Wouldn't It Be {Loverly}

happy july 4th!

i love the month of july!  i love the patriotic feelings...something about july in utah is awesome...several of my friends agree.  all month long there are fireworks and parades and rodeo's.  i am sure it has something to do with independance day and pioneer day.  since we are no longer in utah i am determined to make july as much fun for my kids as it was for me.

this morning we attended our ward 4th of july breakfast which included a childrens parade...pictures coming later.  we are having a bbq with friends this evening followed by fireworks at the USAFA.  don't forget to say a little prayer for our troops as you bbq today (really we should pray for them everyda).  we are so lucky to be free!

i got this from a friends blog, it was fun to see all the things i have done and all the things i still can or need to do.  try it!

Any of the things that I have done, are in bold. Let me know if you play along!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited

Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game … 1998 Final Four in

San Antonio

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of

Liberty

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables…working on that right now!
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping...my mom is going to kill me...don't worry mom, no boys were there but there was a pervert on the beach watching (didn't know that until it was time to get out).
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing…does it count if it was indoors?
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited

Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited

India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the

Great Wall of China

57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the

Golden Gate

Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the

Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing…the Final Four Trip, remember that

Spencer

?
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someones mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child (I pray I never do.)
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird…I haven’t shot one but I did hit one with my car once…by accident…it didn’t make it.
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole in the wall
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon…1/2 marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury

suite

140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited

Africa

142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away…once to the hall closet, nobody came looking for me so I came “home”.  I was probably in there for 15 minutes.
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the

Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous…does an autographed picture from Marie Osmond count?
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz…one of my mission companions, Sister Maliota taught me how to hula…she was from

Samoa

.
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen

Old Faithful

geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

 

xxox

a late birthday wish

on tuesday my mother-in-law rosalie celebrated her birthday!

my kids are so lucky to have a grandma that loves and spoils them so much.  while we were in utah rosalie took my kids for 2 days so that i could participate in a craft weekend at my uncles cabin in oakley.  it means a lot to know that not only will she do it but she will enjoy it and the kids will be happy while in her care.

thanks again rosalie, we love you!

happy birthday wishes to two special nephews, we can't believe how big you guys are!

dayton:  july 1st

ethan:  july 7th

i can't forget the may and june birthdays that i failed to mention earlier:

josh (nephew):  may 15th

simon (nephew):  may 29th

cynthia (best friend):  may 29th...miss you!!!

debbie (SIL):  may 31st

sam (SIL):  june 14th

phew!  i think that brings us up to date.  there are two very special birthdays coming in a few weeks but i think on your 30th and 60th you deserve a post all to yourself!

xxox

update #1 - reese turns two

on june 2^nd 2006 a sweet little boy joined our family.  it is hard to believe that our baby is two years old.  reese has always been so laid back – and he needs to be to put up with another member of the family.  wasn’t he so cute?

 

 

for his special day kathryn and I took him to lunch at chick-fil-a.  i have decided that the 2^nd birthday is my favorite…they are old enough to know that something fun and special is happening but too little to care about what they got, who was there or what kind of cake you made.

 

                             trucks and a drill...what more do you need?

                                 how about a baseball cake and a haircut?

                                      oh, and a superman/batman cape

 

the drill is already on its second set of batteries, that's what happens when you keep your finger on the trigger while walking around the house, watching tv, eating your meals and riding in the car...it even takes a nap sometimes.

 

"ree" is our little entertainer, our favorite right now is getting him to make all the animal sounds...the horse is the best.  we love you ree!

 

xxox

happy birthday kathryn!

on may 21st kathryn celebrated her birthday!  i can't believe kathryn is 4 years old!  where does the time go?

wasn't she a pretty baby?  i may be slightly biased but look at that pretty skin color and cute little lips!  she didn't even have a cone head (trust me...i felt the lack of "shaping").  this picture makes me want to cuddle her all over again.  she was so cute, all 7lbs. of her.

 

the birthday girl had a fun-filled day from start to finish.

• a bike:  can you tell by her face that she was pretty excited?
• daddy took the day off.
• field trip to the zoo.
• grandpa packer in town.
• dinner at red robin...complete with an ice cream sundae and balloon.
• cake and ice cream.
• american idol finale...ok she didn't care about that but mom and grandpa did!

kathryn is our little princess (and don't you forget it!), she makes us laugh and yell all within a matter of moments.  she is a great big sister, a pro at telling reese what to do...he so sweetly says, "otay".  i love kathryn because she made me a mom, sometimes i feel bad that she has to endure me learning to be a mother but at the same time i have to endure her learning to be a 4 year old so i guess we're even.

we love you kathryn and are so glad you were sent to our family!

XXOX

here are a few more pictures from her fun day!

                                      her new ironing board

            kathryn didn't like the giraffes but reese loved them!

                                    kathryn and her buddy annika

                                   we love having grandpa visit!!

someone has a birthday coming up!

a princess party has been requested (of course).

