missing in action

I have more than anything been wanting to "journel" for the last little while. I had a small standstill that has made it so i couldnt do it..but yay... i finially got my computer internet working again to the point where i can blog again!! yay! so hopefully there will be a little more of me and all the craziness of my family!

For now here is a pic i ran across that just made me laugh.




I mean, can me and my lil bro be any more "attractive"! just sayin!

Holi Festival twenty eleven!

Looks like I found a new family tradition out here in this ol promised land. We got to go celebrate the Holi festival out here in ol springville, ut. Who woulda thunk that this crazy beautiful building would be sittin out in the middle of farm country...amazingly beautiful ain't it!

Yesterday we went to what is more commonly known as the festival of Coloouuurs! It was unlike anything i have ever been to...and being a portlander..we have have been to many many cool festivals.. but not one quite like this. It was seriously so freakin awesome. I am not sure who had more fun...the mom's... or the kids! it was sooo freakin awesome! I learned that this festival is a ritual done by the hindu religion. Holi marks the end of the winter gloom and rejoices in the bloom of the spring time. So we took advantage of it, oh yes we did.

this is going to be a picture *overload* ...but i just loved all of them all sooo freakin much!
the best part was walking up to this hindu temple..as we were walking we of course had not been "hit" with our first wad of color yet...well the kids would yell to the crowds of people walking by to hit em..and hit em they did! one lady even tried to ask gavin for a hug. ?who does that?..some strange lady wanting to hug my 4 year old...ewww wierd and gross...he of course has good stranger danger and said no. I then remembered where we were at, and realized she wanted to get color all over us since we were white. So my friend melissa and I decided to go ahead and give her a good ol hug. boy of boy..that was interesting to say the least!


























And it is still a mystery how this lil princess was able to stay so colorfree....but lil zaya sure was adorable probably being the only one of thousands left barely unscathed!!

little rascals

The little Rascals. ? who is with me on this being one of the coolest movies of all times back when we were little? When this movie first came out, it was one of my FAVORITE'S . i remember being a kid and i would watch it with my lil brother over and over and over. we just loved this movie.

I introduced my kids to this movie sometime ago..it is now one of their absolute favorite movie's EVER. they can watch it over and over and over. Each time they watch, they laugh and laugh and laugh. which makes me laugh because i did that same thing as a little girl.

Both of my boys got a big "makeover's" a few weeks ago. It had taken some time for their mama and daddio to decide if doing that was what was best for them. I wanted to make sure they were both on board with wanting to go with the dramatic change..Our kids LOVED their LONG LOCKS. They have been sporting the "surfer boy" or "skater boy"(as gavinator would call it) look for quite some time now.

Now, I know I am little biased, but, I think my chillens are both super adorable. long hair, short hair..no hair..i just plain ol' think they are A-D-O-R-D-A-B-L-E, adorable with a capital "A" Hair is hair after all..it can always grow back.

We had found out a little bit ago that apparently C-man had some kids teasing him and starting to bully him at school due to his hair. I didn't want to give in to the little craps(the bullies), but i also didn't want my son being teased. Nobody wants that for their children. I absolutely have a zero tolerence for bullies and bullying behavior. I do not like it one bit. I have tried really hard to teach that to my children. I am so glad they are realizing that bullying is NOT ok. Apparently, the county we live, well it seems to have alot of old fashioned rednecks. I feel like they raise their kids to think a certain "look" is not ok. Apparently children, moreover boys, with longer hair, is considered one of "those". I was going to go off on a tangent about this, but i am not. I simply refuse.

My hubster and I gave it some thought and we decided to have the kids get "makeovers"(if they wanted to) and see if that helped anything on the school front.

... as soon as "auntie alex' starting shaping and cutting away some of the locks on each boys head, she made this for the C Man!...He was so EXCITED how much he looked like alfa alfa on little rascals. (thus the entro to the little rascals)(sorry for the poor pic quality)





Con Mans Before and After's








i love his face while he is being taught how to style it!



...and i had to throw this picture in because he stood in the mirror and just smiled while he was checking out his new do..it was so freakin cute!








Gavinators' before and Afters











All in all between the two little rascals we cut off about 11 inches of hair(combined of course)





The hair cuts were a HIT. And the thankfully... the teasing has stopped at school as well.YAY! so all in all, it was a sucess! well, that was until little gavinator tried to go to bed that first night of his big haircut. you see...he has to twirl his finger around his hair. It helps him to relax and fall asleep(he has done it since he was a little tiny baby). He quickly realized that he didnt have enough hair to do that. So as cute as we all think they both look..the gavinator asked that VERY night if he could grow it back to the "surfer boy" hair again! ahahahahaha.
i love these cuties!

