FOR THIS THANKSGIVING!

Funny Something...

I was driving Gracie and Lauren home from Dance on Monday night and their conversation was hilarious.

I'm not sure how it started but I think it went something like this.

Lauren: said something about my car, but I am not sure what... I think it was about the seat belt.

Gracie: "This is a cool car huh? It goes really fast, and... it gets good gas!"

The funny thing is, my car doesn't go that fast or get great gas mileage. Kids say the darndest things.

Defeat

The Tennessee Titans lost to the Jets yesterday. My football background will come down soon enough. That is all I have to say about that!

Family Photos!

Talk about a small family! This is the entire family on my dad's side. There are 17 total but Grandpa died so only 16 are pictured. It's great because we can almost all sit at the same table for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner. Needless to say, we are all very close.

This is my immediate family with my Grandma Lucille (Maternal Grandmother)

This is my immediate family with my Grandma Dorene (Paternal Grandmother)

Gracie's Preschool Photos!

So Cute... Gracie had her first school pictures. She looks exactly like her aunt Karli when she was young. She is wearing her favorite dress that Granny Goose and Papa bought her when they went school clothes shopping.

Traumatizing!

Yesterday was horrible! Our dog Bear ingested snail bait. I thought she was dying. I panicked, I didn't know what to do so I called Jake. He told me to get the kids in the car and take her to the vet... is that what I'm supposed to do in an emergency??? Sounds obvious, right? I was totally freaked out and my head was not thinking straight. I was screaming and crying and yelling at Gracie to get to her room (only because I didn't want her to see Bear Die.) Luckily, Jenni was on her way to my house at the time... but I had forgotten with all the chaos. I pulled Garrett out of his crib, and put the kids in the car. All of the sudden I turned around and Jenni was there. She must think I am a crazy person, I was freaking out repeating "my dog is dying, my dog is dying". She took my kids home with her and I took Bear to the vet... in my pajamas, with no bra on! The ladies at the vet think I am a crazy person too. I called them during all of this repeating the same thing while crying... my dog is dying, my dog is dying... I am on my way. I think they were able to get Bears name out of me and pull her file because when I got there they knew who she was. It was awful. Poor Bear was throwing up, foaming at the mouth, shaking and convulsing, she couldn't walk straight. It looked like she was having a siezure.

The good part is, she is okay! She stayed at the vet overnight and came home this morning. She is doing great. We are not sure how she got snail bait but the vet is pretty certain that's what it was. I just hope that one of my neighbors didn't try to kill my dog on purpose. Somehow, I think that is exactly what happened. Why anyone would do that to a dog is beyond me. How horrible. We are soooo happy that she recovered so well and that she is back home with the rest of the family! We love you Bear!

Here is Bear and Sally Snuggling... So Sweet!

Disney On Ice!

My mom took us to Disney on Ice on Wednesday night. There were six of us, Gracie, me, mom, Becky, Julianna, and Chase. I forgot my camera so no pictures... So sad!

We almost didn't get to go because Gracie was being very naughty! We rode trax and on our way to the trax station Gracie was crying and upset because she didn't want to wear her pants in the car. I ignored her the entire way there. When we finally got there she started screaming and crying her loudest... I went psycho on her! I may have scarred her for life. I screamed equally as loud and actually started to drive back home. I think everyone in the Trax parking lot heard the comotion. It was upsetting. I threatened her, we both calmed down, and off we went to Disney on Ice.

Once we got on the train, everything was great. The show was fantastic and Gracie behaved. She liked it even better than Princesses on Ice. WOW! Thanks Mom!

Look Alikes???

On Halloween I met several new people. This girl Tonya (above) and I became friends quickly. Who wouldn't want to be friends with the weirdo in the chicken costume anyway? Plus I was squawking around the party all night. I had to play the part. Anyway, back to my story... The funny thing is, I didn't even realize that we look just like each other until the night was almost over. Actually, the obvious had to be pointed out to me. At first I didn't think we looked alike so we took several photos just to see if it were true. (Hence the serious look) And look, it is... we look the same! Weird! I may have just found my long lost sister. Mom, Dad.... is there something you need to tell me?

Are you ready for some football?

I know that I am super late for a blog about football, but there is a purpose here.

I try to love it but just can't seem to get into it. I play fantasy football on a league with Jake so that during the season I have something to talk to him about. This is real people. Every Sunday we camp out all day in front of 3 TV's to make sure to catch every game. Yes, we have the NFL ticket. I tried to get Jake to start a blog about football but he wants nothing to do with the blogging world. I did LOVE watching my nephew, Turner, play little league though. They made it to the playoffs and I went crazy at the games.

