Bree's Digital Life

Project 365+1 Week 3

2012-01-24T12:23:00.006-07:00

Photo's 15-21

Eva hung her bird feeder from Preschool in the tree- I think the birds are going to devour it!

Monday morning means back to school and home lunches packed.

My Mother was in and out of the hospital and ER last week, we spent many evenings at her house checking in on her, making sure she was comfortable and bringing my parents dinner. This is how the girls passed the time.

3:00pm= carpool time. Picking up Olivia is always a joy because she doesn't stop talking about her day until we pull into the driveway!!

Pinocchio and Italy celebration at school- we sent scrumptious Cannoli's for a sweet treat at the end of the Italian foods sampling.

With it still being gloomy rainy and overcast all week, bright toes and fingers were in order!

Today the rain poured in buckets- it didn't stop from the moment we woke up until we closed our eyes that night. The only way for the girls to get over the fact that it wasn't snow was to dance and jump in the massive puddles outside (we are still drying out those boots!!).

Still going...

2012-01-17T14:22:00.008-07:00

I know, I can't believe it myself! Two weeks plus into my goals and I am still going strong!! I have been sticking to my no sugar 6 days a week and my photo a day has been a complete delight. I don't think I am very creative, but it is a documentation of a moment each day so all is good right!? I am a member of Katrina Kennedy's Capture your 365 daily photo prompts- this has been really great! An email every morning is sent to my phone with an idea of what to look for during the day. I don't always follow the suggestion (what would be the fun in that!!) but it gets my thoughts moving from my earliest hour of the day and I really like that!

Week 2: Photo's 8-14

Piano lessons with Grandma Griffiths

Abby received this cool detailed coloring book and pencils for her birthday- she does this for HOURS at a time.

Liv's dance class started back up and she loves being joined by two dear friends each week.

Teriyaki Chicken kabobs on the grill in January-an escape to warmer days!

Watching Dad play city basketball- the best supporters around- GO DADDY GO!!

While watching the High School Basketball team play, Mr. Viking joined us!

Just for fun: See if you can spot the Abby amid the girls cheering during the half time show!

My Prompt for Saturday was "Word", one that describes right now. We sadly watched their defeat but were surrounded by great people and food to keep us all in a good mood!!

New Year, New Goals

2012-01-09T16:44:00.008-07:00

It seems that I have jumped on the resolution bandwagon. I am not a annual resolutioner- but last year I made one (scrapbook a page a day) and stuck to it until school let out in June, then it fell apart. This year I have made two that I am going to try.

Goal#1- I have decided that in my old age my metabolism has significantly slowed down and I just can't eat the same crap that I used to do day in and day out. I came to this conclusion because while I exercise 5 days a week for an hour each day in various strength and cardio activities, I seemed to have packed on 10 pesky pounds that have taken root and are refusing to budge- thus a diet analysis has been needed. My sister (and exercise partner) and I have talked about it greatly and she convinced me to join her on a no sugar, no fast food, no treats diet modification for 6 days a week allowing one delicious treat day a week to splurge. Now, let it be known that I CAN'T diet! You restrict something on me and I will only want it more, so I was skeptical to say the least. I truly didn't think that it could be done and that I most certainly didn't have the will power to do this. That being said, January 1st, after a fun night of food and treats and all my heart desired, I awoke to a fresh outlook and a new determination to DO this!! And you know what- I was STARVING!! and I was SO SNACKY!!! and on day 3 I was still going strong and my body was in a sugar high withdrawal. I had the worst headache all day!! But I stuck with it, I was actually in total shock as to how much sugary snacking I have been doing. It was on day 4 that my sister and I had a talk about our meal plans and we both decided that we needed to shift to the 6 small meals a day to keep ourselves satisfied and not be on a food roller coaster all day. That was the trick! It has been smooth sailing ever since!! Saturday was my free splurge day and I found that I wasn't even needing to go crazy with the sweets like I thought I would and I have shrunk my stomach and didn't even need to eat as much as usual to feel satisfied. Cool right!! Don't get me wrong- I enjoyed my free day, Paul took me out and we had good food and a delicious desert. But come Sunday, I was back on track and feeling great!
So wish me luck, I don't know how long I plan on living this lifestyle, but my sister and I made the goal to do it for one month and then take a look at our progress and see if it is worth it to continue... I will keep you posted!

Goal #2- I have been wanting to join in on the Project 365 for about three years now. I decided that with this being the year of my 35th birthday and with it also being leap year, I was going to DO IT! Project 365+1 is a photo a day challenge. You take a photo each day, everyday, and at the end of the year you have a daily documentation of the year. As a scrapbooker, that is pretty fun. I plan to include a layout in each girls book for each month of the year. Everyone who has done this challenge in the past talks about how much they improved in their photography skills and became so much more familiar with their camera's capabilities by using it everyday. I hope to have the same results. I am also going to do a post each week with the photo's from the previous week to keep me accountable and to journal what each photo was about.

So, here are last weeks photos- Day's 1-7

Ringing in the new year "Mormon" tradition style

The forced bulbs in my kitchen are in full bloom- simply lovely!

The kids are all back in school, except Eva- puppet shows are in order

Smaller portions and more fresh foods are on my mind

We had an attack from the LittlePetShops this afternoon- they won!

It has been almost spring like this week- perfect for Jeep riding with friends

Spent a couple of hours making the new birthday gifts for primary- 90 total

Do you have any resolutions this year? Are they the same as mine?

On the last day of the year...

2012-01-01T18:52:00.005-07:00

Every year, on the final day of the year, we celebrate my first born! She is certainly deserving of a celebration and this year was no exception!! She was turning 9, yes you read that right, 9! The only number more shocking would be the one next year :) Abigail thinks she it so grown up (yes, this year she decided to go by her formal name at school) and needed to have a late night party, a rockin' "Rock Band" party, and Pizza, and Root beer floats, and complete with sweet dance moves and confetti. You heard me right, more confetti than any house this size should have within it's confinements- the entire house was covered because we gave each girl a bag of it and if they liked the dance moves being performed to "Dance Party" by someone they would throw a handful of glittery greatness all over them. It was a complete hit and we have been cleaning up the enjoyment for many hours this afternoon.

But this little girls smiles and grins and laughter makes every little piece worth it!

Love you Abby!!

Happy Birthday!!!

The Christmas Morning Surprise

2011-12-29T14:15:00.008-07:00

After the girls had opened up all the presents from Santa and each other, and received many wonderful things on their list- we informed them that Dad and I had a big surprise present waiting for them down stairs.! Oh, my goodness, the excitement on their faces.The girls couldn't wait to take them for a spin, so, while we should have been getting ready to attend church, we let them go outside and take some test drives- it WAS Christmas after all!!!

Enjoy!!

I think this was the their best Christmas so far!!

Illumination...

2011-12-24T10:05:00.009-07:00

Can you believe that Christmas comes tonight? I am SOO excited for the arrival of Santa, the girls are going to go out of their minds with all the good things he has in store for them- I only hope I can get it documented well on film!!!
In preparation for the holiday my days have been filled with many joyous things, including much shopping, gifting to neighbors, friends and teachers, School sings, class parties, going to see the new Chipmunk movie with the girls, making gingerbread houses (completely complicated by the way!!), making little girl holiday skirts (another post when I get the time), and finally getting the girls up to Salt Lake City to see the lights at Temple Square. Do you know that we have never taken them before? Sadly it is true!! In our defense, every year we get snowed out, or we drop into an intense deep freeze with dense fog. But this year, it was meant to be! With clear sky's and the air only dropping into the mild 20's, we made it!!!I must add how wonderful these girls of ours were!! Not a complaint in the bunch, they walked the entire time, and loved all the beauty that was unfolding around them.My skills as an extremely low light photographer are lacking to say the least. However, by putting on my new 50mm fixed lens (thanks Paul for the birthday present, LOVE IT) which lets in more light and bumping up the ISO we were able to get some keepers.Did you go to a lights display this year? I love this outing, we listened sang our hearts out to Christmas music all the way up and all the way back home. Then we tucked the girls into bed with gentle smiles on their lips and quietly made our way downstairs so I could snuggle in with my Paul and watch "Christmas Vacation"- a tradition around here!Merry Christmas everyone- I hope it is Merry and Bright!!

Thanks and lots of giving

2011-12-02T19:22:00.001-07:00

As with all vacations that I take, it has set me back a bit in the regular schedule and routine. I feel as though I have been running around like a crazy chicken for the last week! However, I made the goal to post up about our wonderful trip to California for the holiday BEFORE it hit December on the calendar- as you can see, I failed! Still, never one to give up, here we go!!

We spent 8 glorious days with the Wilson cousins on the west coast- the girls had not seen them in such a long time, but they jumped right back in the friendships like they hadn't missed a day. It was delightful to see the new friendship between Carter and Eva grow into something quite sweet. They played so well together all week. It didn't take long for them to discover their mutual love for cars and all things with wheels, it made them close pals the entire week. I so wish I had taken a picture of them playing together!!

Thanksgiving day was so relaxing and fun- the turkey was the most juicy, moist and delicious bird I have had in a long time. The sides were divine, and the pies, well lets just say I ate WAY too much but didn't care a bit!
The weather was perfect, usually we get rained out this time of year, but last week- it was near 80 degrees the entire time and it made for several afternoons spent in their pool and hot tub, hiking the beautiful hills by their home to a pretty waterfall, taking each others family pictures, and an afternoon at the Santa Barbra Zoo, (Don't you just love watching Giraffe's while overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the background!)

and no trip to California is complete without a palm tree lined beach day filled with running in and out of the surf amid wails of delight!
We are so thankful for our family- especially ones that will let us crash in their home and completely take over their schedule and lives!! We were all so sad to leave and say goodbye again, Olivia was dropping her famous Crocodile tears as we drove out of sight. Thanks Wilson's for being so giving and making our holiday spectacular!! We miss you already!!

Another great part of our visit -coming home with tons of gifting ideas. Let my procrastinator shopping begin!!

Look who is 5!

2011-11-22T16:12:00.006-07:00

We could hardly wait amid all the anticipation and excitement! The baby, our baby, was turning five yesterday and having a party fit for such an occasion. Because of our fun holiday plans we had to celebrate Eva a few days early, last Friday- which didn't seem to bother anyone! What was the theme you ask? Well this was Eva's party so you won't be surprised to know that it involved animals of every kind. She really wanted to go to the farm with her friends, but because it is November in Utah it was just too cold for that kind of activity- so we did the next best thing, we created "Davis Farm" at our house. We had all the friends wear some farm girl attire, we played some farm bingo, pin the lost chickie on the farm and some spirited rounds of Old McDonald Had a Farm. Each girl created her own trusty steed and we braved the blustery afternoon for some riotous horse racing around the yard!! It truly ended up being the highlight of the party- those girls can race I tell you!!This year for the first time, I tried making the cake. I ventured into this project because I saw a really cute farm cake online and naively said "Oh, that looks easy, I could totally do that!" Well, it turned out a little more complicated than it looked, but it was fun and Eva and all the party goers thought it was the best cake ever- so I say it was a success.We also took some of those fabulous farm animal cupcakes to her class at preschool that morning.

In the end she blew out her candles and made her wishes and we closed out the night by sending everyone home with these cute barn treat boxes.
My baby is five! I can remember thinking shortly after she was born that 5 years seemed so far away, and yet, here it is and she has turned into such a fun, happy, silly, spirited little girl! Full of life and energy. She makes everything fun and finds the joy in every situation.
We love you Eva- Happy Birthday!!

Using up the down time

2011-11-09T14:41:00.007-07:00

This week my house has been making the rounds with sickness- the only one not hit yet, Paul, but he has been working so much that his tired bones FEEL like they are sick! The only good that comes out of this kind of crappyness is the fact that I can sit and edit photo's from a couple weeks ago (because I'm not carpooling around my afternoon hours!). So, I know I just gave you a slew of pictures of my little darlings- but now you get them AGAIN in all their fall leafing happiness. We made our annual trek up American Fork Canyon with my sister and her kids and as always we had a glorious time jumping in leaves, throwing leaves, and giggling among the leaves. It really is fall's one saving grace- well that and the cute jackets it requires :)

Presenting: Fall- Utah Style
Oh, I am just so lucky to have these three little sillies in my life- I just love them and their smiles brighten up the day!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T14:29:00.007-06:00

Everyone knows that I LOVE this holiday! I have a great time getting everyone in the holiday spirit- the girls have had their costumes picked out for months. My day was jam packed with all kinds of goodness, including three class parties, the costume parade at Abby's school and my parents joining us for a warm soup and rolls dinner followed up by the much anticipated trick or treating. Might I just add what a LOVELY evening it was! The temperatures were glorious and I (dressed as my usual witch) enjoyed walking around with Paul (dressed as his past letter man wearing high school sports player) watching Olivia and Eva dart from house to house reporting to us after each what they received. What's not to love?!!

