It's been a long November...

This month has been so busy and very long and filled with lots of eventful happenings... The first to be remembered and then forgotten is my Birthday, especially when I was a little mixed up on how old I was turning, luckily I am a year younger that I thought I was. Yeah! I was able to have a fabulous weekend in Midway and enjoy a relaxing time with all my Sisters and Mom(in-law),she is awesome!!
I learned how to play the Wii, or at least attempt bowling and tennis. I attempted to dance with the DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution), that was hysterical to watch, as uncoordinated as I am, it was pretty fun. I thought it was wise not to try Guitar Hero, I know I can not do that! We loved soaking in the hot tub and stuffing ourselves with more food and munchies than imaginable. Over all it was a fabulous weekend, Thank you Lisa... (And Jalyssa, now 18, got to join us, Yeah!)

I also got to be sooo proud of Mariah for playing in the orchestra of our Jr. High's Musical "Fiddler on the Roof". She did such a fabulous job. " Her and all her friends did a great job. Working at the school, I feel like a proud Mom of all of them.
Then comes Thanksgiving, it was a glorious Holiday. Plenty of food, family, laughter and good times. We got to have two Thanksgivings, on two different days; we had one dinner with the Killpack side of the family and one dinner with the Drummond side. It was a great to be together and spend time with those we love. It has been an eventful month, I will have great memories and am so grateful at this time of year for all we have and the blessing of those we love. Now we get to move on prepare for the Christmas Holidays. Ready or not here we come...

My 2nd Favorite Holiday Come and Gone...

You know, it is just not the same, when your kids are to old to go Trick or Treating. But since Halloween is my 2nd favorite Holiday, we try to go all out in other ways and have lots of fun just the same. We made our tunnel of dead trees and put lights thru it, and lots of cobwebs. This year we expanded it to go all the way down our walk, to the sidewalk. It was a beautifully spooky sight. This year we all made gravestones for the front yard. The Girls wanted a coffin to lay in, so we built that too. The kids had fun laying in the coffin and scaring kids as they came by. Denver wanted in on the action as well, he wore his trusty trenchcoat, and put on his scream mask, and stood with his staff on the front lawn. He made a great statue, until people came along and couldn't tell if he was real or not. Until he growled at them and scared them to death. Kelly and Bill handed out candy, I did a little visiting and overall we all had a fabulous Halloween. Pumpkins were carved, kids were scared, the yard looked spooky, candy disappeared and a great time was had by all.


Pumkin carving for Family Home Evening...



Carving is always fun, until someone cuts a finger off... Oops!



Spooky, Don't ya think???

My Beautiful Baby Girl...

Mariah asked me the other day, "Mom, how come you haven't blogged about me?" I was not quite sure how to answer. How do you put in to words; how much love, emotion, and pride you have for one person. This girl is my everything. I would cease to exist without her. She tortured me on the way into this world and lives to make me appreciate every day. We butt heads more than imaginable, yet we have respect and love beyond measure for each other. She is one amazing woman, and is willing to try anything at least once. But, if she doesn't like it, than don't try and change her mind. Stubborn doesn't even begin to describe it. Our Family became complete when she arrived and have not been the same since.
She can be so sweet one minute and turn on you in the next. She is so smart and she knows it. I know this girl is going to conquer the world and do anything she wants. You are loved more than I can ever say and never forget it, because it is my job to teach you all those things you don't want to learn. I do it because I know who you are and where your going, and nothing is going to get in your way! Kiss, Kiss, Wink, Wink!

My failed attempt at being a good Mother...

Ok, so I thought I would be a good Mother and start a tradition with my daughters. So on a beautiful fall afternoon we ventured across the valley to the highly recommended "Gardner Village". Now mind you, I have been there before for the Scarecrow Festival, it was very nice and not crowded. Well someone must of spread the news; because now it is like a nightmare. The place was scary... To say the least... The place had gone "Witchy" which was cute, but the crowds were horrific! I could not even get in the parking let alone in to the shops. We finally decided to park up the road and hike back to the village. Let me tell you...I have never seen so many young,fit,and fashionably dressed Moms in my whole life. And there were millions upon millions of strollers. We could hardly walk thru the place. Now don't get me wrong, everything was absolutely very witchy and halloweeny and sweetly adorable. But I think it was a little much. There were so many Moms flashing cameras of their darling babies in all the picturesque photo ops. And all the adorable kids in their costumes, fit for a contest. I could hardly stand it. I was able to get a snapshot of the witch hitting the silo, and that is about exactly how I felt, after visiting. I am not sure how much my girls enjoyed it, but hey atleast we made the effort. I guess the solution is.. I either should of taken my girls when they were younger and joined the throngs of strollers and happy valley Moms, or I wait til I have adorable grandbabies of my own and try again. Either way, Next Halloween we may just go visit a spook alley and get scared for real......
P.S. After reading this, both my girls said "But we liked it Mom"..Who knew??? Maybe I am not so bad after all. But you can see... they are a little disturbed

So I guess I have been tagged...

