Happy New Year

Tonight I GET to help with our Stake Youth's New Year's Eve party. I'm trying to be happy about it. However, at our house there will be a party going on! Luckily my Stake party will only go until 9 p.m.

Almost every year our cousins on CK's side of the family come over and we eat till we're sick and play games. Okay, so that's the party that's happening at my house. It's not like there will be a million people, but none-the-less, a PARTY! My girls and I always spend part of the day making goodies, our favorite is our wonderful won-tons! We look forward to these all year!

2008 was full of good, great, and not so good and greats. A few of the highlights...

My sister got married! Yea!!!

My Rojita transferred to a much better school.

CK, Rojita and I got to experience the Martin's Cove Pioneer Trek.

We got to go spend a a great week at Disneyland.

Big T was baptised!!

Rojita experienced Havasuupii and EFY!

Bear Lake with family!

This is only to name a few of the great things we experienced this year.

And to top my not so good list, my dear friend Francine passing away.

Tami having to move away, and kissing our nice bonus goodbye! (Thank you economy!)

So, here's to a new year, hopefully full of more good than bad!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Christmas Cuties

Every year I take a picture of my kiddies in front of the Christmas tree in their Christmas Sunday Duds! So here they are. Yes, the dresses on the little girls are from my sister's wedding. They were too cute to not use again! I kind of forgot to buy Big T a Christmas shirt, yes, looser mom! So he got last years sweater to wear as you can tell by the size. Big T refuses to wear button up shirts. Once in a while he'll wear a short sleaved one. I'm not really sure why the short sleave button up shirts are okay sometimes, but never a long sleeve button up shirt. Probably because he doesn't like the buttons around his wrists. Anyway, sweaters work fine.

So, Merry Christmas to all!

Rojita's Band Concert

While I'm sitting here waiting for four little kidlets to go to sleep, (it is Christmas Eve and all), I decided to post this video of Rojita's band concert. It was so cool! The last two numbers her band played were Manheim Steamroller songs. They turned out the lights and all the kids had glow sticks on. They put up their school name and mascot on the walls in glow sticks too. Some of the drummers in the back had glow in the dark light sabers and were dueling in the background. They also had students coming up the isles throwing glow sticks to the audience. It was pretty darn cool! This video really doesn't do it justice, musically or visually. But here's just a taste of it!

Okay, just kidding. The video isn't uploading, so just imagine you saw it and it was really cool. I have yet to be successful at uploading video. Any suggestions?

It's Beginning to Look a lot like....last year!

Okay, what was I thinking when I posted that last entry? Didn't I remember last year when I got stuck in the snow while driving home from dropping the kids off at school? When the snow was up to my car door and me and baby Belle had to call for our neighbor to come tow us out? (Thanks Fred) Or when I had to be towed to my driveway from two houses away when I got stuck another time. (Thanks Rocky) Or when I couldn't get out of Walmart's parking lot because of all the ice, and the line of cars behind me wishing I would just get the heck out of the way! And yet, there I wrote it, "Let it Snow!" all happy like I really enjoyed it! I've officially decided I like summer better! That is until the HOT summer comes and I wish it was winter! So, maybe I like a little snow on the mountains and in the yard, but not on the roads! I just heard we're in for it later today and I'm not the least bit thrilled!

Okay, enough whining! I GET to have two Chritmas parties here at my house today, so I better get going! Pictures will probably follow soon! Hope you're all having a great day!!

Let it SNOW!!

I love waking up in the mornings to this...

...especially when I'm not expecting it!

I have the hardest time getting into the Christmas mood with out snow. Even the kids can feel the difference.

Here's my last little mini-rose who decided to stick around. Looks a little chilly!


Three Christmas's ago Big-T still hadn't really caught on to the whole Santa thing. In fact that morning we had to force him to come up stairs to see what Santa brought. He had absolutely no interest. We were laughing so hard when Brandon finally jokingly said, "Big-T, you come open your presents or you're grounded!" It literally took him all day to open his presents. He'd open one then wander off, then an hour later he'd open another. That evening he still had a present that he just had no desire to open.

However, this year right when our decorations went up Big-T started with the "presents?". And every morning when he wakes up the first thing out of his mouth is, "presents?". Explaining to him anything related to time is a lost cause. We've tried with the advent calander to explain that when the last door is opened, then Santa comes. And yet the next morning, "presents?". He's the greatest!!

So, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!!

Undefeated!

Back about (gulp) 20-ish years ago, I wasn't too bad at playing basketball. I loved it then and have had only a few opportunities since then to play. But recently I've been able to play on a team that not only is good, we're completely undefeated! These past few months we've played 2-3 times a week and boy, we DOMINATE!

Amazingly enough there are only 2 players on my team and sometimes my teammate doesn't want to play so, yes, it's only me and yet I still manage to be undefeated. There's only one other team in my "league". They are pretty tough but no match for my experience and skill level. Their team consists of two players and if you add their ages together and times it by 1.8 you get my age. To them, I'm amazing!

My team... Me and Big T

vs.

I-gick and Ky-guy!



Like clockwork at about 4 p.m. my doorbell rings and there they are, my most rivaled (and only) opponents. "Can you come out and play?" they ask. Followed by, "We're gonna beat you soooo bad this time!" To which I laugh and answer, "Are you sure you won't cry this time after I whip you again?" Ha, ha, ha, (evil laugh), ha!!! And then out I go to boost my confidence that yes, I can whoop two 10 year old boys! Big T does a great job of being a screen for me. He also distracts the other team by laughing the entire time. However, he hasn't quite got the idea that when he throws the ball in he's supposed to throw it to me. It's much more fun for him to throw it to one of the boys!

I told Rojita to come take a picture because one day when these boys have to look down to see me I will have proof that there was a day when I could whip those two at basketball!

Blessings

This was our year to have Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's house. Our extended family just keeps on growing! We added a new brother-in-law and one great-grandbaby to the family this past year. When all together we add up to 31 of us! All but 2 were with us this year. Mom spreads tables all over the dining room and family room and we all fit nicely. I am so blessed to have 4 wonderful sisters and a great brother. Here's me and 3 of my sisters, including my twin. No, I don't really have a twin, but holy cow, I never realized how much me and Candy look alike! (We all shrunk down to Candy height for this one!)




We always have the best time together!


My mom has a saying she just bought that says, "Grandma's house is where cousins come to be best friends". This is so true in our family. They ALL get along so well and love each other.



How thankful I am for family!

Painting

When I was in high school I went to a friend's house and on one of their walls they had hand painted pictures of all their children. I loved it! So when I found out that one of our good friends was actually a great artists I asked him to please paint my kids! So, this last week he finished the picture of "Rojita". Yes, that's her new code name. I was so excited, he did such a great job.

Thanks Shawn!

Welcome to Our Joy Ride!

Oh, you found me! Just thought I'd shake things up a bit and not be giving out personal info stuff that I don't want all three of you crazies who actually read my blog to know! Now since it took me forever to change stuff over to this site, I will have to post more later. Thanks for looking!