Because I am always the one behind the camera I don't have a shot of me, or of camera shy Paul, but enjoy my little princesses- they looked so great!

Rapunzel Eva- although if you asked her she was princess Tangled. The wig was KILLING me all day!!

Native American Princess Abby-We took pictures, and then she added make-up- so here is the "final" look:She also decided that she is far too grown up and mature to be treating with the little girls, so she took off with some great friends at 5:30pm and didn't return until 9:00pm. She had the most fun of her life thus far!!!

Of course, let us not forget Belle- Olivia LOVES Belle- she also likes to perform for an audience, can you tell?Now, we are brimming with candy and there isn't much too bad about that!! I hope you had just as much fun this Halloween as we did!

Overhaul

2011-10-24T20:07:00.004-06:00

Lately, I have been feeling in a bit of a rut- style wise. Do you ever get that way? It occurred to me that I have had the same hair cut for a very very long time. In fact the last time I changed it up was before Olivia was born, nearly 7 years ago, when I did a short chin length bob. Since then, it has been the same long layers. In fact it was getting so long that it reached my hip bones in the back and I couldn't reach my arms long enough to give it a proper blow dry. That is not to mention the weight my poor little scalp was luggin around day in and day out!!

So, today, I was impulsive. I booked a salon appointment with Megan the stylist over at Images Salon. Walked in, sat down, showed her these unruly locks and informed her that I wanted bangs/fringe/ swagger. Cut the length to whatever she thought appropriate to lighten the load, freshen and add much needed lift to my heavy mane. You should have seen her grin "Oh, I live for a drastic change! Lets get this transformation going!"

I haven't had "bangs" since Jr. high school- and let me clarify that they were 80's Utah bangs! Curled up and sky high with inappropriate amounts of Aqua Net to keep them in line. Modern bangs (as seen on MANY hip ladies today) are low, soft, blended and chic--

Now, are you ready to see the new and transformed me?

Abby isn't half bad as an impromptu photographer!! I must give her the props!

I have to say I quite like it- I am still getting used to my reflection in the mirror, but I like it!! Even though Olivia keeps telling me that I look funny!! :)

Falling up and down

2011-10-17T14:27:00.017-06:00

I am still alive, busy, but alive and well. I think this is just about the longest blogging break that I have taken, well... ever!! We have all been neck deep over here in various things. Happy and joyous things, mixed with some not so pleasant stuff- including a complete front end cooling system overhaul on my van (thank goodness I have a Paul around to temper the sting to the budget!), after finally being taken off her daily meds for her PFS, Olivia decided to relapse last week (back to the doctor we go!), and Paul was served papers- yes he is being sued for a car accident he was in FOUR years ago (we have spoken to the lawyers, they assure us we are covered and will be ok, but you can still cross your fingers for us if you would like to!)

However, they say bad things come in three's, so hopefully we are done with our quarterly life stresses!!

Always one to look on the bright side, last Friday was a bright spot! I was finally able to accompany one of my children on a field trip as a chaperon- the youngest ones do always get the most icing don't they :)

Olivia was out of school that day, so she happily joined Eva's class in some Hee Haw Farm's fun. It was a perfect fall day, a crispness in the air but the bluest skies we have seen all season. Smiles and laughter abounded and I loved seeing Eva interact with her new teacher and classmates.

Days like this one make me appreciate life, even with all it's ups and downs. The bitter truly does make the sweet all that more treasured!

On any given day...just for the record

2011-09-21T13:16:00.007-06:00

7:00am: Alarm goes off and I PEEL my tired self out of bed and wake up Abby
7:10 am: Abby has finally walked down the stairs for breakfast
7:15 am: Liv hears the noise (if my early bird isn't already awake and downstairs watching TV), promptly wakes up Eva and they come down for breakfast
7:25 am: Abby is upstairs getting dressed, she usually needs me to coordinate a top to a bottom
7:30am: Olivia is up stairs and taking FOREVER to decide on which uniform she is going to wear. THANK GOODNESS she only has 3 options or we would be ALL day deciding.
7:36 am: Abby is in the bathroom and ready for her hair- then she brushes her teeth
7:40 am: Olivia is on the stool for her hair- then she brushes her teeth
7:45am: Abby yells goodbye and is out the door before anyone can embarrass her!
7:50am: Eva is now somehow dressed and on the stool for her hair- then she brushes her teeth
8:00am: Finding Little Einstein's for Eva to watch while I am gone and Paul is snoozing upstairs.
8:02am: Put on my running clothes
8:05am: Out the door driving Olivia to school- she always insists we go the long way around to the back door, I don't know why but we MUST!
8:20 am: Make sure Eva is still OK, stretch, grab some water and my Garmin
8:30am: Out the door for my morning run- usually 4-5 miles
9:20am: Situps and stretches
9:30am: Out the door all sweaty still, (sorry drop off mom's) Eva rides her bike to school while I jog along beside her.
9:40am: In the shower- then I finally brush my teeth (sorry everyone!)
10:10am: Kiss my darling husband goodby and head back to Olivia's school
10:15am: Math and Spelling volunteer helper - I do really enjoy this part of my day!
11:15am: Say goodby as Olivia's class heads to lunch
11:30am: Home
11:40am: Walk up to pick up Eva, then chase her bike riding self home again while she yells back at me all the fun things she did in class.
12:00pm: Lunch- I finally get something to eat. Do the dishes from yesterday and today.
12:30pm: Head to the store- we are out of most things
2:00pm: Home- now I start making the 20 hair bows (2 for each girl in case they want 2 ponies- girls need options right!) for Abby's Soccer team to wear at the game- they are cute if I do say so myself!
2:30pm: Abby is home- homework and Piano practice- still working on bows
3:00pm: Load everyone in the car to pick up Olivia
3:10pm: She is in the car, head back to the store because I need more ribbon
3:25pm: Found the matching ribbon- hooray!
3:50pm: Home- more hair bow making. Olivia does homework and Piano Practice
4:30pm: Abby gets ready for soccer game, Olivia gets ready for dance. Still finishing hair bows!
4:35pm: Paul home from work to take Abby to her game
4:50pm: Paul and Abby leave, completed hair bows with them. I leave with Eva to take Olivia to Dance class
5:00pm: Run Olivia into Dance- we are late, she HATES being late!
5:15pm: Go to my Mom's house to pick her up to watch Abby's game
5:30pm: Make it to Abby's game just as kick off starts- All the girls have their hair bows in and they look fantastic and fun!
5:45pm: Leave to go and get Olivia from Dance
5:55pm: Pick up Olivia and head back to Abby's game
6:05pm: Back to the game- missed them score 2 penalty kicks, but get to see Abby score an awesome goal!
6:30pm: Game over. They win 4-2, they are still undefeated!!
6:15pm: Drop my mom off at her house
6:30pm: Home- make dinner, it has to be our go to quicky- soup and sandwiches
7:00pm: Shower's for all the children-pajamas and teeth brushing
7:30pm: Olivia's 20 minutes of reading in her assigned book
8:00pm: Bed time for all the children- bed time stories read, hugs and kisses
8:30pm: Quick pick up around the house- clean up the huge hair bow mess!
9:00pm: Settle in on the couch with my sweetie for some TV watching alone time- he tells me he has to work tonight.
11:00pm: Pull my tired self up to bed
1:30am: Paul surprises me by making it back to bed so early!
7:00am: My Alarm goes off and I PEEL myself out of bed again!!

I like to always look at the bright side- at least I'm not bored!!!

Let the learning begin

2011-09-07T14:09:00.008-06:00

It has finally arrived, that blessed day when all three girls were in school at the same time! It has felt like a long time coming because once again I have three girls in three different schools with three different start times.

It all started a couple weeks ago on Aug. 23rd- Abby was the first to dive back into the school life and it couldn't have come any quicker- she was stir crazy and bored towards the end of our summer, you would have thought we had done NOTHING to entertain her. So, after a good week of shopping every store I could drive to in order to find the PERFECT first day outfit we ended up with five new ones, so she had a first week of school new outfits (so, shame on me if I like to shop!)Third Grade- She is FAR to old now for me to walk with her and take pictures of her at her desk- the total humiliation would be more than she could bare! This is all I was allowed to take:
She has a teacher that she loves, dear friends from last year in her class and even better ones to walk to and from school with each day. She is elated to be back to assignments, tasks and gold stars!

Next up- Olivia on Aug. 29th. She has decided this year that she is not fond of her uniform- I on the other hand LOVE them! The school cracked down on the uniform this year with checks every morning at the door on the way in- an infraction sends them back out to fix it. Sadly they took away the option of her little red shoes- it was her one bit of personality, but she will survive! She was so excited to find out that several dear friends were back in her class and one was even sitting next to her. Shoes now forgotten, she is is delighted to be back in her social circles and having lunch at school (even though she is pretty much only eating her dessert!)

Oh, and she has already been the Student of the Day and took the beloved "Midnight" home with her- yes, she slept with him cradled in her arms!

And FINALLY today, Sept. 7th, Eva made it to her second year of Preschool. This day could not have come soon enough! Each passing day since Abby started she would ask me when it was her turn! Last week she was alone ALL day with just me- she was in a tortured state of mind! She is attending a new preschool this year- her teacher is darling, the children seem fun and they have seven little girls this year to befriend- does it get any better than that?Oh, and of course she road her bike to and from, she HAD to show everyone her new trick!!

So, we are back to the schedule, the routine- and it feels fantastic!!

No more baby bikes over here!

2011-08-29T14:42:00.005-06:00

Guess who figured out her 2 wheeler bike? Ok, if you didn't already know it is because you aren't within Eva's view or range of her voice, because she tells EVERYONE about her new skills!

I'm telling you- that scoot bike is magic! Once they are proficient and can balance well on it, switching them over to a two wheeler with pedals is a breeze- or maybe I just have some SUPER coordinated girls on my hands!! Maybe I will brag and just say it is the second one!!!

Paul took her out one afternoon last week- took the training wheels off Liv's old bike, had her climb onto the seat and she was off and hasn't looked back since!
Are we going to ride it to and from preschool next week? You better believe it! And when you see Eva next time, ask her about her 2 wheeler bike riding skills- she will be more than pleased to tell you ALL about how awesome she is!!

2nd Annual End of Summer Tea

2011-08-24T16:40:00.011-06:00

This year, as this season has slipped by- we once again needed to close out our blissful days and beautiful evenings in style. To commemorate the close of summer and usher in the new school year we nibbled, sipped, talked, laughed and played. Yes, we had the dishes of sugar cubes for dunking again, and so many wonderful finger foods to share paired with 2 kinds of lemonade- it was delightful! Due to request, we extended an invite to the mothers as well! This was so fun, and I loved seeing all these beautiful mother's and daughters together all dressed up. It was a joy to photograph each smiling face and beaming eye of merriment. Truly, I should edit these photos down, combine them into a collage- but I want each mother to grab a full resolution copy for themselves.

Click on them to make them big, then do a save as- Enjoy!!

Thanks for coming friends! Lets do it again next year- only lets invite even more splendid mother daughter pairs!!

The Dog Days...

2011-08-17T13:39:00.007-06:00

Truly, I love summer. It is my favorite season, hands down. I love the heat. I love the freedom to do as I please. I love the pool filled afternoons and sun-kissed skin. I love the picnics and bike rides amid laughter and delight. This week I can feel it coming to a close. No, the weather doesn't have that crispness in the air, thank goodness, but we have been out school shopping. Filling our carts with pencils, markers, notebooks and lunch boxes. We have found "the outfit" for the first days of school (all three girls start on different days again this year) and we can all feel that our lazy nights with out a set bedtime are quickly slipping through our hands.

So today I share with you one of our ideal summer afternoons- it was a typical summer day filled with laughter and happiness, smiles and brightly colored tongues and lips.
These girls have some MAD hula hooping skills- much to the pleasure of the honking cars passing by! My girls love a good stage with applause!!
Can you really beat a Hawaiian Snow on a hot summer day? It is the idealized image of the American Summer Holiday and they both never last quite long enough.

