six impossible things before breakfast

One Track Mind

2010-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kirsten! She made the track team and will be running the 200. We're so excited for you!

The Climb

2010-03-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Well I guess it's my turn to write on the blog. This is exciting, yes?

So the other day while I was babysitting, one of the little girls wanted to watch The Hannah Montana Movie. I turned it on reluctantly, because I really don't like Miley Cyrus. In the movie, Miley was getting into trouble trying to balance her pop star life with her normal life, so her dad made her take a break and go to Tennessee. He called it a "Hannah Detox". Miley was so angry at her dad, and resented him at first for "taking away her life", as she put it. Eventually, she started having fun and met a very cute guy who told her "life's a climb, but the view sure is great".

I started thinking about how I was sort of forced to take a break from my life. A few months ago, I was living life in the fast lane, being popular and just having fun, except I was neglecting the things in life that really mattered: my family and the Gospel. I didn't notice, or really care actually, what was happening, and just went along with the crowd. I ended up breaking curfew by a whole night, just to be rebellious, and got grounded (yeah, I am STILL grounded).

At first, things sucked. People called me all the time, wanting to hang out, and I felt left out, and I resented my mom for grounding me, especially for such a long period of time. My mom wanted me to take the time to strengthen relationships with my family members, learn more about the Gospel and try to live my life with those standards, and take a break from all of the drama that came along with being friends with those people I should have ever been friends with.

We all make mistakes, I'm just glad that I can recognize them as mistakes now. When I was rebelling, I thought I was too far gone, and any time I thought it would be a good idea to stop following the crowd, I just thought "oh no, I can't do it". I just wanted to get back to where I was in a split second, instead of working for it. But life is a climb, and you have to go step by step, with a little help, you can do whatever it is you set your mind to do.

I'm very grateful for my mom, and for her not giving up on me when I pushed her away. Parents give the best advice, hands down. I've asked friends what I should do, but heck, if I don't know, then why would they know? But my parents have been there, done that. I'm glad that I can go to my mom with my problems, and she can fix things just like that. I love my family, and I guess what I've learned so far throughout this whole, crazy mess called life is that it's a climb. But the view sure is great. I'm sure that this is the cheesiest thing I'll ever write, but that's okay with me. It's life.

Love, Emma.

I'm an Idiot (revised title)

2010-03-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

Remember my recent post about Alice? And remember how I said that I KNOW that doing things like reading my scriptures, prayer, and going to the temple give me strength? Yep, it's true. I said those things.

But really how do I know? Because part of knowing is doing, right? And what am I doing??

Well it turns out that some of those I haven't quite gotten to. And one of those things I couldn't do, even if I wanted to...like today when I wanted to, you know in my quest to be better and be happier. That was when I just happened to double check if my temple recommend was current. Guess what? It's not. And hasn't been since um, well, like JUNE! It's no wonder I've fallen down the rabbit hole. I haven't been seeking peace or searching for answers in the one place that I could find it. I'm lost and have been for almost NINE MONTHS! Sheesh!

Ok, so there you have it. I have work to do. Actually a ginormous hole to climb out of. Hope you won't judge me.

In the meantime, I'll be strengthening mother-daughter bonds in the form of making s'more cookies with my girls. Spending quality time with them is a definite POSSIBILITY!

Jaymison turns 6!

2010-03-11T02:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's been over a month now...but Jaymison had her 6th birthday on February 10th! It's amazing how time flies! It seems like just yesterday that she was born. She was so little and sweet and as I look back, I know that I tried to enjoy every second. I hugged and squeezed her so much that it's no wonder she took off running down the street in only her diaper when she was just 15 months old. Little saggy diaper bum just reveling in the joy of not being smothered!

She chose to go to Pizza Pie Cafe in Provo with the family. Dad was working in California, but McKenna came with us and Jordan and Britton stopped by for a few minutes.

She was so excited to have a party this year. She invited 9 friends and I think that they had fun decorating cookies, playing Musical Chairs and Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and dancing to music.

Jaymison is still so sweet and is very thoughtful and compassionate. She is so helpful and will often save a treat so that she can share with Zoe or Zach. She is a little fireball and knows what she wants, but she keeps us laughing every day!

Happy Birthday, Jaymison!

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

2010-03-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Last Friday I took Zoe to see "Alice in Wonderland". After much anticipation on the part of the teenagers around here, I was pleasantly surprised by Tim Burton's version of the classic adventure. We had a grand time with a huge bucket of popcorn and enough treats to feed the rest of the movie theater. Then we went to Costco. There I let Zoe ride on the bottom of the cart, with her head nestled into a super cute towel/robe. It was exciting, let me tell you.

Since then I have been pondering some of the themes of the movie. I don't want to give anything away, but as one who tends to read between the lines, I think that it is a great story of self-discovery. And it is inspiring. At least for me...and now our blog.

In the movie, Alice recalls something her father once told her about dreams. As a child, she was afraid of sleep and wondered if her vivid imagination was a sign of insanity. A man of big dreams himself, he quieted her fears and assured her that she was normal by saying "sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast".

Ultimately, his gentle reassurance enabled her to believe in herself when the time came to face the fire-breathing Jabberwocky.

Don't we all have our very own Jabberwocky that we must face? What is it for you? These days for me it is one huge dragon made up of the strain of nursing school, the stress of parenting, the everyday tasks of laundry, cleaning, and bills, and trying to meet everyone's needs. Sometimes even the simplest of tasks can seem overwhelming and one little curve ball leaves me teetering on the edge of sure destruction!

But here's what I learned from Alice. And even though I know I've heard it a million times, something about Tim Burton's crazy artistry made it stick.

Strength comes from within.

You have to believe in yourself!

It's a easy as choosing...Do you want death and destruction? Or joy and triumph?

What we tell ourselves over and over affects our attitude. And every day we can choose whether we will conquer or be squashed.

For me I know that strength from within comes through prayer, scripture study, going to the temple, and self-reflection. All so important, but seem like daily impossibilities when combined with 50 million other things that have to be accomplished.

But the point of all this is to learn from Alice. So, here's to believing 6 impossible things before breakfast!

teach them principles that will bring them peace and joy...

2010-01-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

Totally stole that line from one of the greatest friends that I have ever had...you know who you are! And I have decided it will be my goal this year, my New Year's Resolution if you will (it's still January after all).

I have recently been feeling mired in the muck of life. Deflated, downtrodden, maybe even a bit depressed. Do you ever feel that way? Maybe it's the weather, the cold. Or the endless, multiplying piles of junk in the office, and in the kitchen, and in the kids' rooms, and in the basement (don't even get me started on the basement!). Oh yeah, and let's not forget about the garage. Just thinking about tackling those projects sends me crawling back into bed.

We have all of these things in life that are supposed to make our journey here a little easier, right? All of this technology to help us be productive. But instead of being productive and carefree, I feel overwhelmed and over-stimulated. I go crazy all day long and get nothing done. And what am I teaching my children??? Life should more about just getting through each day.

So tell me what you do to feel like you have really done something. How do you organize your day so that every day tasks are accomplished AND your children know that you love them and that Heavenly Father loves them? How are you helping them to be the person that they are supposed to be? How do you teach them principles that will bring them peace and joy?

Any, and all suggestions welcome.

Beyonce and S'mores

2010-01-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Beyonce and S'mores you say? Those are two things most rational people wouldn't normally include in a single sentence, right? But just ask Jeff...he'll be the first to tell you that I'm not always rational!

