Christmas Day

Woke up to a nice dusting of snow on the ground. The girls were hoping for so much more. Unfortunately it didn't allow my sisters to make it for Christmas. Apparently Fort Smith got hit with ice and snow. We are disappointed, were hoping to see them before we leave AR next week.
As usual the kids made out like bandits: Lydia got a robe, a mood changing jelly watch, a locket, and a glow board and a gift certificate.
Kate got a Elefun game, a Melissa and David play Doh set(she loves these toys!) a
Ni-ho Kilan doll, and a Baby Alive.
Jacob got a Disney Cars play rug with cars, and a Tonka garage set. He is in heaven!
Derek was very good this year, and got a Wii, an extra controller, and for everyone the Batman Lego game. He was really shocked...I'm getting sneakier every year.
I got 2 shirts, a pair of jeans, and a set of Rachel Ray Bubbles and Browns set. If your a big Rachel fan, you know what I'm talking about!

We are about to have lunch/dinner in a bit. Made Petite Jean ham, scalloped potatoes, salad, and rolls, with apple pie and tropical cake for dessert. Hopefully I wont stuff myself silly! Dad and Derek have been playing on the Wii most of the morning. My Dad is just a big ole' kid!
Merry Christmas!

Christmas eve.

My parents got here a couple of hours ago, and after Chinese buffet for Dinner( in fine Christmas Story fashion)we decided to make Santa cookies. Jacob was really into using the cookie cutters, grunting and groaning with each cut. Such hard work!
Kate poured about a half of bottle of pink sugar crystals on one of her candy cane cookies. It actually turned out very pretty.
Jacob kept calling the deco sugar, sparkles. I wont sparkles on it!!!! Lydia was a bit frustrated, trying to do fancy deco job on her cookies just wasnt working out the way she wanted.. Imagine! wonder where she gets that perfectionist attitude from hmmmmmm.....
Here is some of the finished product. Hope Santa likes them.....

Jacob- yummy.

Here are a few pics taken after making a big batch of brownies. Jacob loves eat, but he especially loves to lick the bowl or spatula....

updates

I have actually accomplished a few things since my last post. Ive went through the whole house and pulled all the non essential stuff, and had a huge yard sale last Saturday. Took me about a week and a half to go through everything and price it. I was a little scared with having a yard sale the Saturday before Christmas. I thought people would be out buying presents or pinching pennies this year since the economy is suffering. Boy, I was wrong- we had so many people! It was great. Made a little money for our move, so that's always a plus.

Some days I can't believe we are moving to Utah. As each little piece of the puzzle falls into place, I'm realizing, this IS going to happen.
We have found a place to live. We decided on the house on 1400 E in Spanish. It's way smaller than our house now, but we will get by. We always do....
Ive got the girls pre-enrolled in a charter school there, now to go find some uniforms.
The moving truck is reserved and ready to go. Gotta make a reservation for a hotel stay during the trip.
BIL is flying out to help us move back.
Things are working out. I know Heavenly Father is helping us out and making these things possible for us. I feel blessed.

Next Sunday we have to speak in church. At first I said no, but Ive never said no to a church assignment before, so I called the Presidency member back and told him yes. Guilt is a good motivator in this case...lol
They asked Lydia to speak also, And I think we might do a duet for the musical number. No, not our cello and violin, but singing. At least that I know how to do!
Speaking of music, our Christmas Orchestra performance went well. The auditorium was packed. It was weird being on stage, instead of being in the audience like I normally am. I'm glad its over, and I feel good about the progress we have both made in our 12 weeks of class.
Well, gonna sign off, have lots to do today.

so much to do...

And so little time.I must tell you I'm a bit frustrated! It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to move! For some reason I though this was going to be easy. I knew Heavenly Father would provide a way for us to move , if it was a righteous desire. It is a righteous desire to be near family and many of our childhood friends right?
As always nothing happens on my timetable. I'm the kinda person that wants things done yesterday, so I can tackle the next big thing.

