HUISH FAMILY

London.....the final chapter

2011-10-25T10:20:00.001-07:00

London was our last stop and we met up with mom and dad again. We went to see the sequel to Phantom of the Opera called "Love Never Dies" It was spectacular. We really enjoyed it. London was prepping for the royal wedding of William and Kate. It was a frenzy in the downtown areas. The British flags were waving everywhere. The cakes and pasteries were amazing too. As you can see at the airport that we all were a bit worn out from our travels. What an adventure!!! I love to travel and visit new places.

More people watching

2011-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know why the video came out sideways! Sorry

Eiffel Tower People watching

2011-10-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Paris, France

2011-10-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

My parents had already been to Paris and continued up to Wales, England to do some genealogy work. Leslie and I went to Paris. We arrived without incident at our hotel on Rue Cler, which was within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. The Tower is by far the highlight of the city for me. It was awesome to be so close to it and be able to walk there in the evenings to people watch and just take in the grandeur of it. The little street where our hotel was located had some great outdoor cafes and bakeries and little shops. It was very quaint. The hotels are very small and their elevators are even smaller. You felt like you were being beamed up like Star Trek. We embarked on the red double decker tour bus for a bird's eye view of the city. While walking down the Champs E'lysees we saw a person dressed up as a pharoah sitting on a park bench. We bought fun hats and scarves and souvenirs for our family. It was great and money well spent. We were able to hit all the major attractions and get on and off the bus at our leisure. It was neat to visit the cathedrals on Palm sunday. They had palm fronds out in front. The food was simply delicious. The pastries, breads, and crepes were yummy. We waited a long time in line to get to the top of the Tower, but it was well worth it. The people watching below was so fun too. There were some soccer players that displayed amazing skill and coordination. There were people singing and dancing too. Leslie didn't get into the Louvre very much. You definitely have to be in the right mood and be prepared to take in all of the artwork. The Louvre is very overwhelming. I braved the mosh pit of people trying to catch a glimpse of the famous Mona Lisa. I snapped a picture of her although she is behind bulletproof glass. The architecture of Paris is simply beautiful and has alot of golden intricacies. The people were generally friendly and it was so fun to practice my conversational french with them. They were good natured and amicable when I attempted to speak to them and apologized for my inadequacy. So much fun!! Paris is one of my favorite places to visit. I could go again and again. We also were able to take a day trip out to the Palace of Versailles. It was magnificent and the gardens are similar to an Alice and Wonderland garden.

Caan, France

2011-10-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Prior to our trip, we asked around and everyone said that you can just show up and buy your Chunnel pass to travel from London to Paris. WRONG! We showed up and the place was jam packed with Europeans going on their three week holiday for Easter. We stood at the ticket counter for over an hour trying to arrange our itinerary from London to Paris and then Paris to Caan where we would finally be meeting up with our parents. After an half hour, the agent was confused by our destination and was trying to get us to CANNES, FRANCE instead of CAAN, France. WOW!!! WE caught his mistake and finally was only able to get first class on the Chunnel to Paris and then on to Caan. The first class was the only available and we PAID for it. We knew that our parents were waiting for us and that we had no choice but to press onward. Lesson learned. We traveled first class and it was very quiet, comfortable and nice. The lunch was very amusing. It was so gourmet and tiny. Apparently that is why they call us "FAT AMERICANS" No wonder. I thought it was enough food to feed an infant......or possibly fill my stomach which is as big as my closed fist, right??!! We , as Americans, definitely overeat what our bodies can process. Anyways, I digress. We met some friends along the way and showed up in Paris at the train station. What a different story than London. They all spoke French! HA! So, I quickly started retrieving from my memory banks all the french that I had taken in high school and college. You would think that after two years in high school and two years in College that I could handle a little conversation. We finally made our way onto the Caan train and headed that way. The french countryside was beautiful and we saw field after field of these beautiful yellow flowers. By this point we had been traveling all day. Our parents were expecting us by 4pm. We finally arrived at 7:30. BETTER LATE than never!! It was a joyous reunion. We walked up to the hotel and there was our beautiful mother waiting in the lobby for us!! It was wonderful. We settled in our rooms and headed out for some dinner. Crepes, of course. They serve them all day long because of the variety that you can stuff them with. My parents had some friends, The Bradfords, that were traveling with them. They were really nice and easy going. I was a little apprehensive about traveling with a bunch of senior citizens, but they definitely held their own! I know, I'm so bad! The next morning we set out to the museum to catch our tour of the Normandy beach area and memorial of the World War II. I had no idea what a remarkable day that would be. We had a private tour guide that was a local of the area and I could not get enough information out of him. It was amazing. Most of us have seen Private Ryan which really brought to life the initial storming of the beach. What an opening scene that was! AND here we were!! One of the things that I had no idea about were the barge containers that were floated from England and then sunk in the ocean to creat a false harbor. This harbor cut down on the ocean waves and they were able to build a floating ramp that adjusted with the tide in order to bring all of the tanks, equipment , and supplies over from England. I was fascinated by the engineering of that day. We also saw the many bunkers that the Germans had built . I posted some pics of them. Truly amazing how we were able to make our way onto the beaches and get past the well fortified German line. I believe that it was truly divine interventioin. After exploring the beaches, we went to the Cemetery, which was a humbling experience. It was a very sacred place and quite reverent. We finished off our day with some chocolate croissants. YUM! The next day we parted ways with our parents and headed back to Paris. They had already been there and wanted to go up to Whales to do some genealogy.

LONDON 2011

2011-10-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Leslie and I set out on an amazing journey. A chance in a lifetime to go to Europe together. We were anxious to meet up with mom and dad after they had been released from their mission to Madrid, Spain. We first took our direct flight on British Airways to London. We spent a fun filled couple of days exploring the city.

April family Pictures

2011-10-21T08:25:00.001-07:00

Love this little guy!!

2011-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

CHAD!

Macy & Savanna's Birthdays!!

2011-10-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

Savanna turned 12 and is excited to be in Young Women's and go to girl's camp this summer. Macy turned 11 and is LOVES to hang out with her friends! I love to get creative with the kid's birthday cakes!!

Cabin Spring Break 2011 (second half)

2011-10-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to have Vance, Chad, Leslie and their families come up to the cabin for a little bit of fun. You can definitely see the Merrill genes shining through with all the little cousins. It was also very fun to celebrate Tina's 40th Birthday on St. Patrick's Day!

Spring Break 2011

2011-10-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

We headed out to the Salt River Fields for a Spring Training game. The Rockies and the Reds. The players are very fan friendly at these games. It was so hot but the kids seemed to have fun. Right after that we headed over to California to go to Disneyland.....the happiest place on earth!

GO SUNS!!

2011-05-28T16:55:00.001-07:00

MOMMY/DAUGHTER NIGHT AT THE SUNS GAME!!

