I Still Love Texas

We had such a great time in Texas this spring. There couldn't have been a more beautiful time to go visit than right now. I lived there for seven years when I was a kid, and finally had a chance to go back and visit. We had a chance to visit tons of cool places, the places I used to live and go to school, and reconnect with some good friends. As always, the food is every bit as good as I remembered it to be... between Chuy's Texmex, Taco Cabana, Threadgills down home cooking and the Pok e Jo's BBQ it was worth the trip! The weather was an awesome 83 degrees pretty much the whole time, and everything was so green and vibrant. I love how proud Texans are of their state too, we saw huge Texas flags waving everywhere. What a great trip!

We started out with a nice, relaxing trip on the plane.

We loved our awesome condo. It was in a great location and was so nice to come home to every night.

We got a chance to go to the San Antonio Zoo. It was so much fun to see all the different animals they had there that we don't have at home.

Of course, we couldn't leave San Antonio without visiting the Alamo.

The Riverwalk was such a nice, relaxing place to be.

The kids loved visiting the New Braunfels Children's Museum.

The beautiful kids with the amazing bluebonnets.

The University of Texas tower - go Longhorns!

Everybody waiting for the Zilker Park train to start.

The Austin city skyline.

Disney World

6 days + 3 kids + 4 adults = one tired, but happy family!

We had a blast at Disney World last month! We got to to spend 2 days at Epcot center, 1 day at Animal Kingdom, 1 day at Disney Hollywood Studios, and 2 days at Magic Kingdom. The kids were such troopers though. We walked all day covering as much of the parks as we could every day since we didn't want to miss a thing. We only had to rent a stroller for the older kids for two days :) We stayed at an awesome Hilton time share condo provided by my wonderful parents, without which, we couldn't have done a lot of this trip. Orlando is absolutely beautiful though, there was so much more we wanted to see & visit. We'll definitely be going back!

Valentine's Surprises

After much thought on what we could do for Valentine's that would be fun, yet different, interesting, without being boring, not your average date, but nothing too weird either...basically not dinner & a movie again, I found out that the BYU International Folk Dance group was performing on Valentine's day in Provo, so we thought we'd give it a try. They were amazing!! I was totally shocked at what great athletes these guys were, everything from the high straddle jumps to the intricate dance routines were awesome!

Another great surprise was our dinner choice. We started out trying to go to Bombay House because they're always great, but after driving around the block trying to find parking and sliding around on the ice trying to actually get into the restaurant, we found out there was a 45 min. wait, and that wasn't going to work. So we slid back over to the car and decided to look elsewhere and that's when we found this great mexican restaurant I used to love when I was a student down there. They moved to a different location, so we were happy to find them at all, but the food was great as usual and you couldn't beat the price for their Valentine's special. Plus, we got fried ice cream at the end, so you just can't top that!

We've started babysitting swapping with my sis-in-law and that has worked out great. We both get to go out once a month and date nights are wonderful again. All in all it was a fantastic night out with the hubby and we can't wait to go out again.

Pass it Forward

All of us get them... those Fwd: emails that really would do just as well to stay out there in cyberspace, but every once in a while, there's a really good one. I got this one today from my mother in law that sounded like great advice for the New Year, and really loved the message, so I thought I might as well post it here and pass it on.

http://www.askdrsusanp.com/lessons_in_life

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It is never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take 'no' for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then, go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this really matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of whom God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Celebrating December

This Christmas season was full of fun parties, family & friends. One of the reasons I think decorating was so great this year was because I knew we'd have lots of people coming over that would see all our fun Christmas stuff. We started out the month with my niece & nephews (Triplets!) getting baptized. They were great! Between wanting to go swimming in the font and being too cold to get out, it was definitely entertaining for the rest of us watching. I still can't believe they're already 8 yrs. old!

Two of our other nieces had birthdays this month and so we celebrated those with a big family party. They were both so excited to get their presents and have a day where we could celebrate them. Birthdays are great.. it's the one day a year when it's all about you, and for kids I think it's just so important to make a big deal out of it. Seeing their little faces light up when everybody sings to them makes it all worth it. Especially when Christmas is so close, they needed a separate party to make them feel special & important too. Mission accomplished, because they really had a great time!