The first thing I'm frustrated about:
Housing. Wy is it so expensive in Utah? I the land any more valuable than here in Arkansas? Our rent will double with this move, and I'd be lying if i didn't tell you I'm nervous about that. We have it narrowed down to 2 places.
One a single family home in Spanish Fork, about 2 blocks from my brothers house. It'small 1300 sq feet with an un-finished basement,rents for 900 a month. I wish the yard was fenced, but I'm sure Utahan's are probably a little more conscientious of children playing, maybe not.It is 2 door down from our church, which is a big plus.

The second option is a newer home, full light basement apartment. 2000 sq feet with garage access. It has 3 bed 2 bath, and very nice finishes, granite counter tops, fireplace, tile in wet areas, and carpet in living areas. Has a killer laundry room with granite countertops & built in hang bars. A true laundry room. Kitchen is 3 times the size of the other rental, but you do have people living above you. rent is 900 there too. Decisions...Decisions....

Now onto schooling, as many of you know Lydia has been home-schooled the past 1.5 years, and its getting tougher each year. She is ready to go back, but a little reluctant. We have found a charter school in Spanish that my niece and nephew attend. I called to get more info, and was told there are no more 6 grade spots available. Kate's only option is 1/2 day Kindergarten. At this rate I will have to go to the school 3 times a day instead of twice. My brother children have offered to pick the girls up so that may be an option, I hate for them to do it, because it is a little out of the way for them.

Now onto money. Do you know how much a bare bones, do it yourself move, costs these days? Try about 2K. Between trucks and tow dolly's, gas for vehicles and hotel, and food, it adds up fast. Where is this money coming from? I don't know..i do know Derek's job will re-imburse us after receipts are turned in. Oh yeah and don't forget if you are renting a place deposits and first months rent.

With all that said, I know this is what we are suppose to do. Does it make it any easier? Not really...will it be worth it? Probably, but we will just have to take one day at a time.

the cat...

No, we don't have a new pet, but it is out of the bag. After much consideration, and prayer, the Thueson family is moving to Utah. Yes, I know we love to move, and maybe we are crazy moving in the middle of the winter, but it just feels right. We are so sad to leave behind my family, and our Arkansas friends who have become like a family to us. I'm excited and scared at the same time.

Derek has been offered a job with a IHC hospital in Provo, UT. We haven't live in Utah since we were first married, 17 years ago...lol I'm sure it has changed, but we are looking forward to being closer to Derek's family members and my brother Steve. There are many more schooling opportunities out there for our children,(much more family friendly) and it will be nice having a temple closer that 3 hours away.

With that said, we have appreciated all of the friendships and fun we have had in in Arkansas the past 14 years. We will miss you all very much!

almost december

Can't believe December is around the corner. Spent the weekend putting up some lights and getting the Christmas tree out of its box. As I was fluffing each section of the tree, the kids came swarming in to help. Jacob is so excited, he keeps calling the tree his "Christmas Carol" Don't ask me why..that kid is so funny!
I'm not feeling too well today, so I didn't go to church. Didn't want to infect all the kids in Primary. Unfortunately, sounds like I missed some great talks in Sacrament Meeting! Figures...

This time of year seems to be especially busy, and this year is no exception. Stay tuned to our blog for a special announcement!

bed wars

Okay know this about me, ever since my kids came home from the hospital after their birth, they went straight into their cribs. My mom gave me that piece of advice after my first. It has worked great, so far. Now all you co-sleepers, don't get me wrong... I know there are pros and cons to it. I just can't sleep at night with a hand in my face, or a foot in my back! Plus I don't think I would have had any more children after Lydia..lol

Ever since we have moved into this house, Jacob has had a rough time on his own. Derek thought he was insecure from not having rails protecting him, so I purchased a toddler bed and Disney Cars bedding set with the hopes of bribing him to say in bed. No dice! He kept crawling out a million times a night and in the morning I would find him in bed with Lydia. Her bed is a twin, and is not big enough for the both of them, so I decided to bring our spare queen-size bed upstairs from the guest room, and asked Lydia if she would sleep with him. I know, I know, she's getting older and needs her privacy and all that, but she is happy to help her brother out.
Fast forward to this week: I am prepping the guest room downstairs for Thanksgiving company, and I purchase a new bedding set. I'm setting the thing up and Jake hops up on it and says "jakeys bed" I said "you go right ahead!" I turned around for a moment and then found this:




that little bugger!

