I love my boy

Today Justice and I were driving around running some errands and he had me in stitches a few times. We were approaching a factory that had several smokestacks with steam coming out. I asked him what he thought they made there. He said "I think it is probably a cloud factory- and it looks like they are making lots of clouds today!"
He is always worried about me driving too fast. I told him on the highway you can drive 55-65 miles an hour. He said "Next time we should take the "low"way so you don't have to drive so fast."
Today was one of those days where I just couldn't get enough of this kid. The hugs, the silliness, the one on one time- I told him he will always be my baby. Even when he has kids of his own.
Love you Justi!!

Girls/Boys Night Out

Today the girls and boys split up for some fun time. The girls and I headed to the Nutcracker Ballet. It was Montana's first time and Sierra and I haven't been for a really long time. It was a lot of fun! Montana was mezmerized the whole time. It seemed a lot funnier this time. We had cheap seats WAY up at the top. But they were better seats than we have ever had at the Jazz Game. After we had tickets to go to the Sugar Plum Fairy Party on stage after the show. We had punch, cookies, and you could meet the cast and have pictures taken with them. They had a magician also. Sierra was bored, but Montana had fun.
After we went to dinner next door at Benihana! Yahoo! I haven't been there in probably 25 years. It was delicious. They cook all the food right in front of you on a grill that is surrounded with a table for 8 people. So it was me and the girls and 5 other people we didn't know. But it was a lot of fun. The chef does a lot of tricks with his knives and tossing the food onto your plate. Our favorite was when he made a volcano with the onions, poured water into it, and it started steaming like a volcano. We had a great time.
The boys went to see Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler and went to IHOP after. We came home and they were building some sort of Lego Masterpiece. They said they had a great time also.
Now the girls are off to sleep over at their friends houses, I have to work, and the boys will get to party all night. No fair!

We're ready!

The shopping is done. The presents are wrapped. The plans are made. We are ready to go. For once- I have actually finished ahead of schedule. I will have time to go clean my mom's house for her party- it will be a surprise for her. I love Christmas. My mom always makes it so special with the traditional Christmas Eve party. She always knocks herself out by cooking for about 70 people. We get to see family we mostly haven't seen all year. Santa comes to give each child a present. It's always so fun- my mom deserves a bit of a break. So I hope everything else will go as planned.
Sierra will be with her dad this year- but we have her on Christmas day. So we will miss her. She is doing better with her teeth, the swelling is kinda going down, but she is getting back into the swing of things.
I'm hoping the kids will love their presents. It's one of those years where we were able to find each person in our family exactly what they wanted and had the budget to get it. We feel extremely blessed.
We are thinking of giving up our Christmas next year and instead giving our Christmas to a needy family. Maybe we will just give a token gift to each person in our family to soften the blow. But I want the kids to know how good giving feels- and how much it blesses others. We have been so spoiled and blessed for so many years. I hope the family will support this idea. It has been iffy so far- they want to do it- I think they just don't want to give up their presents too. My kids are very conscience about the needs of others and they are always wanting to help. So I think this would be a great opportunity. We will see if it happens.
Merry Christmas everyone.

My Alphabet

Thanks for the idea Cindy!

A–Attached or Single: Attached
B–Best Friend: My mom
C-Carrot or Chocolate Cake: both
D–Day of Choice: Monday- I need a routine.
E–Essential Item: Hmmm…Diet Coke. Can’t live without it, and you don’t want to be near if I don’t have it! (ditto Cindy!!)
F–Favorite Color: Black & Turquoise
G–Greatest Accomplishment: Getting to this point in my life!!
H–Hometown: West Valley City
I–Indulgences: Pink Sugar Cookie- I know I shouldn't, but they rock!
J–January or July: July
K–Kids: Sierra, Montana, & Justice (& sometimes Skyler)
L–Life is incomplete without: A dream to reach for
M–Marriage Date: Nov. 14, 1998
N–Number of Siblings: 1 brother (John)
O–Oranges or Apples: both
P–Phobias or fears: Heights, Bridges, Needles
Q–Quotes: "Unless you puke, faint, or die- KEEP WALKING!!" Jillian from Biggest Loser!
R–Reason to Smile: Done Christmas Shopping!
S–Season: Spring
T–Tag Friends: Anyone who wants to participate
U–Unknown facts about me: I am a container freak! I can't resist looking at plastics & wicker for some reason.
V–Very favorite store: Wal-Mart/Big Lots/Dollar Stores/Going Bananas - I love finding a bargain!
W–Worst habit: Yelling at other drivers. My kids now copy me- how sad. Everytime I say I won't yell again- someone cuts me off- JERK!! OK- starting now!!
X–X-ray or Ultra Sound: Ultra Sound
Y–Your favorite food: Everyday- anything I don't have to cook. Special Occasion- either Sushi or Steak
Z–Zodiac: Leo. I know- that explain a lot!

