MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

To all my Family & dear Friends.....Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I will not be blogging again until 2009....so until then please know how much I love and cherish each and everyone of you!

Just Keeping Busy!!!

I know you're wondering where I've been for the past couple of weeks, because I sure haven't been blogging....and it's just called "BUSY!"

During the past few weeks we've....

Make trips to Salt Lake City for State Football Games!

Visited the Museum of Church History for Brock with Scouts!

Riding on the new UTA Express Train!

Watching the boys play Flag Football! (which is over finally)

Having adventurous 4 Wheeling Trips with the Nelson Family (which sustained no injuries believe it or not....just a few flat tires!)

And have eaten Turkey for days & days & days....until I'm now officially excited for Christmas, just so we can have our traditional Lamb!

*Check out the Pic's below!

My little Athlete Brennan, running with the ball in his last game of the season!




We had so much fun at the museum! The boys were completely in love with the way the Tabernacle building was built. They could not believe that there was no nails or metal used while building it. Also, they thought the tools they had to use were very interesting, seeing how they aren't electric like mine! I loved the original door knobs all carved first into wood molds, then hot metal poured in the molds, to finally be flaked with brass to look like gold. What time and pride was spent in the creation of the beautiful buildings at Temple square.

These are the tools!


Here are the door knobs!



This is one of the very first pictures of the Tabernacle as it was being built.


You can see Brennan standing in front of the beams that were used for the unusual dome shaped roof.


Brock thought the wood pegs were so cool...He decided the pioneers were very smart! He loves how they hammered the would pegs into wet beams and then let them dry so it held the beams together just as strong as if they would have used steel!


If you look closely between the beams, you'll see what looks like yellow rope. Brennan & I thought this was so interesting! It is actually Cow Hyde that they have cut into long thin pieces & then wrapped around the beams to help hold them together. The hyde starts out wet and then is allowed to dry which makes it almost impossible to cut or break! We got to try to cut a sample piece & couldn't even dent it!


The UTA Express Train pulling into the station! Remind me to tell you about this some time!


Levi wanted to go 4 wheeling with us, but couldn't so we brought the 4 wheeler to him...(yes it's in his room!) Thanks Aunt Jessica for Baby Sitting!


My Brother Dustin & Sister In-law Jessica who stayed with us all weekend.

"Your a Hussy!"

Twice a year I make the boys go through clothes with me to see what will fit for next year & what we need to get rid of. This morning while Brock & Brennan where taking clothes on & off, Brock noticed in his pants that it said not just 10, but 10H. "Hey, what's this "H" for?" he asked, so I explained that it wasn't anything all that important, it was just for the word "Husky". "10 Husky? What does Husky mean?" he asked. I then explained that it was kind of a polite way of saying thick or well for better words, fat. "FAT!" he said "I'm not Fat! I'm not Husky!" Brennan & I couldn't help but start giggling at his reaction, & then Brennan pipes up & says (because he's the biggest tease there is) "Yah, your a Hussy!" I just about lost it! "Not Hussy, Brennan, it's HUSKY" "Oh" Brennan says..."What does Hussy mean?" "Never you mind....just keep trying on pants!"
Kids are so funny....we must of layed on the floor laughing for 20 minutes! Defiantly the best way to make work fun!

A Mummy, Vampire & Army Guy!

This was our first year without an over all family theme....but it was still so much fun! Each of the kids (well not really Levi) were given $5.00 to come up with a costume for this year! I was so impressed, they did such a good job.

Brennan used a few things around the house, bought his gun & had me paint his face! He was an extra tough & cute) Army Guy!




Brock was a mummy & it took us 45 minutes to get things all on & pinned. He lasted a whole 15 minutes at school & refused to walk in the school parade with things falling off! Later that night we was some dead crip-keeper kind of thing in a black, which I forgot to take a picture of!





Levi was difficult this year....We were going to make him Elvis, but I couldn't find the right kind of jumpsuit...We had the cute leather jacket from when Brock was little and decided on a Vampire....






This was a super fun year, going door to door like the good old days!

The Bag Lady!

I'm not sure I'd really like the title of the "Bag Lady", but we did have fun trying to make bags last Friday night. We started at 9:00 pm & finished at about 2:00. Most of that was laughing, not just all work! So, I had to post bragging pictures of a the bag what were finished! I should of taken them hanging over the shoulder of the person who made them, but instead have given each bag the name of it's creator as they do with fine & expensive cakes.



Ethen made by Alisha





Angela




Lauren




Heather




Blanca




Erin




Autum (I don't like this bags handles, but was asked to make them super thick for the person I made it for. I do however love the double front pocket!)



Summer (this is made from of my boys shorts material...I use it for going to Sports stuff!)

Private Twilight Showing!

Private Twilight Party! On Saturday November 22nd at 10:00AM we will be having a Private Showing of Twilight at the Stadium 8 movie theater! That's the one on the corner of Sunset & Bluff! My Sister Alisha, rented the theater for us, and we each get to invite 50 of our best friends & favorite people! If you want in... let me know! I need your name & money ($5.00) by November 1st!

Also, the music on my playlist is just a few of the songs they are using in the movie. FYI, the sound track comes out on Nov. 4th!

Help!