Okay, so back to Beyonce and S'mores. I can't get these two things out of my mind. Well, the song "All the Single Ladies", to be exact. I think that someone is secretly playing it while I sleep. I keep waking up with this song stuck in my head. Frustrating and catchy, all at the same time. I'm guessing that same person is describing the melty, deliciousness of s'mores as the music streams into my subconsciousness. It's the only rational conclusion I can come to. It could happen. Or maybe this frigid Arctic weather we are having is forcing me into warm dreams of summertime campfires.

Who knows?

So I had to laugh out loud when, while perusing some my favorite blogs, I came upon posts about these two extremely unrelated subjects.

On my blog route, I always check in with NieNie and her sister, Cjane. Imagine my surprise to find this funny post (when is she not funny?) about her attempts to learn the choreography to Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies". You can link to the video there, as well.

Then another surprise. At Bakerella a post about s'mores! S'more cupcakes to be exact. I know there are millions of cupcake recipes out there, but these, on this day??? How can this be?

Don't you think someone is trying to tell me something? You do? Okay, then tell me when I'm sleeping...apparently that is the best way for me to listen!

Until then, you might just find me learning Beyonce's moves while the S'more cupcakes are baking. Both very rational!

Thanksgiving Point Giveaway!

2010-01-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

I have just recently discovered this fun blog. C Jane's Guide to Provo. Apparently I tend to avoid the outer edges of blogs...you know the ones where there is more information and links.

Once you go to her site, you'll wonder how I ever could have missed it. But I'll blame it on tunnel vision induced by sleep deprivation related to school. That and the daily chaos of our family.

Miss C Jane (I wonder if her friends call her Courtney? I know Matt Lauer does.) is giving away a family pass to Thanksgiving Point. Wouldn't you love to win a family pass to Thanksgiving point? I submit that you would, indeed! Go here.

Of course, if you do not live in Utah, it may not come in handy. But I know that as my friend, you will gladly give it to me, right? I thought so. I love you, too!

It's Great to Be 8!

2010-01-03T17:30:00.001-08:00

Zoe was baptized on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010.

Sledding into the New Year!

2010-01-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

We had the Eastman's over for New Year's Eve. After much eating and game playing, we finally went to bed around 4:30 in the morning. Once we had about 6 hours of sleep, we met them at the hill in our neighborhood for some snow fun!

Here are some random action shots...

Christmas 2009!

2009-12-28T21:38:00.002-08:00

2009 Christmas Program...Zach sure is animated here!

Zoe and Natalie

Jaymison and Conner

Kids are engrossed in the new family game...Toy Story Mania! (almost as good as going to California Adventure, almost.)

My mom-wearing her new headband. Cancer stinks, but she's still smilin'!

Christmas Dinner- Prime Rib, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Home made rolls, Green Bean casserole, and of course, Martinelli's.

Kirsten in her new outfit...so cute!

Disneyland and Other California Fun!

2009-12-28T21:38:00.001-08:00

Look how EXCITED everyone is to be in the car on the way to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!

A little pre-Disneyland stretch in the parking lot of Costco while Dad is getting the special-priced park hoppers...

Ahoy there mateys...Pirates of the Carribbean...

Fun in the sun at the hotel...ahh...it's great to be in warm, sunny California!

What's a trip to California without a little beach???

Cousins!!!

Fun at Aunt Kari's...right?

We thought it would be fun to have all of the cousins lie in a circle and take a picture...it didn't quite work, but the effort was fun!

Waylon's Farewell

2009-12-13T20:09:00.001-08:00

We went to Waylon Huffman's mission farewell on Sunday, December 13th. He is going to the Phillipines. We are so excited for him and we know that he will be a great missionary!

After the farewell, Jeff and Sissy hosted a little luncheon at their home.

Here is Waylon and Melissa...not sure what they are doing!
The Huffman's have a tradition of making snowflakes at their house every year...here Sissy is helping everyone join in on the fun!
Jeff Huffman giving Zoe lots of good advice, I'm sure.
Jeff and Buckley. I think Jeff is about to put him in a head-lock!

Waylon showing the food in his mouth- always a goof ball!

Nie Nie's Full Story

2009-12-06T11:18:00.001-08:00

here

Do you read this blog?

2009-12-05T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Nie Nie Dialogues here.

If you don't already, then you should...like right now.

After reading about the plane crash that nearly took her life...and then following her sister's blog for MONTHS while she fought for her life... and then finally hanging on to EVERY word that she has written through her painful, emotional recovery...sometimes laughing, and sometimes with tears streaming down my face...I can't help but feel like I know her. Stephanie Nielson could be your friend, you'll wish she WAS your friend!

I know that she has hard days...she says so herself. But I marvel at the way that she has embraced her new life and approached each day with gratitude and love. Her story truly is inspiring!

The Arizona Republic is doing a feature on her tomorrow in their Sunday paper . Go here for a little preview.

Thanksgiving at Grandma's

2009-11-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

This year we went to Grandma Sandy's in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. She is about to start chemo so she wanted to have everyone celebrate with her. Once she starts treatment, she'll have to be very careful about germs, so we probably won't be able to see her for a while.

We had a great time cooking lots of yummy food, playing cards, watching movies, going bowling and shopping, and spending time with each other. It was the best Thanksgiving that I can remember!

We had to get Tim in my mom's apron...

Me and my mom

Tim and I

My cute sister-in-law Judi

Judi and her mom Luanne

This is Uncle Go-go's coping mechanism...until the food starts coming out of the oven!

Playing Games

Halloween!

2009-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Continuing our tradition of posting things a month later, here are some pics from Halloween!

Costumes!

Jaymison's Kindergarten Class

The Annual Halloween Soup and Chili Neighborhood Mingle

Zoe and Addison

Jaymison and Lauren

My beautiful friend Jill and little Claire-bear!

Jill's brother Stewart holding Lauren

Happy 14th Birthday Kirsten!

2009-11-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

I guess it's my turn to write on the family blog :] My birthday started with our birthday tradition around here, breakfast with Dad. I chose to go to One Man Band and ordered the Elvis Omelette, filled with mushrooms, onions, 3 different kinds of peppers, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and ham. It was so delicious. I'm starting to crave one now, just thinking about it.

Anyways, while I'm at breakfast, I get a call from my best friend, saying that I can't skip school today, she has a huge surprise for me. So as I'm pulling up to school, she calls me again saying that I have to wait in the main hall for a minute because she's not ready yet and that she hopes I'm not wearing colors that will clash with her surprise. At this point I'm freaking out, thinking she's gonna make me wear some crazy and embarrassing hat that says "Birthday Girl" on it or something. But oh, how wrong was I. As I get to my locker, everyone just smiles at me and I"m really freaking out. But as I open my locker, streamers and candy are everywhere and my best friend pulls out this batman poster that you hang on your door that days "Drop in for a BATMAN birthday party!" and made me wear it as a cape all day. It was so embarrassing, but I made it through the day, thank goodness.

Anyways, when I got home, I opened my presents which were a gray Roxy shirt, a tan Calvin Klein dress blouse (which I absolutely LOVE!) from my parents, and a bag, a shirt, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Emma and Jacquelynne. After my mom and I got in the car and drove up to Fashion Place Mall to go to Cheesecake Factory. I love Cheesecake Factory! We had the cutest waiter too :) My mom and I shared a Navajo Sandwich and a heap of fries, with an appetizer of calamari before. Afterwards, I ordered a slice of Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake and my dearest mother got a slice of Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake. Needless to say, we were in heaven.

