Merry Christmas!!!

Just wishing everyone a safe and Merry Christmas!

Here is a funny Christmas memory I have. I was thinking back to 5 years ago Christmas morning. Noah and I decided we would head over to my brother's since we didn't have any children at that time and life was pretty boring. We took a side road to get there (it was that year with the really bad snow storms and my work was cancelled for a week after Christmas because of it.) We were traveling in our 4x4 vehicle on a snowy road but didn't really think anything of it because we were in 4 wheel drive. Suddenly we hit a snow drift in the middle of the road and some black ice. We started spinning out of control and next thing I remember, we were upside down in a ditch. I was so out of it, that I didn't realize that we were upside down. I was only interested in knowing Noah was alright and getting out. I un-clicked my seat belt and landed on my head which resulted in a back injury. We couldn't get out because our doors were jammed and Noah didn't have cell service in the ditch. Windows were broken all around us. The back window was still in tact and luckily we were able to get that down to crawl out through broken glass every where. I was crying at that point because I felt like I was stuck in there. Finally we crawled out and were able to call for help. We called 911 and Johnny to let them know what happened. They didn't believe us for the first couple of minutes because I was crying in the background and they thought I was laughing. They soon figured out that we weren't kidding and quickly came to the accident. There were no cars around and neither of us were dressed very warm. We just had to wait in the cold, bleeding until someone came. We had cuts on our knees and hands because of the broken glass. The ambulance showed up soon and the county sheriff. They checked us out and asked us questions. That's when it occurred to me. "I'm pregnant!" I yelled. They told me I needed to get to the hospital asap because I was having some pains. They offered us an ambulance ride (but we were worried about the cost because I've heard horror stories. Little did we know that the car insurance would have covered it.) My parents drove us to the hospital and they immediately did an ultrasound to make sure everything was good. We got to see our sweet AnnaBelle for the first time and everything was fine. I had some major back problems for a little while and literally thought I was going to die but we made it through it. In the end, our cute Toyota 4runner was totalled and we got Noah a new truck. That was a very memorable Christmas morning. I hope we never have to experience that again! PLEASE drive safe this Christmas!!!

Christmas Tag

-Wrapping paper or gift bags? I prefer wrapping paper but I did buy a cute gift bag set of 20 at Costco this year. :)
-Real Tree or Artificial? I LOVE real trees and we had them until we moved to our current house. I am allergic so breaking out in hives is awesome while decorating it. Someday we'll go back but I must say that artificial is very convenient, especially pre-lit.
-When do you put up the tree? The Saturday after Thanksgiving.
-When do you take the tree down? After New Year's and "I cry the day that I take the tree down." I HATE that song!
-Do you like eggnog? No, I try every year but just can't do it. Tastes like dirt/milk.
-Favorite gift received as a child? An entire set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All 4 of them Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Rafael. Sweet!
-Hardest person to buy for? Noah's rough. He likes the top of the line stuff that I can't afford.
-Easiest person to buy for? Both my girls. Anything pink basically.
-Do you have a nativity scene? I have 5 or 6 small ones.
-Mail or e mail Christmas cards? Neither this year. I'm lame :(
-Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The "motion picture" things I got one year from Noah. Those pictures that sound like water and move. Yeah, I got 2 of them. Apparently we're white trash and have a nail/tanning salon in our house. They wouldn't return them either. That sucked! Noah learned his lesson though. Buy from the list!
-Favorite Christmas movie? National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Need you ask?????
-When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving. I'm one of the crazy's, although I did have an anxiety attack in Wal-mart this year.
-Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably a neighbor present or two.
-Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's chex mix. Any yummy treat.
-Lights on the tree? pre-lit baby
-Favorite Christmas song? Uh, just one? Oh Holy Night
-Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home cuz everyone lives here. Who would we visit?
-Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Sure can.
-Angel on the tree top, or star? Rustic star. So cute!
-Open presents Christmas eve or morning? We usually open pj's on Christmas Eve but I'm not buying them this year because they have enough jammies. I can't even close the drawer.
-Most annoying thing about this time of year? Annoying people.
-Most favorite thing about the season? Family, tubing, the magic.
-Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Cute hand-made things I get from AnnaBelle to put on the tree.
-Favorite food for Christmas dinner? Anything my mom makes.
-What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing, Noah and I have made a deal that we aren't going to get eachother anything. I just want my family to be safe and happy.

I tag you!!

Crazy dreams

I don't know why but I have some crazy, whacked out dreams and it's not just lately. I have them when I'm not pregnant too. My young women ask me to tell my dreams to them because they are pretty funny and entertaining. Their favorite is when I dreamed (while I was pregnant with AnnaBelle) that I had a litter of puppies and I grew multiple sets of "boobies" and I had them all nursing down me. I also dreamed that her hand came through my belly and we walked around holding hands.

I have some dreams over and over.

-that I am at Lake Powell and we hit a rock that we can't see underwater and we sink. I have a lot of sinking boat dreams.

-that I am back in high school or college and it's mid semester and I haven't been to class all year and I am failing. I try to make it up but it never seems to help.

-that I am in a play or have to do a musical number and I don't know my lines, song, or have anything prepared.

-that I forget my locker combination.

-that a train I am on or that is near me crashes. (Probably because we live a block away from the train tracks.)

-that I am being chased and I can't run. My legs are like sandbags. I also dream a lot that I am playing soccer or some other sport and I SUCK! Hate that dream!

I also have a lot of dejavu which freaks me out! I've had a lot of crazy dreams in my life. I'd like to hear about yours.

Trujillo Temple

They announced a couple of days ago that the church is building a temple in Trujillo, Peru which is where Noah served his mission. He is so excited and couldn't stop thinking and talking about it. We really want to go to the dedication when it's all finished. We'll have to see when that will be and how long we have to save up. A ticket to Peru is not cheap. We won't be taking any children with us. Peru is not much for tourism. Even the water is not great. My mother in law went to every mission her sons served in and out of all of them (Russia, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and the Ukraine) that Peru was the most "3rd world" of them all. I am so excited to go there and see all of the amazing things in Peru. Machu Picchu , Nazca, Saqsaywaman (pronounced sexy woman.)

Noah is very excited and it has been what he has been talking about for 3 days straight.

Twilight

So I finally went to see it, not by my choice. I know I am going to get some slack for saying this but I didn't like the book. I could see the appeal but I couldn't get over 4 things:

1- Bella's whining. Seriously??
2- The fact that he is white and cold. What's that all about? Hot guys are tan!
3- That he sparkled in the light. My "sparkly vampire?" Sounds a little sweet to me. (and by sweet, I mean gay!)
4- That he was a stinking vampire. Couldn't do it.

