Story Of My Life

Top 10 of 2008!

So it's out with the old and in with the new! 2008 flew by! My top ten favorite memories of 2008 are:

10. Christmas!! It is my favorite time of year and this one was awesome! It was "just right." Although we miss family terribly, we have fun with our own little traditions; new pjs on Christmas Eve, reading the Nativity story from scriptures, taking our Christmas Eve picture, Christmas morning rolls, etc. 

9. Halloween!! It's so great to be able to walk around in your costume in CA and trick-or-treat...without a coat! We love to BOO our neighbors (leave a pumpkin filled with goodies at their door as we doorbell ditch), trunk or treat in the church parking lot, the school Halloween parade, trick or treating with our neighbors Emily & Aaron, and Trick or Treating with Mickey Mouse at California Adventure! 

8. Breaking Dawn & HSM 3! I read the book super quick and LOVED it! It's my favorite next to Twilight! Summer & I saw the HSM Movie 4 times! We have a great time together and love all the G rated fun! It super cute!

 

7. Soccer Season! Breck did an awesome job this year. Quite the athlete! Watching him play each Saturday in the fall is a treat! 

6. Skype! We don't get to use it often enough! We love to chat on Skype with all our family! It's super fun:) Pictured below is Summer chatting away with Grandma & Grandpa in Washington! 

5. Birthdays!! I LOVE birthdays!!! This year we even helped Aunt Ciria celebrate!! 

4. Back to School! After a boring month of summer break in August...the kids couldn't wait to go back to school! This is the first year they are both gone all day...I admit it made me nervous at first thinking of life without one of them home with me. Then I saw how much they love going each day and it became clear it's exactly where they need to be! I am so proud of them and how much they enjoy going to school! They're a couple of smarties!! Way to go kids: 

3. Serving in my calling! I have learned so much! AND I love the women I serve with! They are my sisters of the heart and my sisters by choice! They have renewed and strengthened my faith in friendship! 

2. New York! Loved it. Loved it. Loved it! Need I say more?  

And last but definitely not least it's my #1... 

#1. Our Family Reunion!! A fabulous time with the people I love. Such great, great memories! I loved every single second! Families Are Forever! 

I feel extremely blessed to have had such a wonderful 2008 filled with happy memories! Good times filled with smiles, laughter, love, friends, and family!! It's the life I could never have imagined happening or existing for myself! I am truly grateful!

I just missed it...

but how about New Year's Adam??  He-he!

Just went to a wedding reception at our church.  It was beautiful!  I love weddings:)  sigh!  i'll blog more later today! night.

UPS

Just checking...did anyone get a visit from UPS from us??

Flip Videos

This is a work in progress.  I'm trying to figure out how to get high quality resolution.  When you watch the videos and play them back on your computer they work out just fine. In transferring them to You-Tube that you lose the resolutions. 

ANYWAY...here are our filmmakers "in the making" debut!

Merry Christmas!

Hello All!  We have had such a great Christmas!  It's been fun and relaxing, which is such a nice treat for us:)  Below is why we are having so much fun...Santa went a little Wii Crazy!!

**Not pictured is Guitar Hero World Tour that kept Vallen & I up until 3am!  So much fun!  He rocks and I'm just keeping up!  

Here we are on Christmas Eve with our gingerbread house:

Pictured below is Breck's half of the Gingerbread House's Roof. Can you tell what it is??  It's a gingerbread man with HUGE candy mint eyes and a "blaster" aka his candy cane!  Such a character!

Our traditional Christmas Eve picture in our new jammies!

I can barely get the kids to pose for their traditional Christmas Eve picture anymore!  I have taken this exact picture since Breck was born. I can't wait to someday display them all!  These were taken by request...they chose the poses!  Nice.  Sigh.  See what my household is like these days?  Two peas in a pod, right? NOT!

Putting out the Reindeer Dust for Santa and the his reindeer to be able to see our house!!

Grandma Diana & Grandpa Keary we LOVED our new ornaments for 2008!!

Tomorrow I will post lots and lots of videos as the kids and I each got our own Flip Camcorders!  We've been watching some of Breck's video and it's fun to get his perspective on things!

