Kindred Spirits

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-01T21:34:00.001-07:00

The Red Pyramid (Kane Chronicles #1)

Circle of Quilters (Elm Creek Quilts #9)

Deadline

Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices #1)

The Quilter’s Homecoming (Elm Creek Quilts #10)

The Winding Ways Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #12)

Killer Plot (A Book By the Bay Mystery #1)

Fragile Eternity (Wicked Lovely #3)

I Scream, You Scream (A Mystery a La Mode #1)

Comfort Food

The Lost Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts #14)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)

Murder by Design (Kennedy Killingswoth #2)

Steamed (Gourmet Girl Mystery #1)

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

The Operative

The Aloha Quilt (Elm Creek Quilters #16)

Town In A Blueberry (Candy Holliday #1)

House Rules

Town In A Lobster Stew (Candy Holliday #2)

The Forgotten Garden

Peace Like a River

Scoop To Kill (A Mystery a La Mode #2)

The Inner Circle

The Union Quilters (Elm Creek Quilters #17)

Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles #3)

The Great Gathering (Standing In Holy Places #1)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter #1)

The Celestial City (Standing In Holy Places #2)

The Rise of Zion (Standing In Holy Places #3)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakban (Harry Potter #3)

The Keys of the Kingdom (Standing in Holy Places #4)

The Renewed Earth (Standing In Holy Places #5)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)

Return to Red Castle

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)

Jayhawk

Backlash

If Walls Could Talk (A Haunted Home Repair Mystery, #1)

A Veiled Deception (A Vintage Magic Mystery, #1)

In Trying Times, Just Keep Trying

Flower of the Winds

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1)

Sprinkle With Murder (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #1)

Kissing Cousins

Twilight

Larceny and Lace (A Vintage Magic Mystery, #2)

Alpine for You (Passport to Peril #1)

Smokescreen (Saint Squad #5)

Bookplate Special (Booktown Mystery, #3)

A Crafty Killing (Victoria Square Mystery #1)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)

Devil’s Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen #14)

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2)

Deadly Currents (An RM Outdoor Adventures Mystery #1)

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments #4)

A Parfait Murder (A Mystery a La Mode #3)

The Diva Takes the Cake (A Domestic Diva Mystery #2)

Crunch Time (A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #16)

The Diva Paints the Town (A Domestic Diva Mystery #3)

Truly, Madly (Lucy Valentine #1)

Legacy: A Novel

Tempest In the Tea Leaves (Fortune Teller Mystery #1)

Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery #4)

Rascal

Farm Fresh Murder (A Farmer’s Market Mystery #1)

Bloodborne

Blackwork (A Needlecraft Mystery #13)

Died to Match (Carnegie Kincaid, #2)

The Diva Cooks a Goose (Domestic Diva Mystery, #4)

Crewel Yule (A Needlecraft Mystery #8)

Twilight

New Moon

The Assignment

If I Should Die

Sarah's Sweet Music Recital

2011-12-23T22:44:00.002-07:00

Roo's Birthday

2011-12-23T22:20:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Roo!

2011-12-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

New York City...Day 5

2011-12-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

New York City...Day 4

2011-12-16T23:47:00.002-07:00

New York City...Day 3

2011-12-12T07:46:00.001-07:00

New York City...Day 2

2011-12-04T19:26:00.002-07:00

New York City...Day 1

2011-12-03T21:07:00.002-07:00

Ice Skating Fun

2011-11-28T06:07:00.001-07:00

Curtis Family October 2011

2011-11-24T17:27:00.002-07:00

My Baker

2011-11-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

My November Babies

2011-11-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 12th Birthday Zach!

2011-11-10T01:50:00.003-07:00

Happy Birthday Audrey

2011-11-06T00:10:00.002-06:00

Harvest Festival

2011-11-01T19:20:00.000-06:00

Happy Haunting

2011-10-31T19:00:00.003-06:00

Our Little Punkins

2011-10-31T12:31:00.000-06:00

Corn Maze Birthday Party

2011-10-30T07:23:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Zach's birthday a week and a half early since we will be out of town on his actual birthday. He invited friends over and after pizza and cupcakes they went to Black Island Farms to enjoy the corn mazes and other harvest activities. I think it was a hit.

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-26T15:08:00.001-06:00

Open Water Dive

2011-10-20T14:48:00.000-06:00

Friends and Cousins

2011-10-08T11:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Grandma Ruby!

2011-10-06T09:01:00.000-06:00

Making Music

2011-10-02T11:07:00.000-06:00

Snip, Snip

2011-09-21T13:47:00.002-06:00

We Own the Night!

2011-09-19T16:27:00.001-06:00

Game On!

2011-09-18T11:25:00.001-06:00

Dive Right In!

2011-09-17T15:22:00.003-06:00

GO Ladybug Unicorns!