We bid our farewells to our delicious waiter...did I say waiter? Silly me, I meant our delicious...umm..place setting and headed over to the mall for some mother-daughter shopping. We had some great finds and killer deals. We finally headed home after a totally exhausting and collapsed (I learned a whole new meaning of "shop 'til you drop!") It was a great day and I had more fun than I could have ever hoped for!

Thanks so much, Mom and Dad! I love you!

One Big Word That You Don't Ever Want to Hear Your Mom Say!

2009-10-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Adenocarcinoma

About two weeks ago, my mom found out that she has lung cancer. She has a mass in her right lung. This was heart-breaking news to me, not only because it's my mom, but because my mom has always been a rock. She is always so strong, nothing gets her down. So to me, this just seems impossible! But nevertheless, here we are.

From then until now, I've been trying to keep it together as we've been waiting to find out if it has spread. So far it looks like it hasn't. This is good news and makes her a candidate for what they call a lung re-section. They should be able to remove the tumor, and minus the open-chest surgery, she'll be good as new!

There was a possibility that she might go into surgery this week, but she won't be able to meet with the surgeon until next week. And lucky for me, I'll be in Las Vegas this weekend for the Ragnar Relay with my team Lady Luck. The race ends at the Red Rock Resort, not too far from her and even though I would have seen her anyway, I'm glad that it won't be in the ICU!

So, I'll keep trying to keep it together as she crosses one bridge at a time and keep praying that Heavenly Father doesn't need her more than I do! Can't wait to see you Mom!

LP Homecoming

2009-09-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Emma was asked to Homecoming by Taran Pew. Our families met when we moved to Orem in 1997. Rachelle and I have kept in touch and remained friends all of these years. Emma and Taran go to the same high school and have Spanish 25 together. The kids are super creative here with dance invitations and this was no exception! He "popped" the question with a ton of balloons...Each balloon had candy in it and Emma had to pop each balloon to find pieces to a paper puzzle:

She responded later that evening with this:

So the big night finally came tonight! Being the cost-conscious girl that she is, Emma borrowed a dress from a friend and Jacquelynne did Emma's hair and make-up. She was the first girl to get picked up and I was able to get a couple of quick pics before the boys got here.

Taran and Emma exchanged boutineers and corsages:

And the boys carried her off into the sunset:

Dinner at Carabbas:

Emma said that they had a really fun night and the girls were so impressed by the boys' manners and thoughtfulness! We hope Taran had just as much fun, too!

First Day of School

2009-09-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

The first day of school started the next morning after getting back from California. Everyone was tired but managed to get out the door in time, in spite of the fact that the new first-day-of-school-outfit seemed all wrong (for some people) at the last minute and it was all I could do to drag myself out of bed after the long drive the day before!

Emma- 11th Grade

I'll just come right out and say it...poor thing, she didn't get a 1st-day-of-school-picture. Emma leaves at 7 am, and I wasn't quite up yet...did I mention that we had just gotten home from California the night before??? So this will have to do. This is one of my favorite pictures of Emma anyway!

Kirsten- 9th Grade

Luckily Kirsten brought the camera into me and I was able to record her first day of 9th grade as I was wiping the sleep out of my eyes. The caption over her head should read "Uh, mom, you might want to get going...school starts in like, um 45 minutes for the kids that can't, uh, you know, like do their own hair and make like, um their own lunches. So, um, yeah...Love ya!"

Zach- 4th Grade

Our little man Zach. So handsome. Wearing his new ADIDAS...just had to have these EXACT shoes. He is one particular boy when it comes to hair and clothes. Doesn't care if there is PB and J smeared all over the shirt, as long as it says Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour somewhere on there. That's what fits his definition of cool. He keeps us laughing!
Zoe- 2nd Grade
Here's our little Zoe...she told me that at recess, another little girl came up to her and said "wow, you've changed your style this year!" I'm not sure what that means, but I think that Zoe took it as a compliment!

Zoe and her friend Natalie walking to class together...so cute!

Jaymison- Kindergarten

Kindergarten doesn't start until a week after regular school. The teachers use that week to meet individually with each new Kindergarten student and do an assessment. I guess this helps them get to know the student and where they are at in the learning process. I think it's kind of silly, especially because the kids are so nervous and have performance anxiety. For example, when Jaymison's teacher asked her if she could tell her what sounds the letters of the alphabet made, Jaymison would just say the beginning sound of the letter, like "eh" for "s". Well, to a 5 year old, that makes sense, right? I thought it was brilliant, but I don't think that's what her teacher had in mind. If she would have only asked her if she knew the one alphabet song that makes each sound of each letter that she sings several times a day.... A "a" apple, B "buh" ball...I am sure she would have been dazzled by her intellectual abilities and moved right up to 1st grade! But hey, I'm no Kindergarten teacher!

Life is a Highway

2009-09-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

6 Happy Children
-Summer school ended for me and we packed up the car and drove
all night...Everyone was so excited to go to California!

5 Days at The Pearcy Resort in Temecula
-We got to Julie's at about 5:30 in the morning and crashed for a couple of hours and then
we hit the ground running.

4 Nights of FARKLE
-We stayed up late several nights playing a new dice game that Julie discovered...Farkle.
Even the little kids love to play!

3 Visits with Cousins
-We were able to visit with my brother and his family- Tim, Judi, and their kids, Reece, Grant
and Chloe. We met at Pat and Oscar's, one of our favorite Temecula restaurants. Thanks to
Julie Hunter for the free meals-everyone got their fill of BREADSTICKS!!!

We visited at their house for a little bit and their dog Coco just loved me! She kept jumping up in my lap- I think that she thought I was a safe refuge from all of the commotion!

2 Lovely Beach Days

-The beach was both how we began and ended our California trip. We went straight to the

beach on Friday and then we were able to go to the beach on the last day with McKenna and

Jordan. We were also able to catch up with alot of our old ward buddies...this was the place

to be!

Note to self- In the future, do not take beach pictures sitting next to really tan niece...thanks!

1 Tired Mama
I didn't get much sleep during this trip...driving through the night screwed up my sleep schedule and I always seemed to be awake early in the morning and unable to go back to sleep. I was ready for my bed when we got back home!

(more pictures to follow...from Julie and McKenna)

Slow and Steady Wins the Race!

2009-08-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Last year I got this running bug and did five 5K's. So this year, I set a goal to run a 1/2 marathon. One might be tempted to ask why? And to this I would respond "I don't know, but it sounded like a good idea in my attempts to be more goal-oriented this year".

After over-loading my brain with hours of internet searching as to the best way to go about training for such an event, I took a long nap. Luckily I recovered quickly, and began my hard core training. Boy, that lap around the block was a DOOZY!

A few weeks later, I thought I would try again. And slowly I began building up my mileage. Around the middle of June, people began to notice my efforts. I know this because drivers would swerve to miss me and yell at me to get out of the road. I don't understand why they didn't realize that I was PURPOSELY lying in the middle of the street so that someone would run OVER me just to put me out of my misery, but people in Utah CAN be kind of slow.

Anyway, I guess one day someone saw me actually running and figured I would be a good last-minute replacement for this thing called the Ragnar. Of course the legendary Norse hero from the Viking age is the first thing that comes to mind, right? Yeah, me too. That's cuz we're smart. But what a Viking hero that wore hairy breeches has to do with a 187 mile relay through the back country between Logan and Park City, I still have no idea. The only comparison I can come up with is that by the end of the 24 hours of non-stop running, each of the 12 participants on a team stink probably about as bad as this conqueror did back in the day!

