Things to Love!

Back when I was a better blogger I had a weekly running 'Things to Love' post. It is SERIOUSLY time to revive that.

1- These last few BEAUTIFUL outside days of the year.

2- The gorgeous colors all around us that are about to come raining down out of their trees.

(I'm going to try my hardest to film said rain, because as you know, I LOVE my tree)

3- Three little sweet stinkers that I'm so lucky to spend my days with.

4- My siblings! Yes, done to death, but mine...seriously. ALWAYS. there. Can Call Kam all hours of the night, Can drive to Shauna's for a 'sanity break' and marvel at how put together they both are! Get to watch T.R. fulfill his dreams (pass tests, rock out and such)!

5- My husband!, who knows how to unclog a kitchen sink for Friday night fun like it's no ones business! Thanks Dave! It's a shame we Had. To. Eat Out again, Huh!

Tagged by Shauna! Thanks Shaun!

6 Things!

1-Today is Hooky day. Every once and a while my runts and I just need a blow off day!

Thank you, UEA!

2-I can't wait to take my kids back to Disneyland... in about 2 years...withOUT Dave!

3-We just learned that we can scare the crap out of Monster with a scary guy we have out front. (no wonder all our dogs are jumpy!)

4-I received my prize from Tiffany, It was fabulous! I loved every bit! I can tell you that her favorite things from Utah all come from Delaware! WEIRD!?!?!

Tiff, I know how busy you must be, thanks for thinking of me!

5-I LOVE taking pictures of my kids. I mean LOVE. But as I prepare to catch a Christmas card of them all together I feel my heart start pounding and the tension level start raising. We just can't get this right!

6-I LIVE for Christmas cards.....SO, if you've got an extra....my email is one page away...I'd LOVE to swap one with you!

NOW, seein' as I'm a BLACKER (blog slacker) I will probably end up Taggin' some that have already played so just play already and blame me!

REALLY Bird, I'm like 10 feet away!

I know it's her age but my baby Bird is having a hard time Being away from ME?!?!?! Any suggestions - besides "LEAVE HER MORE"?

Because let's face it...I'm having a hard time too!

Family Fun is my bible!

Anyway...here's this weekends fun!


So easy...you should try it!

Scary, aren't they!!!

Showin' some Foxworthy Love...you too Ann!

My ever so clever cousin 'A' (who's blog is private...Neener, Neener to you!) just posted this and I thought Every Utahan out there should see it...it's too funny!

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Utah.

If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend, you live in Utah.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Utah.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Utah.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Utah.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Utah.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Utah.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Utah.

If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Utah.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Utah.

If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly' you live in Utah.

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends,you live in Utah.

PS, Utah misses you Tiff!

HELP!

It's 1:41 in the morning.
I've got a PACKED day!
And three little letters are keeping me awake...

RLS

I'd love your thoughts, suggestions, methods for removing my legs each night so I can get some sleep...anyone...anyone??!?!!??

Funny little story...Or Not!

So... I took my computer in to an 'unnamed' computer fixer team to SIMPLY have more RAM put into it on Friday. In our casual banter I told the 'Geek' (oops) that it didn't run DVDs very well. I paid them upfront and was told it would be about an hour and a half. Great, I'd be back later Friday to pick it up.

Being smart... I called first! 'Geek' told me that he'd popped in a DVD and it still wasn't running it smoothly and that he'd like to download some system patch kit to get me "the latest and greatest of my Windows version". It was going to be another hour and a half.

Being not so smart...I showed up ready for my computer. Nope, not done. The patch kit download didn't go so well so now they wanted to do a system diagnostic test to get to the bottom of it... this is a $79.99 charge...that they were going to wave for me. Great, THANKS! Yet another hour and a half would produce answers to what the delay with DVDs was.

Saturday afternoon came and I'd heard nothing. I called...the diagnostic test proved nothing was wrong with my computer...um...I know that...I just wanted some more RAM. Anyway, now 'Geek' "needed" to wipe the machine clean and reinstall Windows. This is a $129.99 charge that they were going to wave, BUT if I wanted my data I owed them $99.99 to save it. UM...No Thanks. I'm good at backing up my stuff and have my own external hard drive...I'll be right down and do it myself.

This is when ALL FAITH in unnamed computer fixer guys is LOST!!! "Miss (how condescending!!!) I apologize but I've already wiped Windows off your system and unless you know DOS, YOU won't be able to get your data."

RIGHT! After we had words, I took my hard drive down and they waved the $99.99. I'm now at $310 worth of 'free' work done on my already working computer.
This was Saturday night. I just got my computer back Tuesday night. With all the phone calls that Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning produced, I was, fairly politely, told that because I was not a paying customer my computer was low priority and that they'd get to it when they could.

WHAT?!?!?!

So...they jacked up my computer and

because I wasn't paying

I didn't matter!

When I showed to pick it up, the 'Geek' (who was actually very polite all along) offered to pop in another DVD just to check it out. NO WAY! NO THANKS! NOT EVER AGAIN!

Haven't laughed that hard in a long time!