2011-09-17T13:34:00.004-06:00

We'll Miss Our Friend Binks

2011-09-06T15:30:00.003-06:00

Concert T-Shirts

2011-09-04T20:19:00.000-06:00

For their birthdays, Sarah, Sam and Danni got tickets to the Selena Gomez concert Sept. 7th. Tiffi and I get to tag along. Last week we started looking for t-shirts with picture of Selena Gomez and couldn't find any and we didn't allow enough time to order online. Tiffi came up with a great idea.....she bought iron-on printer paper. We found picture online, printed them off and ironed them onto shirts that we bought. They turned out so cute and the girls had a ton of fun. We even did t-shirts for the little ones so they would feel included.

Singing Along with Selena Gomez

2011-09-03T11:52:00.000-06:00

First Day of School 2011-2012

2011-08-22T12:29:00.002-06:00

Today is the start of the 2011-2012 school year. I always dread school starting. I love the relaxed feel of summer and having the kids home. The kids were nervous and excited this morning.

Randy, rode with the kids to school on their bikes. Every year has done this with the kids and they all this tradition (even the two little girls ride along in the bike trailer behind Randy's bike).

Sarah in the Music Man

2011-08-19T08:02:00.000-06:00

The Bountiful North Stake is performing the Music Man at the Regional Center. Their first performance was last night and they perform again tonight. It was amazing! I have watched the practices from the beginning and there were times I thought we were never going to pull it off but tonight they were wonderful! It was so fun to see Sarah on stage. She is a River City child and is only in a few scenes but she was brilliant in each scene.

The auditions were in May'ish and Sarah really wanted to try out. She had so much fun at the try-outs and although it was a huge commitment, we decided to support her. They practiced twice a week through the summer until last week when they practiced everyday. An adult had to be at every practice with her so I generally went and Randy stayed home with the other kids (what a trooper because I had the fun job watching the play while he watched our kids).

This has been a fun experience for our family.

A great big thanks to Joy for the carpooling and parent switch-offs and especially for putting makeup on Sarah each night.

Goodbye Grandma Mary

2011-08-18T09:02:00.001-06:00

Grandma Mary passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 11:46pm. She was 96 years old. The funeral will be Saturday down home in Emery County.

Happy 9th Birthday Princess Izzybee!

2011-08-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

Come See Princess Izzybee

2011-07-30T17:02:00.003-06:00

Princess Izzybee has been interested in taking acting classes so when our stake decided to put on The Music Man in August she auditioned for a role. She is a town member and is super excited to be a part of the production. The cast has been working so hard and we are three weeks away from performing.

Born to Bike

2011-07-23T08:53:00.002-06:00

Cozy Mystery Challenge 2011

2011-07-13T18:48:00.014-06:00

I'm a little late, but I've decided to participate in the Cozy Mystery Challenge 2011 hosted by Kris at Not Enough Books. I love cozy mysteries, they are my favorites. I've been reading them for several years now and my TBR list just keeps growing and growing with all the new authors. I've committed to read at least 6 cozies by September 30th.

Below is my list and I will add to it as I go. (This list is subject to change) :

Crunch Time (A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery #16)
The Diva Paints the Town (A Domestic Diva Mystery #3)
~~Larceny and Lace (A Vintage Magic Mystery #2)~~
~~Alpine for You (Passport to Peril #1)~~
~~The Diva Takes the Cake (A Domestic Diva Mystery #2)~~
~~A Parfait Murder (A Mystery a la Mode #3)~~
~~Bookplate Special (A Booktown Mystery #3)~~
~~Devil's Food Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen #14)~~
~~A Crafty Killing (Victoria Square Mystery #1)~~
~~Deadly Currents (An RM Outdoor Adventure Mystery #1)~~

Roo's 18 month Well Child Check

2011-07-07T10:22:00.002-06:00

Weight 25.7 pounds (66%)
Length 31.5 inches (40%)

Happy July 4th 2011

2011-07-05T10:26:00.003-06:00

Happy July 4th. I feel like we celebrated all weekend. Saturday was the Centerville Parade which our family always attends. After the fun parade, Sarah performed in the park with her music group. We then went home for a BBQ and swimming all day long. Mom and Tiffany's kids were visiting for the weekend and Saturday, the Wilcox and Brown Families joined us.

Sunday Tiffany and Allen came down after church and the family went on a 4-wheeling drive along with swimming. After a long day, we invaded the fireworks at the Woodward home. The family made it home about midnight and still went swimming again.

I was surprised that the kids were able to get up to attend the ward Breakfast on the 4th. Mom stayed home with the three youngest kids who slept late, but the rest of us enjoyed a patriotic service and breakfast at the church. More food and swimming with the kids and even a long afternoon nap yesterday made the day bearable. I love the 4th of July celebrations and the weekend was fun.