Petit Jean

Saturday was such a nice day, we decided to head up to Petit Jean Mountain. Apparently everyone else had the same idea too!Boy, was it crowded. Jacob enjoyed seeing a the dogs that were out talking walks with thier owners. Every other second, he would say "Doggie" and run up and pet them. Note to self... get that kid a dog!

The views were so pretty at the overlook, and the waterfall was spectacular with all the rain we have had. Some of the rock formations were pretty neat too.

beautiful Fall

Wanted to share some pictures of the backyard. The leaves are so beautiful right now. We have a rare Ginko tree in the back yard that is so pretty and yellow.

Lydia and Jacob enjoyed jumping in the pile of leaves they created.

Trunk or Treat

Today was the Trunk-or-Treat Activity at church. Quarterly Activities always stress me out, but they turn out so fun. Some of the kids costumes were so clever this year. We had a girl dressed like a whoopee cushion, Harry Potter, transformers, Little house on the Prairie...they were all really cute!

My girls decided a month ago that they wanted to be Geisha girls. They already had the dresses in their play clothes, so what could be easier? Derek put their hair back in a bun, inserted chopsticks and I did their makeup. Don't they look so old? That is truly scary....


Here's one of Jacob and I....I was a Hillbilly, and Jacob was Woody, from Toy Story.
He would not keep his hat on! We hope everyone has a great Halloween tonight!

Pumpkin Patch

Last Saturday, Derek and the kids went to Johnson's Pumpkin Farm in Greenbrier. It was windy, cold, and really muddy. Not the best conditions, but the kids had fun anway.

Once we got home all the tennis shoes, and coats had to be washed..lol

fall festival

Kids and Derek went the fall festival at the Primary school last night. It was nice of Derek to take them out for a bit, as I have not been feeling well the past 2 days(nope, no pregnant, just exhausted).

Here are some pics of the lovely face paintings they came home with..lol

You cant see Lydia's sunset, but it was shaded very well, and of course Jacob smeared his car..oh well. Kate got a rainbow with clouds.

this and that...ramblings.

Been pretty busy here lately. With Orchestra, church callings and never ending small crisis' that pop up, it seems I never have time to stay on top of everything. See, I'm a perfectionist. It's a terrible curse. I feel like I always have to have my house clean, and in order, and presentable, but then there are other areas of my life that stay in chaos. I guess I just place more importance on certain things. Lately some things have happened that have caused me to reflect on what really is important.

Without boring you to death, I wont bother you with the minute details of the story.
You ever felt really threatened? Like how someone who you thought knew, you, accused you of doing something you didn't do? How do you convince that person? It's a difficult thing. People are stubborn and prideful.The scriptures keep telling us not to be prideful, but the meek get run over by the prideful everytime. Do we just lay down and take it? My parents raised me to be independent, and sometimes that means fighting back . I do agree there are times, you must just turn the other cheek. Doesn't mean its always easy...especially when it involves your family.
I love my family, not just the my own immediate family, but my family I grew up with, the Harrison clan. We didn't say it much then, but we love each other , but yet somehow our relationships remained a bit strained. Sometimes I wish we could just remove all the pretense, maybe we need some therapy. Maybe we just need to let some things go of the past, and start over.
Anyhow, didnt mean to turn this into Psych 101 this morning..lol
Just want to let my friends and family know how much I love them, and I'm so glad that I'm not alone in the crazy mixed-up world!

give away

for all you scrapbooking fans, this website is giving away a free Gypsy machine. If you dont kno what it is, go on over to Provocraft.com.It works in conjuction with the Cricut machine....go enter at the site for a chance to win.

cuttingabove.blogspot.com

Houston, we have instruments...

We have finally purchased out instruments for Orchestra. I have spent hours online doing research on brands, New vs. Used, Chinese vs. European, buying vs. renting, and I'm exhausted.

I was looking for a 1/2 size violin for Lydia. I didn't want to buy a cheap beginner brand for her, but I wasn't willing to shell out 800$ for a decent one either. I suppose I probably could have rented, but I knew in a matter of 6 months of rentals fees, I could have paid for one. I finally settled on a used Sheryl and Roth, a copy of a Stradivarius. I think its good enough for a beginner student, and then some. I'm planning on keeping it for the other children to use at a later date.

