Can you believe it has been 16 years

Today marks our 16th wedding anniversary!! Look how young we were...... Dar knows I am not good with the "sappy" stuff so I will just say I am so glad we took this big step together and that we have been best friends every since. I am grateful for the experiences we have had and grown from and that I can trust him with anything. I look forward to the next many years...... and what they will bring. Come what may, babe!!

Brain Fart

What is going on? My brain has taken a vacation lately..... first my kids find my scout shirt in the freezer and then started fighting about whether mom purposely put it there or not and then Sunday I go to get ice cream out of the freezer and had to double take to see the carton of eggs that I had bought the day before?? Guess what, eggs don't freeze well!!!!!!!!
This also reminds me, we had been married about 8 months and I misplaced Darin's wallet. We looked and looked and after a few days decided to cancel everything and get new cards and such. Well a few days later I get a grocery bag out of the fridge with the head of lettuce I had bought for dinner and guess what!! Darin's wallet was in the bag, a little cold but otherwise unharmed. So word of advice.. if you lose something check the cold storage!! (or maybe that's just me)

Count your blessings

When we were in college, Darin use to say whenever we get money in savings something always comes up and we have to use it. We have since learned to think...thank goodness we have the money saved whenever something comes up. We opted out of a purchase recently so we didn't drain all of our money and I still wasn't sure if we made the right decision but after this weekend I feel much better we didn't do it. First of all we were able to go up last minute and help grandma which I am grateful for, Darin decided last minute to go to his reunion the weekend before. When we got home yesterday our air conditioning had gone out and the house was 95 degrees. Luckily it wasn't the expensive problem but it still cost to have it fixed and then we had to order a new pool vacuum because our old one is just not working right. Once again I am grateful that the Lord has helped us to accomplish all this and stay out of debt.

Tournament of Kings

Nickola and Zackery with the king of Spain (I think) Conner was too shy.

Nickola wanted to take a picture with the "Princess"

We had to cut our trip short to Utah because Darin had to get to work Monday afternoon but we decided to show the kids Vegas. We stayed in the Excaliber Sunday night and we were able to get tickets to see the Tournament of Kings. It is a dinner show with jousting, sword fighting, kings, maidens and the bad guy. We were assigned to Hungary so we cheered for our king in the tournament. We ate soup and game hen with broccoli and wedges all with our hands. We all enjoyed it!! They kids were able to make noise and cheer and learned how to toast. Darin was swollen and lost his voice because of his allergies but still had a great time! We then went and saw some 4D shows and that was cool! Our favorite was the spongebob one. It was a fun filled few hours!

Boys never grow up

I tease Darin sometimes that he has to much common sense. My dreams of winning $10,000 on Americas funniest video will never come true around him but luckily that's what my own family is for. My mom always says that growing up whenever we would try something stupid, dad was there to show us the proper way so we wouldn't get hurt, Like jumping off the roof into a 5 foot pool. We had very few injuries though and did a lot of dumb things. Watching my brothers this weekend at my grandmas just proves that boys never grow up. After loading a table to take to the dump, wasp starting swarming. After Jared and Grandma were stung my brothers came to the rescue by swatting them with a stick and of course dad jumped in and showed everyone up by killing 2 mid air with a small stick. Then they decided to play walnut baseball. Jeremy is of course allergic to them but that didn't stop him from hitting a few. After one exploded and got in his face, he had to go wash it off and only his eye swell up for a short time. Later mom informed grandma that her wasp problem has been eliminated thanks to the blow torch the boys found in the garage. Life is always exciting when my family gets together.

Hitting walnuts in grandmas back yard. Jeremy (L) Jeff (R)

Trip to Ogden

This last weekend we were able to run up to Utah for the weekend to help Grandma clean out her garage. Mom and Dad and Jeremy were going, and Jeff and Jared were flying in to help so we figured we could go and help. We all got there Friday afternoon and finished going through everything by that evening and through together a garage sale for Sat. We were able to get rid of everything, clean the garage and yard, trim trees and take numerous loads to the dump. We were all happy to do it. Grandma put up with a lot of crap from up growing up and this was the least we could do, of course Jeff is the one who shot her with the bb gun years ago so we figure he owes the most!! Aunt Carol has been staying with grandma to help out and it was good to see her too!! It is amazing how much work we get done when there is just as much goofing off when it comes to my family.

Uncle Jeff, Carol and Mom (sisters) and nephew Merrick

The bishop was kind enough to lend his truck to make numerous trips to the dump. Dad and Jared

Four generations of girls.

My kids love spending time with their grandma great. Grandma has 26 grandkids and over 50 great grandkids....I kept losing track when i was counting. She lived across town from us and I am so glad to have had her in my life growing up.

I miss Mister E

The other day Nick sadly said that she missed Mister E. Now I failed to blog that but last month we found a cockroach and caught it in a jar and she carried it around and named it and even had to take it to mother daughter night at the church. One the way home I told her she was going to have to let it go and she was so sad but decided that he missed his family and needed to go home to them. After she informed the bug of our plan we released him across the street but he kept trying to come back to the house. Love was lost because it wouldn't listen to her and she scooped it up and threw it across the canal. I am sure it is doing fine.

Victim #2

On Monday evening the kids went swimming (so dad could take a nap to recoup from the weekend) and Nickola was so excited to find another lizard on the pool steps. I do not know where these are coming from but she was so happy about it and named him Lizzy. After petting it and swimming around with it I finally insisted she put it somewhere "safe." The next day it was still where she left it (the birds took the other one but apparently they didn't want this one) so she was petting it and playing with it again. Animals get no rest here, dead or alive!

Weekend news

Darin finally decided to go to his reunion up in Washington. He has been thinking about it for 6 months and buys his ticket Thurs night to fly out Friday morning (men and their last minute decisions). Yesterday Randy took Darin to the airport because I had already made plans to help a friend that morning (thanks Randy!) then we were watching another friends child that afternoon so I let each person invite a friend so we had 8 kids in the pool but they did great. I was able to sit outside under the umbrella and read my book. I told Darin all I needed was a cabana boy and I would be set. Afterward I was able to go to my scrapbook workshop with Sheila. I love these!! We did a mega 18 page one and we just talk, relax be silly and enjoy a nice evening with great ladies. So today we are off to a birthday party, baby shower and helping set up for the ward party!

Stomach bug

Wednesday morning I woke up with a horrible stomach bug. I literally laid on the couch all day long. My friend Christianne or Bellas mom (which is what my kids call her) was dropping Bella off and brought lunch for the kids and got them all fed. Kim brought us a new movie since my kids missed the summer movie that morning. The kids were so good. Dar had told them to take care of mommy and they did. Conner swept the floor, Zackery took charge and watched everyone, everyone cleaned up their stuff and got themselves food and drinks. I had to cancel for enrichment that night which i was suppose to help teach a class. I went to bed at 7:30 and work up about the same time this morning. I feel much better, a little weak still but I am able to eat and get around. Thanks for awesome friends!!!
Darin now informs me he may have what I had, lets hope not!!

Any one for swimming?

Tuesday evening Darin took the boys swimming and I heard this loud banging sound on the back door I went to find out what was so urgent to find Zackery holding a lizard. Apparently they had found it in the pool. We think it got in and couldn't get out. This has happened before with a baby bird that we found in the filter. So not only do you have to watch your kids around water but also small animals too.

Happy Fourth of July?

Well the fourth came and went. The one thing I can say that I don't like in Arizona is the lack of fireworks. Not the big shows that are put on by the cities but the stands where you buy them and light them yourselves. I grew up with that. My dad would take us and float down the river and then we would come home have a big meal with friends, family or neighbors and then have a big fireworks show and I miss that for me and my kids. We usually go to California for the 4th just so my kids can have that experience of lighting fireworks. This year we stayed here and I have to admit I did not feel like having a party but when it was time for bed I regretted not having any kind of celebration for our country!! Darin got to have Friday off so we did go to the movies and see Ice Age 3D it was very cool and the boys got to assemble some star wars models that Darin found. They had a great time. So I guess we will have to start new traditions for the 4th (except when we travel to california)