Swimming with Cousins

2011-06-24T18:10:00.001-06:00

Last Day of School

2011-06-03T17:24:00.001-06:00

Today was the last day of school for the kids. Sarah started her day at the Coles home with a Pancake Breakfast, which she loved. When she came home she was covered in marker. I didn't think about sending her to school in a t-shirt that her friends could sign so she had them sign her arms and legs in mostly permanent marker. I wasn't happy but her sisters, brother and dad thought it was a great idea.

San Diego Weekend

2011-05-31T09:16:00.000-06:00

Sarah's Grape Smasher

2011-05-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

School Project

2011-05-25T09:29:00.000-06:00

Sweet Music Recital

2011-05-22T08:53:00.002-06:00

Zach's First Stitches

2011-05-21T08:32:00.004-06:00

Last night Zach was at night games messing around and hit his head on the fire hydrant (I know, I'm not sure how this happened). He came home bleeding and honestly, I'm never very good at handling major owies. After trying to clean up his forehead, I couldn't decide if he might need stitches so I woke Randy up and he thought he might need a few. Randy took him to Instacare and they were home within an hour and Zach had 3 stitches. He was so afraid to get them thinking they would be painful, but he said it wasn't bad.

They sent him home with a purple dinosaur band aid and Zach was not happy about wearing this band aid or getting his picture with the band aid.

Fun Hair Day

2011-05-04T13:17:00.001-06:00

Fifth Grade Play

2011-04-30T07:05:00.001-06:00

Our Softball Player

2011-04-25T15:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Easter 2011

2011-04-24T18:07:00.003-06:00

Coloring Easter Eggs

2011-04-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

15 Month Well Check

2011-04-05T17:22:00.001-06:00

Weight 22.0 pounds (35%)

Length 29.75 inches

First Sewing Project

2011-03-28T15:50:00.000-06:00

Last month in Activity Days, Princess Izzybee helped to sew this pillow. I believe the leaders did most of the work ahead of time and the girls sewing one or two of the sides closed. Princess Izzybee was so excited with the project and absolutely loves her pillow. The Doodle loves it as well and fights to sleep with it some night. Thanks Activity Day leaders!

Happy 45th Birthday Randy!

2011-03-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

Kids in Green

2011-03-24T23:27:00.002-06:00

My kids on St. Patrick's Day wearing green. I've had lots of computer problems so it's taken me awhile to post.

Field Trip

2011-03-14T22:23:00.002-06:00

ZMan standing in front of the Govener's office door.

ZMan reading the tour map at the State Capital

Two weeks ago, ZMan's class went on a field trip to Sweet's Candy Factory and the State Capital. I voluntered as a parent helper and Randy was kind enough to stay home and spend the day with the two younger girls (I think Roo was in heaven to see her dad for the entire day). The field trip was surprisely fun and informative. I learned alot and spent the day with ZMan.

Piano Recital

2011-02-25T22:16:00.005-07:00

Zachary and Sarah had their piano recital last night. They have been practicing for a few months and were well prepared and did a beautiful job. Sarah was the first and although she was nervous she was flawless. She performed the Trumpet Song by Jeremiah Clarke. Zachary has fought for months over taking piano lessons but still shone and did an excellent job playing Horseman's Night Ride by Nancy Faber. We were so proud watching them. Grandpa Wilstead was able to come up for the recital which was a special treat for us and we enjoyed his visit.

In the Cockpit

2011-02-16T20:32:00.001-07:00

Our Magical Disney Vacation

2011-02-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Last fall Randy started planning a Disneyland trip in which we would totally surprise the kids. This was a challenge to keep secret but we did, and when we arrived at the airport Wednesday night we let them know where we were going. Randy picked the kids up at school and told them we were going out for an early dinner and a movie. After dinner we went to the airport and while we unloaded our family at the curb we told them we were flying to Disneyland. After jumping and screaming we started our fun family Disney vacation. ZMan told us it was the best day of his life.

For the first time ever, we stayed at a Disney hotel, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel. Randy found a great deal and there were some fun perks that we were able to use. The walk was about 15 minutes and the hotel was nice. It was great being so close to the park.

We spent 3 days going through Disneyland and California Adventure Park. I think we made it to all of the rides the kids wanted and of course many of them we went on several times. We meet and got pictures and autographs of lots of characters. On our last day we even walked back to our room for some rest and naps so we could make it to the fireworks without meltdowns.

I was so sad to come home and we are already planning our next Disney vacation which we will take the my sister's family.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:19:00.001-07:00

It's a Surprise! Shhh...the kids don't know!!