Apparently I had 3 of the easiest legs of the whole race. This factor, combined with the fun of that weekend adventure, convinced me that I just might be able to complete my goal. I was thinking that if I could run 12 and 1/2 miles in 24 hours, surely I could run about that much straight through, right? Throw in some heavy-handed peer pressure from "friends" (aka, people who missed their chance to run me over and thought it would be funny to see me puking my guts out after 13.1 miles) and before you knew it I had an actual bib number for the Provo River Trail 1/2 Marathon.

Slowly, but surely, I added in more miles each week. These long runs produced some undesirable side-effects, leaving me nervous that my "friends" just might get the show they were looking for.

But I kept pushing along and finally yesterday was the BIG day...and this is when I began to feel like I made a huge mistake. Let's begin with the time the race started...7 am. So far, so good...until I realized that meant that I had to get out of bed at 3:45 AM...ON PURPOSE! Sometimes I mistakenly open my eyes at this time, but then I realize that it's like the middle of the night and I go back to sleep! Ok, I know you're wondering why one would have to get up so early for a race that still 3 hours away. Well, it's because you need a lot of time to stumble around in the dark to figure out why you're awake at that time in the first place! We had to leave by 4:30- to get on the bus by 5:00- to get up to the start by 6:00. One WHOLE hour before the race started!!! This graciously allows you plenty of quality time with the port-o-potties should "race nerves" give you trouble. A good idea considering there were like 2000 other runners. Unfortunately, Utah was experiencing some sort of freak winter weather and we were stranded out in an open field in 45 degree weather...FREEZING! Wait...I thought this was going to be fun???

The gun went off and about 3 miles into the race my teeth stopped chattering and I finally began to get the feeling back in my toes and fingers. This is a good thing because chatter plus numb hands plus gatorade could have a tendency to equal orange mess at the aid stations along the way! But, I thawed out and I just kept running, and running, and running. I looked around and beheld the beauty of Provo Canyon and the river. And then I ran some more. And when I got to like mile 11, BAM! I hit the proverbial wall. That wall may be invisible, but let me tell you, when you run into it, it hurts! Everything was hurting. Neck, back, legs, knees, feet, all of it. Wait...I thought this was going to be fun???

Lucky for me, I have a wonderful family that is super supportive. By "supportive" I mean two people that were at least willing to get out of bed before 9 on a Saturday morning- Jeff and Kirsten. Kirsten made me a "GO MOM!" sign and there they were at mile 12, cheering me on! That was great because I was thinking about "falling" into the river at this point, or asking one of the grandma's that kept passing me to just push me in. Seeing Jeff and Kirsten was just the little nudge that I needed to push me through that last mile, and before I knew it I was at the finish line!

13.1 miles in 2 hours and 14 minutes!

My goal was 2:30 and I was hoping to be under 2:15, so I completed my goal within my goal time. Sure some people complete a whole marathon in this same amount of time, but I like to call those people CRAZY! This was about a 10 minute mile...slow and steady. Unfortunately no one thought to bring a camera to record this momentous occasion, hence the generic picture, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I'm happy to report that there was no puking, or any other unpleasant side effects...just a whole lotta soreness both yesterday and today.

I'm already thinking about next time and I think I can do it under 2 hours...it's gonna be so much fun!

God Be With You 'til We Meet Again

2009-08-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

On this day, two weeks ago, I woke up to discover that my good friend Crystal Messina had lost her 15 year-old daughter Taylor to cancer. My friend Wendy, who's husband is the Bishop of their ward in Agoura wrote this to me in an email the day after:

"The very sad news about Taylor has rocked our ward, and our community as well as Warren & Crystal's family. Such a heartbreaking thing to see such a sweet, healthy, beautiful, innocent young woman go in four months to skin, bones, pain, suffering and death."

Crystal's strength has been amazing as she has cared for Taylor and their family throughout all of this. I reflected on all of the times that I thought about sending a note, or email, or even calling, but never followed through...and all of the things that I wished I would have said. I loved Taylor when she was little! She had the brightest smile and she was so sweet! She and her little sister Payton were so cute together! I love her mom...Crystal is one of those friends that make you feel like you are the best friend that they ever had. I instantly knew that I would do everything that I could to be there for Crystal and to say goodbye to sweet, beautiful Taylor!

And so I set out to California on Friday, with my cute little Zoe as my traveling companion. Grandma & Grandpa Boyce in Newbury Park welcomed us in, even though Grandma had recently fallen and was experiencing some soreness from a cracked rib. They made a big fuss over Zoe and once Grandpa got her talking, she filled him in on all of the big news in a 7 year old's life. She kept herself busy with coloring and never wanted to leave their house!

The funeral on Saturday was a beautiful celebration of Taylor's life. Everyone was given a butterfly sticker as they entered the church, in reference to the analogy that Crystal made about Taylor (with her hair falling out) being a fuzzy caterpillar that would some day become a beautiful butterfly. Her dad, a LAFD helicopter pilot, gave a humorous and touching eulogy and the turnout was amazing. The Stake Center was filled to capacity and firefighters lined the back of the room. I saw so many friends from years gone by, including an awesome teacher that I had in 10th grade, Mr. Ty Delong. It turns out that he also taught Taylor this past year- 10th grade for her, too. It's amazing what a small world it is sometimes!

In honor of Taylor, live butterflies were released as part of the graveside service and several helicopters flew over in support of Warren. I don't know about everyone else, but I left feeling uplifted, knowing Taylor was in a better place- free from suffering and pain. I was so glad that I could be there for Crystal and her sweet family!

Being in California gave me the opportunity to attend Megan's (daughter to my friend Wendy) bridal shower. With everything going on, they weren't sure if they were still going to have it. But in the end, they had the shower on Saturday evening and Marti and I were able to go. This is me and Wendy, right about the time we started tearing up about our babies growing up so fast! She has always been a great friend, full of wonderful advice...Oh how I love her!

This is Megan and her sister Amber. Megan has a mouth FULL of gum...one piece for every answer that she got wrong about her future husband. It was pretty funny! They served a delicious Chinese Chicken Salad and a fresh peach trifle for dessert. YUMMY!

Behold the Great Grandpa! He insisted that we take a photo before we left on Sunday morning and that Zoe climb up on his walker. He tried to get Grandma Lou in, but she was still in her robe and her sense of propriety wouldn't allow such a thing...and I don't blame her...I wouldn't want to take a picture in my robe either! They are so dear to us and I appreciate their willingness to be of any help that they can. They are genuinely concerned for each and every one of their grandchildren and great grandchildren. They are wonderful grandparents!

Although the circumstances were sad, and the trip was so fast, I was so grateful to be able to go to California. It was so wonderful to see the love and support of the community as they rallied around Taylor and it was an honor to witness the strength and the unity of the Messina family. It was a blessing to be able to visit with the grandparents and see so many wonderful friends! I am also so grateful for my testimony...I know that Taylor lives on and is waiting to greet her family on the other side and that through Heavenly Father's plan families CAN be together forever!

Life's a Bowl of Cherries!

2009-07-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago we were able to enjoy a visit from the J's of the Pearcy family: Julie, Jonah, and Jackson!

What do you get when you buy 50 pounds of cherries...besides a whole lotta pits? Well, jam of course! And pie filling, and syrup, and cherry juice EVERYWHERE! And I'm not over-exaggerating...in your hair, all over your arms and clothes, up your nose, in your eye, cherry juice speckles dotting the floor...we are still finding it! Thanks to Michelle Brimhall saving the day with what we refer to as the power pitter, otherwise we'd still be here pitting cherries!

