Spring?

I can't believe these pictures were taken today, April 24th! I sat with Dave and both of Dave's parents in a near blizzard trying to watch Jaron's track meet. Jaron slipped on his second long jump attempt and hyper extended his knee. He seems to be doing o.k. now. He thinks he will be able to run tomorrow. They cancelled the meet not long after the start as the weather continued to get worse.

Here we are braving the weather. Lindsay was begging to come with me to the meet, but she has been fighting a bad cough for a couple weeks. I am so glad I made her stay home with Brayden! I was totally freezing by the time I headed home. My hands were so cold just by gathering the blankets and chairs to pack up to go home. This is an experience I will remember for a long time! We hope next week brings better weather for the big Alpine Days meet. At least it isn't likely to be worse than today. I'm hoping spring arrives before summer gets here.

Happy Very Belated Birthday Dad!

I finally took my dad out to the lunch I promised him for his birthday that was back on Feb. 21st. I didn't forget, life just gets busy. We met at NuSkin, and walked across the street to a little Chinese dive called the Lotus Garden. He had eaten there several times, and he and my mom had both talked about it. Well, I love Chinese, so I had to try it. It was an all-you-can-eat buffet...not great for me trying to lose weight, but oh well. I tried to be farely good but I didn't do great. I will definitely be going back there! My favorite part was the Mongolian Grill where you fill up a bowl of any meats, shrimp, vegetables (mmm... onions and mushrooms were half my bowl) and a teriyaki sauce that they cook for you right there. I took Lindsay along with me. She wasn't really hungry because she ate lunch with Natalie before we left, but she kept eyeing my broccoli. I offered her so many different things, and she tried a few, but kept insisting on the broccoli. Grandpa offered to take her to get ice cream with him and she was all smiles when she returned. They brought back a bowl that had a little of all the different flavors they offered plus some cake, pudding, and strawberries. She couldn't stop smiling. Grandpa also gave Lindsay a balloon, which she accidentally let go of as we were walking back to the car. I thought that was the end of that balloon, when my dad took off after it (and it was breezy outside and there was quite a bit of traffic there on Center St. in Provo). Lindsay was very pleased that he returned safely with her balloon. As I left, my dad and I agreed that we have to get together more often. I really had an enjoyable time.

As a bonus, Lindsay fell asleep on the way to lunch, and on the way home from lunch. Two naps in one day... that never happens. Here she is asleep on the couch with the balloon from Grandpa.

Bye, Bye Rats

We all said goodbye to most of the rats today. It was definitely time to get rid of them though. We had 13 rats living in very small quarters. It was quite the ordeal just to separate out the 10 we were taking to the pet store, and the 3 we were keeping. There were rats jumping everywhere!
Those baby rats are like baby kangaroos! I thought the kids would be more upset about getting rid of them, but they did fine. They realized now that the rats have grown so much, that we can't keep them. Their room was starting to smell like a pet store! It is just very difficult to keep a cage clean with so many rats!
As we drove to the pet store, I was crossing my fingers that they wouldn't give us a hard time about bringing all those rats to them without any notice. We walked into the store, explained the situation, and they took them, no questions asked. It went very smoothly. I was very relieved.
I just hope we actually picked out 2 baby females for us to keep. I made Brayden triple check our rats, and I hope we didn't goof.

Natalie's Crazy Birthday Day

Many of these pictures describe yesterday to a T. Lindsay wasn't able to make it through the first five minutes of dinner before she zonked out. I got up at 6:30 a.m. and didn't stop until 10:30 p.m. I felt like I was so busy all day! After getting ready for the day, I had to make a quick trip to Smith's. I already had a bunch of cake mixes on hand, but I have been stubbornly boycotting the high cost of eggs, so we had no eggs in the house. After I got back from getting eggs at the store, I had to get started on two birthday cakes for Natalie. She needed one for her friends party and an ice-cream cake for our family party at night. As soon as the cakes were done, we headed out to meet Dave's mom to go birthday shopping for Natalie. We went to Kohl's and Target, but we didn't really find what we were looking for. We did find shoes for Natalie at Payless. One of my favorite parts of the entire day was watching her strut up and down the store aisle swaying her hips. She knew how great she looked in those shoes! We raced home, made and cleaned up lunch and prepared for the friends that would be arriving soon for Natalie's party.
Natalie got two phone calls from grandparents in the middle of her party. She was happy to talk to them but as soon as she finished, she would run the phone back to me so she could resume playing with her friends.
I sent the kids out to play on the trampoline while Jaron and Brayden set up a treasure hunt for them.
This is the kids racing back into the house after finding a clue taped to the bottom of the mail box. The "treasure" was located in our basement under our stairs. Jaron was down under the stairs to ensure that there was no fighting, etc. You can't stand up to full height under our stairs, but Jaron attempted to and hit his head very hard on the short ceiling. Jaron came upstairs with his head split open. I helped him clean it up, and we headed over to Sara Arnold's to get a professional opinion if he needed to go to the doctor. She said he would need a few staples. I thought Jaron was going to cry when he heard the word "staples" when his head already hurt so bad. Well, I had to take Jaron to Instacare, but I had a party to finish first. I knew how important this party was to Natalie. We quickly opened presents and had cake and ice cream before I shooed everyone out of the house so I could get Jaron to the doctor. When we made it home from the doctor, I had Natalie's dinner request of Nachos to make before Dave's parents came over for a little party. It was a fun and crazy day. Natalie reminded me several times about the whipped cream. We didn't forget. She got a huge mouthful. I hope Natalie had a great 6th b-day!