My Family in Joe's Valley

2011-08-11T15:30:00.006-06:00

Last week we drove down to central Utah to vacation with my family. Have you heard of Joe's Valley? Located by Orangeville? Well I had not and I quickly came to the conclusion that it is the best kept secret in Utah! It is so lovely- beautiful, calm and serene. I absolutely loved our week there despite the fact that we had no showers and we were sleeping in a tent. We spent most of our time out on the lake paddling around in the rafts, or swimming in the brisk waters, and lounging on the shore.

There was a lot of dock jumping too! We did take some evening hikes, after our bellies were full of my mom's scrumptious meals, to skip rocks, talk and laugh.
Despite the fish hook in the foot incident that Abby bravely endured and the running through a cactus in flip flops debacle of Olivia's doing (hey don't even look at her parents that way!) we had the most fun time. I love this next picture because it really depicts the chaos that is my family when we get together!!!It is also true that by the end of our trip Paul and I had decided that we also needed a pop up camper like the majority of my siblings- they are snazzy little getup's and we are now officially in the market. We have decided that next summer we need to have a camper caravan to Jackson WY and Yellowstone- or - travel up the California/Oregon coast, seeing the sites and smelling the salty air.

Plans, we always have plans in this family- thanks guys for the idea, plan and trip this year, Joe's Valley is a keeper!

Excitement- Two Fold

2011-07-30T22:30:00.004-06:00

For several months now Olivia has been wiggling her top two front teeth. She has so lamented not losing one during her entire Kindergarten year. She thought for sure when she turned 6 they would magically start falling from her mouth amid applause and sugar filled gumdrops- but the day came and went and STILL she did not lose a single tooth!! Now, with the promise that these wiggles have made, the excited has slowly been building- but then she started to become very timid about the whole "yanking them out" thing.

Olivia resides, shall we say, on the dramatic side of life. Nothing ever just happens- "STUFF HAPPENS!!" when she is involved. So, while thinking this next step in her life would just breeze by was completely crazy, think it I did-- and then I was corrected.

I say this because after all the fuss of her TOP two teeth being wiggly, two nights ago we noticed that her BOTTOM two teeth were already half way in BEHIND her baby teeth! How this happened without her knowledge, or ours, is beyond my scope of understanding. So Olivia and Paul set to work with the wiggling, jiggling, and pushing on those LOWER front two teeth.

Enter- the DRAMATICS!!! The thought of going to the dentist and having him pull them out brought wave after wave of her famous crocodile tears. However, the idea of actually "ripping them out of her skin" brought shear terror to her body and soul. Clearly they were a part of her! How could we even fathom removing something that was a part of her!! She never really wanted to lose them!! Oh, and the PAIN the HORRIBLE AWFUL EXCRUCIATING PAIN of it all!!

Little did she know, that a Paul on a mission of tooth removal is a Paul on a mission of tooth removal- there was NO way he was going to pay the dentist to do something we could do ourselves!

Enter this morning- I am upstairs, I hear a scream that rattled the shutters and threatens to blow the roof off. The next thing I know these beaming eyes of pride and elation greet me with this in hand:

Then I really don't know what happened next, what words of persuasion were given, what promises were made, but not an hour later I am greeted with an even bigger grin and twice the number of teeth in hand:

Of course all of this was only made better by the fact that we were going to Grandma's for a family lunch party and the entire Griffiths clan was there to give her high fives and congratulations!

The excitement- oh the excitement!!

Pioneer Stock Part II

2011-07-23T11:58:00.004-06:00

You might remember last July when I made this post about my pioneer heritage. It involved my paternal line. I always get nostalgic this time of year. I like to ponder what my ancestors went through for me, how they endured, survived, thrived and enjoyed life. Today, on the eve of another Days of 47 Celebration, I would like to share a continuation of that story.

Two weeks ago we traveled north, to Cache County- Clarkston UT to be exact. It is a VERY small community on the northern boarder of Utah . We were attending the Lydia Adline Godfrey/ Andrew Heggie Griffiths family Reunion (my Great Grandparents). I have attended several of these gatherings while growing up, but not for at least 15 years. This year my Grandpa (Weldon Griffiths) was in charge of the celebration and in his planning decided he would take all the posterity on a tour of the farm land and old homestead that his father build back in 1915. My Great Aunt still lives there and opened her doors to us all and it was full of history and treasures.

Great Grandpa G. is 89 years old and the second in line of his 10 siblings- the stories he has to tell!!

We drove, a lot further out of town than I expected, out to the wheat fields.

I was surprised to learn that they had 160 acres of land in which they dry farmed for decades, right through the depression and WWII. (This picture is only made better by the fact that we all have our eyes closed!)

He shared stories of how it was done, how his days as a boy were spent laboring in these fields to the north and to the west. How it was everything to them and how being dependent on the weather helped to carve out his intense testimony and faith in the law of Tithing.

Next we traveled back into town and were able to see the old homestead, still standing after almost 100 years!! While most of it remains the same and untouched it has been updated and given modern technology like electricity and a new electric stove replacing the old wood burning one:It has all the original floors cabinets and tile work
The house now has a plumbed bathroom, but 50 paces out the back door and they still have the old outhouse:My Grandfather still thinks this is the way it should be- "smelly stuff belongs outside" he says!!

She still has the original farm table
and wash boards that they spent many hours scrubbing on
The old chicken coop still stands
Grain Shed and silo
and it even still has an old tractor hanging out!

The funnest part? These metal swings with vintage tractor seats!

I wonder if Andrew ever thought about what this home would be in 100 years. Did he wonder as he swung that hammer to drive in the nails if his Great Granddaughter would stand on the porch some day to listen about his life and share it with his Great Great Granddaughters? I hope so, and I hope this day made him smile in the same manner it made me!

Happy Pioneer Day!!

Equestrian Dreams

2011-07-15T15:42:00.014-06:00

I have an Aunt. Her name is Wanda, she is my mother's sister. Wanda lives in Payson Utah with her family. They have horses- sweet, gentle, loving, beautiful horses. My mother has been going down to the boarding stables with Wanda several times a week this summer to work the horses, train them and then take them up in the Payson hills for long therapeutic summer rides. My mother is LOVING these horses and her time spent with them. So when she mentioned that the grandchildren should come and experience this quiet beautiful place we all jumped at the chance!

I wondered if the girls would be timid, but they took to these sweet creatures in seconds!

They started off in the small corral on "Pippin", a small Welsh pony. They learned how to hold the reins, direct the horses, get them to start by clicking their tongues and how to bring them to a stop.

Next they graduated to the bigger quarter horses "The Kid"- Honey colored, and "Burayous"(I have no idea if I spelled that correctly!)- Dark Brown.

After Abby could control Kid quite well we let her loose in the more open corral and she proved to be a natural in the saddle!
Olivia lamented that I wouldn't let her ride alone in the more open area on Kid (her very favorite!) but she was finally content to ride with me.
Eva found pure joy on the back of this very patient steed!
After all the riding we went back to Wanda's house where she had brand new baby goats for the children to pet and hold, not to mention the cats, chinchilla's, big daddy goat and a HUGE dog that my girls wouldn't go near!!

It was perfect day- it brought back many memories from when I was small riding on horseback in the Northern Mountains of California, on the Oregon border, while visiting my Grandma Harris during our summers. Those horses belonged to both my Aunt Wanda as well as my Aunt Marsha, but Wanda believes the saddle she put on Pippin today was the very one from my childhood! Now that little piece of the past made the experience all the more wonderful! We will most definitely have to do this again soon!!

In the Land of the Free

2011-07-05T15:35:00.007-06:00

I LOVE this holiday.

I LOVE a good party.
I LOVE my family. I LOVE our Country.
I LOVE fireworks and sparklers.
I LOVE pictures.
ENJOY!!

Kicking it Freedom Style

2011-07-02T16:34:00.007-06:00

To kick off our holiday weekend we spent Friday afternoon and this morning cheering on Abby's new Competition Team at the Freedom Festival 3v3 soccer tournament. This was Abby's first elimination tournament and the first time the newly formed team competed together. They had a practice on Monday and then during the summer monsoon storm on Wednesday and that was it- they met on Friday evening for the first three games.

I couldn't believe how well they did!! They were playing other clubs that had been together all year and we went out and smashed them 6-1, then 4-1 and ended out the night up against the other undefeated team of boys, a 2-2 tie put them coming out of the qualifying rounds in the #1 spot!!!

The excitement was palpable- the competition fierce and it was really fun!

This morning the girls showed up full of nerves but ready to meet the other three teams rounding out the top four in this semi-final round. Being the only girls team to advance they were up against the boys! We shouted out girl power and hit the field.

It was a much more physical game than yesterday and they played really hard, but fell to this team in a 1-0 defeat.

Abby hasn't lost a game in over two years. She was DEVASTATED!! She couldn't believe they had played that hard and held them to only one goal and they LOST! They had many shots on goal but non of them would go in, it just wasn't their day. Tears were trickling. This loss turned out to be a good practice of sportsmanship and being able to pick yourself up, brush it off, and be ready to fight again another day.

She wasn't much consoled to know that they were the top girls team in the tournament and 3rd over all- but I suppose that fire and winning spirit is what makes a champion in the end. Now that she knows what it feels like to be eliminated, she will fight harder not to feel it again.

Also I learned that going out for Chinese food and ice cream after will sooth all wounds!!

June Jubilee

2011-06-27T19:30:00.000-06:00

This month has just roared by with phenomenal speed. I can hardly believe it is almost over, but then I look back at all the things that have been keeping me away from my computer and I CAN believe it. My photo files are packed with goodness. Let me post up the "Best of June" photos for you, and then you too will understand that we have been enjoying non stop summer fun over here!!

Story Time at the Library once a week: Hooray for the world we're glad to be on it Paper dolls of the girls. They now display on the windows in the library and each girl is coming home with fun projects and a million books.

We spent three days up at the Davis' refinishing their wood floors:
It looked a lot like this, but more work than you might think!
However, they turned out beautiful and we can check that home improvement knowledge off our list because we are now AMAZING at it!!! (If we are ever to get some hard wood floors of our own, this skill will come in handy!)

Strawberry Days Race:
Dad got first place in his division and 10th overall (surprise, surprise!)
Abby was first place in her division and 4th overall
Liv ran for the first time and did a fantastic job! You've got to love the armed escort into the finish line!

Strawberry Days Parade:
Brandon, Jen and family joined us and we had a fabulous time. Then we went to our house for a BBQ.

Strawberry Days Carnival:
What can I say, rides (Abby went on her first "Teen" ride), snow cones and cotton candy!

Princess Festival:
We have some really REALLY good friends that took all us girls to this magical event. Truly an amazing day and I can't thank them enough for the generosity!
Here they all are, ready to go with their brand new diamond tiaras and dainty parasols:
We attended all four theatrical plays (Cinderella, Snow White, Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Magic Flute)
The girls saw ALL the princesses and have the autographs to prove it! Here are just a few for your viewing enjoyment:

Cinderella
Snow White
Rapunzel (the latest obsession)
Sleeping Beauty
Ariel

We have been camping up American Fork Canyon:We found an insane amount of snails- and they were alive and well people!!

We also had a week of Soccer Camp: but I was lazy and didn't take any pictures, shame on me!

Oh, and we have been at the pool every day last week and will this next week too with swim lessons. We have been going early and staying late in the evening sessions and it has been just splendid! I will be taking the official pictures tomorrow, but they will look a lot like this:

Summer- how I LOVE you beyond my abilities to express- never leave me, never...

The Newest Member

2011-06-13T21:16:00.003-06:00

My Sister in Law Bethany had her sweet little boy on May 31st. He was in no rush to get here, but we were all excited about the arrival- Abby especially, she LOVES the babies.
It wasn't until last Thursday that we were finally able to hold this darling little guy! They named him Tucker and just look at that smile he was giving his sure to be favorite Aunt!!!We spent the day entertaining Eden and Lief by riding bikes together, drawing with chalk, building houses with blocks, playing card games, doing puzzles and having a nail salon. We all know how hard it is to be the older siblings sometimes- so we tried to make this visit fun for all. I believe we accomplished just that!

It was a delightful afternoon.

Congratulations again Kelly and Bethany, he is altogether perfect!

The Big Show

2011-06-06T13:37:00.004-06:00

Sorry about the extreme absence! My computer was out on a total rebuild for over a week and then I have had a husband laid up on my couch for another 2 weeks. But things are starting to heal, life is slowing down with all the girls out of school and ready to play the days away with friends and activities in the beautiful sunshine that has finally arrived in our town.

I must back track a bit and document the highlight of Olivia's spring. She has been taking her fun tap and ballet class every week since November. She FULLY enjoys it! She loves to move to the music and I have to say she is pretty darn good at it for a 6 year old. May 20th was her big concert debut and she looked so darling with her hair all curled, lip gloss on and dressed in her new PINK dance outfit.

