San Diego...

Tomorrow is my work trip to San Diego. We have 189 people coming this time that I am in charge of. Hopefully every thing goes well.

I am excited to go to a place that is a little warmer (although we can't really complain lately).

Tomorrow Steve & I are going to go to the San Diego Temple. I love the celestial room there. I am excited. My Mom & Dad are flying with us in the morning and then tomorrow afternoon around 5:00pm Jarred, Rachelle, Josh & Jelissa all will fly in. It should be fun having them there.

I will post some pictures when I get back.

Have a good weekend.

Couples Bonko...

I love it!

I love our friends, we have such a great fun set of friends in our Bonko group.

Our group has been together since Cameron was 8 months old (he is almost 8 years old now). There are eight of us in the group. Every couple of times we bring our husbands. This is my favorite, although I really love it with just the girls, I just love to see our husbands interact with each other.

Kelly & Zach Sharples
Natalie & Ben Dansie
Nicole & Jason Skowronek
Lisa & Callin Lindsay
Leigh Ann & Buck Taylor
Jenn & Eric Wells
Mindy & Brian Rose
Me & Steve

Those are the couples that we hang out with on a monthly basis. This last time two of our "regulars" couldn't come so we had "sub's" We had Jami & Dean Morrell and Nicole & Paul Shipley.

This time we had the party at our house. When we have "couples" we always go out to eat first and then back to the house to play. We went to Texas Roadhouse. It was super great. I had pulled pork. I saw a lot of steaks around me too... they looked yummy. We were pleasantly stuffed.

After dinner we came back to my house. I bought really great candy (at least I thought), drinks, and prizes. We play 4 rounds for 15 minutes each usually with a drink break in the middle.

The prizes were: Date Night Theme.

1st - $60 - Princess Bride Movie, Super soft blanket, treats, drinks, & spray whipped cream
2nd - $40 - Princess Bride Movie, Blanket, treats, drinks, & spray whipped cream
3rd & 4th - $20 - Princess Bride Movie, Treats, drinks
Booby Prizes - $5 - spray whipped Cream & Shower Gel

Kelly & Zach - You are a super talented couple. You always seem to have it all together. Your house and everything are just decorated awesome.

Natalie & Ben - You are just so much fun. Natalie you are the most organized person that I know. You guys are just fun to hang out with.

Nicole & Jason - You guys are always so nice. What a great couple you are. Nicole - You are just a cute, stylish Mom.

Lisa & Callin - So much I could say about you... you are our "oldest" friends in the group. We have had so many memories together. I love you guys.

Leigh Ann & Buck - You are the strongest couple that I know. Super brave. I love what sacrifice your family makes for our country. I love the love you have for each other... it shows.

Jenn & Eric - You guys are the most stylish couple that I know. You both are always perfectly put together.

Mindy & Brian - You guys are the nicest couple . You are super great, involved parents.

I will also list our "sub's"

Jami & Dean - I love to be your neighbors. You guys teach us (by example) so many spiritual ways to lead our family.

Nicole & Paul - I love how spunky that you both are - you add fun to everything.

There are SO many more reasons that I love each and every one of you but if I listed them all we would be here all night.

Thank you for each and every thing that you bring to the table... bonko table that is. We have gone through and taught each other so many things over the years . I am grateful for them all... good and bad... we have grown from them all.

I love you guys.

The dreaded maturation program...

So a couple of weeks ago we got the note home for the maturation program. We had planned on that Shawn would go because he is in 6th grade... well they decided (I guess last year) to let the 4th grade girls go also if the parents decided to have them go. We debated back and forth should we let Alyssa go this early or not? Well we ended up having her go. We decided that it would just give her a basis to ask questions if she wanted too. Okay... so what does this mean oh yah - that not only does Steve have to go with Shawn but I also have to go with Alyssa. Hum, I was not so sure that I was ready for all of this.

So now today it is here. I am in the library with all of the girls and their Mom's and they are telling us all about periods and such and Alyssa is as WHITE as a ghost (she hates blood by the way). She asks me a few questions. Really cute ones I might add. Very innocent questions. She sits through it and does pretty well and then at the end the teacher says "we have some little gift packets up here for all of the girls - in it is a few maxi pads, deodorant & a little paper that tells you a little more about everything." Apparently my daughter really likes gifts. She says "can I go get one Mom?" I say "of course" and she runs up there. When we are walking out she was looking in the gift bag and sees the maxi pads and says, as serious as ever... "SO... Can we start this tonight? I am ready!" I had to quickly explain that we don't decide when we become a big girl and have our period.

Wouldn't that be nice if it were all up to us?