At one point during the cherry pitting/jam making/kitchen hotter-than-an-oven mayhem, I loaded up the kids for a visit to the new Highland Splash Park next to the new library. The kids got some energy out and I was able to chat with my friend Rachel, who happened to be there also...yay for me!

Being the pioneer women that we are, no summertime visit would be complete without a visit to the local fair, right? We ventured into town for the annual American Fork Steel Days Carnival. The kids had fun on the rides while we amused ourselves with people watching...the lack of teeth in carnival-goers sure did inspire our kids to brush theirs!!!

Zoe and Jackson feeling a little bit queasy after the "RING of FIRE":

Treating ourselves to "Gel Toes"....a little less pioneering! :)

Seven Peaks was not to be missed and the kids had a great time while we slow-cooked in the 100+ degree heat. It was hot! We stopped on the way home at Red Robin to pick up some of their delicious onion straws to make BBQ Chicken Salad for dinner...YUMMY!

Continuing with the food theme, we finally made it to Kneader's on Saturday and enjoyed a late lunch and the oh, so delicious Napoleon. (why didn't we think to take pictures of these???) Later on that evening, we enjoyed fireworks in honor of Steel Days.

Friendships can easily be lost due to distance and so I'm very grateful to have a friend that is willing to make the trip to visit and is just as willing to let our clan invade her house, too! Thanks for coming Jules! You're the BEST!!!

Jacquelynne's 18th Birthday!

2009-07-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been 18 years since our first little girl was born! Wow, how time flies! I still remember our little baby that always wanted her mommy...most of the time, Jacquelynne could be found firmly planted on my hip and didn't like to be out of my sight. When we couldn't find her, all we had to do was look up, as she was usually at the top of some jungle gym or in a tree. One time we heard giggling coming from inside her closet...there she was on the top shelf!

We recognize that it's been hard, at times, being the oldest of 6. But Jacquelynne has always been a great big sister! She has taken on much responsibility and is the first to pitch in to get a job done. She has proven over and over again that there is nothing that she cannot accomplish!!! She is a great example to everyone!

We love you Jacquelynne and can't wait to see what the future has in store for you!

Let Freedom Ring!

2009-07-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

A quick summary of the King's Independence Day...

A loooonnnnggg, but super fun day that began with this:

My first 10K...that is a whole 6.2 miles and I am proud to report that I ran the ENTIRE way...and believe me, you are not the only person wondering why one would get up at 5 AM to submit themselves to this! This is my friend Carli Oyler, fromTemecula, who now lives in Lehi, and her sister, Marni, visiting from California. With about a quarter of a mile to go, she ran the rest of the way with me (she had already finished!) and pushed me and cheered me on...that's a sign of a true friend...honestly, I don't know that I would do the same, as I just wanted to lie down and die at that point...she's the best! I was hoping to finish in under an hour, but it took me 1:04, oh well!

Then...

We watched the Freedom Festival Parade from the sidewalk in front of a business owned by one of Jacquelynne's friends. It was loud and fun, hot and then rainy. I don't know that we've actually ever gone to this parade, so it was fun to experience!

The kids went scrambling for the FREE Coke Zero...this is a perfect beverage for children at 9AM
Katie Eastman and me...Luckily for her, I was able to shower after the race!

Walking to the Freedom Festival on Center Street in Provo...

Free Activities

Art

Face Painting
The Stockade
And hey, come on over and pet our boa...don't worry, he doesn't bite...

And finally (about 17 hours later!) this:

Fireworks at Thanksgiving Point! Zoe and Kirsten were lucky enough to go to the Stadium of Fire and see the Jonas Brothers with the Brinkerhoff's. Both Emma and Jacquelynne opted to hang out with friends/boys. So it was just Jeff and I, along with Zach and Jaymison. We met up with the Huffman clan and enjoyed the music and show. It's a great tradition!

Pre-School Graduation!

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

The elementary school offers a pre-school program that Jaymison was so excited to be a part of this year. She loved the fact that she got to go to school. When Dad was home, she was always so glad to have him walk her and pick her up. She had a great teacher, Ms. Chris, who didn't take no gruff! Jaymison learned so much but sometimes gave Ms. Chris a hard time, by trying to write in cursive...gee I wonder if she has a big brother that learned to write in cursive this year???

Black sheep, black sheep, what do you see?

I see a gold fish looking at me!

She just HAD to sit up on the wall!

Field Day!

2009-07-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

This was Zoe's class (my zoom feature is broken).... they performed

Laughter in the Rain

They were each supposed to bring a raincoat and an umbrella

This was Zach's class...performing the theme song from Footloose...

And here's Jaymison's preschool class...

Going on a Bear Hunt!

High School Graduation!

2009-07-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Our little baby...graduating from High School??? Yep!

I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but the day your child graduates from High School is a little bittersweet. On the one hand, you are so excited for the next chapter in their life. All that life has in store for them, adventures that they might have, things that they'll get to experience....the possibilities are endless!

On the other hand, it's a little sad, too. They are spreading their wings, making their own choices, wanting freedom in a whole new way. And there's a little part of you thinking, wait...don't go, don't you want to stay with us? Memories come flooding in and you can't imagine your home without them in it!

But it wasn't about us, graduation was about Jacquelynne...and we're so proud of her!!!

Jacquelynne has accomplished so many things...she wore the silver cord, signifying a GPA of higher than 3.6. She held down and a job and has been working her way through Cosmetology school also. She was accepted at BYU-Idaho, BYU-Provo, and the U of U!

Jacquelynne has been a great example to her younger siblings and has been valiant in her efforts to make good choices and be the best that she can be! Great things are in store for you, Jacq! We love you!

We were lucky to have Grandma Sandy here to be a part of it! It was so nice of her to take the time out of her busy schedule and come up from Las Vegas. Being here was enough, but being the wonderful grandma that she is, she did a lot of nice things to ensure that Jacquelynne's day was special...she bought her beautiful flowers and she treated everyone to a nice dinner at Magleby's in Provo! I know that Jacquelynne really appreciated her thoughtfulness and the time we had together.

PS~ A big THANK YOU to everyone that sent cards and gifts!!!!

Jacquelynne reading the novel I wrote in her card....

Jacquelynne and Dad...

Jacquelynne's Seminary Graduation

2009-07-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Jacquelynne completed a great task...she graduated from Seminary!

Seminary is a class that you take every year from 9th through 12th grade. It's a religion class and each year has a different focus- New Testament, Old Testament, The Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. In other states, it's usually everyday at 6am. This induces much grumbling from other members of our faith, who have to arrange carpools and get up early in the morning, but here in Utah, being the land of Zion that it is, kids get to take it as one of their class periods. And since our school district has an A/B schedule, they only have to go every other day. Sorry...we can't help it that Utah is cool like that!

But, students are technically on release time here, and whether they go or not is completely up to them. Because of this, many students do not complete Seminary. Also, some opt to take different classes, foregoing it altogether. So we think that it's a big deal that she endured and even chose to take early-morning Seminary (at 6am) for one semester, so that she could complete it...way to go Jacquelynne!!!

Emma's Sweet 16!

2009-07-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

Emma? 16? Where has the time gone???

Emma, Emma, Emma...playful and fun, dark and mysterious, a laughter that is contagious, and true desire to be a faithful daughter of our Heavenly Father...she is a great sister, a helpful and loving daughter, and the most popular babysitter around!!!