She said that she was nervous as they lined up behind the curtain to take the stage for the first performance of the night- but you never would have guessed from the audience- she was poised and new ALL the moves!

She shuffle stepped, ball changed and tapped across the floor for two songs

Then she toe pointed, turned and leaped in beautiful form for two more She was just beaming at the end of the evening and my heart was full to see the joy in her darling face! Her Dad and I presented her with some flowers and you would have thought she had just won an Olympic Gold Medal!! We just love this little girl!!

Race Day ReCap

2011-05-21T21:20:00.007-06:00

Today I competed in the Women of Steel Triathlon- It was a perfect day! I couldn't believe after all the snowy, rainy, sleety, cold and unpleasant days I have been training in all spring, right up until yesterday afternoon, that it would be so perfect this morning. Blue skies, pleasant temperatures and no wind- PERFECTION!!

My sister Shamae is my training and competition partner. Can I just say what a pleasure it has been preparing for this race with her. I think it is funny that we really didn't get along very well when we were kids. She is 5 years older than me. When she was a senior in high school I was in 7th grade. She got married when I was in 9th grade and had a baby at age 20. We were just so different (we don't look a thing alike!)- until I finally got married and had my first child at 25. Now we had something in common, baby weight that needed to come off!!! When I moved back to Pleasant Grove we joined the same gym and started swimming together twice a week, and over the last four years we have really become close friends. Several years ago I got the crazy idea that we should just start biking together and sign up for a Tri and the rest is history.

Today I am so proud of us both. Last year I was in great shape, I was really prepared for the Salem Tri until I was plagued with a knee injury that took me out of the race and for 5 months afterwards. I was so discouraged and upset about it. But I pulled through and rehabbed that IT Band back to health over the winter and Shamae insisted that I would be ready by May to race again. I am a year older, a little heavier, and just plain feeling slower- but I was going to improve on my time from three years ago!

And so we come to this morning- 8:00am
I dove into the water for the 300 meter sprint and had a great swim- this is my love, I truly enjoy swimming, and by golly I am good at it!!! After passing several people and navigating through a pile up I came out of the water in 6 minutes and 13 seconds- 13th place.

I had a decent transition from the water to the bike - leaps and bounds better than last time so I will take it.

Then I was off on the bike portion- a quick 12 mile sprint a two loop course which includes a steep hill that is my nemesis- but I prevailed and clocked it all in 43 min.

My next transition from bike to run was better than the first so I was happy.

Now I was off on the run- this is by far the hardest part for me, especially the first 1/2 mile of trying to get some legs under me after burning them out on the bike. But as I made my way up that terrible hill one last time I was feeling good and running a steady pace around the bend. Not a personal best but a respectable 27 min. - not too bad, so I will take it!I finished in 1 hour and 23 minutes placing me 32 out of 167 in my age group- top 20% isn't half bad!!! I beat my previous overall time by nearly 5 minutes!

Shamae triumphed a bike chain problem to pass me on the run pulling in her personal best and ended up beating me by 1 minute- I am so proud of her!!!

Huge shout out to my Paul- totally supportive throughout the long training process, my personal cheering squad during the race and fantastic sports photographer to boot!!

I kind of declared at the finish line that I don't think I will do a Triathlon again. My Mom insisted that she KNEW that wasn't true. However, the more I think about it, the more I am liking the idea of doing it as a relay next time. Any takers? I will be calling dibs on the swim portion!!!

Around here...

2011-05-16T16:12:00.005-06:00

it isn't officially spring until our tree out front begins to blossom. There are several of this variety on our street- it is stunning- and we are lucky to have a large beautiful one in our front yard. They are the last ones to bloom in the spring- the grand finale of the season- it ushers in the long awaited warmth and sunshine of summer. Abby loves to climb this tree, especially this time of year. She clothes herself in head to toe pink- pulls herself up into its lofty branches surrounded in a cloud of ruffling pink. While enveloped in the beauty, she lays back looks up at the bright blue sky filtering in the soft pink light and dreams the dreams of an 8 year old girl. What is running through her thoughts, I wouldn't know, but I do know that she thinks she is alone, that not a soul can detect her in this perfectly enchanted hiding spot. That is until her mother shows up with her camera!

The Deck Revealed

2011-05-09T13:33:00.009-06:00

I have decided that procrastination on my part needs to end. I have come to this conclusion after everyone I am running into is asking me if I still have a gaping hole in my house!! No, we don't, Paul has been hard at work and doing an exceptional job of building the new deck. It is complete! I can now walk you step by step through the process.

Let me remind you all of what we started with. You will remember that I wasn't able to get a good "before" picture because I came home to the surprise of demolition. So, I have scoured the archives and found this one from when we first moved in (look beyond the Wiggles tent, and forget about the shabbiness of the yard, we have made vast improvement over the last 4 years).Then we had the shrubs removed, back door removed and deck removed.That very night, with the help of two stellar neighbors, the new door was in and weather proofed (oh, did I not mention before that the old one had NO weather proofing! That meant we had some water damage that had to be addressed). The new door looks better, slides better, has blinds in the glass that I adore, and it was 3 inches deeper than the previous. So we ended up having to tear out all the inside corners and drywall along with cutting back the kitchen flooring to make room.

Paul took the next week off of work so that he could have some therapeutic building time! However, he picked the worst week of weather to do so! The next two days it was raining and snowing non stop- so we finished up all the drywall, trim and paint work in the kitchen. We decided to finish off the door opening in wood instead of drywalled corners. Then we had to re-due the base boards and that ballooned into re-trimming the garage door as well. Lots of unexpected work but I am very pleased with the final product.

Next, Paul continued to brave the elements outside and started digging the 3 foot holes for the concrete footers. This is always backbreaking work, especially when you have all the roots from the bushes and rocks in the way. He labored like a champ and they turned out perfectly for supporting the post of the decks framework, as well as going up under the cement pad. I didn't get a photo of just the footings, but you can see the posts bolted to them in these photos. I hope that you notice his pride and joy- how he notched out the 4X4 posts to except and support the framework. Beautiful design executed to perfection. It is also lag bolted to the house and all the cross beams are bracketed in place. He framework is so great- it feels so solid with zero movement- leaps and bounds better than the old one that was so wobbly and pulling away from the house.He then cut and created the stair risers. I would equate this to cutting crown molding! It just messes with your brain- but as always Paul figured it out and cut them without making a single mistake, each tread and rise perfectly spaced- I was so proud!

We decided to go with Trex decking. LOVE it!! It looks great and it will never give little bare feet slivers and will never need maintenance. It was more expensive but I really feel it is worth every penny.After all that, Paul's week off work was up and he had to go back. While progress was put on hold for a week the girls LOVED that new deck. They decided it was a perfect stage for doing dance performances and plays,oh, and jumping on it is fun too!Last Saturday it was finally time to create the railing system. Again, I love his design and execution. This time we went with Redwood (the post are as well) and I like the color with the decking. Then we just capped off the post and we were done!This project looks simple, but it was A LOT of work! So many cuts, so many screws, so much math and brain power!!! Paul once again did a fabulous job! See, I told you I never have to worry when he decides to rip things apart- just like always it is 100 times better than before.

We are so in love with our new deck that we decided to make it the back drop for the Mother's Day photo this year.

I am so happy with the wide steps and size of the landing- exactly what I wanted! I think Paul would sleep on it, if only it would stop raining!!!

Last weekend downs and ups

2011-05-01T14:54:00.010-06:00

A week ago, on Friday evening Abby was out riding her bike. She does this A LOT. She has taken to pedaling as fast as she can in order to get the most rush and feeling of flying as she possibly can. Well, that night she lost some of the control she had previously taken for granted. You see Abby has NEVER fallen off her bike. I mean NEVER, not even when she was "learning" to ride. She just climbed onto her bike and started peddling and that was that, off she went. So, as she was flying down the street in front of our house and her wheel began to wiggle and then her handle bars jarred suddenly to the left, she didn't know what to do. And while she was flying- arms outstretch in front of her up over the handle bars- supermaning through the air- she didn't know what to do! Her chin and hip bone took the fall and she skidded down her collar bones and arms, rolling three times to a stop. She was in total and complete shock- what- just- happened! I ran to her side only to discover the damage and her chin ripped open- poor girl, she just didn't know about the tuck and roll maneuver to save her face!!! Paul scooped her up and drove her to our Brother in Law to see if he needed to stitch her up. It was decided that they would just glue her chin shut and steri strip it tight. For the rest of her body- bandages- and lots of them!!
Crazy me, in all the panic, didn't take a single picture, but the next day at the Easter egg hunt she looked like this:
I have to share this story, not because it is unique or really out of the ordinary- everyone does this on their bike, but because the very next morning we had our initial running race ushering in the race season for the two of us! I was kind of sad, I didn't think she would want to compete in the race, all beat up and sore with bandages everywhere. I told her it was up to her, she could make the decision. I would most likely have bowed out and rested instead. She, without hesitation, declared that she was going to run that race! How could I even have thought for a minute that she wouldn't!!

So bright and early Saturday morning we made our way to my sister's school (she is in charge of this school fund raising event each year) for me to run my first 5k of the season and Abby was going to run the 1 mile, a step up for her- the previous races had been 1/2 mile runs.

It was FREEZING cold, but she lined up at the starting line with Grandpa right beside her to pace her around the loop. She was off to a quick start and wouldn't you know it- she came in at 4th place overall and 1st place overall girl!!!! We were all so excited!!! Such determination- that girl is fast!!!

I on the other hand I had a good run, it felt great, it wasn't my personal best, but I did come in at 6th place, so that feels good!!

This is a classic shot- my Dad trying to beat my 13 year old nephew into the finish line- Kobe beat him by a couple of seconds!! Both took first place in their division.

The champions- and the mom!!

Bring on the next race in three weeks!!!

Adventures-in all forms

2011-04-22T08:00:00.007-06:00

Wow, life right? Man, time just keeps on going and we just keep on doing. Let me explain:

Last week was Spring Break, what does that mean for us? Paul was still working and we blew our travel funds on a little trip a month ago- so we did our best with a week free from school and really nothing to do. I asked the girls what they wanted to do and the first thing out of their mouth was "Sleep over at Grandma Davis'!" Lucky for us, she loves them to pieces and graciously hosted us for a couple of days with almost zero notice. Take-out, movies, shopping and Grandma's (and Grandpa's) hugs and kisses combined with the Dragon Fly room and we all had a wonderful time! Sadly, I didn't take a single photo, boo-hoo, but the pictures thrive vividly in our minds- thanks Grandma!!

After that I decided to be very brave and take them all to the Hogle Zoo. I have to admit that I have never taken them to this zoo EVER! The last time I was there I think it was 2nd grade with my elementary school class. The girls have always loved the Santa Barbra Zoo we frequent in California with our cousins, so I thought this would be fun. We went on Friday and the weather was perfect and the animals entertaining. We rode the carousel, took a train ride, had HUGE ice cream cones and picked a $5 souvenir from the gift shop- it was a great day and I was so impressed with how well behaved the girls were. Abby and Eva loved the monkeys the most- Liv, her list grew and grew from one habitat to the next!

Saturday my sister and I went on a bike ride- to log some hours in the saddle before our race next month. Honestly, we were only going to do 15, maybe 18 miles at a slow pace and just visit and talk the whole time- as sisters do! However, her husband wanted to join us and really when cycling the more the merrier, plus he can do most of the lead pulling- bonus. Steve had other plans- he went faster and longer than planned- 30 miles! It was fun, but I was tired!!

I got home later than planned only to find this in my back yard:

Paul decided that Saturday was the day to tear out the shrubs, rip off the old crumbling deck and remove the beat up sliding door in lue of new ones. I realize that to most people this scene of complete destruction would cause panic, but I am used to this! I always have piece of mind knowing that whatever he itches to take apart he always replaces with something 100 times better!!

So, this week we have both been working hard and I will post up the transformation soon.

Today I am asking myself if living in a constant state of renovation is a good thing? I guess around here we would have to say yes!!!

Blending no more

2011-04-07T14:46:00.009-06:00

My bar stools are plain. They blend into the landscape. They leave much to be desired as far as style and pop. They are hard workers, serve their purpose well, and were dirt cheap when we moved in nearly four years ago. Clearly they deserve better. I had always planned to paint them, spruce them up a bit and give them the identity we both longed for.