SPRINGTIME AND BABY HORSES

2011-05-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

HELICOPTER RIDE

2011-05-28T16:44:00.001-07:00

Jodi Lewis called me on a whim and said to get myself ready and meet her at the Falcon Field airport to go on a helicopter ride. Four peaks had just gotten tons of snow over the weekend and the day was just BEAUTIFUL!! She didn't have to ask me twice. This was a great experience. Don't you love the pic of our pilot "reading" the owner's manual? HA!!

HELLO CANADA......YOU ARE FREEZING!

2011-05-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

This was a great trip. Lori Gehring and her family moved out to Toronto, Canada last year and I went out to visit. We had a great time! The highlights were going into downtown Toronto for shopping and sightseeing.

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY TATE!

2011-05-28T16:38:00.001-07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S

2011-05-28T16:32:00.001-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-05-28T16:29:00.001-07:00

HAPPY 38TH BIRTHDAY! SAN FRANCISCO TRIP

2011-05-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Kerry Davis and I went to San Francisco for my birthday. We met up with Julie Hansen too. We went shopping, ate at great restaurants and did a little sightseeing! It was great because it was the off season and the crowds were minimal. The funniest part about the trip, was when I posted a picture of Union Square from the top of the Cheesecake Factory across the street. I posted the picture on facebook and my cousin Kim Johnson posted the same pic and said "Hey, I think we were at the same place last night." LOL We met up after lunch the next day and had a good laugh about it. What a small world! It was a great birthday and relaxing trip right before the hustle and bustle of the holidays!

Live Blood Analysis in SAN DIEGO

2011-05-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

WOW! This was a great opportunity. I went to San Diego with the Reflective Health Group to help them with a health seminar. It was such a great experience to work with people and their health. Mostly people have issues with digesting their food properly. Digestive enzymes are important for you to digest your food and process proteins. It is amazing to get your finger pricked and see your live blood cells up on the video screen. The event was very busy and fun and being in San Diego was great!!

Saturday Games

2011-05-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

So fun to watch Tate play flag football and Macy soccer! Makes for busy Saturdays, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Happy Halloween

2011-05-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

We went to a party at the Fife's house. More pics were posted on facebook. Friends got really creative about their costumes!

Fall Break Utah 2010

2010-11-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Utah with Vance and Leslie and their families. It was so much fun being with the cousins. Midway was so beautiful this time of year. The leaves were changing and the mornings and nights were chilly. We LOVED it! We visited the Aquarium, Temple Square, and BYU just to name a few. The Pics tell it all! We also got to hang out with Trisha and her family too!

Rainy Day Football with the Kids!

2010-11-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

We just had a big rain and all the moms and kids went down to the retention basin for a game of football. Of course, I think the moms had way more fun than the kids, but they will remember it forever. Those kids can be slippery!

Just Can't Get Enough

2010-09-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Powell Fun!

2010-09-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

I seriously hope that I am still doing all of this until the day I die :) I know, some of you may be thinking, "she's got issues." I guess I'm just an adrenaline junkie trying to get my fix!!! You are only as old as you think, right?? I'm fighting it every step of the way!

Lake Powell 2010

2010-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

We went to Lake Powell with the Germaines, Fifes, and Pearces. Dale and I flew up in the plane and the others towed the boat and headed up to Page, Az. The Germaines family let us use their sweet Houseboat for the weekend. The first day was beautiful with great water. We had so much fun wakesurfing, boarding, and air chairing. The Fifes were the gourmet chefs on the trip. Great food with awesome Dutch oven desserts. We were in the water all day and played games the rest of the night. The second day was beautiful as well. The ladies got their daily exercise by swimming shore to shore. It was a challenge, but felt really good! The third day was pretty windy so we headed over to the big Sand Hill and hiked up it. What a workout!! Then we finished up with some cliff jumping. It was a blast!!

LADIES LAKE TRIP

2010-08-14T22:31:00.001-07:00

The school bell rang and all the children were in their seats. What to do? Clean out the closets? Organize the pantry? Fold some laundry? Hmmm........nope. I headed off to the lake with some of my lady friends. Funny how many ladies you can find on a random weekday that want to shirk all responsibility to go to the lake for some fun in the sun. Thanks to Heather and Jen, all of us had a great time. Unfortunately, my wakeboard was up at Lake Powell , so we all ended up trying wakesurfing instead. It was challenging and fun! The highlight was when Heather tried to help Lisa get up, or should I say attempt to get up. It was so entertaining. It was a beautiful day on the lake with practically nobody else there. Loved it!! Thanks ladies.......see you every Thursday till we have to pull out the wet suits;)

First Day of School 2010

2010-08-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a summer!! The kids got to be very lazy this summer. Staying up too late and sleeping in too late. It was somewhat of a rude awakening on the first day of school. Blake is an 8th grader. Savanna is a 6th grader. Macy is a 5th grader. Tate is a 1st grader. Last , but not least, little Chaddy is a kindergartner. He will be five on Sept. 11th. He will most likely be the youngest in his class. After only a few tantrums , we got pictures and headed off to the school. I'm not gonna lie. All five kids in school........all day..............I did a little high five dance with my friends. Tick tock...........what do do with myself????

4th of July in Rosarito, Mexico

2010-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

We loaded up and headed south of the border to Rosarito , Mexico. We share a home down there with two other partners (who lucky for us, rarely use it). Contrary to all the media hype, we feel very safe down there. The Pacific Ocean is beautiful. We are only 20 min south of San Diego. We love spending time at the beach with friends and family. Scott and Kyle , Dale's brothers, came down with their friend Kyli Larsen. We loved going out for authentic Mexican food and yummy ice cream. The food down there is delicious. There is a little lady that makes the fresh tortillas right in front of you. Those things are addicting!! Good times at the beach!

BOREDOM BUSTERS

2010-07-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, all they really need are some cardboard boxes from Costco. Kids love to be creative with the most simple things. I wish that I had taken a picture of what they did with duct tape:)

2010-07-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Cowabunga in Draper, Utah. The kids can't get enough of this place. It's a huge playground with slides, water hoses, buckets, lazy rivers, and fun! The highlight really is depicted in the video when the giant bucket of water dumps from high above the kids. Lots of fun!

