Birthday fun at Lagoon

Saturday was Paisley's birthday. A few weeks ago Dave was able to get 2 free tickets to Lagoon, only good during their Frightmares. Our kids had asked several times during the summer if we could go and we always said not this year. But, with 2 free tickets, how could we not go. So, we decided to surprise Easton and Paisley and go on Paisley's birthday. My brother, Andrew, and his wife, Stephanie, were nice enough to offer to watch Avery so that we could go have a fun day with the older kids. (Thank you sooooo much, guys! We owe you BIG when you have kids!)

So, I told the kids Friday night that we were going somewhere really fun the next day, but that it was a surprise. Easton isn't a big fan of surprises and was actually a little mad about the whole surprise situation. But, I convinced him that it was worth it to wait to find out.

Saturday morning we got up early. We were able to wish Paisley a happy birthday, and let her open a few of her presents.




Paisley in her new sweatshirt



We finally told them where we were going, (after A LOT of begging from them) around Ogden. They were soooo excited! We got to Lagoon about 11:15. We had brought a cooler with lunch in it with us. So we quickly ate lunch and headed into the park. The first ride we rode was the haunted house ride, appropriate for Frightmares. During Frightmares they have the park all decorated for Halloween. Over the loud speaker they have Halloween music playing. It is really fun.

The next ride we went on was the old white wooden roller coaster. There weren't a lot of people there and so we were basically able to get right on. Dave rode with Paisley and I rode with Easton. So, we climbed up the big hill at the beginning...and then of course, the big drop that makes your stomach go crazy. Dave said that he looked at Paisley and her face showed complete TERROR. They both said that they enjoyed the ride, though. We got thinking, they had never been on a roller coaster before. So, at least Dave and I knew the feeling that was coming up. They had no idea. It was pretty fun to experience all the firsts with them.



The next ride, the Wild Mouse, had Paisley in tears half way through. I thought that this day was going to be LONG! But, that was the last bit of tears. I think it was just the initial scare, but then they realized that it was "fun" to be scared.




They were both BARELY tall enough for all of the really good rides, well, besides a few. But, they got to ride all of the big coasters.

All of our favorite ride was Wicked. It was intense, and the kids loved it!

We had so much fun. It was so nice that they were old enough to ride all the big rides. It was great to be together. We definitely missed our little Avery. We can't wait to take her in a couple years. But, we had a blast together. Just a really great day.

We left the park about 5:30. Dave and I were beat. The kids must have been, too because there wasn't any complaining when we told them it was time to go.
We stopped and ate dinner at the Layton mall. Easton and Paisley got their own little table.


Happy, but tired!

Great, great day! One I will always remember, for sure! I know the kids will, also. Now Paisley wants to go to Lagoon every year for her birthday. I think that is a pretty good idea!

Happy 6th Birthday, Paisley-girl!!

I can't believe that it has been six years since I was first blessed with my beautiful girl. I could not wait to meet her. We had so much pink stuff, we just couldn't wait to have our girl.

Paisley has brought so much joy into our home. She is such a loving, sweet, thoughtful little girl. She can also be super crazy and silly, which we love about her as well. She helps me in countless ways throughout the day. She is such a great big sister, always helping me with Avery. There have been many times that I will walk into a room that had been messy, only to find it clean, thanks to Paisley. She loves to make people happy and is always willing to help.

She is very creative and artsy. She will spend many hours doing some kind of art project. She loves to read and also listen to stories. She loves to hear Dave and I talk about her when she was little or about us when we were little.

I don't know what we would do without you, Paisley! You are a one of a kind, that is for sure! You make us laugh and smile everyday. Thank you for all you do for me. I hope that your 6th birthday is the best yet and that you have a even better year ahead of you. I love you, sweetheart.

Boise Trip and New Accessories for Avery!!!

Yesterday was a fun, but very LONG day! My sweet mother-in-law, Shirley, offered to pick me up some Washington apples and meet me in Boise with them. They were a really good deal, and I thought that a little day trip to Boise sounded fun. So, I asked my sister-in-law, Stephanie, to come with me. She and I have made applesauce and apple pie filling together in the past and plan on making A LOT more this year with all of our yummy Washington apples!