I am listing (7) facts about "ME'. What an exciting topic!
1. I am in love with my Best Friend
2. I love eating Frog Legs
3. I was the Snow College Mascot, the Badger
4. I would love to be a counselor for youth
5. I am having to accept the fact I am growing older
6. I want to vacation in Greece
7. I really miss my Brothers (more than they will ever know)

That was alot harder than I thought it would be! It made me think too hard. And #7 made me cry. But, moving on.... So now I tag...Jen and Holly and Dion and Brenda (I wish G-Girl had a blog)

Good Luck Gals! Love ya...

Another Saturday morning and no sleeping in.....

Do you ever wait all week for that blessed Saturday morning when nothing is planned and nobody has to be anywhere, and all you want to do is sleep in. Now mind you, sleeping in to me would be about 9:00am or later. To some it is different, but to me lasting that long all cozy with no interruptions would be a real treat. This was my plan for today. But alas, it was not to be.... My dear Husband schedule the cable guy to come anywhere between 8am and 10am. Because he needs his cable working properly, heaven forbid it should go down for one weekend. Now normally this would not be a problem, because we all now that scheduled appointments like this, especially with cable, they Never arrive on time. Well guess what, bright and early 8:30 sharp, we get the phone call. Our guy is in front of your house and no one is answering. I said we are here...Turns out the guy is on time, AND in front of the wrong house. There goes my much needed beauty rest. Who I really feel bad for is who ever he woke up at the wrong house. I guess they don't get to sleep in either. So I am kicked from my cozy bed but, alas the cable will work, and all will be well again. For my dear Husband, I think his obsession with the sci-fi channel may have to be dealt with. But that is for another blog, another day. I think I may go back to bed.

Fabulous Fall Day...

I was very lucky to spend the day with my Mom and my Sister and some of her kids on Saturday. It is such a treat because I don't get to see them very often. My Sister is 10 years younger than me, and so full of life. Her 6 kids run her ragged, she runs two businesses and still does it all with a smile. I miss her so much and cherish the times we get to spend together. We spent the day at a craft boutique in Ogden and got to visit a wayside market. They sell dried wreathes and pumpkins. The owner was quite a character and he kept the kids entertained. It was a special day and we all had a grand time. Thanks Mom and Kari for a fabulous day.
The kids has a blast exploring all the barns, and they even found kittens to cuddle and love.

Favorite Quotes by Pres. Uchtdorf

I found these quotes by President Uchtdorf and I loved them, I hope you enjoy as well...

"The number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair, let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."

"I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father, as you create beauty, and as you are compassionate to others, God will encircle you in the arms of His love. Discouragement, inadequacy, and worry-ness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment. As spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father, happiness is your heritage."

"You are choice daughters of our Heavenly Father, and through the things you create and by your compassionate service, you are a great power for good. You will make the world a better place!"

My new mantra: "Lift up your chin! Walk tall! God loves you!"

Homecoming Dance

Look at my beautiful daughter and her handsome date, looking fabulous on the night of Homecoming. I am so proud of her and the choices she makes. He is just a friend, and they had a grand time. They spent all day with crazy friends and exhausted themselves, to the point that the young man who was doing the driving fell asleep instead of getting ready for the dance, and made them all late. But, they had a great time despite the late arrival. They all came back to our house for ice cream after the dance, and it was LOUD, but they all had fun. Way to go Jalyssa, you Rock, and we love you!

Ever had one of those Friends....

This post is dedicated to...One of those Friends who sometimes knows you better than you know yourself. My friend Gillian is one of those. She always knows what I need before I even say it. She must have one of those sixth senses. I am so indebted to her, it will take all eternity to repay her for all her kindnesses to me and my family. I am so lucky to have her in my life, talk about a blessing. She runs me places, she shops for me, she helps my kids with homework, she feeds me, she buys me candy, and she even texts me when she is on a romantic weekend with her Husband. (Sorry, Bill) I am very blessed to have her as Visiting Teacher, but this woman goes beyond all realms. You know, sometimes when you pray for something the Lord really blesses you beyond measure, and this is a friend that I have needed for a very long time. I want her to know how much I love her and it is not possible with words tell her how much I appreciate what she does for me. My entire Family is blessed for service. So now the world knows how incredible you are, and I am happy to tell them.You emulate the pure love of Christ, and I am sooo lucky to be one of your Friends. I know many people who feel the same way about you, and they are very lucky too. I am not alone in this, you treat everyone special. That is just who you are. We are all so blessed to be your friends. Thank you for ALL you do. Never forget you are loved and appreciated!!!

