My All Time Favorite Musicals!

I have always had an obsession with musicals. I recently told Devon that when I was a child, I secretly wanted my life to be a musical. Weird, I know. To me these films are magical, make my heart flutter, puts a skip in my step, and leaves me with a smile on my face. So here are my all time FAVORITE (movie) musicals...


When I was in the 4th grade, I watched this at a friends house and fell in love with Danny and Sandy. For years I had a huge crush on John Travolta...Summer lovin' had me a blast...

The Hills are alive with the Sound of Music...my 2nd grade teacher invited a few girls in her class to spend the night and watch this at her house...I have loved it ever since!





I love anything with Doris Day, but Pillow Talk is my favorite!

This year, I finally felt that Taylor was ready to watch the Wizard of Oz...she fell in love with it too!Aaaahhhh, Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way!
I was really obsessed with the movie Annie, when I was a kid. I don't know how many times I watched it, but I wanted my parents to buy me a dog that I could name Sandy.


No one can deny the magical story of Cinderealla. I love the way this one is told to music.

I don't remember how I was introduced to Summer Magic, but I have never forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Michael and I used to always sing...to the ball, to the ball, to the ugly bug ball...
The happiest millionaire...love this one too!
Bye Bye Birdie! I drove my mom crazy asking her to rent this for me. I think I had dreams about the cute Birdie boy. I also secretly wanted to have phone conversations the way they did in this movie...it looked like so much fun.
Finally, my newest favorites are High School Musical 1 & 2! I know they are totally for teenagers, but I love them. At the top of my list for Christmas, this year, was this movie and I was so happy when I got it!

The Best Christmas Ever!

This year, we truly experienced one of the best Christmases ever! My parents flew in from Nashville which really added to the fun and helped make this Christmas so great! We have felt so much love and kindness from our neighbors, family, and friends that our hearts will forever be filled with gratitude and joy whenever we look back on this time and the Christmas spirit that has filled our home!!

We had such a good time and made so many memories that I thought I would share my top Christmas favorites for this year!

• My generous Dad treated his girls to a Spa Pedicure. This was Taylor's first and she was, somewhat, hesitant at first, but then went along with it and enjoyed being pampered.
• Luke Mooned us! My mom kept teasing him that he lost his bum (I can't remember why), but then, to show us that it wasn't lost, he pulled down his pants and mooned us saying, "no I didn't, it's right here."
• I look forward to Christmas lights every year. We all piled into our Yukon and drove down to the Fairgrounds to see the lights. It was a 2-hour wait, but worth it! We brought along hot chocolate and sang Christmas songs. Blake may never be able to taste again since he grabbed my hot chocolate to drink and burned his mouth in the process. The shock of it made him throw up and temporarily ruined the moment, but he is our Blake and recovers quickly. Moments later he was smiling and being his silly self.
• Nothing beats 75 degree weather and a trip to the Beach! Although Taylor and Luke were pouting and grouchy, Blake, on the other hand, loved soaking his hands into the wet sand and had a great time!
  
• I love Christmas Eve, maybe even more than Christmas! This Christmas Eve my Dad went a different route this year and cooked an amazing Beef Tenderloin (rather than prime rib) and my mom made all of the yummy trimmings to go with it. It was a dinner to remember! No matter what you say, Mom, there's no denying it, it's tradition!
  
• I dressed the kids up for the story of the birth of Jesus and they were just so darn cute and had a blast playing the parts!
• I loved it when the kids kept looking out the window for Santa (Blake too)! Taylor swears she saw an elf's hand and a hat...they really brought out the magic of Christmas!
• Every year we give the kids PJ's to open on Christmas Eve. This year Taylor was certain she knew what her present was and Luke had no idea, but when he opened his he said, "I don't want this present." He was so bummed that the first present he got to open under the tree was PJ's.
• Taylor slept horribly Christmas Eve. She woke up numerous times during the night. I think she was hoping to see Santa and get a glimpse of her presents.
• We saw two movies, yes, 2! We saw Enchanted, which I loved, and took the kids Christmas night to see Alvin and the Chipmunks! We debated whether or not to go because Blake is so busy, but he sat on my lap the entire time. We couldn't believe it, he didn't struggle with us once!
• I loved watching the excitement on the kids faces when they woke up in the morning and as they walked downstairs and as they opened their gifts. There was a lot of squeals of delight and jumping up and down in excitement. As we sat on the stairs for our annual picture Luke said, "I know what I got...Legos and Transformers." He was so sure of his gifts since that was all he asked for. Sure enough, he got Legos and Transformers.
• I will never forget and always remember the generosity received by our family this year and the love felt in our home this Christmas!
  