Last weekend we went up to Springdale to look at a used Cello for myself. I didn't realize how hard it is to find a used 4/4 Cello, that doesn't cost an arm and leg! Anyhow, I got up to Springdale and the instrument had more blemishes that I thought. We left, without purchasing it, and it bothered me all the way home.

Yesterday, I decided I still wanted to buy it, so after calling the owner and leaving 2 messages, he called me back and told me he still had it for sale. Then like a God-send my friend called me, and told me her husband was actually up in Sprindale on business,and would pick the instrument up for me. He did, and later that night, I showed my instructor the cello. I was afraid she would say it was a piece of junk, but she said with a trip to a luthier(sp?), and a few minor adjustments, it would work just fine.

I was so relieved. We purchased 2 instruments, and stayed with the budget we set. Whew!

falling off..and country music.

Fell off the blogging wagon for a while. Been super busy with school, showing our house, and life in general.

Do you remember when you were a teenager and you would be riding in your car with friends and you would hear a song on the radio, that one you just loved? "oh I love this song!" Your friend replies, "you love every song!" Well that's simply not true. I hate country music.
Now before you all start bashing me, let me prove my point. Yesterday while cleaning my bathroom, I actually put it on a country station. We have a local station here called KVOM. I listen to it because, quite frankly, it cracks me up. Every day at 8:30 am they have this show called Trading Time. You can call in with your items you have to sell or trade. Some of the calls have had me on the floor. Some examples"
"I have a goat I need to mate"
"I'm looking for a free car"
"I have a donkey for sale"
Are these people for real?????

Anyhow, back to country music....I'm listening and a song comes on by Jessica Simpson. Is she still around? Well, apparently she is a country music artist now. I use the term "artist" loosely.....anyway, she is singing a song to a guy about how she needs/wants him now, and don't worry about putting your shoes on, just slide on some flip-flops and get over here.
Well, let's not beat around the bush shall we? This was such a lame song. Maybe I just picked a bad day to listen...lol

Friday Night Fun...

Tonight the kids decided to set up the dome tent downstairs and what naturally goes with camping? Smores! I broke out a can of sterno from our Food Supply, and fired it up. Jacob was obsessed with blowing out the flames on the marshmallows. He's such a boy....

learning new tricks

I didn't know 4o would come with so much reminiscing. I look back on my life and see I accomplished some good things in the first 40 years. I found my best friend, and married him. I have 3 great children.(some days I might question that) I try to do the right thing, and be kind to those around me, even those that are sometimes hard to love. Ive learned patience, what determination is, and learning to do what the lord wants, and not my will. Some of these "life lessons" have been hard for me. I'm always afraid of what people are going to think of me. Why do I do this? It really doesn't matter in the long run.

Ive decided to turn over a new leaf. I'm tired of carrying negative thoughts around in my head. I know who I am, where I come from, and know what I can become, if I just be obedient. Shouldn't that be enough for me or anyone else?

One of my temporal goals has been to learn to play the cello. As a teenager I was fascinated with the sound of it .My small High School did not offer Orchestra, only Band. I eventually decided to play the Trumpet.
I know, that's a far cry from strings, but I chose it because most of the girls were playing the flute or clarinet. I still wanted to be a bit different. It was a good experience, and I learned how to read music from it.

Fast forward 25 years later. Lydia has been begging for music lessons, any lessons for a couple of years now. It never worked out for us, either didn't have an instructor, the time, or extra money for it. I was really hoping to find a program locally, but as you know Morrilton is very small. One day I was reading our local paper and found a article about music classes for home schooled children.(one of the things they miss out from public school) I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to reread the article, then I called my friend Amber to tell her about it. I thought, surely there is a catch. I called the director and visited their website.
You guys, it is so awesome. The have so many programs, not just Beginner Orchestra, but Band, and Vocal training. I was like"this is it!"
I was so pleased to find out the cost was minimal and the lessons were going to be in Russellville. I feel like my prayer/desire has been answered, and the best part of all Lydia and I will be able to take the lessons together! Lydia has decided on the violin, and I, my beloved cello.
I just cant wait!

