Hoppie Thoughts

Looking Up

2011-06-16T11:45:00.004-06:00

Life is a roller coaster. I am really learning what it means to look toward the light at the end of the tunnel. There are many things that are really good in my life currently though, and I thought I would put them down so I can remember to be thankful today.

It is baseball season, and Zane is thrilled. He loves being on a team, and baseball is his favorite sport to play. I love watching my kids play sports. Nyah is more interested in gymnastics, and I love seeing her enjoy that as well.

I have such great friends! I have so many people that call me, text me, facebook me, and invite me to hang out, and it feels so nice to have so many real connections. I have a few friends that even send me cards, and it makes my day every time (thanks Beth, Liz, and Andy!)

Now that the weather has warmed up the kids and I have been going hiking. Hiking is one of my very favorite things to do. I get a good work out while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the hills, mountains, and valleys around me. The kids and I love to run up the steep parts and see how fast we can reach the top!

So many people are still looking for jobs or are unhappy in their positions, but I have a FANTASTIC job that I love. Working for the Marine Corps is such a blessing. I have been able to meet so many amazing people, and I feel like I am doing something to help college kids and grads. So many grads are struggling to find good jobs, and I get to be a little part of helping some of them start a career in the military.

Okay, so that is enough. I am feeling good and I am excited for what new things I will experience in the near future. Being happy isn't always about things being perfect. It is about looking for the silver lining, and continuing to strive to put yourself and others around you in a better situation. Lesson learned.

In the Eye of the Storm

2011-05-13T21:04:00.004-06:00

This has turned out to be a difficult beginning for 2011. My life has been very stormy, with lightning bolts striking in every direction. Some of it was caused by me, some of it was out of my control. A good friend reminded me recently that I need to be able to let go of what I can't control, have the strength to change what I can control, and the wisdom to know the difference... or something along those lines. Either which way you might say it, that is exactly what I need to do. I know that I can't make other people change. I know I can't change the past. But I can decide how I let other people's decisions affect me, and I can decide to be strong enough to make better decisions in the future. It can be so hard to face the reality of my imperfections, or of my distorted thinking, but I must be willing to see what is in the mirror if I am truly going to make a change.

My father passed away on April 5, 2011. I was told by a police officer on April 6. It was completely devastating at that moment. I felt as if the wind had been completely knocked out of me and that I would collapse under the pressure of the enormous boulder that had just crushed my entire body. I have never felt so helpless, so completely alone as I did in that very moment. I knew that my father had taken his life, and in that realization I felt conflicted in being completely rejected while also being devastated at the amazing anguish he must have felt to commit such a permanent and devastating act. I have gone through a whirlwind of emotion in this past month, but I have been lifted by God, carried by the forgiveness and compassion of the Savior. I am getting through this, and I will be alright. I just need to make it through this storm so I will find the joy of the Summer days that lie ahead for me.

Many wonderful and loving friends and family members have been instruments in the hands of God. He has answered many of my prayers through them, and I will be eternally grateful that they listened to his promptings to be there for me, to love me unconditionally through the most difficult time in my life. There are many other very difficult situations that have been complicating my life lately, and some of them have been completely heart wrenching, but I know that I will figure this all out, and that through prayer, strength, patience, and diligence I will come out more whole in the end.

Walk MS 2011

2011-01-23T15:11:00.006-07:00

I just signed the Hoppers up for WALK MS 2011 for our fourth year, and I am excited to get things going. Each of the three previous years have been such great experiences, and I am really looking forward to participating with the team again. There have been such amazing things that have happened with this team, and I thought it would be nice to share a few here.

In April 2008 the Hoppers were born. I had just been diagnosed with MS, and I found out that Walk MS was just around the corner. I was pretty scared when I was first diagnosed, and I had been through quite a bit the month or two leading up to it, not to mention the previous 2 or 3 years before, and I wanted to do something, anything to make me feel like I wasn't just sitting around feeling sorry for myself. So, I talked to my sister-in-law Jenny, and we came up with the team name and signed up. I really wanted to be involved as much as I could, so I got to work designing t-shirts and sending out emails inviting friends and family to join the team and/or donate in the team's name. I was overwhelmed with the positive response, and we ended up raising two or three (I can't quite remember) thousand dollars in a matter of weeks. Many of my friends and family signed up and came to walk with us, even on such short notice. As we were walking around the first corner during the walk, tears welled up in my eyes as I realized thousands of people were downtown Salt Lake supporting someone with MS, and were trying to make a difference for someone they loved. Needless to say, I was glad I was wearing sunglasses so nobody would notice my tears.

Hoppers 2008

In gearing up for 2009, some of the team decided to do a garage/bake sale to help raise money. Many members of the team and their friends donated items for the sale, and many people baked fresh breads, cookies, cakes, pies, etc to support the cause.That event raised about $450 for the walk, and it was a great thing to be a part of. Later in the year another team member baked and sold doggie treats to raise money for the team. It was fun to see how many dog lovers were happy to help the cause ;-)

Hoppers 2009

2010 touched my heart even more than I could imagine. The Hoppers is made up of people of all ages, and we love to have kids participate with us. In the past the kids would participate just by walking with us, but that year three of the kids on the team (none of which were mine) decided they wanted to have a bake sale to raise money for the walk. They made several different kinds of treats and beverages and sold them out by the park in their neighborhood on a busy Saturday afternoon. They made signs and everything, and I believe they sold every last treat they made. I could hardly believe that little kids cared enough to do all that work and spend a large portion of their Saturday to raise money for the cause.

There is a second story about last year that both surprised and humbled me. One day during the time that I was raising money online I came home to find $500 had been donated through my web page by an anonymous person. Generally I can't tell who made a donation when they mark it anonymous, but somehow I could see their email address on the list of donors. I don't know that person, I have never even heard that name before! Who would donate five hundred dollars using the web page of someone they do not know? I sent that person a thank you email, but since they obviously wanted to remain anonymous, I didn't hear back. Maybe I shouldn't have even sent the email, but I wanted that person to know how grateful I was, and how their donation had brought joy to my experience.

I will never forget either of those stories, and it still warms my heart to think of them giving so much.

Hoppers 2010

Every year has been fun, and I want to throw the invitation out to anyone who is interested in joining our team or donating to the cause. I know that many people have causes they volunteer with and/or donate to on a regular basis, and I also realize you can't be involved in everything... but if you are looking for a way to volunteer your time and energy to a good cause and want to have some fun while doing it, please sign up to join the Hoppers for Walk MS 2011. Follow the link below to either donate, or sign up, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/UTUWalkEvents?px=4644547&pg=personal&fr_id=16822

Making My Resolutions

2011-01-01T15:28:00.003-07:00

I love making resolutions each New Year. I usually make between 1 and 5 resolutions, and each year I do well on 1 or 2, and drop the ball on 1 or 2. I have a particular resolution that I have made several years in a row now, and even though I have not been perfect with it yet, I have done better and better each year. Last year I did pretty darn well with it, so I think this is the year I kill it!

Resolutions are funny because we really should make them as life happens, as we realize we need to make a particular change. I think we do this occasionally, when something smacks us across the face and makes itself so obvious that we have no choice but to make a change. But at least for me, I make most of my serious assessments for change each new year. Maybe one of my resolutions this year should be to assess my life and tweak my resolutions on a monthly basis or something. Hmmm... I guess I will have to think about that a bit more.

Some of my resolutions are extremely personal, so I don't share them with others. But there are a few that I have had in the past that I don't mind publishing. Here they are:

Lose weight

Exercise on a regular basis

Read scripture every day

Run a half marathon

Write in a journal daily

Pay an full tithe each and every paycheck

Verbalize my appreciation each day

I am grateful for the tradition of New Year's Resolutions because I have become a better, healthier, more well rounded person by participating in it. I have enjoyed making exercise part of my daily routine in the past 3 years, and I have found it personally rewarding to verbalize my appreciation daily. I am going to ponder the needs and desires I have for the coming year to maximize the potential outcome of the resolutions I make for 2011. I haven't decided what will make the list this year quite yet, but I am sure I will have it together in the next day or so.

I am excited to hear if any of my friends that read this blog (meaning YOU!) make New Year's Resolutions, and what some of your resolutions have been in the past. Bring on the ideas!