Many MANY months ago I came across a really cute and fun bar stool treatment over on the Crafting Chicks site. I went and bought all the stuff- then, well, time got away from me and the weather went the way of winter. Supplies were tucked away and filed under: "when life is better" in my brain.

Well, last week (when the weather was beautiful, unlike today) I decided life WAS better and I would take advantage of it! Out came the gloves, paint, scissors, fabric and Mod Podge.
We went from this:
To this:I love them! They no longer blend into the background and project their identity crisis all over the place!

Naturally I couldn't stop there so I went ahead and made a matching curtain for the window.
The old plain and sad one:
The new bright and cheerful one!
Then I changed out all the mats and swapped all the red decor for black, light green and yellow ones.

Love is not an adequate word to express how I feel about the new kitchen! It was a simple, low cost face lift- a wonderful way to usher in the new season!!

Getting it together

2011-03-28T16:13:00.004-06:00

Ok, so we all know that checking out for a vacation ALWAYS makes me lazy in getting back into the groove. Then I went and blogged every day for 6 days- I have never done that before in the history of this blog. Basically, I wore myself out! Today I feel as though I should be saying something pertinent or interesting to woo my readers back into my lap, but alas, I am bone dry of things to say. Funny how that is right. I have been busy, really busy, uncharacteristically busy (soccer three days a week, dance lessons, piano, choral group practices and performances, classroom volunteering and parties, homework, church calling etc.) but it all just seems to be flowing from one day into the next without end. We have had to start discussing on Sunday the upcoming events of the week in order to prepare the adults and children alike. I have found that this act has single handily prevented many meltdowns that we were having on a daily basis when the kids felt as though I was springing activities on them without warning (I don't know how they can't remember from one day to the next that yes you did sign up for this, remember!) Two weeks ago I was about to pull the plug- what had we gotten ourselves into. I have always been a firm believer in not over scheduling. I am a free spirit, I like to roam in my own time and place. But as I laid out all the activities it turned out that we had one month, March, when everything was going to over lap. After that it was going to calm down a bit as they begin to end one by one over the next month or so. I concluded that all the activities were good, worthwhile and would be missed if withdrawn- we would continue as planned and enjoy the ride!
Today was wonderfully stormy- a blessing to me because the soccer game has been cancelled and now I will get myself away from this computer and clean my seriously neglected bathrooms! Blessed be the sleety rain beating itself against my windows!

P.S. A big CONGRATULATIONS to my brother Trace and his wife Amber! They had their darling little girl last Friday!!

Macie Mae

Welcome to the family little one!!
We can hardly wait to meet you!

Maui- Going Home

2011-03-12T17:57:00.006-07:00

Saturday March 5th- Saying Goodbye

After the rainy day on Friday I was a little bit disappointed to be leaving the next day without one more day on the beach, soaking up the sun. However, when we awoke the next morning to more rain I was ok with checking out and flying back home to our girls. It helped to keep the tears to a minimum! Our flight was suppose to depart at 1:20pm so we only had enough time in the morning to have a breakfast down at the hotel beach spot, pack and make the drive over to the Jeep return and airport.

As we were waiting for our flight to leave (it was delayed an hour and a half) I remembered that on the flight over a week ago they had played a game- The Half way to Maui contest. The pilot instructed everyone about the local Maui time, distance we would travel, head winds and tail winds etc. They passed out papers and had everyone make a guess at what time -to the seconds- that we would be exactly half way to the island. Naturally Paul was very logical with his approach- pulling out a pencil and paper, figuring an equation and calculating his estimate- to the second. He turned it in and waited. After the plane landed and we were taxiing to the ramp they announced the winner over the intercom- it was Paul!! He was only off by 7 seconds!! I was so proud of him- the smartest person on that huge plane!! He was pretty elated to find out that he had won a CD- "Peace, Love , Ukulele" by Jake Shimabukuro. We had no idea who he was, but Paul was eager to receive his award!! Pretty cool right?

As a final tribute to our trip I thought I would share some of my favorite flowers that we encountered during our adventures. The colors that made me stop and document their beauty. I enjoy each and every one of these bright and delicate petals:

When we finally boarded the plane, with no further delays, it took off as rain continued to streak across my window. Goodbye Maui, we will miss you!
The rain again followed us home. Except this time it was welcome as we rode the storm all the way to San Francisco shaving 1 1/2 hours off our flight time giving us 15 minutes to catch our connection into Salt Lake instead of missing it. In fact, that next flight was so fast we landed 30 minutes ahead of schedule- it did feel good to be home- even if it was FREEZING and snowing.

This was such a fantastic trip- we had an incredible time. I have so many happy memories there. I will always look back fondly on our time spent in this enchanting paradise. Thanks for joining me on a look back to document everything before it begins to fade away.

Aloha and Mahalo!!

Maui- Day Six

2011-03-11T15:07:00.012-07:00

Let's continue on our journey (ignoring the fact that we are SO glad our vacation was last week and not THIS week- holly molly earth quake in Japan and Tsunami sweeping through the Pacific- yowsas!!). Also, for your enjoyment I have added Paul's favorite song from the island radio- give a listen and thank me later!!

Now on with the good stuff:

Friday March 4th- Haleakala Volcano/Crater

We awoke to rain, and lots of it, with wind, and lots of it. We had been scheduled to embark on an extreme ocean rafting whale watching expedition. They were telling us "up close and personal interactions". Paul was SO SO excited about this one. We headed to the Harbor despite the fowl weather only to be informed that all water excursions that day had being canceled- the winds were just to strong. Disappointed, our heads hanging low, Charlie Brown music playing in the background, we walked our sorry little selves back to the car (so long $8 parking for nuthin'). As we started driving back to our hotel I remembered that we still had our National Park ticket from the day before- it was good through Saturday- and they had told us it worked for the Haleakala park as well. Inspiration comes in all aspects of our lives- the day was saved! Remember how I told you that the island is divided down the middle- one side is a lush wet jungle receiving the third most rain in the world, while the other is a desert, only raining two or three times a year- well this little fact made for a pretty wonderful day!

As we approached that side of the island the rains cleared, in fact we could see blue skies! We began our climb up the mountain. Haleakala is over 10,000 Ft. tall (Mt. Timpanogas is just over 11,000 Ft). This drive is so impressive because you zig zag the entire distance from sea level to the peak in about 30 or so minutes. The vegetation changes before your eyes and the temperature begins to drop quickly.
We stopped at a lookout on the way up that had beautiful views from right inside the cloud line.
By the time we reached the visitors center we could see the storm sweeping up the north side of the mountain and dispersing over to the other- it was moving in so quickly! We decided to drive past the visitors center and go straight to the summit- HOLY COW!! The fog was so thick we could hardly see. It was a thick mist, we got wet just sanding in it for a few seconds. We could hardly open the Jeep doors because of the strong winds and then made a mad dash up to the observation shelter that would block the winds and let us catch our breath! I couldn't believe how strong the winds were- while Paul took these pictures I really thought I was going to blow right off the edge and plummet into the depths of that volcano!Still this pictures totally crack me up I could barely hold on!!!
These are space and weather observation buildings with huge telescopes- would have been amazing to see if they would let us in!
Because of the fog we couldn't see anything so we drove back to the visitor center. Here is a map of Maui and the volcano (Our condo was located on the Dark Brown side just north of Lahaina) The last time this volcano erupted was in 1790.

When we walked in we told the guy behind the counter that we couldn't see anything out there and he looked up and said "give it a minute- weather moves pretty fast up here". Sure enough not two minutes later the view opened up before us and it was awesome: (All the little volcano looking mounds are the lava tubes that release the lava flow)
We left and drove our way back down (one of the activities that you can do here is watching the sunrise up at the summit and then biking the switchback road back down to the bottom. It wasn't in the cards for us this trip- but I think that would have been a kick to do.) and the storm decided to follow us. Wouldn't you know our luck- it was raining on the driest side of the mountain- absolutely pouring dropping inches of water in seconds. What are the odds that this would happen on the weekend we were there?!

Lucky for us our night plans were indoors. We booked a dinner/show combo to see the play 'Ulalena - A story of Hawaii's People, and then dinner at Chris Steak House on Front street. We found this to be a really nice way to close out the vacation. The show was so wonderful. I would call it Cirque du Soleil meets Lion King. It was a fanciful, musical depiction of Hawaii's history. My favorite part had to be when Pele (Volcano/Fire Goddess) erupted and the red lava spread out of her across the stage and up over the heads of the audience. I also loved when the players became the ocean sea life moving thought the audience. The music was fantastic!

Next we made our way through the rain and puddle filled streets to the Steak House right on the ocean and enjoyed a luxurious meal- cooked to perfection. I believe at one point Paul declared that this was the best steak he had EVER eaten- now that is a good meal!

So, the day started out with gloom but ended with both of us smiling. There is something to be said about just going with the tide and seeing where it takes you. Really, I would have been sad to say we came and never even saw the volcano, so it worked out for the best.

Tomorrow- sadly we say goodbye to paradise.

Maui- Day Five- Happy Birthday Paul!

2011-03-10T13:14:00.025-07:00

Thursday March 3rd- Road to Hana

"fulfillment lies in the journey, not the destination"

(Warning: This post is epic in size!)

Before we left on vacation- everyone said that we must, MUST drive the road to a small town call Hana on the north side of the island. Today was Paul's 35th birthday, today was the day for some adventure, fun and excitement. Today we would drive and discover the road to Hana! This proved to be my very favorite day of our vacation- THIS is the Maui experience. A narrow road with more one lane bridges, built decades ago, than I could count and crazy amount of curves, some say 600 turns. We found it not all that scary-this is why you drive a jeep here. It was like driving any canyon road back at home, but lush, green, dripping with water and laden in mist- exotic and mesmerizing.

The night before we asked our waiter Rob any advice on our journey. He said to leave no later than 8:00am, get a copy of the book "Maui Reveled" and follow it! So, that is exactly what we did and it was perfection!! This post is going to be long because of all the stunning shots we were able to get on our drive- I must share the highlights with you as I give you a mini tour of the North side. All of my excerpts and directions come from that book- if you ever go to Maui you must have this book in your possession.

Per the books instruction we skipped the first few turn off because the author said if you are on a one day drive to blow past them to better ones further up. So our first stop was to see a hidden fall that you can't see from the road "At 8/10 mile past the 10 mile marker on the ocean side is a turnout with a telephone pole and barbed wire fence. Hop over the fence and take the small path for a couple of minutes and you will be treated with a view of a large waterfall- Lower Puohokamao Falls.
That was an example of what we did the entire day- it was fun to feel like we were the only ones out discovering hidden treasures, we didn't see any people, except at the well known spots. Here are some of our other highlights of the day:

Upper Puohokamoa Falls: found down a short path Honomanu Bay and the zig-zagging Hana HighwayChing's Pond: just past the 17 mile marker is a bridge and pullout, park walk back looking for a brake in the railing for a path that leads down to a marvelous pool that most drivers never see. This was Paul's favorite spot of the day- it was perfect for diving!Halfway to Hana food stand: We were told it was a must to get the famous banana bread- so we did.- it was worth the stop.

Waikani Falls: At the 18 mile marker turn down the very straight road into the settlement of Wailua. Keep your eyes to the right to see the enormous falls dropping 1,000 feet under the highway. I don't think the locals wanted us there, but it WAS a beautiful little secret they had!

Three Bears Falls as seen from the bridge:In case you were wondering, yes you CAN get to the falls themselves- climb down the bridge on the far side- it's just the first step that is ugly!Look what you miss from the road!

Hanawi Falls:Makaip Falls: Pull over past the bridge at the 25 mile marker, walk out on the bride and look straight down. You are directly above the spot where the falls start and plunge unfettered into the pool below. This was much taller than it looks here, very impressive!Between Nahiku and Hana: Lots of little honor system fruit stands start to appear- I really liked this ones presentation:

Blue Pool: We were so excited to see this "Real Gem" in the book- we drove down the little road like they said, got out and hiked down the path (with mosquito's mind you) only to find this sign and a state barricade. Bummer! But we did see this sweet little tiered falls on the way.
Wai'anapanapa Black Sand Beach: Formed when lava flowed and fountained into the sea, shattering on contact with the ocean. Fragments smashed against each other forming the sand you see. Really beautiful! It had lots of Lava Caves lining the coast that we explored.Hana: We were so excited to keep seeing all the other cool spots that we drove right on through town without taking any pictures! The town itself is very small and quaint and peaceful- but we were on a quest and the day was slipping away.