2011-02-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the day of the big surprise for the kids. Since the end of the summer, my fun, wonderful husband who loves to do amazing things for us has been planning a Disneyland vacation. The kids have no idea (and this has been very difficult for me, if you know me, you know that keeping a secret it soooo hard) that we are flying to Southern California today and going to Disneyland for the next 3 days. We will pick them up from school and go out for an early dinner and then they will know that we are going on a trip when we take them to the airport to catch our early evening flight. As soon as they leave for school this morning, I will pack up the suitcases and Randy will take them to the airport for early check ins. We have a friend from work who will tag along at the airport with us to record the kids' reactions. We will stay and a Disney hotel on sight and have the funnest 4 day trip ever. It's been a rough month and a half so our family needs this vacation and thanks to Randy we will have the MOST FUN! Isn't he wonderful?

Curtis Family Update

2011-02-05T20:07:00.003-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted. January was a busy month for us because of work. The kids kept busy with activities and school. Grandma Ruby came to stay for a week and a half to help with the kids during the festival. I am always grateful for my mom's help, it keeps be sane during our busy work schedule. The kids love to see her, especially the younger two girls. The Doodle and Roo have missed Grandma since she went home earlier this week. While Grandma was here Roo started taking a few steps without help. This past week she will walk between family members and she is even going short distances on her own without encouragement. Yay! It's so fun to watch her walk and hear all the family cheer for her. What a sweetheart she is.

Today Randy took the 2 girls skiing and ZMan snowboarding. The Browns and Woodwards joined them and they came home red-faced and tired but they all said they had fun. He got a few pictures of the girls going up the Magic Carpet.

Roo's 12 Month Well Baby Check

2011-01-05T18:49:00.002-07:00

Weight: 20.6 lbs (38%)
Lenght 29.75 inches (67%)

Books I've read in 2010

2010-12-31T09:00:00.058-07:00

Code of Honor (Duty Series, #3)
Lockdown
Handle With Care
Catching Fire (Hunger Games, #2)
The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts, #4)
The Quilter's Legacy (Elm Creek Quilts, #5)
Enna Burning (The Books of Bayern, #2)
The Journal of Curious Letters (The 13th Reality, #1)
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2)
Eggs Benedict Arnold (A Cackleberry Club Mystery, #2)
River Secrets (The Books of Bayern, #3)
State of the Onion (White House Chef Mystery, Book 1)
Hail to the Chef (White House Chef Mystery, Book 2)
Superfudge
Mum's the Word (A Flower Shop Mystery, #1)
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
The New Year's Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts, #11)
Shudder
Slay It With Flowers (Flower Shop Mystery, #2)
The Giver (The Giver, #1)
Five-Star Families: Moving Yours from Good to Great
Thyme of Death (China Bayles Mysteries, #1)
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments, #3)
Murder is Binding (Booktown Mysteries, #1)
The Princess Diaries (The Princess Diaries, #1)
On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery, #1)
Rogue
Chasing Paradise
The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts, #6)
Look Again
Carrot Cake Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery, #10)Mother's Day Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #15)
Cream Puff Murder ( A Hannah Swensen Mystery, #11)
Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1)
Aisling of Eire
Plum Pudding Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery, #12)
Apple Turnover Murder (A Hannah Swensen Mystery, #13)
The Sugar Camp Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts, #7)
Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #3)
The Best of Times: A Dickens Inn Novel #1
Dearly Depotted (A Flower Shop Mystery, #3)
Twilight (Twilight, #1)
New Moon (Twilight, #2)
Eclipse (Twilight, #3)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4)
The Undaunted
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery, #1)
Free Men and Dreamers, Dark Sky at Dawn, (Vol. 1)
Crossfire
The Shack
Bookmarked For Death (A Booktown Mystery #2)
Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
Methods of Madness
Split Second (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #1)
Simple Genius (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell #2)
Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles #1)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2)
Trick or Treat Murder (Lucy Stone #3)
The Help
Blink of An Eye
Between The Lines
The Maze of Bones (39 Clues #1)
Dangerous Connections
A Time To Die
Cold As Ice
A Catered Halloween (A Mystery with Recipes, #5)
Keys To the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
A Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone #16)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
Ghost of a Chance
Freefall
Murder by the Book (Kennedy Killingsworth, #1)
The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #8)
The Christmas Box
Finding Noel
The Thanksgiving Day Murder (Christine Bennett Mystery #6)
Don't Cry Wolf
Final Act: A Novel
Disney After Dary (Kingdom Keepers #1)
The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)
The Gift
The Christmas List
Disney at Dawn (Kingdom Keepers #2)
Twilight's Last Gleaming (Free Men and Dreamers #2)
Gingerbread Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #16)
Candy Cane Murder

Goodbye Grandpa Curtis

2010-12-30T09:14:00.003-07:00

Randy's dad, Bob Curtis died yesterday morning. For the past year, Grandpa Curtis has been living nearby in a Bountiful nursing home. His quality of life has not been great for a number of years, and this past year we're not sure how much he recognized us as we visited. Grandpa Curtis was a fun dad and grandpa and the kids always had a good time with activities that he planned. We know that Grandpa Curtis is in a happier place and able to move around on his own and see his loved ones who have already passed to the other side; including his parents, sister and Bobby (Randy's brother). We love you and will miss you Grandpa Curtis.