Christmas Music

2010-12-12T18:29:00.004-07:00

I love Christmastime. I love the movies, the lights, the religious aspect, and the music. I asked each member of my family which Christmas songs they wanted on the blog this year. Nyah chose "Silver Bells" (she learned that song in preschool), Zane wanted something from David Archuleta, I wanted "Little Drummer Girl" by Alicia Keys, and Jeff wanted "Blue Christmas" by Porky Pig... yes, his favorite Christmas song is sung by Porky Pig. I have to laugh, it totally fits his personality. I added a few from Josh Groban because I love his Christmas album Noel, and Jeff wanted me to add "Stop Giving Me Crap For Christmas"... again, so him. Ha! I am sure that nobody really visits my blog anymore (who has the time, really), but I like to bring it up every now and then for the play list. The kids love to dance around the room when I put it on, so it is worth keeping up even if it is just for us.

Tonight I made baked potato soup for the first time. It was delish! I really need to get into finding new recipes and making new things for the family each week. I am so glad I did today because I found a new favorite. It had tons of flavor and was the kind of comfort food I was looking for today.

Trip to Cali

2010-12-03T20:31:00.003-07:00

Jeff and I decided to take the kids to Knott's Berry Farm this year for Thanksgiving break because that was the only time we had this whole year to go anywhere. Both Jeff and I used to visit Knott's when we were little, and it was fun to go back as adults and take our kids. The week before Thanksgiving the kids and I stayed at my mom's house and visited with family and friends. It was so good to see Andy, Sylvia, Shannon, Connie, Amy, and many other friends while we were there. Unfortunately we missed several that we absolutely adore and miss like the Gublers and the Skylers. I have lots of pictures from that trip, but since I only ever have a few precious moments to post anything on this blog, I am only putting up a few.

Zane, Ny, and Grandma Deb on the Teacups

Jeff and Ny on some train ride

My awesome little bro RJ and me at my mom's

Zane, Me, Ny, Grandma Deb, and our life long friend Andy

Half Marathon, MC Ball, and Ya-Ya!

2010-11-14T19:05:00.007-07:00

I am sure that since I almost never update this nobody reads it anymore, which is totally fine. I have gone to some of my friends blogs lately and seen that they don't have time to update theirs either. I guess I just feel compelled to keep posting things every now and then for myself. This is kind of a journal of the events in my life, and I think that keeping up even now and then is good for me to do. So, here's a bit about my life recently...

I ran and finished the Halloween Half Marathon. I am super proud of it even though my time wasn't great. Honestly, who cares about my time, right? It's that I finished it. 2 hours and 15 minutes. I had 2 new years resolutions this year, and one of them was to run a half marathon. Thanks Captain Davis, Raquel, and Captain Turley for helping me make that resolution come to fruition. Since it was a HALLOWEEN half, I had to dress up even if it was just a little. Here is a picture of me and one of the Marine Corps Officer Candidates before the race.

This past Friday I had the privilege of attending the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. I have to say that it was completely AMAZING. I have always been patriotic, and I have always loved and felt supportive of our troops, but this really helped bring it even closer to my heart. There are pictures of Jeff and I together at the ball, but they weren't taken with my camera so I can't post them yet. All I have from that night is this...

One last little update... Raquel and I took Nyah to a Ya-Ya Sisterhood party at Thanksgiving Point. It was so fun to be around a bunch of crazy women (like me!), and my favorite part was burning our woes. Ha! That is something I could get into on a regular basis. We got a few cute pictures of the three of us all dressed up that I think are worth posting.

Halloween Half Marathon

2010-09-23T12:41:00.002-06:00

So I have committed. I am going to run a half marathon with the officer candidates at the end of October. I have been slacking with my cardio lately, focusing on weight training, but I am back on the horse as of today.

Day1: 4 miles, 1% incline.

I was PUSHING through the last half. Yuck. The air is so thin up here! No big deal, I will train my lungs to be strong. I can do this! (I have to tell myself positive things if I am going to make it. I know it sounds lame, but who cares?) Tomorrow, 5 miles.

TO MY FRIENDS

2010-09-06T14:12:00.002-06:00

Blogging has been on the back burner lately. I am super busy, and frankly, super tired. You know me though, it's all good. This might be a valley in my life, but there is beautiful green grass all around, and I am ready to climb to the next peak. I miss all my friends, you know I love you! Sorry I haven't been around lately. Know that I am still here, still surviving, and I think of you often. I need to plan a little shin-dig or something so we can all catch up at once. I have changed the first several songs on my play list... for all of you that tell me you love them. Enjoy this one. I threw in some oldies but goodies that shouldn't be forgotten :-) Pics to come later. Keep up with me on facebook, I am a bit better about keeping up with that since it doesn't take much time.

My Mom is Allergic to California

2010-06-11T23:51:00.002-06:00

California was so fun! I have to say, I just love the Central Coast. I am going to have to wait for pics from my brother, mom, and friends since I forgot to bring my stinkin' camera. Seriously, I am getting blonder by the day.

We went to the beach several times, and the kids loved splashing in the ocean. We built sand castles, had squirt gun fights, jumped waves, hunted for shells, and ate lunch right on the beach. Zane wanted to kayak in Morro Bay, so we rented one and went out to find sea otters. We didn't have any luck with them, but we did see a giant seal swimming and playing right next to our little boat! Amazing!

I really wanted to connect with some friends, so we met Melissa and Tonya (and fam) at Avila Beach. I have known them since first grade, and it was incredible to see them again. We also hooked up with my college roomie Liz and her new hubby in Monterey. We went to the aquarium, and I was blown away. Nyah even touched a sea cucumber. I could hardly believe it.

It was also fun to go to church on Sunday and visit one of our old wards. It was the ward Zane was born and blessed in, and it brought back so many good memories. I love the people there, they feel like lifetime friends. The Petrillis, the Hansens, the Hendrys, the Brunners, the Wrights, and so many more great friends. I can't wait for the next visit.

The last thing I will share is a funny Nyah quote. I had seasonal allergies beginning the moment we landed in Cali, and I explained to Ny that I was sneezing and sniffing because I was allergic to California. I thought this was the easiest way to explain my hay fever. I didn't think she even gave it a second thought, but when we were on the plane back home she turned to the woman next to her and said, "My mom is allergic to California." Ha! The lady laughed and laughed, and I explained where she came up with that, and then she laughed some more. That Ny!

A Sneak Peek

2010-05-04T08:20:00.003-06:00

Both the Provo walk and the Salt Lake City walk were awesome! We had so many people come support the team, and I am grateful. I only have a moment, so here is a sneak peek for you.

The Hoppers are Making a Comeback!

2010-02-13T11:18:00.006-07:00

MS Walk 2010 is coming soon, and I am jazzed to get the Hoppers up and running again!

SLC Walk, with just a few late-comers missing

A family event!

With lots of good friends

And free stuff. Doesn't it look fun?!

Look! Balloon swords!

I want everyone to know how humbled I am with the response I had last year to Walk MS. Thanks to all of you who joined our team, and to all of you who donated. I know that many of you have other friends and family members with MS, and you walk in their honor, and donate because you love them. That is SO GREAT! I also know that some of you don't know anyone besides me that has MS, and it really doesn't affect your life at all. That is cool too. We all have our causes, and we can't support everything, or we would all be exhausted and broke. But if this is something you want to support, or if you think it might be fun, or if you are just looking for an easy and fun way to help out and feel good about what you are doing, then please join. If you have other things that you are doing and can't support this cause at this time, then that is alright too. I love ya either way. If you want to join us or make a donation, please visit my site at:

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=4644547&pg=personal&fr_id=13283

Have You Seen Dear John?

2010-02-06T23:23:00.003-07:00

Wow. Jeff took me to see Dear John tonight, and I absolutely loved it. The music was so me, not to mention how romantic it is. I just love movies about people who have a strong connection, and it reminds me of my connections in life. Not just the awesome connection I have with Jeff, but the connections I have with my kids, my parents, my friends. For all of you who love a good chick flick, it is a must see.

P.S. I have decided what to do for V-Day, but I won't post it until after it's over just in case Jeff decides to read my blog. He probably won't, but you never know :-)

Valentines Day is Coming!