Jalyssa and Mariah, Best Friends? 95% of the time.

Me and Jalyssa sharing the love...

Jalyssa excited on her "18th" Birthday!

Jalyssa turns "18"

Well, the day has finally come. My first baby girl turned 18 years old, and she is absolutely amazing. I could not be any prouder of the fine young woman she has become. Her Father and I have done a fabulous job, if we say so ourselves. She has been so easy and a real treasure in our lives. Everyone loves her and her infectious smile lights up a room. She was so tiny when she was born and I was afraid I would break her. She was the easiest baby and never any trouble. Of course she was spoiled rotten by her Grandma D. And she was the first granddaughter on both sides of the family. She was loved by all her aunties and especially by her big brother Denver.
Now she is a senior, and looking toward college with anticipaton. It seems like only yesterday we brought her home from the hospital. She is such an amazing woman, and my hero in so many ways. She has overcome so many things and never lets anything stop her. We do not dare tell her she can't do something, because she will turn around and do exactly that. People are drawn to her amazing attitude and determination. I know she will accomplish so much in her future and she will have an influence on more people than she will ever realize. I am so lucky to be her Mother and love her more than words can say. I wish her well and cheers to an exciting future.

Speculation...

Have you ever received one of those dreaded phone calls from the Stake Executive Secretary? Who calmly tells you a member of the Stake Presidency would like to meet with you. Luckily they asked to speak to my Husband, yikes, "and please bring your wife". This was not looking good. And so now the speculation begins... Your mind starts automatically flipping thru the Ward auxiliaries. Who has been in a long time, who might be moving, who wants to be released, what are they thinking?
Our friends knew we had the appt. and were anxious to speculate as well. So, we know we need a YM's Presidency; No, too much commitment. High Priest group leader; No; too young (in our minds). Elders; No, already a High Priest. We honestly had no specific feelings, (super scary). Why is it that we always want to dissect it, until we drive ourselves crazy! Oh well...then the call is extended...and your shocked and pleased all at the same time. So much for speculation. Now comes the really hard part; keeping it from everyone til the Sunday comes and it is announced over the pulpit. We have told some people, like family (not our kids). They can wait, so will other people, HEE HEE! Speculation is a funny thing, we all think we are so "in the know" and really we have no idea. I guess we just like to be creative and try and solve the riddles in life. Maybe we should just live one day at a time and don't worry about what is around the corner. Enjoy today and don't live for tomorrows they never come. P.S. If you really want to know, I'll see you Sunday and we will all have a good laugh!

Ooooh, Aaaah, it's all pretty til someone loses an eye..

We were warned...

So we headed off to the fireworks... Franklin Covey baseball stadium or thereabouts. We sat just on the outside of the ball field to the east on Main Street. This area was all roped off and we had to get there from the back way. As we headed over to sit on the grass, a police officer doing his duty came over and said "You must stay on the other side of the sidewalk, because this is the fall out zone" You might get hit by falling debris. We all were like, ok man, whatever. So we moved back, but just barely. We all thought to ourselves this is a great spot, not too many people around, we will have fabulous view, and will be able to make a quick get-away to avoid the traffic. Of course, nothing could harm us, we are invincible; they are just trying to keep everyone safe.
The fireworks were fantastic and the view was beautiful, but just before the finale, surprise, surprise, a big peice of falling debris hits me smack dab in the face. I was looking straight up in the air watching the show, and it hits me right in the eyes. My face, and hair are covered with ash and of course my eyes got the brunt of it. I bravely said, "I am fine,I'm fine" as my eyes start burning and tearing up. I can't see and I don't want anyone to know how bad it hurt. You know sometimes we think we know better than anyone, and we learn the hard way to follow the rules. Don't worry my eyes are fine and I fully recovered, and luckily no one else was hit by anything. But,I think next time I will listen when someone tells me "This area may not be so safe."

Two Hot Chicks

Hide, Hide from the Sun!

24th of July Pioneer Parade, we all had fun!

