bIRThdaY BasH

With all the partying we did this weekend, Erin has got to be at least 13. I'm exhausted, but excited to post all the pictures of her Birthday party (s). I will post more tomorrow when I'm a little more awake. Just wanted to do a quick Happy BIRTHDAY, ERIN shout out to her. Can't believe my baby is FIVE!

{check}

1. Paint the house. {check}
2. Put the tree up. {check}

3. Go to Christmas Party wearing "ug" Christmas sweater. {check}

4. Pose for pictures in "ug" sweaters (or HO shirt). {check}

5. Snap a few fab pix of April. {check}

6. Take the youth to Temple Square in 9 degree weather. {check}

7. Make and deliver invitations to Erin's Birthday Party. {check}

8. Try to clear out some inventory by participating in a few boutique's. {check}

9. Deliver gifts to friends early enough that they can actually use them during the season. {check}

10. Cardboard up the sides of the gerbil cage so the babies don't try to crawl through the wire walls. {check}

....... and the list goes on......

Birthday shopping

Christmas shopping

Have a "friend" Birthday party for Erin

Have a "family" Birthday party for Erin and Jer (yup - he's havin' another one, too)

Take the kids to Temple Square

Read Christmas stories

Clean the house

Make divinity, toffee, pretzels, peppermint bark...

Attend the Ward Christmas dinner

Take Emma to other people's Ward Christmas Party's to dance

I seriously LOVE this time of year! It is crazy, but I love it. I love holding it over the kids all season: "Santa Claus is watching you!" Not that it helps, but it gives me something to threaten them with.

GERBIL UPDATE:

So these little monsters have been so much fun. They weren't exactly "cute" at birth, but look at them now. They have fur. They are cutting teeth and learning to walk. So entertaining. Their eye's still aren't open, but they are rubbing them a lot lately (which is supposed to be a sign that they will open soon). Lilly (mom) is quite the mother. She's been drinking a lot of water and running on her wheel so she looks amazing for giving birth to six babies just a few weeks ago. However, if she feels like being done with meal time, she just walks away and the babes end up strung throughout the cage because they stay latched on as long as possible. Zach is a great dad. He is always making sure their "nest" is fluffy and that they are warm. If Lilly walks away, he is right there doing a head count. We've named a few of them. There is only one girl: Molly. She looks exactly like her mama and she is such a bully. She doesn't put up with the boys. We have four boys (we lost one while in St. George so there's only five total now): Speedy, Snow Paw, three and four. We don't have names for the last two boys. Snow Paw is all black and has white on his two front paws - exactly like his dad. We will be looking for homes for the boys in the next couple of weeks. As you can see in the pictures, they are more than a handful. Jer has promised the kids that we can keep Molly - should be interesting to see how she does with Zach and Lilly once she get's to be their size.

Getting Noticed

As you scroll thru the millions of pictures in this post, keep in mind that I blog for posterity's sake. Right? I'd like to think that one day I will actually have my posts printed into a book so that the kids can look back at them like they do their scrapbooks. So if you get bored with soccer pictures, feel free to skip right to the comments tab at the bottom. :)

As I posted previously, our Thanksgiving Day started out a little different than most. We discovered our own Trouble with Tribbles (the gerbils are multiplying). After taking care of our new babies and packing for St. George, we went to Ben and Stephs for our Turkey feast. Super yummy (despite all the cream cheese Ben put in the mashed potatoes - who does that?) and fun to see the kids all together.

Grandma J. must've really wanted to get out of doing the dishes because she decided to take all the hooligans for a walk after we ate. Crazy lady. She did make it back alive and after waiting for the straggler (Collin) our head count was 100%.

This is all but one (she was cranky after the walk) when they made it home. Made me laugh that when Kath walked up with all the grandkids, it was my Erin that was riding in the wagon. Lazy poop. There are five grandkids (minus the new babies) that are younger than her and they were walking along side her cozy little butt.