Hana has three very diffent beaches:
Red Sand Beach

Koki Beach: a mixture of red and black and white sand with coconut tree topped 'Alua Island right off shore.Hamoa Beach: gorgeous white sand beach with beautiful waves and do you see the livestock grazing right on the shoreline? - my favorite beach of the day, so picturesque.

7 Sacred Pools: this is a state park with a $10 admittance- EVERYONE says this is worth it, so we went on in- it was fantastic!We swam to the falls, walked behind them and scaled the rock walls to the next pool right to the top- This was such FUN!!What? It's the water shoes that really complete this shot!!

The last store before the road turns to dirt and civilization ends. There were a surprising number of goats chained to rocks though.

We decided that we were having such a blast jeeping around all day together that we would just continue the drive right on around the Volcano completing the loop- I am SO glad that we did. This untouched side of the island had sweeping vistas and magnificent views and landscapes stretching out before us as the light began to fade and the sun began to rest on the horizon. The radio was tuned to the Sounds of Maui station and we were mesmerized by these volcanic fields occupied only by the cattle grazing on the cliffs and walking down the dirt road we were lazily traveling.
We arrived home in the dark, the sun was gone, the town lights were glowing and we were exhausted- but totally satisfied- The Road to Hana IS Maui- so divers, yet so harmonious.
And now you too have traveled it's winding paths!

Tomorrow- We hit the Summit of the Haleakala Volcano!

Maui- Day Four

2011-03-09T13:56:00.010-07:00

For your listening enjoyment I have uploaded my favorite song from the island- it is at this very moment whisking me away to my happy memories of sand and surf...

Wednesday March 2- Atlantis IV Submarine

We had an 8:00am loading call at the Lahaina Harbor. Because we are not scuba certified, nor have we ever done a scuba before, we thought this would be a fun way to see the bottom of the reef- and it proved to be just that. Plus going under the water in a real submarine is just plain cool! We ferried out on the Holokia and found the Sub parked out in the bay with our captain ready to deploy to the deep. After climbing down the hatch we dove all the way to the bottom of the reef (130 ft) making a journey past TONS of different fish,
White Tip Shark,
Spotted Sting Ray
Then we came to a sunken ship- this looked very cool and we learned that old sunken ships in the bay promote fish life, just as a coral reef does.

It was a two hour trip and full of fun. I have decided that we should get scuba certified next time we go to an island because being on the bottom is really the best way to see all the cool stuff.

Oh and on our way back into the harbor we saw this boat- I think it has one of the best name ever!

We spent our afternoon on Front street. I really wish I had taken a picture of this, jammed packed with shops lining both sides of the road, lots of fun places to eat and they have the worlds larges Banyan Tree- It takes up an entire block because it just keeps re-rooting itself.

That night we had a reservation with the Pacific Whale Foundation to set sail on a Sunset Dinner Cruise. This was a lovely and fun evening. We were upgraded to premium seating by are agent which put us on the top deck right in the front- it was awesome with striking views! It made us feel as though we were being enveloped by a painting.We were seated next to a completely fun couple (Bill and Anna) from New York City who were on their Honeymoon- we had a lot of laughs and great conversation. Our waiter was Rob- he was more than happy to stop and talk with us about what to do on the island as well as letting Paul pick his brain about the whales- which were surfacing all around our boat. They had live music roaming the deck singing blissful island tunes- perfectly setting the mood. The sun went down and we returned to the glittering lights of the shoreline reflecting on the water. We were over the moon with this experience- LOVED our Sunset Cruise.

Tomorrow- We survive the Road to Hana!

Maui- Day Three

2011-03-08T12:35:00.009-07:00

This morning, I dove into the pool at the rec center to resume my regular lapping routine. The water was chilly, but as my arms began to slice through the water I set my thoughts on propelling myself back to the salt laden ripples of the Maui cost. I tried to pretend that the blue tiles on the floor were merely electric blue fish I had encountered the week before. After showering I smoothed on some of the coconut lotion I had purchased and my mind had almost convinced myself that I was in fact still in a tropical environment, until I walked out the door into the frigid air and inches of snow- blast that reality!!!

Tuesday March 1st- Snorkeling with the Pacific Whale FoundationWe awoke bright and early this morning, not by choice, but because of our 6:00am boarding call on our snorkeling adventure out of Ma'alaea Harbor 15 minutes south. We were booked with the fantastic crew from the non profit Pacific Whale Foundation on a two site stop of Molokini Crater and Turtle Town. We set out over the water just as the sun was cresting over the mountains and it was sensational! The waters were expected to get a little rough and choppy later that morning so we were pleased with the early start and the waters held to perfection- we were the only snorkel boat there.

Right now in Maui it is Whale Season. The humpback Whales have migrated from Alaska down to the waters here, between Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i to mate and birth their calves. It was literally "Whale Soup" and you can't drive a boat in a straight line to get anywhere because of all the whales surfacing and playing around you. Fascinating and exciting to say the least. While on route we had to stop because a Competition Pod consisting of 12 whales was crossing our path.
This is one female with 11 other males competing to be "the one". She plays it cool while male hormones fight it out behind her, pushing, shoving, tying to drown each other and coming up and spouting air constantly. Truly a sight to behold. It was great to have the crew of certified Marine Biologist narrating the whole event for us- totally excited about what they were seeing!!!

After all that stimulation we were able to make our way to Molokini- 10 miles off shore, a semi-circular crater reef that is a marine and bird sanctuary. You are not allowed on the island, but the waters are crystal clear and the coral is amazing! I would like to post up the pictures from our underwater camera, but I couldn't get a 1 hour develop to CD done, so I will have to post edit this when I get them back- that is if any of them turn out! I will admit that while there were lots of cool beautiful fish, it was not as many as everyone had told us there would be, but it was beautiful and really fun to be there and enjoying the waters with Paul hand in hand.Next we loaded up and made our way to Turtle Town- this is what Paul and I were excited about. Here was a reef where the Hawaii Sea Turtles come for a cleaning from other fish. This was Awesome! We saw lots of turtles- in fact they were swimming right with us, one was even following us around! Because the turtles are protected it is a $150 fine if you touch one. Our snorkel guide kept telling us to get back, but they just kept following me!!! It was a total kick to see those turtles lying around with little tiny fish swarming them nipping the dirt away. I really hope those pictures develop well because these should be good shots.

When we were all back on the boat the crew fired up the BBQ and we all had a tasty lunch as we passed more whales on our way back to the harbor. It was a 5 hour trip and we loved every moment.

That night was an unscheduled free dinner night for us. After a little research we found the Aloha Mixed Plate. We had hoped to get the iconic "Plate Lunch" while we were here. I ordered the BBQ Teriyaki chicken, rice and potato/mac salad plate while Paul picked the pulled pork. Now, this evening turned out so great because we didn't even know until we arrived that this place was right next door to the Grand Lahaina Luau (the most expensive and renowned on the West side) and they were the ones that catered it. What this means is- We were seated out on the deck right next to the ocean, the Luau music was playing, we were enjoying the exact same food AND the sun was setting in a spectacular fashion right next to us- and it only cost us $25 and that was with a Pina Colada!! It was a total moment when we looked at each other and said

" This IS paradise"!

Tomorrow- we scavenge the deep in the Atlantis IV Submarine, don't miss it!

Aloha! Mainlanders

2011-03-07T15:47:00.012-07:00

We have made it home from our very fun, very sunny, very relaxing Anniversary trip to the beautiful island of Maui! Paul and I have both never been, and it did not disappoint! I hope I haven't lost all my readers in my absence, but this week will make up for it. As with all trips we came home more tired then when we left, with more laundry to do- but this time it truly was worth it!!

Before I can even begin to attempt a recap I must take a moment and thank my Sister in Law Amber for watching the girls! She is SO SO wonderful (I know you all wish you had an Amber too!) and my gratitude overfloweth for her (and for Trace letting her go for a week!). It made the trip so much better to know that all was well at home and the girls were being loved and cared for!!

Now, I have so many stories, adventures and of course pictures to share- but in order to not overload the system (and keep you coming back for more!) I have decided to post each day about what we were doing one week ago on the island.

Lets begin!

Sunday Feb. 27th- Not a very exciting day- we were traveling, starting at 4:00am until what would have been 3:00pm our time. Hawaii is 3 hours behind us so we landed at 12:00 noon. We were promptly greeted by wild chickens and Palm trees! By the time we had our rental car, checked into the condo and looked around:
Out front of our condo View from our roomWater fall and Coy pond in the garden below Our beach
Paul was so exhausted from the traveling (and the fact that he didn't sleep the night before) that he fell asleep! I spent the evening out on the deck lounging in a chaise, sipping a soda, and reading a magazine all while watching the magnificent sunset illuminate the sky. Sorry for all of you that I didn't take any photos of the lovely scene being that I was enjoying the relaxing too much!

Monday Feb. 28- We woke up early (remember the time difference) went to the store and stocked up on Breakfast and Lunch items. The plan was to eat breakfast at home, pack picnic lunches and spend our money on dinners- it worked out smashingly! Then we went to our island experts and booked all the activities that we had been dreaming of doing for months. They were great and soon our whole week was booked up with fun things.

That afternoon we drove up the coast to the beautiful Napili Bay. We laid out our mats and enjoyed the sound of the waves breaking on shore- it was truly divine and it was the first moment that it really set in where we were- I LOVE the beach!
That night we attended a Luau at the Hyatt- Drums of the Pacific
This was fun! They pulled the pig out of the ground during a big spectacle and paraded it though the crowd. The Food was outstanding!I mean really- smoked pulled port with pineapple salsa and ripe mangoes with fresh lime- delicious!!
They sampled dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga and ended with the always impressive Samoan Fire Dance!

Tuesday- we are snorkeling- come on back!!!

Another Candle on the Birthday Cake

2011-02-23T10:34:00.005-07:00

Six. Really, can you even fathom the idea? I can not. She is growing up so fast, and I am enjoying it completely. Liv is my kindred spirit. We all know that each and every child has a different personality. While we love them all immensely for all their different reasons, some of them are just more like you than others. Liv and I GET each other. I understand her thought process, I understand her idiosyncrasies, I know how she is going to react to every situation placed before her before she does. Even though these characteristics can be frustrating at times- because I KNOW when she is just pushing my buttons- I LOVE her to the moon!

Six

When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now forever and ever.

-- A.A. Milne, 1927

Happy Birthday Olivia!!!

The Day of Love

2011-02-14T09:07:00.005-07:00

While this house is split on the love of this day (every year it is discussed with the same results- some see it as forced, others think it is nice) I myself enjoy it and want to wish you all the most love your heart can hold until it brims and begins to spill over! Let those around you know they are loved and enjoy everything you get in return!

This is how all my girls looked as they left for school with packs full of Valentine's, boxes crafted with meticulous care and eyes eager and brightly shining to make all their friends smile with delight.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

A Decade

2011-02-03T08:21:00.004-07:00

You think I'm pretty
Without any make-up on
You think I'm funny
When I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me
So I'll let my walls come down

Before you met me
I was a wreck
But things were kinda heavy
You brought me to life
Now every February
You'll be my valentine, valentine

You make me
Feel like
I'm living a Teenage Dream
The way you turn me on
I can't sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

My heart stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This is real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back

-Katy Perry, Teenage Dream

10 years and my heart still beats for him like the first day we met.

For our 5 year we went on a Cruise in the Caribbean. This year we decided to visit another place we have never been:

Maui, Hawaii

I can't wait to feel the sand in my toes and the sun on my freezing cold skin!!
Because we realize that we are about the only people around who have never been to the island, let us know what we must plan to see and do while we are there, all advice would be welcome!!!

Lessons

2011-01-31T16:35:00.004-07:00

This last weekend we all learned a lot together as a family- but let me back track just a bit.

Last October Abby came home from school with a goldfish. She had bought it from the 2nd grade "Trading Post" with her "Bug Bucks" (i.e. Being Unusually Good Bucks) she had earned during that month. Lucky for her we still had our old bowl from the previous venture into the world of fish, so this new fish had an instant home and immediately fell deep into that child's large heart. He was a traditional orange goldfish and was aptly named Pumpkin- it was almost Halloween so it seemed fitting. This fish became the pride and joy of the family- she fed it, all the girls watched over it with protective eyes and the duty of cleaning the bowl landed in my lap. Call me lazy if you must, but I don't really care for this task. Every time I had to clean that bowl terror spread through my bones as I was rocketed back to last spring when all three of the girls fish went belly up after my cleaning! I didn't want to do that to her again!! Alas, the days went by, the weeks swept past and turned into months until January reared it's dull and dreary head. I started to notice that sweet Pumpkin seemed to be slowing down, not moving as much and I swear at times he was swimming crooked. I tried to prep her with the possibility that he was getting old but Abby would hear nothing of the sort.

Then one afternoon two weeks ago she appeared from school with another fish- this one was named Ponyo (after the Disney movie they had just watched) and we added him to the bowl. I decided that with two fish that darn bowl was going to need a more frequent cleaning and I dreaded the thought- so we went out and brought home a filter tank- that would sustain itself for a much broader period of time, thus alleviating my work load! Naturally, with the added space this was providing, Eva and Liv each picked out a fish as well and a sucker fish was placed in to keep the algae at bay.

All this time poor pumpkin was looking worse and worse- his tail was falling off and we started to notice that his color wasn't looking so well- after research we concluded that he had fin rot which would spread to the others. It was time to have a deep hearted discussion with Abby- the time had come to say goodbye to an old and trusted friend.

This time the pain ran deep. Her poor heart was broken- he had been with her so long. In her infantile memory it had been a lifetime, she couldn't remember a time without him. She was distraught to say the least but understood that he had to go or he would make all the other fish sick as well. She put on a brave face as Paul did the deed of pulling the handle and she didn't watch as he swirled away into the abyss. Hand over her eyes she ran off in tears. I found her in the back corner of her closet with the door shut sobbing. I gently opened the door and lifted her out, placed her in my lap and we rocked together for a long time- no words, just understanding of hearts- hers was shattered and mine broke for her. The silence soon gave way to a loving discussion of life's plan, our purpose, and death. Each life on this earth was given by our Heavenly Father, we were all sent here with a purpose to fulfill, and death is not the end, it is the beginning of the next step, the next level of our existence. While we are sad to say goodbye, we are happy knowing that they are moving on, returning to our Father in heaven and the loved ones waiting to meet them with open arms, and we will see them again. Abby decided that Pumpkins life purpose was for her to learn how to love and care for something- I decided that he was here to teach her a life lesson about letting go and trusting in the lord.

Today we went out and purchased a new fish for her (with Louisa of course)- Star. Shining bright in the memory of a loved one. Oh, and she wouldn't leave with out a Snail too- I guess we are fish people now- who knew right?

This post dedicated
in Loving Memory
to

Pumpkin

October 15 2010- January 30th 2011

N is for...

2011-01-24T16:32:00.005-07:00

Let me give you a slice of my everyday life for a moment. Each and every day- multiple times a day- hundreds of times a day- from the moment she opens her eyes in the morning until the second she shuts her lids in the evening- Eva will ask me if she can be my puppy. She LOVES to pretend being a puppy, but not just any puppy- MY puppy. Sometimes she will ask Paul if she can be his puppy, but mostly I have the duty of being her owner, caretaker and companion. At times it comes in handy because MY puppies must be obedient at ALL times, they go to bed when they are told, brush their teeth when asked and most importantly they eat the food given to them at meal times- without arguing or crying. That, as everyone knows, is NOT proper puppy behavior!!! I am happy that her puppy pretend has not ventured into the realm of needing to take off her clothes. It hasn't yet occurred to her innocent mind that animals don't wear clothes like little girls and for that I am truly happy.

So you can see why today, after picking her up from preschool, and starting in on her lunch I was not surprised to hear the familiar request lofting up from behind me "Mommy, can I be your puppy?" I turned around to give my usual response of "Yes Eva, you can be my puppy" when I was greeted with this:

How could we possibly have lived this long without "N" week at preschool?! Really, "Noses" have enlivened our lives and broadened our imaginative horizons!!!

She must have been asking Mrs. Sherrie if she could be her puppy too!

Satisfying

2011-01-17T15:12:00.005-07:00

This weekend we had no plans, no work and nowhere to be. In an effort to keep ourselves from going insane, Paul and I decided to pull out our home projects wish list - dust it off and pick two things that we could accomplish in one day. It was determined that we would divide and conquer two items on the list that have been there since the day we moved in. Not huge items, but small things - finishing touches, the icing, the gravy shall we say.

Project #1 by Paul's expert hands: Crown molding on our undressed kitchen cabinets. We have pretty basic cabinetry- it serves it's purpose and we have no complaints except to say that they look a little naked. (One day we will refinish them, but that is NOT a one day project my friends)

Ahhh- now that is better!Plus this gave me an excuse to clean all my dust traps I have on display up there, bonus item on the list done!

Project #2 by me (Bree, in case you were confused!): Painting the exterior lights.

Naturally I forgot to take the before picture- the excitement was just too strong to break for such things! I will just explain that they were, in a previous life, brass but had aged and rusted to the point that there really wasn't much of a finish to be had. I didn't even have to sand them. You have that picture in your mind- OK, now the new(ish) lights:
SOOO much better! A sleek satin black. Now my eyes can relax every time I pull into the driveway or when I have to answer the door. My cornia's are very pleased!

Not to bad for one day projects right?!! I will just continue to pat myself and Paul on the back for a job well done. In fact we took ourselves out to dinner that night just to celebrate our own sense of self satisfaction!! Way to go team Braul!!

The Dress

2011-01-10T15:55:00.007-07:00

Abby and I had a photo shoot on Sunday afternoon- what! -how else are we going to pass the hours when she has a new BEAUTIFUL white dress for her baptism, and a darling smile just begging to be preserved for generations to come! My friend Tina (who is a talented photographer herself) let me borrow one of her backdrops that went so perfectly with the dress. I find it so hard to take portraits this time of year with it being so grey, dreary, gloomy and freezing outside- so THANKS Tina! Not to mention that Lime Green just so happens to be Abby's new favorite color- PERFECTION!!

...and so I give you Abby- the pictures speak more than I can say- I just LOVE her!

Great to be Eight!

2010-12-31T20:09:00.004-07:00

My New Years Eve Baby has finally reached her 8th birthday!!! She didn't think it would ever come and she is excited to say the least. This is a monumental birthday and with it comes big responsibility. She has now reached the age of accountability and with that comes big choices. Her first choice she wished to make was to have her ears pierced. Now I am of the persuasion that when the girls ask to have them pierced then I would let them. Paul however is of different thinking, this being that they should wait until they are 12. So she set about persuading him that at the age of 8 she was old enough to take care of them and responsible enough to not lose every pair of ear rings she has- and she won the battle (being that she has him wrapped around her finger!) And so, amid the frigid temps, drifting snow and sheets of ice that were the roads, we made our way to the mall to begin her celebration. Now it must be told that while Paul did finally give his approval to the action he did then begin to fill her mind with horror stories and tales of blood shooting out her ears and passing out because of the excruciating pain that would envelop her (all to try and have her change her mind). Non of this swayed her but as we walked into the shop her nerves were jumping out of her skin!! I don't think I have ever seen her so excited and soooo nervous at the same time!! But she climbed up in that chair, clutched the teddy bear they gave her tight and went for it!!Oh, and these two- they looked on in complete amazement of her bravery!
They look great on her!! She didn't even cry, she was so brave! We followed up by having lunch in the food court and shopping for some new shoes. She declared it the best day ever! When we got home that evening she ran in and showed Paul and he declared "You really look like an 8 year old now"!! I don't think her grin could have been any wider!!

Happy Birthday Abby- good things really do come to those who wait!!

Pageantry and Tradition

2010-12-14T13:32:00.006-07:00

And the month begins. This week I feel very busy, lists have been made (I'm not even a listy kind of person), my calendar is marked up and we will see if I can make it through this week! My month of holiday festivities officially started last Thursday when we attended Olivia's theatrical debut in her Kindergarten Devotional.
Those lucky little ones get to do the Christmas themed one each year and Livvy was so excited. I was surprised at her confidence on stage, she is a pretty shy little girl, but she jumped right up and delivered her line clear and precise without any hesitation. She really wanted to be an Angel and play the musical instruments (like Abby did when she participated) but she was assigned the part of a stable girl who swept it out in preparation for the savior's arrival- they sang the song "A Stable Fit For a King". It was cute and she did a wonderful job!

Next we had the Ward Christmas Breakfast on Saturday- and we even made it in time to actually sit and have some food this year!!! High fives all around for that accomplishment!!

The girls had been preparing for their meeting with Santa all week. They wrote down their wish list and took it with them that morning. This was to help them discuss what they really wanted without anything being forgotten or lost in translation. That darling Santa had them place each list in his sack to take back to the north pole- he didn't want to make any mistakes on Christmas Eve!!
Up next? I get to help Abby's class build and decorate Gingerbread houses and then I will be at Liv's school helping with the Teddy Bear Hug Service Project they do every year to benefit a Homeless shelter in Ogden- I look forward to both!!

Honestly...

2010-12-07T15:34:00.004-07:00

These two can entertain us for hours!!!! (Abby and her friend Louisa)
One day I found them taping up their faces and they had us all laughing uncontrollably
Then the next day they are standing in the sun and giving all the friends a sparkly shirt reflection dance show (because they always seem to be wearing the same things, I don't know if the girls have the same taste in clothes or if it is their mothers!)

This picture really doesn't do it justice- the ENTIRE room- walls, ceiling, floor- was covered in sequin shimmers!! All were oohing and awing at the display for quite some time and the hip shake dance was the finishing touch.

I am sure they would come by invitation to your next party, but there will be a small fee of sugar and craft supplies- at least that is what they charge me for this one of a kind entertainment.

Christmas break should get very interesting...

From one to the next

2010-11-30T14:58:00.004-07:00

I can hardly believe how quickly Thanksgiving came and then was gone. This year we stayed home and attended my mother's family get-together, my Harris side that I haven't seen in a long long time. It was wonderful, relaxed and fun. There were around 60 people! However, I really didn't take any pictures- VERY unlike me! I did take this shot of sweet little Naomi that just makes me smile:So I can't show you, but understand that it was delightful. My mother and her three sisters- cut from the same cloth I tell you!!!

Now I have been busying myself with the Christmas decorations. I forget from year to year just how much work and just how time consuming it is! But putting on the Christmas music and watching the girls put the decorations on the trees is joyous and it really gets me into the spirit of the season.

Oh, did I mention that I went out the day after Thanksgiving (no, not at the crack of dawn, I am FAR to old for that craziness now) and shopped all the sales and I can say my gifts for the girls are done- now that is a jump for joy kind of feeling!

How far along are you on your Christmas to do list?

Make a Wish...

2010-11-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Today she is four. Today she makes me rethink my idea of two being the best age a kid can be. Three was a good one for her and I have no doubt that with her fourth year- Eva is going to rock it!

With this much attitude,
(MOM, that is SOOO not going to make me smile.)
this much silliness,

(Me: Would you like to hold your favorite hippo in a picture?
Eva: Sure mom. )

this much sweetness, and this much adorable, how could she not have the best fourth year imaginable.

Happy Birthday Eva!Four is going to be FABULOUS!

A taste of the finer things...

2010-11-10T09:09:00.007-07:00

After much persuasion, patience and yearning from the middle child- I signed Liv up for her first dance class. She is thrilled! It is just an introductory class, I need to see if she will actually enjoy it and want to stick with it before we spend any more. This class is studying the arts of Tap and Ballet. I have to admit that I never really did the whole dance scene as a child; therefore, I just haven't been very driven to indulge this side of the girls. Abby has been sporty since the day she was born and Liv wanted to give that a try as well. It was discovered that while she enjoyed herself she most definitely does not posses the same competitive drive and lost interest in soccer mid season. Now, we will give dance a try. Together we went and picked out her taps and slippers- really the cutest part of the whole situation! Once a week she dances, she twirls, she leaps, toe points and taps her way across the floor. She doesn't want to leave and literally counts down the days on her calendar until the next class- I think we just might have a dancer in the mix- and she is undeniably adorable!!

At 4:08 am

2010-11-03T15:17:00.007-06:00

on November 2, 1977, I entered this world.I was the fourth child- soon to be middle child of eight. I had an older sister and two older brothers and my mother made the notation in my baby album that she was overjoyed to finally have another girl after those crazy boys. Can you blame her, you know I was a delight and PERFECTLY behaved baby!!!
How smokin is my mother in this photo? I mean really, what a dashing couple those two make, not to mention the children they produce- darling- if I can be biased!!!! :)

As would be, I grew and blossomed over the years, nurtured in a loving home full of craziness and joy.