Anyway, to my surprise, I did like the movie. I only went because my friends in my ward bought me a ticket and dragged me to it (I'm a little anti-social right now.) Edward had to grow on me because he's not so cute. I pictured a "Kyle Korver/Ashton Kutcher" but whatever. I also thought Bella was not such a brat which was refreshing. I didn't venture into the next books because it took all I had to finish the first one. Especially now that I know that there are werewolves in the next one. Really? I might have to give it a go though since Jacob was hecka hotter than Edward and I guess he's a big player in the next one but a werewolf? Can't she find a normal guy? Anyway, hope no offense to those that love it. I know I love things that you probably can't stand. Like Gordon Ramsey. :)

My Husband

I saw this on Traci's blog. I wasn't tagged but I wanted to do it cuz it looked like fun :)

1) Where did you meet? At a single's ward camp out. I saw him emerge through the fog and it was love at first sight.
2) How long till you got married? About 8 months. We met on July 13th and got married on Feb 2nd. Worst 8 months of my life!!!
3) How long have you been married? Almost 7 years. Crazy!
4) Your favorite feature of his? He's very athletic and can do anything. He's extremely handy and smart. He blows me away every day. Come see my new fence he put up over the weekend. I love it!
5) Your favorite quality of his? His honesty and integrity. He tells you like it is but does it with class.
6) Does he have a nickname for you? Honey or Babe. He calls me Ash too.
7) His favorite food? Anything. He will eat anything I make. It's really nice he's not picky!
8) What is his favorite sport to watch? All of them! Probably golf the most but we love to watch Jazz Basketball together. We both also love football.
9) When was your first kiss? August 2nd while laying in the grass in my parent's yard. It was very sweet and that was when it was confirmed to me that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
10) What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Go to Jazz games. It's a little expensive though so we settle with just watching them at home. We also love to just hang out with the kids and laugh.
11) Do you have kids? Sure do, AnnaBelle (4) Desiree (2) and little fetus (10 weeks.)
12) Does he have a hidden talent? He's pretty obviously talented. He's a VERY good singer and most people don't know that. He sounds like Trace Atkins.
13) How old is he? He will be 32 in March. But his grey hair would suggest otherwise :)
14) Who said I love you first? He did, and I immediately said it back
15) What do you admire most about him? How hard of a worker he is and his integrity.
16) What is his favorite type of music? I would have to say country but he likes everything except my favorite, gangsta rap!
17) Do you think he will read this? Nope. He could care less...another thing I love about him. He doesn't care what anyone thinks. :)
18) I tag: Carlie, Jenner, Bridgette, and Suzie

Thankful

I didn't get a change to post what I am thankful for over the holiday, so here's it is (in no particular order):

-my family....immediate and extended.
-my house
-work
-DVR
-garbage disposals
-chemotherapy
-vehicles
-washing machines
-friends
-food
-the gospel
-flushing toilets
-epidurals

I could get all mushy but I'm not in the mood. I'm thankful for a lot more than this but these are just a few things that make my life better and easier!

What's going on.....

A whole lotta nothin!

I've started to feel better. Not enough to actually do housework and laundry. I'm boycotting that. Actually, I found a cleaning lady that is going to come to my house twice a month. I can budget that in! She was supposed to come today but had to cancel last minute. I was bummed but we'll re-schedule. I thought Noah wouldn't go for it but he told me that if it's really something I want, then I can do it. Uh....duh?!?!?!

I've started doing application process and data entry for the United Way and their Sub for Santa program. It's a fun work from home thing and I get paid so that's nice! Obviously it's a seasonal thing since Sub for Santa only comes once a year.

Sweet baby Luke is so dang cute, I could just squeeze him!

I can't wait for Thanksgiving, even though it's a McKinnon year. It's just not the same as Renita's but it'll still be fun. We set the time to meet for 1:00 pm. Who wants to place a bet that we don't eat until at least 5:00? Any takers? I also can't wait for day after Thanksgiving shopping! I LOVE IT!!!

That's what's happening here. A whole lotta nothin!

Laundry

I hate it!

Ugh

Not feeling so great today. It comes and goes. I am due the end of June (so basically forever away!) I get a little over anxious to tell people and never get further than 6 weeks before blurting it out. It annoys Noah but guess what I told him????

"It's my body, I'll tell whoever I want, whenever I want. Your job is over, mine is just beginning." So there :)

I'm kinda mean when I'm pregnant. Especially when I'm hungry.

I got to see sweet little Luke Stanley Vernon born. You never really appreciate or fathom how absolutely amazing birth is until you see someone you love do it. It was so exciting! I am going to return the favor by letting Cyd watch mine. It's something else I tell ya! That sweet baby is heaven sent for sure.

October Fun!

Sweet AnnaBelle

Dog the Bounty Hunter and Beth endorsing Sarah Palin


Raggedy Andy and Anne

Desiree

My 3 loves!

We had such a fun October!

Oh good.....more candy

She already has 5 cavities, a broken tooth that needs a crown, and a dentist bid over $1200. Why are we giving her more candy????? Stupid Halloween!

Hooray!

From the mouth of babes.....

comes singing/yelling. We had our primary program today and right before AnnaBelle left to go up to the seats, I told her to "sing loud." Little did I know that in her mind that meant "sing at the top of your lungs, completely off key and louder than the entire primary." It was pretty cute. The Sunbeams sang their own little song into the mic and AnnaBelle was the only one singing and she knew the words. Even if there was a part of a song that she wasn't sure about, she still sang oober loud while yelling gibberish. At one point, the entire ward turned to look at our red faces. We were proud. :)

That's just the way I feel....

Johnny has a song on his cd called "That's just the way I feel." It talks about views on family, country and even Nascar. I really like this song. This is just the way I feel......

I hate abortion. I have a problem with anyone who thinks it's okay. However, I do think that women should have the right to choose. If someone is raped and becomes pregnant, she didn't have a choice. If a woman's life is in danger, she has the right to defend herself. A woman who engages in un-protected sex or sex in any way, made her choice at conception. I guess I can be called pro-choice???

I also have very strong feelings about Proposition 8. Let's just pray that it works out how it should to protect marriage and the family. I don't have a problem with homosexuals. I do however have a problem with gay marriage.

I don't agree with socialism, affirmative action, government healthcare, and people wanting something from the government because they think they are owed something. I think government programs are good for people who really need them. I have no tolerance for people who use and abuse programs like that.

In the song it says "I'm not out to change the world or tell some other person how to think." This is how I feel. That's the beauty of living in this great nation, we all have a right to our own opinion.

At the end of the song it says "You shouldn't fly the flag to simply decorate your place, you don't show up to church on Sunday just to show your face, and even if we don't deserve it God still loves the human race with all His heart, that's just the way I feel."

Some may call me close minded. If clinging to my guns and religion means I am closed minded, then I welcome that statement. That's just the way I feel.

Tagged

I was tagged by Cyd because my birthday lands on an even day.
Okay, here are the rules: Go to your pictures, go to your 6th folder, pull up your 6th picture and post it! Here is what I found:

Desi's 1st birthday and her digging into her cake. What a sweety!

Now I tag anyone who loves chocolate or cheesecake :)

Lake Powell here we come!

It's time for the Revill Family's annual Lake Powell Extravaganza!!! I know what you're thinking.....isn't it butt-freaking cold??? Yep.........and that's the best part! It's around 75 degrees in the middle of the day which is the best time to pull out the wakeboard and/or tube (and you have the WHOLE lake to yourself!) Other than that, you don't feel guilty about not getting in the water. You can just eat and sleep and eat and read a book and eat and sleep and go on the boat and then more eating and a little more sleeping, maybe throwing in a dumb gossip magazine and cross-word every once in a while. It's fantastic! We play lots and lots of games! Noah and I look forward to this trip every year. I love singing Halloween songs on the top of the houseboat and watching scary movies late at night! The candy is in adundance because of the holiday. This year is kind of a bummer because Cyd is so extremely pregnant and won't be joining us. Darn that cute little stinker inside of her! We will return next week!!! Hasta la Vista......Placido Domingo!

