Hey baby, let's go to Vegas!

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Well, I have just returned from my offical first girls trip. And it was so much fun! I met up with my college roommates (Rachel,Talia & Tiffany...missed you Kam & Jill) in Las Vegas for a few days and we had a really great time catching up...hadn't seen Rachel for like 4 years or something crazy! We stayed at the MGM, went to Celine :), ate out, shopped, swam, chatted, re-told "Ricks" stories, and laughed a lot. We didn't gamble at all, but I did have my first karaoke bar experience...even did a duet with some guy who was impressed with my singing! It was hilarious. I did miss my babies and my sweet Mike who kept the kids and was such a great dad while I was gone, but it was a nice little break for me and a good time to catch up with the girls.

Thanks ladies, for the wonderful trip. I love you girls. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ;)

Payton Michael

Payton is four.
He is named after his daddy.
He can do a "guilletiene" and other UFC moves on his sister.
He prefers his juice warm.
He has a lot of friends (real and stuffed)
He loves "rama noodles" and would eat them for every meal if allowed.
He is a good student.
He loves to draw.
He rides a two wheeler.
He swims like a speedy fish.
He likes to play "playhouse disney" online...especially "print & color".
He is a good big brother.
He likes gymnastics.
He likes to skinny dip ;)
He has long surfer hair.
He is a collector.
He is our special boy.

Sydney Kate

Sydney is two.
She is named after her aunt.
She pees in her Dora potty, on occasion.
She loves cheese.
In fact, she goes to bed with juice & string cheese...mom's a pushover.
She loves Ariel.
She can roll her tongue.
She has lots of babies: abby, posie, sarah, gracie, hannah.
She sleeps in a "big girl bed".
She likes to watch "Max & Ruby".
She is a good dancer.
She likes going to nursery with the kids.
She can do a killer forward roll (sommer-sault--sp?)
She loves her big brother.
She always blesses the missionaries when she prays.
We love our Sydney girl.

"I've been tagged..."

Thank you Jenna, I was beginning to feel left out :) Kidding, kidding. I'm not too exciting, but here goes. It should have "favorite books" on here because then I would add "Eclipse" to the top of the list. I read it in one day, all 600+ pages. The kids were neglected, yes, but it was sooo good. Mock if you must Jeramy & the rest of you critic men...but it was good and we girls like that sort of thing!

Jobs I've had
1. mama
2. Pediatric Nurse
3. janitor (yes, it's true)
4. medical billing secretary

4 Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again...
1. drumroll...The Notebook
2. How to lose a guy
3. Anne of Green Gables
4. Meet the Parents

Places I Have Lived...
1. Mesa, AZ
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Provo, UT
4. Woodbridge, VA
5. Merida, Mexico

Favorite TV Shows...
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. ER
3. The Office
4. Lost

4 Places I Have Been On Holiday...
1. Cali
2. Mexico
3. Italy
4. New York

Favorite Dishes...
1. Mike's steak & avocado
2. salmon taco
3. penne rustica @ mac grill
4. bbq chicken salad

Websites I Visit Daily...
1. Email
2. Blogs
3. sugardoodle (primary crap :)
4. email & blogs again...

Places I Would Rather Be Right Now...
1. in bed
2. the beach
3. with my mom & dad
4. with my sisters


Now here are 5 people that I am tagging...
1. Becky Beals
2. Cami Kesler
3. Amy Chappell
4. Kristine Lefler
5. Kate Ball

Personal Victory.

And no, not that I cleaned by bathroom shower for the first time in weeks! Officially, we went an entire week without eating out. It may not sound like much to all of you regular chefs, but to us it is big deal. Especially lately, it seems like we have been on the road and just too lazy (me) to cook. We had been eating out a lot, which is natural when there are no groceries in the house! So we made a goal, hit costco and have been cooking every meal since. It actually feels really good, so I thought I'd share our small, but personal victory.

What did YOU do today?

Sydney Kate & her Dora Potty...life is exciting!


Well, WE pee'd in the potty...lots and lots! Sydney is getting to be quite well acquainted with her Dora potty & loves to use it. We are using bribes so you can hear her yell "I pee'd in the potty & I get a SUCKER!" after every visit. My dum-dum supply is running low...I never knew a little girl could go sooo much! And Payton seems to think he gets a sucker every time she goes because he helps her. Ok, ok. Sydney is doing pretty well, we are proud of her. I had to throw in the second picture to show off her knock knees, which may be the one and only thing she got from her mom (besides her pleasant disposition :) kidding). Here's to potty training!

Orange County Fair

We went to the OC Fair with Blake & Mikelle and had a lot of fun on the rides...I'll admit, the first time Mom was a little nervous, but as you can see, the kids were NOT and immediately upon standing up, Sydney would say "do dat again!" I think we rode 5 times.





There's nothing like good ol' "fair food"! We steered clear of the fried oreo's, twinkies & even coke, yes COKE! But we couldn't resist the corn on the cob (Mike had his with tobasco...wow!) corn dogs & $9 turkey legs! Yikes. We had a lot of fun and it was a beautiful night in the OC.