2010-01-30T09:02:00.002-07:00

It is almost Valentines Day, and I am starting to worry that I won't think of a good idea of something to do for Jeff. Jeff has been working so hard lately with school and the kids and his job, and I wanted to show my appreciation by doing something special for him on Valentines Day. I am going to continue to think about it, but I thought I'd see if anyone else has any ideas to share. I don't have a ton of money to spend, but I do have some. As long as it is under $50, I should be fine. Thanks in advance!

Quickly...

2010-01-22T18:28:00.002-07:00

I don't have much time to post because I have a new job. I work at Challenger School where my kids go, but at a different campus. It has been so fun and so busy. Now I have to try to fit in all the things I used to do with much less time. No worris though. I really needed this job, and it is perfect for me. It really is a blessing. I work with many wonderful and brilliant people, and it has been fun. I will try to post more later, whenever I get a few moments.

The Last Day of 2009

2009-12-31T16:43:00.002-07:00

I can hardly believe that today is the last day of 2009. A decade has come and gone and I am sitting here wondering why time seems to go so much faster now that I have kids. Maybe it's because I am so much busier than I used to be. Whatever the reason I am glad that I have kids, but a little sad that time is going so quickly. I look back at the photos of my kids last year and the year before, and it makes me miss the days when they were so little. It's not that I don't love exactly what age they are now, I am just a little afraid that this stage will pass as quickly as all the others have and before I know it they will be all grown up! I am sure that I am being ridiculous, but maybe I can get past these fears if I get them off my chest and move on. Does anybody else ever feel this way?

2009 has been a great year. I prefer to look at the positives and forget about the negatives. Our kids have been so happy and have learned so much, and I feel blessed to be able to be part of that. We have done many exciting things together like go boating with our cousins, ride bikes in the neighborhood, go to the dollar movies, play baseball and basketball at the park, go swimming, visit the fire station, and so much more. We love to go go go and it has always helped us learn, grow and have fun.

I am excited for 2010. I think it will bring many good opportunities for our family, and we plan to take advantage of as many of them as we can. I hope this new year turns out to be one of the best yet for us and for all of our friends and family. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-12T09:31:00.003-07:00

I can hardly believe I have already gotten around to posting a few more photos. I am glad that I fit it in because a few of them are great!

Grandma and Grandpa Hoppie gave Zane and Ny this ghost night light in October. Ny slept with it just like this for several nights in a row. Can you see its belly glowing?

Here are some of the girls in our 'hood all dressed up for a kiddie Halloween party. It was so much fun!

Here is one of the turkey cookies Zane and Ny made for thanksgiving. They used a copy of their hand print to cut the shape. So cute!

Jeff and I right after our 10th anniversary cruise. Can you see the ship behind us?

I took the kids to the live Nativity in Draper this year. It was FREEZING, but well worth the wait in the icy cold line :-)

Nyah had her preschool Christmas program this past week. She is the one in the polka dot dress up front. So cute!

This is me and Ny after the program. She is so beautiful, and so sweet. I just love that girl!

She wanted to get a picture of us with her candy cane in it. Candy canes are oh so important, and must not be left out of cute photos!

This is our ginger bread house. The kids chose to build Snoopy's dog house. Too funny.

I have more, so maybe I will get a chance to add them sometime soon. Merry Christmas!

A little Peek Into My Life

2009-12-11T17:43:00.004-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time, and there are so many fun things to share. I guess I will just post some photos and let you see for yourself!

Jeff helping Ny carve her pumpkin into a kitty cat.

Zane and Ny on a walk by Great Grandma's house.

Zane playing Flag football.

Jeff and I in Ensenada for our 10th anniversary!

Suprise, surprise... I am short on time, so I will post more pics asap! Enjoy!

My Family

2009-09-21T11:13:00.003-06:00

I have some cute pics of the kids and of Jeff's birthday dinner, but I think I will post them later. Today I just wanted to record how much I love my awesome family. Every day my children say or do something that brings love and light into my life. They are so funny, so adorable, so smart and kind. They love to cuddle up with me or with Jeff, and it just warms me up! Whenever I ask them who loves them the most, they say, "You and Daddy". So true.

I am also blessed to have the kindest most generous husband who always tries to put my needs and the needs of our kids first. How did I get so lucky? He works darn hard for us everyday, and he is committed to being the best dad and hubby around. I adore him, and I love him more and more everyday.

I know this is a little squishy for a blog, so I guess I hope nobody else reads it, but I wanted to make sure it was out there just in case. I read a blog today that was written by a loving mother and wife who passed away last year. You could read how much she adored her family, and I thought that it was an amazing gift she gave her family. They will always have that to look back on and know of her love for them. I feel pretty confident that I will live to be an old old woman, but I guess you just never know :-)

FINALLY, SOME BOATING PICS!!!!

2009-08-21T14:26:00.009-06:00

Jeff and Ny on the tube with Nikki and Brayden

Zane swimming in the lake

Brandon and Aunt Kimmie

Peeps on the boat and in the tube

Matt, Zane, and Trent

Jeff just chillin' on the boat

Nyah, trying to muster the courage to jump in :-)

Shay and her little cousins trying to get her wet!

The Aunties being silly

Zane with a grasshopper crawling up his arm!

There are several other great pics of the boating trip, but I think I will just post them on Facebook in a few days. It really was a fun trip, and we are so grateful for Pam and Andy and their generocity. Zane is already asking when we can go back to Boise and hang out on the boat with our cousins again. Maybe next year.....

Because I Love You

2009-07-31T17:32:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I am slow getting boating pics up, but I will do that soon. I just wanted to share a little conversation I had with my precious daughter Nyah recently.

Me: I am so lucky that you are my daughter. Do you know how you came to be mine?

Nyah: No.

Me: Heavenly Father decided to send you to me and to Daddy.

Nyah: Wow.

Me: Why do you think Heavenly Father decided to send you to us?

Nyah: Because I love you.

Talk about melt your heart! I was not sure what answer she was going to come up with, but that is the very best one I can ever imagine. I love that girl!

Boating!

2009-07-23T21:24:00.002-06:00

We are still here in Boise with the fam doing a fun boating trip. Zane and Nyah are having a ball with their cousins. Zane is a big fan of the tube rides, and he loves to catch as much air as he can. He even got bucked off the tube yesterday, but luckily Shyalie was a great Baywatch Babe and dove in after him. When she got there he was grinning from hear to ear. He is one tough cookie!

Nyah loves the boat, and when she gets hot and tired we make her a little bed and she takes a snooze. I can hardly believe she can sleep on a wild boat! I guess that is one of the perks of being three.

I have lots of great pics, but I will have to wait until I get home to upload them. Stay tuned...

GIRLS NIGHT OUT (You don't want to miss this!)

2009-07-06T16:08:00.005-06:00

Friday, July 10th @ Provo Marriot Hotel

Sorry, this is a little hard to read, but you should look into this if you are interested in changing your body in an awesome way! Kristi and Trish can give you a step by step plan on how to eat to to lose fat, and how to exercise to get you toned! Visit their blog to check it out! I am "Living the Life" with Kristi Approved, and I have already lost over 5 lbs of nasty fat, and started toning and building muscle! After only 3 weeks I shed 1 1/2 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my hips, and 3/4 inch off each of my thighs! This is a great way to live and have more energy than ever!

If you are interested, go to http://www.kristiapproved.com/ or kristiapproved.blogspot.com

Potty Training, T-Ball, and Princesses

2009-06-28T09:02:00.005-06:00

I have been so darn busy lately! I want to cram in a few things that I have been meaning to blog about but haven't yet. Enjoy!

Nyah finally decided 3 weeks ago that she is a big girl, and she is ready to wear big girl underwear and go to the potty. I was a little scared since we had big plans that day (Saturday) to go to Lagoon and I didn't want to ruin her resolve by making her wear a diaper, so I took some extra cloths with us and crossed my fingers. I couldn't believe it, but she told us 8 times that day that she needed to go to the potty, and she did it every time with NO ACCIDENTS! She did it at home twice, at Lagoon twice, when we were driving home (We pulled over and took her to Wendy's), and while we were at my sister-in-law's house twice! I don't want to get too graphic, but it was pee and poop! Since that day 3 weeks ago she has only had 2 accidents, and they were both right in front of the potty while she was pulling off her undies. Yay for Nyah!!!

