Happy Memorial Day!

Marc and I had a little get-away for Memorial Day (thanks Mom!) We left for Wendover on Sunday afternoon. We didn't come back millionaires....but we still had a good time. The highlight of the night for me was peacefully sitting in the hot tub :)

After leaving Wendover on Monday morning, we went to Salt Lake and were able to go to the Jazz game last night. Even though we lost, it was still so much fun! There were so many people there. You could feel the excitement in the air. There were even people who brought couches to watch the game on the big screen outside.



We were there a couple of hours early, so we were able to get next to the court and
watch the teams warm up. I can't believe how big the players really are. It's hard to imagine how tall they are until you are standing right next to them.





I caught eyes with Tony Parker. Probably because I was the only person sitting next to the court while they were warming up and he didn't have anyone else to look at, but who cares!!! Eva Longoria was also at the game. We didn't really get close enough to her to get a good look, but Marc did get a picture of her from a-far. I put a red circle around her. You can't really tell it's her, but it is :) She had an usher sitting in the aisle in front of her row the whole game.



We did see one more celebrity, but I don't personally like him very much. Steven A. Smith was doing an interview court side before the game started. I wish that it was Dan Patrick we saw up close instead. Unfortunately, Dan was up in his ESPN luxury suite.





We had good seats. Even though we were in the upper bowl, we were in the front row and had a clear view of the court. It was SO loud!



I love my bam bams - those are the little plastic balloon things they give you at the door. I banged them together the whole game. I'm pretty sure the guy sitting next to me was ready to take them away and hit me over the head with them.



The aftermath outside was really bad. I couldn't believe all the garbage people left everywhere. The lighting in the picture is really bad and it's fuzzy, but you get the point.



I was extremely tired by the time I got home. I'm sure you can tell that I had a great time!

Look Dad - No Training Wheels!

Lila is riding her bike without training wheels! Marc took them off and she immediately took off without a problem! She's so fearless :)

Chloe

I can't believe it, but I think that she may crawl any day now! She gets up on her knees and scoots, but she's not quite coordinated enough to make a crawling motion. She's so big!

Our New Home

I'm really starting to feel like our new house is our home. I like the neighborhood (even though I'm anxious for the construction to end) and the ward is really nice too. Marc is a great scout leader - he's the 2nd counselor in the Young Men's Presidency and I get to do Achievement Days with the 8 & 9 years old girls. Here are some pictures of our house:










Our house is still pretty much in the country. Lila likes to look at the horses across the street from her bedroom window at night. That is one of her best "bedtime stalling" techniques..."Look at the horse-y Mom!" :)

Lila's new best friend lives next door to us. Her name is Madison. It's a wonder that they are friends because they sure fight just as much as they play! (Chloe was kicking up a storm when I took this picture - I'll have a take another one and post it later)



You don't realize all of the things you have to buy when you own a home....like a lawn mower. My wonderfully resourceful husband managed to buy a brand new lawn mower for $120!!! Way to go honey! As you can see, he has already put it to good use.

Random Thought of the Day

I come across this video clip on You Tube every once and a while and it cracks me up. The whole Bollywood thing is funny to me for some reason.... Anyone who is familiar with Michael Jackson's Thriller video will get a kick out of this clip. Watch at your own risk - don't say I didn't warn you!

Joe - I dedicate this to you! :)

Dinner for a week!

This post is for those of you who like Rachael Ray and easy dinners as much as I do! Monday's show is her "Heat and Eat" plan. She has recipes and instructions posted for 5 meals you can assemble at the same time at this link: Heat N' Eat Gameplan

Day 1:Roasted Chicken & Gravy with Roasted Potatoes & Veggies
Day 2:Roasted Chicken Shepherd's Pie
Day 3:Tomatillo Chicken Corn Enchiladas
Day 4:Roasted Chicken Primavera
Day 5:Italian Chicken Salad

Summer Is Here!

My little brown bug Lila loves playing out in the sunshine. Our next door neighbors have had a Slip-and-Slide set up for the last couple of days and Lila will play out there for hours.

Lonely Wife

My husband is gone to Idaho and I am a lonely wife. At least the Cabin will have nice, new carpet and couches the next time I am there. Thanks for doing all the work boys (and Sara!). Love you Hon!!