"our day" this day 11 years ago!

On this day, 11 years ago. it became a day, that a tall, strikingly handsome boy and a short, super sassy girl got to make their own holiday. This is something that they will now call "our day" and have it be a happy day to remeninise for the rest of their lives from here through eternity.

there were two people. one of them was a tall, strikingly handsome boy. the other was a short,and extremely sassy girl. these two met and quickly fell in love. And well, at the time, they didn't know each other very long, but they knew they were meant for each other. This tall strikingly handsome boy and this short super sassy girl were young, but look at how far they've come, on this day, 11 years ago.


Here is to 11 years...here is to the next bazillion anniversary's to follow. i love you Jesse. happy anniversary.

we have had our fair share of ups and downs these past 11 years. we have had our bumps in the road of life...but we do have something that i think keeps us going. I have found that marriage, no matter who are are..has its ups and downs. It is how we adapt to these things that happen that will set us apart...and i have come to realize this.....

At the end of the day, all that matters, is the fact that we have EACH OTHER to get us through no matter what lies ahead. I love you Jesse. thank you for being my other half.

the lyrics to the song you sang to me on this day, 11 years ago.

PS.. i still love this song.. always and forever! when i think back to "our day", this day, eleven years ago,I remember how i was so giddy and happy that i got to be the lucky women to be standing at your side...well, i want you to know, i still feel that way. I am still giddy and i am truly happy that i am still that women standing by your side.

when the rain's blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I would offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
So no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on a rolling sea
And down the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
But you ain't seen nothin' like me yet

There ain't nothin' that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy, make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love

This song still holds true!

Journaling

At school, Conner does daily journal entries. He came home two days ago, and I found this bitty in his backpack(look below). I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall when his teacher eyed this. I mean REALLY, I wish I could've seen her face...This CRACKS ME UP!



"my dog pood and peed in the haws." (As written by my con man)

I must say this is probably one of the funniest journal entries I have seen. It cracks me up.
I especially love the yellow colored pee, and the pile of Sh&* (poop) he put behind the dog.

DIRTY 30-

Yes..IT has come. The dear DREADED DIRTY AND 30! It has come, it has left. It wasn't as bad as I had expected, and now I sit here reminiscing.

I have had the most amazing support from all my family and friends. This relocation has been pretty hard on me..but I am just so grateful for the people who have helped me make it easier in any way they could.


The big 30:

Here it is..MY STORY!
My p-town BESties sent me an amazing birthday package full of amazing gifts and goodies and treats! It made me to happy to have a piece of them with me and get a good laugh that I so dearly needed. Each each gift I opeaned would get me laughing...it made me think and remember our amazing wallie world trips we had together. I must say the "do-rag" was most defiantly on the top of my most amazing gifts. This special "do-rag" makes those amazing waved curl line thingys in your head..i will try to find a picture to show. oh oh here it is..check this out..i loved it


..the other highlight was the special"KY jelly pack" they picked out. The funny part was that my 7 year old son opened this gift. He started to read the title and I grabbed and hid it. Laughing hysterically, I got to dodge the questions that ensued after that. Oh boy..it was so fun getting that surprise package and all the amazing gifts! It really did cheer me up.

Being in utah, it has been a huuuuge adjustment for me..well, huge, is an understatement. I truly was not looking forward to my birthday. But my amazing family and amazing lil bro had other plans. Let me introduce Imax, (special nickname he got this last year) who planned, and executed a Very memorable surprise. He made this a day for me to remember that's for sure.

What is special about this boy, is on Nov 28th, 1984 he made his grand entrance into this world. He was born on my 4th birthday. (my parents always called us twins 4 years apart.) He may not know it, but I truly idolized him.. I remember being 4, and going to the hospital. I remember getting to sit in the chair in my moms room and locking my eyes on him. I was so happy. I remember getting to hold him. I thought it was sooo cool to have him born on my birthday. I totally remember the nurses spoiled me rotten while those yummy Andes mints. I immediately felt this bond with him. I thought he was the most adorable lil brother one sister could truly have. He truly was the best birthday gift any four year old could get..i got to have a baby brother to tease non stop the rest of his life. And when i got home i got to unwrap a a gift of my own, a baby doll, and a beautiful little rocker crib thingy for "my" baby.

Well, I had not been the best big sister to this adorable Imax..I would always get him in trouble for things i did. :( i am not proud of that. But, I truly have tried in my older age to make up it!:) I love him more than words can describe. I mean ..just look at him. Can you blame me.