Zane recently started T-Ball on the Lehi City League, and Jeff volunteered to be the coach. I can't tell you how excited Zane was when he found out that his dad would be his coach! We have had 2 practices and 1 rained out game, so Zane is itching to get out and play another team. He really is quite good, he knows all the rules (he watches baseball with Jeff and plays with Jeff all the time), he can throw and catch quite well, and he is one heck of a hitter. I heard that his cousin Tyler (who I think is almost 10) is a baseball phenom, so I guess Zane is trying to follow in his footsteps. There is another family rumor that Jeff and his big bro Dan were awesome ball players in their day as well, not to mention the Softball skills of all of his aunties, so maybe baseball runs in the Hoppie blood ;-)

Nyah will be three on Monday, and I wanted her to have a little party with all of her 3 year old friends to celebrate. Ny wanted a princess party, so we decided to go with it. We get little Disney princess invites and handed them out to her friends in the area. She also told the next door neighbor about her upcoming party, and she offered us some beautiful crystal looking plates and matching cups to make the girls really feel like royalty. I was afraid that they would get broken, but she assured me she didn't mind if they did since she had so many and bought them second hand anyway. I couldn't believe her generosity!

I decorated with purple flowers, a strand of Christmas lights, party favors (crowns, rock candy wands, stick-on earrings, barbie stickers, fashion rings), and the cake.

The Table

The Cake and Place Setting

Lizzy, Nyah, and Megan

Getting Ready to Bead Bracelets

Princesses Eating

Princess Nyah

Heart Shaped Sandwiches

Bracelets!!!

Directly After the Party

( lol.)

It was so much fun to have all those little princesses over making bracelets, eating finger foods, opening gifts, playing together and giggling! Thanks to all of the moms who let us borrow their little princesses for the afternoon. It made Nyah's party so fun and so memorable.

12 Weeks to a NEW ME!

2009-06-06T19:12:00.003-06:00

So, I am pretty sick of working out every day and staying the same size. I have been busting my bunz running, lifting weights, swimming, doing aerobics and pilates, and although I am seeing improvements in my stamina, strength, and overall health, I have plateaued in the weight loss category. I know (and have known) what the problem is (I don't eat right), but honestly I have no idea how to plan for, shop for, and cook a really healthy meal. So when I found out that my friend Trish and her buddy Kristi started a business to help women learn to eat right and get a rock hard body, I was on board! They gave me a book (they call it the Pink Bible) that outlines EXACTLY what to eat, how to prepare it, when to eat it, and what exercises to do... for a whole 12 weeks! You should see the before and after shots of Trish, it is unbelievable. So I am starting my journey to a new healthier, thinner, firmer me, and I couldn't be more excited... or scared ;-) I am taking a before pic tonight in a bikini, but don't worry, I won't post it here... but if I end up looking as hot as Trish, maybe I will make this blog private and post my after photo... or not! We'll see....

Wish me luck!

Funny Nyah

2009-05-22T14:28:00.002-06:00

Nyah says some of the funniest and or sweetest things, but I always seem to forget to write them down, so I thought I'd put a few of them here.

The other night Jeff was not here and I was putting Nyah to bed. We usually have family prayers before bed, but it was just she and I this time. Anyway, Nyah and Zane always want to say the prayer, so we usually let them take turns (sometimes we let them both have a turn on the same night), meaning Jeff and I don't get to say the prayer very often. So on this particular night, Nyah wanted to say the prayer (of coarse), and after she did, I asked her if it was okay for me to say a prayer too. Her response? She gives me a great big sigh and says, "This is gonna be a long one" before she kneels down and closes her eyes. Ha! So of coarse I tried not to make it too long, just to prove her wrong :-)

Later that night I had gone down to the basement to chat with Kimmie, and Nyah had gotten out of her bed and was looking for me. When she didn't find me she started crying... hard. So I ran upstairs and reassured her that I didn't leave her and that I would never leave her alone in the house and she said, "You were talking to Kimmie?" and I said, "Yup." Then she said, "Oh, I just lost you." So I just giggled and said, "You lost me for just a minute, but I was here all along." I could feel her breathe a sigh of relief.

Gotta love her.

Walk MS Was Awesome!

2009-05-06T13:43:00.004-06:00

As many of you know, our family has been very busy with moving and renting homes and such, so I have not had time to update my blog until now, but finally I have a moment to post some cool pix of Walk MS Salt Lake City, and Walk MS Provo. Enjoy!

Emily, Me, Rachel, Jessica, Jen, Shelley, Anna

Kim, Mama Judy, Zane, Me, Jen

Mickey, Evana and Matt, Me, Isaac in the back, Kim Lau's cute boyfriend, Kim

Aimee, Chantell, and Vanessa... the Mary Kay entourage!

Jessica, Shelley, baby Anna, Selena

Here is an action shot of the Fam.

Heather, Brian, Pam, Kimmie, Jen, Megan, Mama Judy, & Ny in the stroller

Near the end of the walk, a sweet older lady tripped and caught her fall with her face. Ouch! I called 911 while Eve got right in there to stop the bleeding. Eve is my hero! The poor lady wasn't responding for a while, but then was able to answer a few simple questions. We left as soon as the fire fighters came to the rescue.

This was taken at the Provo Walk.

Ally, Lori, and Jessica are holding my darling little Nyah.

This photo was also taken at the Provo Walk. Interestingly, out team shirt won the Best T-Shirt Award at this walk. I was surprised, but it was a cool moment :-)

Our team was so cool, everyone had such a great time. I don't have the team photo from either walk yet, but as soon as I do I will post it here if anyone wants to steal it. The Hoppers raised almost $3500 this year, which is just a bit better than last year. WoooHooo! It has been such a great experience to help this awesome cause, and see so many others do the same. Some of the girls on our team helped us make a team flag, but unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of it other than in the team photos that I don't have quite yet. Krista and all the girls who came made it a really sweet flag, and I can't wait for everyone to see it. Stay tuned....

To Catch Up...

2009-04-15T23:37:00.005-06:00

I have so much I want to blog about, but so little time to do it in. Here is what I can cram in for the moment!

My sister in law Kim won tickets for raising money for Walk MS to the David Archuleta concert and gave them to Zane! She had to work the night of the concert, so I got to go with him instead of Aunt Kimmie. Zane loves David like you wouldn't believe. Every time I turn on the radio he asks if I can try to find an Archuleta song. I told Zane that David is a member of the same church that we attend. One day I was cleaning the living room because someone from church was coming over. Zane excitedly asked, "is it David Archuleta?" I said "No, unfortunately we would have to win a chance to see him." And then, like a week later, Kim won tickets! Zane was THRILLED to say the least!

Me and Zane chillin' before the concert

Me and Zane goofing off with earplugs.

Zane in front of the crowd. As the crowd began to do the wave before David came on, Zane asked, "why are they doing that?" and I said, "because it is fun." He then put his hands in the air and said, "Wooooooooooo!" He LOVES the wave. Also, right as David was about to come out everyone was chanting, "Da-vid, Da-vid, Da-vid" so of coarse Zane jumped right in and joined the millions of excited fans in welcoming David onto the stage :-)

Since the show started at 7:30 (Zane's bedtime), and there were 2 opening acts, it was quite late by the time David came out. Zane danced to the first 3 or 4 songs and then conked out on his seat. I leaned him against me for most of the rest of the show, but I figured we should leave before the crowd since Zane was out of it.... and waaaaaay to heavy for me to carry!

The next morning I got up bright and early to run my first 5k. This was taken right after I finished. My time was 31 min and about 27 seconds. That is about a 6mph run!

Later that day we all went to the park. Jeff played ball with the kids, and coincidentally, they had a ball doing it ;-)

The swings were next. Nyah giggled the whole time, and I couldn't stop chuckling about Zane's hat and glasses.

Here is a photo of Nyah's first rock climbing experience. She really enjoyed it. She sure makes one cute little monkey girl.

Here is a shot of Zane's new shark tooth. See the little white dot behind is front bottom tooth on the left? The one on the other side has started to come in too, so we have been wiggling the baby teeth every day to try to prevent him from needing them to be pulled. I hope they come out soon.

There is so much more to tell, but I am so tired, and I need to get to bed. I hope I will have time to post Walk MS photos soon. Until then....

Twilight and Everything Since Twilight

2009-03-29T20:17:00.011-06:00

I have been such a slacker. Hmmm, I think this is becoming a habit. Maybe I should look into changing that. Anyway...