Emma had the longest-lasting birthday ever, this year! She got to see Wicked in April, was spoiled with presents all week long, and then had a big birthday bash. We had planned to do an outdoor movie, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we played games and watched a movie inside. There was lots of junk food, music, and all-night partying that ended with mischief when Dad took some of them TP'ing!!!

Happy Sweet 16 Emma!!!

Flowers from Grandma...
BBQ Chicken Salad with Red Robin Onion Straws
BFF's...Brittany and Emma

Par-TAY!!!

Zach's 9th Birthday!

2009-07-01T16:27:00.001-07:00

Can't believe our little guy turned 9 this year! He is growing up way too fast! He's such a funny boy and his vocabulary constantly amazes me...I often wonder where he learns some of the big words that he uses???

He has changed a lot over the past year and has improved in school and in getting along with others. Being the only boy, he hasn't had to share his toys very much over the years, but he has done a much better job lately! He's had a pet to take care of, a Leopard Gecko-it's gone through several name changes, I think it's name is Godzilla right now. He has started to love basketball and is constantly mastering new tricks on the trampoline and his favorite thing ever, his Ripstick!

We love you, ZACH!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Wickedly Wonderful!

2009-07-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

For the last several years, Emma has been dying to see the musical Wicked. I got to see it last year in LA and ever since then, I knew that I had to find a way for her to see it. I've had big dreams of sweeping her away to New York, where she could see it on Broadway, or flying to some city where the touring company was. And then came the announcement that Wicked was coming to Salt Lake City! We were so excited and we anxiously awaited the day that tickets went on sale. The frenzy over tickets was all over the news here, people camped out all night in the bitter cold. Both Jeff and I tried to call. And then my dreams of getting reasonably priced seats were dashed when it sold out in record time. I had kind of given up on it, until I realized that Emma's 16th birthday was coming up. I knew how much she would love it! So I scoured ksl.com classifieds every day, looking for tickets that weren't marked up double or triple. And finally I came across 2 tickets that were right in the middle, only 12 rows back, and the person was just trying to sell them for face value! A quick parking lot exchange and now all we had to do was wait...3 long weeks!

I couldn't wait to surprise Emma. Finally the day came and on the way there, she put a little puzzle together that revealed where we were going. On the verge of being late, I think that I broke several laws, including speeding and running a red light...not a good example to my teenage daughter about to get her license! But I knew that they wouldn't let us in, if we weren't there in time. We got there just in time and we had the best seats ever! As the opening music began, I was so excited for Emma! You could see each of the character's faces....we were right there!!!

The actors were great! It was the best Elphaba that I've heard and Fiyero was super cute! We couldn't have asked for a better experience!!!

After the show, Emma got a t-shirt and as we were walking to our car, I realized that some of the actors were coming out an alley next to the theatre. She was able to get a few pictures, so that was super fun, too!

Easter 2009

2009-07-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Day! Church was wonderful and the kids enjoyed waking up to baskets of treats. After church, the "college kids" (that's what we lovingly refer to them as) Nate, Jordan, and Tash (Jordan's roommate) came for dinner. We also got to meet Jordan's boyfriend, Britton, who was a good sport about Zach constantly firing Nerf darts at him! My friend Rachel also came by and we had a huge Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. The college kids were excellent egg-hiders and fun was had by all!

Coloring eggs...

Trying to take a picture before church...it was windy and a bit nippy!

Then it was Jaymison's Turn!

2009-07-01T14:30:00.001-07:00

Zach in California with Dad

2009-07-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, Dad has been able to take most of the kids on little road trips, as he has worked out of town. Zach was the first to go and here are pictures of some of the things that he got to do with Dad! Visiting the Great Grandparents, going to the Reagan Presidential Library with Grandpa John and Aunt Tami, "sneaking" into Disneyland, and going to the strip in Las Vegas!

Student of the Month

2009-03-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Recently Zach and I had a little date night to celebrate him. Zach has been doing well in 3rd grade and he was awarded "Student of the Month" in his class. His teacher, Mrs. McCracken, has been the greatest teacher for him! She is super positive and kind and holds him to a high standard. She turns reading into a competition, her against the students. This has helped Zach really develop a love of reading...plus, he always wants to have more minutes than her! His attitude toward school has really changed and it is coming across in everything that he does...it's so great to see him loving to learn!

As part of his award, he received a free meal from Mimi's Cafe and he and I used it on our date. It was so fun to have a little one-on-one time and even he commented on how nice it was to just be able to talk without everyone else interrupting. He was so cute and held my hand, I just wanted to eat him up! I can't believe how fast he is growing up...Good job, Zach! We're so proud of you!!!

Jaymison is 5!

2009-02-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

This is a big year for Jaymison...she turned 5! That means that she'll get to go to Kindergarten in the fall! She is so excited! This year she has been able to go to the preschool that is offered at our elementary school and I can't believe how much she is learning...she can almost tie her shoes...that is if she actually had shoes that tied! She's been practicing on anything she can get her hands on, and it has been fun to watch her learn and grow! She is so smart and she keeps us laughing all of the time with the funny things that she says! She has always been her Daddy's girl

and asks every day when Dad is coming home...she misses him! They have a special bond that is very sweet! She really is the light of our home and we are so grateful for her sweet spirit!

Vegas, baby....!

2009-02-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know that Jeff has been working in Las Vegas for the past month or so. My mom had some construction projects that she hired Jeff for, and while he's been there, others have offered him work also. This has been such a blessing! With the economy the way that it is, we are so grateful for any work that he gets!

Anyway, I've been saving up some money for a little getaway for Jeff and I, in honor of our birthdays and our 18th anniversary. And with Jeff staying at my mom's, this presented a great opportunity for me to surprise him. Our niece, Jordan, came and stayed with the kids, and I went to Las Vegas and had a great weekend with Jeff!

Mostly we just hung out and wandered around. I was even able to sneak away with my mom for a bit for some shopping and lunch, too!

This is Jeff reclining in, and I quote:

"Only the most luxurious fishing pontoon boat ever!"

at the Outdoor World Pro Bass Shop

But the big event was Saturday night...

I saw Phantom when I was 17, and "All I Ask of You" was our wedding song. Ever since then, I had always wanted Jeff to be able to see it. So, when I was able to get really good tickets for a great price, I jumped at the chance! Really, I have my dad to thank...it was the Christmas money he gave to Jeff and I!!! It was really fun to finally share this with Jeff and it was every bit as good, if not better, than I remembered it!

We were also able to meet up with my bestest friend Julie, who was also in Vegas celebrating her mom's birthday! We went to breakfast at this restaurant called the Hash House, where every portion is the size of Montana

and they make the most ginormous pancakes that you have ever seen!

It's Birthday time!

2009-02-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

February brings 3 birthdays at our house...first me, then Jeff, then Jaymison! Jaymison gets her own special post later. My dad was here and since my birthday was on a Sunday, we just hung out and had a good homemade dinner with tri-tip that Jeff bbq'd, salad and bread. It was very tasty! We were spoiled with lots of good wishes and treats from family and friends, like this:

this most-delicious-cupcake-ever, from Gretchen!

This beautiful, homemade cheesecake from Kevin and Wendy!

We feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives who love and care about us!

Thank you for making our birthday's special!

Fun with Grandpa!

