Girls Night Out

Pictured left to right: Me, Amy, Jenny G., Shelby

(Okay, I wrote this a couple of weeks ago but didn't post it until I got the pictures.)

This past weekend I had my first official "girls night out" since moving here. It made me a little sentimental about all of the fun GNO's spent with my long lost BFF's from Washington - you all know who you are - and I miss you guys (sniff) But it was so much fun and long overdue!

We went to Johnny Carino's an italian restaurant in Idaho Falls - YUM - and had quite an enjoyable time in the company of adults minus the fuss, muss, chaos, and mess of all of our little ones. I hadn't been there before and it was delicious.

The true reason for our evening out was to celebrate Amy's birthday! Happy Birthday Amy! You are one of the kindest and friendliest girls!

By the end of the evening my head hurt from laughing, and I got to know three fun girls a whole lot better. And you girls are fun.

My favorite one liners said by Amy, that coming out of her mouth are more hilarious than I have ever heard another person say: "Let's be honest here..." followed by something so honest you almost spit your drink out, and "I'm not going to lie to ya..."

Oh, if you could only hear it come out of her mouth. Ahh, good times.

Engaged!

Well, it's official. This 26 year old menace to society is finally off the market! That's right ladies. This eye-candy is officially spoken for and we all couldn't be happier!

This is David, one of my little brothers. David is a super-fun, super-funny, super loveable and adorable guy and I have been wondering when he would meet mrs. right! This is Jen. The love of his life. He just proposed this last week and it is now official for January 26, 2008 in the Mt. Timpanogas Temple. Jen, you are too cute and David, you are so lucky. I love you both and am so happy for the two of you! Congratulations!

Card exchange

I belong to a card exchange group in my ward. We don't get together or anything - we just have a theme for each month and then give our cards to one designated person who then drops off the batch to everyone once they are in. I love it, love it. I have gotten some of the cutest cards, and always have one whenever I need one. This month we had to make a Christmas tag instead of a card and here are mine. I think they turned out pretty cute. The picture below is just the back of the tags. I made them using my Cricut machine. I love that dang cricut it makes to cutest stuff and I am so addicted to it.

Goin for broke

She's going for broke. The second one popped out tonight. This is her letter to the toothfairy, It was past bedtime and I didn't have the patience to let her write it herself. I am a mean mom :( I feel bad now.

Farewell Calvin Klein

And, a great pair of Calvin Klein's bites the dust. So I ripped my fat pants. NO not because I am so large and in charge that the seams split out the butt. I know that is how it sounded. But sadly, my only pair of jeans that fits (since I STILL haven't lost 20 pounds from having my last child 18 months ago, yes 18 it is sad) yes my ONLY pair of jeans that I was so desperately attached to because I am in denial and unwilling to purchase more (because I will lose those dang pounds just you see). I seriously almost cried. Purchasing jeans has been a very traumatic part of my life. I have flashbacks from the tween to teen years just thinking about it. I am 5'4" tall. That is exactly between petite length and regular length which means yes, sadly, petite is totally high water and regular is like 4 inches too long, and it just has never been a joyful experience. Except for this one time when I went shopping with my friend Nicki. I had finally lost the pounds after having children 1& 2 consecutively. Yeah, then I got pregnant 2 months later.

It all happened a couple of days ago... I was hurriedly putting away the dishes and had two different cupboards ajar and happened to catch my bum on the corner of one and those comfy Calvin's caught their demise.

I was not happy that date night had to turn into a jean shopping extravaganza and I think once I informed Chris of that info. he had to go in the other room to hide his own tears. He hates to go shopping with me.

But, yes ladies, the Lord answers prayers because we went straight to Macy's in the good old jean dept. there and low and behold, they still had the EXACT same pair I had purchased 3 years ago! It was as if a spot light and heavenly concourses of angels sang as I walked closer to that rack of pure curve hugging just in the right places, big enough in the waist yet roomy enough in the thunderthighage area yet long enough with a pair of high heeled boots to make me look like I am curvy and all of 5'7" (you ladies with height don't know how blessed you truly are)! Hallelujah! And thank you Calvin Klein and Macy's for all you have done for me. Date night was saved and my faith in finding a pair of jeans to adequately adorn my stout legs was restored!

Snickerdoodles if your good

I watched the Oprah show this week when the Osmond family was on. It was heartwarming and fun, and their family is amazing. They are before my time, so I knew of them, but of course didn't participate in any of the adoration and Osmond-mania that has followed them by their loyal fans for decades. I was touched to see their posterity gather and especially moved when I saw the 6 brothers singing with Marie on stage.

This got me feeling sentimental about my parents and the posterity they started. Growing up we had a lot of music in our home. Some of my fondest memories were spent singing together on family night, at Christmas time, or in the car on trips here or there. I love music and how it has such power to uplift our hearts and bring joy in the room. I have such admiration for my brothers and have many fun memories with them.

Going to church on Sunday was definitely rowdy. We took up pretty much an entire bench and what I remember most is brothers (okay I wasn't innocent and definitely contributed to said rowdiness) playing bloody knuckles,(I didn't participate in THAT) thumb wars, pinching each other, and good old fashioned "punched ya last" - of course this was all done inconspicuously low in our laps out of the view of most other benches. We were always amazed later to hear people telling our parents how they just can't believe how well behaved their 7 children were during Sacrament meeting. Because my parents were always mortified that we were so obnoxious in their immediate vicinity despite their weekly talks to us about appropriate behavior and reverence expected in the appropriate places. Every week my Dad would finally stoop to what we all stoop to at some time or another as parents - blatant bribery.

