Can I hear a hallelujah? An amen?

I've been reading a lot on Facebook and blogs about what people are grateful for. I'll join in. While I'm very grateful for these little goofballs:

and this handsome stud:

and this little cutie:

and a million other things, lately I've been VERY grateful that
our basement is finally finished!
It took us 2 1/2 years, but we are very happy with the result.
Can I brag for a moment?

the family room before:

and after:

I can't find the picture of Em's room before, but here is the after:

Ryan's room before:

and after:

and my sewing/craft room before:

and after:

Let the decorating begin! Can't wait. We love it!

Trip to Oxnard...

Our neighbors, the Christensens, told me I put too many pictures on my blog. What?!?! Pure hogwash, I say! You can't have too many pictures on a blog - especially with kiddos as cute as mine! If you see 'em, tell 'em they're crazy (the Christensens, that is).

In August we took a trip to Oxnard, CA. Steve had to go there for work so we tagged along. We spent a week in a beautiful hotel ON THE BEACH. It was gorgeous and we had a blast.




The view of the hotel from the beach...




One of the highlights was renting this chariot/surrey thing and cruising up and down along the beach. We had a riot in it.


We reluctantly let Em steer and she was a total maniac. We almost tipped over a few times and she was all over the grass and in the sand. I can't imagine that she'll ever pass a driving test.


Ryan was fearing for his life...


The hotel grounds were gorgeous...



Our view from the hotel...


Ry turned 13 while we were there.


Love this kid!


He wanted to go to the Santa Barbara Zoo for his birthday, so we ventured up there and spent the day. It was a nice little zoo.

This guy kept staring right at me. It kind of freaked me out a little...


We saw quite a few dolphins only about 20-30 yards from where we were sitting on the beach. It was pretty exciting!


I can't get enough of the beach. I was very sad to leave it behind on the last day.



We loved hanging around the Channel Islands Harbor area. We rented a paddle-boat and cruised around for a while. It was beautiful.


I have about 400 more pictures, wanna see 'em? Just let me know....

How to be Disorganized & Unproductive....

I've been reorganizing our entire home lately. bleh. I'm not a perfectionist, but I do like things to be orderly and clean. We just finished our basement and now I am rearranging almost every room and I feel like I'm creating more of a disaster than we started with! I keep reminding myself "it has to get worse before it can get better..." but I am so anxious to get it all done and move on to bigger and better things!

I came across this article the other day and thought it seemed pretty sensible. I like that someone else has put into writing what I've been thinking as I've been decluttering, chucking and revamping!

http://simplemom.net/how-to-be-disorganized-unproductive-2-aim-for-perfection/

Found a gem...

While watching some home movies, we came across this clip from when Ryan was 6 and Emily was 2. We were at Disneyland and it was a total downpour and our rental van had a flat tire. We were stuck in the hotel room for most of the day.

Em (yes, here's proof that she's been doing this since she discovered she had a voice box) entertained us.

My favorite things about the clip:
- her runny nose and her hair stuck in the snot
- the big wad of gum
- the upside down crown
- Ryan spanking her while she's singing

Enjoy!

Good times...

Only a few more days and then let the fun begin! I put this together when I thought Winter would never end, but I think we've finally gotten rid of it.




Here's to another great Summer!

Giant Random Recap.....

Blogging would be so much easier if I would keep up on it, but I don't, so here is a very lengthy recap of an incredibly busy last couple of months.

Two of my students, Savoun and Hap, got their US citizenship last week. Very exciting!



Another soccer season...


I love trying to get a good action shot - so there are a ton!


Em kept herself entertained at Ryan's games...





Em played Cousin It's team...








My Spring Quarter class...

Hap, Saveun, Angel, Guadalupe, Angelica, Sam, Mercedes, Patricia, Gabriel, Eduvina, Salvador, Sarey and Savoun. I love these people!


Weekend trip to St. George for my nephew's wedding...



I got to be their photographer - they are such a cute couple!




We stayed at my brother Roger's house and the kids loved riding his horses and hanging out at his place...







Easter Egg Hunt...


Easter morning...


New Easter dress...


Decorating Easter Eggs with cousins...




Science Fair...

Dinosaur Diorama...


Emily played in the "Monster Concert".....





And yes, I'm going back to February - that's about how long it's been since I've done this kind of a post!

Valentine's package from Grandma...a favorite!


Scooter even got a treat....
He loved it!

cool moon last night...

A minority...