2009-02-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

Here, everyone always looks forward to a visit from my dad/Grandpa! And this year was no different. All the kids were so excited to have him come from South Carolina!!! Zach went with me to pick him up from the airport. On our way home, we stopped at Grandpa's favorite place here, Chadder's, and got a burger and a shake.The next day, we got all the kids out the door and my neighbor, Brooke, was kind enough to watch Jaymison while Grandpa took me birthday shopping and out to lunch, just the two of us. We found a few things like this:

and these:

and this yummy place:

Later on that day, we went here:

We played lots of games, went to the movies, had more Chadder's, and listened to bedtime stories!

It was so fun to have my dad here for my birthday and be able to celebrate with him! We are so grateful to have such a wonderful Grandpa!

Today is our 18th Anniversary!

2009-01-26T17:07:00.000-08:00

Today is our 18th Anniversary...can you believe it? Where does the time go???

Jeff has been working in Las Vegas for the past 2 weeks, and he is still there, so to help ensure that this day was still special, a little package arrived today...some See's candy, 2 cards, and beautiful roses! He conspired with the kids, too, and Jacquelynne has been working on a special dinner and dessert...How did I get so lucky?

Just like everyone else, we have had our up's and down's, and maybe even some times when we weren't sure that we would make it...gasp! I know! But we've kept marching on, and after 18 years, and 6 kids, I can say that I do feel lucky! I feel lucky to have a husband that honors the priesthood! I feel lucky to have a husband that strives to take care of his family! But most of all, I feel lucky to have a husband that loves me and supports me and desires to make me happy (see us in Hawaii below) !!!

Happy Anniversary! I love you!

Zoe...Our Big 7 Year Old!

2009-01-08T20:23:00.001-08:00

Hard to believe but our little Zoe turned 7! Her birthday was on December 30th and she got to have 2 days of celebrating! The night before we had a ton of fun at Jump On It, a huge warehouse with wall-to-wall trampolines. Our friends, the Pearcy's, were here from California and hung out with us the whole week, so they got to participate in the jumping madness, too! (I'm still waiting for more pics to arrive via email...hint, hint!) It's totally chaotic there with people trying to make baskets with foam balls, jumping off various islands into the middle of tramps, and all sorts of acrobatic manuevers...you might even find a mom, or two, trying to do flips! The kids love it there!

Then Zoe and Dad kept the Birthday Breakfast with Dad tradition by going to IHOP in the morning. She returned to some presents and lots of cards from family and a day of sledding! (Pics later) Then it was her favorite dinner, tacos, and a huge chocolate cake!

She is getting so grown up and is an awesome student and big sister to Jaymison! We love you, Zoe!

Elf Yourself

2008-12-30T17:21:00.001-08:00

I saw this on another blog (yours was great, Gretchen!) and I had to do it...you can only put in 5 people at a time, so darn it, we just HAD to do more than one. One is a disco theme and one is a country theme. We were cracking up and the kids agree that it's more fun than embarrassing! Although, Zach does want everyone to know that he "wouldn't be caught dead in an outfit like that!" We had a Merry Christmas and hope that you did too!

Disco Baby!!!!

2008-12-30T16:51:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Hoe Down

2008-12-30T16:43:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Grandma Sandy's

Bowling and movies at the Red Rock

Gardens and Giant Chocolate Fountain at the Bellagio

with Great Grandma Kae

Card Playing

Clothes, Easy Bake Oven and Wii

Haircuts by Jacquelynne

Napping

laughing with Uncle "Go-go", Ashley and Jack!

Not to mention...tons of YUMMY FOOD!

And best of all...lots of family fun!

Now, it's officially official...

2008-12-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

We're in Las Vegas for the week, but I just found out that I passed my classes (one B+, one B) and so I will keep my spot in the nursing program! Yippee!! This has been an EXTREMELY stressful semester and I have had nightmares about not only losing my spot, which would be bad, but about repeating the semester all over again...I don't think that we would survive!!! Anyway, I am so grateful for everyone's prayers and well-wishes. I'm especially grateful for my dear friends, Wendy and Michelle, they babysat, picked up kids from school, and cheered me on. I couldn't have done this without everyone's help! And Jeff is happy that I might even go back to cooking again!

What we've been up to this past week...

2008-12-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

Enjoying Thanksgiving flowers from Grandpa Ted...

Having a "car picnic" at the Springville Museum of Art...

Trimming the house and the tree...

Star of the Week...Jaymison brought her favorite foods...Doughnuts and Grapes!

And studying lots of things like...your average everyday protozoan, Giardia lamblia.... Yay! It's finals time!

2008-11-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!
It's Jacquelynne and apparently I get a turn to write on the family blog. I'm not really sure what to write so here we go...
Just about everyone knows that I'm going to Cosmetology school. I started in June and I'm just about to the halfway mark [1000 hours down, 1000 more to go]. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE it! I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing. I could go on for hours about it...

In addition to hair school, I go to early morning seminary Monday through Thursday, then I have a first period at my high school. This makes for about 12 hours of school everyday. I know, it's long.

Well, a few weeks ago I decided I should get a job in all my spare time. I can handle it, right? Lucky for me a brand new Smith's Marketplace [think SuperTarget] got built down the street and that's where I spend what time I have left in the day. It's INSANE! I usually work from about 6 to 12 most nights plus Saturdays and Sundays. It's basically a zoo there. But on the bright side, people are starting to get over its brand new-ness and things are slowing down.
I just tell myself everyday to count my blessings. It kinda works. Try it. =]

Along with work and school, it's time for college applications. Yay. Last week, I applied to BYU-I and the "regular one" [Provo]. My cousin, McKenna, was the inspiration on that choice. If we both get into BYU-I, we could be roomies. =] Go us. Today, I applied to the University of Utah. Talk about the Holy War. Pray I get into the U and get a scholarship. It would be my dream come true.

The U had a tour thing a few weeks ago where you could go up there and go around the campus and see the doorms, ya know. I went up there with my mom and my boyfriend, Richard. He's a cutie. =] Anyway... The doorms are like 752 miles away from everything else and it took forever to get up there. After seeing the dorm, we ditched for lunch because all that walking made us hungry I guess. This picture looks really really bad. It's from a phone. Look at it, and then pretend you didn't... This was the bridge that linked the dorms and everything else. Depite the distance, I still want to go there. You have to get exercise somehow.

Okay so I guess that's the main points of my life these days. It's pretty much the same routine everyday. I really have no idea what's going on with the rest of everyone in my family which is sad. And I miss them. But maybe they'll post soon and I'll be able to read about it! ;]

Peace!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Today we're grateful for all of our blessings! We had a wonderful day hanging out with our friends, Rachel, Brian, and their kids, and our family, including Nate and Jessica. Having Thanksgiving with the Parrish's is becoming an annual tradition! And even though we are so lucky to have Nate and Jess close by, we haven't seen them in at least a month, so we're glad that they picked our house to come to! Both Brian and Nate are two of Zach's favorite people-so he was really happy!

So, I had this great idea to have everyone dressed to take a family picture when the Parrish's got to our house. That way, everyone would be fresh (hair, clothes, smiles) and then we wouldn't have to worry about it later. Well, with the wind, the cold, and the swaying grasses-wait, weeds with stickers in them, the only thing that was fresh by the time we were done was the language some people were using! (I hate my hair, Jaymison is doing some sort of pee pee dance, and Zach kept making weird faces!) Next year, I'm going to do one of those family pictures where you just see the back of everyone. That way, we won't have to worry about smiling or whether everyone is at least looking at the camera. No one will like that either, though...who wants a picture of their bum?!? Anyway...While the photographer, aka Brian, did the photo shoot, Rachel put the green bean casserole together and finished the salad (thanks, Rach!). We took a little longer than I expected, and Nate and Jessica arrived while we were out in the field.

