WEEKEND ESCAPE

So, with a long weekend ahead of us, and a gas card as a gift (thank you!) we packed the trunk with the rest of Trevor's rubbermaid containers then crammed a few of our own belongings into the trunk.  Being "finals week" for the kids, they were out of school early on Friday, so we left before traffic got bad.  Hooray!  The kids all conked out in the back seat.  Amazing how they can stay strapped in while getting "comfortable" for sleeping!  We were really excited because this trip was a surprise for Brooke ... she had no idea we were coming up!  We arrived in Utah in time to see Trevor for just a few minutes before heading up to SLC to stay the night with Brad's parents.  Caci & Jace were in St. George for a birthday ... Trevor was working like crazy - so we enjoyed the evening just with Grandma & Grandpa.  

We showed up at Brooke & Steven's townhouse just as they got back from a wedding ... Steve knew we were coming, but Brooke was completely surprised!  That was so fun!  It was so good to be together and in IDAHO!  They have a really BEAUTIFUL home - and comfortable too.  It's decorated so stylishly.  

We had MAJOR fun playing with the Wii!  Tennis, bowling and boxing gave me the best workout I've had in ages!

We didn't get around to playing Nertz with all the Wii playing we did ... but it was TONS of fun!  

Our original plan was to spend just Saturday with our Idaho kids, then leave right after church on Sunday to head back to Utah to be with those kids and Brad's parents .... but we just couldn't part with Steven and Brooke so soon!  (It's never enough time!) Plus, Caci and Jace weren't back in Provo yet ... so while staying longer, we found even more fun things to do.  It was icy cold ... so PERFECT for ICE SKATING!!!!  Due to my obvious clumsiness, and the need for one of us to be the photographer, I didn't get skates ... but everyone else did - and it was SO FUN to watch the process!  BRYAN was unbelievable on the ice!  He just stepped out and started skating like a pro!  Steven and Brooke were equally good.  The rest ... well ....

It took a while for everyone else to get their "ice legs".  Before the night was over, Brad and Sierra were also skating all over the place, and AZURE was in a verticle position more than not :)  I spent most of the time laughing so hard I had to cross my legs!  All in all, the skating time was incredibly memorable.  A HUGE thank you to Brookie and Steven!  

TAGGED

Ok, so my cousin, Tash, tagged me.  I'm new at this ... hopefully I'll do it right (I copied and pasted Brooke's "form" ... is that cheating? .....) :

i am: grateful for good health, an intact family, and peace of mind
i know: that the garbage truck will come on time every Monday and Thursday morning 
i want: to stop selling commercials
i have: the most comfortable sweat pants
i hate: listening to gossip 
i miss: my kids 
i feel: really silly when it gets past my bedtime
i hear: my girls singing when I remember Christmas vacation
i smell: essential oils whenever I need to take from my little cash stash (ok ... so now everyone knows where I keep it ... )
i crave: a solid night's sleep 
i search: for stuff Brad loses on a regular basis :) 
i love: life
i care: about our incredible ward members ... they're amazing!
i always: check on my kids before going to bed
i believe: in miracles
i sing: and wish I sounded like my girls
i write: because I hope my kids and their kids and their kids .... can learn from my mistakes
i lose: my inhibitions when it gets very late 
i win: pretty much every game I play ... I only cheat to make it more interesting.  Before you know it, Steven, I'll be beating you at NERTZ too :)
i never: say never
i listen: and it's taken me many, many years to develop that trait
i am scared: to hear the phone ring in the middle of the night
i need: to re-organize the garage
i am happy about: my new clothesline Bryan put up!

i hope:  Trevor's and Caci's business gives them a smooth ride (pardon the pun) 

STILL AWAKE ....

Don't you hate those sleepless nights?  The last few nights have been killers for me.  Either I can't fall asleep or else I conk out only to wake up at 2:00 am and stay up till the kids get up ready for Seminary.  By then there's too much to do to go back to bed.  So tonight I'll blog.  Oh - and I'll write monologues since I leave for Sitka in a couple of weeks and need to have 12 complete monologues written and partially memorized before leaving.  Most people who read this blog will have no idea what I'm talking about ... I know I'm rambling, but it feels good.

Good stuff today though: 

the job hunt continues for Brad, but he has an interview coming up next week in Cali and the week after at Lake Las Vegas.  They aren't necessarily real interviews, as there aren't immediate openings - but they're companies that are interested in Brad, and Brad is very interested in them.  So, as we continue to search for something ... anything, we keep having our hope kindled with positive situations like these.

Also today:  While setting up interviews for my trip to Sitka, I talked with the Sitka Convention & Visitor's Bureau Exec. Dir. and one thing led to another, and it looks as if I may have sold another commercial for our show here in Vegas!  That is getting me ever closer to where I need to be for our taping that begins the middle of February.  If anyone reading this knows of a company or person who can part with a measly $2600 for a commercial spot in an up-and-coming cool talk-show in Vegas, let me know!  I need to sell a couple more spots, and SOON!

More good from today:  I saw the dentist and got my stitches out.  He says everything is healing nicely and I can get a crown in about 3 months ... SHEESH! ... 3 months!  I had oral surgery because of a faulty root canal done years ago that cracked my root.  This was done right before Christmas.  I was in killer pain for a little while, so took a narcotic pain killer daily.  I was afraid I'd get addicted - I was taking so much!  Anyway, I stopped taking them, and I'm NOT addicted (yay).  I do still have a hole where he took out the tooth and put in a post (ick) - BUT the good news is that it's all healing like it should and I'll have a new crown in a few months.  I sure wish we had a dentist in the family - it is SO EXPENSIVE to get stuff like this done!

Also today:  I've made great strides in reclaiming the house after the holidays.  The front half of the house is in good order, and could even pass "white glove" inspection (hehehe)

That's it.  Tash tagged me, so the next time I have insomnia I'll write all about myself.  Cross your fingers that I can sleep soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

We had the very best Christmas ever, and hope you all did too.  There is nothing that beats family time.  Having all the extended families with us would have made it perfect!  I've been trying for days to upload a quick-time movie of our Christmas, but it keeps flopping, so instead, here are some pictures:

We were TOTALLY surprised a couple of days before Christmas when Brad's little sister, Lizzy, her husband, Jeff & two of her boys, Austin & Garrett showed up at our front door!  Lizzy was standing there with a box of chocolates and I thought, "Wow - a whole family is here to sell candy ..." it took me at least 10-seconds to realize who it was.  They stayed a couple of hours and we had a great time visiting.  It's never long enough with them, but what a great treat!      

The days before Christmas were spent playing games, making treats (Steve's the pro at making truffles!), working on presents, doing the puzzle, caroling, and talking, talking, talking.

We even found time to help Trevor and Caci shine up their bus.  

Christmas Eve we carried on our favorite traditions:

And Christmas Morning was fabulous!

If ever there was an enchanted time of life for me, this is it!  I LOVE having everyone together.  It's been a crazy week, and an even crazier month ... but moments together are what put everything into perspective.

Trevor and Caci have been traveling back and forth between here and California, getting their "SummerSalesBus.Com" bus ready for transport.  It's an amazing accomplishment!  We were all so excited when Trevor arrived just after Caci and Jace did a couple of days ago.  They signed with a major business last week, so they're having successes even before getting started!  This bus started out as a regular, gigantic bus ... but after gutting it and putting lots and lots of hours into it, take a look at it now:

The boys spent a little time working on the heater, "testing out the games", and inviting the girls to help ... while others of us took care of Christmas things.

SNOW

LET IT SNOW!  LET IT SNOW!!! LET IT SNOW!!!!!

Hooray!  It's December 17th, and SNOWING in Henderson, Nevada!  We're all loving it!  My visiting teacher stopped by with a Christmas bag FULL of lemons from her tree and we looked out the door and saw this gorgeous snow!  Hooray for us!!!!!  Caci is now making lemon curd from the lemons, then we'll make some lemon bars too.  YAY FOR US!

Then Brookie and Caci will be making LEMON MERINGUE PIE!!! Another Yay for us!!!!!!

Birthdays

We've had a crazy couple of weeks as a family ... and it's culminated in a couple of glorious days with us all together.  Truly glorious!  The best gift I could ever hope for on a birthday is for us all to be together.  And sitting in church ... taking up a whole middle row ... that was something I will cherish forever.  I'll write more later - just wanted to share this precious time with you.