Sierra got her wisdom teeth out!

Poor Sierra. Yesterday was her surgery day. I think I was more nervous than her because I have never had mine out and had no idea what to expect. They put her in the chair, started the laughing gas, and put in an IV. She started getting sleepy right away before they even gave her the sleepy stuff. They gave her 3 injections (should have wrote it down I don't remember what they were now) but she was out within 2 minutes. Then they started strapping her legs and arms down- I was getting concerned. I guess some patients flop around, itch, shake- now I'm real concerned. They told me she would be fine and sent me to the lobby. I freak out anytime my kids are given drugs. I immediately think of the worst case scenario. 30 minutes later they came out to tell me that she was in the recovery room- What? Already? I was thinking it would be a couple of hours. So I am glad it's over. I go into see her and she is out hard! Laying on the bed with her mouth wide open, tongue hanging out, and her eyes were half open. Freaky! So I kept shutting her eyes and stroking her hair. They said it would take her about 5-10 minutes to wake up. So I sat there trying to warm up her hands and ears- she was freezing even though she had three blankets on. It took her about 40 minutes to really wake up. I was doing everything I could think of to wake her up. She was real groggy- so a nurse helped her out to the car while I drove right up to the door. She slept the whole way home with her mouth wide open, and tongue hanging out again. I wanted to take a picture but I thought that would be mean. We picked her up a chocolate shake and she tried to eat it so that I could give her the pain meds that we picked up. Her lips and mouth were completely numb. She couldn't taste or even feel if it was in her mouth. So she was feeding herself, and I was cleaning her up as most of it would spill out of her mouth. Then we figured out that she needed to tilt her head back and spoon it in. Kinda funny- kinda sad. I'm so thankful that she is a healthy young lady. We take so much for granted. These kind of days make you realize how healthy we are. She slept most of the day. She would wake up with blood running out of corners of her mouth (Vampire Style) and I would panic. She ate more and more as they day went on- ramen (soup mostly), banana, mac and cheese. I was actually suprised she was eating so well, but then I remembered she hadn't been able to eat or drink anything since midnight the day before. So she was starving!! She was feeling a lot better last night. Walking around and tinkering on the computer. A couple more days and she will be back to normal. Whew! What a day. I think I will keep my wisdom teeth!

Christmas Countdown

We are almost done shopping- Starting the wrapping- and recovering from yet another spill down the front steps. It's beginning to feel like Christmas. Our favorite time of the year!

Sierra's Cheer Competition

They came. They saw. They kicked some butt. There were several high schools and junior highs in attendance. Lots of good squads and some amazing stunts. I was really impressed with how high some of these ALL GIRL squads can throw basket tosses and how solid their stunts are. It was a lot of fun. Sierra's squad did extremely well. They took first place in the Jr. High Pom/Dance division. The whole family was there to cheer her on. I think Justice and Montana had the most fun hollering for the teams. I cheered extra loud for Granger (my Alma Mater). They did a good job. Everyone around us was embarrassed by me- especially Sierra- but gotta support my Lancers! Anyhoo- she is happy this cheer competition season is over. Now on to prepare for her school dance concert! (Wish I could post pics!!!)

Goofy, giggly kids!

Montana was telling us that she is now a recess cheerleader for the recess soccer team. She said she is the 2nd co captain. So Sierra said- "Tana, that makes you to coco captain!" We are still laughing about that.
Justice was helping my mom put up her Christmas decorations last night. Today he is shoveling the sidewalk and our neighbors driveway. He LOVES winter and everything that comes with it.
Sierra's team had their cheerleading party last night. I was recruited to help- they really are a cute group of girls. Giggles, and goofy girls a plenty. It's so fun to watch her interacting with her friends- especially when they are being silly!
We were going to head up to Afton this weekend for a party with John and Sherma- but we have decided not to travel in this snow. So I am a little bummed this morning. But it will give us a good chance to clean up the house and possibly get finished with our Christmas shopping.

Montana & Sierra's dance recital

This has been an exciting year. Montana finally decided to start dancing. Sierra is a seasoned veteran but Tana has only had a handful of lessons over the years. They both had a dance recital last night for Stars. It was so exciting to see them on the stage. Montana was so nervous but did such a great job. The whole family was there hollering for her. Sierra is so uber talented that you forget how much time, sweat and tears have gotten her to this point- it seems so easy and natural for her. She is truly a beautiful dancer.
Montana has also decided to do a solo this year. I am hoping this will help her catch up and give her some one on one time with her teacher. She is working hard and doing a great job. Sierra is not doing a solo this year for the first time since she was 3. She really wants to but with Cheer, Dance Co, Stars, and homework, and her social life- I honestly don't know how she would fit it in. So Sierra is going to do the Cover Contests at the competitions this year. She has so many beautiful photos that we decided to put them to work so that she can still feel a part of the competition without having to put in any extra time. So it will be a different, but exciting dance competition season this year. Competitions start in March- so we will keep you updated on their progress. I'm proud of them no matter the outcome. I always tell them to compete only against themselves- Challenge yourself and grow everyday from your hard work- that will be your reward. But a trophy is nice too.

