New Auntie....

My brother mark and his wife ruth just had their second baby. A sweet girl they named LUCY!!! So sweet. She is just perfect! JUST LIKE HER MOM AND DAD! I can't wait to see her. That now makes me the proud aunt of

13 Neices and 14 Nephews

and I love them all so much!!!!

Baller...

Tommy is very athletic! He loves anything that I would classify as exhausting! He loves all sports. He is pretty good too! This season he is playing basketball and Barry is coaching his team, with help from a few other dads. It's pretty fun having a team full of kids in our ward and being able to play against the schows teams. It makes basketball night fun for mom's too when we get to see our friends! Here are a few pics. They aren't great... I will have to try again another week.

A List of Birthday Thank-Yous

-Thanks to my mom and dad, for having me 28 years ago!!!
-Thanks for the gym having no room for Kyla in Childcare today... So I could have a lazy birthday morning!!
-Thanks to Kira for the morning talk, gift and booster juice... You are more amazing than you know!
-Thanks to my amazing sis-in-laws for a fun lunch date!!! I love you guys :)
-Thanks to my mom-in-law for singing me happy birthday over the phone!!! and for the money of course :)
-Thanks to Canyon Meadows Theatre for having a mommy and baby showing of "boy in the striped pajama's" today. I loved it!!
-Thanks to Christy for getting tommy off the bus for me... You are THE BEST!!!
-Thanks to the gazillion "Happy Birthday" messages on facebook and voicemail!
-Thanks to Rachel for inviting me out to lunch on my BD, sorry I already had plans... But it's the thought that counts... RIGHT, plus now we have an excuse to go to lunch another time!!! Love you girl!!
-Thanks to Christy for the amazing BD gift and Crave cupcake (especially because it is a princess cupcake!) I love you tons and am so glad you came and hung out for a few hours today!!!
-Thanks to Kira for the beautiful oboe music... it really was for my birthday, RIGHT??? good luck tomorrow! Love ya tons...
-Thanks to my adorable kids for just being themselves and making me SOOO happy on my birthday. I love you two with all my heart!!! (and tommy, I love you more than you ever say!!!)
-Thanks to Tommy, Carter and Linken for the sweet handmade birthday cards!!! I LOVE THEM!!!
-Thanks to my mom for the phone call to say happy birthday and for the gift in the mail... whenever it gets here!!! I LOVE YOU!
-Thanks to my sister Pam for commenting on my friends blog! way to represent!!! LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!
-Thanks to Christy again for dedicating a post to me today... that was the sweetest thing ever. Now I have a lot to live up to!!! It's funny though... you described "yourself" in that top ten list!!! You are amazing!!!
-Thanks to my so sweet and so secretive hubby Barry.... Dinner was good, the conversation was better and the super soft robe is perfect!!! I LOVE YOU A MILLION AND MORE!!!

I hope I didn't forget anyone!!!

Thanks for a special birthday :)

A very creative paint job....

While we were in Cali a few weeks ago I took tommy and kyla to the Childrens Museum there to kill some time!! Like the pool wasn't entertainment enough!!! It wasn't as big or as nice as the one we have here in Calgary, but It wasn't as crowded either. We were able to play around and not feel rushed. We had fun, like making pretend pizzas and buying them from each other and kyla had amazing time destroying the baby area... or just pulling all the toys out and onto the floor. She is oh so talented at that!!!


We did this many times and made cool ramps that the ball would jump off of.Isn't my baby smart... she can already build a puzzle! Haha The coolest thing they had there was this car that they let the kids paint. How fun is that? except I hope that doesn't give tommy any ideas for my car!

While I was sitting there watching him paint, I was talking to the lady that worked there. I asked her what they do after the car is all painted ( do they get a different one). She said at the end of every year, they wash the paint off and start fresh.

She showed us this HUGE block of paint that was chipped off last year. It was about 1 foot long by 6 inches wide and about 3 inches thick. Now that is alot of paint!!! I couldn't even count the layers there were so many! It was seriously amazing how much paint was on that car! She chipped me off a piece to take home. Let me know if you want to see it! It's pretty cool.

Update on the kidoos... Kyla is working on tooth #4 I keep thinking it will pop through any minute! Tommy lost his other front tooth in cali... Barry just couldn't resist giving it a quick and strong tap! Out it came... Tommy came running to me, so excited that is was out and "it didn't even hurt!!"

Boy isn't this GRAND!!!

As a child growing up in utah... we went to the Grand Canyon a few times. It was always so amazing a fun to me, but I can remember my mom's voice saying..."Get away from the edge, or I'm going to make you sit in the car!" Haha, I swear I wasn't that close. So I heard recently that they made a skywalk that goes out over the canyon.
This is soooo my thing! Maybe that's why tommy is such a dare devil! Gets it from the old lady :) I told tommy about the Grand Canyon today and he really wants to go... but, I have decided that I am not taking my kids until they are all older. Because I know that I will be screaming, "Get away from the edge, or I'm going to make you sit in the car!"

But... I do want my kids to see it one day as well as many other amazing places!