Today was the last day of our quarter, so I went to lunch with some of my students. I caught a glimpse of what it must be like to be the minority. I can't say that I liked the feeling! I never knew what any of them were talking about and my brain ached trying to keep up with the conversation. They are a delightful bunch and I am really going to miss those that won't be there next quarter.

Ryan came with me one day as part of a 'job shadow' for his school. He loved meeting my students and hearing them speak. I had each of them write him a note in their language and he was thrilled to get a sampling of their writing - especially the Cambodian script, it's very interesting.

Here he is with Rodrigo (from Brazil)


and Sam and Hap (both from Cambodia)

I'm looking forward to another quarter - I really love this job!

They were totally in to it.....

Only in Utah...

Only in Utah can you go from skiing on Tuesday to golfing on Saturday. Ryan's school had a ski day so Steve, Em and I joined him and had a great time. The weather was perfect - jackets and no gloves. Ahhh, the perfect ski day.

We were exhausted - and our faces got fried!




I took a trip to St. George with some high school friends last weekend. We had a riot and it was so good to get away and laugh until my stomach hurt. We always have a great time together and there is never a dull moment.

We thought we were pretty cool on the golf course, but really? We weren't so much.

Laurie gave up on traditional putting and opted for a 'billiard style' putt.


She sure looked cute, though...

Nat had beautiful form and a mean swing.... and no clubs were bent or thrown!



Cristy likes to point at things while having her picture taken. She made an awesome 'golf pro'.



The course was gorgeous!


We also shopped and spent way too much money, ate out and consumed way too many calories, but it was an awesome trip and I'm so glad I went. Thanks to Cristy for her hospitality and putting up with us!

Love this guy...

I missed this game, but apparently my favorite guy was at it again.

Calling all grammar geeks....

Happy National Grammar Day!

I'm thinking of getting this shirt....



Cute, eh? It says: Everyday, is national Grammer Day - but it's been 'corrected' with a red pen. Me loves it.

woot woot!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings (check out #21/17)

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1151776/index.htm (interesting article)


Go Ags!

LMBO at the last game at this:


This guy was doing some kind of 'strip tease' type moves as the other team was shooting foul shots. He was slapping his thigh and pulling his shorts up to show off his sexy leg. I thought I would die laughing.

Kind of unrelated - but stinkin' hilarious
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHB6W_r9ag&feature=related

Update...

These last couple of weeks have been so busy, blogging has not been a high priority. I know that Christmas is long over, but I have tons of pictures that I never got around to posting, so enjoy!


A new puppy - this is how Em kept herself entertained all day Christmas Eve.


Decorating a gingerbread house.


Christmas Eve...


Em made cookies and hot chocolate for Santa...

Christmas morning...Rock Band - another reason blogging is a low priority - Rock Band Rocks!

I also started a new job this month. I am now teaching English at the English Language Center. I really love it so far. I have 11 students: 4 Cambodian, 6 Spanish speaking (from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico) and one Brazilian. They are a lot of fun and are so eager to learn.

Be grateful if you speak English fluently - it is such a complicated and confusing language.

Favorite line from 'Lost' last night:

Hugo to Sayid (when Sayid refused a french fry from Hugo): "You know, maybe if you'd eat more comfort food you wouldn't have to go around shooting people."

Amen to that!

Caution: Lots of cute pictures of cute kids having fun in the snow...

Shhhh....

I made a bed for Emily's American Girl Doll. I'm not known for my sewing or woodworking skills, but dang! these turned out pretty cute! I had extra materials so I made one for her friend Bailey, too. I hope they like them!

Cute Christmas poem...

Em wrote the cutest poem in class a couple of weeks ago. The translation is below. Apparently she's sad about it no longer being pheasant season. I thought it was pretty clever!

It is almost Christmas
it is coming soon
right now it is December 5
in the afternoon.
I rilly love Christmas
because I get lost of presents,
but now sense it's colder
we wont be shooting pheasants.
Soon Santa will be coming
down our big fat chimney
he'll bring me lots of presents
then say hello to see me.
Now its geting closer
and colder
we won't be going out just
to ride roller costers.
Now it is Christmas
we got a lot of toys,
and now sense it's Christmas
it broght us lots of JOY.

The marching man...my favorite Amazing Race Moment this season

The Big 4-0

I normally try to avoid getting philosophical on my blog, but just indulge me for a moment. I turned 40 today. I know I'm not the first to accomplish such a tremendous feat, but I get a little sentimental and reflective on birthdays.