My quirks

I liked Suzie's post about her quirks. Here are a few of mine:

- My favorite music is hip hop/rap and I know every word to every song of Eminem's first album (not that it's something to be proud of.)

- My least favorite chore of all the chores is getting gas. I HATE IT!

- I could live on doughnuts and cake alone. No lie!

- I hate swimming.

- I would love to be a mother and baby nurse, a detective, or a special ed teacher.

- Baking is not my forte.

- I like the smell of cigarettes, coffee, and skunk (thanks to Pa.)

- Exercize is not part of my vocabulary.

- I get a "want to die because it hurts so bad" pain in my side while I am pregnant-hence the reason I am not.

- I pull on hair on myself and my family-hence the reason I have no eyelashes.

-I never forget movie and tv quotes. I have a top score in The Office quote game.

-I have a photographic memory and whenever I tell someone that, I usually say photogenic memory for some reason. Duh!

-I am allergic to everything!

-I don't like most chocolate.

-My most embarrasing moment was when I was trying out for SUU's show choir and they made me sing Rockin Robin and I said Roppin Roggin every time.

I'd like to hear your quirks now!

LDS Commercials

Yesterday as I watched conference, I decided that someday....when I write an LDS book or have an LDS cd, or star in an LDS film (which is totally inevitable right?) that I am going to have a commercial that says "buy your copy today....unless today is Sunday, in that case, buy your copy tomorrow." I noticed that every commercial told me to buy it today, and I was like "Uh, it's Sunday, and Deseret Book isn't open!" I think it'd be funny to say that. :)

John McCain

No....this is not a political post. I just wanted to tell you all that I have a crush on John McCain. The one from 30 years ago. He was HOT!

The Office!!!!

All hail the return of The Office! Who watched it????

Here are my favorites:

Dwight- "I'm going to randomly select three names, and these three people will get liposuction...okay......Stanley, Phyllis, Kevin....and you will be responsible for your own medical expenses."

Kelly- "I'm on the 3rd day of my cleanse diet. All you have to do is drink maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and water for all three meals. I just bought some bikinis online, size 2 so....I'm gonna look amazing."

Jan-"Remember last week when that girl went missing? Guess who's candles they used for the vigil?"

There are so many more!!!! What was your favorite quote or part??

Here's my favorite of all time! (I am apologizing in advance for the language.) Sung to the Oompa Loompa song.

Andy-
"Oopma, Loompa, Doopidy Dawesome,
Dwight is now gone which is totally awesome!
Why did he leave he was such a nice guy?
No he was not, he was a total douche. Doopidy doo."

Ha ha! Yes! Now you.....go!

In memory

Baby the dog passed away 5 years ago. I know it may seem lame but I loved that dog. She was the closest thing I had to a child at that time in my life. She came into our family when I was 7 years old and passed away when she was almost 17 years old. I still miss her and think about her all the time. She was a good dog!

On that note....I still have a cute chihuahua pup available if anyone wants her. She's super cute and almost potty trained. :)

From the mouth of babes....

AnnaBelle-"Mommy, is the baby in your belly a boy or a girl?"

Me- "Sweety, there isn't a baby in my belly."

AnnaBelle-"Are you sure? It's fat enough for one to be in there and it's soft."

Awesome! My kid just told my I'm fat. Where's the nearest gym? Oh yeah....it's a block away!

Q&A: AnnaBelle

Favorite color-pink
Favorite movie-Cinderella
Favorite tv show-Tom and Jerry
Favorite animal-elephants and giraffes and puppies
Favorite food-macaroni and cheese
Favorite snack-oreos
Favorite toy-"my new Barbie, but I lost it."
Favorite game-candyland and chutes and ladders
Favorite inside activity-playing with Desi
Favorite outside activity-playing in the sandbox
Least favorite thing to do- my chores
Favorite place to visit-Liverty (liberty) Land
Favorite holiday-Christmas
Halloween costume this year-Raggedy Andy
What do you want to be when you grow up-a mommy and have babies
Best friend-Avery

Our booth

We've had a few requests to post pictures of our booth. Here they are for your viewing pleasure...

Emily and Sarah (good job mom for making such cute girls!)
Our chicken coups

Cyd getting ready to make a major sale!

We duct taped the grass to the roof and they fell of mid-day. Maybe that's why we didn't win the award this year. Hmmmm....

BTW, if the "Chick it out" signs look familiar...yes....they are from the Target Easter line. Nothing like getting free signs from Target. :)

Seriously????

Can they get any cuter?????

Remembering 9/11

I will never forget the way I felt when I watched the news 7 years ago. What was happening? I couldn't believe this was real. 6 days later, I boarded a plane heading to Newark Airport, across the harbor from New York City. We had this trip planned for months. We were going to Altantic City, NJ for the 2001 Miss America Pageant. We also planned to visit Philadephia and New York City. We headed for New York and I will never forget the people of that city. The fliers of missing people posted all over. Yellow ribbons and posters showing support. Dust and debris every where. Seeing the volunteers come and go from ground zero. Those who had just finished searching after many hours were tired and down. Those who were going in were optimistic to find someone in the rubble. The air was hard to breathe. Cars and buildings were shaken and damaged but the spirit and hope I felt in that city that day will never leave me.

I will never forget.

Today's highlights/lowlights

1-Having my first hot chocolate of the season (it was rainy and a little chilly today.)
2-Putting vaseline on a sore bottom (not a great wiper yet.)
3-Packing up all of AnnaBelle's clothes and realizing we are WAY too blessed.

To move or not to move?

We are in a crazy moving situation right now. The bank wants us to sell something to prove that things are moving along on our 13 lot subdivision. Since NOBODY is buying right now, our solution is to sell the spec home that has been sitting up there in a construction loan to us. Weird? I know but that's what we need to do. We posted our current home on KSL for rent (the downstairs and the apartment upstairs.) Within a day, we had both of them set up for renters. Then today, someone showed interest in the spec home for the first time in 9 months. We are so confused as to what to do. Thinking of moving made me sad but really excited at the same time. I would love a new house with actual closets but I am sad to leave this great ward and neighborhood and I absolutely LOVE my house. My Beehives took the news pretty badly tonight but I assured them that everything will work out and things happen for a reason. So, I guess we will see if the people will buy the new house but then we don't know what to do about the renters. I guess....we'll just see. In the meantime, I am starting to pack the non-essentials. Moving is great fun :(

Happy Birthday Kassidi!

Happy Birthday to my cute niece Kassidi! We have a little bond, because we share the same birthday. :)

Top 10 Best Swiss Days Moments Countdown

10-Pulling out the booth from the "coop of dispair" and getting that butterfly feeling.

9- Watching my amazing dad lift heavy walls at his ripe age (thanks dad!)

8-Setting up the booth in the dark (3-5 pm set up time isn't enough before dark.)

7-Waking up on Friday at 6:30 to techno music on Cyd's phone alarm. Waking up Saturday morning to the announcer for the 5K.
Announcer-"Wake up campers, let's get this party started"
Me- "SHUT UP!!! It's frickin 6:00!!!"