DAILY WORKOUT

2010-07-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

So, this is what my kids see me wearing every single morning.....except Sunday. My uniform. I love waking up early , lacing up the shoes and heading outdoors. It is so quiet and peaceful in the mornings. It seems to help me get my focus before all the chaos hits for the day. I love , love, love to exercise!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

There he is! That's my dad on the far left. What a guy! It's a few days early, but I've been thinking about Father's Day and how I won't be spending it with my dad. That makes me sad. My parents are serving a temple mission in Madrid, Spain. We are anxiously waiting their return next April. The countdown is on! We miss them. They have already served in Spain on their first mission. They served in Nauvoo and Bolivia too. They have been gone alot. Normally, I would take the opportunity to visit them, but I already did that the first time they were there. It is a beautiful city and temple. As I think about my dad, it makes me happy. I was and still am a daddy's girl! I've always promised not to tell the others that I am the favorite;) What an amazing man my dad is. He seems to balance all of those important things in life. My most precious memories are from the daddy/daughter dates we would go on. We called them "SATURDAYS" . They were usually very simple things which included getting the car washed, swinging at the park and ending up at Friendly's for a huge milkshake. He would push me on that swing until I was sick. Then I would always try to beat him at finishing my milkshake. I don't wonder where I got that competitive gene. I definitely didn't fall too far from the tree. I see so many things in my dad that i see in myself. For sure, I am not adopted. My son Blake continues to ask me if he was adopted.....but that's a whole 'nother story. Blake is one of a kind. But I digress. My dad is a man of many talents. He can sing and play the piano like no other. He really enjoys performing for others and sharing his talents. He also plays a mean game of handball. I'll always remember going out to the track as a family to go running. He has always instilled in me a value of hard work, discipline and exercise. I love that! Finally, so that I don't leave out my mom;). What a treasure it is to see my dad love my mother the way that he does. Happy Father's Day!! I love you dad! Sending my love all the way to Spain! x0xoxoxo

LAKE TRIP AGAIN!

2010-06-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Can't get enough of the lake right now. Good times! Dale couldn't make it this trip, but his brothers , Kyle and Scott, stepped up to make it a great day at the lake! Chad and Tate come for the "lake treats" of powerade and licorice. Blake, Savanna, and Macy are getting pretty good at wakeboarding. Kyle is the star that can do back flips. I'm a bit more conservative. I've been wanting to clear the wake for a long time and finally did it!!

MEMORIAL WEEKEND HUISH REUNION

2010-06-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

We all got packed up and headed to the White Mountains for the holiday weekend. We spent most of our time riding quads in the forest. The whole Huish family, excluding Darcey and the older girls and Zobells, were in attendance. BB guns, s'mores, talent shows etc etc. Everyone had a great time with minimal injuries. Thanks to Reed, we watched Alice and Wonderland and Iron Man 2. The weather was perfect. There were a ton of activities at the Torreon clubhouse for everyone to enjoy. We even fit in a little bit of golfing and swimming. The kids made friends with a horny toad. Chad and Tate drank all of the soda pop. Finally, we all had enough of each other to last us till next year ;)

LAKE TRIP

2010-06-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

School is out and time to head to the lake! My kids were working the camera and they totally missed my double twisting flip on the wakeboard ;) Ya gotta love ARIZONA !!!!!!!

Baby Girl

2010-06-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to catch up with Kristine Koble and her sweet baby girl ALI BROOKE. Wow! It's been awhile since I've held a newborn. So precious!

SUNDAYS

2010-06-03T00:32:00.001-07:00

ALWAYS A GOOD DAY!

OUTDOOR FUN!

2010-06-03T00:14:00.001-07:00

KENTUCKY AND INDIANA TRIP

2010-06-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I needed another excuse to travel. The first night, Savanna and I caught a last minute showing of "WICKED" in Louisville, KY. The next day we headed to Indiana. Carly Cresswell and I grew up together in New Mexico. We did gymnastics together. We formed a strong friendship that has endured the years. Soul sisters. I just love that girl!!! Carly recently opened up her own gymnastics facility in Evansville, Indiana. Since Savanna is a gymnast, I thought it would be a great opportunity to go and visit and train with Carly. What an adventure it was! We hadn't seen each other in over 20 years and it didn't seem to make a difference. It was so fun meeting Thomas and the boys. We played around at the gym and had a great time catching up. The final day of our trip we visited HOLIDAY WORLD located in none other than Santa Claus, Indiana. It was a great amusement park with amazing roller coasters. We had a great time and hope to go back to visit soon!

MOTHER'S DAY

2010-06-02T23:54:00.002-07:00

Mother's Day gets more and more interesting as my kids get older. I love it! Unfortunately, I did forget to remind them that a "given" on Mother's Day is to let mom sleep in ;) They were too excited to show me their gifts. As you can see, the boys are "unavailable", but the girls came through with shining colors. Love my kids!!!

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-06-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

And yet, another girl's trip. I can't help myself. When fun calls, I have to answer. This was a 48hr quickie, so it hardly counts. BUT, it was a jam packed fun filled trip. We stayed at the Luxor resort on the strip. We spent our time shopping, laughing, eating, and thrill seeking. The highlight of our trip was to the top of the Stratosphere. We rode the Big Shot ride 12 times at 2 a.m. until I finally threw up.........(literally) It was a blast. We have to make reservations next time for us to do the SKY JUMP. It looks like such a rush. I am an adrenaline junkie. We also had fun people watching at Serendipity and enjoyed the fried oreo ice cream sundae. Needless to say, we did not get any sleep and didn't seem to care!! Great time!

Julie Campbell Hansen Visits!!!

2010-05-23T00:35:00.000-07:00

Loved having Julie and her two sweet kiddos come and visit with us!!!

2010-05-23T00:27:00.000-07:00

Piano Recital.......lots of hard work paying off!

Bubble Boy!

2010-05-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

Chad having fun in the "Big Tub"

Girls Ski Trip!!!

2010-05-22T18:01:00.000-07:00

So, I am a little spontaneous! I really like that about myself. When an opportunity presents itself, I canNOT resist. Park City saw 2 1/2 ft of snow on Tuesday. I called Jodi and said, "Let's get up there and ski!" I like spontaneous friends....we get along really well. Enter Jodi Lewis. We booked our flights and got all of our little ducks in a row and headed up on Thursday. We started out the trip smiling and we didn't stop smiling until we got home on Sunday. The first night, we headed to the grocery store and got the ingredients for our customary batch of cookie dough. This tradition goes way back for us. We first bonded over cookie dough at the sand dunes, years ago when we we finally get the kiddies to bed and head out to the bonfire with our plastic spoons and ziploc bag of cookie dough to laugh the night away. Nothing has changed, although the topics have grown heavier over the years. The next day, we headed out to Park City to ski and snowboard . Jodi is awesome on the board and I hope to try it out next season. We had a great day and especially enjoyed our hot chocolate at the cafe. We also went again on Saturday and had a great day on the slopes. The highlight of our trip was to sell some extra lift tickets without getting caught . That was an adventure. Sunday, we just slept in and relaxed and then headed home to our families. We never stopped smiling. It was an AWESOME VACATION!!!!!!

Happy Easter 2010

2010-05-22T17:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter!!!!!

