Curtis' Birthday

Curt turned 11 while we were in Utah and we got to celebrate with him! We went to a really cool pizza place! (Best pizza I've ever eaten!) Darby and Gracie waiting for their pizza!Dash and Max.
Me and Uncle Rye. We have tons of pics like this and I love them!
The birthday boy!
B and Rye.
Nana!
Papa and Juliet and Darby! Juliet ALWAYS will choose to sit by papa! He spoils her.

More Thanksgiving!

Dash with Maggie...again. Poor Maggie had a little shadow. It looks like she doesn't care here!Rye and my dad had to work that night but they got to stop by for dinner! I love my little bro.
Juliet was a little timid when it came to Maggie.
Dash and Uncle Spike!
Dash acting the fool with Uncle Spike! Yes he is in his undies because he was in the snow and his pants were soaked!
Aunt Andi, Dash and Maggie!
We were trying to get Aunt Andi to pose with Maggie and it was looking like one of those picture places that you go to get your photo with a pet. I want it to be her Christmas card. Even though she has a family and it is not her dog. There were better shots with Mal's camera.!
A shot with all the ladies. (Where was granny?) and Darby.

I think I blogged this photo earlier but I had to do it again. This was one of the Bingo prizes. I won it and Joel stole it from me! I am sure it will show up in another Bingo match! I will win you back my pretty! This was my aunts coat once upon a time! She wore it in the 80's! LOVE it!
Uncle Ray and Aunt Lisa! I don't get to see them very often so it was nice that they were able to come down!

Thanksgiving at Granny Carters

One of the first posts about Thanksgiving. We were blessed to be able to go home for Thanksgiving this year. Granny had it at her house. Malorie has always had a crush on Brandon. (the feelings may be mutual!)
I have a secret crush on Malorie! Not so secret I will tell anyone! She is hilarious, smart, stylish, spiritual and totally real! One of my favorite people on the planet! She is single fellas....
Joel, Joel, Joel. Thank you for being so fun to look at on Thanksgiving! All the single ladies, all the single ladies (sing it with me) He is single too. Funny, fun, smart, works hard, athletic and look at him..... Malories older brother and another one of my favorite people. All kidding aside about how lovely he is, he is really amazing!
The real man I looked at all night! He is just handsome! Juliet loved having him with us on this trip! Yes she is wearing the traditional turkey shirt. I'm a little sad because I may only be able to squeeze one or 2 more years out of it before we have to retire it. My mom made it for Darby and all my kids have worn it. My parents used to have matching ones. So cute!
This is Maggie. My grannies dog. Dash LOVED her. Maggie is one of the UGLIEST dogs alive but she has the best personality. I don't want a dog but I claimed her if she ever needed a home.

Natural Science Museum!

At least I think that is where we went!?!!? I know it was free on Saturdays! I will have to ask my sister in law. At any rate they invited us to go one Saturday before Thanksgiving! It's free so sure! WE HAD SOOOO MUCH FUN! These were the Jelly Fish that were in the Oceany section. This was them with out the flash! They were so pretty and glowie!
The kids being jelly fish!
There were so many cool fish to look at! This one kept circling to look at the kids I swear!
Darby loved this fish and I let her take the camera! She did ok!
This fish followed us from when we were upstairs to when we went down stairs. He was circling too.
B explaining a few things to Max.
Paused to snuggle and rest our feet!
This was the upstairs portion. It was really cool. It was showing how the tides work and the water would go up and down and the fish went along with it. Juliet loved it. The tiger shark scared/surprised her a couple of times!
Submarine eyes to look under water.
Watching the tiger shark!
They had different centers for the kids to work at. I think they made book marks in this one.
This was all about animals and reptiles. They did a little puppet show with some of the animals.
This little table was called "everyone poops". Ew. You had to take the poop specimen and match it with the animal card. It was totally gross but really interesting. We got a lot of them wrong. I don't know how I would feel if we got them all right.
Juliet was here for a while. She loved taking the blocks out then putting them back in and over and over.
One of the workers was explaining to Max about this legless lizard. I thought it was a joke and it was just really a snake but it REALLY was a legless lizard. Pretty cool!
The bug section. One of Darby's favorite. She has loved bugs since she was little. I had to take a shot of these because they were ACTUAL SIZE! No thank you!
scary.
Going into the city section.
Huge tubes that you talk into and the other person can hear you on the other side! Juliet loved YELLING into them.
And everyone encouraged it!
Try dragging her away from that!
A huge dome that you sit in and then on the other side of the room there is another one that someone else sits in and you can hear them talking clear as day! Very cool.
We had tons of fun here! I would highly recommend it to anyone on a Saturday. A little busy because it's free. They did have the mummy exhibit upstairs but it was not free. ($20.00/person) You could kill a few hours here though! Parking 8$.

so long, farewell, I hate to say good bye! diet coke....