The Twilight Party

Krista and Tiff threw a great Twilight party a week or so ago. It was so fun to hang out with the girls and have a good time. Here are a few highlights:

Alyssa, Me, Edward, Tiff

Alyssa, Sherami, Edward, Me

Alyssa, Edward, Me
Wow, with that pasty white skin and those glowing red eyes you might think I was a vampire... and not the vegetarian kind...
(Minus the incredible beauty, of coarse:-P )

Jen, looking beautiful.
Her name tag says: HELLO My name is Bella Swan (I wish)

Krista gave us the idea to make Twilight shirts. Mine says:

Forget Princess... I want to be a Vampire

Here is a close up. (Sorry for the boob shot!) My name tag says: Hello my name is Rosalie (Don't hate me because I'm beautiful).

Thanks for the name tag idea Jen! I figured if she got to be Bella, at least I could be the most beautiful girl Bella had ever seen ;-)

Oh, and thanks to my sister in law Jenny for helping me make my shirt. She is a computer whiz!

Paula and Sarah
Paula's shirt says: Move Over Cullens

Sarah's shirt says: I like men who sparkle

There were lots of great shirts and outfits. I wish I had gotten more photos. Thanks Krista and Tiff, and thanks to everyone who was there, it was so much fun!

Zane's Snowboarding Lesson

Last week Zane had his second snowboarding lesson. He has had one this year and one last year. I wish he could've had more, but it is so expensive. Thanks to his grandparents he has had a few lessons and also owns all his own gear. He LOVES snowboarding! Here are a few of the shots I was able to get:

Zane in his cool boarding gear.

During the lesson.

After the lesson. He is always making silly faces!

Kindergarten Speech Festival

Challenger has a speech festival every year, and each kid gets to learn and perform a speech (in kindergarten it's a poem) in front of the class and their parents. Then the teachers choose the top 3 and send them to compete against all the top kids from all the classes in their grade. Zane was one of the top 3! His poem was Mice by Rose Fileman.

Zane didn't win, but I thought he did a fantastic job. He had to change poems at the last minute, and was able to learn all that in one afternoon. What a great kid he is.

Several other things have happened that I want to share, but this is getting long. Check back next week to see about Zane's first concert, his first adult tooth, Nyah's pink toenails and new jelly shoes, Nyah's first try at rock climbing, and my first 5k run ever.

Flower Gardens and Toes

2009-03-19T20:37:00.005-06:00

Thanks for all the potty training advice. I LOVE hearing what my friends have to say about thing like that. You guys are great!

It has been getting warm these past few days, and Jeff's sister Kim has had a few days off ( which is rare), so we decided to start working in our yards. We started yesterday and pruned back all of her big dead bushes and shrubs. We cleared out lots of old ugly bark and our neighbor Rob helped us fix the drip line. Today we planted lots of plants, flowers, bushes, and bulbs all over both of our yards. It has been so fun. I only hope the snow doesn't come back with a vengeance and ruin it all!!!

Earlier today Jeff's sister Kim took Nyah and Megan (my niece) to the nail shop to get pedi's. Nyah and Megan were so thrilled that they got their toes painted with flower designs! So cute! If I had a working camera I'd post a pic of Ny's toes. She chose a bright pink polish, and I think Megan chose blue. Nyah hasn't stopped talking about getting her toes done with Aunt Kimmie and Megan all day long. She is such a girl, and I am thrilled for her.

Potty Training Blues

2009-03-06T08:42:00.004-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. My camera has been broken, and I usually blog around my photos. In the meantime I will have to just work with what I have.

I have been trying to potty train Nyah, and I have to say things aren't going so well. I decided to start training a few months ago when she told me she had to poop and I put her on the potty just in time. I figured she was telling me she was ready... I guess I was wrong!

This is what I have tried so far:

1. I took her to the store to choose her own big girl undies.

2. I bought candy to give her each time she sits on the potty (one piece only).

3. I purchased 3 big things she wanted (barbie, pink dress, necklace) and told her she could earn them by putting her pee and poop in the potty.

4. I have filled her with her favorite beverages and set the timer for 30 minute increments. Every time the timer went off I out her on the potty. (She never peed in the potty that day. She decided she had to pee during the time she was playing.)

5. Pull-ups mixed with bribery and praise about being a big girl.

NONE OF THIS WORKED!!!!!! Any Ideas? I know she is capable, she just doesn't WANT to! Isn't there a way to get her to want to? I am open for any and all ideas. As a matter of fact, I am BEGGING for ideas!

P.S. I remember having a bit of a tough time training Zane, but back then I was in much better health and was able to devote all day for several days to training. Now that I need rest and exercise every day to be healthy, it seems impossible. What do you guys think?

Getting Ready: Walk MS 2009

2009-02-10T17:57:00.008-07:00

Many of you know that I was a team captain for the MS Walk last year. It was such a great experience to see how many thousands of people really cared about raising money to fight MS. I looked around and saw many teams of people who were there in support of a friend or a family member with MS, and it actually brought tears to my eyes. It really makes me want to be a participant in other great cherity walks such as the one for breast cancer, just to be a part of another group who is so committed to helping others with a disease. It was truely a spiritual experience, you know the kind you have when you are surrounded by good on every side, the kind that has such an impact on your spirit that it moves you to become a better person. I love that feeling.

I wanted to post some photos from the event last year, but my computer is acting up, so I will just post this one of our team. There are a few members that didn't make it on time to be in the photo, but most of them are here. If there is anyone who is interested in joining the Hoppers for 2009, just click on this link and sign up. The event is Sat, April 11th in the A.M. I don't have the exact time yet, but last year we were done before lunchtime. If you decide to join us, I promise it will be a fun, rewarding, bonding experience that you won't soon forget!

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/UTUWalkEvents?px=4644547&pg=personal&fr_id=10742&et=Vi13VqXNmu1lerbB5HMIWA..&s_tafId=104873

If you decide to sign up, you may be asked to enter a team password. If so, it is hoppers.

P.S. Ellie is one of my sisters-in-law (sort of... lol) that is on our team, and she is making doggie biscuits for Valentines day (anyone love their doggie?). She is selling a bag for $3 or two bags for $5, and all the money she collects will go to the MS Society via the Hoppers on the day of the walk. If you would like a bag or two of yummy home made doggie treats for your pup, shoot me an email and I will give her your order. It's for a great cause! Thanks Ellie, you rock!

My Top 5

2009-02-04T21:54:00.003-07:00

1. Being with my family, doing just about anything.

2. Going to the gym... it better start showing sometime soon...

3. Hanging out with girlfriends.

4. Chocolate. Preferably dark.

5. Relaxing at the beach. I miss those days.

Thanks for the tag Krista. I tag Selena, Amy W., Chrystal, Becca, and Rachelle.

Movie Night

2009-01-28T12:27:00.003-07:00

Last Thursday several girls who live on (and right by) our street decided we should go to the movies. This is the second time Krista has organized this, and it was so much fun. Thanks Krista! The first time we went we saw Twilight, and this past Thurday we saw Bride Wars. There were a few girls missing the second time due to morning sickness (Tiff) or just plain exhaustion (Sarah), but we hope they will be able to make it next time... there better be a next time.... :-)

Jen, Whitney, Krista, Paula, Sheramie

Jen, Whitney, Krista, Paula, Me

The Eyebrow Experience

2009-01-23T13:05:00.008-07:00

My friend Selena is one of the most beautiful people I know, and she was telling me that part of her beauty regimen is dying her eyebrows. We blondies usually have pale skin and light eyebrows, so we get washed out pretty easily. So, Selina offered to dye and shape my eyebrows for me. I have to say that even though I trusted Selena (her brows are amazing), I was pretty freaked out when I looked in the mirror and saw this:
Sorry for the bitter look, Selena thought it would make a more dramatic shot for blog posting purposes ;-) Anyway, you can see why I was concerned. Selena, being the good friend that she is, assured me that when I washed the dye off, it would look great. So, I relaxed a bit. A few minutes later, it was time to wash the dye off. She gave me two cotton balls and told me to start scrubbing and rinsing. As soon as I was done, I looked in the mirror again, and to my absolute horror, I saw this:

Again, I apologize for the silly expression, but this was the best reenactment of the moment I saw my eyebrows that I could create for a more accurate depiction of the moment. Luckily, Selena is a compassionate person, and continued her attempts to keep me calm by explaining that she had a "stain remover" that would remove the dye left on my skin that was making me feel a bit too much like Groucho Marx.

