Bleck!

I HATE SHOPPING FOR A
SWIMSUIT!!

HATE. IT.

I've already bought and RETURNED two suits.

They just don't make "muffin-top friendly" swimsuits.

Is there anything more humiliating,

frustrating, angrifying (is that even a word?)??

Just had to vent.

My Lulu

Happy B-day to my sweet girl!

Has it really been 10 years??

Accessorizing with bows...is there anything better?
Maddie has always been so beautiful.
Gorgeous blue eyes, which always twinkle with a smile.

And those goldie locks!!

I am SO grateful for this sweet girl in my life!

She literally BRIGHTENS a room with her sweet presence.

She's drama free (so far, I know...)

Filled with laughter and love.

Happy Birthday, Maddie! We LOVE you!

G.N.O.

Last weekend was the

Fathers And Sons Camp Out.

That means one thing:

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!

Maddie and I got our toes all prettied.

Can you guess which feet belong to who??

Maddie's been wanting to chop her goldie locks.

People pay BIG bucks to have hair this color!

She's GO-geous!

We also went to see the Hannah Montana movie,

and out to eat at Cheeburger Cheeburger.

LOVE hangin' with my girl!!

100

In honor of my 100th post...here are 100 random tidbits about me.

Read at your own risk.

1. I am extremely sensitive to smells...especially bad ones. Can't stand the smell of sweaty kids or wet dogs...oh, same thing.
2. I love BALD men. Always have. My piano teacher growing up was a little bald man...I think that's where the obsession started. I LOVED him!
3.I'm a closet Texas Hold 'Em addict. I currently have a balance of over $100 Million on my computer game. Yeah, I'm good.
4. I love getting packages. I go through phases where I'll order stuff online, just to get a package in the mail.
5. I've lived in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Utah, back to Arizona, Washington, and back to Texas.
6. I've moved over 20 times in my life.
7. I adore Anne of Green Gables. Watching it puts me in my happy place.
8. I love children's books. The Napping House (below) is my FAVE!

9. I weighed 97 pounds when I graduated from High School. Barf.
10. I fill a glass of water and set it on my nightstand every night without fail. However, I seldom ever drink it.
11. I'm not a fan of housework. I LOVE a clean house and Love how it feels after I clean, but don't enjoy the actual work. (Some of you do...you know who are you are!)
12. I've watched all four seasons of Felicity TWICE.
13. I'm a Netflix addict (see above).
14. I have a HORRIBLE habit of pulling out my eyelashes when I'm stressed.
15. I love and miss my grandmas every single day.
16. I am a procrastinator. I hate that about myself.
17. My favorite eye candy is HUGH JACKMAN. Yeah, he's not bald.

18. If I had a couple grand lying around, I'd have my legs lasered. I LOATHE shaving.
19. I devoured all of the Harry Potter novels and can't wait for the movie to come out on July 15!
20. When at BYU one weekend, I went on three dates and smooched all three. Desperate, hungry (for something other than ramen noodles) co-ed.
21. I love to laugh until my sides ache and tears are rolling down my cheeks.
22. I LOVE rainbows!
23. I'm horrible at balancing my checkbook. I used to be amazing. Now I'm just lazy.
24. I can't stand seafood. The smell makes me angry.
25. I'm afraid of disappointing the people I love. It keeps me up nights.
26. I LOVE a good bargain! So satisfying!
27. I adore all of my siblings and am so grateful we're close.
28. Books are my friends. I love they way they feel and smell. I could spend all day in a book store or library.
29. I love reading trashy mags when I travel. It's the only time I'll buy a People or US - but it's part of what I look forward to when I go on a trip.
30. I was a serious TOMBOY growing up. I wore a uniform (skirt) in sixth grade and always wore my Dove shorts underneath. Remember those??
31. I was the fastest runner in sixth grade.
32. I LOVE to hold hands. I love holding Spencer's hand - it's so comfortable and familiar. I love to hold my kids' hands, too.
33. I get frustrated that life is so busy that it keeps me from staying in touch with so many people that I've loved throughout my life. I've had great friends, gals and guys, and I miss them.
34. I worked in a Hallmark store for my first job. Baskin-Robins, Gingiss Formal wear, Mc'Ds, the MTC cafeteria, and Toy Palace to name a few other winners.
35. I adore fresh flowers. If it weren't so pricey, I'd have a vase of fresh flowers in every room. Lillies, tulips, daffodils, anything, you name it - I love it!
36. I love attending the temple. I love the way I feel when I leave the world behind. I've had my most sacred and special experiences within those walls.
37. I've had stitches on my head...twice.
38. I'm a compulsive kitchen counter wiper downer. spray.spray.wipe.
39. I owned mean pets growing up. My hamster ate my brother's. My rabbit killed my brother's. What does that mean??
40. My parents moved our family my senior year in High School. I was pretty sure it was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. In hindsight - It was probably the best.
41. My mom is one of my best friends.
42. I abhor crowds and crowded places. Makes me shivvver just thinking about it.
43. I love my back tickled. I've trained my husband and all of my kids how to do it just right.
44. Growing up in Southern California - we were HUGE Dodger fans. Since my dad worked for the airlines, he'd sometimes surprise us and say, "Hey, pack a bag. We're going to Atlanta to watch a game!" (Or San Fran, or New York, or San Diego...) It's one of my favorite memories.
45. I can't stand heat. I know, I live in Houston. I'm being seriously tested.
46. I'm a bit ADD. I always have a million things going and only half finish them. Or forget them altogether. The kids know they HAVE to write stuff in my planner or there is no way it's going to be remembered.
47. I don't like my teeth. I wish I could do the braces thing again.
48. I do like my legs. I should qualify that. I like my calves, and maybe my feet. The rest of my body...ug.

49. I can talk on the phone for hours!!
50. I haven't had a ton of friends in my life, but those that I've had, I'd give anything for. Bosom friends.
51. I was backwardly shy as a youth (still am a bit). Talking in public, even to a checker at a store terrified me.
52. I worry that I'm not demonstrative enough with my kids. I worry that they don't know that I love them with all of my heart.
53. My grandpa taught me to shoot a gun in the hills in Sacramento CA. Our targets were Mountain Dew cans.
54. I love, love pedicures!
55. I love, love, love, love a good massage.
56. I'm not a big fan of cooking. I'm not good at it. But I keep trying.
57. I've always wished I could dance. I have absolutely NO rhythm.
58. I once got so sunburned on a trip to Aruba with my dad, that I peeled twice. I've never been able to tan since. Not good.
59. I'm a firm believer that you need to have lived through a broken heart to truly know how to love.
60. I love a good thunderstorm! The louder and brighter, the better!
61. I watch too much TV. I didn't used to. I blame it on Netflix and DVR's. It has nothing to do with my lack of self control.
62. I love to find joy in the simple things. I could sit at the park all day with my kids (if it was cool outside) and just love being with them.
63. When I was in Junior High, I used to keep a 'boy journal' and a regular 'journal'. My church leader told me we shouldn't be writing about boys in our journals. That was my solution.
64. I like Sudoku.
65. I don't like video games.
66. I sleep with one leg out of the covers, even in the winter.
67. I adore Broadway Musicals. WICKED is one of my all time favorites.


68. I like people to like me. I'm so sad and stressed when I feel like someone doesn't like me.
69. I was so fortunate to travel as a youth - again, my dad's airline job. I've been to many countries (Israel, Europe, Canada...) and am so grateful for those experiences and memories.
70. It irks me to no end when someone near me is singing off key.
71. I sing off key, so the above is somewhat contradicting.
72. I love fresh fruit and veggies. However, I'm pretty lazy, and don't like to prepare them so I end up eating crappy stuff most of the time.
73. The perfect vacation for me would be sitting on a beach, cool breeze, sun warm on my skin, reading, ice cold coke zero in hand. MMMMMmmm....
74. I think my kids are really, really beautiful.
75. I love all kinds of music (minus rap - which technically isn't music). My IPod is filled with many genres.
76. I'm an ultra conservative dresser. Blacks, browns, tans, white. B-O-R-I-N-G!
77. I'm jealous of people with cute hair. I do.not.like.my.hair.
78. I love serving in the church.
79. My Mutti taught me to play Yahtzee, Backgammon, and to love wildflowers.
80. I admire integrity. I more than admire it - I cherish it and feel it to be one of the most essential characteristics. In the same vein, I can't stand to be lied to.
81. One of my favorite things to do is to LAUGH with my brothers. They are hilarious! What Joy!
82. I love to play games. for fun. Very little competitiveness in me. Spencer has enough for both of us.
83. I have a hard time holding a grudge. Most of the time, I just end up forgetting why I was mad in the first place.
84. I LOVE my mom's lemon meringue pie.
85. I love Sydney's Sinful Sundaes (The Outback) and Pizzookies (BJ's Brewery).
86. I'm going to DIE next year when my baby goes to all day kindergarten. Friends...please help me!
87. I think marriage is one of the greatest things ever invented.
88. I treasure my testimony. Even though I feel weak sometimes, it still burns and pulls me through the rocky times.
89. I love shopping for clothes. I would love it more if I weighed 20 lbs. less.
90. Serious pet-peeve: drama-filled girly, girls/women. Can't stand stupid drama.
91. I love to sit in a hot bubble bath and read...forever. Calgon take me away!
92. My first semester in the dorms at BYU, my dad called me every morning. I loved that "off campus" ring and truly looked forward to talking with him everyday. I'm a bit of a daddy's girl.
93. I've found a new passion - food storage/ gardening. It's so fulfilling!
94. I love to create pretty things. However, I'm a bit challenged in that area. No decorator/creative skills whatsoever. But I like to pretend every once in awhile.
95. I'm so glad Spencer found me, fought for me, and continues to fight with, oops, I mean for me! We are two peas and I love that dude!
96. I'm grateful for my past. Mistakes and all. It made me--ME.
97. Mentioned in a past post -but I think worth mentioning again. In high school I could burp the ABC's in one belch. I know, pure genius.
98. I'm going to alienate many of you with this, but...I did NOT like the Twilight books.
99. I love flip-flops. I could wear them everyday, with everything.
100. I truly enjoy exercising. Is that weird?

Okay - that's me. Leave me a comment if you made it all the way thru the list!

My Kyle

Kyle was born 11 years ago today.

Happy birthday to my crazy,

fun-loving, smiley boy!!

Is there anything better than snuggin' with a newborn??

Look....Spencer has hair!!

Kyle has always been BUSY.
He loves all things BOY.

This kid has grown into a really great young man.
Kyle, I'm proud of the progress and growth you've shown this year.
I love that you have a million friends!
I love that you love family so much.
I love how you smile with your whole face, sparkly eyes and all!
It's contagious!
Love you, dude!

Yo Mama!

What a happy mom's day! A HUGE shout out to my sweet family (most especially Spencer- who set the tone for the day and also made the most yummilicious dinner) for making me feel special!

And even though Ty still beat up Kyle, and Rydge still screamed when someone looked at him wrong, and Maddie still pouted about me doing her hair, and Kyle was, well, Kyle...each of my kiddos really made an effort to make Mother's Day different than every other day for me.

My awesome, amazing mom!

and Leah, one of the best mama's I know.

Me with my loot. The kids really made it personal this year. It was SO sweet. Kyle picked out my FAVORITE flowers - tulips. Chocolate...always a winner! Ty - ITunes card- this boy knows his mama. Maddie - DARLING pillow with her pic on it (thanks activity day leaders!) Rydge plate with poem and his hand print.

And the BEST gift EVER!!
Spencer put the air on 74 ALL day for me!!!!
I LOVE THAT MAN!

Addictions...

The DVR has proven to be a dangerous thing for me.

I used to view a show or two.

Now I watch MORE than a show or two.

(Lost, Grey's, 24, Biggest Loser, Amazing Race, Castle...you get the picture)

This has been my first American Idol experience.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these guys!!!

Adam is AMAZING!

LOVE Danny's voice.
(Allyson and Chris are good, too, but...)
Who will it be???