By about 4pm, we were on the road headed South. Josh played in the Dixie Cup again this year so we needed to be down there for his first game the next morning. We decided to stay with Grandma this year (my Grandma Helen) since last years Condo rental was such a dive and we thought it would give her a reason to cook (and actually eat something). But, she ended up in Idaho for the holiday so we were there without her. I was surprised that the girls remembered last years visit to vividly. We had gone to visit Grandpa Bob in the care center and he was out cold. We tried to wake him up but he was too deep. Sadly, that was our last visit with him before he passed away about 3 weeks later. So this year was most definitely different in that sense -no Grandparents to bug. The funny thing about this picture of Emma and Erin on the couch is that it actually reminded me of my other Grandparents (my mom's parents). Cari and I used to sit on the couch at Grandpa Rowe's and use a t.v. tray to color. I wish I could get my hands on some of those old t.v. trays for me own use. Love those things.

We had planned on eating at In N Out Thanksgiving night, but got down there and the darn place was closed. Last year they were the only place open, so we thought we knew what we were doing and went fully prepared to wait in line. Unfortunately, it was Del Taco that got our business.

Friday morning, Josh's first game wasn't until noon, but we had to be there at 10 for warm ups. How warm do these boys need to be? So, given we had a couple of hours to spare, the girls and I went on a walk to find the coolest playground. As much as the girls love St. George and the excitement of driving down over Thanksgiving break each year, I wonder if they are disappointed once we arrive. We really have time for nothing more than soccer. The playground is a good way to entertain them during the "warm up" times.

We hit the jackpot with this playground! Is it just me or does it seem like all soccer complexes are in neighborhoods with million dollar homes and those are the parks with the killer playgrounds?? Not like anyone is driving across the state to play soccer in Magna over the holiday. And heaven forbid any park on the West side of town get a splash pad that we don't have to pay to use. This playground not only had a splash pad, it had a "junior" and a "senior" area. Erin didn't want to leave the "junior" area due to the mini monkey bars.

Finally, soccer. This is the boys lining up before the game to have their player cards read off. I love that soccer is so organized and official.

This is my kicker. Not only does Josh do one he** of a job stopping the ball, he has a mean kick on him. The kid can boot that ball clear down the field. We had a coach from Las Vegas approach us about his future with soccer. Josh was very flattered and realized he is getting noticed (thus, the title of my post). My hope is that he will continue kicking the ball like that so that one day he can be the kicker for the BYU football team. The boy would die at the thought of that. I would die at the thought of a scholarship.

He had so many saves over the weekend. He took a couple of hard hits. One to the face. Fortunately, it was during team warm ups and I was over at the playground. He put his teeth through both lips and bent his glasses. Another mom had wipes and an ice pack so by the time I got there, all I saw was the fat lip. And, me being the awesome mom that I am, decided to chest the ball to him after his last game that night. My way of saying "good job." Well, yah, it hit him in the face. This time giving him a bloody nose. He started to cry and then when he realized what happened started laughing. I wish I had a picture of that face. Blood and tears with a smile. Jer kept saying "he's going to feel like a truck hit him when he wakes up tomorrow morning." Oh was he right. Poor kid. Couldn't even walk and he had to go play again the next day. Chalk one up for Mom of the Year again!

Below is a picture of him stopping his first Penalty Kick. Talk about pressure. I love it 'cause when he stops the ball and all eye's are on him, I can say "that's my boy." Such a proud moment for the mom.

We literally were at the soccer fields from sun up till sun down.

One thing that will be hard if Josh ever leaves this team is the awesome friends we've all made. These are the girls that hang out together. Bless their hearts, they've been trying to teach Emma how to do a cartwheel since we met. She still can't do one to save her life. I keep telling her it's Cari's fault. Cari always looked like a tard when she did cartwheels, too.

One more reason to love St. George - a sit down Pizza Hut with a salad bar. Even though Josh hates getting his picture taken, he does it for me. Man I love that kid.

All in all, it was a great weekend! It went by super fast and we didn't have much time for anything but soccer, but who's complaining? By the end of the tourny, the kids were anxious to come home to the baby gerbils and I was a little anxious to get home to finish painting the living room. Then on to decking the halls. . .