Now, for the real purpose of this post. Jake's favorite team is the Tennessee Titans! And, as of now, they are the only undefeated team in the league. He likes them so much that my baby boy has no choice but to like them. Garrett's entire room is decorated in Titans/Football decor including a HUGE fathead Titans Helmet. It's cute! I think if I would allow it, my room would be decorated in footballs. Actually, our Christmas tree ornaments are hand-me-down 80's football team ornaments from Jake's mom. They rock.... I even think so. It is a bit sad though, the Titans weren't around back then so Jake has one lonely Titan's ornament that I was lucky to find at the FANZZ store back in the day when they went to the SuperBowl. That solo Titans ornament is by far the crowne jewel of the tree... it sits at the very top next to the angel. At least we have an angel, right?

I have decided that my sweet football background will stay until the titans either lose a game, or win the SuperBowl. GO TITANS!

More of Halloween...

I am terribly sad that October is gone! I love October because it is Jake's, Bear's (our dog), and my Birthday as well as HALLOWEEN! I think anyone who does not dress up for Halloween is LAME-O! I love to dress up and believe it or not... Jake does too! This year his costume was AMAZING but he won't let me post pictures... I am sooo sad because it might be the funniest costume on the face of the planet. He was Michael Phelps if you can imagine that... Nothing but a speedo, goggles, and swim cap. Oh yeah, I can't forget about all those GOLD MEDALS! We went to a Halloween party and had a great time. Jake stayed in only a speedo for at least an hour. This is just one more reason why I love my Husband... he is hilarious! A big thanks to Kyle and Liz for throwing such a great par-tay! Here are some of the photos without Jake's bottom half unfortunately.

Costume Party

Here is Gracie in her Sleeping Beauty costume. The funny thing is that Aniston and Lauren were both Sleeping Beauty as well and it was not planned. The girls had a Halloween party at dance and at school. They had so much fun dancing around in their pretty pink dresses.

Garrett was a Tiger

Gracie loved trick or treating even though we only made it to about 15 houses. She got tired and wanted to go home. It was great for me because Jake and I had to leave for Park City to attend a fantastic Halloween Party. Jenni and Josh took our kids for the night. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Here are some halloween pictures of the kids, myself, and cousins. I was a chicken... I made my own costume!

My sister in law, Rakel, is the scary lady. The lady bug is my sweet niece, Mya. Dracula is my nephew Kalder.

Jack-O-Lantern

We carved our pumpkins on Thursday night and I think Jake enjoyed it more than the rest of us. Gracie would not touch the gross pumpkin guts and I love the feeling of the slime between my fingers, so I had the liberty of cleaning out all of our pumpkins. We carved a happy face, a scary face, and a skeleton. I don't have a picture of them lit because I forgot to buy candles... OOPS!

This one looks like it's lit but don't be fooled, I put a flashlight in him.

All dressed up with no place to go!

Remember Ernie?


Isn't she cute? Poor girl got all dressed up with no place to go. Once again, My husband thinks I am a huge dork and for some reason I get off on it. Enjoy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

More Halloween photos to follow... maybe tomorrow!

Pumpkin Pickin'

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch to pick our pumpkins last week. It was freezing cold! Lauren fell while running through the pumpkins. If you click on the picture you can see Lauren's face when she fell... she was so sad but darling anyway. She was kinda mad at me because when she fell, I ran over and took her picture before I helped her up... how MEAN!

Halloween fun!

We made it to the scarecrow festival for the first time ever last Friday. It was fun until the end. I took the kids and Kim and Jenni also took their kids. Let's just say that I will never go back. Here's how it went. First, we got there and learned that it was super expensive to get in. Once we got inside the kids jumped on the bounce houses and loved it. Then we went through the little haunted house and that was fun too. Gracie was leading the way and she didn't get scared once... she apparently isn't afraid of the dark or the boogie monster. So then, we were getting hungry so we went to get food. Gracie got a $5 slice of pizza and before we made it to the table to eat, it was on the floor. So back I go to BUY another one (I tried to brush it off but NO WAY, she was not going to eat the one that fell on the ground.) Next, we went to get in line to do some of the "free" attractions and the lines were so long we ran out of time. We made it to the face painting tent and the girls got their faces painted... that was cute but of course more $$. I know it all goes to charity but come on people... I could have went to Lagoon for what I spent there. Last, we decided to let the girls go to the "fishing pond" and get a prize before we called it a day. Gracie went first. What a nightmare... she didn't like the little purple monkey that she got and she threw a complete tantrum. It was awful, I had to literally drag her out to the parking lot with tears and face paint running down her face and all over her clothes. She was soooo naughty. I don't know if I have ever been that mad at her. To say the least, she was grounded for the rest of the day. I guess this is Karma for my COSTCO experience!

Jake is 29!

Happy Birthday to my HUBBY!

Jake doesn't read my blog so I am not going to get all mushy here... that comes later. I just wanted to wish my man a Happy Birthday and Let the world know that I LOVE HIM and I am PROUD of him.

Jake, you are the best ever! (just in case you ever do read this)

It's Official... He's Crawling!

I was SO right when I said Garrett would be crawling within the week!

How funny is his face in every single photo? It cracks me up how proud he is of himself. He is so happy that he can finally MOVE on his own.

It is so cute, he does this push up thing and he finally figured out how to pull one knee in front of the other instead of dragging his body behind him while doing the army crawl. He falls and that is cute too.

Gracie didn't crawl until well into her 7th month and here my wild boy (who can't sit still) is going at it before he hit the 7 month mark. What a kid! I swear that kid wants to be 2 already... he has more energy and determination than I have ever seen in a baby... he wears me out!

Here is a quick update on the not sleeping situation.... I have tried to let him "cry it out" and it doesn't work with him. He will cry for 2 hours and as soon as I go into his room and give him a binki, he goes to sleep. AMAZING! Plus, I can't handle it... the crying is pure torture for me. I think I am destined to get up with him every night.... hopefully he grows out of this phase (what if isn't a phase?... AHH!) sometime before he starts school. Oh yeah, I figured out the eating thing too. He is too busy to eat! He can't sit still and focus on food long enough to eat even 3 bites. Who said boys were easier than girls? I think not.

hOLY hALLOWEEN!

oK, fIRST A LITTLE pREVIEW OF gRACIE'S hALLOWEEN pAST! aND tHEN tHE aNSWER tO tHIS jOKE....

How come ghosts can't have Babies?

my cute mom told me this joke last year and I loved it....

Gracie's 1st Halloween. She was a cute little "Pooh"

Halloween 2005... our little kitten!

2006: I bought her the cutest little fairy costume but NO, she had to be Sponge Bob.

2007: Witch Gracie

BECAUSE THEY HAVE HOLLOW WEENIES!

Ha Ha Ha

Time to Baby Proof!

Garrett can army crawl! What a funny kid. He is determined to outgrow babyhood very fast. He has just started to get up on all fours and rock or get up on his toes and then he falls and just army crawls. It is pretty entertaining. Just put something a few feet in front of him and he will find a way to get to it. My guess is that he will be really crawling in a week or so. Oh yeah, and everything he gets a hold of goes straight to his mouth... except his baby food. The kid does not like to eat. It is weird. He loves a bottle, but he will only take a few bites of the good stuff and he is done. I guess he has one less of his mommy's traits. He is also doing this screaming thing. Not a sad or unhappy scream but a "somebody please pay attention to me" scream. It's cute... sometimes.

Lastly, my baby boy is still not sleeping through the night. In fact, it's getting worse. He is gettting up at least twice a night and sometimes more. GRRR! Can somebody please help me with this problem? At this point, I am open to any suggestions. I NEED SLEEP!

Who knew Trees Could be so exciting?

WE HAVE TREES! Finally!

This very well could be considered a perfect day. The sun was shining, it was so warm outside we didn't need jackets or shoes for that matter. Jake planted 4 October Glory Red Maples in my yard and I couldn't be happier. Who knew that trees and dirt and grass would be the highlight of my new house.

I was so excited for the trees. I went outside and measured and placed the them in the perfect spots exactly 16 feet apart. I asked Gracie to go get Jake to dig the holes and as he walked out he said something like this, "that is not where they are going, right? Aren't you going to plant them where the sprinklers are?" Needless to say, they were planted just where I had placed them.

Jake wasn't happy as he was digging the holes in the very rocky Herriman soil. I kept telling him how excited I was and made the mistake of asking him why he wasn't happy about the trees. I guess the fun part is not in the planting. I am sure he will LOVE and appreciate them in spring when they are in bloom.

It was snowing no less than 96 hours ago and today it felt like summer again. What a nice surprise. As much as I love fall, I am not looking forward to the snow.

(Click on the image to enlarge)

Tag, you're it!

Seven Random Facts about me!!

1. I am addicted to blogging and blog stalking.
2. I bite my fingernails. YUCK!
3. I love to mow the lawn, pull weeds and work in the yard. (I currently only have 1/2 of a yard, with no trees or shrubs... how sad :-( Actually, today Jake is planting the first 4 trees and I am soooo excited.)
4. I cannot survive the day without a cup of coffee in the morning.
5. I have had my appendix out, bladder repair surgery, and my tubes tied.
6. I have a dead animal hanging in my house and my husband thinks it's home decor.
7. I have owned and lived in 4 houses and moved 7 times since I have been married.

I tag...... Elise Lane

Teeth!

Tooth #2 has arrived. Bottom right showed up yesterday. You wouldn't even know he was teething. No drool, no fever, no crankiness. Yay! My little guy is growing up too fast!

*Forest Fairies*

Forest Fairies are real... we know, we felt their magic!

Have you ever heard of Forest Fairies? I hadn't until our last camping trip. Who knew that their magic was so real? Not me.... until now!

As night fell upon us up high up in the mountains, Natalie gathered all the children together. She told them all to get a flashlight for the Forest Fairies had come. Once all the children had flashlights and a sack for goodies the tale began.

The forest fairies had left Natalie (Jake's Great Aunt) a note earlier in the day. All the children at our camp were good kids so the fairies came and left great things for them. Natalie led the way, she carried a lantern and each time that she would set her lantern down, the kids were to shine their flashlights up into the trees to catch a glimpse of the Fairies. They were everywhere. We heard them flying through the trees and they led us to places where treats were left. The children were mesmerized. Actually, I think that everyone was mesmerized, it was a beautiful thing.

As we started walking through the forest, listening for the fairies, we saw glimmers through the trees and each time this happened there were treats left for each of the children. This went on for a long time. The kids were so into it... they were very quiet throughout the entire adventure. It was magical! Thank you Forest Fairies, we hope you come back again.

Natalie with the kids gathered around for the tale of the Forest Fairies.

This was taken just before the magical adventure began!
Notice the flashlights.

Pictures, Pictures, Wonderful Pictures!

We had our kids pictures taken on Aug. 29th and they turned out fabulous... If you need a good photographer, click here.

Feeling Fat not PHAT!

So, apparently I am FAT!

The other day as Jake was getting dressed and as he was putting on an old pair of jeans he said something to the tune of "I am too fat for these jeans"

Gracie looked at me and said "Mom, you are fatter than dad!" Jake and I looked at each other and of course laughed. How could you not laugh? Kids are so honest.

So later that day, I was changing my shirt while sitting on the couch. Stomach rolls hanging over my pants and once again Gracie said, "Mom, you are too fat for that shirt!"

Thank you Gracie for your honesty! I guess I can't use the "I just had a baby" excuse any longer. Off to the gym to get a membership I go.

Home Decor?

This is Ernie the Elk. Jake thinks that this is the way to decorate our home. I beg to differ. Dead animals do not, I repeat, do not belong in the home!

As you can see, I have lost this battle. Here is the proof! Ernie is currently hanging on the wall in my office. I see his wide open mouth every time I walk down my hall. It is slightly disgusting, but I know how much Jake loves to hunt and this is his trophy so I will suffer in silence.

Now, let's talk about decorating. Here is my plan... Ernie will have a beautiful array of color at Christmas time when I hang lights from his antlers and a mistletoe from his mouth. I have not yet decided what he will be for halloween and New Years... Watch out. If Ernie is going to be a part of our home, I am sure going to make him feel welcome.

Twenty NINE!!!

Yesterday was my last birthday of my twenties... UGH! I spent the whole day with my kids, husband, friends and family and I didn't even leave the house. It was so nice to just relax and enjoy the day! We made the best dinner... Tri-tip, ceasar salad, corn, au gratin potatoes, shrimp pasta (thanks Rena) and a delicious dessert of Birthday Cake (thanks mom), brownies (thanks Jenni) and ice cream! YUMMY! The perfect end to the perfect day! Thank you all for celebrating with us! (We missed you Kim)

Action Shot! Here I am blowing out my Candles. Talk about Ugly!