6-Making hot chocolate, getting stuff ready, trying to start the scooter in the cold (to no avail,) walking in the cold to the booth, taking down the stupid tarp, having people buy stuff before the tarp is even down.

5-Compliments from shoppers on our cute stuff and booth.

4-Spooning with Cyd in one sleeping bag cuz it was FREEZING!

3-Riding scooby to 7-11 and Mountian Top Restaurant with my pregnant sister hanging on for dear life behind me. Almost wrecking 17 times.

2-Making more the first day then we made in the last 2 years, COMBINED!!!! AH!

1- Having an awesome time with "the best sister in the world!" Laughing until we peed and reaping our rewards for hard work.

Thanks Cyd! It was a great time! Thanks to Noah, Rich, Dad, and Mom for all of your help. It WOULD NOT have been possible without all of you! We owe you a big steak dinner.

Swiss Days 2008

Hi ya'll and guten morgen (good morning.) I just wanted to extend an invitation to you to join us at Midway Swiss Days 2008 on Friday and Saturday. We are so excited and honored to be a part of it again. This is our 4th year and we LOVE it! Our booth is located in the furthest North section on the end of the row. We have never been in that area before so it's exciting to see how this year will turn out. We have lots of new products this year and I know you won't be dissapointed in the other booths. The food is reason enough to come. Come find us if you come up and say "hello!!" We set up Thursday night from 3-5 pm and then Cyd and I will be staying in our sweet camping trailer in the church parking lot. We will also be using scooby (our scooter) as transportation through the week. It's going to be a blast! Hope to see you there!

More sleep...

I felt really lame going to bed last night at 10:30 since there is nothing to watch anymore.

Change of mind

I have changed my mind. I am trying out for the badminton team or the ping pong team. The trampoline is my back-up. I also thinking rifling is cool. (Kidding.)

Intervention

Hi...my name is Ashley....I am an Olympic addict. It should only last for another week or so.

I am going to try out for the olympic trampoline flip team. That's been my favorite event so far. Noah said that he has never even seen me do a flip on our trampoline so at 11:00 pm last night, we went outside and I showed him my mean back flip. I immediately went back inside and changed my underwear.

New battery???

Well, my laptop died and I need to buy a new battery but they are around $300 which is insane! Now I have to go downstairs and use the dumb pc which I hate. Hopefully I can find one that is not as much and we will be back on track! :)

We are heading to go camping today. Should be fun! I am excited. Luvs!

WOW!!!

Wowness indeed! The Opening Ceremonies were insane! I am not a huge fan of them but I have to say that I was in awe (Noah as well) at the amazingness that was the Opening Ceremonies. The box things the lit up....the box things that the people were inside...the karate guys and their perfect circles....the guy with the torch that was "running" at the top of the stadium. INSANE! I very much enjoyed them. Fine holiday fun!

Puppies!!!

Hooray! The puppies are here! They arrived between 10:00 and 11:30 this morning. Chaquita had 3 puppies, all are girls. One brownish/tan and 2 black. They are so incredibly cute. She struggled with the first one so I had to assist a little bit. I had rubber gloves and birthing pads on hand and they came in handy. The second baby came very easily and about 5 minutes after the first. The 3rd puppy was a little difficult and we almost lost it. She pushed for about 10 minutes and finally had it. It wasn't responding so I rubbed it for a little while and it finally came to. We are so relieved that Chaquita is doing good and the puppies. It's going to be so fun! Come see them if you like!

Puppy #1
Puppy #2 (sorry, kinda graphic)
Puppy #2
Puppy #3
Mom and her cute pups!

Twins....

Noah and I were watching home videos the other day and realized just how much Desi looks like AnnaBelle did at her age. I found some pictures to compare. What do you think??

AnnaBelle

Desiree

Bummer....

I know this is going to sound ridiculously stupid and I might lose a friendship over it or even respect from people but I am totally bummed that shark week is over on the Discovery Channel. I love shark week. I should have been a marine biologist or something because it totally intrigues me (even though I am scared to death of all marine life and deep water.) I will try to figure out how to post the video of us swimming with the sharks in Hawaii. I have literally never been so scared in my life. We also went snorkeling with turtles on that trip but the absolute worst was when I went scuba diving in Mexico on the free trip I won from R.C. Willey with my mom (she got pooped on by a giant lizard.) After 1 hour of scuba instruction, they threw us in the water and basically said "good luck." It was the worst hour of my life. I breathed in so much salt water and got stung by a jellyfish on my face, right below my mask. When I asked them what I should do because it hurt SOOOOO bad, they said "uhhhh???? we don't know." So I peed on my own hand and put it on my face. It was sick but it helped. Okay....maybe it's a good thing I didn't venture into marine biology but I still like shark week. I'll stick to my couch and tv to enjoy marine life.

American Idol Pictures are here!

American Idol Experience

I wanted to blog EVERYTHING about our experience up at American Idol. It was everything I thought it would be and more (including a front row view of Ryan!) I am warning you that this will be long, so be prepared. I will start from the beginning:

Sunday night, we left for registration at 6:00 pm because Cyd has "night church." I picked her up thinking that we would be a while. I packed snacks, water, an umbrella, and every & any form of i.d. I have. (Literally.....Cyd was laughing....I had my drivers license, passport, social security card, 2 marriage licenses, and birth certificate. Just in case...you know.) We arrived at Energy Solutions Arena and parked in a great free parking spot. I was worried though because it was for only 2 hours but thought I could come move it if needed. We walked up the steps and there was a table of about 20 American Idol workers just waiting to register someone...because we were the only 2 there. I scanned the people...avoiding the white haired, crosseyed, bearded man to the right and went toward the cute, friendly girl. She smiled and took my i.d. She checked my birthday (which is really close to being too old) and gave me a red wristband. They gave Cyd a hot pink wristband and a gave us both a V.I.P pass and told us that we could come at 7:00 am on Tuesday instead of 5:00 am and we automatically get to go to the front of the line. Why??? I was so confused. Then they said "because your friend is pregnant." SWEET!!! I knew I took Cyd for a reason! We were done in 2 minutes and headed home. We were back around 6:45.

I didn't sleep at all on Monday night. Not because of nervousness or gitters, just because I was so excited to be a part of it. I have loved American Idol since season 1. I felt like I did when I was a little kid the night before going to Lagoon. I woke up at 5:30 and got myself ready. I picked Cyd up at 6:15 and headed for Salt Lake. When we arrived, we about died at all of the people. They were doing group shots and everyone was screaming. We could hear helicopters and police. We didn't experience the craziness outside because of our V.I.P treatment. We went right inside with another group of pregnant women, people in wheelchairs, and bald people with funky bandanas on. We felt bad that we were labeled as "diabled" when Cyd was perfectly fine to stand in line in the heat for hours (just a few days earlier, she was lifting boulders in her back yard.) But it was nice to not have to. :)

We took the elevator downstairs and arrived on the main floor. As we entered the arena, it looked smaller for some reason. I was used to entering it with 20,000 screaming Jazz fans. I did find a poster of D Will and blew it a kiss for good luck (you were in my heart baby!) They showed us to our padded seats. (Oh..and they let us bring in all of the treats we brought because she was pregnant.) We sat and waited for the crowd to arrive. All while being entertained by the funny black guy that was teaching us our audition city song. I found Suzie and Lindsay in the crowd and gave them a big wave. Cyd and I sat next to the winner of Salt Lake Idol. He was pretty secure about his singing ability and made it known. His darling little wife was a cutie though (I thought she was Kelly Pickler at first.) He told us that this was his 6th year of trying out (time to give up the dream pal.) After chatting for a while, they decided to go find someone to "inform them" that he was the Salt Lake Idol and they had him go to some "special seating." Cyd was so incredibly annoyed with him at that point. She can't stand short, somewhat chubby guys who think they are the shiz. We laughed at him for a while. Then we got to know the couple sitting next to us. He had a broken arm and they were an engaged couple from Las Vegas. This was his 2nd year of trying out. They were very cute and fun to hang out with.