So, I had to get all 3 kids ready and out the door by 8 a.m. Not the easiest task, but the kids all cooperated and we were on time. I had to drop Easton off at school and drop Paisley off at a friend's house. (Thanks a ton, Valerie!) Then, Avery and I were headed to pick up Steph and get on the road.

(Thanks a bunch, Heather for picking them up from school and letting them play at your house! And thanks, mom, for taking them for the evening! It takes a lot of help for me to be able to leave town for the day!) :)

Avery did well on the drive, for the most part. She did have a few cranky moments because she was sooo tired! But, she took a short little nap on the way up and that seemed to help. I was so glad that Steph was with me so that she could try to make Avery happy when needed.

We met Shirley at noon at the Cheesecake Factory. I LOVE the Cheesecake Factory and eat there whenever possible. Avery was so excited to see grandma, and I am pretty sure that grandma was just as excited to see little Avery! :)

It was a happy reunion!

Lunch was great and a trip to the Cheesecake Factory would NOT be complete without some CHEESECAKE! So, we shared 2 pieces between the 4 of us. SOOOO delicious!

After lunch, we went out to the cars to switch the boxes of apples from Shirley's car to mine. While Steph and I were walking we came up with the idea that Avery needed her ears pierced today! :) We got Paisley's ears pierced when she was 6 months. That was a good age because she didn't mess with her earrings at all. So, I had kind of put of doing Avery's because of her age. But, being 2 1/2 now, I can reason with her and tell her not to mess with her ears.

We got so excited about our idea, but also felt really bad. We kept asking Avery if she wanted earrings and she would excitedly say "Yes!" But, we felt bad because she had no idea what she was in for!

We got her to the store and she sat in the chair so nicely.




She was very patient and waited for whatever she thought was going to happen.



Getting her ears marked with pen to mark where the holes would be

And here is how it went down...

The ladies who pierced her ears were very nice and did a great job. They pierced both ears at once.

WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT...




















All Done!!!



Me trying to have her look in the mirror, but Avery not caring and reaching for a sucker instead!! :)




Sucker is helping...


Almost better!

Avery, really cried right afterwards for a minute or so. They gave her a sucker and that really helped. :) She looked so cute! She was pretty excited about them once the initial crying was over. She has been really good to not mess with them.


Here she is with her new little earrings:



Afterwards, we did a little more shopping and then headed home.

Just so you all know, she was fine! A few minutes later we were at the Disney Store and she had forgotten all about it! ;)


Nemo and a turtle can make anyone happy!

The ride home was about like the ride there. Avery was pretty cranky for some of the time, but I couldn't blame her. Thank goodness for portable DVD players, that's all I can say!! :)

Now, Steph and I have 200 pounds of apples to process! :) If anyone has any good apple recipes they would like to share, I would love to have some more ideas! :)

Thanks for the fun day, Steph! It would have been soooo boring without ya! And, thank you so so so much, Shirley, for taking the long drive alone to bring us some apples! I really appreciate it and really enjoyed having lunch with ya!!!

We all want to be rockstars when we "grow up"

A week ago we had a little bbq with my two brothers and their families. It was a lot of fun! I hadn't seen Andrew since May because he had been in Florida all summer. So, it was extra nice to visit with him.

After dinner, we hung out and talked. Then, we got roped into playing duck, duck, goose by the kids. That actually turned out being pretty fun with all of us playing. Somehow, we started saying different things other than duck and goose. We were doing names of male and female animals (bull and cow, hen and rooster, etc.) So, it became a competition mostly between my brothers of who could come up with the most combinations. The kids just loved that we were playing their game! I wish had pictures of it all!

After we ran out of combinations, we decided to play a little Rock Band. Andrew, Steph, Dave, and I used to play Rock Band quite a bit together when the kids went to bed. We formed our own band and we each have our own characters. Dave likes to bug us with making the nastiest character ever! Steph plays the drums, Dave is bass, Andrew and I switch off on vocals and guitar. It is a lot of fun. We have all gotten quite good, actually! :) Anyway, that night the kids were bugging us to play. So we let them each play an instrument in a song, with a little help. They loved it!