The Nutcracker

On Friday night, Taylor and I attended the Nutcracker with her my friends, Pamela and Cyndi, and their daughters, Abbie and Ally. It was a night to remember! The girls were so intrigued by the entire production and were adorable to watch as they sat on their booster seats in their dresses with eyes wide, glued on the stage, and hands ready to clap for every moment of applause. It was a very fun night and put us all in the Christmas mood.

Prior to the show, none of us paid attention to where Pamela had parked her car. We are all so used to our husbands doing this that none of us even thought about it. When we left, we randomly guessed a floor (level 3) and continued walking up each level searching for her car. When we finally reached level 10, and there were NO cars, we really started to get worried. Taylor kept telling us that she remembered seeing the number 4 and that the doors were purple. Well, we had been on that floor, or so we thought, and didn't see the car. Cyndi suggested that we split up and look for the car. Neither Pamela or I were very excited to do this, but went along with it. I stayed with the girls, who were crying and scared, while Pamela ran down each level that we had already walked up and Cyndi took the elevator down. We finally found the car, and, sure enough, it was on level 4 with the purple doors! With all the bums sleeping on the sidewalk nearby, we were sure that one of us was going to get mugged or something...luckily, we all survived and on our way home had a good laugh about it!

Singing Silent Night with the palm trees a blowin'

Despite the fact that our camera broke during the middle of our Christmas card photo shoot...the card, itself, turned out pretty darn cute!! Thanks to my terrific hubby and his genius graphic design skills...without him, I would still be screaming at our camera for busting and there would be no Christmas card. I don't mean to brag, but to all of you who are living in the snow, there is nothing like a California Christmas!

Elf Dance

Click HERE to check out our Family Elf Dance!

Things I learned This Week...

Last picture taken before the (VERY STUPID and VERY OLD) camera broke. I didn't even get one decent shot!

1. Once you begin instructing Pilates, you will be willing travel anywhere within North County to sub classes to gain experience.

2. Within 7 days, you will teach a total of 5 one-hour classes! Two, of which, are your own and the others you will sub.

3. You will feel satisfied when other class members approach you to say things such as, "You teach a really great Pilates class," and "are you going to be the permanent teacher...we really hate the lady who teaches on Mondays." Both of these comments will really make your day and the traveling (with kids) worth while!

4. Despite all of the de-stressing and endorphin highs from doing Pilates, you will still feel the weight of Christmas and wonder if you should still make a traditional ornament for friends and family and send out a Christmas card.

5. You will remember that it is tradition! Especially when a friend reminds you that people expect it!

6. With this friendly reminder, you will quickly trot over to Michaels to buy supplies for your last minute traditional ornament creation.

7. Not only will you still have Pilates classes to teach, but you now have an ornament to create, Christmas cards to write, a combined YW project to prepare for, Christmas shopping to complete, laundry to fold and wash, a house to clean and scrub, customer orders to create and envelopes to address, meals to make, homework to help with, carpools to drive, and much, much more...

8. The clean laundry will not get folded, the dirty laundry will not get washed, the kitchen and downstairs bathroom floor will get mopped, the upstairs will remain a disaster, homework will be turned in late, customer orders will be completed, and some Christmas shopping will get done!

9. Once the Christmas tree is up, you will do your best to keep little hands from removing ornaments from the tree, but you will still find yourself constantly picking them up off the floor and returning them to the tree.

10. Very expensive electronic devices will break this week. First, your laptop will get dropped and the screen will shatter. However, the hard drive will still be in tact and the husband will hook it up to a VERY LARGE (and old) computer monitor so you can continue to blog and check your e-mail. Second, after dressing the kids for Christmas card pictures, your (very stupid AND very old) camera will just stop working.

11. Now you have to figure out how you are going to create a picture for your Christmas card!

12. Do not be surprised when your husband races down the stairs, early in the morning, shooshing everyone, and turning on the t.v. to listen to Mitt Romney's speech. He has no greater passion than Politics and Religion! Such passion will lead him to creating this...

13. Your heart will melt when your daughters teacher tells you that your sweet girl attended to someone that got hurt on the playground and your son tells you that he wants to be just like you when he grows up!

14. Your eyes will fill up with tears as you trim away your baby's mullet. You will realize it was time, but you just did not want to let go of his long, golden, baby locks!