After singing "Aint No Mountain High Enough" about 50 times, the crowd was settled and we learned "Get Ready" by The Temptations. They started taking group shots of everyone while singing and yelling things like "Welcome to Happy Valley....AHHHHHHH!" We weren't in the section that got much camera time but then again we were on the floor so I doubt they would have showed us anyway. There were random camera men coming around taking pictures and video and we got on a few of those. Cyd got her own shot with a the cameraman shooting her belly and her saying "American Idol 2028!" Maybe we'll make it on :). After many group shots and a lot of yelling, we were tired but we kept laughing at people. There was a very large girl and her larger mom in a motorized chair that were so excited to be there, that we were sure they were going to have a heart attack. At one point, she tried to jump out of her chair and slipped and felt flat on her butt. There was also the very large black woman in red sequins from head to toe, and the girl in the blue shirt that Cyd was so annoyed with. :)

Finally they started to bring out the tables. They explained that they would be auditioning in sections but that the "disabled" group could audition whenever they want. We decided that we would watch for a little while and then I would go. I had to go to the bathroom so I went upstairs and found a swarm of people at the concession stands and all of them were singing. It was already a competition and you could tell that they were trying to show the other person that they were good or better than them. I went into the bathroom and there were 20 girls with curling irons and make-up kits. I just had to pee. So I did my thing and went back for my seat (not before blowing another kiss at another Deron poster.)

We moved our chairs right in front of the auditioning tables so we could see and hear better. That's when I decided that I was ready to go. I got in line and they placed me with 4 other people. They have you audition in groups of 4. Each person does their audition and waits for the others to audition. After all 4 have sung, they bring you forward and tell you if one or none, or all have moved on. So far in the hour that we had watched the auditions, we had only seen 4 tickets given and one of them was to Gabe, the Salt Lake Idol..yuk! As I waited in line, the people around me were singing and talking about where they were from and the long trips they had to take to get there. Washington, South Carolina, Idaho....I was glad I only had a 20 minute drive home at that point. I wasn't nervous. I felt good and knew that whatever happens, it would happen for a reason. They moved us to our table and there were 3 groups ahead of us. Right before the group ahead of us began, they paused the auditions and welcomed a very special guest...who do you think?? Yep...Ryan. I don't see the appeal personally but he was very fun. Cyd shook his hand and he looked right into her eyes (and then she peed her pants.) After he did his thing for an hour or so..you know...."Salt Lake is where Archie hails from...is the next American Idol from here? This....is American Idol.. AHHHHHHHH!" More yelling and screaming, and flashes, and girls swarming him. Finally it was done and we started the auditions again. There was a girl in front of me in a red shirt that was killing me. She was a larger girl with bright red hair. She kept giving us advice like "when you're singing, think about what you're singing about and who you're singing it to. That really works for me." Great! Thanks! (She was terrible and I thought for sure they'd keep her just to make fun. Sad!) Next, we were up. I was on the end and they started with the first guy. He was black and was really good. Next was a girl from South Carolina. Ummmm...okay. Next was the shy girl from Idaho...not so great....and then it was my turn. I gave the judges a big smile, told them my name, and that I would be singing "Almost Like Being in Love" by Nat King Cole. They nodded and I started. I sang it the best I could and they were jamming along with me. I sang the entire song and they said "great, thank you." Then they put the clip board in front of their faces and discussed for about 30 seconds. Then they brought us all up and said "some of you have great potential. Unfortunately, we don't have the time or luxury to work with you. We are looking for something specific and you don't fit that. You are not competing with the people in this arena, you are competing with the Chris Daughtry's and Carrie Underwood's, but thanks for coming." We said thank you and went through the curtain to the area where they cut off your wristband and escort you out. I was just so excited to be able to experience it. I had so much fun!!!

Cyd and I stuck around for a few minutes and watched our friends from Vegas. By the time we left, we saw a total of 8 golden tickets given. It was noon. When we came outside, we saw Big Budda but avoided that because there's nothing like being interviewed after going through the loser tunnel. The greatest thing about it is that thousands of people would go through that tunnel and a few wouldn't so you don't feel too bad.

We had so much fun and I'm so glad Cyd and I went and spent that fun time together. We laughed, we ate, we sang, we peed a little. I highly recommend the experience to anyone (and always bring a pregant or disabled friend, or cancer patient with you!) :) Yeah for American Idol!

American Idol preview

I am waiting for my camera to upload pictures of my awesome AI experience (Noah took it camping.) I also want to blog everything about it so when I have more time and pictures, I will give my in-depth experience. It was a great time!

Are you kidding??

First I lost Gev and now Will???? I am boycotting SYTYCD!!!!

No more....

Well, no more worries about teaching lessons to ward members 3 times my age. Now I get to teach lessons to girls right on my maturity level. Hooray for being the new Beehive advisor!

Sunday School Lesson

Oh joy.....I get to teach the "Law of Chastity" lesson today. I am not so excited and pretty uncomfortable with the topic. I don't like talking about sexual relations to members of my ward that are 3 times my age. This is going to be great fun!

The News

ARE YOU SERIOUS??? Our dumb dog Chaquita is pregnant! What the????? Anyone out there want to give me some pointers? I haven't a clue on this since I have never attended to a whelping dog. I have been doing research and watching videos. Seems easy enough for me but I am worried about Chaquita. I love that dumb dog and don't want to see her in pain. Plus she is around 7 years old (we don't really know for sure) and she has had 2 previous litters so I am worried that she will be okay. Anyway, that's the good/bad news. She's getting fat and lazy. I am guessing (since we don't know when this happened or who did it) that she is due about the first week in August.

Back to normal

Well, now that Miss Utah week is over, we can try to get back to normal. It was such a fun week! I am glad I got to be a part of it. I had my favorites for the title and unfortunately, none of them got it but I do really like the girl chosen. She is a darling girl and will do a great job. I had so much fun with my friends. Carpooling together and eating after the pageant. My mom and Jean did an amazing job and it was a wonderful production! Today is laundry day since we are running low on everything! We are also low on food so I need to get to the store. We are sick of eating sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I need some new (and easy) meal ideas. Any suggestions???

Happy Birthday AnnaBelle!

Wishing a Happy Birthday to our sweet daughter AnnaBelle. 4 years ago we were blessed with the most beautiful and sweet child. Today we went to Liberty Land to celebrate. The girls loved it! It was a fun day.

