Hug me a Goblin...or kiss me an Indian!

Summer, Paige, Ben, Marcus and I went to Escalante last Friday to hike some 10 mile hike on Saturday and come home the same day! We stayed in a KOA cabin in Panguitch. It actually wasn't too bad. We ate breakfast in Panguitch where Ben, Paige and I shopped at a thrift store. Paige found some sister wife dresses for us and we took our picture with an Indian guy sitting outside of the store. Don't get excited...he wasn't real and when we took the picture, Paige was kissing the Indian and I wasn't. So the rest of the trip, my goal was to find another Indian and kiss him. (I have lofty goals) It didn't happen! It rained on Saturday so many of the hikes were washed out. We decided to bag the hike and just drove and drove and drove. We finally decided to head to Goblin valley and check it out since only one of us had ever been there. It was raining and seriously muddy, but oh so fun. The girls all had flip flops on and the guys had their hiking shoes. It didn't matter though...everyone slipped and everyone got muddy. We started down and Marcus offered me a piggy back all the way to where it was flat and a tiny bit safer. So nice...but quite possibly a bit more risky then doing it each on our own. We fell once, but we caught ourselves and only dirtied our feet and hands. Phew! Summer thought we were going to fall so she was just waiting to snap a picture. We ALL managed to make it out of there without falling too badly or getting very muddy. And I have to say, it was pretty awesome! Our goal was to hug a Goblin while there and we all pretty much got that chance. Summer was all over her Goblin! She can be so flirty with dirt! I don't have a picture of Paige and her Goblin but once I get her pictures I'll post 'em. I know there are a lot of pictures, but I like pictures and it's my blog. So, there ya go.

A small part of me wishes that there was a way we could have washed ourselves off so we could have had ourselves a killer mud fight. I knew we couldn't get all messy because Ben would never let us back in his truck. But, I have NEVER had a mud fight before and it would have been so fun. I don't think I even did that as a kid! I'm so boring. But not to worry, next time...I'm planning for a full on mud fight! I'm buying a camping shower.

Ben kept telling us that this was the best trip EVER! We just won't mention the semi-yucky breakfast at the dirty diner that lacked hot water, the uncomfortable and noisy beds at the KOA, someone that snored, or the fact that we were in the car more than we were out of the car. We'll just remember how funny everyone is and that there was tons of junk food, laughter and potty stops along the way! Hey...not bad for a last minute road trip?

These two shots were taken from inside the car through the window.
Not too shabby.

You can see the mud in this picture. It was so dirty.

Muddy feet

Yay! We're finally out of the car!

Wow! Something must be funny

Make it sit so I can get down...

Ben's goblin has curves in all the right places!

Goodbye...I'll miss you sweet goblin

Should we get these two a room?!?

This was all they had to clean our feet and hands

Sisters

Me likey the twix

Three little piggies
(and yes, we threw the yogurt raisins out the window afterwards)

Feeling the love...ahhh

Happy Birthday Dani!

I'm posting this really late for Dani's birthday because I'm lazy like that. So, I hope she had a great day. I know that she and Marc celebrated both their birthdays with a big party and all their friends. She said that was a lot of fun. Here's to another year and I hope that many fun and exciting things are in store for you. Click here for last year's post.

Flashback Friday

This Flashback is about my first REAL crush. I did have a boyfriend in Kindergarten, but all we did was stand on opposite sides of the fence at recess and take turns spanking each others' butts! Ya...I was slutty at age five.

I was about 10 years old and my crush was an older guy. The ripe old age of twelve...and...he passed the sacrament! So, I concocted a plan to make him notice me. I had to be assertive as I didn't have much to offer physically. After all, I was super skinny, (I would love this problem now...) wore wonder woman glasses and braces. Oh, and sometimes I wore my headgear!

I.was.HOT!

So, my plan was to go to church as usual, but be the first one in my family in the chapel. I would then rush to the front row...yep...FRONT ROW! (I wouldn't say I was good at being subtle.) I knew that he always passed the sacrament to the front row and I had been watching from afar and devised this plan weeks in advance. It was totally premeditated.

That oughta get his attention...and not at all obvious!

Sunday comes and we head to church. I rush in and plant us on the front row. I'm sure my mom wanted to kick my butt for doing this, but I don't remember her getting mad. I'm the oldest of six kids and the youngest was baby D-rock who was around a year old. I was holding him and bouncing him on my knee like a good big sister when it came time for the sacrament. This is it! I thought to myself. I was so excited. He was going to see me and then I would be in his mind all day!

It was the perfect plan to get my man.

Because we were on the front row, he walked along and passed it to all of us. (As opposed to us passing it down the row to the other end.) It was time for the water. I was on the end, so that meant I was the last one to get it on my row. He holds the tray in front of me so that I can partake, when all of a sudden...BAM!!! Baby D-rock's hands grab at the tray and the little cups of water spill all down both D-rock and myself.