I've never been one to get depressed about getting older. I am honestly and deeply grateful that I am getting older - I always think about those who are denied the opportunity. I'm healthy, happy, safe and comfortable - what more could I want? I get to spend my days with the three people I love and adore more than anything in this world. I am the luckiest human on the planet.

A couple of months ago I thought it would be fun to make a list of some of my greatest memories and experiences. I learned a few things about myself: 1) I don't care much for possessions. I'm more about relationships and experiences; and 2) WOW! What a fun ride it has been. I haven't done even close to what I would like to do before I expire, but I have been very blessed with opportunities and experiences that I think have molded the person I am today.

Here is the list, it's very random and not in any particular order.

In 40 years

I’ve...
gotten married
held a human brain
sunbathed on both the Waikiki and Copacabana Beaches
adopted a child
given birth to a child
visited the Caribbean Islands
broken a finger twice in the exact same place
had surgery, twice, on said finger in the exact same place
ice blocked down Old Main Hill
had many friends whom I’ve loved and adored
seen the Tetons on a cloudless day
had a c-section
swam in canals, rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans
read and loved many books
collected bugs
toured a rain forest
ridden in a taxi and thought I might die
played on a championship team
fished on the Homer Spit
graduated from college, twice
swam with sea turtles
gotten straight As
built a house, twice


I’ve been...
to Brazil
fishing on the Ninilchik River in Alaska
atop the Pao de Azucar in Brazil
to Puerto Rico, twice
to Disneyland, many times
skinnydipping
through the catacombs under USU, more than once, shhh...
pregnant
on a cruise
lost in the Alaskan wilderness
a spelling bee champion


I’ve learned to...
crochet
sew
play the piano
knit
tie my shoes
read
ride a bike
drive
water ski
snow ski
love unconditionally
overcome some fears and insecurities


I’ve seen...
miracles
Beluga Whales swim in the ocean
The Grand Geyser erupt at Yellowstone
Phil Collins
Bon Jovi
Chicago
Kenny Loggins, twice!
the Christus statue in Brazil
the Ipanema Beach
absolute and pure joy on the faces of my children
a semi-truck tip over on the highway

I have really loved my life. I have amazing parents, wonderful in-laws, fun and supportive friends, and siblings and other family members that I adore. Most importantly I have a wonderful husband and the greatest kids a mom could want.

Here's to at least 40 more years and a new list of adventures!

Miscellaneous Christmas stuff...

We went to Temple Square Saturday night after the Aggie vs. Bougar game. The game stunk but Temple Square was a lot of fun. Our kids are at perfect ages right now where they are really in to Christmas and still love everything about it.

We put up our Christmas decorations last night and that was a lot of fun, too. I can't believe how excited kids get about decorating the tree! One of my favorite things about Christmas is our ornaments. Steve's mom gave her kids an ornament each year and then when we got married we inherited Steve's collection. She still gives the kids an ornament each year and it has become one of our favorite traditions. The star above is my favorite one of Steve's - from 1972ish. There's just something about it that I love. Not sure what.

Funny side story: Ryan made banana bread last night and when we took it out of the oven he confessed that he might have put in a little too much vanilla - on purpose. He loves the smell of vanilla and assumed that because it smells so good, TONS of it must taste really good. He learned a valuable lesson that too much of a good thing is not so good.

We thought we were pretty funny....

Steve and I went to a Halloween party, hosted by Mark & Georgia. It was a total riot. We had a lot of fun playing the Wii, gambling for white elephant gifts, and enjoying yummy food. We dressed up as Aggie Football Fans - it hasn't been a great season - but I'm not sure very many people really got it. Ah well, we thought we were funny.

(Georgia - I stole this pic off your blog! Thanks!)

More Halloween Hoop-la

I know, I know...

The truth hurts...

I went with Emily and her class on a field trip today and was asked to stay in the back of the line and watch for straggling kids. Apparently Emily didn't know they had asked me to do that and I heard her yell "Wait for my mom, she's 39! She only runs if someones chasing her with a knife!"

She knows me well.

This has become a fun little road trip that we love to take. Remember this? We went there again this year. The Briggs' are so hospitable and make us feel right at home.

We went up through Jackson Hole and then over to Teton. This is a gorgeous time of year for driving through this area. The Tetons were more beautiful than I've ever seen them.

We stopped along the Snake River and skipped rocks. It was so pretty.

We drove over the Teton Pass and is was gorgeous!


This is the amazing Haunted MillThe mask Ryan got to wear to work in the mill and terrify people!


I wonder where Em gets her goofiness from... hmm...





The kids had a blast spending time with their cousins.

