Temple Square

Me, Dusty and the kids, Kim, Shelly, Shane, Garrett and their neighbor Dustin all went up to Temple Square on Saturday. My parents used to take us when we were little and I loved seeing all the lights and the temple and I wanted to share the same experience with my kids. We decided it would be fun for the kids, and us :), to take traks there. The kids loved it. It was there first "train"ride! Once we got there we walked around and saw the lights and the nativity and stuff. This always makes me in the Christmas spirit hearing the story of the first Christmas and things.

Jordyn thinking that the hand pulls were part of her "jungle"

Pretty cool pic I got where the light looks like the star in the sky

another pic I got where the light looks like a bright star

BEAUTIFUL!

Christmas Decorations!!!!

So with the first snow and with it being so close to Thanksgiving I couldn't resist putting up my decorations! I have been holding myself back, but now I must do it!!! With it snowing outside and stuff it just seemed right. I brought my Xmas stuff in, found the John Denver Xmas CD and got to work! Christmas isn't Christmas without John Denver Christmas songs. My mom always listened to them when we were younger and now it just seems like they belong together. I usually put the tree and stuff up by myself, but this year I got the kids and Dusty to help. It was great spending time with the family like that. Good times. Here are some pictures of our decor. I have lights outside too, but it is to light to see them. I will post a pic later of them. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you get to spend lots of time with your families and enjoy each other!!!

In my kitchen

In my living room

My tree!

First snowman!!

I don't know if I am a bad mom or what, but my kids have never made a snowman at our house!Ryan has made one at school, but we have never made one at our house. I can't believe that! We go sledding and stuff, but never that. So this morning when my kids woke up and saw snow they immediately got their gear on and went out to create a snowman. It was so cute watching them work together and make the snowman. They even sacrificed some of their rocks out of their collections for the eyes and the tooth for the mouth :0) I love my little kids and can't wait to go sledding and have tons of fun with them this year. I haven't realized how much I have missed being so overweight. But now that I have lost weight and have more energy I am going to make the most of the season. These are the things kids remember when they grow up. It isn't the presents they receive, it's the times spent doing things with family!!!

I hate dishonest people!!!

Much like ALOT of other people that I know, my email was hacked. Apparently I sent a bunch of emails to other people that also made it so there emails got hacked. If that isn't enough, somehow someone got a hold of my debit card info and was able to make there own and spent $650 in Texas. Luckily the bank called me and asked about the purchases and I let them know that they were not done by me and they are going to reimburse me. I just hate how someone would do that to another human being. Steal that money from someone. Dishonest people suck!!!!

Cute Hair thing I made with fabric!!!

I wanted to learn how to make fabric hair things, so I went online and found a place that showed me how to make these ones. The website is here. My sister-n-law Lacey made Jordyn a dress and there was left over fabric, so I made her the blue bows below to match. They are so cute!!! Then her outfit she is going to wear on her bday matches the pink ones below. I am in love with these bows. I saw another way to make some on Good Things Utah that I am going to try later.

Halloween!!

Well I am finally posting about Halloween! I am usually really on top of things like posting about holidays and stuff, but lately I have been busy. I went to both the kids Halloween parades at school on Friday. Then on Saturday we went to Lindas house and tuffed it out in the rain at her neighborhoods trunk-r-treat! Afterwards we went down to Shellys house because Shane wanted to see his niece and nephew in their costumes. It wasn't raining there so we went to a couple houses so the kids got the "full" experience! All in all it was a pretty low key and fun Halloween!

Ryan as Harry Potter

Jordyn as Little Red Riding Hood (Linda made the cape! Thanks Linda!!! It made the costume!)

Dress for Jordyn!

My sister-in-law, Lacey, is such a little seamstress! She amazes me! I wish I had the talent that she does. She made a dress like this for her daughter Gracie and I had to have one for Jordyn. So we went to walmart and picked out the fabric and she took it home and made it for me. I love it. It makes me want to learn to sew knowing I can make cute things like this! Thanks so much Lacey!!! You are totally awesome!

Long overdue

One of the main reasons, besides seeing family, that I wanted to go to Mesquite was to see the marker that my extended family made for my mom. She died 15 years ago and I still haven't been to the spot where she died to see the marker that they made for her. It was a hard thing to do. When I got there and looked around I could just picture in my head what happened. I could see it in my mind so clearly that it was super hard. I am so glad that I went though. I am so glad that I have the memories that I have of her, and that I know that she is watching over me and I will see her again someday. Its what gets me through some days.

