Bear Lake

Me and my man, isn't he handsome?!?

So high!

Brett could have stayed on the swings all day!

Beautiful Bear Lake

Scott and Sheri ~ we love these guys!

Savannah just kept smiling and giggling ~ so cute!

Kids are always so cute when they are asleep!

Zonked out after a busy day!

Savannah asleep; she wasn't very impressed with the change from home and didn't sleep well during the night!



We went to Bear Lake and stayed in our condo over the weekend with Mike's brother Scott and his wife Sheri. We had such a fun time! It was nice to be all together, and I was impressed that it was actually pretty warm! The highlight of the trip for the kids was going to the park by the lake. We had such a great time ~ thanks for coming with us Scott and Sheri!

Fall

If a picture paints a thousand words..................I'll post a thousand pics!!!

We had fun seeing the fall colors up at Muellar Park; awesome job on the pictures Mike!!!

Abby and Pippin

Mike trying to put the kids bunk bed together, Pippin adores Mike and is always right by his side.
Pippin on the back of the computer chair while Mike is working on his iTunes collection.
Abby will perch just about anywhere, here she is by the phone and on top of my keys and mail!
I am sure Mike will love this picture, but I couldn't resist!

Pippin and Abby are our cats ~ aren't they cute? I love these pictures because it shows their personalities so well. We got Abby the first Christmas after we got married. Mike loved cats, we both grew up with them and I decided to surprise him with a cat on our first Christmas. My parents watched her for a few days, snuck her into our apartment Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day I brought her into our room. Mike was so excited, he picked her up and said "A Cat!!!!" Shortly prior to Brett being born we added Pippin to our family. We bought him from Wasatch Humane when he was just a kitten. Abby is the multi colored cat and Pippin is the orange one. We love them, Abby with her stubborn and sometimes uppity attitude and Pippin with his need to cuddle, and follow us around. We love our cats!

"I tag"

I: was tagged by Bobbi
I am: grateful for my family
I think: and stress about things I have no control over....all the time!
I know: that I can tend to be a stress case at times!
I want: to be able to sleep in until 9:00 am, or even 8:00.
I have: 3 kids, which keep me busy!
I dislike: laundry. When you finally finish it there is another pile to get started on.
I miss: some of my friends from college ~ wish we were better at keeping in touch.
I fear: that I am too hard on my kids sometimes, or that I am ruining them.
I feel: like I am getting old; I am going to be 30 next month!
I hear: the Florida and LSU football game in the background, hence the reason I am blogging on a Saturday night!
I smell: the Peppermint Ice cream I am snacking on.
I crave: Hot Fudge to go on top of my Peppermint Ice cream; but I gave Chocolate up on October 1st, since we can't have a healthy relationship ~ it's all or nothing!
I cry: seldom; unless I am pregnant. I will cry during corny commercials!
I usually: am patient.........unless it is dinner time and my 3 year old is having a tantrum!
I search: for my keys constantly, I can never seem to keep track of them!
I wonder: about the future, and especially about my children's future in this crazy world.
I regret: eating too much Peppermint Ice cream....Oh well!
I love: reading, I wish I just had more time to do so.
I care: about what others think of me; and I wish I didn't.
I always: wish time wouldn't go by so quickly! My little kids are growing up so fast!
I worry: as previously mentioned; pretty much all the time!
I am not: the size 2 I was when I got married
I remember: when Mike and I first met, I can't believe it has been 9 years!
I am sick of: hearing McCain and Obama debate and discredit each other! I look forward to the election being over!
I sing: horribly, unless you are asking one of my kids. They love to have me sing to them before naps.
I don't always: enjoy the moment.
I write: when I blog and I wish that I was a more creative writer.
I win: I used to be really good at the card game "War" or "Speed".
I lose: when I don't exercise. I am happier when I do.
I wish: I had the talent of falling asleep quickly at night; I am a very light sleeper
I listen: when someone needs me. I think I am a great listener, even if I don't always have advice to give.
I can usually be found: with a baby on my hip and two other kids between my legs while I am trying to get things done.
I am happy: with my life. I am lucky to have Mike, Emily, Brett and Savannah in it. I couldn't ever ask for more.
I tag: Mandi, Cassy, and Sheri.

Chicken Noodle Soup

One of my favorite things about the fall weather, is that the chill in the air means it is soup season! I love making soup, and I have a lot of really good recipes. I had book club at my house tonight and thought I would make it since Autumn is here (YAY!) Of course, I had to make some rolls to go along with it. Soup with rolls are some of the best comfort foods. Here is my recipe.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

(This makes a ton ~ and I usually half the recipe)

6 chicken breasts, or 1 whole chicken

4 celery stalks

1 onion

5 chicken bouillon cubes

3 cans cream of chicken soup

6-8 carrots cut up or shredded (I do both for variety)

2 pkg Grandma's Frozen noodles ( find them in the freezer section of the store)

Boil chicken, cut up celery and onion, and bouillon cubes until tender ( a couple of hours) in large pot with 8 quarts of water. Remove chicken from pot when it is tender. Add carrots and Grandma's noodles to pot; cook until tender, about 20 minutes. While noodles are cooking, debone and shred chicken. Add chicken and creamed soups, mix well.

Enjoy!

A weekend of parties!

Here is Emma with her balloons Mike got for her the morning of her Birthday. She is showing that she is six years old! When I asked what kind of party she wanted to have she said a "Halloween party!" She loves Halloween, so we had a friend party on Saturday and they all dressed up.
Here are a couple of her friends, Shahalee (Snow White) and Morgan (Green M&M). We played tombstone musical chairs, pin the face on the mummy, and a rat race.
Anastasia (cat) and Maddy (50's girl) also came. For lunch I made bread sticks, and called them "witch fingers". You put a sliced almond at one end and it looks like a nail. Mike helped a TON during the party (thanks Mike!) and made some yummy mozzarella sticks. Then they dipped them in marinara sauce.
I loved watching Em open her presents, all the girls would surround her and be so excited to see each one! After the presents we decorated pumpkin sugar cookies. It was fun to see all of their different creations.
This is Emily as a Utah cheerleader and her cousin Haylie as Super Girl.
Mike made the cake for Emily, it was so awesome! It was a home made pumpkin cake ~ delicious! He then decorated it, I love the Ghost Peeps on the side with the spider rings! I know not very many guys out there would make and decorate a cake, he always has so much fun doing it. I really am lucky to have him. Emma loved her cake and thought it was so cool, we even had some toy rats from one of her party games and Mike had them by the cake sniffing it ~ so funny! Mike loves Halloween too, and had fun decorating for the parties. On Sunday our families came over and enjoyed cake and ice cream. It was a really fun weekend, and Emily had such a good time.

Happy Birthday Emma!!!

Today is Emily's Birthday, she is six years old! I can't believe that my little girl is already six! I know that it is cliche to say, "it just seems like yesterday that she was born". But, it is so true! I remember looking into her eyes for the first time and instantly falling in love with her. I was so tired and exhausted after a terribly long labor; but, right away it was all worth it. I am so grateful for her sweet nature. She loves to give hugs, cuddle and smile. She is a great big sister to Brett and Savannah, and such a helper. I went to her school this morning and we passed out cupcakes with spider rings on them to her friends. She was so excited! Here she is in her new Birthday shirt we gave her. I am so grateful to have her as my daughter. We are going to have a friend Birthday party and a family one this weekend and I will post pics from that later. I just wanted to say Happy Birthday on her Birthday. Love you Emma!