I was so embarrassed! I thought I would die. It was awful!

I guess I didn't impress that guy because he never reciprocated any love or attention. That's ok, he was actually kinda weird. I have no idea what I really saw in him anyway. And that's how the rest of my attempts at attention from men continued throughout my life. They would pretty much always blow up in my face...

or...spill down my dress! :)

Psst...

Hey, I added a few more songs to my playlist.

I'm spending a lot of time alone again lately. So, I'm back to listening to music and dancing away all my troubles.

I went to the Lenka concert and since then, I've been listening to her all the time. She wrote Don't Let Me Fall when she broke up with her boyfriend and she wrote Dangerous and Sweet when she and her best friend had a fight. The other two are just two of my favorites right now. If you haven't ever heard of her, she sings The Show. You've probably heard that song...it's always on the radio.

I don't have a boyfriend to break up with me, but I do have a friend that hates my guts...

Whatever...

So...give it a little listen

It's over there...on the right sidebar

Scroll down

Keep scrolling...

Flashback Friday

I was at Costco last week and brushed past my friend Jennifer's old boyfriend from high school. He looked at me briefly like he recognized me and then quickly looked away. It took me a second to realize who he was. Had he not acted so strangely, I may not have even noticed or remembered! Anyway, that reminded me of a high school memory and I figured that I would make it my Flashback Friday.

During the end of my junior year and the beginning of my senior year in high school, my three friends Krista, Christie and Jen ALL got boyfriends from West Jordan High school. Not just boyfriends...but...boyfriends that were also ALL friends. As usual, I was the odd man out (or woman in this case). No one wanted to date me or make me their girlfriend. {sniff, sniff} No one except...Richard Simmons! Oh ya, that's right...Richard Simmons. This is a story about the time I went out with Richard Simmons.

Jen, her boyfriend Adam, myself and Richie Simmons (ya, that's what we called him) went to the Erasure concert at Wolf Mountain. (I'm totally dating myself here.) We were hanging out and having a good time dancing and singing when Richie starts putting the moves on me. They were ever-so subtle and fairly lame but, they were moves nonetheless. I was not attracted to Richie in "that way" and these moves were making it hard to enjoy Andy Bell in a tutu! (said "tutu" made all the guys sick -btw.) Jen could tell that his moves were buggin me so she tried to dance her way next to me and shoved him aside. It worked...he got the hint. After the concert, she hopped in the back seat with me so Richie had to sit in the front! What an awesome friend!

I was a little upset because I felt like Richie just assumed we were together even though he never actually asked me to the concert and he never paid for my ticket. He just expected a little action because of his curly hair and his name. Can you believe it?

I chased Richie away that day. As well as any chances of ever being "THE" Mrs. Richard Simmons. I didn't hang out with him too many more times after that and he certainly never tried anything again. It figures...my friends take the cute guys and I'm stuck with Richard Simmons.

Ok...you caught me...of course it wasn't "THE" Richard Simmons. But...his name was Richard Simmons and he did have curly hair, but he was much taller than the real "shorty-short wearing aerobics queen that we all know...and David Letterman hates".

So, really I didn't go "OUT" with Richard Simmons nor was it "THE" Richard Simmons but...it makes for a great story...don't ya think?

I do.

Happy Birthday Hudson!

Hudson turned 10 today! I can't believe it! We celebrated his day by going to the Mayan for dinner in true Cinco de Mayo style. That kid can eat! No kids meals for him. He ordered the full size cheese enchiladas. I'm not sure I can afford him! He only opened two presents today and the rest he is saving for Sunday when we celebrate with the entire family. He got the HS Musical 3 CD and a Guitar Hero for his DS. He wanted strawberry shortcake for dessert instead of a cake. (I think he just wanted cream shots from the can!) We headed home after dinner and had our dessert. The pictures of his candle blowing are blurry and I don't know why. Sorry. Here is the link for last year's post.

That's what I'm talking about...

Mikaela told me tonight that she is one of three students with the highest CRT testing scores in math out of all 8 of her teacher's classes! Yep...you read it right...HIGHEST and MATH!!!

Rock on!!!

Last year Mikaela was failing in math. We were struggling and didn't know how we were going to pull out of it. At the end of last year and after talking about it for soooo long, I FINALLY hired a tutor and she has been tutored once a week for over a year. It so paid off! I am so excited...She is so excited...Hudson even high fived her and told her "good job."

We are happy tonight!

Yay!

I have to say that I know I complain a lot about the fact that I have to live with my dad and I don't have my own home, but if it weren't for him allowing us to live here, we would never be able to have paid for a tutor for so long. I also wouldn't be able to stay home with my children as long as I have. So, a big thank you to my daddy for keeping us from being homeless and a big thank you to everyone in my life that has helped us get through it all!

Yipee!

Can you tell that I am happy? So, so happy!