We got to go up to the cabin in Show Low for the weekend. It was beautiful up there. We spent our time with Leslie and her family. On Saturday, we went to the Torreon clubhouse for an Easter Egg Hunt. The kids rode quads outside and had a great time. On Sunday, the kids got their baskets and we watched General Conference on t.v. It was a fun weekend. Talk about a boring post. I need to post more frequently so that I remember some of the funny details!!!

Spring Break 2010 ROCKY POINT, MEXICO

2010-04-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

We packed up and headed south of the border. The weather was PERFECT! We stayed at the Sonoran Sun on Sandy Beach. The kids loved playing in the swimming pools and looking for shells on the beach. The college spring breakers were very entertaining to watch at the pool. We all managed to get a little bit of sun and start on our summer tans. Good times in Mexico! No problems either. People shouldn't be so scared to go to Mexico.

Savanna's Gymnastics Meet 2010

2010-03-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

She did awesome!

Yes! It does snow in ARIZONA!!!

2010-03-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Good times up at the cabin. We love to go to Show Low and spend time up there with friends and family. We went up with my two brothers, Vance and Chad, and their families. We spent a lot of time in the cabin because it snowed quite a bit. It was awesome! The kids loved seeing the snow fall down around them. A little bit of cabin fever set in, but we managed it well with cookies, hot cocoa and games! It was fun for the cousins to hang out and have some fun together. I really need to post on my blog sooner after the event, because my memory fails me on all the fun details. I will try to get better at it. On a side note, we had a Huish family dinner tonight at our home. We had grilled chicken, rosemary potatoes, homemade rolls and lots more good stuff. Always good food and company. What a wonderful Sunday it has been. We are especially thankful that our Bishop, Denny Barney, is recovering from his skiing accident and was at church today. We wish him a speedy recovery!

Disneyland 2010

2010-03-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have made a mistake that I cannot make up for. Dale and I took our oldest son , Blake, to Disneyland when he was five yrs. old. We had so much fun................that we never went back. Four more kids later. My girls come home from school crying because other kids make fun of them because they have never been to Disneyland. Most of the children have season passes and go multiple times per year. The"Happiest Place on Earth"? Says who? The magic of the kingdom doesn't quite make up for the financial drain and long lines , in my book. I guess you can call me a Disneyland scrooge. Last weekend, my sister said that she was going to go to Disneyland because they had a 2Fer deal, both parks two days for the price of one. It was enticing. Also, it's February/March and everyone says that the crowds are minimal. I jumped or should I say..........hesitantly stepped in the direction of taking my kids. Dale, I knew, was not interested in experiencing the Magic with us. One less person for me to keep track of. Kerry Davis and her two kids wanted to go too. They are Disneyland professionals. I wanted to tap into that resource. She pricelined us a hotel for $46 bucks at night at the Hilton. Woohoo! We drove over and and hit Disneyland on Monday. Unfortunately, I realized quite early in the day that I had made the mistake of not bringing my girls when they were younger. They no longer cared about the characters and the princesses running around the park. It was about the rides and food. No magic. Just lines and dumping money at every turn. SIGH............ The next day we went to California Adventures. Lots of rides and some lines to wait in. My two oldest kids loved all the rides, but Macy and Tate were more reserved and scared to go on the big rides. I made them go on everything once. At the end of the day, Macy had an upset stomach, Tate wouldn't leave without the souvenir snake and Savanna complained that she had the song "It's a Small World" stuck in her head. Ahhhhhhhh..............the memories!

Does anyone know how to download a generic picture of Disneyland to my blog from the web?

Thanks,

Christina

Ski Trip 2010

2010-02-07T20:43:00.001-08:00

I look forward to this trip every year. Adults only, we head up to Midway, Utah and stay at our cabin that we share with partners for the weekend. It's always a good time to pull out the UGGS and coats and gloves to head up to the snow. We decided to ski at Deer Valley, since we got hooked up with bolo ties (free lift tickets). It was a beautiful day and very uncrowded. The next day, the guys went skiing again and the ladies stayed home for some R n R. We read books and watched movies and just relaxed.......something that moms never get to do. At least, not with a guilty conscience. Sunday was much of the same and we headed back home on Monday morning. One of the highlights of the trip was to visit the ice castles display at the Zermatt Resort in Midway. It was quite a sight to behold. The sprinklers feed the display over time and create these amazing ice scultpures. It reminded me of where Superman lives. We neither found his bed or the kryptonite! We went will Noel and Dianna Williams. Good times in the snow.

Happy New Year in the snow!

2010-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

It was a Happy New Year up in Showlow. We invited Kyle and Ashley and Kerry and her kids up for the long holiday weekend. The highlight of the trip was definitely the snowball fight back behind the cabin. Blake and the other kids made snow caves and made great preparations to get ready for the big fight. Kyle and Dale were on opposing teams and really got into it. Lots of fun. Blake said that it was the best day of his life! Ahh the simple pleasures in life. The cabin was cozy with lots of good food and hot chocolate! We had a really great time.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

I am not quite as creative at blogging, but the purpose here is to start journaling my family's activities better so that I can create scrapbooks (meaningful) for my children. I will try to improve my skills. Christmas was super busy this year. It was a sad one without my parents who are serving on a mission in Madrid , Spain. We sure miss them and the traditions that surround them. Otherwise, Dale and I have kept busy hosting the Ward Breakfast with Santa and the Mickelson extended family Christmas party. Lots of fun. Blake got a machete' at the gift exchange. It's been fun for the whole family.....NOT. I know that I am forgetting some fantastic things, but suffice it to say that Santa came to our house and the children seemed to be happy. We are thankful at this time of year to remember the Savior and we really enjoyed our Second Annual Christmas EVe viewing of the Temple Christmas lights from the air. Dale flew right around the temple twice! It was awesome! We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Seriously.......I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK!

2010-01-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where have I been? For whatever reason, I have been blocked from accessing my own blog for months. I am happy to report that I am back. It might have a little something to do with my new computer. Yes, I have gone Mac and do not plan to go back. I have new inspiration for doing my blog. I found out that I can transform my blog into a tangible book at the end of the year. I know what you're saying. Where has she been? Living under a rock? As with any other fashion or trend, I seem to be a late bloomer. I eventually catch on. Anyways, I haven't uploaded any pics on this new computer, but I intend to keep a more accurate journal of my entire family as the months continue into this new decade of 2010. I am excited for what this new year holds.

BLAKE'S LATEST AND GREATEST!

2009-06-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Blake seems to be a chip off the ol' block. As soon as there was an opportunity to work and make money , he dropped out of football. Some things are just more productive and long lasting . He decided to pack up his bucket of supplies and canvas the neighborhood to stain people's RV gates. He practically wouldn't take no for an answer and worked hard every day to stain gates and earn enough money to buy his prize: motorcycle. He wouldn't let up and worked long hot hours to earn the money. Dale made sure to check his work so that he had satisfied customers. When he had enough money, he found a motorcycle on Craig's list and BAM! Now, he has a new found sense of freedom and cruises all over the place. I even sent him to Basha's to pick up a missing ingredient for dinner. Hmmm.... I'm reaping the benefits of an early driver. Mark my words, I'm sure that I will regret it, but it seems to be ok with Dad, so there ya go!