Zach and Lilly plus SIX

Last year, the kids got a special gift from Santa Claus (you may have read about it last December). They had been wanting a pet forever so when there were two little gerbils under the tree Christmas morning, they were happy kids. Santa left a note with the two little rats telling us how to take care of them and that he figured they were 6 week old boys. The kids have loved the little things like they are a part of the family. I never had a pet when I was growing up (other than fish), so this has been a learning experience for me as well as for the kids.

A couple of months ago, we started having Josh and Emma clean the cage out without help. A little adult supervision is all that they have needed. I've been impressed with the way they have learned how to do everything (except for the mess they make in the bathroom while washing the cage out). So Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Day), as we were packing for our trip to St. George (I'll post about that next), Jer sent the kids to clean out the cage so that we could leave them for the weekend. Next thing I know, Josh is running up the stairs yelling "Zach and Cody both aren't boys! We've got babies!" Apparently, while getting Zach and Cody out of the cage to change their bedding, Josh could see something over in the corner. He said he thought it was Emma's hand until he realized her hands weren't in the cage. So funny.

Jer and I went downstairs to investigate. Sure enough, there were six little babes in the corner of the cage. Apparently, "Santa" didn't look under the hood very well. We're new at this (given we had two boys for the last year), so we're not sure how old they are. Earlier in the week, I went in to clean up the bedding that they push out of the cage (I usually do this every other day or so), and I could hear little squeaky noises. I thought it was something new/different, but didn't even consider babies. But, now I know, that little squeaking is baby gerbils. We are guessing they are about a week old at this point.

Needless to say, the kids are very excited about the little things. In fact, while in St. George, that's all they talked about. They decided to give Cody a different name now that she is a girl. So we have Zach and Lilly plus six. Erin's response to the whole escapade: "I'm just so excited. I can't stop thinkin' about that Cody turned into a girl and had babies."

These are Jer's hands so that gives you an idea as to how tiny they are.

Mama isn't thrilled with the fact that we were handling her babes.

You're like my own personal brand of heroin

This week has been insanely busy and hectic, but I'm not complaining. And, I don't expect things to slow down given it's the end of November. I do love this time of year.

I'm not sure who put it in my head that I'm young enough to hang out until four in the morning with a bunch of crazy women but, I along with a million other people, went to New Moon last night. I can't even tell you about the movie. I guess it was good. It was two hours long and rather cheesy, but that was to be expected. What wasn't expected was the man sitting behind me. Who invited him? Seriously! An entire theatre full of vampire worshiping girls, moms, grandma's and then him! Besides the hair ball he was trying to cough up for 2+ hours, he actually "ow ow owed" Jacob when all the women did. And, when Bella decides to take a dive, he asks his wife "did she hit her head?" Dude. Did you read your ticket wrong? I think Planet 51 was in the next theatre over. Then there was a crazy woman sitting next to me. Okay so there were several, but April was hilarious. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Maybe she doesn't get out often enough. Or maybe it was the a.m. factor. And we actually let her drive.

So I got home at 4ish. By the time I wound down, checked on the kids, locked up the house and got to bed it was after 5am. I woke up at about 10:00 to kids asking me if I was going to get up today. Lucky for me, there was no school today. I would have been checking them all in several hours late. Once I got moving, I kicked it into high and started getting things ready for the boutique I had tonight. I took my bows and headbands n' stuff to Kandace's tonight. I got to her house at about 6pm and that's when my lack of sleep decided to hit. I was dragging. But, I managed and it worked out. I got home at about 10pm tonight (much better than last night). But, now it's after midnight and I'm the only person in the house not sleeping. What is up with that? You think I'm too busy day dreaming about Edward? Nah. I've decided Robert Pattison is much better looking as Cedric from Harry Potter. And perhaps Taylor Lautner should have stayed with Sharkboy and Lavagirl. At least in that he didn't have "small head big body syndrome" back then. It was a little weird watching him run around in tennis shoes and cut off jeans for 2 hours. My favorite line: "You cut your hair and got a tattoo?" Not "you mean you're a warewoof?" Oh, Stephanie Meyers. So what's funny is that I really loved the books. But, the movies are seriously so cheesy. It's all a little over rated anyway. So is In 'n' Out burgers. Just stick with Arctic Circle and Carl's Jr. Or consider eating at home once in a while. I know - that's pushing it.