Holiday Helpers Live Here

2010-12-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve with our family

2010-12-25T21:29:00.002-07:00

Christmas Eve we met up in Ogden for dinner with Tiffi's family. We ate lots of yummy food and exchanged our family Christmas gifts. The kids opened their jammies for the night and then Grandma Ruby opened her gift from all us girls; a Kindle. After dinner we went to Yogi Bear in 3-D and the kids loved it. After the movie we went home to get cookies and milk out for Santa and put the kids to bed plus there was still lots of wrapping to do.

The Birthday Girl

2010-12-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

Fall Into Reading 2010 Wrap Up

2010-12-23T12:36:00.002-07:00

My original list/post is linked here. The following is my list of completed books for Fall Into Reading 2010:

Knock Out (FBI Thriller #13)
Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles #1)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2)
Trick or Treat Murder (Lucy Stone #3)
The Help
A Blink of An Eye
Between the Lines
Maze of Bones (39 Clues #1)
Dangerous Connections
A Time to Die
Cold As Ice
A Catered Halloween (A Mystery with Recipes, #5)
Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter #1)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone #16)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7)
Ghost of a Chance
Freefall
Murder by the Book (Kennedy Killingsworth, #1)
The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #8)
The Christmas Box
Finding Noel
The Thanksgiving Day Murder (Christine Bennett #6)
Don't Cry Wolf
Final Act: A Novel
Disney After Dark (The Kingdom Keepers #1)
The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)
The Gift
The Christmas List
Disney at Dawn (Kingdom Keepers #2)
Twilight's Last Gleaming (Free Men and Dreamers #2)
Gingerbread Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #16)
Candy Cane Murder

I finished everything on my list except Fairy Thorn and added a few books. I hadn't planned on reading the Harry Potter series but since the movie came out last month I decided to refresh my memory. I always re-read the series once a year because I love it so much. I really enjoyed my cozy mystery holiday themed books. They help me get in the holiday mood, although it is a challenge to read in December since there has been so much on my "to do" list.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Roo

2010-12-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today Roo is 1! I can't believe this past year has gone by so fast. She is growing too quickly. Maybe since Roo is our last, it seems like it is going by extra quickly.

Roo is not walking on her own yet. She walks around the furniture and crawls like a speed demon everywhere. She is so happy and we love her so much. The kids love to play with her and help. I especially love when she gives me her big smile and hugs me. I know her dad loves how she lights up when she sees him or even hears his voice. Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Family is the magic of Christmas

2010-12-20T06:31:00.001-07:00

Today before church I took photos of the kids in the Christmas clothes. Cute, cute kids. They clean up nice with a lot of coaxing from me.

Christmas Village

2010-12-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Last week ZMan's class worked on making individual "light-up" houses. They combined them and it became a fun "light-up" Christmas Village. Family members were invited this morning to see the fun village. It was fun to see what they created.

Merry "Grinchmas"

2010-12-15T06:34:00.001-07:00

I'll Love You Forever

2010-12-12T12:37:00.002-07:00

We have been married twelve years today. Happy Anniversary to us!! I want to share twelve things I love about my husband.

1. I love that he took me to the temple four years ago to be sealed.
2. I love that he is such a wonderful dad and that the kids adore him.
3, I love that he makes our vacations and trips so much fun.
4. I love that he lets me be me when I am upset and crabby and he still loves me.
5. I love that he is so willing to help anyone who needs help.
6. I love that he is so calm when I am freaking out.
7. I love that he works so hard to provide for our family and never complains about work.
8. I love that he isn't a complainer.
9. I love his work boots.
10. I love how much he loves his family.
11. I love that he is my husband forever!
12. I love that we spent a weekend together kid free and had fun.

Christmas Party

2010-12-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sweet Music

2010-12-04T20:06:00.005-07:00

Princess Izzybee had her recitial today with her Sweet Music group. All the girls were so cute and the music was so fun. I loved watching Princess Izzybee perform and we could hear her singing. The girls sang "You're my Honey Bunch" to their dad's and it was so sweet to watch. Randy was red and embarrassed but you could tell he totally loved it and Princess Izzybee was darling as she sang to her dad. Mom and Sammi came down for the day and helped us celebrate with Princess Izzybee.