Saguaro Lake Trip (One of many hopefully)

2009-06-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Saguaro Lake and had a blast with friends! The three older kids did great on the wakeboard. The sunset up there was amazing!

GIRLS WEEKEND

2009-05-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning, I packed my suitcase and headed to the airport to go up to Utah. The first day I went to visit my friend Robin Bloomfield at her home in Alpine. I sure do miss her. It was fun to just visit and hang out all day and meet her cute grandkids. Then next day I headed over to my sister Trisha's house in West Jordan to help her decorate and organize her home. Friday came and I hooked up with all my girlfriends from High school. Monica Ringger Bambrough, Heather Hawkins Groom, Monica Wright Wisco, and Telacia Ripley Carlston. We had a great time staying up to all hours of the night chatting and sleeping in until the late morning. We honestly didn't get much accomplished and didn't even make it to Women's Conference. Oh well. We got a little wild and crazy as the nights grew later and later and we ate a bunch of sugar.... lots of fun.

I CAN make Bread!

2009-04-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

This has been a long journey in the pursuit of making delicious bread. I first became interested in making my own bread two years ago when I started taking "free" cooking classes at Shar's Bosch Center in Gilbert. I got all amped up about it and my "free" class cost Dale about $400 to buy my own wheat grinder and the glorious Bosch mixer. I was all set and ready to roll. I started early one morning and busted out all of the ingredients and started working away at it. My first batch came out flat and heavy just like bricks. I was disgusted with myself and proceeded to start over and try again. Enter OCD personality. The second time yielded the same results as did the third, fourth , fifth and finally six times. All heavy flat bricks. The shame. I then called my back door neighber Cheri and begged her to help stop the madness and figure out what was wrong with me. Come to find out, my wheat was from my food storage and was too old to really be activated by the yeast to rise. Aha! The seventh time was the charm and I was able to make big beautiful bread. Finally. Then I went to bed. Now, two years later, I don't even need to look at the recipe and I can whip it out start to finish in two hours flat. Here is the latest batch that I did!

CAMELBACK HIKE APRIL 2009

2009-04-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Well, after only three hours of sleep because of sick kids, I remained true to my commitment and picked up Cheryl Faas and Carlie Greding to head out to Camelback for a early morning hike. We got a close up parking spot and headed up the trail. the temperatures were perfect and the sun was just peeking over the mountains. To my surprise we encountered hikers already making their way down from the trail. I thought we may be some of the first, but apparently there are even more die hards out there than I anticipated. Maybe they busted out the flashlights to be right at the top for the sunrise. Anyways, the crowd was minimal and we blazed our way to the top. We posed for pics and headed back down to encounter the same first hikers going back up a second time. Now, I was really feeling like a wimp. Should I be scampering up and down this thing multiple times to prove my abilities. UMMMMM....not today. I was barely hanging on with the amount of sleep I had had. I am a firm believer in 8 hours! We had a great time. Love being outside! Arizona is amazing. Can't wait to be at the lake right at sunrise with glass like water and cool morning temps!

Couples Retreat to Rosarito, Mexico

2009-04-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it couldn't have come at a better time for me. It has been a physical and emotional roller coaster over the last month with the miscarriage. We got a babysitter and headed off across the border, again, with some other couples:Tyson & Jaime Breinholt, Darrin & Julie Hatch, Damon & Natalee Breinholt. We stayed for three days. We slept late, lounged around the pool, and soaked up the sun of the beautiful Baja area. Unlike all of the news hype, we encountered no problems. Of course, we weren't hanging out in clubs late at night and doing drugs in the alleways either. Be at the right place , at the right time. We went out to eat at El Nido. We played games late into the evening and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was hard to come back home and face the blast of heat 100 degree temps bring. The cool ocean breezes were left behind, but we hope to take the kids down over Memorial weekend.

Dale.....a man of many talents!

2009-04-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Who knew that Dale could ride a unicycle, let alone a six ft. tall one? One of many talents that caught my eye so long ago.

Not Meant To Be!

2009-04-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we were so excited to announce our big news. Unfortunately, two days later I started to miscarry. Go figure the timing. The children have been pretty sad about it. It has been a good experience to talk to our kids about Heavenly Father sending spirits to the earth and sometimes things are not meant to be. Thanks for all the well wishes and support!

Big News!

2009-04-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

The kids went on an egg hunt and some of the eggs had papers with words on them: Our family will receive a special gift in November. I thought it might take them some time to figure it out, but Blake came through. Yes, we are expecting number six in November. Crazy huh? I have known for a few weeks and have been getting used to the idea, but have now gotten more enthusiasm with my kids' reaction to the news. Wow, Chad will be four and I was just starting to enjoy the good life of no babies, diapers, whining ( I guess I still hear some of that). Life is giving me the curve ball and I am swinging hard for the homerun! Hopefully it will be a girl to even things out!

Easter 2009 Special news!

2009-04-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Break in Rosarito, Mexico 2009

2009-04-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

We hung around all week of spring break anxious to get on the road Wednesday to head down to Rosarito, Mexico. It is 20 minutes south of San Diego across the Mexican border. All of our friends and family and even strangers warned us about going there because of the recent violent activities down there. We were not swayed. We packed up the suburban and five kids and headed down with my brother Vance and his three kids. The beach was the highlight of course! We saw dozens of dolphins. The kids found about five starfish along the beach. They even went boogie boarding out in the cold Pacific. Good times! We loved setting off fireworks and hanging around the bonfire at night too. We had no problems the whole time and even went into to town and went to our favorite restaurant, El Nido. The best fresh tortillas ever! We love going there!

The Garden is Thriving!

2009-03-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been fun to watch over the past month. We are growing squash, lettuce, peppers, swiss chard, and peas. I hope to expand my repretoire in the future. Here are some pics. The kids have enjoyed seeing the progress everyday.

SATURDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY!

2009-03-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday! I love Saturdays, when we aren't out of town. There is so much to be accomplished that has built up from the busy week and there are plenty of hours to do it. I started out this morning at 6 a.m. on a hike. Jodi and Cheryl and I headed out East to where Meridian Road dead ends. There is a beautiful hike that is the perfect amount of time. We got home at 8:30 just in time to get kids working and get the household in order. I cut up a huge bowl of strawberries for breakfast and couldn't believe how large some of them were. Do these grow this large naturally, I'm not sure. Oh well, because they are delicious. I am loving Spring time.

My kind of F.H.E.