I Turned 35 Yesterday!

This was 20 years ago! I can't believe how time flies! When did I get so old? It seems like just a few years ago, I was in high school. Now- I have a couple kids not too far away from starting high school themselves! I had a great day despite my old age.
I spent the morning cleaning, more than I had planned to because I was outside the day before for nearly the whole day, and I got nothing accomplished in my house. My visiting teachers showed up in the morning with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My old college roommates and friends- Amie and Heather came over with their kids for the day. I hadn't seen either of them in over 3 1/2 years. We scheduled our get-together when the weather was supposed to be in the 70's, but we ended up with 40's, wind, and snow. The kids were great though, and Amie, Heather, and I were able to visit for several hours. It was so fun catching up, and after they left I felt disappointed in myself for letting so much time go by without planning a time to see one another before then. We now have a date scheduled when the three of us are going to meet for dinner in a couple of months. I am determined to keep these friendships intact, and I will not let time get away from me again!Dave was so sweet! He was determined to make dinner for me even though it was too cold to barbecue outside. He isn't that comfortable around the kitchen, so I am always touched that he wants to cook for me. He called me 3 or 4 times from the store, because he wasn't sure about ingredients, but the dinner ended up turning out great! We had homemade cheese steak sandwiches with roast beef, onions, peppers, and Swiss cheese on hoagie buns. Heather brought over fresh pineapple as a birthday gift. I don't think she had any idea that fresh pineapple is my favorite fruit, and we added it to our dinner menu. We had a little celebration afterward with with me, Dave, and the kids. Everyone chipped in money to buy me some sweet gifts, and each of them also made me homemade gifts that I love. We had cupcakes that Amie brought over and mint chocolate chip ice-cream. I unknowingly started a new tradition on Bryce's birthday. I sprayed whip cream straight into his mouth. He loved it, and yesterday he asked if he could spray whipped cream in my mouth. I initially said no because I didn't really want cream, but then I thought of how much Bryce would enjoy spraying it in my mouth, and said he could. He was so thrilled. Now, Natalie can't wait for her birthday tomorrow so we can spray cream in her mouth. I love traditions, and it is so funny how little ones creep in and become an important part of our lives. I had a great birthday, and I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life!

No Pics of Just Us

Dave and I take lots of pictures. We checked, and we have 2400 pictures saved on our computer from the past 12 months. Out of those 2400 pictures, not one is of just Dave and I. That is sad!In fact we have just a handful of pictures of just us since we met. So, to remedy the situation, we had Brayden take pictures of the two of us before we left for church.

After we had plenty of the two of us, Dave wanted to try out our new tripod, so we attempted to do a family picture with the timer. We have never tried this before, and there are seven of us, so we weren't too hopeful that any would turn out. They actually look decent. It only escalated from there, and we have a ton of pictures from Sunday! Bryce got his hands on the camera and took pictures of the walls, his hands, the side of our heads... you get the picture (no pun intended). I am going to make a bigger effort to have Dave and I in some pictures together.

General Conference Tradition

Every General Conference, after the Sunday sessions, my siblings and their families meet at our parents' home for hoagies. We used to meet after the first session, have lunch, and watch the 2nd session together. But now, my parents have 19 grandchildren all living close by, and nobody gets to listen to any of the last session with all those kids running around! So, we wisely changed it to after the final session in October of last year. It is a fun tradition that we have been doing since my mom married into the Goddard family. I remember going to Grandma Goddard's and having hoagies when I was younger. It will always be a fond memory I associate with General Conference. My kids expect it now too. As soon as we mention that General Conference is coming up, they always mention, "We are going to Grandma and Grandpa's for hoagies, right?"

100 Things About Me

I just read my friend Amie's blog. This was my favorite thing on her blog, so I am copying the concept to my own blog. I didn't think I would be able to come up with 100 things about myself, but it didn't take very long at all, and I had a lot of fun thinking about it. Well, here we go...