We started out the weekend before Christmas with my Bunco group coming over and we had a really fun time with yummy food & a gift exchange & of course our regular game and prizes. I'm always shocked when we can fit everyone in my house but it seemed to work out pretty well. We're always experimenting with new family room layouts to see what will fit the most people without feeling overly cramped and luckily, I think we found one that will last us a while this time.

A couple of days after Bunco we had our daughter's 11th birthday Wii party with some of her friends and they played games and had a great time. Some of our friends were able to make it to the party with their kids too and we all got sucked into the Nintendo. Easy entertainment and an excuse to act like a kid all rolled into one, what a great party!

The next day, we had an early Christmas dinner with my cousins where we exchanged white elephant gifts and partied like rock stars playing Guitar Hero. It was so much fun! Definitely one of the highlights of the night was seeing the serious rocker faces my cousins had as they jammed to one of the more difficult songs. It was so great to see everyone and hopefully we can do it again soon.

Finally we ended the pre-Christmas festivities with one more birthday party for my daughter where she could celebrate with the family. It's great to have most of her cousins living close by and since they've grown up together, they're all really close and love spending time together. For party favors, I made them all t-shirts with iron-ons of their favorite Nintendo characters and one for my daughter that said "This Wii Party is all about Mii!" They loved it and they had a fun time playing together. So as busy as it was, we had a wonderful time being surrounded with family & friends and really feeling the Christmas spirit all month long.

Happy Thanksgiving

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

What do your feet say about you?

I found this funny little thing about feet on my sis-in-law Rebecca's blog, and since I found out we both have kind of a feet phobia, I thought it would be fun to see what my feet actually say about me. I love little kid toes and feet, but only while they're really little - once they reach about school age, I'm done thinking their feet are cute. I think it must stem from some deep seated disgust at all the times my little sister used to put her sweaty, clammy feet on me when we were kids.... so that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

What Your Feet Say About You:

You are pretty average in your expressiveness. You can express yourself well, but you don't always want to. You are a somewhat passionate person. A few things get you very fired up, but you're usually pretty laid back. You are an assertive person at times. You'll pull out all the stops to get what you want, if it's worth it. You take a while to fall in love, but once you do, you stay pretty attached to your partner. You are not easily frightened, but you have a few strong phobias. You are intellectual and philosophical. You are more concerned with thoughts than action. You are a fairly hard worker, but you are also a little spoiled. You like indulge yourself every now and then. You are easily influenced by other people. You're quite impressionable, so you should only be around people who are a good influence.

What Do Your Feet Say About You?

Guilty Pleasures

Well, everyone has them, so I guess I found out one of my guilty pleasures was High School Musical 3. It really took me back to my preteen days when my cousin called me up and suggested we take the girls to see the movie the other night and we were surprised to find that it was actually pretty good. Very "Footloose" meets "Grease" - I loved the part where Troy is all conflicted and ends up dancing around through the school, it was like Kevin Bacon all over again! We laughed, but really enjoyed the singing...Boys are Back was probably my favorite. Tori & Isabel thought it was funny that we laughed so much, and I told them we just had a really fun time with them. It was a great Girls Nite out.

Three Tags

Tagged by Amanda
Three names I go by: Lola, Hon, & Mom
Three restaurants I love: Johnny Carino's, Pei Wei, & Noodles & Company...but those vary depending on the mood I'm in
Three trips to plan in the next year: possibly Disney World in April, San Francisco in June to watch my cousin graduate and become a dentist, and Chicago later in the summer to spend some time with my hubby and visit my friend Lili
Three things I want badly: I want my kids to be happy & successful people, I want to live a long, healthy life surrounded by my family & friends, and although it seems a little out of reach right now, I would love for us to be debt free
Three pets I have had: Jordie, my faithful dog of 9 yrs., Buddy is my new puppyish dog, Rio was a turtle I loved having as a kid
Three things I did yesterday: Helped make a yummy dinner, played Halo, watched a movie
Three fears I have: Losing someone I love, unemployment, and spiders...well, really big ones anyway!
Three things I plan on doing today: Hanging out with my hubby for our last day of 'vacation', errands, and household chores
Three things I plan on doing tomorrow: Taking kids to school, getting back in our routine, and starting Christmas shopping
Three favorite holidays: Christmas, Halloween and the Fourth of July.
Three favorite beverages: Diet coke, lemonade, and tropical drinks with grenadine in them
Three things I can't live without: My family, cell phone, and my scrapbook supplies :)
Three people I tag: Andrea, Russ, & Lili