Nine Years

One of my best friends, Doug, passed away nine years ago today. It's amazing how fast time flies and how life changes... The cemetery was so peaceful. I'm glad that Marc was able to take me to visit him.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! I hope all the Mother's out there had as great of a day as I did. We decided to start celebrating early by going to Trafalga and taking Lila minature golfing for the first time. (Every time we passed Trafalga on the freeway, Lila would scream "TRAFALLLLGGGAA!" Hopefully that will stop now)
Lila got the hang of it by the end of the game. In fact, she beat both Marc and I on the 13th hole by making a hole in 2. Marc still won the game with 3 hole-in-one's. After golfing, Marc and Lila took a ride on the slick track. No one was waiting for a turn so the teenage boy running the cars let them have an extra long turn. Chloe and I sat on the bleachers enjoying the sunshine! We topped off the night by heading to Fuddruckers for a big burger, onion rings and a root beer float. Yum!
Marc got me a sleeping bag for Mother's Day so we can go camping. It will keep me warm in -20 degree weather - hooray! That's just what I need. :) Lila had her first experience with singing in sacrament meeting and she loved it! We spent the rest of the day with both of our moms. It was a great weekend!

Good Read

I read this editorial in Glamour today and I was inspired. Just wanted to pass it along!

Do Something Heroic (It’s Actually Easy)
You know how satisfying it is to check an item off your to-do list? Imagine how much better it would be to cross something off a to-do-good list of easy ways to improve – and possibly save – another person’s life. It’s amazingly simple to be a hero; some of these ideas don’t even involve leaving your desk chair.

Click to feed the hungry.
Click a button at hungersite.com and corporate sponsors will donate a cup of food to people in need around the world.

Save lives with Silly String.
When Marcelle Shriver learned that her son Todd, 29, and his fellow soldiers in Iraq were squirting Silly String to detect nearly invisible bomb wire strung across building entrances – a common death trap – she launched a drive to collect the stuff at her church. Since December, Shriver has sent more than 30,000 cans to the war zone. “Todd says he and his buddies never go anywhere without it,” she says. Mail $4 or a can – via ground shipping – to her at St. Luke’s Church, 55 Warwick Road, Stratford, NJ 08084.

Make a girl feel special.
Donate your gently worn cocktail (or bridesmaid!) dresses to a local program that gives them to girls who can’t afford one for the prom. Find a program near you at glassslipperproject.org/yostate.htm

Comfort a battered woman.
When they flee from their abusers, women often leave their personal belongings behind, so they’re in need of basics like clothes and toiletries. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 to find a local shelter where you can drop off these staples.

Lift someone out of poverty.
“People in impoverished areas – who literally don’t have money to put sugar in their tea – can do amazing things with small loans,” says Jessica Flannery, an MBA student at Stanford University who co-founded kiva.org to help the world’s working poor achieve economic independence. Putting up $25 (it takes just four clicks) can help fund a Tanzanian woman’s hair salon or enable her craft business (and you’ll eventually get your money back). Check the site to read people’s stories and see exactly how much money they need to achieve their goals.

Donate your old cell phone, do the world good.
Phones4charity.org sells used phones to refurbishing plants and hands 80 percent of the money to more than 500 charities, including the American Red Cross and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. To date, they’ve handed out $1 million.

Rescue a new mom.
Ninety-nine percent of the 585,000 women who die each year from pregnancy and childbirth complications live in developing countries, where the leading cause of maternal death is hemorrhaging. But groundbreaking work by the Women;s Global Health Imperative has shown that a simple bodysuit wrapped around a women’s legs and waist during birth can help slow a hemorrhage – and save a life. Give toward a $250 suit that could save 50 lives at lifewraps.org.

Try a random act of heroism.
Every Monday, doonenicething.com posts ways to brighten someone’s day – from donating frequent flyer miles to soldiers on leave to sending school supplies to schools in the Katrina zone. Lots of them take 10 minutes or less. Check it out right now!

Goal!

My goal is to write on my blog at least 3 times a week since it is easier for me to jump on line and type a few thoughts than it has been for me to write in my journal. Plus, I like fact that I can post pictures to go along with my thoughts. I am jealous of Paige's great memoir of all the things her and her family do and want that for myself......Here's to hoping!