My long lost buddies

I have become a Facebook fan over the last few months. It's a social networking site that helps you connect with anyone else who is a member. I have found lots of my high school friends and folks I have loved and lost track of over the years. I had lunch with my sweet friend Amy a few days ago. It was like stepping back in time (except for the being older part). We picked up right where we left off 17 years ago. Can't believe it's been that long. I love that girl. Can't wait to see her again. I am also having lunch with Brandi (one of my grown up dancers/teacher) and her kids tomorrow. Can't wait to see her too.
Reconnecting with all my old and new buddies has been a such a blessing. It's so easy to fall out of touch with people you really love. So I am thankful for this crazy technology. It's helping me get out of the house and back with my buddies.

Drama

Our computer caught a nasty virus and so we are in the process of reformatting the hard drive and reloading everything. UGH! What a pain. But I am happy that we haven't lost any of our pictures or important files. We are working off our laptop now so posts will be pic free for a while until we can get things worked out.
Last night Eric and I went on a double date with Shaun & Steve. We went to see Twilight. Although I had seen it already- it was even better the second time. (I'm not suppose to say this- but Eric loved it too!- you didn't hear that from me!!)
Sierra had her first paying babysitting job last night that wasn't for the family. My baby brought home $20. It was a milestone!
We are still purging the house for Christmas. We have been giving a thorough clean to the closets, drawers, and what not. The trash can is constantly full & we have made several runs to the DI. Things are still in upheaval because it is kind of a slow process. We have also decided to switch the kids rooms. So we will be painting and moving furniture as well. Hopefully we will be done by Christmas. Then we need to backtrack and finish painting the kitchen. This is my ADD manifesting itself. Better get busy!!

Cheer Performance @ the Chiron Preview

Last night Sierra's cheer team was asked to perform at the Taylorsville High School Drill Team Preview. Everyone that performed was preparing for competition. It was very informal but the gym was full of parents.
The Drill Team did all 6 of their routines, the T-ville cheerleaders, T-ville songleaders, and the BJH cheerleader did their competition routines. Of course we are biased- but we thought that Sierra's group looked better than the older teams! They had awesome choreography and looked so together and energetic. They compete on the 15th. I am sure they will do great. It's always fun to perform at Tville because we always run into people we know. The Willis', the Eng's, some of my old dancers were performing. It's fun to watch these kids grown up dancing! It makes my chest puff to think that I had some small part of what they are becoming.

BDay Update

What a party! They decorated the party room with Stars galore. We had pizza, cake, ice cream, & drinks. It's the first time we have done a catered party- and we loved it! They made a mistake on Justice's cake- they thought he was a girl- so it was purple and pink, but we really didn't care. To compensate- they gave us arcade tokens, free laser tag, and unlimited rides. WOW! So we were there A LOT longer than we planned on. But the kids wore themselves out and had a fantastic time! Justice was spoiled with every Star Wars toy imaginable, pajamas, and new clothes. Happy Birthday bud!

Happy Birthday Justice #7

My sweet baby boy turns 7 today. How can that be? We have been reminiscing about the delivery day. He was almost born in the car. We got to the hospital and 30minutes later- there he was. Justice is totally into Star Wars- the movies, the collectibles, he was even a Clone Trooper for Halloween. It's fun because it brings back memories of my childhood and my brother being obsessed with Star Wars toys. He still loves Ramen noodles, chocolate donuts, and honey nut cheerios. Some of Justice's best qualities are that he is very polite(at school anyway), he holds the doors open for girls, has those darling dimples, and the sweetest laugh. He has started reading whole books. His favorite is The Fire Cat, and Green Eggs and Ham. Over and over and over. He loves for us to read to him at bedtime- it's our new ritual. He likes to play with my hair (which I love), and he pushes us to fix up the house. He relentlessly asks when we are going to paint his room, etc. He learned to ride his bike this year and now he rides it everywhere. He has lost one front tooth and the other is going to come out anytime now. So he will be toothless for Christmas. We are going roller skating for his party today. Family and Friends are coming. He is sooooo excited. Happy Birthday sweetie!

My Favorite Week of the Year!

This is my favorite week of the year. We gear up for the best meal ever, shop ourselves silly, and decorate the house for Christmas. What could be better? The kids & I have been sick this week so we are off to a rough start- but I am hopeful that they will get it out of their system before Christmas. That's the worst! Montana has been fighting off pink eye (missed school for 2 days), I've been hacking and sniffly for weeks, and poor Justice is puky the wonder boy today. He hasn't been able to eat or stand up all day. So Justi and I are home while the family is off to Grama Nadine's and Grampa George's for Turkey Dinner. Lucky for us, we are doing Thanksgiving again at my mom's on Sunday. So hopefully everyone will be 100% by then.
We were able to buy a beautiful new Christmas tree this year. It's 9 ft. tall and pre-lit. We bought all new ornaments for it (a once in a lifetime indulgence I am sure) and we are having a ball. We did kind of a rustic, naturey them. Twig balls, balls with leaves, pine cones, acorns, berry garland, rusty jingle balls, rusty snowflakes, and cute little father christmas ornaments. The angel on top has pinebranch wings, and brown fur trim on her dress. It sounds weird when you explain it but it really is pretty. My mom is always the gung-ho Christmas decorator, so it was fun to be able to pick a theme and run with it-she would be so proud.
Eric woke up with more energy than an army of men. He cleaned the garage, raked the leaves, put the patio furniture away in the garage, and put up the Christmas lawn decorations. That was all this morning! What a guy.

Giving Thanks

I have got to be one of the luckiest, most blessed women alive. I have so much to be thankful for and so much to cherish. I was challenged to think of at least 100 things I am thankful for. So here goes:
1)My husband 2)Being a mom 3)My health 4)My children's health 5)We have health insurance 6)Our home 7)My parents 8)Eric's job 9)My job- although we don't "need" it, I love contributing to the family and challenging my mind. 10)Our cars 11)Public Education- my children LOVE their teachers and are learning so much each day. PE gets a bad rap- but I absolutely love the system and the teachers who put up with it-and do a great job in spite of it. 12)My washer and dryer 13)Our dishwasher 14)Our DVR 15)Our neighbors 16)My nephew Skyler 17)Roxy 18)Our vacuumm 19)The computer/internet 20)Grocery Store 21)Our neighborhood 22)Our State 23)Living in the USA 24)Soldiers 25)My religion 26)Joseph Smith 27)Jesus Christ 28)Native Americans 29)Digital Cameras 30)AC/Heat 31)Sunshine 32)Dancing 33)Music 34)Airplanes 35)Disneyland 36)Microwaves 37)Refrigerators 38)Cell Phones 39)Recycling 40)Real Friends 41)Modern Medicine 42)Diet Pepsi 43)DVDs/CDs 44)Books 45)Butterflies 46)My mothers cooking 47)My husband doesn't mind cooking. 48)Thankful I don't have to cook much :-) 49)Sunglasses 50)Email 51)Blogging 52)Scrapbooks 53)Movies 54)On-line schooling 55)Showers 56)In-door plumbing 57)Trees 58)Flowers 59)Mountains 60)School Lunch 61)Love 62)Forgiveness 63)Trust 64)My children's friends 65)Talents 66) People who are kind for no reason 67)Manners 68)In-laws 69)Vacations 70)Birthdays 71)Parties 72)Sunday Dinners with the family 73)Hospitals 74)People who work hard 75) Diversity 76)This beautiful earth 77)Angels 78)Dreams 79)Sleep 80)Comfy Beds 81)Warm Blankets 82)Slippers 83)Shoes 84)Coats 85)More clothes than we can wash 86)Homework time with the kids 87)Date Night 88)Goodnight stories 89)Anything that smells good (candles, laundry soap, lotion, etc.) 90)Pedicures 91)Massages 92)Stars 93)Mail 94)Banks 95)Sierra 96)Sierra's Dad 97)Montana 98)Justice 99)Family 100)My life.

Whew I did it. And it was easy. I could go on- but I won't. Thank you for my blessed life and for any of you who are a part of it!

Good Morning from Fukuoka Japan

After being home from a wonderful week in Hawaii for less than 24 hours, I had to leave for Japan. I am in Fukuoka this trip which is in Southern Japan. I am here to do another presentation on, of all things, laundry detergent. It is a fun presentation and one I have done numerous times so I feel pretty good about it.

The flights over here were good. I was still jet lagged from the Hawaii flights so I slept from SLC to SFO. After watching Get Smart I slept for most of the flight from SFO to KIX. I cleared customs and immigration on Osaka and went to the gate for the last flight. I waited for about 2 hours and got on a bus which took me to the plane. The interesting thing was the plane from KIX to FUK was of all things a Turbo Prop. I haven't been in a turbo prop since my Army days. The plane rumbled out to the runway and as the pilot made the final turn I felt him apply power. It seemed like no more than 100 yards and we were in the air. It brought back memories and soon the vibration from the props put me right to sleep again.

I picked up my bag and made my way out to get in a taxi. I arrived at the Grand Hyatt only to find that our Japan office hadn't made a reservation for me. I was told they did but the hotel had no record. So I started to get a bit cranky. However it all turned out OK because the hotel had a room available. One I got to my room I had to go out and find a coke. So I walked around for about an hour. The shopping center next to the hotel is all set up for Christmas. They were even playing Christmas music.

This trip will be short. I got here late last night and will leave tomorrow. It will be good to be home for the holidays.

More Hawaii Pics

Hawaii Day 6 & 7

We got up and decided that we needed to finish doing everything we hadn't done yet. So first we went to see the flamingos. They were standing on one leg grooming themselves and bathing. We took pics of things that I wanted to make sure we got but hadn't yet- including my favorite- the Japanese tea house w/ coi pond and lily pads. It's incredible.
We made our way to the waterfall pool on the other side of the resort. It's lava rock everywhere. There is a hot tub under the waterfalls and a water slide on the far end. We went down a few times. Eric saved a little old Japanese lady who came down the slide and couldn't catch her footing. He jumped right in and pulled her up. It was pretty exciting. She was very grateful and embarrassed. We laid out trying to build our tan for a while- and then...it's started raining...hard. So we headed to the cafe for a Hawaiian pizza lunch. We headed back to the room to pack up and end our fantastic journey. We had a very late checkout (6:00), and so we checked our bags in at the valet. We took a tram to the shopping center and had dinner at our favorite little sushi bar there. Did a little last minute shopping and then came back. Picked up our bags and took our taxi to the airport.
The Kona airport is all outdoor it is unlike any other airport I have ever been to. Our flight didn't leave until 11:45pm Hawaii time. We flew all night to Phoenix. And then to Salt Lake, arriving about 1:00pm Utah time. Our limo was there to pick us up and take us home. We were very excited to pick up the kids from school. They looked older! We had a fabulous time but we were definitely ready to come home. Now Eric leaves for Fukuoka, Japan for a few days for work. So it's business as usual. Sigh. Can't wait to go back!

Day 5 in Hawaii

We are getting more lazy as the days roll by. Today we woke up and immediately got in our swim suits. We decided that we would pool hop today. First we laid by a pool and slide close to our room. Then we went over to the lagoon and rented a paddle boat. We saw more turtles and lots of fish that we don't know the name of. We almost got drug under the waterfall but we were able to paddle away.
We had lunch by the dolphin pool and watched a couple of families play with the dolphins- we loved it.
On our way back to the room we laid in a hammock for a while just looking out at the ocean. We were exhausted from our "hectic" day in the sun and so we came back and napped for a while.
We went for dinner at the best restaurant ever. Roys! It is one of those places where they put the napkin in your lap and suggest different wines for each meal. Swanky. Eric and I both LOVED our meal. Definately the best! Although he still says his swordfish was his best meal.
Rode the boat back to our room and turned in for the night. We check out tomorrow about 3:00 and then our plane doesn't leave until 11:45. So we are not sure what we will do tomorrow. But I will update with Day 6 and more pics when we get back. Aloha.

Day 4 in Hawaii

Just another day in paradise...This morning we went snorkeling in the Lagoon. The last time we did that was on our honeymoon. Once upon a time I was a scuba diver so this brought back so many memories. Eric was not feeling well so he spent most of his time laying in our cabana. I snorkeled for a long time... angel fish, turtles, schools of skinny silver guys, and yellow beauties, catfish looking critters but they were yellow, grouper looking fellas, and a few with diagonal stripes. Beautiful.
The weather was a bit overcast but the sun would shine through just long enough that it was a relief when the clouds came back. We laid for a few hours basking in the sun. Surprisingly, even Eric was not sunburned. Gotta love the Hawaii sun.
We went to watch the dolphins for a bit. There was a dad and his two kids that paid to go in and play with the dolphins. There are three dolphin trainers right there with them. The dolphins would do all their cute tricks and they got pictures of the kids kissing the dolphin. We were mesmerized- that would be so fun! Our kids would freakin love it! Eric really wanted to just pet the dolphin. But we decided we would do that on another trip. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. Had a nap and watched some tv. We went for lunch at a cafe at the other end of the resort. 47.00 for a hamburger. Everything is super pricey here. So we decided to go to a local supermarket and pick up some groceries for dinner and breakfast. We started talking about how much the kids would love it here. We can't wait to bring them back. That also made us homesick. We are ready to come home but we will tough it out for another couple of days :-)

Day 3 in Hawaii

This morning we went to a few shopping centers in the resort. Did some more shopping and learned more about the island and the resort. The resort is just a few acres shy of the size of Disneyland. It is massive. We had lunch at a little fish and chips hut. Everyone is so concerned about tourists here- it's weird. They always ask, "Where are you from", "How long are you here for", "enjoy your stay" Mahalo (Thank you) and Aloha (Hello & Goodbye).
Came back to the hotel and I went for a massage while Eric went snorkeling in the lagoon. There are lots of exotic fish- they have placards all around at the bottom of the lagoon that tell you what the different types of fish are.
Then we went for a LONG walk around the resort. We stopped at the dolphin quest pool. There are about 6 dolphins that live there. It feels like a mini sea world. They play with balls and each other. We got a few of them jumping out of the water on video. They are very playful and happy.
On our walk we went by the man made waterfalls. You can go underneath on a walkway or up to the top look out with stairs. At the top you can see a lot of the resort, and lots of the fish and turtles below. Very cool.
We walked until it was almost sunset. We found this very cool restaurant right by the ocean that would have a great view of the sunset. Apparently this is a hotspot of the resort, but we didn't know that. It was amazing. The sun was HUGE and it was beautiful. Then a little buff hawaiian guy come running around the resort lighting all the tiki torches. He blew his conch and ran off with his fire. It was fun. Dinner was soooo good. Eric had ahi and blackened swordfish. He was the one making yummy sounds tonight. I just had steak and potato but it was great.
On the way back to the room we went through the museum walkway. There are tons of stautes, hawaiian history and artifacts, art carvings, paintings, vases, japanese wood artifacts, indian ornate carved doors and artwork, and quilts! It was super interesting. Spent the rest of the night relaxing in the room. I could not keep my eyes open. Not sure what time I fell asleep but it couldn't have been later than 9:00. More fun tomorrow.

Hawaii Pics of Day 1 & 2

Day 2 in Hawaii

Today was jam packed with sight seeing, shopping, and picture taking. Read on at your own perile.

I am still on Salt Lake time so I was wide awake at 4:00 am Hawaii time. I got up and got myself ready for the day. Eric was still asleep. So I decided to take a stroll out in the moonlight. I got some fun pics of the full moon and palm trees. I was literally the only person walking around. I laid in a hammock close to the ocean and just soaked in the beauty. I came back to the room and Eric was still asleep. So I started kissing him and trying to wake him up. I told him to get up because I was bored. He laughed. This is a total roll reversal for us. Usually he is the one that can't sleep.

We had breakfast at an open air restaurant by our room. It was a really good buffet. Had some yummy stuff. The birds would fly in if you left your food unattended. I went to get some orange juice- came back and a bird had been eating my bacon. How rude! It was cute.

We then rented a convertible Mustang and went for a tour of the ENTIRE island, 200 miles, and 8 hours of driving. It was a semi sunny day with intemittant clouds and rain (do I sound like a weathergirl?) I will just list where we went and the fun details because I fear my narrative will be pages long.

Waikoloa: Lava rock and fountain grass everywhere (except at the resorts where it is beautifully tropical.)
Parker Ranch: 2nd biggest cattle farm in the US. Surprising. Just drove through it.
Honoka'a: Stopped at Tex Drive In (by recommendation),had Malasadas-like a donut but much thicker and no hole. Yummy and filling. Also I got sweet potato chips with my sandwich wrap. They were purpley- tasted like homemade potato chips. Weird looking but good. Very friendly people.
Akaka Falls: So much vegitation and plant life that I was literally oohing and aahing the whole walk down to the falls and back. Took a million pics. The waterfall was amazing. It created a cave in the lava rock on the bottom from the force of the water. So beautiful.
Hilo: Biggest city on the island. Lots of stores and touristy stuff- but we didn't stop.
Kalapana: This was so cool! We went to the Mt Kiluea Volcano!! We were able to drive right up to the cauldera (the very top of the volcano). We went out to the steam vents- there were tons of them. And Eric's sunglasses fogged up from the heat. We could see a huge column of steam coming out of the volcano. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see any flowing magma- but it still was so amazing.
Lots of little towns: Drove about 25 miles an hour for two hours because it was raining really hard and people here apparantly have never driven in the rain. We were getting very annoyed. Couldn't see much because of the rain and dark skies.
Kona: Another medium sized city full of shops and big name places. We stopped and WAL-MART and stocked up on supplies. We were even able to get our souveniers there. Kinda fun. Driving along the freeway I saw 3 LDS churches and would get excited. But coming into Kona I saw a temple. I was so excited. I didn't even know there was one here. So we stopped and took some pics. It is very small but beautiful. We almost ran out of gas trying to find a gas station. But we barely made it. The mustang has fantastic gas mileage.
Got back to "home" and we were exhausted from an entire day of driving. We went straight to dinner although we should have freshened up first. We were too hungry and tired. Found a great little sushi bar and had our cheapest meal yet. We were in bed by 10:00. Party animals aren't we?

Hawaii Day 1

Woosh, Woosh, Splash...do you hear the waves? We do!! We are here in paradise...Kona Hawaii at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. I am not kidding, it literally is heaven on earth. We will have to post pics when we return because the computer is not reading our memory card. We are having a blast and Eric is spoiling me rotten. If you want the nitty gritty details read on, it's a novella.

Here is a recap of day 1.

5:00 am Eric arranged for a car service to pick us up. The driver took our bags and everything. It was very exciting. Grama Dodie called us at about 5:30 to wish us a happy anniversay. What a silly bird- up with the chickens. That put a big smile on my face. We arrived at the airport and got checked in- had a bagel sandwich for breakfast and waited for our journey to begin.

7:10am Our flight left from SLC to Phoenix. We had a two hour layover so we strolled the airport and did a little window shopping. We found a lot of cool Native American stuff that we may get on our way back to SLC. We were very anxious to get on the plane and go. But there was a mechanical problem with the plane- so we waited about another hour while they brought in another plane. That made me a little nervous.

12:00pm Our flight to Kona finally took off. Wahoo! It was loooooooong. Six hours in the air. Nothing to look at but clouds. There were some movies and tv shows on, but we tried to sleep. I was terribly restless. Eric did sleep most of the way. He is a much better traveler than me. I kept saying "are we getting close?", "what time is it?", "can you see anything?". I know Eric was annoyed but he kept smiling at me. I can't help it that I'm so excited!!

3:30pm (Hawaii Time): We finally arrived. The Kona airport is so cool. You get out of the airplane on stairs that go directly to the tarmack. Palm trees and flowers everywhere. The airport gates were like outdoor huts, with benches. It was awesome. I took a lot of pics. We went to get our bags and there was a guy standing there with a sign with Eric's name on it. Wow! He had a flower lei for each of us and told us the car to the hotel would be here in a few moments.

4:30 pm We arrived at the village. I cannot describe adequatley how beautiful it is here. Palm trees, flowers, green plants everywhere you look, swimming pools, lazy rivers, dolphin lagoon,volcanic rock, beach swimming, hammocks and lounge chairs everywhere, amazing art and statues, a train to take you from one point of the village to another (because it's so huge!), or you can take a boat- CRAZY! We checked into our room- and my honey had arranged to have roses, cheese and crackers, chocolate strawberries, and a bottle of champagne, waiting in the room for us- with a card from Eric to me. How did he do that? I was amazed. What a guy!

5:30 pm We walked all over the property. To Buddha point, the dolphin lagoon, layed in a hammock, watched the sunset and beautiful waves roll in. It was HOT! By the time we got back to the room I had to change my clothes and felt like a shower was in order. But we just freshened up because we had dinner reservations.

7:00 Dinner at the Kirin restaurant, Chinese cuisine. It was so delicious. Even the rice smelled good. We had General Tso's chicken and ribs. It was hard not to make yummy sounds the whole time. I think I drank about 12 glasses of water because the food was so spicy. Oh yeah! Just how I like it!

8:30 We were totally exhausted. We showered and went to bed. We decided we were still on Salt Lake time so it was ok to go to bed!

Diva Sleeper

My kids are always saying things that crack me up. This morning Tana told me that I'm a "Diva" sleeper. First I was flattered, but not sure what she meant. She said "You sleep through everything mom- even really loud stuff".. Then I knew she meant a "Deep Sleeper". Too Funny

Eric told me last night that we can take our laptop and update the blog while we are gone. I'm so happy... I'm addicted to blogging...I really don't think I could go 8 days without it. Plus it will be easier to update as we go instead of trying to make sense of it all when we get back.

My old truck

written by Eric
Back in 1991 I purchased a truck. I was in the military at the time and went home on leave. I needed a car so I purchased a truck I had known about since I was 16 years old. It was a 1950 Chevy with a V8 engine. It was pretty cool. I drove it from Missouri to Fort Drum NY and on the way lost a U-joint. I had to leave it on the side of the highway in upstate NY. A buddy and I went down to pick it up and discovered that it had been impounded. Once we got it out of impound we replaced the U-joint and the next morning we drove it FT Drum.
Over the next year I played with it and had big dreams for it. I did some minor engine work and finally got orders to go to Korea. So I drove it back to Missouri to store while I was away. It sat for 1 year and when I got back to the states I drove it to Kansas.
This is where I met some of the greatest people around. I made some great friends at the Auto Craft Shop on Ft Riley. One day I got a wild hair and pulled the engine and began the rebuilding process. It took a couple of months but by the end of it I had a 350 that was putting out about 370hp and I have no idea how may foot pounds. It was fun to drive. It was so cool to rev the engine and dump the clutch. The tires would just go away and the rear of the truck would dance back and forth.
After I got out of the Army I still had plans for it but it just wasn't in the cards. It sat in a field and when Jenn and I got married I brought it home and put it in our small one car garage. Where it still sat. Well tomorrow will be the end of an ERA. I have sold it to a guy who will part it out so he can finish his 51. I guess now I can start my collection of motorcycles. Good bye old friend.

Last Minute Preparations

Only a few more hours and Eric and I will be off to sunny Hawaii. Temp is expected to be 82-89 while we are there. I am excited to get out of the gray cold weather here! I am trying to get the kids squared away and get everything packed. I think I have 12 lists so we should be good. My mom trained me from when I was little that you should always leave your house clean when you go on vacation so that you come back to home sweet home, and if you don't come back (God forbid)- the people who come in your house won't be horrified. So I am cleaning everything, including my closets... what is wrong with me?? I was thinking that this would help jog my memory of anything we or the kids may need while we are gone. Now I think I have gone into OCD mode.

I am going to miss blogging for a week or so. I hope to come back with a killer tan, a zen state of mind, and some awesome pics. Catch ya later!

New Couch

Eric and I made our first major furniture purchase as a couple today. We have either inherited or been given LOTS of furniture over the years. But this is the first thing we have purchased together. It's so pretty, comfy, and we love it! Now the challenge will be to keep the dadgum dog off of it!

The Duggar's 17 and counting

Ok. I am now obsessed with this show. They have 17 children and another on the way. Barely making it with three kids- I find this family fascinating. If you have not watched this show it is worth checking out. Their family is of course, a lot more religious than mine, but the way they run their household is amazing. There are tons of fun links on their website that you can browse through. They built their house (7000 sq ft.) debt free- and it is beautiful. There are a lot of great recipes for food and household products they have posted that I want to try. They are both real estate agents, and they also rent commercial properties. I still want to see how they do their grocery shopping!! But I know they spend $2000+ a month just on food. Mom homeschools and teaches music & religion to all the kids. Wow!
They also do not watch tv & have very limited internet use. Can you imagine??

www.duggarfamily.com/houseguidelines.html
I found these rules so inspiring especially the J.O.Y rule; Put
(J)esus first,
(O)thers Second and
(Y)ourself last.

www.duggarfamily.com/photos.html
This is the most telling about their family. I am sooooo in love with the laundry room idea. I have been wanting to have something like this for so long!! Fascinating. I don't know how they do it! Their home is beautiful.

www.tlc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=2.14413.124738.37018.x
This link is the schedule you can see this show on the Discovery Channel. I have also seen it a few time on TLC Channel.

www.duggarfamily.com/
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Hawaii/10th Anniversary Countdown

Eric in Germany (Part 2)

I have been waiting for Eric to post pics from his work trips but he never has- so here they are! They are posted in reverse order- But first he visited Hawaii, then Japan (no pics- it was just a two day trip), then Germany.

Eric Germany (Part 1) Oct 08

Eric's Hawaii Trip (Sept 08)

All of these trips were for work. I am wondering how much work actually gets done.... hmmm... This trip was a reward trip for the top level distributors. SOME of the fun they had on this trip included: Shark Cage Diving, Helicopter tours of the island, Luau, Snorkeling, and of course laying out in the fabulous Hawaiian sun. I guess the stress might be worth it after all.

Sierra's Halloween Costume

This year Sierra was too cool to go Trick or Treating with us. Whatever :-p So, I am just getting her pic today. She was a 1/2 angel, 1/2 devil. It's was really cute on her- and so appropriate.

Halloween Pics (some)

Montana (Skeleton) & her best friend Maddy (my 5th child)


Skyler my adorable nephew (& 4th child) He's a cute little frog!


Maddy (Pirate) & Justice (Star Wars Clone Trooper)


Maddy & Justi


Tana


Winner of our pumpkin carving contest at KJZZ (too cute!)

It's Halloween...every day this week!

Yesterday Tana got to dress up for her dance class and take treats to pass out. She was so stinkin excited it made me laugh. She was a little disappointed I wouldn't let her wear her mask. I thought it would be a bad idea while doing pirouettes and such.

Tomorrow the kids in the neighborhood are doing a Pennies by the Inch fundraiser. They dress up in their costumes and go door to door asking for donations for Primary Children's Hospital. The kids love it and we usually bring in almost a thousand dollars. Not bad. This year I get to bring my nephew Skyler with us (he just turned one). So we are real excited for that.

After that we will head out to the Haunted House at my moms neighbors. It gets bigger and better every year. Sierra has been working at it for the past couple of years. This year she asked if her whole cheer squad could help out. They said yes- so hopefully they can be scary and not so cute!!

Then of course it's parties at school, and trick or treating on Friday, then the annual Chili feast at Grama Laura's. Phew! Hope we can get the rest of our pumpkins carved by then!! Happy Haunting! I will post pics through out the week!