A "Hot" 24th Holiday

Are we nuts or what? Today we decided to go to the 24th of July Pioneer Parade. What a crazy idea; no, actually we had a great time, other than the getting up at 6:00AM part on a sleep in day. The day dawned bright and beautiful, yes, even that early. We headed out and went straight to the store to get munchies so we could survive the waiting time. We bought $20.00 in munchies, can you believe that? Just to feed 4 people. So much for my healthy eating...
We met up with our Parade partners and headed out, we actually found shaded parking only one block from the parade route. We walked a short distance and found a great place to sit, between two trees that shaded us for most of the time. The parade was ok, the company was better. Of course the kids loved it. I saw some friends in the parade, took a few pictures, and ate too many unhealthy munchies. The tempurature soared and we were in the shade until about the last half hour, Then the sun decided to keep rising and then it got HOT...It felt like someone turned on an oven. I felt sorry for all the folks who were sitting in the sun the whole time. I remember one year we went, it was so hot we were rubbing ice all over our bodies trying to stay cool. I am sure that was quite a sight.
After the parade we went to lunch at KFC, yummy, I only ate a little, no surprise I was mostly full. I wonder why? Oh yeah, eat less. We then headed swimming. Now, that was nice and cool. We swam for about 3 hours and had lots of fun. Now we are headed for a BBQ with friends and then fireworks. Over the course of the day, the temps. soared to over 100 degrees. But we enjoyed the day and I am looking forward to the cool of the evening. Our plans and fun were HOT, HOT, HOT!

Mistakes learned the hardway...

Ok, so I wrote this fabulous blog the other day and then had to step away from the computer, BIG MISTAKE!! My daughter who was babysitting, was concerned about the baby touching the computer, decide to log me off and shut it down. In turn she lost my blog. I know, I know, my fault for not saving. Well gee whiz, I am still learning and did not know. SAVE EVERYTHING!! Ok, now I know....I am very frustrated and have tried everything I know to try and find it, but alas, it is gone forever.....
What I had written about was my lack of sleep and the puzzling reasons behind it. I have yet to solve my dilemma. I went back to the Doctor today and she tells me everything I am going through is very normal (for a woman approaching middle age) and I should not be worried about anything. What does she know, she is barely 30years old. What does she know about middle age? I sat there and cried, She had the audacity to ask if I needed something for depression or moods. That made me cry harder. I said NO, I just don't want to get old. I am not ready!! I still feel young, all my friends are younger than I am. I am still young on the inside. My body just doesn't seem to agree with my brain.
So....here is my Knowledgeable Doctor's advice...Eat Healthier and Get Exercise. Gee whiz, I could of told anybody that. It is just a lot easier said than done. I suppose I am going to have to give it a go. It is going to be a long hard road, but I hope I can make it. I guess if I want to have a younger body, to go with my younger brain, I will have to give it a try. Wish me luck!!

Family day at the Lake, watch out for Fishies...

This is picture of our Family, minus one....



Our traditional butt pose

Ever feel half smart!!

Ok this is easy and not so easy, for someone like me who is so computer illiterate, I think I am in trouble, but hey,I can live and learn. Have you ever felt like you know things to a point and then you can fake the rest as needed. That is me, half smart. I know a lot of things and there are a lot of things I don't know.
Computers have always fascinated me. They offer so much and open a world far beyond my feeble imagination. The internet is a danger zone and yet on the other hand it is everything you could ever need. I can see how people get sucked in and never leave the screen. It is worse then the television. And much more addicting. It has helped me in more ways I could possibly imagine and yet is has brought a darkness into my life, that I don't how I can ever escape from.
(Wouldn't you like to know) I can keep in contact with friends, with enemies, strangers and new people, I have yet to acquaint.
So this is the beginning of a journey for me; blogging on the internet. Hopefully it will be a winning and exciting experience. I will have to make time for me to get on the internet as often as possible, I hope that I can acess my blog spot at work, it would be so much easier. Otherwise I will have to make the time at home, and those moments are hard to come by. I feel guilty sometimes when I sit down at the computer to check my e-mail, I feel like I should be doing something else. Housework, kids projects, Relief Society stuff, visiting, husbands needs, I could go on and on forever. What I need is a place to just spout my feelings, frustrations and wants and needs. Not like any one out there really cares, or can do anything, but it will hopefully feel good and maybe improve my typing skills in the process.
So far now, this is the beginning , join in for the ride, comment if you like, or just read the ramblings of a 40 something women who needs an outlet. Over and out, or as my Trekkie Husband would say "Engage".

This is so cool, I just learned how to do a blog Thanks my friend