Broken Bow weekend

We finally went on vacation this year! We were so excited to get a way from it all. After a 4 hour car-drive, we met our friends at Beaver Bend Cabins in Broken Bow, OK. It was so peaceful up there.Our cabin(really it was a large house) was great. the upstairs had a huge loft where all of the children slept. On Friday night, we just hung out and got settled in.Saturday morning we headed out to the lake and rented a party barge. The kids had fun tubing, and the lake was just the right temperature. If you know me, I'm not really a water kind of person, especially not lakes, but I found myself enjoying it! The lake is man made but it is beautiful. I even rode the tube a bit. Here is some video of lydia driving the boat with Eric's help.

After the lake, we were all tired and came back and made dinner, and the adults watched 17 again. What a funny movie!( btw its NOT a kid movie)
I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Sunday came and we headed to Idabell to the LDS Branch, but realized it was their Stake conference after no one came to the building. We headed back to the cabin, and spent the rest of the day talking, and playing games. Monday morning we packed up, and said our goodbyes.
I so wish we could do this every year. Thanks to the Sonneborn's and Anderson's for a great weekend!

Birthdays

In our family, we have birthdays non stop, each month, starting in May, and ending in August.
Yesterday was Lydia's 11th birthday. Gosh, she will be starting Young Women's next year. I took her earlier this week to get her hair cut.
She informed me she wanted the same cut I had. Wouldn't you know, she looks better with it than I do! Unfortunately she looks older too.
I caught a boy staring at her in the store the other day. She is so oblivious to boys..lol..I'm kinda glad :)

Of course all of this makes me feel older, but what can you do?

changes on blog

If you are reading this blog, you have been approved by me to read our family blog. I have been having some strange traffic lately, so I have decided to go private for awhile....thanks

Amy

summer and other non-important drivel..

Wow, it doesnt feel like summer in Arkansas today. It is so beautiful. No humidity and low temps. A girl could get use to this! We had a thrilling day of outdoor chores today. Derek got up on the roof and repaired some shingles that were blown off in a windstorm, followed up by cleaning out the gutters. Meanwhile, I was vaccuming out the car and shampooing the mats. I wish cars would just stay clean. I always feel so grimey after cleaning out the car!

Anyhow, not much to report here. Five more weeks before school starts. Guess I better get that Intent to Homeschool form into the School District before they hunt me down.For those of you that dont know, I had a little run-in with them last spring( long story)
Kate will be starting K this year. Only 2 more years, and everyone will be in school. I thought that would never happen! My kids are growing up way to fast. My almost 11 year old decided this would be a good week to start being a smart mouth. Oh, the joys of parenthood...

weight loss part 2

Well, its been a couple of months since my last weight loss report, so here it goes. I haven't been as successful as I wanted, but I'm still happy to say Ive lost about 15 lbs. I started going back to the gym, stopped drinking caffeine, and basically am just watching the amounts I eat, and allowing myself 1 free day. If I want a brownie, I can have one on my free day :)

It's really weird to me, once I can trick my mind into thinking that I don't want something, I
can lose the weight. I guess that means I'm an emotional eater.
I was watching Oprah, last week , and they had some overweight teens on. I found myself in tears watching some of the stories. Some of these kids wanted to die, instead of being overweight. I just wanted to reach through the TV and give them a big ole hug.
Being overweight does not define who you are! Anyone who has ever struggled with weight, will tell you that your emotions play a huge part in the weight loss game. I have been a teenager and struggled with self-image, in a some-what normal body. I just couldn't believe some of the stories these teens were telling of people teasing them, it was shameful....it's so sad that the world is so focused on our outward appearance.

So you still hanging in there with me? 20 more pounds to go..let's get healthier...we can do it!

the results are in...

As many of you know, we embarked on a new journey this past year, the world of home-schooling. I was given so many opinions on it, I decided I just needed to do what I knew was right for Lydia.

I won't lie to you, it was tough. Having your child home all day, and being their teacher is an exhausting job! We were able to get Lydia into a tuition-free state program, called
Arkansas Virtual Academy. Although the curriculum is set for you, the amount of time needed to complete the daily course work, didn't allow me to spend time with my other children.
After much deliberation, we withdrew from the program after 6 months.