Thanks again to the Briggs family and Holly & Dave - we had a wonderful time!

Emily's baptism day

I'm finally getting around to getting these posted. The last couple of weeks have been insanely busy! Emily's baptism day was such a great day. It snowed that morning and a little throughout the day and we were very worried about everyone traveling - but thankfully everyone made it here and back with no trouble.

She had a lot of family and friends here to support her. We are so blessed with amazing family and friends.

Em is such a fun part of our family and it was so great to celebrate this special day!

Grandma C.


Grandma F.


Cousin Brynn


Grandpa F., Dave, Holly, Liliona, Grandma F.

Michael, Matthew, Connor & Alec

the 'big sandwich'!
Amazingly there was only about a foot of it left!

Ahh, the craziness...

Crazy Hair Day, again! It's amazing how quickly the year goes by. Ryan did his own this year - not bad! I took his picture right after he took a bite of his breakfast. He was thrilled. Em was excited to have hooks to hang her jacket on. (Only Em would think of that...)

DWTS

Funny, eh?

(Steve just forwarded this to me and it totally cracked me up.)

The big day...

Em is finally 8. She's been waiting for this her whole life as she often reminds me . The celebration was a little toned-down this year as she didn't want a friend party. With the baptism next week, she thought that would be enough celebrating and I didn't complain! I would say it was a low-key, quiet day, but with Emily nothing is low-key or quiet. Have I mentioned she can be a little dramatic at times?

I didn't get a picture of her bedroom door, but Ryan got up at 5:50 am to decorate it before he had to leave for school. How sweet is that? He is an awesome big brother.

Favorite part from "The Office" on Thursday:

Michael: "Does anyone have any idea what the number one cause of death is in this country?"

Dwight: "Shotgun weddings."

Creed: "Fright, being scared to death."


I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a TV show. So glad The Office is back.

The marathon...

We didn't plan a funeral this week. No heart attacks, no amputations, no blisters - just a lot of sore muscles. Steve finished the marathon in 4:14. Awesome, eh? He got a medal to add to his collection and I got a new shirt, he he. (I like to take over his race shirts.)

Invitation

Emily helped me design her invitation for her baptism. I think it turned out pretty cute!

Photo shoot

I took Ryan's 12 year old pictures and Emily's 8 year old and baptism pictures last night. Photo shoots are funny - the end result makes it seem like everyone just sat there and smiled. Not true!

The facade:






The reality:

Food for thought...

My sister-in-law sent me this link - I thought it was interesting. You might, too!

Breakfast of Champions

Steve was complaining this morning that there was no 'champion' on the Wheaties box. I took care of that for him. He's running the marathon tomorrow. Wish him luck!

He'll be an engineer...

A few of you might relate...





I can totally imagine Steve being like this as a kid. He's still taking everything apart and building new things out of the 'components'.

Withdrawals...

Is anyone but me really missing the Olympics? We had a lot of fun watching them every day and I'm feeling really sad that they're over! It was a very productive time for me, though.


I made a quilt...


a pin cushion...


and a doll blanket and some pajama bottoms for Em...

Having some fun projects to work on makes me feel not so guilty about spending so much time watching TV. Too bad regular TV isn't as exciting!

1/2 marathon

Steve ran the Top of Utah 1/2 marathon on Saturday. He beat his last year's time by a few minutes so he was pretty happy about that. Em and I handed out water and Gatorade at one of the aid stations. It was a fun morning and we're looking forward to the full marathon in September!

Just Scooter and me...

School started today and the kids were thrilled to be getting back to the life they love. They were so excited to see their friends and Em can't wait for homework!?! Is she really my child? Ryan was most excited for the pizza at lunch. He is for sure my child.

I can't believe how much I've accomplished since early this morning when Ryan left. It's amazing how productive you can be without a bazillion distractions.

Scooter looks a little deflated, I think he misses them. I'm sure he'll lick 'em to death when they get home. He's waiting by the door...







Some pics of the big day:

Ry still catches the bus at the crack of dawn. And no, he wasn't a bit embarrassed to have his picture taken this morning.


Emily told me the other day "all my dreams are coming true - I got the teacher I've wanted my whole life". Have I mentioned that she can be a little dramatic at times?

Makeover...

It's been 2 years since I started blogging and I had the same template the whole time. I decided it was time for a new look. What do you think?

Summer recap...

This has been an insanely busy summer and I'm so glad it's coming to an end! Here are a few of the things we did this summer.


Decorating bikes for the bike parade in Ogden.



Waiting for the fireworks to start...



Annual waterfight at grandma's...



July 24th Speedy Spaniard 10k and 1 mile run...

Trips to Bear Lake. Scooter loved the water and he especially loved chasing the seagulls!







Ryan turned 12 this year and we had a surprise party for him. We actually pulled it off! After the surprise and pizza, they had a giant water fight in the back yard.


Em decorating Ryan's room while he's sleeping...


S'mores at grandma's...

Logan River with Bailey...



Hannah Montana performed for us...


Seven Peaks and Build-a-Bear with cousins...







Whew. It's a good thing school starts in a couple of days, I'm out of energy and money!

Adorable...

This is my nephew, Aiden. I took his pictures last week and he is the cutest little guy ever. He has the most amazing eyes and the cutest personality. He's adorable!

Rocket Day

July 20 is Rocket/Moon Day and we have tried to get out and launch our rockets that day for several years now, a little hit and miss though. Because it fell on Sunday we had to wait clear until Monday to celebrate it. We launched several rockets with Steve's friend from work and his family and only had one casualty - one rocket drifted away and landed on the roof of an apartment. The kids love chasing the rockets and trying to catch them before they hit the ground. It was a lot of fun and is a great tradition.

Belly flops and big slides

Saturday we spent the day at the aquatic center for our cousin Brynn's birthday. The kids had a blast. It was a big day for Em - she went down "scary" slide and had her first major belly flop off the high dive.

This last picture is a total crack up!

Bear Lake

My friend Christi takes her family to Bear Lake almost every week during the summer. We try to join her as much as we can but this year we've only made it twice. We love going and it has become one of our favorite summer traditions.

Ragnar

Steve ran in the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay this last weekend. He was on a team of 12 and they ran from Logan to Park City, 181 miles. He ran around 16 miles in about 29 hours starting Friday morning. I couldn't believe there were able to do it. One of his runs was during the middle of the night, from around 1-2 am. His parents and I decided at the finish line that all the insane people of the world were all gathered right there. There were around 550 teams competing in the relay. Pretty amazing.

The kids and I spent the night in Park City and shopped, swam, and hung out at the Park City Resort. We did the Alpine Slide, the Coaster, and the bungee/trampoline. I also did the Zip Line, which was a total rush! Steve's parents hung out with us for part of the time. It was fun to have them there.

His team

the finish line

That's me on the zip line!

It was a great weekend. After PC, we headed down to visit my parents and spend a couple of days there. I'll post more about that later - I took about 400 pictures over the weekend!

Ryan & Em are hoping to be millionaires by the end of the day with their kool-aid sale. I think they've made $.50 so far. Could be a long day. Ryan is blasting people with a whistle as they go by to get their attention. That won't get old!

Office Space

Moving things around - again. I've created my own office! Does anyone but me love changing rooms around all the time? It's a good thing I have a good husband who tolerates my craziness. Here's to a little more productivity - hopefully!

Yeah, they do. Moms totally roll! (Thanks, Em!)

Spring insanity!

Ryan's team finished their soccer season, had a week off and then started again this week. Grr.

Em's school does a drive inn movie at the end of the year for the first graders. This is the car she made. Cute! Em's soccer season, done.



Tavaci, done.


Em's first grade teacher, Miss Jensen, loved her! She has been an awesome teacher for Emily. (Notice in the background that Em was the super star for the week!)




First grade program, done. Now to gripe a little. You would think that if you have a really nice camera, a nice lens, and a little bit of experience taking pictures, you could get a decent shot at a program like this. I took 59 pictures and none of them are good! I moved around and somehow there was always some head, shoulders, hat, microphone, or kid in my way. The last one is my favorite. See all the bald heads I had to contend with?

Ahhhh! I can't believe we did this!

Em has been begging to get her hair cut short for a long time now, so I caved and let her do it. I actually think it's really cute. I love how it accentuates her cute, chubby cheeks. It's a fun, summer cut.

Puerto Rico pics

These are just a few of the hundreds that I took on our trip. They haven't been edited and my lens had a lot of sand on it! We had such a blast - it was really hard to come home.

First Haircut

Scooter was looking pretty scruffy so we took him for his first grooming. Better, eh? We thought we had brought home the wrong dog!

So... what did you all do last week?

Here's a little of what I did....






More pics to come later - that is why I went :)

From this...



to this.

Yes, that's snow. Today. Sucks.

I was cleaning off my memory card and came across these little gems that I had forgotten about.

I almost forgot to post pictures of Em's project for the science fair. She did her project on prisms. It was pretty cool and she got a blue ribbon. Ok, all the kids got blue ribbons, but you know...