(ladies..he is single,and ready to mingle)

The sat b4 my birthday, I was told I needed to be at my moms house no later than 3:00 pm sharp. I was to be kid free. (thanks hubby for being with kiddos!) I was told I had a whole evening of surprises planned, and I just got to go along for the ride. Anyone who knows me well, knows how much I LOVEEEEE surprises! (I love,love,love surprises)

I get to my moms, I start laughing because me and my little bro's outfits coordinated.(unplanned) I was in white pants, black shirt..he was in a black shirt, white tie! I love Imax and his amazing sense of style! He whisked me away with my mom in tow. I got all settled in his car. It was awesome sitting in the back with my mom..she is the funniest in the car..especially when Imax drives. We giggled and laughed and had a grand ol' time. Imax then hands me a cute Little envelope with my name on it..I open it. Inside...a massage certificate. It was just what the Doc ordered! Especially since I had woken up that morning with a stiff neck from H E double hockey sticks. I was sooo EXCITED! Not only a massage, but we were all going to get one..(not together in one room, sillies)

I was sooo excited. We arrived at the massage place. It was soo awesome. My mom, who we are not going to state her age, got her First massage EVER! like EVER. It was soo awesome to be their with my brother, mom, sis in law amber, and my bros friend Ann. It was such a surprise! and ohhh sooo soo fun to be able to be all together. It was awesome to be able to have us all get much needed relaxing time and enjoy our hour long massages. Truly amazing.

Here we all are right after our massages..oh man it was heavenly. (dont mind us all looking a little "relaxed" and worn!) I actually think we all look DANG GOOD for just sleeping for an hour and getting our stresses rubbed out of us!




We all got back into the car..I got to sit with my eyes closed to our next destination..(I didn't even cheat)..(ok maybe once), (but only when my mom started have a tiiiiny weeny bit of anxiety attack as my brother was driving)..ahahaha...(I had to open my eyes for a moment to see what was happening!)

We arrive at the next destination. I get to open my eyes and see we have arrived at the one and only Texas Roadhouse Grill. YUMMMMMMY and double yummy. As I walk in the doors..I SEE my ENTIRE FAMILY waiting. This was a huuge SURPRISE! We had my adorable brother, Rodger and his kids(his wifey was with me)..my hubby and kids..my dad and mom,.. my other older brother, Matt and Joce and their kids (They actually live in cali, and i was so excited and happy they were there...the ENTIRE fam!!!) and of course me and Imax. It was soo freakin awesome. I was so excited.. I was shocked.. My brother Matt and fam had driven up that day from CALI, and made it to utah just in time for the surprise dinner. He was planning on flying out from slc to chicago on monday, and they decied to come up to utah a couple days early so they could spend the weekend with all of us..It made my day! I was soo excited to see everyone together. TO see all my nieces and nephews(well not all of them could make it and truly, the ones who were out of state were surely missed) and to see my family all together made me so happy. It has been years since I have been able to be together with my family.

We finally get seated and settled, and I am told there is one more surprise person coming to dinner. I had actually NO idea who that might be. A little bit later, in walks my old bestie from portland, Heidi and her family. I was so HAPPY. They moved to utah almost 2 years..and since we currently live about an hour away from each other, we haven't really been able to see each other very much at all. It was soo awesome! I felt so loved!



Some pics of the dinner that night:



(ughh horrrible picture of me..and the first one is blurry..but they made Imax and I sit on a saddle while the entire resturant sang "happy birthday" to us..The second picture I was so confused how we were both going to both fit on this saddle) ahahaha












It was soo awesome to look around at all these people and be soo happy they all came here for ME! To make it special for me! All 23 or 24 four of us..i couldn't even count to keep track ahahahaha! My cute lil bro planned this all for ME! My freakin awesome fam came together for me! I was speechless. It was soo amazing. We had an amazing dinner.

After dinner little Imax pulled out one last surprise. He had arranged for all the girls in my family to go see a Chick Flick. He would take my hubby and kidlets ( who, J still at the time still couldn't drive and was in a cast) and home.

Imax..thank you for going over,a bove and beyond to make this a special big 30th for me. I love my brothers..I have the BEST BROTHERS EVER!

The girls had a blast at the movie that night.....i am not going to mention the movie we saw..but lets just say Jake Gyllenhaall is soo freakin hot! ahahahaha! It was great

I truly had a great night. I am so blessed to be able to live close to family. It has been so hard to adjust to Utah, I have felt sooo lost and sooo out of place..but right now, it is my family that is getting me by. They are my ROCK ..They are RIGHT here helping me every step of the WAY! I loveees them lots!

I have an amazing family. I am truly blessed.