The marker. It says her name, her birthday and her death day

What was also amazing is that there were actually two other markers there to mark two other people that had died at that same location.

Catch up!!

I have not posted in a while!! That is so not like me :) I have been busy with family and just to lazy to do anything I guess. So here comes a couple of posts for the time lost!! Me and my sister went to Mesquite to visit some family we haven't seen in like 15 years!! It was soooooooooooooo much fun. It didn't even seem like time had passed at all. We stayed with my Aunt Lori the first night and went to a fall festival and saw her daughter, Alicia(?sp) sing. That night we went to my cousin Leslies house and we went to a casino and hung out and danced the night away, needless to say the next morning was not so fun for some of us!! It was an awesome trip and we need to make it a yearly thing. Andy was unable to come because he had to work, so next trip he needs to be there for sure!!

Camping

2 weeks ago we went up to spend the last night camping with my sister, her husband, my dad and some friends while they were hunting. It was a blast. I love camping, so I am going to go at any opportunity. Ryan actually spent the whole week with them, and had fun learning how to shoot and riding 4 wheelers. Here are some pictures from the time we got to spend there.

The awesome trees

Everybody chillin

Gettin a ride on the 4 wheeleers

Dusty bein a goon wearing my dads hat

Believe it or not this is my first time shooting a gun

The kids playin horseshoes

Fire!!!!

Quick one

Was bored so I just quickly made this layout for Ryans baseball!

some more!

Just a couple more pages I did recently! I am on a roll lately. I better keep it up while I am in the "mood" :)

Pages I have been doing!

Got in a scrappy mood today so I decided to do some scrap booking with some pictures I had printed.

Ryans bday page

Ryans first day of school page

Jordyns first day of kindergarten page

Goblin Valley page

MOM

15 years ago today my very best friend died......My Mom. She was one of the best people I have ever known. She was a shoulder for me to cry on, and a friend that I could stay up all night with just talking. I had her in my life for 16 years and I treasure each and every one of them. I am so fortunate to have as many memories of her that I have. My little brother was only 7 when she died and doesn't remember her very well, which is so sad to me because she was such an amazing person. I don't go a day without thinking of her or talking to her. She is my angel in heaven. I love you and miss you like crazy mom. LOVE YOU!!!

Goblin Valley

Dustys friend Noji invited us to come to Goblin Valley for part of Labor Day weekend. We arrived late Thursday night and came home on Saturday. I have never been down there before and thought it would be a fun time. Little did I know how much. It is the most beautiful place. The rocks and mountains are amazing!!! We went on a hike and saw some of the coolest things. It got to a point where we had to put our feet just one in front of the other and your shoulders would barely fit, but if you looked up it was amazing. The color of the sandstones and stuff were amazing! Then we went to Goblin Valley and it was so big and beautiful. You could climb up these rocks that we so awesome! The kids had an amazing time and met some new friends! We definitely plan on going back and going to The Arches and stuff. Pictures do not do this place justice. AMAZING!!!

This was our campsite!

Jordyn on the hike

Ryan on the hike

Dusty and Jordyn on top of one of the rocks at Goblin Valley

So super pretty

Family picture with amazing scenery

So amazing!

First day of Kindergarten!

Today Jordyn had her very first day of Kindergarten :( It was a little sad for me. This is the last time that I will have a child of mine start Kindergarten. She is growing up to fast and right before my eyes. She was the one who decided what she was gonna wear and how her hair was going to be done. I am very proud and scared about her skills in dressing herself! I better watch out! I think I may have a clothes diva on my hands! I drove her to school and walked her to her class. Then I stood outside for a little bit just watching her through the window. I didn't feel weird about it either because I wasn't the only one :) I didn't cry, which I am very proud of myself for. I am such a ball baby that I thought that I might, but I didn't. When I picked her up she told me about her day and then we went to the Olive Garden for our first day of Kindergarten lunch I do with the kids. It was a bitter sweet day, but a good one!!!

The cute outfit she picked

She wanted her hair in buns and I found some cute bows to match her outfit she picked out

On top of the school sign

My little poser!

Sitting at her desk in class-this was taken through the classroom window!