Dave helped Easton with the guitar


Paisley sang/held the microphone so talented Andrew could play and sing


Avery played the drums with Steph

It was so cute that I had to run upstairs for the camera to snap a few pictures!

Thanks for the fun night, everyone!

#9 Baby!

Dave and I at his mission farewell, July 1997. I was 18, he 19! We were young! (I am acting so weird because he was tickling me!!)

Dave and I have been married for 9 fun-filled years today! Happy Anniversary, hon! I can't believe it has been that long. But, at the same time, it is hard to remember not being married.



We have had some fun times through the years. I thought I would try to write about a few of the fun times and funny memories (of not necessarily good times)!

We were out together on New Year's Eve, a few months before we got engaged. We were walking with some friends downtown. All of a sudden we walked across some black ice on the sidewalk and started slipping and sliding all over the place. We were laughing at ourselves. At the end of the patch of ice, there was a bench. The four of us sat on the bench and just watched people slip across that ice. We laughed so hard! (I laugh even looking back on it.) We were taking bets on which people would slip and which would fall. It sounds a little mean, but it was so fun. Several people joined us watching people once they made their trek across the ice. That is a really fun memory.

Dave and I went on our honeymoon to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. We stayed (thanks to my parents' timeshare condos) in a BEAUTIFUL condo right on the beach.


Our condo in Puerta Vallarta

We overlooked the ocean from our balcony. It was amazing! We had a great time!

One of the things we did was a day cruise. Dave was smart enough to buy medicine for the motion sickness the day before. I KNEW I didn't need it and so I didn't take any. But, by the time we had our first stop for snorkeling, I couldn't even move. I must have looked pretty pale and sick because a worker came up and asked if I needed a bag! :) I took some medicine and was fine shortly after.

The funny part (looking back) of that trip was our horseback ride. We went to an island and rented horses. Dave happened to get a lead horse and I happened to get an old nag. So, needless to say, I was alone the whole time bringing up the rear.


Dave (in front) crossing the water on his horse

Our destination was a waterfall. On the way there, we had to walk along a rock wall. The horse was walking right up to the wall and totally scratched my whole right leg up. When we got there, we had to walk across a little stream to get to the waterfall. I promptly fell in and was soaked and scraped my knee. On the way back, that dumb horse scraped my left leg all up along the same rock wall! So, after being alone the whole time, soaked, and both legs and a knee scraped up, I wasn't too thrilled! :) Dave had been riding next to a guy and was chatting. Dave told him we were on our honeymoon. He told the guy that I was riding clear in the back, and hadn't been having the best time. The guy told Dave that he will be able to tell how my mood is as soon as he sees me. I came around the corner where they were waiting at the end and I must have looked pretty mad. They both started just laughing! So, I had no idea why they were laughing, and that made me a little more mad. But, I totally can laugh at it looking back!

Our first little vacation after our honeymoon was a trip to Las Vegas with our good friends, Aaron and Kori. Being newlywed couples, we didn't have a lot of money. So, we made the trip as cheap as possible. But, we really had a great time.


Dave and I in Vegas at Madame Tussuad's "kissing" Harrison Ford! :)

We ended up being able to do a lot of things for free through random ways. It was a fun trip.

One funny memory, of a not good time, was when we had just moved from Salt Lake and were living in a little apartment. One morning, I was doing my hair, and was kind of in a hurry. I asked Dave to put a waffle in the toaster for me. He put the waffle in and a few minutes later I asked him if it was done. He was in the middle of watching something on TV. Without going in to check, he told me it was done. A couple of minutes later, he started to smell smoke. He went to check the waffle and there were flames shooting out of the toaster. It had even started burning our cupboards. I will never forget that scene of the flames. What a mess! And, it was even worse trying to work with the apartment management on how to pay for our accident! We laugh now when we talk about it, though not so funny when it happened!