I decided it was best to trust Selena, and hold off on the complete meltdown until she tried the stain remover. Selena got out a Q-tip and the solution, and began scrubbing my brows as hard as she could. While she was doing this she was assuring me that it was working, and that I would love the final result. So as soon as she was finished I held my breath, looked in the mirror, and saw this:
Well, almost. This is what I looked like after I hugged and thanked Selena (with much relief and excitement), and put on my make-up. Now all I have to do is find a good self tanner to complete the effect. I am pretty excited, I am a little tired of the albino look. If anyone has any recommendations for a non streaky, non orange self tanner, please share!

Christmas and Stuff

2009-01-15T15:36:00.010-07:00

I have been so busy/ tired lately that I havent posted in a while, and I have so much I want to post. I think I will wait on some of it for a while. Here is what I have time to share now...

Christmas was really great. We spent it at Aunt Kimmie's house with Aunt Jen and Uncle Craig and all our fun cousins. Even Grammy and Grandpa were there!

Since we were snowed in on Traverse Mtn, we decided to invite Eve and her family to spend the afternoon with us. Since they are our neighbors, we figured they were snowed in too and might like some company. Because of all the snow, several family members were unable to make it, so we had plenty of food to share with their family. This photo is of the two of us making our ugliest faces!

Aunt Jen and Nyah on Christmas Day. I just really like this picture, it is so sweet.

Zane recently started basketball, and he is on the Cougars (I think). He is number 34 just like Shaq! He made 3 baskets durring his last game, and had several rebounds. He loves to play, and we love to watch.

I Love December

2008-12-21T15:30:00.011-07:00

Wow, I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. I love Christmas time, and I have really been trying to enjoy it this year. I feel so blessed to know that Jesus is my Savior, and that in him I can be forgiven and perfected. Today in Relief Society Sister Penny (I can't remember her last name for the life of me!!!) was reminding us not to just glorify Christ, but to emulate Him. What a wonderful reminder! I should not just remember and praise Him, but I should try to pattern my life after His.

There are so many family and friends that have served us and loved us these past several months. Some have helped us with a few bills ( my medical bills have gotten a little out of hand), some have been good listeners, some have offered advice, some have even tried to help me with access to an E. Stim machine! Can you believe the generosity? Some of the sisters in my ward have even provided me a warm hug and comfort to my soul. As women, we all need that some times. I am so grateful for the love and generosity we have been shown. These people have reminded me how to be like Jesus.

... Okay, so obviously I didn't finish this post. Now Christmas has passed, but I still want post what I had written, along with a few photos of our December before Christmas. I will do a separate Christmas post in a few days. Love to you all!

Zane telling Santa that he has been good all year.

Nyah would only sit with Santa if I was with her.

By the tree.

Zane's Christmas program at Challenger School.

Zane and Ny after the program.

Me and the kids at Zane's program. Sadly, Jeff had to work and couldn't attend.

Zane's Statue if Liberty in the Hall at Challenger School.

The map where the Statue of Liberty is posted.

With Eve at Glenn Beck's Christmas Show. Thanks for the ticket, Jeff. It was the best Christmas present ever!

The Nativity at Temple Square. The kids loved the lights and the Nativity story.

Security or Love?

2008-12-11T16:13:00.004-07:00

Jeff and I are having a little difference of opinion on something, so I figure we could settle this by getting the opinions of all the people reading this blog. Here's the question:

What is a woman's basic desire/ need from a man?

This would apply to women in general regardless of age, religion, or social status. Jeff and I agree that a man's basic desire is sex, so there is no disagreement there. Here are the arguments:

Jeff: A woman's most basic desire is security. She wants to make sure that her man will provide a good life for her. It is not sex, admiration, love, appreciation, or any other thing. Those things, although important, are secondary to security. Most women will try to deny it, but if they take a real good look at themselves, security is #1. This is not a bad thing, it is an innate desire to help women chose a mate that will be able to provide for her children, and make it possible for the mother to spend her time caring for and nurturing the children. He doesn't think all women are gold diggers, he thinks they have this desire for the purpose of creating a family that thrives.

Tara: A woman's most basic desire is love and adoration. I think that when a woman is dreaming about her future mate she thinks of a man that is totally in love with her. She dreams of a man who loves her and only her, and would be willing to sacrifice anything reasonable to make her happy. This doesn't mean that she would actually ask him to do that, she just wants a man who adores her enough to be willing to. A woman wants a man who thinks good thoughts about her, and only has nice things to say about her when he is talking to family or friends. She wants a man who loves her as much or more than she loves him, and she would take that above being secure any day of the week. The way I see it, if your hubby is completely in love with you (and treats you as such) you would be willing to endure and work through any "security" issues there might be. In a truly loving relationship, trials are much easier to fight through together.

We both agree that there are a few exceptions to the rule, such as gold diggers, or completely immature nit wits, but we are sticking by our arguments as a generality.

So, what's your opinion? Who is right, or are we both wrong? I am excited to hear what you have to say!

November

2008-11-29T23:49:00.004-07:00

This month has had it's ups and downs, but mostly ups. The kids got to build their first snowman ever, and it was awesome. Jeff and I tried to make it as fun and cool as possible for the kids, so of course we broke out the Halloween candy and winter accessories to jazz things up a little. I have to admit that I don't have any solid memories of making a snowman, so this felt like a first for me as well. This was several weeks ago now, and we haven't had any snowfall since, but the kids are anxiously awaiting its arrival so they can build another one.

Later in the month my beautiful grandmother passed away at 94. I love her with every fiber of my being, and I feel so blessed that she was in my life. I am sure that many of my good qualities were planted and nurtured by her over the years. I felt a tiny bit of sadness at her passing, but honestly it was mostly joy. She lived a full and vibrant life, and was surely missing her husband of seventy some-odd years. My sweet grandmother suffered from Alzheimer's at least 10 years of her life, and I have been missing her all that time. I knew she was in there, but it was difficult to reach the real her. She must be thrilled to be rid of her body that was filled with restrictions, and be free to be herself once again. I am sure she will love getting her body back in it's perfected state. I'm sure we all will. I will miss her until we meet again.

The kids were so excited that Christmas is coming that they begged to put the tree up early. So Jeff went to the garage and pulled out our cool fake tree, and all the decorations to go with it, and we turned it into a two night event. I will post pics of the tree later on, but here is a couple shots of the kids playing in the tree box. They loved that box so much that we are debating wrapping up several different empty boxes and giving those to the kids for Christmas... hee, hee...

Thanksgiving was such a peaceful holiday. Judy made a delicious dinner as always, and the company was very pleasant. I made pumpkin pie and a real cheesecake (I had to bake it and everything!) for the first time by myself. I am an okay cook, but I have never baked a pie before, and it was pretty fun. I think I will try that more often.

Thanksgiving day was also our 9th anniversary, so Jeff took me to see the movie of MY choice, which was Twilight. I thought it was so sweet that he was so willing to see a chick flick with me, no questiions asked. We usually try to compromise and see a movie that we both are interested in, but he insisted on giving me the movie of my choice. After 9 years he is still as sweet as ever.

Zane's Artwork

2008-11-14T23:10:00.001-07:00

I have been such a slacker about posting, and I have so much to post, but since I haven't loaded my new pics from my camera yet, I thought it might be fun to post a little bit of Zane's artwork. He loves to draw and paint, and I think he is pretty darn good at it.

Bat

Octopus
Dolphin

Santa Maria

Horse

T-Rex

The horse and the T-Rex were painted on the same day, and I like to think of them as a set.

The Praying Mantis is my very favorite.

I know I am his mother, but I think it is brilliant.

There are quite a few other pieces that I have put away and have not scanned yet, but I will scan a few other good ones later. Nyah loves to paint and color with Zane, but so far it is pretty much circles and lines. I will have to post a few of hers too so she can see her creations on the computer as well. I think her natural gift of art is dance. She has natural rythem, and can twirl and move with ease. We put on music just about every day and let the kids get their groove on. Jeff says poor Zane has inherited his dad's rythem. I wouldn't know since I have NEVER seen Jeff dance in the 10 years I have known him (other than basic slow dancing, of course). Anyway, he has a pretty cool way of busting a move too, and you can tell that he really gets into it. It's pretty funny to watch.