Love to everyone.  We miss you and think of you often!  Have a fabulous Holiday Season!  Call or Skype us, we'd love to chat:)

Christmas Adam!

I read this on a blog today...today is Christmas Adam because he came before Eve and tomorrow is Christmas Eve:)   Silly, I now, but I think it will stick.

I'm done wrapping gifts!  So nice to have a small, easy Christmas!  The kids are beyond excited which is just so fun to be around:)  I love those two...they make everything in life so much "better."  Since I don't have much to blog about I thought I'd do Calixta's blog tag "BE BOLD."

1. Started your own blog: 2006
2. Slept under the stars: Lots when I went camping as a kid!  The last time was probably at the Palmyra Pagent with Vallen in 1996!
3. Played in a band: Does an "air band" in the car with my kids count?  I play drums (on the steering wheel), Breck is air guitar, and Summer uses a pencil as a microphone and is our lead singer:)
4. Visited Hawaii: Shhh, it's  a secret but probably in August for Vallen's 40th B.day!!
5. Watched a meteor shower: When I was in high school I saw Haley's Comet! Does that count?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity: Yep!
7. Been to Disneyland: Several time, but probably not enough since we only live 10 minutes away
8. Climbed a mountain: Nope
9. Held a praying mantis: Never
10. Sang a solo: Does in the shower count?
11. Bungee jumped: Never, I will NEVER do this I'm so afraid of heights.
12. Visited Paris: Soon
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea: Never
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch: Does scrapbooking or papercrafting count as an art?
15. Adopted a child: Nope
16. Had food poisoning: yes, several times!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty: Nope...hopefully next 4th of July!!
18. Grown your own vegetables: When I was a kid in 1981 & 1982
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France: Nope
20. Slept on an overnight train: Nope
21. Had a pillow fight: Yep!
22. Hitch hiked: Not a chance.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill: Probably!
24. Built a snow fort: Yep!
25. Held a lamb: Nope, but I did have a pet calf?  My parents ended up BBQing in the backyard, yet pretty tramatic!
26. Gone skinny dipping: Nope.  
27. Run a Marathon: Not gonna happen.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice: Nope
29. Seen a total eclipse: Yep.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset: There is nothing like a sunset at the beach!
31. Hit a home run: Yes, I married Vallen didn't I?? LOL.
32. Been on a cruise: Nope
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person: Yep. Twice and once was with Calixta.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors: Yep.
35. Seen an Amish community: Yep, we lived in Ohio!
36. Taught yourself a new language: Nope
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied: Yes, I am truly blessed.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person: Nope
39. Gone rock climbing: Nope
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David: I wish.
41. Sung karaoke: Yep, with Summer in her room.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt: Nope
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant: Nope.
44. Visited Africa: No.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight: Yes.
46. Been transported in an ambulance: Yes, when I was 16 and in a car accident with my boyfriend.
47. Had your portrait painted: No.
48. Gone deep sea fishing: Nope
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person: Nope
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris: Nope
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling: Nope
52. Kissed in the rain: Yes.
53. Played in the mud: Yes!  The greatest football game ever played at Ricks in 1991!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater: Love it!  Have gone several times!
55. Been in a movie: Nope.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China: No.
57. Started a business: Does being a Creative Memories Consultant count?  Na.
58. Taken a martial arts class: No.
59. Visited Russia: No
60. Served at a soup kitchen: No
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies: Yes, with Summer...she was the top sales person in her troop:)
62. Gone whale watching: Yes, it was awesome.  In Boston in 1996.
63. Got flowers for no reason: Yes, I have a very romantic husband!
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma: I don't donate blood as I am anemic.
65. Gone skydiving: No
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp: No
67. Bounced a check: Yes, and once it was a check for Aunt Linda!!  So embarrassing.
68. Flown in a helicopter: No
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy: Yes, a 35 year old mini tea set from Uncle Danny!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial: yes
71. Eaten Caviar: Never
72. Pieced a quilt: Once with my Grandma Nield
73. Stood in Times Square: Yes...last April with Vallen and it was awesome!
74. Toured the Everglades: Never
75. Been fired from a job: Never
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London: Never
77. Broken a bone: No
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle: No
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person: Yes
80. Published a book: No
81. Visited the Vatican: No
82. Bought a brand new car: Yep!
83. Walked in Jerusalem: Nope
84. Had your picture in the newspaper: Yes, when I was a kid they took a picture of me and my friends tubing in Moses Lake.  And then I was in the paper for winning an award in Deca in Durham.
85. Read the entire Bible: No
86. Visited the White House: Yes
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating: Ewww.
88. Had chickenpox: Yes
89. Saved someone’s life: Nope
90. Sat on a jury: Nope
91. Met someone famous: Yes...scrapbooking celebrities
92. Joined a book club: No
93. Lost a loved one: Yes
94. Had a baby: Two.
95. Seen the Alamo in person: No
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake: Nope
97. Been involved in a law suit: Nope
98. Owned a cell phone: Yes, my first in 1996!
99. Been stung by a bee: Yes...a great story...I called my Mom to tell her I had been in the ER because I had been stung by a bee and I found out I was allergic...my Mom's response, "Oh, didn't I tell you you were allergic?"  DUH??  "Oh and your allergic to red ant bites too!"  Uh, thanks Mom!  LOL.