Some of our happiest and most funny moments, of course, have been with our 3 kids! They keep us laughing every day! (And, yes, some moments have taken a couple years to be able to laugh at!)

Being married to Dave has been full of laughter. Maybe not every minute, :) but we definitely have our share of funny times and memories! He is a great man and I am so lucky to have him as my husband! I look forward to many more funny memories in the future!!

I love you so much, Dave! Thank you for 9 great years and 3 beautiful children! You are the best!




*~*~*~*UPDATE*~*~*~*One more reason I LOVE my husband, he NEVER forgets to send flowers on our anniversary! I just got these....



Did I mention that I love getting flowers? He knows it, too! Thanks, hon!!!

Crazy Week

Nothing really exciting to post about this week. Dave started training a new class this week. He trains his classes for 10 weeks. The people in the class will have the 10-7 shift and so hehas to train them at that shift, also. So, really, Dave works from 9-8 usually, sometimes longer. It makes for a VERY long 10 weeks for all of us. So, week one is over (almost). It seems that the first couple weeks are really hard for me. Then I seem to get used to it. I just feel overwhelmed and tired and super busy. It is weird that not having him home for those couple hours at night really makes a huge difference. By the time the kids go to bed, I am exhausted! It is tough. And, I am sure Dave is just as exhausted by the time he gets home!

Dave has also been playing softball still. So, this week, he has gotten home from work, changed and headed to softball. It really has been CRAZY!

One other bad part of this schedule is that I get STARVED for adult conversation. All 3 meals are eaten with just me and the kids. That is okay, but I long to talk with Dave over dinner, also. The days get kind of lonely.

But, the other night, I got to go out with some good friends for a girls night out! (Thanks for putting the kids to bed, Dave!) That night and conversation was like food to my thirsty mind. It really rejuvinated me to be out and just talking and laughing with other women. I really had a great time and was so happy when I got home. So, that was really a highlight to my week. Thanks, girls, you don't know how much I needed it!

Well, that is probably enough of my pity-party. One night this week, I took the kids out on a "date". We went to an early dinner at McDonalds, went and watched Ice Age 3, and then for a frosty at Wendy's. Paisley was already thanking me for the fun night when we had just got started at McDonalds! She said, over her cheeseburger, "I am going to remember this night!" That made me feel good. I love to have nights where we just have fun and I get to treat my kids. It was a great night. I think that the kids had a great night, as well!

Easton is in flag football again this year. They have been practicing for the past couple weeks. He loves football so much! It is his favorite sport. He can throw a perfect spiral, it is awesome. I know Dave smiles inside every time he sees his son playing sports! His games start next week and we are really excited to be able to go watch him!

The kids are doing well in school. They started having homework this week, which hasn't been too fun for anyone. But, I have been making them do it as soon as they get home, so that frees up our night. I think they appreciate that, too, once they are done!

Oh, and I have done a bit more canning this week. A couple days ago I canned ONE quart of tomatos! Nice, huh? We are very slowly getting red ones. I had a few and didn't want to waste them, so I canned a quart. :) Then yesterday, I canned 15 pints of corn and 4 pints of dilly beans. My uncle gave my parents a bunch of corn and they didn't want that much, so they gave it to me. I decided to try canning it, I haven't done that in the past. I like canned corn, so I am sure it will be good.

That is all for our week. Nothing too exciting, a little boring, and a little pity-partiesh, but it's over. I am so excited for the weekend. I think Dave and I are going to try to go to the fair on our date night. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fair. Dave doesn't, but always humors me. We also have a BBQ scheduled with my brothers and their families. My brother, Andrew, spent the summer in Florida. So, I haven't seen him since May. I am very excited for that. Should be a fun weekend, and a long one thanks to Labor Day! Yea! Have a great weekend everyone!

Garden update...

Since I have blogged quite often this year about the progress of our garden, I thought I had better add another update.

We have GOBS of green tomatos, 12 plants worth. But have really yet to see any red. But yesterday I picked one and today I picked all of these...



So, slowly but surely, our tomatos are turning red! Yea, finally!!

Plus, these are just some of our peppers. We also have TONS of onions that we have already used in salsa and soup. Delicious!

And, I have been busy canning about 40 pints of these little beauties...



Also, we have a ton of carrots that I was able to harvest some of and use in the soup I made, also. It was a neat feeling going into my garden to pick ingredients for our meal!

All in all, I would say we have had a pretty successful year, considering we are rookies. It has been a lot of fun for us. Gardening is a very rewarding project! I am already looking forward to next year!

Family Home Evening

This last Monday, we went a few other families in our ward to the temple visitor's center for family home evening. (Great idea, Jaimee!)





While we were waiting for the other families to arrive, Paisley was playing on the railing on the stairs. Somehow, I think she was trying to flip over, she slipped and smacked the back of her head on a concrete stair. She went crying to Dave and I rushed over. A couple seconds later, her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Her arms were out stiff in front of her. I started to panic a bit, as is typical for me. But, luckily, my friend, Jaimee, told me to calm down, that she is fine. She was out for about 10-15 seconds, but that felt like an ETERNITY! She came to and was okay. She was very pale for a while, but okay. That sure was a scary experience!

Once everyone got there, we went in to watch a movie and then on to look at the Christus statue.


All the kids


I like this one with the kids touching and looking at the Christus (except Paisley who is in constant "pose mode"! :)

Afterwards we went out and walked around the grounds. The grass is so green, the flowers so colorful and beautiful. I just know that the Lord has some had in how beautiful the temple's surroundings are!



I was able to snap some really nice pictures of Easton and Paisley.






Avery was being her busy-body little self, and was finally able to get a cute one of her right before we left.



We had a really great night with some good friends! It was really peaceful walking around the temple, even with 14 kids! :) Thanks for the fun night, everyone!

My sweet boy!

I just wanted to post about my funny little boy who is growing up way too fast before my eyes! He is so much like me that it is scary. We have a lot of the same personality traits, a lot of the ones that I do not particularly enjoy in myself, let alone my little boy. But, he is so funny! His first grade teacher was always talking about his infectious laugh! Seriously, it is so cute! She said if he started laughing, then she just couldn't help joining it...as did the rest of the kids. That made for a bit more chaos in her class, but I think she enjoyed it.

Anyway, a couple funny things I wanted to remember...

He got two new pairs of shoes for school. And, each time he has put them on at the store, and then again for the first time at home, he has had to run as fast as he can across the room to make sure they help him run fast! It is so funny! I think it is a boy thing. But, this morning, we put on a new pair that he hadn't wore yet, and I told him to stand up and see how they feel. So, he just took off running, and then said, "Yeah they feel good." :)

That is the last thing that I personally want to do in my new shoes! :) But, can you imagine, a bunch of adults running through the shoe store to make sure their new shoes will make them run fast? Ha Ha! Obviously, running is very important to my little boy!

The other day I decided to be a sweet mom and stick a little "I love you! Be good! Have a good day" type of note in his lunch. I wanted to be sure that he got it, so I stuck it right on top to his bag of chips. I was so sure it would just brighten his day.

That night over dinner I said, "So, Easton, did you find anything special in your lunchbox today?" You know, kind of fishing for a compliment and good mom pat on the back. He all of a sudden was all distressed and said, "Mom, please don't ever do that again! It is soooo embarrassing!" I was quite taken aback, and I noticed that Dave kept looking at me to see how I was reacting. I asked him later if he thought I would cry, and he said he wasn't sure how I would react. :) (I won't lie, tears threatened for just a second.) Anyway, so I said something about how I was sorry and I thought he would like it. He said, "Damon's mom puts those in his lunch all the time and the kids won't play with him now." So, it came down to, the boys make fun of them and won't play with the "mama's boys" I guess! How ridiculous is that?!?!? But, I agreed that I wouldn't do that horrible thing to him again. But, then he added, "Well, you can put one in, just stick it to the bottom of my bag, not on my chips!" I guess maybe he did enjoy it somewhat, but wants to be able to do so in private. Understood...note taken!

I love you, son.