1. I love being a wife to Dave!
2. I love being a mom to my 5 wonderul kids!
3. I love being a stay-at-home mom. It never has seemed like a sacrifice to me-it has been what I always wanted.
4. I love playing basketball!
5. I hate running unless it is when I'm playing basketball.
6. We eat dinner together every night as a family.
7. I hate dusting the house! That is definitely the worst chore for me!
8. No, ironing is worse. I have ironed maybe 3 times since I've been married out of pure necessity. If I find a piece of clothing that can't be fluffed in the dryer to get the wrinkles out, I donate it to D.I.
9. I love ice cream and eat it 5 or 6 days a week.
10. I snack on too many sweets. I know a lot of people that go without sugar, but it is never a consideration for me.
11. My favorite sweets are Whoppers and Pearson's Peppermint Patties in those huge containers from Costco.
12. I enjoy cooking- I just don't like coming up with ideas of what to cook.
13. I would experiment more with new dinner menus and recipes if I didn't have so many picky eaters.
14. My favorite meals are in the summer when Dave barbeques hamburgers or steaks.
15. Dave and I have known each other since I was 14 and he was 15.
16. I never sleep in. I hate wasting my time in bed in the morning.
17. I'm not a late night person. I have probably stayed up past midnight just a few times in the past 15 years.
18. I hate to know anything about a book or movie before I read or see it. You can tell me if it is fiction or an action adventure- but nothing else!
19. I love March Madness and the Bracket Challenges! We always have a group set up on Yahoo every year.
20. I love fantasy football and have played for at least the last 10 years- and I'm pretty good at it.
21. I love watching BYU fooball! I just need to see the game- I don't need to be there. Going seems like a lot of work.
22. I love tickling my kids. I tickle at least one of them every day.
23. I love reading but I tend to let characters and books consume me and influence my feelings way too much. I have to be careful about what I read.
24. I love the gospel! I have always had a strong testimony as far back as I can remember.
25. I love my friends! I need to do better at keeping in touch with old friends!
26. I love taking pictures. I'm always afraid if we don't take pictures of things, we'll forget all the wonderful times and memories we've had - they will just slip away.
27. I like digital scrapbooking as a means to help us remember how blessed we are and the wonderful times we have had together. I will never go back to paper scrapping.
28. I'm really scared of when my youngest starts school! I don't know what I will do with myself!
29. I love reading personal finance blogs.
30. I am very frugal. If I can do it myself or Dave can do it- I won't pay someone else to do it.
31. I love getting my food storage in order. I love organizing it and feeling somewhat prepared.
32. I love family traditions and we have a lot of them!
33. I'm not much into style. I know I don't wear the cutest clothes or have the cutest hairstyle and I don't care.
34. I love being comfortable. Jeans and T-shirts is my style.
35. I love playing basketball with the women in my ward! They are some awesome basketball players! I hope they never move!
36. I love our neighborhood. I am happy and content to live here forever!
37. I can shop for hours and not spend any money. I usually have to be looking at a specific item many different times before I actually buy it. I am not an impulse shopper!
38. I love to find great deals on groceries, and then stock up. I love when the ads come out!
39. I love visiting with friends outside when the weather is nice.
40. I don't like winter to last very long because of #39. Winter really puts a damper on my social life!
41. I am outside in the summer for at least 6 to 8 hours a day but I am a sit in the shade person. I don't care about being tan!
42. I hate being overscheduled!
43. If I have to use a calendar or planner, I am overscheduled! I like remembering all I have to do in my head.
44. I don't have much use for lists. I can't believe I am making a list!
45. I am probably one of the last people in the U.S. who has never had a cell phone. And as of right now, I have no need or desire for one.
46. I love going to Education Week with my mom, Kelli, and sister-in-laws every year. It is my fun girl time away.
47. I love being at home when my kids come home from school.
48. Even though we have 2 kids that babysit now, I don't like leaving them much. I feel guilty that I should be spending time with them at home instead.
49. I love our yearly trips to Moab and Arches with our awesome neighbor friends.
50. I am fairly shy until I get to know you well.
51. I hate being late or rushed. I am not rational if I think I am going to be late.
52. I don't like wearing jewelry.
53. I can't live without my wedding ring though. I have to take it off to play basketball and I am so paranoid about losing it. I have even worn it throughout all 5 of my pregnancies.
54. I hate it when my kids don't get their chores done, because then I nag, and I hate nagging. I don't like being the bad guy.
55. I used to be pretty good at tennis. I don't play much now because of an injured shoulder.
56. I worry more than I should.
57. I love living in Utah and having so much of our family close to us.
58. I have so many fond memories of vacationing in Yosemite. I hope my kids have fond memories from our vacations.
59. I cut all my kids' hair. None of them have ever had their hair cut by anyone else. (See #30)
60. I am excited to take my kids to Seven Peaks this summer. We have season passes!
61. I worry too much about what others think of me.
62. I think long and hard about most things before I say them out loud.
63. I love General Conference. I just feel uplifted and wonderful afterward. I'm so happy to know we have a living prophet here on the earth!
64. I am not a spur of the moment person. I am a thorough planner.
65. I don't like skirts or dresses. I am changed out of church clothes within 5 minutes of being home.
66. I am horrible at thank-you cards, e-mail, and Christmas cards. I sent out our 1st Christmas card this past Christmas after 14 years of marriage!
67. I don't paint my fingernails or toenails except clear on rare occasions. I don't like to draw attention to them, or take the time to do it.
68. I wear size 11 shoes and wish I would grow taller to match my feet. I'm only 5'7".
69. I am a cautious person- including driving.
70. I can't sew at all, and have no desire to learn. I can sew on a button if I have to- otherwise- it goes to D.I. or Dave calls his mom.
71. Unlike my parents- I don't like going to movies.
72. I love Chinese and Mexican food.
73. I like watching movies at home on DVD once. I don't like watching a movie more than one time.
74. I love bouncing my kids on the trampoline.
75. I wish I were in a book club.
76. I love being with good friends. It feels awkward being with people I don't know fairly well.
77. I like eating out as long as it doesn't cost too much. I definitely can't spend money on drinks. Water for us!
78. Dave is the perfect husband for me! I knew what I was doing when I fell in love with him as a teenager.
79. I don't like soda pop.
80. I get motion sick so easily! I hate it.
81. I don't like yard work. I'm a horrible gardener.
82. We finally decorated our master bedroom after 14 1/2 years of marriage. I love it.
83. My new exercise routine is Dance, Dance Revolution.
84. I bite my fingernails but they don't look cute even when I don't bite them (Kelli understands.)
85. I graduated from BYU with a degree in Business Administration.
86. I love hanging out in the basement that Dave and I finished mostly by ourselves.
87. I feel so blessed! It often scares me that my life is going so well.
88. I am horrible at detail work. Dave takes care of lots of the detail stuff.
89. I love being with my kids. They are awesome!
90. I had Bell's Palsy 10 years ago and still feel many of its effects every day.
91. I'm not very artistic, which is probably why it took so long to decorate our bedroom.
92. I love wearing tennis shoes. If I am wearing shoes other than tennis shoes- I am going to church or some other special event.
93. I love my fluffy, comfy, colorful socks. I wear them every day.
94. I love all that my children teach me.
95. I love board games.
96. I wish I could sing well.
97. I want to be a better mom and wife.
98. I love watching the TV show "24."
99. I am terrified of bees and heights, but especially bees.
100. My husband gives me the best back rubs, and I love them!

