New Year - New Me!

Well, I guess it's about time for me to sit and post again! I have a little more motivation now that I gave my address out to a woman who blogs quite seriously... I can't be such a slacker now! She's going to check up on me (I just know it!) Well, it is 2008. I don't know where the years go! It seems like only yesterday, I was going to college at UVSC and enjoying my Institute activities, driving my little blue truck around and wishing I could find that perfect guy! Fly forward 12 years and here I am: married to the perfect guy, living in the East, chasing 3 kids around each day, worried about the Visiting Teaching numbers in our ward, and driving a VAN! Yeah. Never thought I'd do that! I am looking more and more like my old College self though! I've dropped a good 40 lbs and it feels fantastic to look in the mirror and finally recognize the woman that stares back at me! It's like the line from Hook - "OH! There you are...!!!" So. Here I am! My goals for this new year are... 1. Read the Book of Mormon cover to cover (shouldn't be too hard since that is our course of study for Gospel Doctrine this year!)
2. Exercise regularly! (I always said that I HATED exercise, but since I've seen some great results... it's changed my opinion on exercise! I LOVE IT!! I love to exercise! I love to sweat!!! Yeah, call me crazy. You wouldn't be the first!)
3. Continue my efforts at going through everything we own and purging or organizing it all! (This is my idea of fun! I know. You can call me crazy again.)
4. Grow my hair out! (I had to add an obscenely easy one in here... It will definitely happen and I can feel good about my goals at the end of the year!)
5. Get our little family out on a Family Vacation!! (We'd like to hit Disney World when Chris gets home! I would also LOVE to take the kiddo's to DC this summer too! - before we leave the East coast and go WHO KNOWS WHERE!!)
Ok. Five goals will have to do for now. I must go and pick up Jess from her tutoring session! At least I posted for today!! Yay!

Christmas Day!

Me! Christmas Eve - 2007
Sweet Kids! Christmas Eve - 2007
Cute project we made at Stamp Club in December!

Well, I know it's been ages... but I feel like posting! I have been so busy throughout December and it has made the time fly. We have had an amazing Christmas, even though Chris was not home with us! He was definitely missed. We were able to use the webcam with him this morning while we opened presents. It almost felt like he was here! We were all spoiled rotten and got so many things that we now need a bigger house... hee hee! I feel like we are SOOOO blessed! We were able to spend our day with dear friends and enjoy great food. I'm truly thankful this night that we were able to enjoy their company. They are our family away from our family and I'm so glad we have such great friends here. They are one in a million! I am so sleepy but I wanted to post and make it a HABIT to stay up to date here... I will try to be more vigilant!

Latest Cards I Made

I made these cards for my last Stampin' Up! party! I thought they turned out really cute! I used the new Purely Pomegranate ink for the flower above and I LOVE that color! Sooooo pretty! I used the Pick A Petal stamp set from the new catalog and the new Designer series paper! So much fun! The card below, I used the Vases In Vogue hostess set and I colored the flowers with the Pastels - very easy to use! I had been nervous to open them thinking they would be hard to use... hee hee! I'm getting excited to start up my Stamp Club! I have a fabulous group of women and I am really excited to be able to get out of the house and STAMP!! What more could I want!!?? Well, the kids are tearing up the house... gotta run!

Blanket Talk

Yeah, she's a blankie baby! She loves this blanket that my husband's sister made her when she was born. It's a beautiful quilt top on a fleece bottom and she just loves it. She sleeps with it and chews on it and it brings her such comfort! I was trying to think of the things that bring me comfort - which I am in sore need of today... It's been one of those days! I got to talk to my sweetie in Afghanistan today over our webcams!!! It was so fabulous to see him again - he looked great! All the kids just went nuts seeing him even though it was the slowest, most choppy connection... it was a connection! We have been waiting so long - nearly a month - to be able to see him on our computer and it was today! It makes me miss him so much! He's such a great daddie and it's so nice to have him home to take care of all of us! He does so much for us! Being able to see him really brought me a feeling of comfort. I think I can make it through for a little longer... or 9 months longer... I also take comfort in my friendships! I've made so many friends through our experiences with the Army. Friends that I hope to keep in touch with forever! I went to lunch today with a great friend and it was so nice to be able to talk with her amidst all the chaos that our children distributed... I love being able to talk about life with women who know what I'm going through. That brings me comfort. Well, I'm thinking I could go on a lot longer about this topic... but dinner is smelling done in the oven!! I'll have to continue later... Enjoy the lovely pictures of my little blankie baby!

Home at last!

So, I'm home at last! Heat, humidity and happiness. It is soooooooo hot. Hotter than it's been in years and years, says the weatherman. My air conditioner is groaning in the backyard. I pray it doesn't give out just yet!
I've been such a busy bee! I've organized all my kids drawers and their closet, gone through toys, clothes and shoes. It is that time of year. Getting ready for school always brings out the trash bags and grown out of/grow into bins. I shopped like a maniac in Utah and now the kids will be wearing new shirts, pants and shoes (for a week or so!) to school. I still haven't tackled the school supplies - saving the best for last! There is just something about freshly sharpened pencils and unopened boxes of crayons. I love the smell of paper, ahhhhhhh, new and fresh and ready for the math problems and spelling words! Yeah, I know I'm a little crazy! If they could only make a men's cologne... eau de papere! Hee hee! Glue sticks, erasers and shiny, sharp scissors.... Love this time of year!
I was just roughly called from my musings here at my desk to answer the front door. A new neighbor! Yippee. She has 4 children and they moved from Missouri, (originally from Tennessee). Quite a friendly lady. Member of the church. Nice. I felt a little awkward answering in my jeans and t-shirt with no make-up and fly away hair... but hey. What is the gospel about if it's not about loving people no matter what they look like??? She had been waiting to meet me... don't know what people have been telling her but I hope it was all good! We'll talk more, I'm sure. Her hubby is in the Q course and they'll be headed to Washington... Oh the West! How I miss it!
Well, my delicious dinner is calling. Yeah, I made a zucchini casserole (thanks Beck!). Sooooo good. I'll eat some for you!

Enjoying!

Me and my cousin at a family reunion.

She didn't want to get off!!! Ever!

and Places...

Jumpin out!
Her fave seat!

Motley bunch... camping above Marysvale

So excited to be outside!

Faces...

My new hairdo!

Cousins!

Cookie face!
Pretty Pretty Girl!

UT and the Hose!

Playing in the hose...

Loving it!

She wouldn't give it up!

Until she was frozen and purple!

OK and on to UT

Sweet pea!

Playin with cousin Coop!

UT!

Baby blues!

Oklahoma!

Oklahoma City Memorial

Chairs for each person who died

The tree that survived

Cuties!

Tennessee

Elvis' Home - Memphis, TN

You can just barely see it... where Elvis lived!

Cute cousins!

Oklahoma City Memorial

Beginning of Our Trip Home

So, We decided to make the trip and do it in a car! Yeah I am crazy! But what Mom isn't?? And besides, I had lots of help... My dad and little brother! I think next time we'll fly!

Leaving - All happy for now!

at the Biltmore Visitor Center

Reminds me of someone...

Nashville, TN