I was not as organized as I thought and this little adventure made the food timing a bit off...I realized that everything was pretty much ready, but yikes! The rolls still needed to be rolled out!! Luckily we had plenty of appetizers to keep us busy while we waited for the rolls to rise (thanks to Brian who rolled out the dough!) Jeff tried to help me with potatoes, but then I bossed him around too much, so he gave up and moved on to making sure that we had enough chairs. We finally got everything done- everyone pitched in to get drinks on the table, food on the table, people at the table. We had a great feast that included: turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, cranberry sauce, strawberry pretzel salad, and green salad. We followed that an hour or two later with pumpkin pie and a delicious grasshopper pie that Jessica made (thanks, Jess!). That might have to be a new tradition!

We all have our expectations about what holidays should be like or include, so I hope that everyone had fun! We are so grateful for our family and for our friends, but we're especially grateful for Heavenly Father's plan and for the meaning that it brings to our lives!

Ok, here come the gratitude posts...

2008-11-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here's my first gratitude post...We do have a lot to be thankful for, and today I'm starting with friends...Let me first just say that it's a blessing in itself to have one person in your life to call a friend! It's an even greater blessing to have more than one friend. And I don't know why, but I have won the lottery when it comes to friends in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve such good friends and I don't know where I'd be without them! I am especially grateful for my little group of friends from Temecula-Julie, Kate, Amy, and Tammye! I have been lucky enough to keep these friendships going. Since we have moved to Utah, as a group, we have met halfway, gone on trips together, stayed at each other's homes, and some of us still talk on the phone at least 2 or 3 times a week. We have made alot of memories together...most of which involve lots of yummy food, some sort of craft experience, and little or no sleep! Life is so much sweeter with friends, and even more so, when those friends are kind and thoughtful! Case in point...Check out my fabulous new apron from my friend Kate...this is an early Christmas present from her...I don't do it justice, but trust me, it's the cutest thing ever! Thanks Kate, for all of your good advice and being such a good friend! And thank you for the apron, too!

Loathing!

2008-11-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

I've really enjoyed what some of you have been writing about gratitude. So, I've been thinking about jumping on the gratitude bandwagon, too...maybe like...TOMORROW! Today, though, I'm in a funk, so I've added a song from the Wicked musical, that just about sums it up...Loathing, unadulterated loathing...let's just say, I loathe it all...Except, don't get me wrong here, this is not about a person, it's just about everything that seems to be piling up...kids fighting, bills, bad attitudes (mine included), kids fighting, homework, oh yeah, did I mention kids fighting?

BIG NEWS!!!

2008-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

I just got the letter in the mail...I was accepted to the UVU Nursing program!!! I will start in January! I don't want to sound pessimistic, BUT... it does depend on me finishing the two classes that I'm taking right now, Microbiology and Anatomy- plus their labs, with a C or better. This is looking a little "iffy" as these are super hard classes and it doesn't feel like I'm doing that well. So, I honestly have no idea what will happen.

These past few weeks have been especially stressful with mid-terms and we've had to do an awful lot of juggling with schedules, sick kids, work and callings. I think that everyone is feeling a bit overwhelmed! However, I have felt all along that this decision was inspired and I know that things will work out if they are supposed to. So, I'll just keep doing my best...it's all I can do. Jeff has been totally great!There have been many days recently, that I've been gone all day, like 9 am to 10 pm, and he is doing a good job of picking up the slack! He's always really positive and good at making me feel better about things and good at helping the kids keep everything in perspective, too! I'm so lucky to have him! So, we'll just keep going forward, but just wanted to share the news!

What??? Yep, that's snow!

2008-11-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow on Wednesday. Here's the what it looked like from our back window...please say it's not winter, yet!!! It's already got me dreaming of a warm, sunny vacation!

Trick-or-treat!

2008-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Gigantic pearl-wearing, neck-biting, Elvis-loving, fairy dust-sprinkling, purring, Jacq-o-lantern FUN! Dad took the kids to the trunk-or-treat at the church, followed by a lap around the neighborhood. It was a little rainy, but that didn't stop them from collecting over 20 pounds of candy!!! (Yes, Zach and Kirsten weighed it.) We finished the night with home-made potato-cheese soup. Yummy!

Zoe and Jaymison with one of their best friends, Katie!

Yes, I'll Admit It...The Rumor is True!

2008-10-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff's been worried for some time now. What, with going back to school, surrounded by lots of HOT, younger guys...eventually, he figured, it was bound to happen. And after two years, Jeff's fears have come true...Yes, I have a boyfriend. I know, I know! What am I thinking? But let me explain- I met him in the lab and at first, I didn't think too much of him. But once I got to know him, after just a handful of late nights together in the lab, that was all it took to realize that he was the guy for me. With all he had going for him, it wasn't too hard to win me over. He's a great listener, and although he's never actually said it out loud, I can see by the way he looks at me, the way that he nods in silent affirmation, that he really understands me. I know some of you might be a little disappointed, but c'mon, how could I resist? He's always there for me, whenever I need him. Even when all I have time to do is study, he patiently stands right by my side, willing to lend his helping hand. Why, I think that he'd even give me a foot or a rib if I asked! And of course, without an ounce of fat on him, his body rocks! I know it sounds weird, but I think that once you get to know him, you'll fall in love with him, too! Until then, here's a picture of us together, where we first laid eyes on each other...well one of us, at least...

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my ONE night home from school this week, so we set it aside to carve PUMPKINS! We went online and found some patterns, and the kids each chose one. As luck would have it, not everyone could be home at the same time, so most of the fun was had by me, Jeff, and the three little kiddos. We put on some music and Jeff made dinner, and we talked about our day and everyone laughed. Of course, it wasn't too long before they decided that they didn't like the GUTS, (Dad tried to tell them that the guts were the best part, but they said it made them itchy and slimey!) So then that left just Dad and Mom. I think that they turned out pretty good and the best part was that we had FUN!

Boo at the Zoo!

2008-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a busy day... Jacquelynne took the ACT, again, and then went to hair school. Emma babysat for a couple of moms while they attended a funeral in our ward. Kirsten came to school with me while I studied in the Anatomy lab and then she and I went to the mall so she could buy a few things with her birthday money. And Jeff took Zach, Zoe, and Jaymison to the "Boo at the Zoo" at the Hogle Zoo.

The zoo does this every year and kids can dress up and trick-or-treat around the zoo. Poor Zoe tripped over her Belle costume and skinned her knee on their way in. She recovered and all of them had a good time. Jeff was amazed at how many people were there, and at some of the exhibits people were so jammed in that there was gridlock! Here's a picture of them while they stopped to eat their picnic lunch that they brought with them.

California Fun!

2008-10-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from Disneyland and

Kylie's birthday...
We had a great time and enjoyed visiting with family
and friends. We wish we could have stayed longer!

2008-10-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

2008-10-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

2008-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

2008-10-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

We're new here...

2008-10-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, we're jumping in, but I can't promise that we won't sink. I started this blog about a month ago, but in my spare time I have chosen to goof around on Facebook, instead of reading my instruction manual, "Blogging for Dummies". I hear this is supposed to be soooo easy, but I can't seem to be able to make our family picture not be so big that it hits you in the eye when you visit! So, please, please, be kind as I try to figure this thing out. Also, I am aware that I am not the best writer. So, hopefully, everyone else around here will take turns keeping all y'all informed, so I'm not the only one doing everything around here. Wait, did I say that out loud?