What would you like your kids to see one day?

Hero Fridays

Okay... so todays hero might surprise some of you. But to me he is a hero!!!

My hero today is... drum roll please :)

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Being in the healthcare field myself... I see many people either throw their health to the dogs or have "no clue" they are throwing their health to the dogs. Most people don't know about their bodies or how to really care for them. Dr. Oz tells it like it is and he is extremely knowledgable! I don't know about you... but whenever he is on TV, you will find me watching! But part of it is that I really do like looking at colons, lungs, livers and other organs! Anatomy is my favorite part about nursing :) I know and have talked to many doctors at work that are good, but still don't have all the answers. I feel like Dr. Oz is such a smart man and than he takes that knowledge and tries to educate people. He isn't just running his own practice trying to make a pretty penny... He is trying to help people become healthier. And Frankly... the health of our society is crap!!! YEAH FOR DR. OZ...

BTW, I even got barry watching him on TV, so that must mean he's good!

Hero Fridays

Being the mother of a son who flies on airplanes roughly 18 times a year (9 round trips). I am continuously worried about a tragic accident occuring. My biggest fear is not that the plane will crash and he will be killed... Because I know that after this life comes a much more peaceful one! My biggest fear is that... in the moments before a crash, he will know that the plane is going down and I will not be there to tell him what a great kid he is and how much I love him and how everything is going to be okay!!! So when I heard about this incident... I wanted to give the pilot a big HUG!!! My hero this friday is...

Pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III

Yesterday this Pilot was able to succesfully land his plane into the Hudson River in NYC. After what they think was two bird strikes...the engines stopped working. "All" of the 150 passengers got off safely. The most heroic part of it is that... before getting off the plane, Pilot Sullenberger walked up and down the plane to make sure everyone else was off. I also read that after landing in the water... the crew immediately opened the doors and started helping people off the plane, including a woman with a baby. Who I believe was the first one assisted off the plane. I was also so impressed that the rescue boats were there within minutes to get those people to warmth. The water was 40 degree F/4 Celc. and the air was 20 degrees F/-7 Celc. These people would not have survived if not rescued quickly.

I love knowing that among all the horrible things that go on in our society these days... there are still hero's among us!!! Pilot Sullenberger.... I APPLAUD YOU!!!!

Essence of SLUSH...

No, this is not the new flavor of slurpy at 7-11 or the new type of body treatment at the spa...


This is what is now covering my car, house, outside and "inside" on my new shoes and about 6 inches up my pant legs!!! Please don't be jealous... I am more than willing to share my portion!


I pitty you people that weren't able to witness my dainty attempt at tiptoing into the safeway this afternoon...While carrying Kyla, In her car seat (might I add...just to find out that I forgot a quarter for a cart :) Maybe if I had worn my old point shoes I may not have ended up with one wet foot and one dry foot! Now isn't that comfortable.


But hey kira... who can be sad, mad or frustrated when there is a beautiful blue sky???? No me :)

BTW, this is not me getting soaked... and for that, I am thankful!!!

Updates... I will try not to bore you!

Our Christmas was small and simple this year. Tommy was in Texas. Barry wanted to just do stockings for each other this year, which I did. Though, I should have known...

Our first year - Barry said lets only spend $50.00 on each other. So I did. But he spent WAY more on me. He spoiled me with multiple gift cards and a day of shopping!

Our second year - We had no rules. I spent a good deal on him, but he still beat me. Bought me a new Canon Camera among many other things.

So, yes... I should have known, He did not just buy stocking stuffers this year. Some of the funnest things he got me were... a 35 X 25 oil painting on canvas of one of our family pictures. He had it done by a woman in China. He also got me a tripod for my camera, gift cert to a spa and many more things. I swear i will not trust him next year when he says there is a price limit.

(Now, I am not saying the it is good to go crazy on christmas gifts. But when he keeps doing that, than it makes me feel bad!!!)

We only got Kyla a few things, since she doesn't care anyway. Here she is Christmas Morning.


After Christmas we headed down to Palm Springs with some friends. We had a great time! Tommy flew there to meet us after a few days. We did a ton of swimming, a little shopping and the guys went golfing at PGA West and La Quinta Resort.

My in-laws house backs onto a golf course, so they went and practiced chipping and putting.

I decided to take some time to practice using my camera. I've really enjoyed learning how to use my camera and am interested in taking some photography classes after i get my perm. residence. Here are some shots I got... (these have not yet been fix in photoshop... they are straight from my camera.)

Tylie

Marcus

Alexander

Alexander and (dad) Nate

Sawyer

Sawyer and (mom) Nancy
Tommy and Kyla

Marcus

Tylie and (mom) Nancy

Alexander

Tylie

Kyla in her favorite sitting position... maybe she will be a cheerleader.

Tommy at the driving range using grandpa's club.

Good thing it was late and no one knew tommy wasn't in golf clothes :)

Our last night there we walked to the driving range and Tommy, Barry and Grandpa hit balls. There was a beautiful moon out! Such a great ending for our trip! Can't wait till we go again!!!