25 Questions for 25 days of Christmas!

Christmas Morning, 2005, traditional picture on the stairs!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Definitely Hot Chocolate with lots of whip cream and a candy cane!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa ALWAYS wraps presents and places them on the couch in individual piles. AND, each persons presents are wrapped in different wrapping paper (Santa, himself, wouldn't have it any other way. To him it is just, plain, un-American!).

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I equally enjoy whited and colored lights. However, this year, I chose white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Never have, but I have always wanted to be that girl in the movie who gets kissed by the "Hot" guy who passes by her while standing under it.

5. When do you hang your decorations up?
After Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
My mom always makes a traditional, very yummy, breakfast casserole with homemade muffins and juice. This is my favorite! If I could eat this all year long I would! Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
When I pretended to be one of Santa's Elves, named Candy Cane, and left notes for my little brother to open every day before Christmas.

8. When and How did you learn the truth about Santa?
In the 3rd grade, a few of my friends told me that Santa wasn't real. I decided to ask my mom and dad, during dinner, if this was true. My dad took me to his room and broke the news to me. I remember feeling like the smartest kid in the world because I had figured out their great, big secret.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. We always get new pj's.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Mostly with homemade ornaments and other cute stuff.

11. Snow? Loved it or dread it?
Loved it as a kid. Hate it as an adult!

12. Real tree or fake tree?
I love a real tree. I love shopping for one in the cold and I love the smell of a real tree. However, I have succumbed to the husbands wishes and have a fake tree, but in some ways it is nice because I don't have all those messy pine needles to vacuum up!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
Santa brought me a golden retriever for Christmas, we named her Duchess.

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you?
Remembering our Savior and spending time with loved ones.

15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert?
Anything chocolate.

16. What is your favorite tradition?
Going to the annual Holiday show at SeaWorld.

17. What tops your tree?
A really ugly, tinsel, blinking light, star. We bought it when we first got married because we couldn't find any other star to top our tree and Devon refuses to let me throw it away.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Until I had kids, I looked forward to what I would receive for Christmas, but now I would much rather buy them and others gifts and watch their faces light up as they open their presents.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
My favorite hymn is "Silent Night" and my Favorite Song is "Little Saint Nick," by the Beach Boys. However, I do have to say that I really do love that song where he sings, "last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away..." That song always makes me smile because we used to make fun of that song when we were kids.

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum?
I love them in Hot Chocolate!

21. Favorite Christmas Movie?
"Home Alone," "Elf," and, the classic, "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer."

22. What do you leave for Santa?
Cookies and Milk.

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?
Devon's family always took a picture on the stairs before they went down to see what Santa had brought them. We now have the same tradition in our home.

24. Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?
I love to shop at the mall! I love the hustle and bustle of Christmas and all the decorations, music, you name it--I LOVE IT! (Devon hates it because of the parking!)

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card?
I wrote a Christmas letter one time. Now we just send a Christmas card. Coming up with the design for the Christmas card and pictures that we will use for the Christmas card is stressful enough!

Now that I have answered these 25 questions, I am going to TAG my Mom, Robyn, Michael, Amanda, and Darci to do the same! Have fun...I can't wait to see what you write!

Christmastime Is Here!

Taylor lost her first tooth and just in time for Christmas! Devon told her that the Tooth Fairy would pay her according to how much her tooth weighed. Evidently, it weighed A LOT because the Tooth Fairy gave her $2! She was so excited! For the first 2 or 3 days, she carried her "cash," as she called it, around with her everywhere she went. I just love her toothy grin!
It is now officially Christmas at our home. We decided that our 6-year old, 39 dollar special from Wal-Mart, Christmas tree had seen better days and purchased a new one. As you can see, Taylor and Luke were good helpers and couldn't wait to get the tree put together.
And, of course, no Christmas Tree decorating event would be complete without setting the timer on the camera and posing the family in front of the tree for a picture. Merry Christmas!

Our Thanksgiving Adventures

1. "Are we there yet?" really means, "give me another snack and I'll stop talking," "what else do you have for me to do because I'm bored," "I want to watch a different movie," and "I had no idea that 'vacation' meant spending 12 hours in the car."

2. Throw up all over the kitchen floor and discussions of this matter, while eating Thanksgiving dinner, is a good way to minimize your desire to eat until your pants won't zip up.

3. Parker crying really means, Blake hit Parker, Blake looked at Parker, Blake walked towards Parker, Blake took a toy away from Parker, or Parker just didn't feel good.