I know it looks like they're worried but they loved it!
Birthday Girl

Fun with the Fam-Damily

We had a fun week this week. On Wednesday we headed to Lava Hot Springs for the 4th of July with my entire family. Other than almost drowning in the river and breaking my ankle and wrist, we had a great time. We went to a swimming pool there, tubed the rapids, and played at the sud fest. We watched dozens of people set off illegal fireworks that they no doubt went to Wyoming to buy and then we watched the Lava fireworks on the hill (do they have laws in Idaho?) We came home on Saturday afternoon after being pulled over for expired registration and Noah's expired license (oops, that's gonna be a hefty ticket.) Not an hour later, we had the trailer packed to go to the McKinnon family reunion in Hobblecreek canyon near Springville (might I add, that I am a little "camped-out?") We stayed up there for dinner and came home Sunday morning after breakfast. It was good to actually meet that side of his family (and not just me, it was the first time Noah had met some of his cousins.) We had a Sheriff behind us and of course the trailer isn't registered either (what is our deal?) but he obviously had another agenda because he didn't pull us over (after a few prayers.) 2 different vehicles in one day with expired registration and Noah still having the expired license....... I think they would have cuffed him. Anyway, we had a great weekend. Miss Utah week is here and it's going to be crazy! All of my mom's hard work all year is going to pay off come Saturday! Tomorrow is AnnaBelle's birthday. The BIG 4 years old! She is so excited she can't even stand it. Such a cutie!

Memories!!

I got this from Carlie's blog. It sounded like fun!

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

YEEEEHAWWWW!

Howdy! Lehi Round-Up week is here and ya'll are all welcome to come watch the parade in front of our house. The stock parade doesn't come in front of it but the Friday and Saturday parades do. We are having a BBQ at our house after the stock parade on Thursday that everyone's invited to. Let us know if you would like to come so we can plan on you. It should be a fun and busy week! Come visit us at the Round-Up Celebration Boutique that Cyd and I are in charge of on Tuesday and Wednesday at Wine's Park. Happy Trails!

Something interesting to wake up to.....

I woke up this morning and turned on the tv to the news. I wasn't really listening but something caught my ear. I heard the news achor say that a small plane hit a semi truck near Vernal this morning. I thought to myself (no lie) "What an idiot! The pilot turned out to be my uncle Bart. He had my cousin Austin in the plane with him. We are glad they are okay! Oh and...he's not an idiot. He is actually really smart to land the plane where he did. A semi just coincidentally came around the corner at that exact moment. He saved their lives, landed the plane, and did the best he could with minimal damage.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=3561628

Happy Father's Day

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to 2 wonderful men in my life! My wonderful husband, and my amazing dad. I have so much love and respect for both of them. I love you Honey and Daddy!

Buck-Up Little Camper

We went camping last night. It was a last minute decision. It was 7:30 pm and we decided to go. Noah was going to go help out with the scout camp-out but they didn't really need him so he thought he would stay home. We were trying to figure out what to do with our time. Since it was too late to travel to Springville to watch the Miss Lehi girls in their parade, we were deciding between a movie or camping. Since it is soon to be Father's Day, I thought I would give Noah what he wants since it is almost his day. Normally I would fight camping with all of my might but now that we have our cute little camping trailer, it's not so bad. We went out to our land out by Thanksgiving Point (which is approximately 4 minutes from home.) We parked our trailer, made a fire, hiked around the land, made future building plans, and ate hot dogs and smores. It was a great time. Sleeping was another story. Our "double" bed which is more like a roomy twin (Andrew Barnard) is the most uncomfortable bed ever and on top of that, one of our stupid chihuahuas couldn't hold their bladder and peed in the bed. ARE YOU SERIOUS! Plus the two of them fight for the space by my stomach and they have little dog fights under the covers all night. At one point, Noah threw one of them across the trailer. Before the sun came up, Noah decided to sleep on the top bunk and we actually got a few minutes of sleep. After a groggy morning, we woke up and made french toast. Then we went on a bike ride on this great bike trail. AnnaBelle wasn't feeling well and had to keep visiting the "poop rock" and that's when we decided to break camp and hit the 4 minute drive for home. We had a fun time.

Noah and Ashley-About us!

1. What are your names? Noah Kimball McKinnon and Ashley Revill McKinnon
2. How long have you been married? 6 years last February (time flies!)
3. How long did you date? 6 months
4. Who eats more? We both can put it away!
5. Who cooks dinner? Me, Noah can't even boil water :)
6. Who said I love you first? Noah did and my heart skipped a beat!
7. Who is taller? Noah by a foot and 2 inches
8. Who sings better? Noah's got a boomin bass voice but I can sing a note or two
9. Who is smarter? Noah is extremely smart. We are both smart at certain things
10. Whose temper is worse? We both are even kill. Both chill and don't really care.
11. Who does laundry? Me, every once in a while he'll help out if he doesn't have socks or underwear :)
12. Who does the dishes? Me, but he'll do them if they are taking over the kitchen
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Noah
14. Who pays the bills? Noah, I hate money!
15. Who mows the lawn? Noah. I mowed the lawn for 10 years as a kid and swore never to do it again!
16. Who is more daring and outgoing? We both are outgoing but I'd say Noah's more daring. I'm ridiculously afraid of heights.
17. Who drives when you are together? Noah, until we get a minivan. :)
18. Who is more stubborn? We both are stubborn. The silent treatment lasts a while in our house :)
19. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Noah. I'm always right!
20. Who is older? Noah by 3 1/2 years, but his gray hair makes me feel like I'm married to a distinguished, older man.
21. Who proposed? Noah. It's far too long a story to tell. Come watch the movie :)
22.Who kissed who first? Noah did and it was so cute and romantic.
23. Who has more friends? Me by far! I have too many to count. I LOVE friends. Noah is happy with his few really good friends.
24. Who has more siblings? Noah by a dozen! Just Kidding, there are 5 kids in my family and 8 in his.
25. Who wears the pants in the family? I would never tell Noah that I do but.....I do. :)

I need a nap!

So........it was a crazy week last week and I'm not gonna lie, I'm glad it's over. I am sad to not see the contestants each week. They were all so much fun. As many of you know, I got a phone call on Saturday morning from Natalie. She told me that her sister and one of our wonderful contestants, was sick and at the urgent care. I just crossed my fingers that it wasn't anything serious and that we would see her at 12:00 at interviews. After a few text messages that she was going to the emergency room and then one saying that she was being admitted into the hospital, I knew it was serious and there was a big chance that she wouldn't be participating that night. All of us involved were devistated. Many of the girls waiting for interview were crying and worried about her. She went into surgery soon after and I had a hard time thinking about anything else. It was difficult for me because her older sister Natalie is one of my closest friends. I saw them both yesterday and she is doing great.

Well, the show had to go on, so we did get our new royalty and the pageant was a success. We had a wonderful crowd, a wonderful MC (thanks Johnny,) and a great production. Johnny called Noel at the beginning of the pageant and that was really sweet. I cried through most of the pageant. Mainly because I was amazed at the growth of each girl and how far each of them have come. I hope each of them had a good time and learned something about themselves. I think it takes a special person to be a pageant contestant. They were all amazing!

Miss Lehi week

Oh dear and oh my! I can't believe it's actually here! All the work and preparation is going to pay off this week. I have to admit that I am relieved that it is almost over. It is a lot of work! We invest so much time and emotion into the program. I also feel very attached to all of the girls and wish that we could have 10 attendants and 1 queen. They are all such wonderful and talented girls and I love and enjoy each one of them so much! I am going to miss them.