I love my kids, they bring Jeff and I so many smiles every day.

Our Halloween Experience

2008-11-02T20:48:00.002-07:00

We had such a fun Halloween this year. When I say "we" I mean me and the kids. Jeff was sicker than a dog. Poor guy.

Getting ready for Halloween, the kids and I decided to make cupcakes for the ladies I visit teach. I ended up making 2 batches, but I only have pictures of the first batch. By the second batch I figured out a way to make the witches a little cuter, but you will just have to take my word for it.

Jeff liked the mummies the best.

Zane and Nyah enjoyed placing the spiders and worms.

Zane wanted to carve the pumpkin that he and Nyah got from Grammy and Grandpa. I pulled up photos of jack-o-lanterns on the net and let him tell me what he wanted to do. As soon as he saw a picture of a pumpkin barfing he knew he wanted to do that too. So I had him draw a picture of exactly what he wanted, and we negotiated a few funny changes (the eyes). Then Zane helped me draw the design on the pumpkin. I did all of the gutting, and Jeff did the carving. Zane thought the smell of the pumpking guts was revolting, so he walked seveal feet away from it while we worked. He is such a funny kid!

The Saturday before Halloween I took the kids to the community center for their big Halloween Bash. RJ and Ethan came with their friend John, and Krista and Tiff brought their cute kids too. We had so much fun playing games, trick-or-treating, and going through the haystack maze.

Gavin, Nyah, and Zane

Nyah, Alyssa, Tatum, Gavin, Brianna, and Zane

On Halloween I took the kids to the mall with my friend Heather and her kids to trick-or-treat. When we got home we had a dinner break, and then we went back out to trick-or-treat in our rainy neighborhood. We had so much fun seeing the neighbors all dressed up.

Every time we would get to a door, Nyah wouldn't say "trick-or-treat". Instead she would say,"happy Halloween!" And then she would reach down into her bucket and find a treat to put in the bowl of the person at the door. Most people were confused, and tried to give her treat back, but a few accepted her gift and returned the favor with two treats for her. Every now and then she would ask the person at the door if what she gave them was their favorite. So funny.

Zane was very excited and wated to go to every house that had a light on. By the time I was totally pooped, I told him we were done and should walk home. He conceded, but insisted on still going to the houses with lots of cool Halloween decor on them. That sounded like a fair deal to me.

Halloween Party

2008-10-15T20:09:00.001-06:00

Today a few of the neighbors threw a really cool mommy and me Halloween party. The kids were so excited to get into their costumes and go see some friends. Even some of us moms dressed up! Here are a few hi-lites of the party:

This is Nyah getting her Halloween Groove on. She is the only kid dancing... what a cutie!

This is the last few seconds of Zane beating the crud out of the pumpkin pinata. He was the biggest (not necessarily the oldest) kid at the party, so they let him go last and bust that sucker open!

Shelly and I in our costumes

The cute witch is Selena, and the pregnant and pretty angel is Stephanie.

Thanks Selena and friends for a great party! I am not exactly sure of all the ladies that helped put it all together, but it was so fun, and I am glad we went. Hopefully we can do it again next year!

Birthdays

2008-10-04T18:31:00.000-06:00

Since my last post both Jeff and Zane had birthdays. Jeff's was first, and he wanted to go to Tepanyaki for dinner to celebrate. We love this place because they make such yummy food, but also because it is so entertaining to watch them cook it right at your table. Zane and Nyah had never been there before, so it was especially fun watching them discover how cool it is to watch someone do tricks while they cook for you. Nyah wasn't sure how she felt about the onion fire volcano at first, but as soon as she saw the cook turn it into a choo choo train she smiled with delight.

After dinner we went to Zane's soccer game. He scored another goal, and it was fun for everyone to be outside together in such nice weather. After the game we went home for some cheesecake (Jeff loves cheesecake) and a few small gifts. It was so nice.

The onion volcano.

Nyah is nervous about the volcano.

The volcano is now miraculously a choo choo train

Nyah tries to climb over the top of Jeff at the soccer game.

Jeff's cheesecake. Yummy.

Exactly one week after Jeff's birthday was Zane's birthday. The big number five. He wanted to have a party, but I was hoping to keep it low key this year, so we decided on a movie party. We got ready by making sports cupcakes and decorating a little bit.

Then lots of his friends came over, and everyone went down into the basement for snacks and a movie. Zane chose Alvin and the Chipmunks. The kids seemed to be watching it for about thirty minutes before they got too excited and started to play around. A few of the older cousins decided to have a puppet show for the younger kids, and it was a big hit. Unfortunately that just made them more rowdy and wild. So I decided it was time to redirect the party upstairs for cupcakes and presents.

The party was so fun, and I am glad that so many kids could come celebrate with us. On Zane's actual birthday we took the kids to Boondocks and played arcade games. After an awesome afternoon playing, we came home an sang Happy Birthday and had chocolate cupcakes. He had a soccer game that night too, so we went straight there after our little family party. It was a great day, and I am so glad that Zane is our boy.

Such a cool kid. I love his smile.

This Week

2008-09-15T19:57:00.000-06:00

Hooray for Zane!!! He got his first goal last Tuesday at his soccer game! He is really learning how to get the ball out of the crowd of kids surrounding it, and kick it in the correct direction. He is the youngest kid on his team, and many of the other kids played last year, so they have a few more soccer skills than Zane does. But I think that is a good thing, because he is learning so much watching their example. It has been such a blast to go to the practices and games as a family and cheer the team on. I will be bummed when the season is over.

Zane is right in front of the girl (#3). This is the moment before he kicked the ball into the goal! Too bad you can't see more than a small part of the back of his head peeking out.

This is the photo I shot right after he made his goal. He was so happy.

This one is obvious... he is throwing the ball back into play.

This past week was filled with many fun things in our family. Just before Grandma Deb came into town, Zane decided it would be fun to help Nyah put on some makeup while I was on the phone. They did this in a matter of a few minutes!!!

It kinda looks like she has a moustache!

She's fussing because she knows she's busted.

Later that day Jeff and I put together her first big girl bed. She was so excited! All she can talk about (even now) is her new big girl bed. The first night she slept in it was Wednesday night, and she didn't get out even once. I find this to be quite a miracle because when Zane got his first big boy bed he was out of it like 50 times a night. We had to keep putting him back in it (without saying a word to him) until he finally got the picture. I am glad that Nyah's experience made it much less exhausting on Jeff and I!

Woo Hoo!!! My new big girl bed!!!

Dad and Ny on her new bed.

On Thursday night after the kids were in bed, Grandma Deb came to visit for the weekend. It was so fun! We went to lunch, went to the toy store, and had Sponge Bob Popsicles. We all loved having her here, and we wish she could visit more often. Here are a few pics from the weekend.

Grandma gave each kid a whole dollar! Zane was especially thrilled.

Grandma and Nyah.

The Summer of Fun

2008-09-06T20:37:00.000-06:00

Zane and Nyah at Lagoon
Driving a car at Lagoon
Zane and his sand castle in San Diego
Nyah Playing in the water at the beachZane and Ny at a baseball game on Ny's birthday

Since the Summer is over now, I thought I would post a few pics of the kids having fun. We took two trips to Cali this year, and it was a BLAST! Zane and Nyah love the beach, and it makes me dream of moving back there someday. I love the mild weather, the waving palm trees, and the layed-back attitude. Maybe when we are rich...

Since I am such an antsy person, we took the kids to a lot of fun places. We were regulars at Lagoon, Thanksgiving Point, and the aquarium. We went swimming at the local pool and at the beach several times. We went to multiple baseball games. We went on Craig and Jen's boat twice. We went to Sea World, Disneyland, and the San Diego Zoo. We even went to a beautiful wedding. Maybe we should stay home an relax next summer so I don't burn my poor family out;-)

I am glad that we were able to do so many things, and I am grateful for the season passes that helped make all this possible. I think Jeff is starting to wish he married a homebody... Oh well, I guess I'll work on that next year.