"If you guys would just be good for the rest of Sacrament meeting, (he would whisper, and then it would be shared through the grape vine) I'll make snicker doodles when we get home!"

This would motivate us for another 5, 10, 15 minutes for as long as our respective attention spans would allow before the bloody knuckles would recommence, but Dad being the softy, and treat lover that he is would always cave, and we made ourselves sick off of delicious snicker doodles most Sundays. He wasn't home very much, and in fact worked 2 jobs most of my life. He has often expressed sadness about how much he missed of us growing up and how he can't believe we have grown, but he definitely knew how to make the time he did have with us very memorable! My dad is not the master of organization however and would completely demolish our entire kitchen in the baking process, and then be too sick from cookies to clean it up afterwards. He drove my poor mother crazy each week!

I attribute my love of baking yummy comfort food to my own home environment, and the many memories I have from holidays and all those fun Sunday afternoons spent baking together. And I think of my parents quite often most Sundays after church, when we are gathered in our own kitchen, baking our own version of "if you can just be good through sacrament meeting..." But we make Chocolate Chip cookies.

Thanks Mom and Dad for loving us and creating such wonderful memories. We love you!

The whole barrel of Monkey's

Halloween was as always, eventful. We all went to the kindergarten school in the morning for the big parade.


This is Bailey with her friend Ry behind her in line. She claims he keeps calling her "Lover girl" ohhhh, the drama of kindergarten.


This is Bailey's teacher Mrs. Crane dressed as Mrs. Wishy Washy (A book they read) Bailey thought that she was so hilarious


Bailey Dying to go Trick or treating




You don't even know how hard it is for Jacob to keep a straight face in a picture


Okay so his monkey pants are just a tad high-water. They were all monkey's last year too. Mom was too cheap to spring for new costumes this year, and since they mostly still fit... But isn't my baby monkey too sweet?



the kids with their loot

The houses are so dang far apart here that Jacob was dying after about 10 houses and wanted to quit! Bailey just kept complaining "but my buckets not full yet!!" She is a die hard trick or treater. Lovin that candy just like her mama (sniff)

Our friends The Ball's took a picture of our family for us - when she sends it to me I will post it.

By the way

By the way, I am now tagging Sarah, Lori Ann and Jotien (Jenny G. you too so hurry up with your blog :)

I have known Jotien for a while now. She is a super-fun super-cute super-mom of 6 kids in our ward. She said Hi to us our first Sunday there (though she will probably never remember that because she is one of the friendliest people I have ever met!) But, Jotien thanks for making me feel so welcome and you didn't even know it!

I met Sarah through a mutual friend of ours and the three of us ended up going to a Time out for Women in Pocatello. Okay, Sarah, you are hilarious, I mean seriously. Sarah is a beach blonde hottie from California and we bonded through our actual ties to what civilization really is and in wondering how the heck we married country boys. She has three cute kids and her youngest, Jack (who is dang cute by the way) is in Bailey's kindergarten class! So fun! Sarah, you are so fun!

I have seen Lori Ann several times and couldn't figure out how I knew her - until she came to a get together at Jotien's this weekend. Duh. She works at the kindergarten school and I have fully met her before when I helped in Bailey's class once. Okay, Lori Ann you are a hoot and I am so glad I met you. Lori Ann has three girls. Three. Okay I fully have good friends with three boys. Maybe I can arrange a hook up sometime in the far future!

Jenny G. (There are alot of Jenny's around here and it is so wierd having good friends with the same name as yours) Jenny G. is my neighbor and good friend. She took me under her wing when we moved here and I am so glad she did!! Jenny, you are one fun girl!

so girls, tag you're it.

I'm it

My friend Em tagged me a couple days ago. I am guessing I am supposed to complete a list about myself and tag others. So far I have read Em and Nicki's. Here is mine...

1. I absolutely love... to hear from my friends. I am terrible at keeping in touch, but I sooooooo appreciate it when I get a phone call (or comments on my blog! I know I am lame) or a kind note. I am very sentimental and kind words are very cherished and much remembered!!

2. I don't care if... this is a hard one. I have been contemplating it for a while now. I am going to agree with Emily. I don't care if it rains. In fact, I really miss it now that I live in Idaho!! It is so dang windy here I can't even put my decorations on my front porch! So annoying! But I think the point was to pick something I don't care about. I miss the rain and how clean and green it makes everything.

3. I like to...listen to music when I am feeling blue. I love the power music creates to uplift my spirits! Here's a shout out to all those with the talent to create it!

4. I play... on the trampoline with my kids and quite often pee my pants a little. Okay that may be to much information for some of you, but I can't help it! I had 3 babies in 4 years. c'mon now.

5. I have a horrible habit of... letting mount washmore collect. I have decided that I kinda like doing ten loads of laundry in one day. I can watch T.V., listen to music and fold all the live long day. And the best part: I only have to put it all away ONCE a week. Hallelujah!

6. I will never... ever ever bungee jump, sky dive, or do any other activity that could result in my untimely death. I am not an adventure seeker, but rather like to be comfortable, safe, secure on the ground, and know what is going to happen next.

I tag... tiffany, and um... hey, I don't have any friends that blog here left to tag! Boo hoo! Jenny G. your next with your blog so then you are it.