Here I am at age 4- the same age that my Eva is very soon to be. Happy as could be without a care in the world.
This is Kindergarten (Olivia's age)- the beginning of years and years of perms given at the start of each school year. I became instant friends with a girl named Amy Jorgensen and freighted over my first ever test- writing the alphabet perfectly with NO erasers- the horror!
Ahh, 2nd grade (Abby's age)- Mrs. Olsen was my teacher, I adored her. One of her ears was double pierced and I thought it was SO cool! Later that year I broke my front tooth while playing blinds man bluff with my brothers- and can you even believe my mother sent me to school with a butterfly clip poking off the top of my head? But I do wish I still had that sweet argyle sweater.
6th grade- I thought I was so mature as I turned 12, shaved my legs, started wearing makeup and strutted around in my first pair of nylons and real heals! I had the world in my hand and nobody could stop me!
After much growing, maturing and finding my path in life. After many great friendships formed, love had and love lost, I reach my senior year, 18. It will forever feel like it was yesterday. I can smell the smells, stand in the landscapes, taste the foods, hear the sounds of the time ringing in my ears- this was a fun year in my life and it is permanently etched on the walls of my memory.

(Never mind my lazy eye in this shot!)

Now I KNEW that I understood life and all that it could throw at me! I graduated, packed my bags and moved myself up to Logan, Utah to attend Utah State University and study to become a Dental Hygienist- I learned ever so much more about myself and what I truly wanted out of life.

It is hard to believe all that has taken place over the last 33 years- some memories are good, some are sad, some I would like to forget and some make life worth living. I have a blessed life- so much to make me happy, feel loved and I want to create the same experiences for my own children. My birthday wish for this year is to have my 33rd year be filled with more of the happy things and to look back at 33 and say "Now THAT was a great year!"

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:00:00.010-06:00

I can't believe how this holiday creeped up on me! I feel ashamed that I wasn't able to get it together in the true spirits that I usually do. We weren't able to do the Halloween countdown, I wasn't able to find a cleaver costume for myself, and we finally carved our pumpkins on Friday night. Liv's haunted house was my most ambitious to date and I am quite proud. As is Abby, who carved hers all by herself for the first time.

When Saturday arrived we were busy most of the day building in our family room, but I was determined to celebrate! So out came the costumes and the girls were all dolled up and very pleased with themselves.

Olivia has a love affair with her Jesse doll from Toy Story. When she saw this costume there was no discussion- she would have it for her own.

(Never mind the Lady bug perched on her finger)

I think she makes a pretty darling little red head!!
Eva declared, yet again, several weeks ago that she was going to be a bat, a spooky bat. So I said, at least you can be a cute little "girly" spooky bat that hangs about the graveyard.
It is really too bad that PG doesn't have an older, more ominous cemetery to accompany THIS kind of attitude!!

Abby, after all the butterfly hunting action this summer, was excited to become her most favorite variety- the majestic Monarch. We sprayed her hair a glittery orange to complete the look.

Cory, Jill and clan, made an appearance for the annual costume photos and then my Dad once again put on his mask and prepared to scare the neighborhood- delightful!!

Alas, it was raining, pouring buckets to be exact. However, we weren't going to let a little monsoon deter us from getting some treats, so with our giant sport umbrella in hand we made our way around the streets until Eva was threatening to pee her pants and Liv took a spill down some front steps when she was certain that death was upon her as a little "HotDog" came running out the door towards her!

Oh Halloween, how we love your adventures and simple childhood joy and the lasting memories you leave behind!!

Every Monday Evening

2010-10-19T13:13:00.005-06:00

for the last two and a half months we have been here, watching her.

#53 She LOVES it.

I think it is a perfect way to spend family night together.
We enjoy the fresh air, sport, competition and cheering her from the sidelines.
She is making friends, honing her skills and developing some toughness.

S-T
S-T-O
S-T-O-R-M
STORM!!!

She is completely enamored with her coaches (members of the current BYU Women's Soccer Team)- they definitely know everything she ever wanted to know and they are just SOOOO cool - so she tells me anyway. Paul is taking her to see them play later this week. Really, I don't think there could be more excitement dancing in her eyes!

Sometimes we find this:
Liv couldn't even think about holding him. Eva couldn't get her hands on him quick enough! She packed him all over the field, watching him slither around and giggling with unabashed joy.
That child has no fear, but the smell on her hands afterwords almost made me puke- we will not be having reptiles anywhere near me again!!

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam...

2010-10-07T14:15:00.006-06:00

Can you even stand it? FINALLY it is October- the month of my most beloved of holidays. Oh, I love me some Halloween and decorating for the holiday is almost- just almost- as fun as the dressing up and the candy corns!!

This year on my annual trip out shopping with my mother in law I found some great things and I decided to mix up the kitchen decor a little. I borrowed an idea to put leaves in my Chandelier from a friend I like to call Jerianne (I have been envious of that creativity for years now), added more spiders, a watchful glittery bat and finally-- the piece I am head over heals about- I placed my skeleton in my glass jar and I am IN LOVE with it!!!

Throw in a ghost and a black cat and don't forget the corns- oh I adore the corns!!
Have you been haunting up your decor? Are you ready for the holiday as well? If it weren't for the rain, cold and chill in the air- October just might have a fight with July as my favorite month of the year!!

Reconnecting

2010-09-29T16:35:00.008-06:00

Last Saturday I had the privilege to put a voice to the pictures and many stories I have heard over the last 10 years. What a pleasure it was!

Paul served his mission in Rome Italy. Let's just say it was not an easy mission, a lot of work with out a lot of success. However, it just so happened that in his very first week of being in the country he met a girl named Nilla, who upon seeing their sign board on the street stopped to talk with these two strange missionaries from America. A small act that changed her life and that of Paul's forever. He was undoubtedly green, he was still learning how to communicate, but she stuck with them, asking questions and feeling a change in her heart. Paul became very close with her and her family. Several transfers later he received a call that she was ready to be baptized and she wanted him to come back and perform the ordinance.

(No, she is not a giant- just standing on a chair to mock Paul's stature!)

Nilla will forever have a special place in Paul's heart, and I believe that Paul has a special place in hers as well.

What a delight it was to finally meet this inspiring woman, hear her side of the story and meet her husband and beautiful family of three boys and one darling little girl.
I know that Paul's whole being swelled with unabashed joy to find that she was doing so well, that she was happy, married to a great man, and still fully active in the church. It is always amazing to see how one choice, one decision can change the life of so many people. As we were leaving, her husband gave Paul a a hug and told him thanks- without him, his family wouldn't exist! It validated all the hard times his mission gave him- it made all of it worth doing! If not for this one and only reason, he was called to serve in the Rome Italy Mission in March of 1995- Nilla was waiting for him.

Thanks again Nilla for contacting us and wanting to meet. It was a joyous afternoon, please keep in touch!!

Let's just erase

2010-09-21T15:13:00.007-06:00

the last three or four weeks. That would be OK with all of you right? If I could, it would make these last very frustrating and stressful and exhausting and disappointing days just go away. But, as we all know, this life is all about choices, learning from those choices and if the outcome isn't what you envisioned or hoped for, then turn around and make them right. This is what we are doing around these parts. This house is in a full swing re-due. We call dibs on a First Day of School re-due involving my lovely and sweet Abby girl.

I am sure you are wondering what in the world has happened. Truthfully, it is very involved and very emotional on my part. Frankly, I would just like to shut that door and walk away from it without any further thought. But I can't. I must admit my mistake and purge all thoughts before that can be done. Honestly, there have been very few times in my life that I have been at a complete lose as to what I should do. A choice was needing to be made as to whether we would stay at the charter school or admit that we had not informed ourselves and made the best decision and walk away from it. So, Paul and I did what we should have done from the beginning, we got ourselves involved. I went into the school and observed multiple times, talk to the administration, and attended not one, but two parent meetings on what the school was doing as far as curriculum and in what manner it was being taught. Now, I do not want anyone to think that I am up on a soap box or trying to preach what schools should teach and how, but we finally, after much deliberation, tears and sleepless nights came to the unified conclusion that we and the school had different visions and so we have said our farewell. That doesn't mean the school isn't right for others, just not for us at this time.

I am a very opinionated person- you all know this. Sometimes it is good, most of the time I should just shut my mouth. If you came to me with this problem I would most likely go on and on about what I think you should do about it. But this time, this time it involved MY child, my daughter, my sweet tender innocent Abby and it broke my heart completely that I had made the wrong choice for her and now she was going to have to switch schools for the third time this year. What parent does that to a seven year old? But I couldn't let her stay and not progress in a manner that I know she can perform and exceed her potential. So we sat her down Saturday night and told her the situation. We made sure that she understood that her opinion mattered immensely. We did not want her to feel upset. Naturally she was as mature as could be, looked us in the eyes and said "it's OK, I can switch schools. It will be just fine." Oh, I love that girl so much!!!

So, yesterday we took her around the corner to the neighborhood school. They welcomed us in with open arms! She was assigned the very teacher all the neighbors had said we should ask for and as she walked into the assembly hall (they were kicking off safety week in a BIG way) she was greeted by shouts of joy, hugs and smiles from all the kids she knows in the ward and the neighborhood. My heart was calmed, she is going to be just fine!

This morning we completed our official First Day of School Take II. She dressed, we took pictures, and she met her friends on the corner. They then made the short walk over to the school and came home just as happy as could be. Yes, she is content to trade in riding the Bus in exchange for buying school lunch for the first time!

In the end, I am beginning to feel like I had to get here by these means so that I would fully understand and appreciate that this is where she is suppose to be this year. These are the people she is suppose to do it with, and this is the teacher she is suppose to learn from, in this way and in this setting. Why I have to always do things the hard way is beyond me, but I am thankful to have finally received some peace and assurance in this matter. Sometimes what we think is the path of least resistance just isn't. Sometimes we need to walk down the new road to have a more clear shot at our destination.

Now, can we just settle into a normal routine already!!!!

I am

2010-09-15T16:16:00.005-06:00

really tired right now. Stressed. Living on no sleep. I know that all of you are probably feeling this way- like I just can't give anymore of myself. I have been running on full speed for three weeks now. My schedule has completely changed, and to be entirely honest, I don't know if I like it!! 6:30am is just too stinking early for a 32 year old woman to awake in the morning. (Hey now, stop rolling your eyes at me because it IS!!) Especially when you want to stay up late with your husband and have some alone time and conversation and connection. The only problem is when the said husband has a head cold and despite all his desires to please me and make me happy, he snores- but then you have to throw into the mix some Eva and Liv having bad dreams all night. Not together mind you- at different times and throughout the night. Then smother it all with new school traumas and frustrations and you have my recipe for being beyond the breaking point.

And then, I go and download the pictures from my camera taken before the upheaval of my life. When time was simpler, children slept, spouses were well, and I only had to get up at 7:30am- and that was to exercise- my blessed hour of peace, myself without distraction.

Upon glancing over the photos I found these gems. These darling faces. Giggling. Having fun. Enjoying each other. Loving this life, each other, and me.

OK, I will get over myself- all of THIS is worth it.

Be still my heart!

2010-09-09T13:43:00.006-06:00

Imagine, if you will, me walking down the toy isles with Liv and Eva. They are trying to pick out birthday gifts for dear friends. We make the turn onto the "pink" isle- you know the one, the one that every girl lives for. It oozes with sparkles, frills, pretend, tininess and dreams. With all the innocence of youth it began, the wanting, dying over, wishing and loving from my girls for each and every item....until that gushing began to cascade out of me, because I had spotted IT!!!

I could hardly believe my eyes. It completely took my breath away and my heart lept right out of my chest!!! Could it be? Was it even possible? YES!!! There, looking back at me through the cellophane and cardboard- my long lost childhood friend and treasure- Peaches 'N Cream Barbie from 1985!!!
HOLY CRAP PEOPLE!!! Tell me you remember her, the commercials, the desires to have and own her!!! Do you even understand the relationship I had with this doll? I mean absolute devotion. I thought she was the most beautiful thing. Do you see that embossed vinyl top, how it shimmers? Have you noticed the peachyness of the flowing skirt? You didn't possibly overlook that exquisite shoulder boa, all ruffled to perfection. Be sure to look closely, because the piece that I adored the most, yes even more than her long stone fruit scented hair, was that killer diamond ring!! That very one the size of her entire hand- I protected that with my life!!!

I wanted her! I needed her!! Oh, my 8 year old self longed to comb her hair once more and posse her next to her handsome Ken in the dinning room of her pink barbie house where they could dine on blue plastic plates and listen to music from her tiny gray ghetto blaster while the corvette sat parked outside waiting to whisk them away on a fabulous adventure!

But alas, I am not a child, I don't have the miracle that is Santa Claus to override the ... wait for it... $40 Revisited Retro Barbie Line price tag. And so, she still sits on that shelf and I took a picture instead. Being an adult REALLY bites sometimes!!!