Up at the Cabin

We always love going up to the cabin. Especially right now, when we're in the middle of trying to move and always have to worry about how the house looks, and if the kids are keeping their rooms clean, and making sure all of us remember not to walk on the newly cleaned carpets with their shoes on, it was nice to just get away from everything and relax for a weekend up at the cabin. I got to read, Russell got to sleep and read, and the kids played games, watched movies, and ran around outside exploring nature. Russ was even sweet enough to take them on a much needed nature hike and they loved it. I got to sit back and relax and read my book (The Host, by Stephenie Meyer) which I'd been trying to read since May when it came out. Josh was equipped with the GPS and ready to tell everyone where they needed to be. We had walkie-talkies and every once in a while, I'd get to hear the report on how great the view was and how much fun they were having. It was a short, but much needed weekend away.

Thanksgiving Point

We had such a great time when my nieces Maddi & Kennedi came into town. We started out on our 'field trip' at the Children's Garden, took a nice little walk around the gardens and then the kids loved getting wet by Noah's Ark. Then we had lunch and even with all their different appetites, we found something for all of them to eat. We went on to the Museum of Ancient Life and they all loved the dinosaurs and the cute, fun activities they had for them there. Finally, we ended at the Farm where they found food to feed all the animals and best of all, they got to ride on the horses. They all really loved that, of course. It was awesome getting to see the girls and letting the cousins spend some fun time time together.

Not such a happy occasion

I had the opportunity to go to Washington state this last week for my grandmother's funeral. She was 82 years old and passed away due to complications with her diabetes. She was my dad's mother, and I'll really miss her in my life. My grandpa wrote a beautiful obituary, and my Uncle Tom gave a really nice eulogy and gave a lot of history about her life, which was amazing. I knew she was a wonderful, sweet lady, but I had no idea she had accomplished so many great things in her life. She was very musical, and I always remember her singing while she cleaned the house or cooked. I found out that she was also very educated - when she graduated from college, she had enough credits for about 3 different majors, so it's no wonder she always knew about so many different things and sounded so educated. She loved literature and reading and gave her sons & grandchildren a real love and appreciation for literature & poetry.

It was really nice to see a lot of family that I hadn't seen for years, even if it was for a sad occasion. I always like going to the Yakima valley, because even though I've lived in Utah for about 15 yrs. now, it always feels like a part of home is there. My parents were great to take me with them all across Washington for the various parts of the funeral. I really enjoyed spending time with them all by myself, which doesn't get to happen very often. I also had the chance to see my sister and her oh so cute identical twins, Harrison & Henry. They really are the sweetest babies, and they were really good throughout the whole time we were there. I'm glad we all got the chance to say good bye to my grandma and see her one last time before she passed away. She was a very special lady and we'll all miss her.

Happy Birthday to Me!

What a great birthday I had this year! I pretty much try to stretch it out and celebrate for the whole month of May since Mother's Day is just a couple of weeks away from my birthday, and that just makes it all that much more fun. A big group of us went to see Indiana Jones 4, which of course, was awesome. They did a great job of carrying that "Indy" feeling through this one too, so we loved it. Then we went over to Dan & Shellie's for a BBQ, cake, & ice cream. Even though it wasn't for the most happy occasion, Matt & Amanda were in town and got to come to the party, so it was really great to see them. We finished off the night talking and playing some really fun games, so all in all, it was an amazing birthday.