Sweet Music Presents:

Sing

You Better Watch Out

Mister Postman

You're my Honey Bunch

Jolly Old St. Nick

Mister Santa

Happy Working Song

Eternal Gift

Thanksgiving Week Update

2010-11-28T08:25:00.003-07:00

We've had a busy and fun week. It started out with the Blizzard of 2010 on Tuesday so I made sure we were well prepared to stay bundled up in our house for a few days "just in case". It turned out that I may have "over-reacted" just a little. We did get some wind and snow but the power didn't go out and everything was fine. My sister Tiff and her family, along with Mom came down from Logan Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had tons of food and ate way to much. It was so nice to spend the day with family, I am so blessed. After cleaning up dinner and relaxing a little we all went and saw Tangled which was such a cute movie. The kids all loved it and I think we adults liked it as well. The remainder of the weekend has been spent with Randy working at the office and on our remodeling project downstairs. I can't wait for the hallway and ZMan's room to be completed so I am so happy that Randy and ZMan have worked so hard on the project the last few days. ZMan started putting the Christmas tree up for us while the girls and I were in Logan yesterday so I am hoping that we can all decorate it for Family Home Evening tonight. It's exciting that Christmas is just around the corner, Yay!

Birthday Presents

2010-11-20T23:13:00.002-07:00

ZMan wanted a motorized scooter for his birthday and was excited to receive it. This past two weeks,every chance he gets, he has been riding it through the neighborhood.

The Doodle wanted a pillow pet for her birthday. She loves her unicorn and is enjoying playing her DS on her soft pillow pet. She also got Toy Story 3 and a game for her DS.

Happy 11th Birthday ZMan!

2010-11-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today ZMan is 11. I can't believe my little guy is growing up so fast. He is such a sweet, fun boy. He loves his sisters (although he doesn't like to admit he loves Princess Izzybee) and he is such a help with them.

Last night he had his friend birthday party and they went to Boondocks and of course they loved it.

Happy 4th Birthday Doodle!

2010-11-06T04:32:00.006-06:00

The Doodle turns 4 today. Throughout the month if you asked her how old she would be on her birthday she would say, "I be 1 and 2 and I already be 3 and I want to be 4 and 5" as she said this she should you her age with her fingers. So cute!

She had a small birthday party yesterday with a few friends in our neighborhood and was in heaven. She loved having friends over to sing "Happy Birthday" to her and she also loved being the center of attention. The Doodle has been such a blessing to our family and she keeps us smiling.

No Tricks......Only Treats

2010-10-30T22:39:00.002-06:00

Happy Halloween! The girls had a fun day. For the first time ever we split up today. ZMan and Randy stayed home so ZMan could trick or treat with his friends. They had plans to hit a lot of homes and trick or treat for a long time so they could bring home a lot of candy. ZMan also carved our pumpkins and he did an excellent job! The girls and I went to Logan to my sister's house and spent the day with them. We did truck or treat at their church while it drizzled on us and luckily it didn't start raining hard until we were finished up. The two younger girls were "cowboy girls", Princess Izzybee was a referee and ZMan was a jailbird.

Ghost Cookies

2010-10-26T06:16:00.002-06:00

I found these cute Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies on the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen Blog and thought not only would they be easy to make with the kids but also yummy. Of course they were both and were perfect to deliver to the "Happy Haunting Ghostly Phantom" houses. I recommend giving them a try.

The Corn Maze

2010-10-24T11:11:00.004-06:00

Yesterday we went to Logan for Dann's birthday party at a corn maze. It was raining here before we left for Logan so I wondered if they would still be able to go to the maze but it wasn't raining in Logan when we arrived.

The kids loved the hay mountain and climbed and jumped all over it. It was so funny because the Doodle got hay down her pants and she itched so bad and kept putting her hands down the back of her pants. After climbing on he hay we went on the haunted hay ride which freaked my niece and Princess Izzybee out. Another rider kept trying to hurry the hay ride driver along because you could tell the storm was moving in. On the way back it started raining and I'm trying to keep the baby and the Doodle covered with a blanket because I wasn't smart enough to bring my umbrella on the ride. We were soaked as we ran to our cars, the two younger girls were crying and of course we were cold. We still had fun before the rain hit but I'm bummed that we didn't make it through the corn maze or to the pumpkin patch. I had lots more pictures I wanted to take, but didn't because we were so wet.

"Boo" From the Crew

2010-10-23T23:14:00.002-06:00

The kids in their cute Halloween shirts and smiles.

We Are Family

2010-10-20T05:26:00.004-06:00

We had family pictures last week. My friend Tammy Jarman took our pictures and they turned out great. Except last year, Tammy has taken our family's pictures for five years and we have always loved her work.

Last week Baby Ru was sick, but we still did pictures anyway. In her individual shot she has a small smile, normally she would have smiled big. Tammy even got a few pictures of her with a cute little pout.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2010-10-19T14:43:00.004-06:00

Today I took the Doddle to Cookie Cutters to get her hair cut shorter. She was so excited to get her hair cut and I was excited, especially after combing through her snarls this morning as she screamed. I think she looks cute.