She did a great job!

There's hope...

Because we live on the frozen tundra of the north, and because we have a north facing house, my bulbs take forever to come up. One crocus has gotten brave enough but the tulips are wimps. (I almost said they were "pansies", how funny would that have been? My tulips are pansies.)

Hopefully by this time next week we'll be seeing some of this...

or even these...



Wahoo!

Spring Break

We headed south to visit my parents for spring break this year. Gavin, Brynn & Alec joined us. We had a good time even though it was way too chilly for April!


We spent some time at Salem Pond - of course - it's a favorite for the kids. Scooter really wanted to pounce on those ducks!

Scooter!

This is the newest addition to the Francis fab fam. His name is Scooter and he is an 7 week old Shih Tzu. He is adorable! We just got him 2 days ago. Yes, we are insane.

The sad news, though, is that we found another home for Mugzie. We loved her but she needed more room to run free. We don't have a fenced yard and keeping her in the kennel was driving me nuts - she barked constantly because she wanted to get out. The people that took her live "in the country" and have a huge fenced back yard. I feel good about them and I think they'll be a good match for her. It was very sad to say goodbye to her. I think Scooter will be a better match for us!

How cute is this?

Em lost a tooth today at school and this is the letter she wrote to the tooth fairy (she is a little long-winded, you've been warned). Here is the translation:

to the tooth fairy
I have been wating to loose this tooth so here it is. It's been wiggly for about a month. So it is my verey first tooth I have lost at school and my verey frst tooth that I have poled out by my self. So today at shcool it was rilly wiggley and so it started to blead. and I got a cleanex and I wiggled it and then I looked at it and it was out. and then I taped on my friend and she looked at it and she qigley raised her hand and my teacher said did it come out and I nodded yes. So everyone was trying to see it and nathan R. helped me get a bag to put it in. So I was rilly exsited to loose this tooth. so pleas right me back a note if you can and I hope you leave me something good

love Emily!

Notice how the exclamation mark has a tooth? She cracks me up.

A great Easter...

This was a fun Easter. The kids' "requests" were pretty simple - all Ryan wanted was a non clip-on tie and he was thrilled with what he got. I've never seen him so excited to get ready for church. It's huge, but he didn't care. All Emily wanted was a hollow chocolate bunny. Success!
We also colored eggs with cousins. It was a fun weekend.

Wishing I could freeze time...

Sunday drive...

We took a little drive up the canyon tonight and saw some great winter scenery. Does anyone know what the swimming animal is in the middle shot? Ryan says badger, I say beaver, Em says otter. It was probably a duck. This is a beautiful time of year!

Petition

For anyone who is interested, you can sign this petition. Steve is working with Jay Monson of the Logan City Council to resurrect the idea of forming a Cache County library system. As things stand right now, not everyone throughout Cache County has access to a library. Fair and equitable? Not so much. Please sign the petition and pass the word to anyone who might be interested in this. Thanks!

Eclipse

I had some fun getting some shots of the eclipse tonight. Some are a little blurry and it was a little cloudy at times, but overall I think they turned out pretty cool!

Brrr...a chilly morning!

My little sweethearts...

Grandma sent us the annual Valentine's package and it was a hit as usual! My kids look forward to this more than anything! (Ryan loves to organize things, can you tell?)

The blizzard...

We had a crazy blizzard today which huge created snow drifts and a total mess outside. Just when we thought there was hope of Spring around the corner...

...the view from our front porch.

Mugzie loves to stick her head in the snow???? Can't really figure that one out.

Tagged - twice!

I've been tagged by both Sarah and Stacey. Although I'm pretty sure I'm the most boring human on the planet, I am going to respond!

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Chasing an incredibly busy, fast, mischievous little one year old around the house/neighborhood.
2. Reading
3. Crafting
4. Cleaning
5. Nothing interesting to anyone else - just doing the mom thing!

5 things on my To-Do list today
1. Pick up 6 dozen cookies from the store for YW tonight.
2. Find some Valentine's napkins & cups for YW tonight.
3. Read some more of Sweet Promised Land for book club next week.
4. Watch Pride & Prejudice - again! I've watched it 4 times in the last 2 weeks.
5. Finish editing some pictures.


5 snacks I enjoy
1. Chips & salsa
2. Fruits & veggies
3. Granola bars
4. Treasures - almond & toffee
5. Crackers


5 things I would do if I were a billionaire
1. Give a chunk to the Perpetual Education Fund
2. Give another chunk to Operation Smile
3. Spend a summer in Germany/Europe with only my camera and some travelers checks
4. Build a cabin at Bear Lake or Island Park
5. Travel the world with anyone I could drag along with me!