The last 2 months of the school year, we finished on our own. We both were relieved, and excited when the school year was done! In Arkansas, the law states that homeschooling families must complete a standardized test at the end of the school year. I suppose they do this so they can compare the scores with that of the public schools.

I was a little nervous as the testing day approached. Fortunately for Lydia, she was able to test nearby, and with a group of kids she was familiar with. After a two month wait, we finally got the results this week. They were very good. I am so proud of her. Her reading is on a 8th grade level(she's in 5th now) and her Math skills were on a 6th grade level. This is a huge accomplishment for her, as math is her most difficult subject.

Lydia, Im so proud of you! We made it, together!

The big four-zero

Its official! I can no longer say I am in my thirties. Where did the time go?
I have to say, I'm handling it pretty well. That's probably because someone hasn't asked me my age yet..lol
It was a little weird this morning to wake up and realize my 30's are gone. I checked the mirror carefully for any more wrinkles or lines. Nope, I look the same as I did yesterday.

Here's a definite reality check. I have to start having mammograms now! Luckily I get out of it this year....ahh.. the benefits of nursing :) I seem to be caught in some weird netherworld.
I've decided I'm just not going to worry about. I can freak out at 50...

tantrums

When I finally had a boy, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that girls cried easily, screamed often, and whined quite a bit. Nothing had prepared me for the terrible two's with a boy.
It's a whole different ballgame.
Something happened to my sweet Jacob on his 2nd birthday. Suddenly, someone flipped a switch in him, that said "rip apart anything you can find", and "have a fit, then you can get
your way".

Here is prime example. We just got a new camcorder, and I captured this in the car on the ride home.

birthday boy

Well it's offical! Derek turned 39 yesterday! One more year closer to the big 40! He took the day off from work, with the intention of hitting a few golf balls, but changed his mind, and hung out with the family( enter the awwww here)

The girls and I had been busy getting together his gifts(Lego Star Wars game from the girls)

and a gift cert. to the local golf course. He's not really a cake kinda guy so we decided on getting him those little mini eclairs and stacking them up on a plate to look like a cake. I needed another box to make it look right, but I just kept thinking of all those extra eclairs that would have to be eaten...lol.

We decorated the dining room with a Happy Birthday banner, and balloons.. Later on in the day we went out to our garden spot to plant sweet corn and cantaloupe.(It's been so wet here I am glad we waited to plant)

It was a total family affair, and even though a little work was involved too, he had a great time. Happy Birthday Derek!

Gone Pickin'

I have been wanting to get up to Guy for a couple of weeks now, to pick strawberries, but something would always come up, and prevent it. My Mom stayed a few days with us, so we decide to try again. The night before had been really rough, with lots of bad weather, and rain

so I wasn't sure if they would be open for picking. Luckily they were, but boy was it humid!

If I didn't love Strawberries so much, I would have stayed home!

We got to the patch about 10am. Most people had come earlier, but we were lucky and they let us pick from a completely different area, that hadn't been picked over. It took us a little over an hour to fill up our 4 buckets. The rain has reeked havoc on the berry crop. Most were just mushy and discolored, the product of too much rain and not enough sun. I think Jacob had the most fun running around in the dirt and mud!

Kate kept yelling "I found one" and come and look at this one", every other second, and driving

us nuts. Lydia was very helpful, and efficient with her picking. Once we got home, we made a fresh strawberry pie, made freezer jam, and froze the rest as strawberry topping for desserts...Yum.

making weight

I really love the springtime, but it always reminds me that summer is around the corner. Even though I have been in Arkansas for 14 years, I still detest the humidity. The only way to keep cool here in the summer, is to be in the water. Unfortunately, to be in the water, you have to be semi-undressed! lol..

As a person who has struggled with her weight most of my life( as a kid I was way skinny) and often sick. As an adult, diagnosed with Celiac disease, I have learned to cook wheat-free, and for years I was making up for lost meals! So now here I am 39.5 years old(and holding) and still 30 lbs overweight! Children, nursing, all of these things have affected me. I decided around Christmas that I was ready to start treating myself better. I started by cutting out caffeine(bye, bye, Cokes) and started putting less food on my plate. I quickly lost 10 pounds. But with the stress of a new year, moving and other things beyond my control, I gained some back.