An Apple A Day

2010-10-12T12:24:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I gave Ru and apple to tackle, hoping it would keep her busy for awhile and hoping she would like it. She loved it. She also loved when I brought the camera out, I didn't have to encourage her to smile. Isn't she the cutest baby ever??

Worker Man

2010-10-11T17:31:00.003-06:00

Randy and ZMan gutted ZMan's bedroom this past Spring. Last weekend ZMan was helping to hang sheet rock. He is very anxious to have his bedroom completed.

Frightmares at Lagoon

2010-10-09T15:12:00.002-06:00

This year we have had season passes to Lagoon. The kids have gotten their money worth of Lagoon visits, especially ZMAN and Princess Izzybee who both have friends with passes. I went with a friend of and her kids last night and another friend and her family were there as well so the kids were able to hang out with friends and not just me.

Everything was fun until we headed to the spook alley for the older kids and adults. In those areas there were lots of people dressed up as creepy characters and as soon as Princess Izzybee saw them she was freaking out and crying. The Doodle was a tiny bit afraid, but mostly intrigued by the characters. Other than some crying and Princess Izzybee handing on me we had a good time. The weather was perfect and very "fall like". The kids loved the rides and the Halloweeney treats. Hopefully we make it back as a family before the season ends.

This Week In Review

2010-10-01T11:40:00.002-06:00

After our trip we all got colds and have been sick. Finally, as this week ends we are all starting to fell a little better. Whenever I get sick, I sure appreciate my health.
ZMan has his final soccer game for the fall tomorrow morning then it will start up again in the spring, along with baseball.
The Doodle has been getting speech therapy thought the district program Talking Time. We go for an hour a week and she LOVES the program. They work on the sounds she struggles with along with a few other kids with similar speech problems.
I was released a YW advisor after three years. It's sad to not work with the girls. I have been called as part of the Homemaking Board (although it's not called that anymore, but I'm not sure what to call it).
Randy took the kids to visit his Dad this past week in the nursing home and they played Bingo with everyone. They had fun and came home with candy which they were very happy about.
Yesterday Randy had Lasik surgery on his eyes. He was in a lot of pain for a few hours but after that I could tell he was feeling better. Last night he said he could see so much better that he's not sure why he waited so long. He had his first Laisk surgery about 10 years ago.
Tomorrow Mom and Tiff and the kids are coming down for the weekend. It will probably be our last weekend of swimming before we need to close the pool. Allen is going to help Randy sheet rock ZMan's room. It'll be fun to visit and spend time with their family, it's been awhile.

Cozy Mystery Challange Wrap Up

2010-09-30T17:08:00.001-06:00

Thanks for this challenge, I absolutely loved it because I love cozy mysteries. They have become my favorite genre, especially the holiday themed books. I read 11 books, although I would have loved to read more, but with a baby under 1 years old plus my other 3 kids, that was the best I could do.

I started 3 new series; A Domestic Diva Mystery Series, A Manor of Murder Mystery Series and the Coffeehouse Mystery series. I liked each new series and plan to continue reading them.

I completed the following books:
On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery #1)
Dearly Depotted (A Flower Shop Mystery #3)
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery #1)
Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen #10)
Mother's Day Murder (Lucy Stone #15)
Cream Puff Murder (Hannah Swensen #11)
Plum Pudding Murder (Hannah Swensen #12)
Apple Turnover Murder (Hannah Swensen #13)
Bookmarked For Death (A Booktown Mystery #2)
Grace Under Pressure (A Manor of Murder Mystery #1)
Trick or Treat Murder (Lucy Stone #3)

Arrow of Light

2010-09-24T05:18:00.003-06:00

Last night ZMan was awarded his Arrow of Light in Webelos. They had a fun ceremony for the 3 boys who received their award. We are so proud of ZMan. Tonight Randy and him are going camping with the 11 year old scouts and he is pretty excited.

Baby Ru's 9 month Well Check

2010-09-23T12:09:00.002-06:00

Weight: 17.9 lbs (33%)
Length 27.5 inches (49%)

Baby Ru has been such a sweet addition to our family. She has 5 people totally and absolutely in love with her, especially when she gives us her big smile. Ru is crawling all over and pulling herself up. She loves to clap her hands and play with all her toys.

Denver Vacation

2010-09-22T17:24:00.000-06:00

We have never been to Denver so we decided to plan a little trip and fly to Denver and then take the Amtrak home. Last Thursday we flew out and it's such a nice short 1 hour flight. The kids thought it was cool to fly and loved it. Princess Izzybee did have a little freak out just before the plane took off because she was afraid but once we were in the air she was fine.