Escondido, Ca

Thanks to Pop and Granny, we spent another great week in Escondido at the Lawrence Welk resort. We hung out at the pool a lot and Payton was able to go on the waterslide this year, so that made him feel very grown up and happy. We went to California Adventure and Sydney Kate got to have lunch with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. What a treat. Mike says I liked it more than the kids :) Thanks to Pop and Dama Dama for setting that up! We also got to spend time with Blake & Mikelle which is always fun. Thanks for the hospitality! The beach was fun as always. Now we are home and back in the saddle, so to speak. Sydney is working on using her new Dora Potty (she's 1/3 today, shucks) and Payton is helping me by doing his jobs. Hope all is well with you wherever you are. love xoxo.

Happy Birthday to my Mike...

Morton's for crab cakes, steak & chocolate godiva...it's becoming a tradition for Mike's birthday. This year was especially nice because we got to share it with our two wonderful friends Steve & Hailey who also have birthdays this week. It was a nice dinner together. Happy Birthday Honey!

Birthday gift

Ok, so I had to show the world Mike's most favorite birthday gift from his dear Granny. If you can't tell, it's a banana holder...a must have for everyone, I say! Simply Priceless!

My Pod

Just want to say that I love this guy. XOXOXO Dad.

Idaho 2007

Our trip to Idaho was a lot of fun! We caravanned with Schilds which was a lot of fun :) We had birthday breakfast for my mom at Kate's house and then we headed to Idaho. It was a fun filled week: Caroline & Sean blessed their sweet baby June, Bear World, Fishing at the cabin, lots of hamburgers & hotdogs, roasting marshmallows, playing with cousins, aunts & uncles, fourth of July celebrations, getting to hang out with the Schilds, Man vs. Wild, fireworks, hot tubbing, eating out, sleeping in the trailer at the RV Park, and spending time with our family. We had a great trip and even though I think Pop & Dama Dama are in debt considering the amount of "stuff" our kids took from their store, the kids absolutely LOVED it. We enjoyed ourselves and are thankful for our lodging & food at Amy's (seriously, thank you!) It is nice to be out of the car and home at last, even though I'm barely sifting through the laundry! love you all, miss you already!

Check out my Slide Show!

Two really is terrible :)

I mean it in the nicest way, but my daughter turned two and suddenly she's changing her ways. Which makes me think that the whole "terrible two" thing is really not far-fetched. She won't sleep in her crib anymore which throws a kink in naps and bed time...way too time consuming for me! Not to mention the getting out of bed 3-4 times. I guess I am just in denial that she's growing up.

We had a good weekend...spending time with friends, swimming, ufc fights :) Love you all, hope you are doing well in your parts of the world.

Happy Birthday Sydney Kate!

Oh my goodness...look at all her Ariel stuff! Thank you so much everybody!

Birthdays Galore!!!

I have to say this year was one of my best birthdays ever!!! My sweet husband surprised me with a fun gift: my sister Kate. It was a great gift (good job honey). We went to dinner with friends and it was one of the funnest nights I have had in a long time...my cheeks were hurting from laughing at you, Dallas. And all of you who remembered me on my day, thank you. I really did feel like someone special and I appreciate you all. And now I'm remembering how I felt 2 years ago around my birthday (besides fat & pregnant)...very excited for the arrival of my first baby girl. And what a joy she has been to our family. We were so happy to FINALLY have her much awaited "Ariel" party tonight. It was a lot of fun and she now owns every Ariel toy known to man! June is such a busy birthday month...and we LOVE it!

put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this...

Celebrating fathers! Just a little shout out to the dads in my life. First, my bubba Michael. Life would be a lot less fun without you around. And what a wonderful dad he is. And I wouldn't be around to share in the fun if it weren't for my own dad...who I love very much and wish him the very best this week. As for the "in-law" dad or should I say Pop, I couldn't have asked for a better one! I just love you all and hope your father's days were wonderful. You sure are!

Bathing Beauty.

Yesterday we went to our little buddy Krew's first birthday party. I couldn't help but snap these photos of my little bathing beauty! She looked like she was posing for a commercial or something...what a sweet girl she is. And what a fun party, Krista!

Quick trip to Californ-i-a!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a quick, little, fun-filled trip we had to California. We got to see Bunkers and go to Disneyland with the kids. Sydney saw Ariel and that was her favorite thing...she waved and waved at her. And she got an Ariel phone! Payton was tall enought to go on the big rides, though the "dark parts" made him a bit nervous. I took him on thunder mountain and he yelled "I'm miserable, I'm miserable" pretty much the whole time. He was hilarious. He loved Pirates and got the gear to play the part. Anyways, lots of fun! What a fun place to spend time together.

Happy 80th Roger!

We had a wonderful time dancing the night away and celebrating "Neder Pop's" 80th birthday last Saturday. It was a beautiful night with lots of food and great fun. The kids couldn't keep their feet off the dance floor and we all enjoyed watching them. I think Roger really appreciated all the effort and it meant a lot to him. Payton sang "Happy Birthday" on the microphone and he was the hit of the show, that and Sydney's dance moves! Love you Pop!