Our Kitchen Project

This winter has been full of home improvement and decorating projects. We finished our kitchen about 2 weeks ago, and we are so happy with the results. It took about 6 weeks from start to finish. We replaced our ugly fluorescent light box with recessed lights, added crown molding to our cabinets, painted the kitchen walls, painted the cabinets, added cabinet hardware, and added cubbies above our fridge. These are some before and after pics. I didn't think to take before pictures until right before Dave started to do the molding, so it is a bit messy, but I am so glad I did it anyway. All we need to do now is get new chairs to go in the kitchen, and add some artwork to the walls.

We Can't Be That Old

to have a son in track! It seems like it was just yesterday that I was watching Dave at his track meets. Needless to say, we are so excited to watch Jaron compete for his Jr. High track team. He has performed well in his two meets so far, and improved a ton from his first meet just a week ago, to his 2nd meet yesterday. In both meets he has run the 400 meters, the mile, and done the high jump and long jump. He has a talent for jumping, and we hope he will improve even more when he learns some technique.

Here are his results: 1st Meet vs. Mountain Ridge Jr. High
400 meters: 1:12
5th place

1 mile: 6:31 3rd place

high jump: 4'3" 3rd place

long jump: 13'6" 1st place
















2nd Meet vs. Canyon View Jr. High
400 meters: 1:14 3rd place

1 mile: 6:18 (don't know the place yet because they run all the grades together, yet they are placed according to grade)

high jump: 4'8" 2nd place

long jump: 14'6" 1st place

For anyone interested in coming to any of his remaining meets, here is his schedule:

Apr. 8 at Willowcreek Middle School at 3 p.m.
Apr. 24 at Lehi High School at 3 p.m.
May 1-2 at Mountain View High School (These are the district finals, and all the schools compete together and I don't know the start time yet.)