Last night was 'WAY TOO MUCH FUN!' like that silly rule I mentioned in the previous post! My Sisters...and Kyle went to SYTYCD tour!

It. Was. AMAZING!!!

We laughed our heads off, screamed our heads off and talked our heads off!

So much fun...we NEED to do it again soon...I love you guys!

The Too Much Fun Rule

So, my Dad has always had this crazy rule about not letting us have "Too Much" Fun. Silly Rule!

Sorry Dad, this post will disappoint!

In the last week and a half we have done something really fun almost every day! My kids are tired and this quiet week feels really good! PS, CAST comes of Friday!! WooHoo!

Here's what we've been up to!

I told you about the hike...we're going again soon (Dave didn't get to go).

Then we went to the FAIR with a bunch of knuckle heads!!

Later, our school carnival and the canyon with some great friends.

A quick trip to see Spider Man.

And then we happened upon THIS!!!!

Talk about little boy (and Dave) HEAVEN!! Such a fun adventure!

It's like it hasn't sunken in that summer's over. We're playing just as hard as ever! Anyway...like I said, We're all tired and I'm actually hearing my Dad's voice in my head invoking the 'Too Much Fun Rule'!

Don't worry Dad...my little cowboys are going to bed now!

It Is Such a Fun Tradition!

We really have loved doing these movie clip nights! Dave is full of Finnish Blood (for those of you that don't know) so he always brings some cheesy Finnish documentary clip.
I officially uninvited him to post on this one...you can exhale Mom!

okay...here are mine!
Like my totally fave movie from my past is totally Girls Just Want to have Fun. It is SO tubular!



And since I know you'all totally still want it, you can score it HERE!
Gotta love the theme song on a synthesizer!

My Recent favorite would have to be...



If you haven't seen it...HURRY!

But these days my life is all about...

whether I'm watching it on the screen or watching my boys reenact it!

Thanks Kam...that was fun!

Please fly your flag today!

In honor of September 11th, please fly your flag today in memory of those that fell that day and with respect to our wonderful nation!

I wish I were as eloquent as my friend Heidi! Thank you Heidi for the reminder!

Great spot for kids...maybe

Tonight we hiked Ensign Peak. It was a great hike for kids (minus a few cliffs! AAAAAhhhh!)

Too windy for Birdie though!

We've got the best neighbors ever!

You may think you do but yours don't hold a candle to mine! Our kids are practically brothers...comfortable enough to just walk into each others kitchens and help themselves... oh wait...that was probably me...sorry Jen!

They have amazing Talents!

And you've gotta love their loyalty!

I'm thankful for those things and so much more because It seems that our kids share a brain some days (well, we're a year behind, but whose counting!)

I'm hoping that Jen will use this mosaic for her Christmas Card this year!

You're wonderin' where they get it?

Like father like sons!

We LOVE you guys!

One of my Favorite things!

Go here if you need some motivation to get yer butt on over there!
You Rock Kam! Still one of my all time favorite posts!

Going in Style on the first day

This was Thatcher's idea on travelin' to school in style for the first day!



And my oh my did he have a great one!



He was reunited with his favorite girl!

Every Diva needs a Bib, Right?!?

With both boys gone to school I get tons of 'quality' time with my Bird

(please sleep, please sleep!)

Seriously, she is at my favorite age!

oh yeah, she does tricks too...like close your eyes!

So New!

It's a New School Year!

So to prepare, We got a ...

New backpack

New haircut

New shoes

New tooth...Almost!

AND...

A new splint and sling...cast comes on Friday!

Have a GREAT Year Tag!

Family!! Hug Your Kids!

Its funny, people romance the road. However, it happens more often than you think, you wake up in the middle of the night, and the quiet is just not just right.


Tonight, (and it is 2am) I just miss my kids, I miss my wife.

Things I saw out and about today

Makes you feel all warm inside doesn't it!

My Mom's got SKiiiiiLLS!

She sews like a pro! This was her summer project!

and how appropriate because these girls are quite the cheerleaders!

'Sew' nice Gramma Debbie!

Dave has a Snow White-ness about him

So my sweet husband has this thing for animals...namely birds.
He's carried ducks off the street and built little beds in boxes for abandoned sparrows in our back yard.



Today he was out back and heard some troubled birds with his sixth sense. After hunting a bit he found two baby quails stuck in my neighbors deep window well. Their mother was frantically pasing on top of our roof.







Snow White...I mean Dave put on rubber gloves and got a baseball glove. Then carefully rescued the birds from their pit.
We watched from inside as they were reunited with their worried mother.


My husband has such a big heart!

CAN'T WAIT...

To see if Katee is that tiny in person...Gev too! and I'm gonna cuz I got me some tickets!

Goin' with my lovely sister Shauna (who does the best Cat Deely imitation!)

Hopefully with my other lovely sister and her hubby (What a secure MAN!)

I'll let ya all know how it goes!

Time is a FLYIN'!

Does anyone else feel like this summer has flown? We start school in 25 days! I haven't gotten a thing done on My list and as far as my kids go...we've done nothing but PLAY, PLAY, PLAY!

So...any tips on maximizing my last 3 weeks?