I've decided to have a Fundraiser Yard Sale for All 4 Of My Parents! And I would love your donations! If you can think of anything you'd like to part with from books or movies, to clothes and baby stuff, I would love your help! Please, bring your donations to my house by Friday October 17th. The yard sale will be Saturday October 18th & your also more then welcome to come look!
Please "HELP" spread the word, & Thank You in advance for your help!

Panthers Win!!!

We Won 28 to 20!!! Another year of Victory!!! This was such a fun game...everyone in the crowd was so united in cheering & chanting, both sides of the stadium were packed....the football team did an awesome job, and over all it was a great game!


So, all you football fans, be prepared, next week is Snow Canyon @ HOME!

GO PANTHERS!!!!

This is the game we wait for every year! Pine View vs Dixie! And I will admit, I can't help but get caught up in all the rivalry stuff....



Okay, so I know this is considered baby porn, but I couldn't help it! And I think Todd will get a good laugh out of it, seeing how all week...or should I say all season he's been going on about kicking Dixie's butt!

Good Luck Tomorrow Pine View Football Players & Coaches!

Daffodil Principle...

The other day while talking with a dear friend about genealogy she mentioned how easily you can become overwhelmed...For some reason it reminded me about the Daffodil Principle. It is something I have truly treasured from the time it was shared with me some four or so years ago. It is simply this....



Everything in life, big or small, needs only to be approached by first having faith, and second, by taking one step at a time. The funny thing was, at that time, I physically was not taking any steps...and things that would normally seem very small & easy, were not. This principle was my breath of fresh air, and re-enforced my thinking that I could do anything with the right attitude, if only I took life one step at a time....
And so, I began...taking life one step at a time, (even without legs) to accomplish those small not so easy things, as I'm sure many of you have heard from my famous "crib story". And, I can't help but be thankful for General Conference messages like the ones we just received which inspire, uplift, in courage us to keep moving forward, serve others, but most of all have faith in our Heavenly Father's plan and love for us.



Of course now, you'll have to read the story which (in a nut shell) is about a women who's daughter drags her to go and see these daffodil's. The women can not imagine what all the fuss is about until she arrives and see the gold rippling color stretching across a meadow, and up the side of a mountain.



Being overwhelmed by so many daffodils, the breath taking sight of it, and wonder of how this could of happened. She reads a near by sign that answers her questions, it simply says....50,000 bulbs, one women, two hands, one bulb at a time.



That's it! Everything in this life is that simple. Every dirty dish, every friendship, every scraped knee, every baby going down for a nap in a crib that seems much to high when your sitting on the floor with two broken legs....that's it! It's one bulb, one women, two hands....no shortcuts-simply loving the process, and having faith as we wait for our daffodils to bloom.



I hope you were equally inspired this past weekend from the conference talks....and I know, that just like the women planting bulbs in the story of the Daffodil Principle, no matter life's hurdles we can make it, one bulb at a time!

This is Totally a "Kasi" Moment!

I really couldn't help myself on this one! I have given Kasi Hardy so much crap about all the food she has put on her blog, and now, I've done it! From this day forward I cannot, & will not ever tease Kasi for being the "Food Queen" again! (Even though she does make some of the yummiest food!) (Luv ya Kasi!!!)



I have no idea what this is called...But it was really good, and just one of those things where I used what ever I had! So, here's the recipe, if I was going to make one up...sorry it's really rough!

Tortilla Shells (two per person, I used 8)
3 Pork Chops, cooked & sliced.
(*Mine were pre-cooked, and then I just sliced it up and put it in a non-stick pan to re-heat and give that cool grilled look...sorry they were left overs from the night before!)
1 Can of Black Beans warmed...(*Everyone at my house thought it would be better with a little more beans because we love them, but agreed it would be rather crowed in the tortilla)
1 Red Bell Pepper sliced long wise and Sauteed, (More warmed then really Sauteed)
1 Yellow Bell Pepper sliced and sauteed
1/2 Yellow Onion, sliced and sauteed,
8 Medium sized Mushrooms, sliced & sauteed (optional of course)
Ranch Dressing...

So, I started the beans first on low, then heated up the pork, while that was all going, I sauteed the mushrooms first, then onions, then peppers last...assembled them in this order...beans, peppers, meat, onions & mushrooms. To add a little kick we topped it all with just a little ranch. We tried sour cream, but didn't like it as much as the ranch.
There you go! Enjoy...we did!

To the Parade we go....

Last night we went to the Pineview High School Homecoming Parade on Telegraph! It was great fun, and surprisingly there were a lot of people there....
We had lots of fun watching & waving, and the boys now have enough candy to last them until Halloween! (or longer)
But of course, the big highlight of the parade was seeing Dad on top of the Army Tank! It was so Cool!



Here we are all ready for the parade to start! (Brock took the picture)



The best way to start a parade is with everyone standing as the flag passes, and the band plays a great song that you can't help but dance too...



We loved this cool old fire truck!



The boys were super excited to give the Panther "high five", can you imagine their surprise when the Panther knew their names! (Thanks D. Dog")



So...there's Todd (in black) on top of the tank...we couldn't believe how big the tank really was! It was really cool, & even better...Coach Draper all decked out in his army gear, was driving!



You know, they don't look like they are having any fun watching the Parade!



Well, The perfect ending to a really fun parade....
We'll see you at the game as we kill Hurricane Friday Night! Go Panthers!!!