2009-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Well, it was turning into one of those hum drum Monday nights until Jodi Lewis called. She told me to grab the kiddies and let's go to our favorite restaurant, Oreganoe's for Pizookies! At first , the practical side of me said, oh no, we can't, it's a school night, I've eaten good today, don't wanna ruin it etc. etc. blah blah blah excuses. Then the wild side of me threw caution to the wind and said " Oh yeah, let's do it!" The Arizona weather was perfect and the Lewis family owns a "couple" VWs. Jodi picked me up in the convertible bug and Dean took the rest of the family in the orange bus with a ragtop! Sweet! We had a fun drive to downtown Gilbert and indulged ourselves in the yummy pizookies! Good times. Thanks Lewis Family!

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING

2009-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Finally. Finally, I can say that I am following the words of the prophet. Every time gardening has come up over the years, I usually just cringed and hoped that the subject would change. Now, I can proudly say that I have A garden. Now, if it produces anything edible , is a whole different ball game. Thanks to Grandpa Huish, we spent about eight hours building our box from scratch and filling it up with 1 foot of high quality soil. Then, we cheated and got the little sprout starters from HOme Depot. Voila! Garden in a day. It was so beautiful, that I just had to take a picture of it. I hope to learn a lot about it over the coming years. I really admire those that have learned to garden , especially here in Arizona. I expect that I will make many mistakes, but hope to be blessed in spite of myself. Who knows, if I make it work, maybe I will build another box next to it. Time will tell. Now I need to work on my year supply of Chocolate.

February 2009

2009-02-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

This month started out with a bang. Dale and I went with the Lewis', Pearces', and Williams' up to Midway Utah to go snow skiing and have a little getaway from the kiddies. We got to ski at Park City the first day, then Deer Valley the second, and then Dale went snowmobiling at Daniel Summit on the third day. Lots of fun in the snow. Utah is a beautiful place to visit, because I was happy to get back to the warmth of AZ after 4 days away. You really have to switch gears from only worrying about yourself what you need as opposed to returning home and forgetting yourself and worrying about the needs of 5 little people. It was a refreshing break and I was happy to be home and get back into routine. Then came the week of Valentine's. When I was a little kid, my mom would have us decorate paper bags and hang them on our doors. My mom and the other kids would put little treats or special notes in the bag every day until Valentines. It was fun to anticipate "what" would be in the bag. It was fun to see what the kids would write to each other. I must say that my girls caught on to the idea better than the boys. Go figure. It was fun, though. That whole week I spent preparing for our ward VAlentines Party. We ate Costa Vida for dinner, played fun games with cheesy prizes and then dipped lots of yummy treats in the chocolate fountain. WE had a great turn out of over 100 people. Finally after that I could relax.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

It seems to be that time again to make new year's resolutions...................OVERRATED! I am continually starting over, starting fresh, I don't have to wait until Jan. 1st. I can even make a new on on Feb. 1st if I want to. This new year has started out with less than a bang. Not too much going on here. What a boring blog. I will try to get more creative and have a crazy life to illustrate these blank pages. I am finding Facebook a little easier to communicate these days. Although, I do love to view all of my friends creative blogs. We have been busy going up to the cabin and enjoying the great Arizona snow........at least what there is of it. I do get the big time Loser mom of the year award. I missed Blake's sign ups for tackle football. I also had five crying kids when I found our little Sophie, Yorkie, a new home. And, well, what else more could I mess up? I am trying to get rid of all the sugar in the house. Talk about outright rebellion. Our house is literally up in arms. So, needless to say, I NEED A VACATION! There, I said it. I am in need of a break. Thank goodness, I am going away for a few days the first of FEb. I need to get together until then. WIsh me Luck!

2008-12-31T09:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2008 Lovin' every minute of it!

2008-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

What a fun filled December. We spent a lot of time with family dipping chocolates, eating holiday treats, doing nativities, flying above the temple lights, and just being together. I had to tuck Savanna and Macy back into bed on Christmas morning because it was 2AM. Crazy kids. I know that I never did that growing up (NOT) What joy it is when you are a kid and filled with the excitement of the holidays. AHHHH time for the new year. Such a strange lull that occurs between the holidays. It makes one reflect on life and all of the priorities to fulfill. I am so thankful for my family. We are ready to head into the new year!

Ahhhh....December!

2008-12-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at Rocky Point was a blast for the kids. Beautiful weather down there. We are quickly gearing up for Christmas and love to get cards and photos from friends and family. We love you guys!

Skip Turkey Day?

2008-11-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

So, I have actually broken one of my house rules. I have put up christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I have good reasons. We will be out of town for Thanksgiving and Dec. 1st is on Monday. It was necessary and fun and is getting me into the spirit of things. Well, I can't believe that Christmas is around the corner. the Halloween party at church was awesome and now I have to plan Breakfast with Santa. Good times. Being the party girl at church is kind of fun, except that our ward is expanding by the minute and the amount of people in attendance is staggering. I can't wait for the Valentine's Adult dinner . The kids are good, we went up to Showlow last two weekends ago and arrived to find 3 inches of snow on the ground. It all melted by the afternoon , but what a beautiful sight it was.

More Good Stuff

2008-10-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been eventful. Macy and Savanna were in a gymnastics competition on SAturday. They did awesome! We then went to a family Halloween Party at the Faas'. It has been non stop candy ever since. Now, I am busting a move on the Ward Halloween party set for this Wednesday. It is requiring a ton of work. Life is good and flying by so fast.

This picture is on Chad's 3rd Birthday. So fun!

Better Late Than Never!

2008-10-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun pics from the past summer. We had a great time up in UTah with friends and family. I have to say, one of our highlights was rednecking it at the Delta, UT Fourth of July Celebration with the Parade and exciting Demolition Derby. Tate and Chad were mesmerized for four hours. Pretty good stuff! We visited the St. George Temple, Thanksgiving Point, and lots more! Good times in UTAH. The weather was great and we didn't even miss the heat in AZ. The only reason we came back was to start school. BuMMer!

OCTOBER ALREADY?

2008-10-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't really know what is happening here. My time is slipping away like sands through the hourglass.........so are the days of our lives. LOL I can't seem to keeep it up anymore. Who are these supermoms that can get it all done and look like fashionistas to boot. The blog has fallen to the wayside, and I was so pumped about it in the begiinning. I guess I got looking at other people's blogs and felt completely inferior. Well, that seems to be the way I feel most of the time. Pretty hard on myself and never quite measuring up. What is this? A couch evaluation. Snap out of it, sister. That is just you know who trying to distract me from what is most important in life. Like reading the NIENIE recovery pages and truly having gratitude for my family and my life. The whole picture and beyond. Let us , meaning me, be more grateful, more humble, more everything that Pres. Hinkley used to say. I need to post it on my forehead everyday. Hope you have a great day too! No, don't have a great day............MAKE it a great day!