3 bad habits
1. Playing Mario Kart when the kids are at school and I have a bazillion things to do.
2. Sleeping in instead of exercising.
3. I despise housework lately! Ugh.

5 jobs I have had
1. A lot of fast food.
2. USU Phonathon
3. Secretary
4. Toy store clerk
5. Evaluator - WGU

5 things you probably don't know about me
1. I love nature. I would secretly love to be a famous nature photographer.
2. I love animals. They make me incredibly happy and are very therapeutic.
3. I love roller coasters and other thrill rides.
4. I want to adopt some Hispanic or Asian children.
5. I'm a good Mormon, but not a good Utah Mormon Republican. Nope. Never have been, never will be. :)


(I tag Stacey!)

14 Love Joy Happy Grateful things
(in no particular order)

1- My family, immediate and extended.

2- Fun, quirky friends. I have been very blessed with good friends who ask very little of me but I know I can rely on them in a pinch.

3- I love classical and instrumental music.

4. I love being alone.

5. I love nature. Lakes, rivers, ponds, waterfalls, trees, sunsets, mountains, animals, gardens, flowers, etc. etc. etc.

6. I LOVE SCRABBLE. I'm a total word geek.

7. I love Kenny Loggins. I think he's the sexiest man alive. (After Steve, of course.)

8. I love laughing. I really love blooper TV shows. There's just something about people falling down that makes me laugh hysterically.

9. Ryan's laugh.

10. Emily's 'spunkyness'.

11. Steve's dependability.

12. I love perfumes and lotions.

13. I love looking through scrapbooks and watching home movies.

14. I love good health and being pain free.


I tag Sarah, Vanessa and Wendy!

Preisthood Preview

Ryan is turning 12 this year so he got to go to the Priesthood Preview last Sunday. They asked the parents to talk about a Christlike attribute that their son has. It was fun to brag about what an amazing kid he is! I chose to talk about how incredibly giving Ryan is and how anxious and willing he is to give and share what he has. He has always been this way but it still surprises and amazes me every time. What a cutie!

Monster Concert

Em takes piano lessons at the Youth Conservatory at the university. They have a Monster Concert every year where there are several students all playing the same song at the same time. It was a blast and she did so well. Of course she thoroughly enjoyed getting all dressed up and performing in front of people. I don't know where she gets it from.

Last Sunday I couldn't find her after church and when I finally did, she had joined the ward choir! I thought it was pretty funny until I got roped in to joining too.

Duuuuude!

Ryan on a snowboard - pretty cool, eh?

Dumped on again!

We seem to have never ending snow lately - but we're not complaining. We are, however, running out of places to put the snow after shoveling!

Random stuff...

Em had curly hair on Sunday and really loved it. She wanted to keep the curls for the next day, and this is how I found her sleeping - with very deliberate placement of the hair. She even named one of the curls "curly top" and has been talking to it??? Life with a drama queen is never dull. (I especially love the kool-aid mustache.)


Ry had a great game on Saturday. He scored 9 points (3 of which were from a 3-pointer!) He is a good little athlete.

Em's school did a program on animal habitats and she did hers on the Beluga Whale. It turned out really cute. (Thanks to Marissa for the cool idea of suspending the whale to look like it was swimming under water!)

Some winter fun...

New photo gallery

I'm working on a new photo gallery - this one is a little better organized than the last one. The name for now is angiesphotogallery2.blogspot.com

Some of my favorite shots of 2007

Em took this one - not too bad, eh?

Update

I think things have finally slowed down a little - but as soon as I say that the calendar will fill up again! Here are some photos from the last month or so. It has been a whirlwind and I'm glad it's over!

The kids ran in a local race - Ryan totally kicked butt and took first overall in his race!

Decorating the tree - Emily had to wear the treeskirt.

Tabby loves Christmas.

Mugzie doesn't.

Piano recital...

Reflections...

Tavaci concerts...

Christmas Eve jammies - a fun tradition with Gavin, Brynn & Alec.

A game of Battleship Christmas morning.

Ryan got a BB gun.

Cousin Jared got baptized.

You know it's cold when Tabby & Sunny stop fighting and cuddle up to keep warm!

Frankenstein is dead

We are still out of town visiting my parents so it's a little hard to post, but here goes. For anyone who has seen me over the last week, you know that I have walked and looked a little like Frankenstein because of horrible neck pain. But MY GENIUS BROTHER FIXED ME! He is a physical therapist and on Christmas night he worked on my neck. When I stood up, I was totally better. I tell you, he's a genius. I am a new woman.

Steve got me one of these for Christmas and I can't wait for the roads to clear up. I call it my "old lady" bike. I love it. Mine is bright green!

Wanna see us dance?

Click here: Elves

Feelin' Right this Time of Year

Just for fun...

Boo to you!

Not the scariest witch ever! It was fun getting Emily and Ryan ready this morning. Please disregard that Ryan is wearing a BYU (bleh!) jersey. He earned it and I couldn't change his mind. Em was worried that she wouldn't be able to do the monkey bars with her hat - she told me "monkey bars are my thing, you know?" Too funny.

Sharp knives and an open fire

We carved pumpkins for FHE last night. I think they did a pretty good job - mostly on their own. I traced the patterns on but they did most of the cutting. Cute!

Jack-o-lantern Smile

Emily lost one of her front teeth. SO CUTE! I love toothless smiles. So far our neighbor Marissa (10 years old) has pulled out all 5 of Em's teeth. When they get loose enough, we send her to Marissa's and she comes home with a mouth full of toilet paper. This one was a little more stubborn and they had to do the "door thing" as Em calls it. I'm glad I wasn't there, I have a really weak stomach for stuff like that!

CRAZY!

We've had a lot of crazy hair around here lately. Ryan's school had Red Ribbon Week and now Emily has it this week. Em said she wanted to look like a horse?? Thanks to old roomie Donna for the cool hair tricks. Pretty cute!

Last week Em celebrated her 7th birthday. She had an 'Island Princess' themed party. It was a lot of fun. I wanted to find a hula instruction video but couldn't, so we settled for a 'hula abs and buns' workout video. It was pretty funny. The girls just thought they were learning the hula. They all complained of aching arms and bums!

1st day of school

Wahoo!

Guess who has a little free time on their hands?

Notice how it's the crack of dawn for Ryan? He catches the bus at 6:50! AM!

This is a big year - Ry started middle school and Em goes ALL DAY to 1st grade.
They were both exhausted when they got home, but are off to a great start!

Summer Recap...

Here are some pictures of a few of the things we've done all summer - starting with Memorial Day. It's been a crazy summer!

River Trail rideRy knows how much I love wildflowers - he was watching for them all along the ride.



T-Ball
Willow Park Zoo

Steve participated in a Biathlon.
Aiden's house
20 year class reunion
My good friends from high school

A new dog - enough said.

Family baseball game - a fun tradition!
Salem Pond




Build-a-Bear
Fun at Grandma's


July 4th Bike Parade in North Ogden
Speedy Spaniard 10K and 1 mile runs. Notice how Steve "broke away from the pack" as he puts it.




Chillin'

Bear Lake



Ryan's Birthday at Celebration Centre

(Got some new bridal pics in my photo gallery!) http://www.angiesphotogallery.blogspot.com

Meet Mugzie...

Yes, we have lost our minds and taken on a dog. She is a very sweet 8-9 mo. old something hound??? (we're not very smart about breeds.) She loves swimming, jumping on the trampoline, going for walks, and belly rubs. She has a great temperament and is so good with the kids. She hates the cats, which has been a bit of a problem -we have to keep them separated or there is an all out brawl.

She was previously owned by my brother, Roger. He had been thinking about giving her away, and we had been looking for a dog, so it all worked perfectly.

She is a sweetheart and has been a ton of fun!

[To anyone who is interested: I've uploaded some new photo collages to my photo gallery - just go the 'view complete profile' and choose "Angie's Photo Gallery". They're pretty cute :) ]

So proud of Ryan!

Ryan was awarded the "President's Award for Academic Achievement" at his 5th grade awards ceremony this week. We are super proud of him. He is such a good kid and works so hard in school - it's fun to see him get a little recognition! He had a really good teacher this year and it's sad to think that he's leaving elementary school and venturing into the scary middle school world.

The award is signed by President Bush - so Ryan's friend tried to get him to sell it to him so he could sell the "autograph" on Ebay. Very funny.

Busy Spring...

In addition to the bazillion things going on this Spring, I've been able to squeeze in a few photo shoots which have been really fun. It helps to have just cute subjects!

Fun Run

We all ran in a local Fun Run. Steve & Ryan ran the 5k and Em and I ran the 1 mile race. Em actually did quite well for her first race, and her first time running a whole mile! We had a lot of fun.