4. Thanks to Michael, Blake now knows how to talk back and shout, while shaking his finger, "no, no, no, no!!"

5. "Making Mud," for a 3-year old, is much more fun than using a toilet!

6. You haven't truly experienced the lights at Temple Square unless you go with screaming children in the freezing cold and forget your camera!

7. There is nothing like experiencing a BYU victory to the Utes in Provo, Utah!

8. Tucano's is always worth the wait--especially when the store next door is giving away free prizes, food, crafts for the kids, a visit with Santa, and has cheesey middle school performers singing Christmas songs.

9. Sleeping in your own bed never felt so good--especially after sleeping on a flat air mattress.

10. No trip would be complete without tons of goodbye tears, hugs, and kisses!

Hunting for Geodes

Below is a list of three things I (Devon) really want to do. I got to check one off my list this week. I had a plan to go Geode hunting last Thanksgiving. But everyone chickend out because of the cold weather, and hour drive.

This time around, I recruited, Kim's, Grampa Roush to go with me. He might be about 80, but he is a die hard “Rock Hound." We left for the Dugway Geode Mine at about 5:45 a.m., it took 2.5 hours to get there. On the way we passed some deer, a wild horse herd, and lots of Antelope. I had not seen Antelope since I was 12, with my Grandpa Haycock.

After an hour and a half we got to the old Pony Express exchange and rest spot. I

quickly realized, since the pony express stopped with the expansion of the Locomotive, nobody in their right mind had come back out this way. Then we traveled about 50 more miles on a dirt rock road. We finally arrived at the Geode mind, that was really two back hoe dug holes in the middle of hell. When we got out of the door, the cold air tore threw my sweater, gloves, and shoes. I put on every layer of clothes I could find. Grandpa, one of the toughest 80 year olds you will ever meet, lasted outside for about 10 minutes. While he got back into the truck to warm up, I kept digging. Finding an interesting vein in the rock sentiment, I started to hack at the frozen solid earth. Soon I came across my first Geode. Minutes later I came across my second Geode. It was the older brother of the first, and about 5” in diameter. From what I read online, I knew this was pretty big for this area. The Geode was very heavy. Most Geodes are lighter, because they are hollow.

Holding my prized Geode, my high hopes were riding on the contents of its core. Being so heavy, my expectations were low. We looked for another two hours, never coming across a Geode even half it’s size. After my limbs where frozen, and my body sore from digging in the frozen tundra. We packed up and left for Salt Lake. The next day, we went to Grandpa Roush’s home, where he conviently has a diamond saw to cut Geodes. We loaded my Geode up, and closed the top. It took about 15 minutes to cut, and when it opened up, you can see what I saw below!

Well to say I was excited, would be an understatement. It was the most beautiful Geode I had ever seen. I have another picture below, so you can see the size of my Geode, compared to the typical size we found.

I would like to thank my beautiful wife, for letting me leave for half a day, and dig in the dirt, while she watched the kids. I can’t wait to go to Tennesse next, where I plan to take a little trip over to Arkansas, and dig for Diamonds!

People Say The Strangest Things!

Being a young mom of three, and living in Southern California, I am often stunned and surprised by the things people say to me when I am out with the kids. For example:

• Blake attracts attention from others easily because he is still so chubby. His fat cheeks are irresistible. One day, I was entering the Post Office and a lady passing by shouted, "Do you breastfeed him?" Embarrassed, I quickly replied, "Not anymore, he's 16 months!" Of course, I was thinking, "how rude to even ask, you don't even know me!"

• Once again, I was approaching the Gym, with all three kids in tote, and a lady exiting the gym took one look at me and said, "I never had to exercise, until now, because I had 7 children that I chased around." Who knows what this ladies comment meant, but, of course all I could think that she meant was that I must not get as much exercise chasing 3 kids around, as she did with 7, so it's a good thing I go to the gym.
  

• Last, but not least (there are more I could share, but this surpasses them all!), I was out, today, getting the oil changed on the car and the mechanic took one look at me and at the kids and said, "You look really young, are they all yours?" I smiled and nodded and said, "I am young." He said, "How old are you, 25?" Again, I smiled (of course feeling totally giddy that he thought I looked 25) and answered, "Actually, I just turned 30." I watched his face turn from that "oh, you're young look" to "oh, you're not as young as I thought." Then, he said, and here's the kicker, "Well, you look young. Your husband must give you a really good time!" As my eyeballs widened and my jaw dropped to the floor, my thoughts said, "GASP!! Did he mean what I think he meant?"

Like I said, people really do say the strangest things!

6 Random Tidbits...

Now that I've been tagged...here are some random tidbits about myself...

1. My favorite TV show, when I was little, was "Little House on the Prairie."

2. In Jr. High, I wanted to tryout for cheer leading, and, while practicing my routine, I tripped over my dog and sprained my ankle.

3. All throughout Elementary School my hair was permed and I had huge feather bangs!!

4. I really HATE driving on the freeway! After 3 car accidents and 2 nicks in a parking lot (while in H.S.) I still get sweaty palms and a racing heart beat while driving on the freeway.

5. In the 7th Grade, I loved the group "Milli Vanilli" ("Blame it on the Rain..."). One day, my dad told me that they were "of the devil," and that I needed to throw the tape away. For weeks, I was horrified that he wanted me to throw my favorite tape away. I obeyed, put it in the trash, and immediately took it back out. I couldn't part with it! It was just too good! As a matter of fact, I have added two of their songs to the top of my Music Playlist for your listening pleasure!

6. My first job, in H.S, was at Auntie Anne's Pretzels in the mall. To this day, I can't stand the smell or taste of pretzels!

There you have it! Just a few, very random, things about me. First, I am going to tag Christie, and as a welcome to the blogging world, I am going to tag my most recent blogging friends...Darci, Amanda, and Melissa!

Just One More Hat to Wear!

I am many things...a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, chocolate covered strawberry lover, blogger, singer, coke drinker, housekeeper, chauffer, diaper changer, laundry sorter/folder, owie kisser, shopper, hair stylist, teacher, mediator, baby onesie maker, vinyl letter/wall word designer, and NOW, officially, a new Pilates Instructor!

I don't think I have ever worn so many different hats in my life, but I am very excited to add this one to the list! After completing the training, the mentoring, and the application, audition, and interview process...it is official...I am hired!

Aquadots VS. Joe Camel

Many of you have wondered what these fantastic little toys are...so I have provided a picture! I sure hope these cute kids that posed for the picture are still alive! Who wouldn't want aquadots after seeing how much fun the kids in the picture are having! First, there was the famous Joe Camel pushing cigarettes to kids, now we have the aquadot twins pushing the date rape drug to 3-year olds.

Aquadots

We have this point system that we use with our kids. Once they have accumulated a certain amount of points--we reward them with something big. For months Luke has been asking for Aquadots. He saw them on TV and just couldn't stop talking about them. Finally, after two months of earning points, he earned his Aquadots. He and Taylor couldn't wait to get their hands on them and start creating shapes and things with these Aquadots. However, they looked much easier to use on TV than they were in real life. They are these teeney tiny balls that you set on a template to make a picture and then spray them with water and they stick together (does that make any sense?). Anyhoo, Devon said, out loud, that he didn't think the kids should play with those when Blake was around. He thought it seemed weird the way they reacted to being wet and didn't want to chance it with Blake.

To make a long story short...two days ago, Devon came home from work and said that there was a recall on Aquadots, but he didn't know why. Later on that night, on the news, we learned that the reason the Aquadots were being recalled was because they are coated with a chemical that, when induced, metabolizes into the equivalent of the date rape drug and causes immediate comas in children and, in two instances, children can die!!!

Yes! My children have been playing with a lethal drug. Blake has handled them in his hands when I wasn't looking! They have been spilled on the floor and scattered throughout the house. Yesterday, I went on an Aquadot hunt and found them in the Legos, in the coat closet, under the hutch, in the carpet, everywhere.

Today, we are taking the Aquadots back!!! Luke asked if he could play with them this morning. When I told him he couldn't he threw the biggest fit and cried...they are his favorite toy. Of course, I couldn't tell him that his favorite toy could potentially kill him. So, I did the thing any loving parent would do, I bribed him with a bigger, better toy and it worked!

I May Be 30, But I've Still Got It!

Turning 30, wasn't exactly easy. For the last 6 months, I have been dreading turning this number. Despite the fact that everyone kept telling me that I was approaching the best decade of my life, the thought of turning 30 did not bring feelings of joy only feelings of dread. In fact, for the last 6 months, every time someone would ask me how old I am, I would immediately answer, "29, but I'm almost 30." Then, all of a sudden, logic sunk in and I realized how stupid of me that was! Why did I label myself as being 30, for so long, when I wasn't? I should have relished in being 29 for as long as I could. In my mind, 30-year olds were grown-ups with mortgages, nice cars, careers, children, and bigger butts. But, wait, I have all of those things...so it is true...I am a grown-up! Now that I have established that I am 30 (and a grown-up); I have decided that instead of feeling dread and sadness towards turning 30 and mourning my 20's, I would rather think that, although, I may be 30, I've still got it! And here's why:

• I am self-assured in who I am. I know what I want and how to get it!
• I've got a rockin' new hairdo. An updated hairdo always keeps you young (right?).
• Most people don't think I am a day over 25 (or so I like to think).
• I've got great taste in music!
  
• I can run for 35-45 minutes straight without getting winded!
• I am more flexible than I was at 20--thanks to Pilates!
• The husband still hates to see me go, but LOVES to watch me leave! As the husband says, "it's that honky tonk badonkadonk!"
  
• I am sexy (or so I like to tell myself).
• I am a fantastic mom...I can brush my teeth, give the kids a bath, shave my legs, pack a lunch, kiss the husband good-bye, change a diaper, and talk on the phone all at the same time (hee hee).
  
• I have become, somewhat, an expert at multi-tasking.
• I graduated from College and have my degree.
• I am married.
• I survived three pregnancies, three labor and deliveries, three nursing babies, and am raising 3 children all under the age of 5.
• I auditioned for American Idol (if that doesn't mean I've got it, then I don't know what does!).
• I have a great family and terrific friends!

I'm sure there is more that I could add, but if that doesn't mean I've got it, then I don't know what does!

As a side note, I had a terrific birthday! It was definitely a birthday hullabulloo to remember! Devon bought me some beautiful earrings from Tiffany's to signify my turning 30. My friend gave me a party to remember. Then, Devon pampered me for the day with a pedicure, new cut and highlights in my hair, and a night on the town, ALONE (Yes, NO Kids!)! We went to a movie and to Roy's with some friends and had a great time. It was a blast turning 30!

Happy Halloween

Phew, I made it...I survived turning "that" number! There will be more on "that" topic later. For now, I thought I would share some cute Halloween pictures of the kids.

Our very own, very sweet, Pumpkin

"Dash" from the Incredibles. I swear, he could pass as the real thing.

And, Tigger...isn't he cute!

I even dressed up as a hillbilly.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween too!

KIMBERLY'S 30TH BIRTHDAY

On one’s Birthday, There is a tradition in our house--to make a Birthday sign, and hang it in the house for everyone to see. Usually this has been done by taking 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper, and writing one letter for each sheet. Then stacking them side by side to spell out HAPPY BIRTHDAY! My parents did this for us in Placentia, and I have done this with our family, since Kimberly and I got married.

Well being that we have a Vinyl Sign Plotter, I did what any normal husband would do! I took the Birthday sign to the next level. I figure I will keep it up for a couple days, just to show off my 30 something wife to everyone.
Kimberly has been depressed about turning 30. I keep telling her, I always wanted to date a 30 year old! I think this is going to be great. I figure when your forty, you will wish you were 30, so why not live it up now.

Driving around this morning, looking for a Birthday present. I started to think about past presents I gave Kimberly. The first Birthday I spent with her in 1995, I got her a beautiful ring. I saved up three months salary to buy this beautiful ring. I researched the Gem for October, it happens to be pink (her favorite color). I had the Gem cut into a heart. Then it had little diamonds, set in a triangle on the side, all set in gold. I wrapped it in the biggest box I could find. It was actually wrapped in like 10 boxes, each one inside each other. I still remember Kimberly’s face as she opened it, she is still as beautiful today, at 30, as she was then at 18.
I wish I could take a picture and show it to you. I can’t, because this present is no longer with us. See, there is a little known tradition in Kimberly’s side of the family also. It’s a tradition of taking your very loved rings, and having your young children play with them. Sometimes they give them to their young girlfriends, and sometimes they just loose them. I have made a little drawing of what it looked like, for you all to see!

Another present I gave Kimberly was that life sized Teady Bear, Taylor named “Beary”. We almost lost him too. Taylor after drinking Fruit Punch Gatoraide, threw-up all over Beary. If it was not for rushing him down stairs, and using the high pressure hose on him, at 3 A.M. in the morning, he would have also been lost forever.

Then last year, I ,again, saved up three months salary. I bought Kimberly her favorite Shampoo & Conditioner. The Brand is Bubble and Bubble, and Kimberly loves it. I do have a picture attached, but this is a stock photo from B&B website. I could not take a picture of ours, because Taylor and Luke used all of it for Bubble bath.

So looking back on the gifts of Birthdays past, I have decided to get Kimberly something indestructable, memories for her big 3-0. We are going to Kimberly favorite restaurant ROY’S, it’s Hawaiian fusion, and SOOooooo good.

I would tell you the rest or her presents, but they are a surprise, and if I told you, I would have to kill you!. So I just wanted to wish my lovely wife a great 30th birthday today. I think she is more beautiful than the day I met her (it was in seminary our freshmen year :) .

There's No Place Like Home

The evacuation was lifted late Wednesday afternoon and it feels really great to be home! Other than a lot of dirt and dust, our house is fine. As I reflect on this past week, I thought I would share a few things I learned...

• No matter how tired you are, don't leave the dinner dishes until morning. Otherwise, during a disaster, not only will you be scrambling to pack up all that is dear to you, but you will not feel like you can leave until you get the leftover food thrown away and dishes cleared off.
• Rather than sending your 5-year old into a panic of worry that your house could possibly burn down, you should explain to her, first, that we are going on an adventure and everything will be okay.
  
• Even when you have packed up everything that is "important" to you, you will still worry about all of the other things that weren't as "important" and wished you had grabbed them.
• Thank goodness for Costco! Buying in bulk is so worth it! We could have lived off of our snacks and water for at least a week.
  
• If the phone rings, at 6am, and the husband answers, he will not remember a word that was just spoken to him. Disaster or not, he is still, somewhat, delirious after the first 5 minutes of waking up (oh, wait, I actually already knew that).
• When visiting the Inland Empire, you will be approached numerous times by homeless people and strangers for extra cash and change. Normally, you don't oblige to giving handouts, but feel a little bit more generous given the circumstances.
  
• You feel bad that you don't have more change to give. However, had you not been so worried that your house was going to blow up into flames, you would have grabbed more change on your way out.
• When 3-year old boys play together 24/7, they begin display certain parts of their personality that you never knew existed.
• On the second day, they will label themselves "Bad Boys" and continue to parade around the house doing "bad" things.
• These so-called "Bad Boys" will attempt to slide down the stairs (which are very steep) on a Boogie Board, jump on the mini trampoline while on top of the bed, empty the tub of water onto the floor, dump out all toys and books in every playroom, and tease the sister until she is in tears.
• Surprisingly, Taylor and Luke will sleep well in a bed together. Blake, who, on the other hand, has always been a great sleeper, will cry profusely while trying to put him to bed and not go to bed until 11pm every night.
• This will explain the dark circles and feelings of agitation you express toward your loving husband and children.
  
• You will greatly anticipate the day that you can jog again. You miss it so much more when you CAN'T do it!
• There really is no place like home...even if it is filled with dust, dirt, and soot and will take days to clean up. It is great to be home. Yet, even better to have a home to come home to. We are so blessed!
  

Greetings from Fontana!

We are no longer inhaling smoke and floating embers of ash. At 6am, this morning, we received a mandatory call to evacuate our home. We are experiencing hurricane winds which are enabling the fire and causing it to move fervently through the area. Last night, the fire jumped I-15 and sparked in Rancho Bernardo. Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Sur, Poway, Penasquitos, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, and Solana Beach have all been evacuated. It was like leaving Armageddon as we packed up our car with all of our valuables, clothes, and food and drove the hell out of dodge. Rather than joining the rest of the county at Qualcomm Stadium, we chose to join family in Fontana. Hopefully, we can go home tomorrow...I will keep you updated!

Local Fire!

Earlier today, we had blue skies until about 2pm, we noticed that the air smelled smoky and looked outside and the sky was completely dark and gray. It is Santa Ana conditions, which means lots of wind and fires! Much of the nearby county is being evacuated from their homes and schools have been cancelled for tomorrow.
Devon decided it would be wise to fill up the car with gas in case we are evacuated tonight. Once outside, he noticed the ground looked wet, but when he looked closer, it was actually soot on the ground.
The air looks and smells like you are downwind of a beach bonfire. Hopefully, the wind changes direction or dies down so the firefighters can actually put this fire to rest!!

Things I Learned This Week!