With Miss Lehi, it seems like once one thing ends, on to the next! The parades start immediately that next weekend in Springville so we need to get measurements and buy dresses to match the float. The next week after that is Round-Up and what a crazy week that is! I am also sad to say goodbye to Jami, our current Miss Lehi. She has been such a great representative of the city.

Time to gear up for the 2nd craziest week of the year for me (the #1 craziest week of the year for me is and will always remain Swiss Days week on Labor Day. AH!) Luckily Traci is the best thing that ever happened to the program and the only reason the pageant is going to be a success! I love you Traci and thanks for being so insanly amazing!

See you at the pageant!

Back-seat gibber-gabber

10 Things I heard on the way to and from Las Vegas:

1-Mommy, when are we going to get there?

2- Mommy, is that Las Vegas? (Nope, it's Nephi)

3- Mommy, the DVD isn't working!!!

4- Daddy, I need to go potty!

5- Mommy, when are we going to get there?

6-Mommy, Desi put the microphone on my lap (headphones)

7- Mommy, I need to go potty really bad!

8- Mommy, is that Las Vegas? (Nope, it's Beaver)

9- Mommy, Desi is pulling my hair!

10- Mommy, when are we going to get there because I need to go potty!

Ah.......the joys of traveling with toddlers!

Pre-school Grad!!!

Last night we had pre-school graduation. AnnaBelle was so excited although, I don't think she knew what it really meant. They did a little program with things they learned during the year including their nursery rhymes. AnnaBelle was the loudest one and you could hear her over all the other kids. She wouldn't smile or wave or anything because she was concentrating so hard. We are very proud of her!

We are leaving for Las Vegas today to visit my sister for Memorial Day. We are so excited to swim and play and just relax!! Happy travels everyone!

Birthday Wishes!

L to R: Avery, Mom, Khloe, and AnnaBelle. Halloween 2006

Happy Birthday Mom and Avery!!!! I have the most amazing, wonderful mom! There are not enough words to express how much I love and admire my mom. She is the queen of everything and I am so eternally grateful for every moment that I get to spend with her. It's been almost 1 year since her last chemo treatment and she is now cancer free. That was absolutely the worst year of my life, but she was always strong and kept us all together. I don't know what I would do without her. She is the greatest! I love you mom!!!

Happy Birthday little Avery! You sweet little thing! Love ya!

Friends

Well, I am glad last week is over with. It was a crazy week and I am tired! I'm excited to just hang out this week, clean my house, and be with my family and friends. I have great friends in my ward. They always seem to know when to call when I need them. They always have something nice to say to lift my spirits, invite me on a walk, or just say hi. It's nice to have good friends that understand when you need a break. To not be mommy or wife, but just you. I have always had such great friends and influences in my life. I could never thank all of them enough for what they have done for me throughout my life and what great examples they were and still are to me.

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.- Unknown

Little Miss Lehi Party

For anyone that is interested the Miss Lehi girls are doing a fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network. The Miss America Organization has teamed up with Children's Miracle Network as it's National Platform. In doing so they have required each girl competing on a local level to raise $100, and each girl competing on the state level to raise $250 for CMN. We are having a Princess Party to help the girls earn their money. Please pass the word along to anyone you think would be interested.

Little Miss Lehi Party
May 10th
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Open House Style
At the Lehi Legacy Center
123 N Center St Lehi
$20 per child
for girls of all ages

Come enjoy games, crafts, prizes and a tea party with the Queens
Miss Lehi, Jami Thacker and
Miss Utah, Jill Stevens
Register at http://www.lehicityarts.org/
Or at the door!

***DISCLAIMER***

I just wanted to add that on the #1 question on my "Have you ever" list, it lists that there was a food poisoning incident. It was not by me! Poor guy! Needless to say, we never went out again but he sent me roses for being a good sport about it. :)

And also....................................WHAT THE HELLen Keller was that all about Jazz? I don't even want to talk about it. I put a scratch in my wood floor because I threw the remote across the room. PIECE of CRAP!!!!

An eventful weekend

Well, we had quite the fun and busy weekend. A couple of weeks ago we bought a camp trailer with the money we got from selling Noah's white trash old pick-up that we've been hauling around with us (sooooo nice that it's gone!) 1/2 an hour on KSL! We realized that this past weekend is my only free weekend until the Miss Lehi pageant is over (since we have something going every Saturday.) What a great weekend to go camping!!! It was so fun. We went out west with Noah's good friend Tyler Shock and his family. Of course I forgot the camera! Anyway, it was so fun to go out and have nothing to worry about except getting dirty and riding 4-wheelers (and trust me, our girls were DIRTY!) It was such a fun family trip. AnnaBelle caught a lizard and named her Lizzy and fell off the top bunk in the middle of the night and landed on Noah's head, even with a guard rail! Desi ate 1/2 the dirt out there and loved rolling around in it. I rode the 4-wheeler up a hill called Little Moab and about killed myself. My bum hurts this morning. Noah had a blast hanging out with his best friend and playing horseshoes. It was great!

Last week our old neighbor asked us if he could use Noah's dump trailer to clean up his yard. Of course he could but he offered to give us some extra Jazz tickets for letting him. Ummm...yeah! We wouldn't pass those up! Anyway, so Noah and I got to go to the Jazz game last night. It's hard to sit in the upper bowl when last year we had 14th row seats, but it was still a blast. Of course I had to sit next to the two token drunk girls that did nothing but talk about guys, drinking, inappropriate behavior and text their friends. Who comes to a Jazz game to do that? Seriously! After a couple of drinks though, they were pretty entertaining. WHAT A GAME?!?!? D Will is and remains my hero. I seriously almost screamed my head off after his awesome dunk! It was SO loud in the arena. My ears are still ringing. It was so fun to go out with Noah to do our favorite thing! It was a great weekend!

Have you ever......

1. Gone on a blind date?- This is one of my favorite stories to tell. Me, very nice cute guy, Tepanyaki, scallops, food poisoning, accidents on both ends. Ay ay-yay!

2. Skipped school? Are you kidding? I was the queen of sluffing. Every time we had sports marketing, we would go to Cari's house and eat homemade bread and vitamin d milk. No wonder I was chubby!

3. Watched someone die? Yes, we witnessed a car accident when I was younger. She was ejected from her car. I can still remember her name.

4. Been to Canada-No, and I really don't have a desire to. Way too cold! My dad served his mission there and BRRRRRR.

5. Been to Mexico? Many times. I won a free trip before I got married from R.C. Willey and I took my mama. Our honeymoon was the best trip though. :)

6. Been to Florida-Many times again!

7. Been lost-I got lost in V.F. Factory Outlet when I was little. I was scared!

8.Been on the opposite side of the country? Many times again, again!

9. Gone to Washington , DC? No but I REALLY want to! We may go this time next year to pick up Noah's sister from her mission in Philly. Then we'll go to DC while we're there.

10. Swam in the ocean? Yes, and I hated every minute of it. Too many foreign things. Scuba Diving in MX, swimming with sharks in Hawaii.

11. Cried yourself to sleep? Before giving birth. Both times.

12. Played cops and robber? When I was little with my boyfriend/cousin J.D. Akward?

13. Recently colored with crayons? They're all we have.

14.Sang Karaoke? Do you know me at all?