Breathing easy again

2008-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well,
I didn't realize just how crazy summer was until the peace and quiet began last week. This week has been filled with getting organized and back on track with everything. My fifth and final child to be potty trained is independent and going to preschool. I don't waste any time. He will be spouting off all sorts of amazing things like the presidents of the United States before you know it. Some people say that I will regret sending everybody off and that I will miss the little pitter patter. A wise person once told me, name withheld to protect the innocent, that if you are independent and good with sending them out the door, you will always feel that way about your children moving to the next thing in life. Maybe that is another pure delusional justification made up in my silly mind. C'est la vie. My youngest is turning three . Besides preschool and gymnastics, what else should I sign him up for? Spanish? Chess team? Just another actifvity for me to drive to. I live in my suburban, like most mommies. Is this the wrong way to go? Should I drop all activities, home school and run a tighter ship? ................LOL! These are all good things, but where do we draw the line.. I don't even take the time to discipline my kids half of the time because we are such a hurry to get to the next thing. I hate to be late to anything of course. It is no wonder that I will be starting a parenting class with Keri Maughan in September to bring the reins in on my lovely children. Well, I was just informed that my three year old is flashing the cleaning people, so I better go!

WOW ! WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

2008-08-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a crazy summer. WE went out of town to Midway , UTAH. WE spent the fourth of July in Delta, or all places. We had the best time at the town parade and demolition derby. My two younger boys were mesmerized for four hours watching event aftter event of cars and truck smashing into each other. It was a blast and very memorable. WE also finished out the summer in Rosarito, Mexico which is about 25 min. south of San Diego. We all got to try surfing and had a great time at the beach. Now, on to School we press forward. WE jumped into our new schedule this week and moms around the world are breathing and smiling once again. It is all good. My camera is broken, so I need to get a new one to post some new pics........for now here are a few.

Camps, camps, & more camps!

2008-06-03T12:06:00.001-07:00

Well, after last weeks chaos and confusion...........order has been established once again with one word...................CAMPS. That is the only way for us moms to survive this summer. My kids were so busy with swim team, gymnastics, piano , strength training, etc. that they were happy to veg out in front of the tv for a bit before they crashed for the night. Everyone in the house was much happier with a steady schedule of events going on. I guess that is the ADHD/OCD in me coming out once again. AHHHHHHH..... order at last. Schedules are a good thing. Idle hands are of the devil etc etc... what are the other cliches? Anyways, new topic: All of the fancy pillows that I paid for & HAD TO HAVE to go on my master bed sit endlessly on the floor in the corner of my master bedroom: TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES. My only consolation is that I did read somewhere for allergy sake that leaving your bed unmade allows it to air out and get rid of the bed bugs..........versus making it up nice and tight with the moisture there for the bed bugs to feed on the old dead skin cells and reproduce at mass rates. UH Gross! Why did I just burst the bubble of all of you bed makers in the world? Just some food for thought, no pun intended. Anyways, I guess that I shall never change my ways. My friend actually suggested getting a decorative holder for my pillows. HAHAHA. What is the decorating world going to think of that. Maybe I could patent the whole idea. A wrought iron decorative pillow holder that looks great with or without the pillows, depending on the mood of your day (Lazy or not lazy) Ok . I am rambling and that is only because I am trying to block out Blake's terrlble attempt at practicing his piano for 40 min. He manages to leave and get a drink, play with the dog, go to the bathroom, and actually play his lesson for 20 minutes. Such is the life of a mom!

Bucket List for Summer

2008-05-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Okay..............everyone needs to try this one out. I got the idea to ask my three older kids what they expected for this summer. What are your goals or accomplishments? It was very interesting to hear their answers: Try this out with your kiddies. I think you will be surprised, as I was, what is really going on inside their heads

Blake: 1. have fun with my dad

2. get dad to say "I love you"

3. have total freedom

4. raise $300 from working

5. get our family to get along better

6. go to a very fun place with my dad

7. see Kung Fu Panda

8. buy an Ipod

9. organize a lemonade stand

10. have a great summer

Savanna 1. Learn how to do a back flip

2. swim better

3. take care of my new glasses better

4. help Macy and Blake not to fight

5. How to have a better diet

Macy 1. Help Savanna not to be a poor sport

2. try to not yell

3. be nice to everyone

4. get better at swimming

5. learn how to do a back tuck back handspring

6. help my mom

7. help my dad control his temper

8. not hit my brothers and sisters

9. help my friends

10. help Tate and Chad to swim better

Isn't it interesting to see how our children can hone in on our weaknesses. I sometimes as a parent try to avoid the real issues at hand and deal only with the immediate symptoms. Like putting out fires all of the time, yet not looking at the pyros themselves to see what is setting them off. Wow.................deep thoughts. Anyways, I don't think that I need to worry about the latest and greatest vacation for my kids, since they didn't name any, (not that I am going to cancel any existing plans), but it truly is a good time to build on the relationships in our home during what is supposed to be a less hectic time . Blake suggested that we do some team building that he learned on his science trip to Catalina Island. That is the beauty of looking at things through a child's eyes. There is always forgiveness in their hearts and hope and faith of new tomorrows. Well, here goes nothing..................seize the day! I guess it is on ly fair now that I do my own bucket list for summer: Stay tuned till tomorrow

Why does anyone take kids to the movies????

2008-05-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

This picture has nothing to do with my topic, but can someone tell me how to download images from the web like from the movie Prince Caspian? That is what I ventured out to take my kids to see today, seeing that it was the first official day of summer. I am trying to turn over a new leaf and be a "fun" parent instead of the drill sergeant that I have shamefully become. Do this , do that, why aren't you ready, hurry up, get in the car, you have 5 minutes to finish, and last but not least. What should you be doing right now.........then what's next. Soooooooooooo..... I am trying to be a laid back fun mom for the summer. HUMMMMMMMMMM. OCD/ADHD sets in and I am going ballistic. But I digress. So, I actually got a babysitter for Chad, since he would be impossible at the movies. Then the other four kids and I headed off to the movies. On the way, Blake made a careful and golden observation that we really don't go to the movies very often. I chuckle to myself and say, " hmmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder why?" Well, I seem to remember how much fun it was the last time( six months ago) and then question what I am doing on the road to disaster yet again. So, I am locked in and here we go. Things go smoothly, we stop at am/pm for icees and candy to avoid the inevitable drain at the theater. We get our tickets, and I cough up the 10 bucks for popcorn(full of trans fat). Good to go. We get in just in time , past the previews and showtime of 3:00. Prince Caspian is the pick of the day. It starts out ok and I take a deep breath and close my eyes and relish in the fact that there is no one talking to me and I block out the movie to catch some shut eye (4:30 was early today) About 1 hour into the movie and no end of it in sight the fun began. Tate needed to go to the bathroom...... get a drink.......run up and down the hall etc. We settle back in for the last part, or so I thought. Then each of the kids comes up to me in the middle of the show telling me how sick they feel (I wonder why) tangent: if you catch your kid trying to smoke, do you sit down and make him smoke the whole pack until he throw up and never wants to touch it again.........talk amongst yourselves. End tangent. Tate starts losing interest with all of the deep noble thoughts being shared on screen and 5:15 didn't come fast enough. Get me out of here. While on the drive home, the kids start bouncing off the ceiling of the suburban wondering what we are going to do when we get home............uh ........give everyone benadryl and go to bed? Oh yeah, it is only 5:30. After all of the chaos I remind myself why I don't take kids to the movies and wonder what movie will be out in six months that will provoke me to this kind of torture again. All that aside, I finally put Tate and Chad to bed and the other get wrapped up in a movie and just like going through labor, I think to myself..................................it wasn't that bad. LOL

Liver enzymes, what are they anyways?