Well, here we are a month before the big 40, and got back on the wagon again. Again, I'm not doing much, except no sodas, no eating between meals, and just making healthy choices. Ive lost 11 lbs so far and plan get rid of the other 20 over the summer. I bought a really cool piece of workout equipment from Bally. Its basically a sculpting bar, that has resistance. I'm am not the jogging/StairMaster type, but this little workout bar is great! I can really fell the strengthening of my muscles.

I noticed today on Oprah that Kirstie Alley will be on. Remember her? She was the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, and lost all that weight , then gained it back? I feel exactly like her. Oh, I suppose I could beat myself up about gaining some back, but what does that really do for your self-esteem? So if any of you out there are like me, and struggling, I'd love to hear from you. Maybe we can make it together!

feeling hot, hot, hot

Jeez, it's only April and almost 90 degrees! I went out today to plant some flowers in the beds, and I was so sweaty. Luckily the heating and air guys came yesterday an installed a brand new unit in the house. The old one was 30+ years old. Hopefully we will save some $$ on the electric bill too! I'm trying to avoid turning the air on until June. I say the same thing every year, but about mid- May, I cave.

Anyhow, I am prepping for a crop on National Scrapbook Day. Yes there really is such a thing! I'm attending one in Russellville. I'm excited to get away, and try to get caught up. I'm so behind!

Easter was quiet around here. The Easter Bunny came and hid baskets. The kids had a little trouble finding them this year, with the new house and all.

We also had Bro.Stover and the Moll Family over for Ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls, asparagus, salad, and dessert. It was a nice evening. We didn't get a picture of the kids in their Easter finery, but Derek did snap this casual post, before the hunt began. Don't you just love Kate's outfit?

Yes, she did have a skirt on, but you cant see it..lol

rainy day Egg Hunt

On thursday we had a Egg hunt at Cami G's house. We had planned to hunt outside, but the rain came early, so the hunt moved inside. I think the kids really enjoyed the playroom and all the goodies we had! There are some great cooks in the 1st ward. I thought I would share a few pictures. Thanks to the Conway gals for inviting me!

moving-epilogue

well, we made it over to the new house. We didn't even break anything this time! Our printer did suffer some. Someone (I won't mention who) put it upright instead of laying it flat in a box, and well the ink cartridge leaked everywhere. Derek spent quite some time cleaning it out.
It still doesn't work right..ugh.

I have been able to un-pack quickly. All of the upstairs rooms are done, Living, Dining, Kitchen, are unpacked too. Now to tackle the basement, and our bedroom. Then I will be done Yea!

The kids are really enjoying having the big screen TV in the basement. They can watch whatever they want, or play video games. All their toys are down there in bins. I just love all the space.

Anyhow, I'm off to clean up the old house today...oh joy! Til next time...

move part 2

Well, the official move is 1 week away. I have been packing now for almost 3 weeks.

Gosh, we have so much stuff! How much stuff does one family need? Granted, a lot of it is my scrap booking stuff. The children have just as many boxes of toys and books though!

Derek is the winner on the least amount of stuff to be moved. Must have been all those moves

he did as a child.

I counted it up this is our 14th move! What is a matter with me? You would think I enjoy this or something? People often think we are in the military. I tell them, "No, we are just insane!"

I know our friends have stopped asking why a long time ago. Guess we are just nomads.

Some of you asked for pics of the new house, here it is. Looks like a Utah house huh?

the move

Yep, we are moving again. We are thrilled, but along with it comes a lot of chaos! I hate when my house is messy with packing boxes, rolls of tape, and newspapers. I have just realized how much scrapbooking supplies I really have. Im not joking-10 boxes of supplies alone. This does not include my scrapbooking tote bags, or any of my Cricut stuff, or my completed albums. ugh...


Im having one of those days I dont want to pack, I just want to clean. That's futile though with this mess. Guess I will take this time to do something else. Hmmm..I still have that un-used massage from Valentines Day. Time to go find a babysitter..lol