15.Paid for a meal with coins only? Sometimes but I feel dumb when I do

16. Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Lots of things!

17.Made prank phone calls? Is your refridgerator running? Well, you better go catch it! Ha ha!

18. Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose? No, but it'd be fun!

19. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes and I still am. WHERE'S SPRING???

20. Danced in the rain? Yes. So fun!

21. Written a letter to Santa Claus? Noah is my santa and I give him a list.

22. Been kissed under the mistletoe? yep.

23. Watched the sunrise with someone you care about? Yes, when Noah and I dated. We would stay up all night long.

24. Blown bubbles- All the time.

25. Gone ice-skating? Not too long ago. I fell and hurt my bummy!

26. Been skinny dipping outdoors? Yep, when Noah and I dated. Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell!

27 Gone to the movies? Huh? Of course!

28. Any nickname? Too many.

29. Apple or PC? I don't know??

30. Favorite drink? Crystal light

31. Tattoo? Perminent makeup :)

32. Body Piercings? I pierced my tongue once. Dad still doesn't know about it.

33. Birthplace?Provo

34. Favorite vacation spot? Lake Powell or Hawaii

35. Ever been to Africa? I wish!

36. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? Last night.

37. Ever been on TV? 3 times in one week!

38. Ever steal any traffic sign? Yes, and had to go to court for it and do community service

39. Ever been in a car accident? Christmas morning 2003, pregnant. Rolled and totalled the car. Not fun!

40. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle?4 door

41. Favorite salad dressing? Ranch, raspberry vinegarette at Thankgiving Point.

42. Favorite pie? I don't like pie.

43. Favorite number? 4

44. Favorite movie? Pride and Prejudice

45. Favorite holiday? Halloween

46. Favorite dessert? Vanilla Creme Wafers

Your turn!

Mystery plant

I figured out what the plants were that I pulled last year. Turns out they are pretty rare in these parts. Luckily they spread so hopefully they will keep coming back. They are called Brodiaea hyacinthine or Fool's Onion.

I also pulled a lot of Grape Hyancinth. They are coming back too. They are cute plants.

Hey.....free bushes, trees, and fences! Why not?

Well, some lady in West Jordan was getting rid of a bunch of bushes in her yard and so I went and picked them up (well, I actually dug them up. Hard work!) We'll see how well they do. I put 3 of them in the side yard section. They are smaller bushes with pink and yellow flowers. They are not sprouting anything which is good for transplanting. If they don't sprout something in the next month, I'll know I killed them. I got 4 large rose of sharon bushes, and a gigantic lilac tree. I planted them along our back fence so when they start growing, I won't have to look at our white trash neighbors yard. (I think they have a meth lab going on over there and I'm not kidding!)

Now I am just trying to fill in the blanks in the yard. My ivy isn't growing as fast as I hoped. I planted it along our ugly add-on white siding and it's slowing coming along. I need some way to teach it to grow up on the house. Any suggestions? String isn't cutting it.

Next week we are putting in a fence in the back yard. We have a section that is gravel and sticker bushes that holds all of Noah's ugly construction equipment. I want that to be hidden. Luckily my sister was replacing her fence and gave us her old one. It's white vinyl and in great shape! Then we are putting in a black picket wood fence in the front yard. It's just a little plain out front and I have wanted that fence since we moved in. Noah said he would build it for me. Amazingly enough, we also got all of those materials for free too. Call me frugal eh? I LOVE KSL! It just takes some elbow grease and a couple of days. Luckily my husband is handy!

Anyway, I will post pics of the before and after. I'm sure you're all totally bored by now. Thanks for reading!

Kicking myself

Our house May 2005. We now have black shutters, a black porch, and black doors and windows. This old charmer was built in 1898. It's the 13th oldest home in Lehi.

Well, I am kicking myself because last year, I pulled a bunch of "weed looking" plants from my front yard. They looked like grass or weeds so we started pulling them and up came onion looking bulbs. I thought that was weird that there were bulbs. I thought about calling Susan (the previous home owner) to see what they were but I didn't. Well, we pulled them all and now some are starting to come back this year. Last year, we pulled them so early, we had no idea there were flowers on them. Now they are starting to sprout flowers and they are beautiful. I was looking through some pictures and found a picture of the house 2 years ago when we first bought it. Look at the beautiful flowers. That's exactly what I want my side yard to look like. Like a wildflower garden. I don't like gardens that look like they are too pruned. Anyway, I am attempting to save the bulbs that made it a second year and try to fill in the extra with some plants I will have to buy when it gets warmer. Just think.....if I would have called Susan, I could have the beautiful wild garden I want and not have to pay for it. Darn it!

Gas

My piggy bank after I bought gas this morning.

Garden

I can't wait until I can plant my garden and play in it. I miss it. It was my release from life last spring and summer. I got so many vegetables last year, I could have started a farmer's market in my front yard! I love tending to and playing in the garden. Eating the "fruits" of my labor was great! Hooray for Mother's Day weekend when I can plant.

Conference Casserole

Here's the yummiest breakfast casserole ever! I look forward to conference for many reasons but this is one of the top. :)

Conference Casserole
12 servings

1 lb sausage (browned)
1 lb bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 pkg hash browns (shredded)
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In skillet, cook bacon and crumble. Brown sausage and remove with slotted spoon. Saute onions and peppers in drippings. Beat eggs and milk in large bowl. Stir in all ingredients. Place in greased pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (To make two seperate servings, put half in one small casserole dish and half in another. Line pans with tin foil. Bake. Remove from oven. Let pan cool and put in freezer for 1 hour. Remove from freezer, remove casserole and tin foil from casserole dish, wrap in more tin foil and freeze to eat later. Re-heat in microwave or on lower temp in oven. I also had a little more left and made breakfast burritos.)

Happy Conference weekend!

Utah Jazz

I love the Jazz. They make me happy. We had season tickets last year and had to give them up this year because they went up in price. I love watching the games though and even sat and watched them SLAUGHTER the world championship Spurs tonight in my Deron Williams #8 jersey while I folded laundry.

One time, I went to the Lehi Bakery to buy a donut (bad girl!) and I noticed a totally pimped out Cadillac in front of the building. I went inside and there was a large black man inside with a baby blue shirt on that had a small Deron Williams decal on the back of it. I thought to myself "That's Deron Williams. Holy crap! What to I say to him? This guy is my hero and NBA boyfriend!" Just when I decided what to say, he turned around and it wasn't him. I think he was someone on the Jazz staff though. He was buying a lot of stuff probably for a Jazz event. I was bummed but now I know what I will say if I ever meet Deron Williams in good ole Lehi.

Dr John's vs. Dirty Joes

Hummm.....interesting subject eh? I have visited these fun little shops in the recent weeks (girl's night....ya know!) I have decided I much prefer Dirty Joe Punsters in Spanish Fork to Dr. Johns in SLC. I am yet to visit the Blue Boutique. I just thought I'd give you the heads up for inquiring minds that want to know. :)

**And FYI- I'm not dirty or anything. It just seems to be the place we end up after girl's night because there's an anniversary or birthday coming up. I don't buy stuff. Okay, that's not true. I'm not gonna lie. Now I'm just digging myself into a hole. Oh well. We've all done it right? I'm done.