Zane's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-08-25T22:34:00.000-06:00

Today was Zane's first day of kindergarten at Challenger School. He has been so excited to start kindergarten, with only one exception... kindergarten shots. He wouldn't even have known about them if his friend who started kindergarten last year didn't let him in on it. Luckily, we didn't mention that he was getting his shots until the moment he had to get them, so it went pretty quickly with little anxiety.

Anyway, back to the first day of school. He was so excited this morning when I woke him up. He ate his breakfast fairly quickly, and then ran upstairs to get dressed. He felt all grown up wearing his spiffy uniform, and he didn't even seem to mind the tie too much. He wanted his hair styled with gel to look cool, and he was thrilled to put on his new backpack. I was exactly on time, but that didn't leave much room for pictures in front of the house, so I snapped the few I could and hustled the kids in the car.

When we get there he was so excited that he jumped out of the car with the attendant, and tried to bolt toward the school. Luckily she grabbed him and informed him that he had to hold her hand while they were by the unloading zone to make sure he was safe.

As soon as school was over, I was right there to pick him up at the loading zone, and the very first thing he said to me when he got in the car was, "Mom, I loved it! It was so awesome!" I am so glad that he had such a good time getting to know his new class and his new teachers. We were able to meet both of them last Friday at the open house, and they are delightful. I feel so blessed that he attends that school, and that the new campus is so very close to our home. I am almost as excited as he is for this year of school.

My Hubby

2008-08-24T21:05:00.000-06:00

Jeff was away in Vegas this weekend visiting his buddies. It was a good chance for him to get away for a few days, but we really missed him at home. Zane told everyone we came in contact with that his dad was on a vacation, but it was just for 2 days, and then he would be back. On Friday, the first day Jeff was gone, Ny woke up from her nap a little bit crabby. She plopped herself right in front of the door to the garage and cried for daddy for a solid 10 minutes. Zane and I tried to distract her, but she was bent on having her moment. Finally she was tired of crying and we were able to bribe her with a little snack.

Jeff came home today, and since I was sick most of the day they hung out with him. Nyah insisted on having Jeff sing to her before bed, which is something I normally do. It is so awesome that my kids have a dad that is so fun and so lovable that they miss him when he goes, and relish every moment that they have with him. I think he just might be their favorite, and I don't even mind.

My Little Ballerina

2008-08-23T07:56:00.000-06:00

My little Nyah is two now, and the older she gets the more personality she shows. She is so cute, everyday she dances around the house to any music that she hears... even if it is her own sweet singing. She always wants me to turn the music on when I am at the computer so she can twirl, and leap, and hop, and flap her arms gracefully around the office. A few weeks ago I went to pick her up from her nursery class at church, and the new nursery teacher was gushing over how cute Nyah is. She told me everytime they started a new song during singing time Nyah would get out of her chair and start dancing. When the song was over she would sit back down, but as soon as the next song began she was back up on her feet. A few days later I heard the same story from my friend Sarah who happened to be in the nursery at the time. She makes me laugh! For her birthday, my friends Tatum and Lisa each made a cute little tutu for her. She LOVES to wear them and twirl around the house like a little pink ballerina. I guess I will be finding some dance classes for her soon so she can really have something fun to look forward to every week. Wh knows, maybe she will be a star on SYTYCD in 16 years or so! lol.

Fire Bullets Soccer

2008-08-14T08:30:00.000-06:00

Zane just started Soccer this past week, and he has been loving it! We have all of the cool gear like shin guards and cleats, and he loves his black soccer shorts and his purple and white jersey. When I signed him up for soccer a few months ago I thought it was just a kindergarden team, but as it turns out it is a combined kindergarden and first grade team. Zane is born in September, so he is still 4. Several of the other kids in first grade are 6, so we are lucky that Zane is naturally big, tough, and coordinated.

Zane's first game was last Tuesday, and he was so awesome! Apparently there are'nt any goalies in little kid soccer, and this didn't make much sense to Zane. Sooooo... he decided to make it his personal mission to block every ball he could coming at his team's goal. He actually blocked 4 goals! On the first block he dove (literally DOVE) in front of the ball and put his hands straight out to barely block the ball from going into the goal. Since there aren't any real goalies in little kid socccer, there is a rule that nobody can touch the ball with their hands, so the other team was given the ball. But it only took him once to learn that rule, and the next 3 blocks were done with his feet and legs. GO ZANE!!!

Sisters

2008-08-01T08:27:00.001-06:00

Carrera was a breathtakingly beautiful bride.

The Ring Bearer

2008-08-01T08:22:00.001-06:00

Zane was so handsome next to all the groomsmen in his matching tux.

The Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

2008-08-01T08:15:00.001-06:00

They were so adoreable! Look at him holding her arm!

Jeff and Amy at the Wedding

2008-08-01T08:08:00.001-06:00

My lil bro Jeff and his girl Amy are looking pretty smooth in their shades.

Mother and Son

2008-08-01T08:07:00.001-06:00

Kind of a cheesey pic, but it was the best one of the two of us.

Zane and the Cakes

2008-08-01T08:05:00.001-06:00

All he wanted was one little bite of that car cake!

Zane and Ariana

2008-08-01T07:57:00.001-06:00

This was at the rehearsal dinner. Cute shirts.

Nyah's Birthday

2008-07-27T23:07:00.000-06:00

So I finally figured out how to post pictures. Here's Ny eating frosting off her toe.
Here's a sample of the awesome friends that came to celebrate with us.
Here is a shot of the slide that we borrowed from Krista. It's only empty because everyone is eating a cupcake on the deck.

So, I am a little slow with this whole blog thing. I don't know how to add photos, and I am a little late posting a few stories, but I wanted to write about Nyah's birthday party anyway.

It was so much fun to have so many kids and moms come hang out in our back yard for 2 hours. My friend Krista let us barrow her HUGE waterslide and cute kiddie pool, and we have a nice big sandbox back there so there was plenty to do. Jeff is usually the master of the grill, but our grill was getting pretty old and it crapped out on us at the very last minute. Soooooo, logically he just went around the block to his sister Kim's house to borrow her grill. By the time he had it all set up in our yard, several of our guests had already arrived, so he wanted to get it fired up and warm as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Kim's grill is one that uses charcoal and lighter fluid (which Jeff isn't used to using). Apparently he put a little too much fluid on the grill because as soon as he lit it the grill burst into a big mountain of flames setting his whole face on fire!!! Luckily, it went out almost immediately after he caught fire, but only after it singed his beard, brows, lashes, hairline, and forearm!!! He said that he was fine, but he smelled like a BBQ for a week! It seems a little funny now, but I am REALLY glad that he is okay because things could have been very bad.

After we got the BBQ issue worked out (thanks to a neighbor bringing hers over), everyone had a blast. There was lots of laughter, fun, and good conversation to be had, and by golly we had it! Near the end Nyah blew out her candle and we passed out her cute princess cupcakes to all her friends. By the time everyone was ready for her to open her gifts she was wet and shivering, but as soon as she realized what was about to happen she perked right up and got to it with full force. Honestly, people were so kind and generous, and it was so much fun to celebrate with everyone. We were bummed when it was time for people to go back home.

I can't wait for Zane to turn five, we just love a good party!

Our Trip to San Diego

2008-07-07T09:07:00.000-06:00

Last week the kids and I went on a trip to San Diego with Jeff's sister Kim. One of Kim's friends brought one of her friends, and they both brought their kids. We stayed in Kim's condo which was really nice, and we had a blast going to the Zoo, Sea World, and Disneyland. Zane and Nyah both really enjoyed playing at the beach with their shovels and buckets, and I had fun snaping photos of them getting dirty and wet!

We were there during Nyah's second birthday, and it was so fun to have lots of kids to celebrate with. I bought her cupcakes, and Kim's friend Amanda got her a chocolate cake. She had fun opening her gifts, but most of all she loved her new pink princess shoes. They are the fake plastic high heels that you can get in the toy section for $2.50, and I have to say that was the best $2.50 I have ever spent on her. She is delighed with them! I can't say that I am suprised though. She has been obsessed with shoes for the past year, and high heels are her very favorite!

Zane was so excited to go to a Padres game while we were in SD. He was totally focused on the game the whole time, and even got bitter at me for trying to distract him for a photo! He loves baseball, and he is learning so much about the game every day. It is amazing how alike he and his dad really are.

Here I Am!!!!

2008-06-12T18:06:00.000-06:00

yeah, i am officially a blogger now! come and check me out.