XXOX

best mother's day EVER!

dave and a few of my friends hubby's surprised us last weekend with a girls overnighter to denver!  jamie, amy, cumorah and i left friday afternoon and wasted no time getting pedicures (quite an experience and a story for another day).  we spent the remainder of the weekend stuffing ourselves at the cheesecake factory, relaxing in the hot tub, talking, sleeping in and shopping!  walking through the mall without a diaper bag, a stroller and whining kids is pure heaven.

friday night kathryn called to say goodnight and "mommy, will you come back".  ahhh!  broke my heart!

thanks for the awesome weekend dave!

XXOX

living with less

could you do this?  the past few months we as a family have really been trying to cut back on things we use in an effort to save energy, money and help keep the landfills from overflowing with crap.  americans make up 5% of the world population but use 25% of the worlds energy and resources.  why are we such wasteful people?

some things we have done in our family:

• changed most of our light bulbs to fluorescent
• turn off the computer and unplug phone chargers when not in use
• recycle:  out of my whole subdivision i have noticed that maybe 10% of us recycle.  why?  because people are too cheap to pay the quarterly fee.  i think the waste companies should make it mandatory.  for us it is only $7.50 PER QUARTER!  come on cheap-o's, you probably spend more than that eating out each day!
• reusable grocery sacks:  i have bought a few of these but keep forgetting to take them with me...my new goal!
• when it's hot inside we open some windows, when it's cold inside we put on a sweatshirt or bundle up together under a blanket.  our thermostat never goes above (or below) 70.
• dave carpools a few days a week with a neighbor that works in the same building.
• we sold big blue:  we realized that we were wasting so much gas and money from dave driving his truck to and from work each day.  we haven't found a replacement yet but it will be smaller, cheaper and not as nice...but we're ok with that.

a moment of silence for big blue:

kathryn thinks dave lost big blue...not quite understanding that we sold it to someone else.  "that's ok daddy, you can drive mommy's car."  what a sweetheart!

XXOX

belated happy birthday

on wednesday my very special dad celebrated his birthday!  i was thinking of some things that i love about my dad:

1. he has always supported me, even if he didn't agree with my choices.
2. he was the only constant letter-writer while i was on my mission...sorry mom, i know you had good intentions.
3. he's fun to talk to about our favorite shows and books...24, the office, american idol, harry potter, the twilight series.
4. things that always remind me of my dad:  neil diamond, barry manilow, bee gee's, air supply, scrooge (has to be the one with albert finney), mash, trips to jackson hole while listening to ray stevens and lee greenwood.
5. he's a fun and spontaneous traveler:  the final four in san antonio, bowl games in anaheim, a weekend  in st. george with just his girls, the mower's to see "everest" at the imax theatre.
6. he's a loving grandpa and always shows up with donuts and cupcakes (at kathryn's request).
7. he goes to sci-fi movies with dave so that i don't have to...even if they did slip in an r-rated movie thinking i wouldn't find out.
8. he's not afraid to say it how it is...a blessing and a curse that i inherited.
9. the smell of "old spice" will always remind me of him...that smell along with dad making a frozen pizza or bean with bacon soup while mom got ready for their date...brings me back to the old days.
10. he never complained about the bad haircuts i gave him while in beauty school...he even came to be a model one day!
11. he is a fighter with a smile.  the past year has brought on a new side of my dad, he didn't even complain about having a chemo treatment on his birthday!

at my dad's request mom made some cupcakes for him to take to the nurses at the cancer center, this is what she came up with.  love it mom!

we love you dad, thanks for all you do!

XXOX

on a side note i also need to wish a happy birthday to my little brother nate, my nephew caleb, my SIL amber and my BIL jason.  loves and happy birthday wishes to you all!

ok, one last side-note; i can't wait for THIS!  jill and shannon be ready to hit the theater opening day with me!

reason # 1,264,521 why i love dave...

he cleans up the the puke while i bathe the pukee (or is it puker?).  all i have to do is say, "dave, {insert child's name here} threw-up."  he is instantly out of bed with the "little green" in hand (if needed), removes the sheets and even starts a load of laundry.

how lucky am i?

XXOX

dress rehearsal chaos

tonight is kathryn's first ballet recital!  she has had dress rehearsals the past two nights.  thursday was great!  kathryn was excited and did a great job on stage; last night...not so good.  i think it was a combination of several things:

1. she was very tired:  kathryn played all day with anders (a boy we were watching), they went full-speed from start to finish...she could have used a nap.
2. she is in act 3:  kathryn has to wait in the audience for most of the show because her class is in the final act.  she was all dressed and kept asking when it was her turn.  by the time her turn came she was ready to go home (it was almost 7:30 by this point).
3. when she came out on stage she saw mom on the fromt row taking pictures and froze...didn't dance one bit.  het tutu fell to her knees in the middle of the dance.  (must bring safety pins today)
4. i went backstage after her performance to give a little pep talk...bad idea on my part, she had a breakdown and wouldn't go on stage for the finale.

pre-show:

mid-show...ticked at mom for taking pictures:

post-show...she asleep in less than 5 minutes and didn't wake up until this morning:

today should go better, the performance is a matinee, she is well rested and will be bribed with ice cream!

XXOX