2008-05-22T02:54:00.000-07:00

It has been since that dreaded day Sept 11th, the date of my gallbladder surgery, that my liver enzymes are finally back to normal. Hooray! Elevated enzymes are a pretty good indicator of how healthy your liver is. Your numbers should be around 30-40 and mine have gotten as high as 166. No wonder I felt like I was coming down with the flu for weeks on end. Miserable. After trying many things, I found Dr. Dave Shiflet in Mesa. He has helped me over the past month feel so much better. I was apprehensive to do my bloodwork again to see if things had changed. The doctor called me on Tues ( the dr. who scheduled me for an ERCP) and cancelled the procedure because my liver enzymes tested normal for the first time in eight months. He couldn't explain it, but I could. Another testament to alternative medicine. Don't get me wrong. I love westernized med, but there is surely a place in this world for alternative. I am hoping to close this chapter in my life and press forward. Onward and upward to summer vacation. After reading others blogs, I fear that I am boring..........so I need to spice things up a bit hmm, hmmm. I am just too tired, maybe next time. Au revoir.

More Blah, blah, blah

2008-05-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

So this week has been filled with preparation. Dale and I are in charge of The entire ward adult dinner party on Friday night. Wow. I just wish I knew how many people were actually going to come. Costco is my new best friend, oh wait, we are already well acquainted. It is a love hate relationship . I go in for 2 things and come out with 20. Oh well. We are busy getting my parents home ready for their return from Bolivia in August. Granite counters go in this Saturday.........yeah! More pics and fun stuff to come. Blake gets to go to Catalina Island for his 5th grade Science camp. Things have sure changed. I only got to go to Camp Tonto. Well, I am getting sleepy........

COOKIE DOUGH , ANYONE?

2008-05-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Okay,

My name is Christina and I am addicted to cookie dough. Well, my addiction lulled me into thinking that I could organize the cookie dough fundraiser at my girls gymnastics. Wow. What a lot of leg work. The 39 kids sold almost 10,000 dollars worth of dough. AMazing. They earned a trip in a huge Limo, sorry no pics, so I just picked random pic for this post. Don't call me lame. Linda, how do I add people to my friend blogger list to be conneccted? Oh yeah, that was not a random photo. Speaking of cookie dough, it is quite endearing, but everytime I think of cookie dough I think of my sweet, awesome, talented little sister Leslie. She's the best. She is such a good sport when I con her into doing a baking marathon with 5 or 6 different cakes, cookies, brownies etc. WE have a lot of fun together and I wish she would just move into my cul de sac. I guess we can't or don't all want to be Knot's Landing..........what? Where did that come from? Hello, racy show from the 80's. Did you like that one Chad? Anywho, I guess that I am rambling and who is really reading this stuff anyways. Can I print this all out for posterity sake? Although not quite sure what they will gain from it ( mom is a raving lunatic) I think its the late night talking. 4:30 was pretty early this morning and 10:30 is pretty late. Once again, I watched Chad climb up my pool fence tonite. I will snap a picture next time. By the way, his life saving swim floating class is kicking into high gear. Bon soir mes amies.

Flying High

2008-05-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had a chance to fly up to Showlow with Dale as the pilot. We checked on the progress of our cabin being built. We can't seem to get it done fast enough with this heat coming on.

The Fun Continues

2008-05-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Here are my two little partners in crime. Tate was the first one to venture up and over the pool fence. Next came Chad. That is all fine and good, since Tate is a little fish in the water, but Chad sinks like a rock. Needless to say, I wish that I had spikes on my pool fence like my last house to keep the monkeys on the right side of the fence. Such is life. Two days late, Chad proceeded to climb out of his carseat as well. Oh, I know what you are saying. Why doesn't she properly secure the car seat buckles? Good question . After 11 years , are we done with car seats yet? The fun just seems to go on and on over here and new phases every week. But with faces like those, who can stay mad for long. I did threaten them with a beating if they ever climbed the fence again. Oops, I hope no one reports me to CPS for that one.

Macy's Birthday and Baptism Day!

2008-05-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Well, what a few weeks it has been. Macy and Savanna celebrated independent birthday parties for the first time in their lives. March 22 and 24 were always shared in the past. It was a lot of fun for them both. Macy was baptized by her dad. She looked beautiful in her pretty white dress. What a great day for her . Things have been busy around here. Such is life with five children. Life goes on.

I AM NOT ELECTRONICALLY CHALLENGED LIKE I THOUGHT

2008-04-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

THANKS TO LINDA, I HAVE A BLOG TO BE PROUD OF. I GUESS NOW I HAVE TO TAKE MORE PICTURES AND GET A LIFE TO PUT ON THE BLOG. HMMMMM....... WELL , I JUST MIGHT START TO RAMBLE. IT WAS A ROUGH NIGHT WITH THE KIDDIES GETTING UP FOR NO GOOD REASONS. I MISSED MY ALARM AT 4;15 AM SO I RAN 3 MILES AND PACKED CHAD UP AND WENT TO THE GYM TO DO WEIGHT TRAINING. JUST THE STORY OF MY LIFE. WORKING OUT. I ALSO LOVE TO READ AND LEARN MORE ABOUT NUTRITION. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE SEVERAL PHILOSOPHIES OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT IS BEST. I GUESS IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE WORD OF WISDOM AND MODERATION, MODERATION, MODERATION. ANYWAYS, LIFE IS GOOD!

Back in the Saddle

2008-04-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks as though I should really get this blog thing going........for posterity sake.

Things are exciting here. Macy is getting baptized this Saturday. What a special time for her.

Blake just did his state report on none other than UTAH and also plays tackle football. Savanna is excelling at gymnastics and just loves it. She will be attending a week long camp at ASU for it. Tate loves preschool and gymnastics and torturing Chad and our Maltese, Roxy. Chad likes to go to preschool too and is toying with the idea of potty training, although Mom is not ready yet. Dale is busy doing a little bit of this and that. I am staying busy running everybody around . Enough said!