Well, Have You Signed Up, Have Ya, Have Ya?!

We're getting close to the Salt Lake MS Walk date, Saturday, April 24th! I would love it if you would come walk with us. Or even better, donate to this great cause and walk with us!

We are so close to a real stop to this disease, I just know it. The MS Society helps fund research going on around the country, and provides services to people fighting MS and their families.

Let me know if you're interested in joining us, and I'll send you a link. And if you have signed up, you should have received an information packet by now. You have to bring the donation envelope (even if it's empty) and a waiver form with you to participate next Saturday.

Love to All!

Bon Anniversaire, Ma Belle!

So we spent Belle's birthday driving back from Canada. 12 hours strapped into a booster seat. Happy Birthday! But, we partied like it was 1999 on Friday, and as you can see, she seemed to do just fine for the most part on her big day.

How we love this little munchkin! Some of the Belle Highlights of this year -- 1st Grade! Full day school, school lunch. It's all very exciting

-- New House, New School, New Ward, New Friends (that one took about 30 seconds)

-- Riding a Two Wheeler, all around the neighborhood, all the time!

-- Lost her First Tooth

-- First Sleepover

-- First Cupcakes all by herself! Pink and Purple, of course.



We just adore our little sweetheart. Her absolute favorite thing to do is help people. Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Cousins, Friends . . . she loves them all and loves to help them and feel grown up.

Happy Birthday, Belle!!

Oh Yeah, and Then There Was Easter!

We had a really great Easter this year. Conference was amazing as always, and I'm feeling really motivated to do better. But, since none of you read my blog for my random blatherings, hear are some pictures of the kids. I know where your loyalties are!

But wait, Juju, don't you have three children? Why, yes I do. But my third was naked at this point in the day and refused to put his outfit back on. So, stay tuned for Easter outfits redux, including all three children and much, much, much better pictures!

Notice the Guy didn't miss the candy portion of the day.

Goals for Next Year: Easter Egg Hunt (didn't get that done this year), decent Easter pictures (my camera! oh, my camera!), baskets on the Saturday before Easter (you know, to celebrate Easter, not the arrival of the Easter Bunny), and an Easter countdown. So, all of you check in on me next year and see how I did, ok?!

Next up, a certain little girl has a birthday!

So, What Do You Post About When You Really Have Nothing To Post About?!

I'm constantly harassed by my 'blogging' friends about how often I post. "This is your Family Journal," they say. "Your kids will look back on your blog and wonder what you did as a family!" Well, let's try to sum up the last two months, to catch y'all up!

-- Belle is up and running on her two-wheeler! Yeah, Belle! She's having a great time crusing the neighborhood with her friends.

-- Guy's decided he wants to ride the smallest two-wheeler, with training wheels. Sometimes. Some days, it's just 'too big.'

-- We survived another piano evaluation season for Bug. Two Saturdays of performance and other evaluations in sight reading and technique. I think we're both a bit worn out, because there has not been much practicing going on this week, since we've finished up.

-- New cabinet pulls and a new patio! Stay tuned for sprinklers and grass and everything! Woohoo! And we're using under our stairs as a new reading cave for the kids. They love it! Plus, it keeps that area much neater than using it for toy storage. What a nightmare that was!

-- Severe crafty blahs! I have plenty of projects screaming my name, but all I want to do is sit in my chair and read. If you're not a Goodreads friend with me, by the way, consider me offended.

-- Niece Maggie arrives this month! We're not sure when exactly her parents are going to get to hold her. Maybe they can have the 10 pm - 7 am shift. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. But I can't wait to hold a baby again! The smell, the tiny head, the cute little tongue . . . heaven.

-- On the other end of the spectrum, my oldest nephew will be married next month and moving away to Ohio. I was one of the first to babysit him after he was born. Is he really old enough now to be getting married? Am I really that old?!

-- I am desperatelyl seeking a new hairstyle! I have a great friend who cuts my hair and does a great job, but I'm so styling deficient and have SO MUCH hair, it always ends up looking the same. Suggestions? Kind ones, please!

-- Conference starts tomorrow. Everyone make sure and watch Sunday morning session, you may just see a familiar face. Just saying.

Have a wonderful week everybody. I promise to post again soon with finished projects, home projects finished up, and kids lapping up the sunshine!

So This Is What The Sky Looks Like!

For the President's Day Holiday, we ventured down south for a little sunshine. January is depressing enough, but it seems like mother nature always agrees with us and seals our little valley of happiness in a grey, smoggy, nasty haze from December 26th to March 1st. Very blahh.

But down here, the sky is shining, the birds are singing, the kids are playing soccer (a lot of it), and the retirees are cruising around in their custom golf carts.

This sums up our vacation very nicely. Lots of playgrounds. Yes, we do have them here, but apparently not only is the grass greener, but the slides are, in fact, slipperier on the other side. We didn't do Zion's, no jaunts to Vegas or Mesquite for a $.99 all you can eat prime rib dinner. It was a quiet, slow, great weekend.

What vacation would be complete without a corndog the length of your arm? This was the real deal folks, dipped and fried while you wait. And The Guy ate every crumb.

No fathers were harmed in the making of this photo. I didn't think my dad had this in him. There's certainly something to that Dixie air.

These kids were spoiled like crazy by these favorite people of mine all weekend long. They're already asking us when can go back. I think Grandma and Grandpa need a little recoup time, but we'll definitely be back.

*Ahem* Merry Christmas!

Just to demonstrate that I am not a bad mother, shirking my duties of "memory preservation." I present now, my painfully cute children.

Please ignore the slight glossy look in Belle's eyes. She tore her tights at church (don't ask, you don't want to know), and was very upset that I might include her knees in the picture. This one's future husband is going to have the ride of his life, let me tell you!

Doesn't he just look like a GQ, Jr. model? We all agreed that vests are a fabulous look for him. I'm currently in the market for a cryogenic freezer to keep him little. The thought of him growing up makes my heart break, just a little.

Whever I look at this picture, I think of a song from The Sound of Music. I must have done something good somewhere along the line to deserve these beautiful spirits in my life.

Have a fabulous week, everyone, and be sure to appreciate every blessing in your life!

MS Walk 2010 -- And This Time I Mean It!

OK, so I'm not giving myself any excuses this year! My team is all set up and I'm registered. The Salt Lake walk in on April 24th at the Gateway. I hope you'll all come with me.




For even more info., click here: http://walkutu.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WLK_UTU_homepage

Send me a comment or an e-mail, and I'll respond with our team name. It doesn't cost anything to sign-up and register, but they do give you a suggested fundraising goal. Anything we can do will help, I'm sure. My goal is to have 30 people on our team this first year, whether you walk or not.


So let's all get signed up and get going!

p.s. There is also a bike ride and walks in other areas around the state and nation. No excuses here, people!