{GASP}

I was hanging out with Summer one night and she has two roommates. They are both younger than Summer. We were sitting around chatting and her roommate Dixie says that she was born in 1989. I just about died!!! I said, "1989! That's when I graduated high school! If I had gotten knocked up in high school, I could be your mother!"

So...we posed for this mother/daughter picture. Isn't she so cute?

She told me she was up for adoption because she has no mother or father. Summer then responds with, "I hate all the orphans in the whole world." She is so rude...plus she likes to quote Nacho Libre.

(Dixie's mother died of cancer when she was really young and her father passed away a few weeks ago. I probably would claim her as mine...if she didn't have any siblings. Fortunately for her, she has a bunch!)

I'm getting old...and I don't like it!

Not.one.little.bit!

Come on Summer..."Say it to my face!"

Sneakin' candy...

This isn't something to be proud of, but some members of my family have gotten pretty good at sneakin candy (and some other things) into the movies. I think it goes back to the day when we use to go to the drive-in as children in the green station wagon and we would bring a large grease stained paper sack filled with buttered popcorn. Ya, that's probably it.

I will usually bring a couple water bottles for the kids and I to share and sometimes a little candy from whatever holiday leftovers we may have. I have on a few occasions popped my own popcorn and melted white chocolate and brought it in for my own movie goin pleasure. Derrek is probably the master of sneakin. He's actually proud of it. He tells a story of sneakin in pringles and sushi as well as a few more items. You can read it here. Summer usually makes fun of us and even ridicules us for doing this. But...it looks as if she has meandered over to the dark side and has started her own sneakin. This picture is of her and her friend Lindsay with a picture of all the candy they snuck in. I think they may have gone a little overboard...don't you? Especially, considering they are both dental hygienists and clean teeth for a living!

Ooooh! Thin mints!

She did it...

Mikaela did it. She finally quit. Last Monday. I made her go to her last lesson and tell her teacher. She just sat there and wouldn't say anything. I kept mouthing to her..."tell her!" Mikaela started getting teary and her teacher asked what was wrong. I said, "she needs to talk to you." And her teacher looked at me and said, "is she quitting?" I shook my head yes and started crying. Mikaela started crying. We were all crying. Her teacher went through this really pretty song that is really easy for Mikaela, just in case she wants to sit down and play something. (Um...don't think that'll happen.) It is a pretty song, but it made me sad. Then, the mom for the next lesson came in and was chatting with me and I told her we quit today. She asked for my phone numbers and I started crying again and she was getting teary and said some uplifting things and then we hugged everyone and left. It was so emotional! I think it was because of 1) change - which we don't deal well with in our house, 2) PMS, 3) chaos and stress let down, 4) my feelings of parental failure and 5) PMS (did I already say that? It so deserves two!) I sometimes feel when my kids don't do something well that they might stand a better chance had they been born to different parents. For example, if Mikaela had been in a different family, she might be more successful at the piano, but because of our life, she wasn't given a fair chance. Does that make any sense? Anyone else know how this feels? Maybe I should stop talking!

So...it's over. Mikaela is happy. And...I no longer have to nag about piano practice. Maybe life is getting better!

Flashback Friday

Did you know that sometimes Mother really does know best?

This memory is one of those times where I learned (the hard way) that mother knows best. It was middle school (again) and it was tryouts for the school talent show. I guess they have to do tryouts or the talent show would go on and on with ridiculously non-talented people like myself. So, I decided to try out. Now, I wasn't very good at the piano, but I partially blame my teacher. Not because he didn't understand the piano, but he wasn't a very good teacher. I also took dance lessons so I decided that I would dance. I learned the dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller. (This was the '80s people and it had just come out!) My mom had made a really cool costume with the red jacket and everything. So, this was actually really cool! My mom tells me that I should do the Thriller dance. Keep in mind that no one else was doing that back then. It was unique. My first thought is...no, I don't wanna do that dance. I wanna do something else. So, I start dreaming up some dance choreographed by me! I have these grandiose visions of how great it will be. I don't even remember what I planned to use for a costume. Yikes! I head to tryouts with this so-called made up dance. My sister stayed after school because she didn't have a ride and she got to watch this special event. Fortunately, she does not remember it. Phew! They call my name and I go up and do my dance. It.was.awful! I couldn't remember any of the awesome moves I had made up. I couldn't do the dance. I was freestylin it up there and it was REALLY bad! While I was up there, I knew that I was embarrassing myself, but I also knew that I had done it to myself. As soon as I was finished...with my enormous feelings of shame and regret...I knew that my mother knew best! I was so mad at myself for not listening to her. With a really cool, unusual, solid dance plus an awesome costume, I had a good chance of making it, but after what I did, I'm surprised they allowed me back into school. It was really bad!

I often tell Mikaela this story...I think she's sick of it.

Ok...

If she wants to learn the hard way...

I'm just saying!