I actually thought that I may feel sad about twenty nine... but I feel just fine. I am super happy to be "growing up". I have finally gotten past the whole gift thing and just want to spend time with the people I love. I didn't even want anything from Jake (which is surprising to me... I usually look forward to seeing what he will surprise me with) But this year was different.

On Wednesday, we went to dinner at Bonsai just me, Jake, and the kids. Gracie loved it! Her favorite part was the onion volcano!

Surgery Day...

Garrett had surgery on Friday. Click here for more info . He did great. I was the one that was scared. How terrifying to hand your little baby off to complete strangers. I am so grateful that he is such a tough little guy. Looking at him now, you wouldn't even know that he just went through that. He doesn't seem to be in any pain. Yay! The surgery lasted two hours... here are some before and after photos! ENJOY! (the biggest pic is after, the small ones are before)

Teeth... or should I say tooth

Garrett got his first tooth today. I just noticed it popping through on the bottom left. Wow, yesterday there was nothing but gums and today.... a tooth. Oh Happy Day!

Silly Girls...

I LOVES YOU ALL THREE!

Gone Huntin'

Tis the season for all of the 'men' to gather their guns and head up the mountain. Jake left last Tuesday and Gracie, Garrett, and I joined him in the mountains of Vernal Friday for a fun-filled camping trip. I don't hunt, I just camp! Just wanted to make that clear.

This trip was so unique and perfect! Most of Jake's family went this year which is pretty rare. And, the best part is... no little deer lives were taken. Hooray for Bambi!



Gracie was able to play with her cousins Kalder, Conner and Turner and second cousins, Kenzie, Cole, and Cade. They went snipe hunting and followed forest fairies (another post) and rode bikes, 4 wheelers, barbie jeeps and shot the beebee gun. They had a blast. We had good food and good times around the campfire. It was so nice to spend time with Lenny and Grandma and Grandpa Thomas. We took the kids fishing on Saturday and they loved that too! Nature is the best place to make memories.

Garrett Camping!

Gracie Camping!

Six Months YOUNG!

My baby is officially six months!
This is my favorite baby stage for sure. I have to admit that I couldn't wait for Garrett to get to this stage, but now I am a bit sad to see him get so big so fast. He now sits up and rolls over and laughs and snuggles and I love it! I just want time to stand still for awhile.

Last night I realized something. I realized that as much as I want my sleep, I really do love getting up with Garrett at night to feed him (not every night though). I look forward to hearing his little cry just so I can get up and smell his sweet breath and look into those big, innocent eyes. As I was holding him in the dark, I was thinking how perfect that time is and how lucky I am to have a little lovable baby to hold. I hope so much that I remember this feeling when my kids get big.

Side note: There are still nights when I really do want/need a full night of sleep. That is when Jake takes the night feeding. Thank you honey!

Meet Sally!

Gracie Lynn is a proud new momma of a little tiny kitten named Sally! As you all know, Gracie had her 4th Birthday on Sunday.

On Monday, My aunt Karen (Ya Ya) came to pick her up to go shopping for her own birthday gift. When I asked her where they were going, Gracie said "to the toy store mom". She had this look on her face like I should've known.

They weren't going to the toy store. Ya Ya had called me to see if we would be okay with her getting Gracie a kitty. I was totally on board. Jake was going to be the one that would take a lot of convincing (he doesn't like cats). With that said, I realized that he would never agree, so for this plan to work... "I didn't know anything". I knew that there was no way that he could tell her no once she had her heart set. She has him wrapped!

I must tell you, it was perfect. When they got back Jake was home and Rena was in the driveway with the boys (luckily, because I didn't want to face Jake alone). I ran outside so that I could see her get out of the car. I have never seen such a huge smile on anyones face in my life. I didn't know Gracie was capable of so much joy at such a young age. Jake was great too! He took the whole thing so well and he knew from the start that I was in on it. He was okay with it though. Like I said, She has him wrapped! He later told Ya Ya that he knew he was going to lose the kitty battle and that it was just a matter of time. What a guy!

Litter Box: $10

Cat Food:$12

Scratching Post: $23

Kitty Bed: $18

Gracie's expression when she was showing us her new kitten: PRICELESS!

Ladies and Gents, I have witnessed love at first sight! Gracie is in love with this kitty and surprisingly, she is behaving very well. She doesn't maul it like I thought she would. She even let it take a long nap today. The best part is.... at six weeks old, this kitty is litter box trained. Gracie has been very good at taking her potty every couple hours and... so far so good.

Here are a few photos of Gracies Birthday!

Happy Birthday Gracie! We love you!