"Girls Night Out"

So tonight Julie Smith called to see if Ashley, Alyssa & I would like to go to a free movie premier... Susan Julian had a whole bunch of tickets. Well the girls met me at karate ad we went straight from there. By the time we got downtown to the movie (7:23pm) they wouldn't let us in... they said we were late. Well the girls and I decided to have a girls night anyway and we went to Rumbi's then to get Cold Stone to take home to eat with the boys... Here is what we came home to.

THE BOYS HAVING A "GIRLS NIGHT OUT"

Charlotte (Shawn)
Elizabeth (Cameron)
Harlina (Harley)





A little frightening... but seriously funny!

Our day today...

Today we all got to sleep in a little bit. NO SCHOOL!

We went to McDonald's with Grandma Camille.

The kids came home to play.

Alyssa, Grandma Camille & I went to the mall for a bit.
* We went looking for easter dresses and we even found them.
* I had to buy make up at the MAC counter so I had them do a facial. ($140 and some really fun make up later I left)

Grandma Camille, Daddy, me & the kids went to Subway for lunch. (yes - my whole life is about food)

We went to Roberts Crafts for work. I had to buy a Cricut Cartridge (that they didn't have)

Came home blogged a bit.

I went jogging out side for about 25 minutes. Oh my gosh - Now I know why they said to not even go outside today... let alone jog. I can't even breathe. Maybe it is because I am out of shape... I think I will do the 5k not the half marathon. We'll see.

I am now on my way to karate.

I love days like today!

Our "new" diet!

Tonight when we were eating over at my parents house my Dad asked all of us kids how much we weighed and what we would like to weigh. Fun topic at dinner right? After dinner he became missing for about a half hour... when he came back he had graphs/charts for each of us with our starting weight and each friday where we should be. We are having our final date the last week of April... 10 weeks. I told him that I wanted to loose 8 pounds... I guess that I can do it.

Here is the catch. If we make it, he will take us to Hawaii at the end of April. Obviously we will have to be sort of "on track" for him to book it.

Before all of this started Miss Alyssa and I had been already talking about being healthy and eating healthier. We are going to tell each other when we see each other "cheating" or eating unhealthy. It is fun to have the whole family wanting to do it together.

Also - last Wednesday my sister informed me that at the end of April we are going to run a half marathon together... I guess I will train with her and see how it goes. I ran 2 miles the other day and thought that I would DIE... or had DIED!

I am telling you guys all of this so that you can "catch" me flying off of the wagon and STOP me! Remind me about Hawaii.

President Hinckley

I have been going to post about President Hinckley now since we got home from the Disney Cruise. I thought that I would finally do it.

Sunday night, while we were cruising (we were in the middle of the ocean) Steve's phone started ringing at about midnight. I asked him "what is that sound" (I really didn't expect the phone to be able to ring out there)? He said "my phone... get it it is your Mom"... I answered it "WHAT... is every one ok... what is wrong?" I knew she wouldn't call because it was so expensive. She said "we knew you would want to hear... President Hinckley just passed away".

WOW! We were shocked, I mean OK he was 97 years old but I kind of just wanted him to live forever. He has been the Prophet since March of 1995... Steve and I started dating at the end of February 1995. He was our Prophet the whole time that Steve and I have dated and been married. Weird!

Our kids were super sad too. Being outside of Utah during the whole thing... news, TV, funeral etc. we felt out of it. We felt like we missed a whole lot. It was hard to be away through it all. We wanted to just sit in front of the TV and watch specials on him.

Here are some of our favorite memories of him...

* Getting his autograph for my Dad's Christmas present last year.
* Being at a fireside in Hawaii and hearing Him and Sister Hinckley speak.
* His super funny personality.
* His wisdom.
* His smile... smirk.
* Listening to him speak... we learned so much from him.
* He was our kids only Prophet in their life.
* Seeing and hearing him speak in person last October for the Stake Conference. I loved how everyone stood up when he walked in. Then hearing the whole conference center congregation sing "We thank thee oh God for a Prophet". It was touching.
* Working with and getting to know his Daughter, Sister Kathy Walker (She was Barnes at the time)
* Being at his son in law, Brother Alan Barnes funeral and having him get up to speak.

There is so many things things that I could write. I really love him and learned so much from him.

President and Sister Hinckley were our favorite examples of how to be great people, a great spouse, great parents and really just try to laugh things off.

I love them both. What a great "early" Valentine's present he gave to Sister Hinckley to go "home" to be with her. He always had such a great love for her.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just wanted to say how much I love and appriciate my husband today (and every day).

On Monday Steve had surgery (Hernia). He has put it off for about 5 years. He finally decided that he should do it. I realize everyday how much he does for me BUT when he is down and can't lift anything over 10-15 lbs for 6 weeks I really started to realize how much he does that I don't even thank him for everytime.