• When attending a Pilates class, and leaving your children in the Kids Club, it is good to know what their policy is on disciplining a 15-month old prior to attending.
• Had I known this in advance, it may have spared my 15-month old from having time-outs for intentionally (?!?!?) hitting and throwing a lego. Thus, leading to him being written up for bad behavior. AND, leaving me feeling like (as so indicated by the kids club attendee) the mother of a demon child whom I should be teaching better behavior to.
• When your 3 1/2 year old goes #2 in the potty, do not allow him to leave the toilet before being wiped and putting back on his underwear.
• Had I known this was going to happen, I would not have had to clean up the skid marks left on the couch!
• Trying to juggle many things, such as, Pilates Instructor training, cleaning the house, folding laundry, doing dishes, carpools, completing numerous Vinyl Lettering orders and much, much, more will lead to sleep deprivation and anxiety!
• When picking up your son from preschool, his teacher will ask "does he have hearing problems or just selective hearing?"
• You will answer, "No, he is definitely a selective listener...just like his Dad." Aaah, Yes, the "selective hearing," that was DEFINITELY inherited from his Dad.
• She will then give you a series of instructions to follow to eliminate any chance that he could have hearing problems. You will leave second guessing yourself and wondering if your son really does have a hearing problem. For two days, you will test him numerous times and find that he listens best whenever you say words, such as "Park," "Cookie," "If you don't...you'll get a time-out." Oh, yes, his hearing is just fine. It is only the times that I say words, such as "Pick up the toys," "It's time for bed," then he chooses to not hear me and go on doing what he wants.
• While staying up late and hoping to get some work done, your husband will go out to the garage and ask you why the ground is sopping wet and full of 3 inches of water?! You will be clueless and then discover that your neighbors garage flooded and the water seeped through the floor from her garage into yours.
• You will then spend the rest of the night emptying out your garage. You and your husband will be too exhausted to finish it that night and decide to go to bed.
• Before going to bed (after midnight or so) you will decide to check on the kids and notice that your 15-month old looks quite uncomfortable. Being the good mother that you are, you will rearrange him so that he is in a more comfortable position. However, this will wake him up and he will decide he is ready to be up for the day. He will not go back to bed until 2AM. Then, your 3-year old will wake up at 5:30AM and be awake for the day!
• You are so tired! But, by some miracle, the next day, while your 5-year old is at school, your 3-year old will decide (on his own) to curl up on the couch and take a nap...so you put the baby down for a nap and you take a nap. How nice!
• Your favorite things this week: getting to watch the series premiere of "Greys Anatomy" and wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants...it's finally fall!

Afternoon Matinee

Sometimes it's not what you watch, but where you watch it! This was the case today. While I was at my 4-hour Pilates Instructor training (yes, I am training to be a Pilates Instructor), Devon was trying to entertain the kids and get caught up on the onesie and vinyl letter orders at the same time. There is no better distraction than a new way to watch a DVD. Inspired by Snoopy, Devon set up pillows and blankets on top of the kids house. There Taylor, Luke, and, especially, Blake sat still and watched a show for at least 30 minutes (or, so I'm told). I guess I need to leave the kids, alone, with Devon more often. Whenever I come home they always have some kind of creative, mass structure in the living that I have to clean up, but at least they had fun!

Stealing Cinderella

Earlier this week, Devon called me on his way to work to ask me if I had heard the song "Stealing Cinderella" by, new artist, Chuck Wicks. Evidently, US 95.7 was interviewing Chuck Wicks who was talking about this song he had written, "Stealing Cinderella," about the day he had asked his girlfriend's dad for her hand in marriage. When the interview was over, they played the song.

I was surprised that he was listening to Country Music, rather than Talk Radio, but told him "no" I hadn't heard that song. He went on to tell me how much he liked the song and said it reminded him of when he asked me to marry him. Later that day, I downloaded the song off of itunes and as I listened to it my throat started to swell and my eyes started to fill up with tears. Before I knew it I was blubbering like a baby!

Part of the song is about being in their home and looking at pictures of this woman from when she was a little girl. Moments of happiness and joy in that little girls life. Times of pillow fights, running through the sprinklers, riding her first bike, and so on.

All of us have pictures in our home of our children that we love to display and show off. They bring back memories from years that have passed that will always bring us joy when we look at them and remember back.

Since I love this song so much, i thought it would be fun to gift this song to fellow iTunes users! So, the FIRST 3 people to POST A Comment will get THIS song! You have to have iTunes, and you have to use the email address that is attached to your iTunes/apple account so I can gift you the song.

You're going to love it....start posting so you can win this song!

Luke's in Preschool

Yes, it's hard to believe, but the day has finally arrived and Luke is in Preschool! He started about two weeks ago and, now, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my favorite day of the week! On those days, while Blake naps, I actually get to have quiet conversations with myself in my head and nobody else! I never thought this day would come, but it has, and I love it! Most important of all, Luke LOVES preschool and wishes he could go every day!