I flat out stole this picture off Hannah's blog....Thank you Hannah and I'm sorry!(her blog is AMAZING and inspiring)

This picture I stole..... I love it! Replace Natalie with Suzy! It is how I feel! This will be one of the hardest things I have ever done! I have celebrated with Diet Coke, I have mourned with it, I have created friendships with it. I have received it as gifts. My kids know to crack one open for me when I am stressed. I could buy a car with what I have spent on it over the years! (remember when the gas station in Tx had 25 cent refills for the summer.... oh sweet Lord what a great summer..... and the sweet beautiful Styrofoam cups at the Tetco!) I can tell you which gas station in more than one state has the best fountain diet coke. I know the bottle is better than the can but a can is great in pinch. I know the best thing ever is accidentally freezing a can a little bit! Holy crap it's a little slushy for the first few sips. Died and gone to heaven.... Try and take my sweet Diet Coke t-shirt and I will cut you! (thanks Tiff)

I'm afraid it is all or nothing. If it were a one a day thing I think I could be ok. It is not. I am a "wake and bake" kind a girl. First thing I go for when I wake up and what I wash my mouth out with after I brush my teeth for bed! I have a song dedicated to it! (Bubbly) I have posted on my blog more than once. I have tried more than once to give it up! I really love it! It even feels like I am losing a friend. (pathetic I know)

I will have to take different routes home (like an alcoholic staying away from his favorite bar) I will have to sever friendships with the 7-11 guy. I may not be able to take road trips for a while. I posted on face book that I will need prayers, ward fasts, and possibly a sacrificial lamb. It will be hard but I WILL do it! THIS IS THE YEAR I GET OFF THE SAUCE!
What do I gain from giving up something that gives me soooo much joy!? Let me wipe away the tears and tell you (and remind myself over and over).

1. I will be able to confidently practice what I preach at the gym.

2. I know what they put in D.C. and I know it is killing me and since I think I have every cancer known to man I will be able to confidently say that I DO NOT have cancer of the Diet Coke. (Oh but if you have to have a cancer that one would be less of a shocker I would think!)

3. I will be a great example to my kids of doing something really hard. (If they live through this process)

4. I will save enough money to buy me a new car, take my family on a cruise, and visit every state in this country!

5. I will feel better and stronger and faster and will be able to breath when I teach.

6. I will grow closer to God. (Help me please Lord every day and night)

7. I will lose weight.

8. I will do more puzzles. (my dad did that when he quit smoking to keep his hands busy.... I hate puzzles and just imagined myself heaving a card table and cracking a diet coke..... maybe no puzzles.)

9. If I can do this I KNOW I will be able to do anything!

thanks again Hannah for this picture..... I wasn't going to post about Diet Coke because I thought I would quietly do it on fb and then forget about it. ..... now I found this cute picture and here it is for my blog world and my posterity to see...... may my grand kids ask when they read our books..."Did she do it?" YES SHE DID! will be the chant ..... now I HAVE to do it!

scriptures....

one of my goals is to read my scriptures. My father in law used to say "If I offered you $1000 to read the B of M in 2 months you would do it!" well duh. I want to LOVE them like my cute husband but I will be honest..... I don't. I want to STUDY them like he does. I don't. I want to want to read to my kids like he does every night..... I don't. Because I am making it a goal to read them this year and give up Diet coke (the more I put it out there the more it WILL happen) I wanted to post about it so I can be held accountable. I didn't want to put it on face book, cause that's just....weird.

SOOOOOOOO I promise to read every day something that will bring me closer to God. I really want to say my scriptures only BUT if I do that then I will never read my Sunday school lesson, my RS lesson, the Ensign or any other edifying material. So far I have read something every day to bring me closer to the Lord (even scriptures) and I feel my desire growing every time I do. (a little).

Last night I read this in Alma 37:6 "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass....."

Maybe small and simple things like reading my scriptures......?

Why couldn't there be vampires in the scriptures? (don't think less of me)

Happy Birthday Journey!

Journey turned 2 in November and we got to celebrate with her. She got this super cute pop up tent from her Grandparents and Juliet loved it! (Juliet was having a hard time understanding that this day was not about her!) Jamie and Marilyn!
Journey enjoys her cake! What a cutie!
All the kids at the party! I just love baby Jeremy's hair! what a cutie!
Happy Birthday dear Journey! We are soooo lucky to have you in our family! We love you!

ahhhhh Elmo

This is how I often get a shower in. Juliet and Elmo. I had to snap this picture because this is how B watches t.v. This is also why he hated t.v. He is completely mesmerized by what is on. You can say his name 3 or 4 times before he turns his head towards you but still look at the t.v til you say his name a 5th time then his eyes will turn to you only to glance back at the t.v. one or 2 more times before you have his full attention. If it were up to him we would have no t.v. in the home. He really hates it because he loves it. Before they noticed me they were laying the exact same way. I thought it was cute. Juliet moved but they are still cute!