Here is just a few things.

1st - Plowing the snow. Luckily Dean Morrell has come and done it a couple of times so I didn't have to do it ALL by my self... THANK YOU DEAN! Also after Steve saw me shovelling for a little while he decided to teach Shawn how to use the four-wheeler with the plow on it. It isn't done perfectly... but it is done, thanks Shawn... you are the man!

2nd - Taking the garbage to the street through 2 feet of snow while the NICE hispanic workers across the street stop what they are doing to come closer to WATCH me... yes you heard me to WATCH ME trudge through the snow to take it out to the street. I am glad that my husband usually does that too.

3rd - Being awake all of the time to just sit and talk to. When he is all drugged up on pain killers we don't get as many LONG conversations in.

4th - Being awake so we can watch more of season one of PRISON BREAK... if you haven't started this you really need to. I REALLY don't like TV BUT I LOVE THIS SHOW! Well it really is addicting. We love having DVD Date night and watching this.

He does a whole lot more I just figure you are probably tired of hearing me complain about being a single mom with 4 kids and a really sick (hurting) husband and a dog that was just neutered.

Other than that we had a really great Valentine's Day. I went to the kindergarten party for Ashley. I just had to read a story. Then her and I went to lunch with Steve, my Mom, my Dad, and my brother Josh at Pei Wei. After that we ran to Target (last minute dinner stuff), then to Cameron's Class for his manners party. He had to wear dress clothes to school so he chose his grey suit and pink dress shirt and black tie (he looked super handsome)My mother-in-law was the one to teach them about manners (it really was cute), then we went to Shawn's class to bring chocolate cake with whipped cream and candy coated kisses on top MMMmmmmm.

When we got home we straighted the house up a bit to get ready for our "romantic dinner" for the 6 of us. The kids all helped me make salad, steak (fillet), shrimp, bread with cheese fondue, apples, strawberries, & bananas with white & milk chocolate fondue, and parmasan noodles. The kids helped every bit of the way from start to finish. We let daddy rest on the couch while we prepared it. Then we woke him up to eat. We ate by candle light and used our very best manners that Cameron taught us from his manners day today.

After dinner the kids opened their Valentine presents from Mom & Dad. We got the boys both a new watch and cologne and we got the girls a new red purse and perfume.

Steve isn't suppose to drive yet so he made me a CD of about 18 songs that are all love songs... it it really cute and very sweet. I really didn't think he would do anything because of his surgery. I was surprised. he said he did it yesterday. He said all of the LOVE songs that he put on remind him of me.

I LOVE MY VALENTINE. I can't wait until he is back to his old self. I miss him.

DISNEY CRUISE...

So we are finally back. I really did feel like we were gone for a month. We LOVED the trip. The Disney Cruise was so much fun. It was as good as I dreamed of. The kids had a blast. Here are some of my favorite pictures. JUST A WARNING... IT IS LONG.

This is a picture of the cute (if I must say so myself) Journal/Charater signature books that I made for each of the kids. I made them write at least once a day about what was going on. I loved how they turned out.

Here is the kids right before the HUMMER LIMO picked us up at the hotel to take us to the ship.

Here is the Hummer Limo. I am pretty sure that the Dad's were more excited than the kids but we all loved it.

These are all three right as we got on the ship. That first afternoon was a little overcast but we had sweatshirts - it wasn't a big deal.



Here is all eight kids that we went with. That is the Disney Cruise in the background.

Here is Ashley's cute hair. It was nice to not have to do it every day.

The day we stopped at Cozumel, MX we did an excursion to the Tulum Ruins without the kids. It was so beautiful there. We happen to bump into an LDS tour guide with told us stories about the ruins and Nephi, Lehi, and The Nephites. It really made the day super great. It gave it a whole new meaning to the Ruins.

Here is me and Captain Jack Sparrow (NOT as HOT as Johnny Depp). In the background you see the Disney Ship and the Flying Dutchman (they took the real one from the movie and "beached" it at Castaway Cay (Disney's Private Island). So COOL!

Ashley and Belle (she was gorgeous by the way)

Steve and Belle... he thought she was gorgeous too.

Cameron thought she was gorgeous too - he told her to "call me". I asked him what he would say to her if she really called and he said " I would ask her if she liked being a princess and if she really liked the Beast"... How cute is that?


This is our Waitress and water Boy. They were AWESOME! Every night I had a Diet Cherry Lemon Coke waiting for me. We had banana bread waiting everynight (YES I gained weight). We would try two meals some nights and she would bring the adults about 5-6 desserts to share everynight. I loved the service.

All in all we had a great time. The kids were in heaven and so were we. What a FUN, FUN, FUN time.