Ok ok. Back to New Moon. Will I see it again? Probably. I can't go very long without looking at Charlie Swan's mustache.

p.s. I hated Alice's hair in Twilight, but I'm loving it in New Moon. I see myself getting my hair done.

Take me down to the Paradise City

Some of you may know of my love for photography. After Jer and I were married, I made a small business of it. I started by taking engagement portraits for couples. Then, quickly it became bridal shots, weddings, family pictures and so on. I loved it. This was all before the photography world went digital. My only struggle was the nerve of taking the photos and not knowing if they were going to be acceptable until the film was developed. Having a digital camera it is immediate satisfaction (or disappointment, but then you know to retake). As time went on, life became busy and I started to have less time for my "hobby." Things continued to change as far as photography equipment, processing and talent. Holy Cow has the talent out there increased! There are amazingly creative people in the world of photography and to be honest, I have increasingly become more and more intimidated.

Now that my little one is in school a couple of days a week this year (and on to Kindergarten next year), I have started to think a lot about what I want to be when I grow up. The thought of having a life outside of motherhood again is exciting yet a little scary. Even for the few hours a week that I have now, it's hard not to feel lonely as I run to the store or to the gym ALL BY MYSELF! There's going somewhere without the infant car seat and then on to going without the diaper bag, but to go somewhere without a child?

So the question on my mind has been beauty school or back to photography? I have wished for a lot of years that I had just gone to beauty school right out of High School. I would love to do hair and my how that could have helped through the years. But, obviously, I love to take pictures. So do I invest thousands into school or do I invest hundreds into updated photo equipment/training?

I went last Saturday and did family portraits for this cute family. (I think I was the only photographer at Murray Park using film - took my good ole Canon Rebel G 35mm). What do you think? Do I run with it or away from it?

Thanks again to Dallin, Susi and Blake for trusting me with my camera after so many years. It reminded me of how much I love it! And, you were so fun to photograph - darling little family!!

(And thanks to Lynsee for having the confidence in me to actually suggest me to friends)

I {heart} Halloween; I {hate} that I missed it

I am so happy to be back! I can't believe how much I have missed the blogging world! I have felt so out of things. We are officially moved in and living out of boxes. I haven't found the box with my usb cord for my camera, so I don't have a way to download all of my Halloween pictures. I will share what I have and hopefully I will have more to post at a later date.

Cari and I took two car loads of kids to Lagoon for Frightmares. It was so much fun! I've never been there for Frightmares - and I can honestly say that I've been missing out! It becomes such a different place this time of year.


Erin still talks about the "nice witch" at Lagoon. I guess she was giving Erin a hard time about being Dorothy for Halloween because Dorothy drops a house on the witch.

Gosh my sisters are cute. I hate that I am the ugly sister. :)

They have "stretched" and deformed photos all over the kids haunted house at Lagoon - this was a favorite of mine. Too funny.

This is how Bryn naps at Lagoon. Her mama thinks she will nap anywhere, but I have yet to win that battle with her.

These are the winners of the "Best Couples Costumes."

Ok. I couldn't help but post this. It's Brian. I know you had no idea he had this in him. He put so much into this costume, I have to share (even though a picture doesn't do it justice).

I have no idea who these people are.

I had to barrow this picture from my mom's blog. Saturday was Halloween for most, but for Jer and I it was moving day. We had family members helping us all day - some were moving boxes, some were painting walls (okay, just one), some were cleaning the old house and some were cleaning the new house, and some were being mom to my kids. I'd have to say that was the hardest part about the move - I love Halloween with my kids and I missed it all. Cari took them to a party in Pleasant Grove and then brought them home, got them in costumes and took them trick-or-treating. She fed them and loved them along the way. I don't know what I would have done without her. I felt guilty missing all of the fun with the kids, but at least I knew they were happy with their "favorite aunt." :) Erin made one adorable little Dorothy, Emma was one sexy little Movie Star, and Josh was a very scary serial killer (?). He didn't dress up but told everyone he was a serial killer (or something like that) and still ended up with a pillow case full of candy.

So there you have it. Happy Halloween to all and to all a good night.