Her very first....

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Wrong side. Paul said that I was not his wife.  He said some alien b**** inhabited my body today (maybe). I was pretty wretched. I admit it. I really don't know why I was mean, I just felt that today was as good as day as any to have a bad day. But as it is New Years Eve and the kids are fast asleep, I'm drinking my mojito minus the hard stuff, and my popcorn is in the microwave...I realize it wasn't a terrible day after all. In fact, it was actually a very huge day....
Leah had some birthday money she was eager to spend since she is learning that is what money does. I wasn't too happy about another barbie or glitter pen I knew she would pick out, but we cleaned up and headed to the mall anyway. Asher has had those blue gloves on since Christmas, yes they smell, and no he wont take them off.

Once we got there, the girls headed one way and the boys headed the other. Once I was done, we went to find the boys and walked into a home decor store....right then, Leah spotted it. She went straight to it and picked it up with glowing eyes. "I LOVE this mom, I'm buying it with my dollars," jingling her money in her sequined Beauty and the Beast rose purse. I talked her into thinking about it and going to run energy out at the play area hoping she would forget about it. She didn't. She couldn't wait to buy it. She proudly handed her money to the lady. She was giddy. She was ecstatic. She was in 4 year old heaven. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.  whoa, that's a lot of hounds tooth....a lot of cuteness in hounds tooth ;)

  

Meet Leah's very first purchase. The little silver box. Home to all of her special treasures. 

She was one happy shopper today.  And I am one ex-grump smiling at the days events. 

hoobywhatty?

Santa brought the kids a kitchen this year. They have had the best time playing with it, and I have had the not so best time yelling at them to take care of their new [not cheap] toys....

We had a great time Christmas Day with 30 bodies in our not so large house for dinner. Luckily the weather rocked so the kids were in and out the whole time. Paul had a not so great time with the barfs that day.... we thought he had the flu but since none of us got it, I think that I accidentally food poisoned him by putting bad lettuce in his Christmas Eve chicken tacos....whoopsie.

I think its fare to say that this is what we were/are are most excited for.....have I mentioned that before? {i couldn't get it to post}

jamaica me happy

I wish I was in Jamacia...but that isnt till March.
So lately...
Asher is happiest drinking the hot chocolate...

Leah is happiest in any sort of Santa situation.

Maya is happiest where the food is. And on the table seems to be the place.

And you know when Im happiest? Receiving fantabulous mail. We got a huge-ola package from grams and my sis jules had sent me...okay my girls... some of the cutest hair pieces Ive seen around. Ya ya ya, everyone sells them in the UT area but....hers really are awesome. {Shameless plug}...
If you are looking for some one of a kind pieces....she is the women. And they rock.  

So a merry happy to you all....and enjoy your Christmas!

Now THIS is hilarious....

they got it. even the effects. great.

Four

Happy Birthday to Leah!
She got to choose breakfast this morning...it consisted of waffles and licorice.

Maya got in on the licorice action too.

On to the party..... There was face painting, pizza making, cookie and cupcake decorating, puppet and flower hair clip creating and waaaay to many presents ripped open. It was a blast. Leah is a lucky girl to have such fun friends.

I am wiped out.
Love you bugsy.

Night off...and out

In the 4 years that Paul has been on his ship, last night was our first (and last) Navy Christmas Party experience. Pigging out on prime rib and chocolate dipped strawberries, mingling with his fellow workers, and listening to the lame DJ was unexpectedly fun.
[The "all gussied up" photo]

[Here we are trying to be cool at the party]....not really......

[This is the sweet prize we walked out the door with. It wasn't the 1,000 dollar gift card, Mac Book, or Vespa but hey! we were happy]

It was interesting {to say the least} to see what people chose to wear. That was the funnest part for me, scoping out all the wanna be hotties (or naughties). And of course slow dancing to "all my life" with my hottie....memories.....
No wait....the BEST part was coming home to a sparkling clean house! Not the way I left it at all. My sweet awesome fantastic beautiful friend and next door neighbor Abby and her husband John watched the rugrats...She did my dishes, vacuumed, swept, and had the kids snoring zzzz's. Only one of the many times this has happened from her. She rocks.

a little hand out

There was a knock on my door around noon today. I opened it to a teenage girl who handed me a flyer and said she was starting a babysitting business.
I smiled, took the flyer and told her I'd keep her in mind....

Judging by this flyer, would you let her babysit?



Me either.....

Lets talk College....

Somehow this mornings "bath tub topic" was college...
After taped stopped Maya was informed by Leah that she will be attending North Carolina and will become "an airplane driver or something" and that she also looked like a "fake rat"

Fun times in the morning....

*their Fathers football preferences may have a tad influence in the matter....*

Awkward Nostalgia

This morning I was in the garage going through boxes to find Christmas junk and ran into this pretty picture.
Wow.
Homecoming Dixie College 2000. Paul had been off his mission about a month.
We were just starting to date. I look at this and it brings back the awkwardness of it all in the beginning.
How happy I am not to be there anymore. Its nice not worrying about my pits sweating, bad breath and zits.
I'm so sorry Jessica, I looked and looked for the group picture but alas, I figured you wouldn't mind AT ALL if it didn't show up too.
Dixie sure knew what they were doing with the set up. That light post justs adds so much don't you think? Or is it the flowers at the bottom?
Please tell me my looks have changed.....
And correct me if I'm wrong but I do believe that is Abby (L.) T's dress?

Challenge

Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?

1. Started your own blog {love it hate it}
2. Slept under the stars {of course}
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii {Senior Trip!}
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland {1998-1999}
8. Climbed a mountain {all over Utah}
9. Held a Praying Mantis {Yes but not the Kung Foo type}
10. Sang a solo {unfortunately for the audience}
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch {do french braids count?}
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning {Woof}
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables {herbs, tomatoes}
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight {tore apart a feather pillow and didn't clean it up}
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill {Hello?!!}
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb {we raised them when I was young}
26. Gone skinny dipping {not enough}
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset {course}
31. Hit a home run {city league early 90s}
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing {YW back in the day}
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke {fun times}
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt {beautiful}
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight {Mexico, Hawaii, South Carolina}
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing {too much of a wimp to reel it in myself}
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling {snorkel in HI, Mexico}
52. Kissed in the rain {fun}
53. Played in the mud {more fun}
54. Gone to a drive-in theater {early memory, it was The Fox and the Hound}
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business {phah....joke}
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching {I don't know why...I fear them}
63. Got flowers for no reason {romantic huh?}
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy {a whole stash in a box at my moms}
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial {cool}
71. Eaten Caviar {does it count in Sushi?}
72. Pieced a quilt {TEDIOUS}
73. Stood in Times Square {1996}
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone {5th meta tarsal}
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person {the best!}
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car {NOT worth it}
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper {Reflections baby!}
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House {outside if it}
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating {pine hen, turkey}
88. Had chickenpox {faint scar on my face}
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club {drop out}
93. Lost a loved one {Love them}
94. Had a baby {3 so far}
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone {damn things}
99. Been stung by a bee {twice in the same spot, left foot}
100. Visited Italy

Like Jessica, I best be getting to work!