After arriving we went to the Downtown Aquarium in Denver. The kids loved it and saw lots of fish, sharks and we even experienced a flash flood through a narrow canyon. We had dinner at the cool restaurant in the aquarium with a huge water tank next to our table. When were finished up dinner a diver was in the tank to feed the fish and he played around the with kids and the kids thought that was super funny. He played Rock, Paper Scissors and pretended to sleep and just made it fun. Also for dessert the girls ordered a paint shark rice krispie treat that they were able to decorate and paint.

The following day we took the bus to the Denver Zoo and spent the day there. It was a lot larger than our zoo in Salt Lake City. We used public transportation and took the bus to and from the zoo. I had to constantly remind my kids to "not stare".

We also went to the Children's Museum of Denver and the kids really like the bubble room and building projects. The two younger girls liked the center for young children. After the museum we took the bus to the 16th Street Mall of Denver and walked a few blocks looking for a place for dinner. There were lots colorful people especially since the Beer Fest was in town a few blocks away so I had to keep reminding the kids to stay close and "not stare".

Sunday morning we took a cab to the Amtrak station and boarded the train for our first train ride (besides the commuter rail and the Heber Creeper). I was surprised at the extra room in the seating area compared to a plane. I wasn't sure what kind of people to expect to travel with but we met and talked with several nice families. The kids and Randy really enjoyed sitting in the observation car with all the windows and looking at the scenery (including people along the Colorado River mooning the train as it went by). The trees were already changing colors so the view was beautiful. The train ride was long (about 15 hours) but the kids did good and it wasn't to bad. By the end my fanny was pretty sore and I was ready for my bed.

We had a fun vacation, of course, Randy always makes sure we have a fabulous time. It was a fun experience and we are already planning our next trip.

Fall Into Reading 2010

2010-09-22T09:47:00.021-06:00

Katrina at Callapider Days is hosting Fall Into Reading 2010. For the challenge you put together a list of books you want to read between September 22nd and December 20th and then simply read them. Your list can be as long or as short as you like and you can modify it at any time during the challenge. If you would like to join along you can sign up here, Fall Into Reading 2010.
My Reading List:

~~Trick or Treat Murder (Lucy Stone, #3)~~
~~Wicked Witch Murder (Lucy Stone, #16)~~
~~A Catered Halloween (A Mystery with Recipes, #5)~~
~~The Help~~
The Fairy Thorn
~~Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5)~~
~~Knock Out (FBI Thriller #13)~~
~~Gregor the Underlander (Underland Chronicles #1)~~
~~Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles #2)~~
~~Candy Cane Murder~~
~~A Blink of An Eye~~
~~Between the Lines~~
~~Maze of Bones (39 Clues #1)~~
~~Dangerous Connections~~
~~The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #8)~~
~~A Time To Die~~
~~Cold As Ice~~
~~Murder by the Book (Kennedy Killingsworth, #1)~~
~~Freefall~~
~~Ghost of a Chance~~
~~Murder by the Book (Kennedy Killingsworth, #1)~~
~~All's Fair~~
The Thanksgiving Day Murder
The Christmas Box
Finding Noel
Don't Cry Wolf
Final Act: A Novel
~~The Gift~~
The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)
Disney After Dark (The Kingdom Keepers #1)

Weekly Update

2010-09-12T07:56:00.003-06:00

With our 3rd week back in school we are finally getting on a schedule that is working. The kids like their teachers and school is going okay for them.
Princess Izzybee starts up with piano lessons tomorrow and is excited. ZMan continues with his fall lessons tomorrow and he's not as excited. I think as he gets new music to learn and challenge him he will settle down about piano.
Princess Izzybee is also in a girl's performing singing group that she is liking. I hope she has fun with it. I'm trying to decide if I should sign her up for a dance class along with The Doddle.
ZMan is playing soccer and having fun. He is on the recreation league and loves to play goal keeper.r
Ru is crawling all over the place getting into everything. I haven't realized how cluttered my house was until I watch her find every object that can go in her mouth, go into her mouth. She is at a fun stage as she interacts and laughs with us, claps and just has fun. The crawling stage is not my favorite so I can't wait for her to walk.
This week we are flying to Denver as a family and hang out. We are still planning our trip but it will be fun and we get a break from life. Sunday we will take the train home and this will be a new and I hope a fun experience.

Baptism

2010-09-05T09:55:00.003-06:00

Princess Izzybee got baptized yesterday. What a special day it was. She looked so beautiful in both of her white dresses and many of her cousins, her grandparents, and friends attended. I am so proud of her and she is such an example she is to her sisters and brother. Our family is so blessed by each one of our children.

Gorgeous

2010-08-30T23:16:00.004-06:00

Today Princess Izzybee had Achievement Days and the girls went to a hair salon for some pampering. When Princess Izzybee came home I was shocked at how beautiful her hair was. She looked gorgeous with her hair swept up and curled around her face. She even has a pink strip in her hair.