Yuck!

Stomach flu here!  Big Huge Bummer!  Breck first...I'm feeling it but holding out until Vallen gets home.  Summer is in protection mode...she has the lysol wipes glued to her side and has retreated to the upstairs portion of the casa!  It's too funny.  We told her to brace herself...the stomach flu isn't likely to pass her by.  SO, needless to say we are sad the stomach flu will fill the last few days leading up to Christmas!  My poor little guy is curled up on the floor (because it's colder there), a blanket draped over him, DS Ninetendo at the ready, ice chips at hand, and a throw-up bucket at his side...taking a nap!  This little dude doesn't sit still for much, so we know it's serious when he is taking a nap and it's his second today.  He is so cute...he said he thinks he got the stomach flu because at church yesterday his friend Joshua was telling a story about barf!  {giggle} 

Other Random goings on...

Yesterday someone in our neighborhood gave the kids a sweet Christmas gift! They brought in a snow making machine and filled part of the park with "snow." The kids thought it was awesome! 

 

Breck gave these cool bookmarks and a gift card to Barnes & Noble to his classmates on Friday!

Summer gave her classmates Mad Libs!  Such a clever idea and all hers!!

Below is my early Christmas gift.  For those of you who don't know I am an organization nut!  I LOVE it! The garage is a major project for me because our house is so small and lots of things go out there and also because it's the main entrance to our house!  We took out the workbench area, which was here when we bought the house, and put in corner shelves.  We also ordered a #10 Shelf from Shelf Reliance.  It took me about 3 weeks to get it all done and organized just the way I like it!  Even the boxes of food storage are lined up by category!  Sigh...it's pure bliss for me! An organized garage is sheer happiness:)  It's looks so "pretty."

PS. This is the opposite side of the garage that is already lined with shelves!  We are shelved to the max...we can't possibly put anymore out there!  Next up...new,bigger house?!  Not likely!!  LOL.

Hi again!

So, my lovely laptop has little to no hard disk space left.  I have had to move all my pictures to an external hard drive and that still isn't doesn't free up enough space!  It has been a sad few days trying to just check my email.  Yikes!  Who knew I could use up so much space!  I'm sad to say my laptop is heading off to the apple store for some much needed upgrades!  It will be missed!

Anyhoo, that's why I've been away...that and my mound of stuff to do on my desk and on my to do list!  Finally I feel I can breath again...just a little:)s

I will blog again tomorrow with lots of pics!  I've just spent 2 hours reading blogs and catching up!  It's exhausting...I had 81 new posts to read- according to google reader!

Way to go Calixta & Ciria in keeping up with your blogs!  You guys rock!

Too Tired!

Yep, that's me!  I am writing because I haven't...so now I have.  Check!  I can mark it off on my to-do list!  Stay tuned for more fun blogging:) LOL!

See ya.

I'm Done!

Christmas Shopping!  Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas.