Anyone going for a dippidee do in the ole' pool?

If so, watch this first...it's hilarious! We can't stop laughing. Thanks to Alicia for introducing it to me. And, does anyone know where you can buy some of those awesome rip-off pants? This so makes me want to go swimming in a public pool!!!

Dad watched Little House on the Prairie...

...and cried!

He is such a softie. He always cries during movies. Not the fight 'em and kill 'em type but the sweet kind. Especially during the endings and especially if it is a father/daughter movie. I remember years ago watching a movie with dad about a father and a daughter who were both lawyers arguing a case against each other. Dad cried at the end. I think that was the first time I saw him cry in a movie. Now, it happens all the time. He cries every time he watches Enchanted. (and he watches it a lot!) He cried during 50 First Dates and What a Girl Wants. I can't remember the many others, but there are others. I guess he's just a big teddy bear! Awwwww.

Mikaela is going to girls' camp!!!

I know this probably isn't a big deal to you professional mothers out there, but today as I read through the list of stuff to bring to camp, I realized she was going away. It hit me and made me sad. I am happy for her but, I am sad to see her growing up so fast. I had flashbacks to my girls' camp days and thought of all the great fun she is going to have and hopefully the spiritual moments too. Campfire testimony meetings were awesome! Girls' camp is the best and I am so glad she gets to participate. Now, how do I get past the emptiness that mommy feels? How do I hide it? I've done this kind of stuff before, but today more than ever, I don't wanna let go...



P.S. Dalton's birthday post is coming. Having picture troubles.

I feel as if I didn't get to say goodbye...

Sorry about your eyes being closed Pam, but this picture shows Paula's infectious laugh!

Paula on the Hawaii cruise. It was so fun to vacation with her!

Paula Noorda passed away just after midnight today. To read about it, click here. It had only been six weeks since we all found out this terrible disease was going to take a great person, someone we love, so quickly and at such a young age. I will miss seeing her smile every Sunday. I will miss her being so kind, thoughtful and having so much concern regarding me and my children. I will miss her advice and her memories. I will miss racing to stand by her in choir so she could sing next to me and help me through the songs. I will miss her laughter and her sense of humor. I will miss being one of her blog buddies and I will miss her uplifting comments!

One thing this has taught me is that life is short! We never know how much time we have left and we need to treat each day as a gift. Share it with our loved ones and let them know how we feel. We need to take the time today. Don't put it off. So, to all my family, friends, neighbors, ward members - old and new, I love you!!!

I have already expressed some of my feelings in my June 18, 2008 post so I will stop now.

So many of us are still very, very sad!!!

To read two of the talks from her funeral click here and here and here!

Rock climbing at Momentum!!!

Summer took us all to Momentum for rock climbing. The kids had a lot of fun. It was a lot harder than I thought. My arms and legs were like jelly afterwards. It makes me a little nervous to try it on real rocks! And, I have a touch of acrophobia to overcome.

Dalton played and climbed on the fun wall. None of the real stuff for him, yet.

Today...

was an exhausting, hard, awful, intense, very difficult day! One of the worst days of my life! I am glad it is over for now and I made it through. I just want some peace! You know those moments that you wish you didn't have to live? Those moments that you want to escape and avoid with every fiber of your being? I had too many of those moments for one day. It was overwhelming beyond anything I am prepared to handle. But somehow, I made it through the day. Now, if I can make it through the rest of my life, it will truly be a miracle! I just wanna know, why is life so hard? I just wanna be a mom and raise my children to be responsible functioning adults in society without all the extra crap! Is that really too much to ask? Hasn't life taught me enough already? What am I not learning? What am I missing? What do you do when you have no strength left? What did I do to deserve this? Peace, I just want some!
Okay, I'm done for now...

Happy 4th of July!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

I sure hope you all had a nice 4th of July. This is one of my favorite holidays. We started the day with the city family fun run (2.2 miles). Hudson and I ran it and Mikaela pushed Dalton in the jogger stroller. Hudson took off super fast and totally kicked my trash! (I know, I know, it's not hard to do!) Mikaela came in a little later, but she did really well considering she didn't train and she pushed a 6 year old! Next year, Dalton's running it too. Then we met Derrek and dad for the chuck wagon breakfast. It was actually very good food. After perusing the park booths, I came home and tried to fight the heat. I didn't have the kids with me so I just did whatever needed to be done. I did paint my toenails! Needless to say, it was a boring day. No BBQ or anything exciting like that. In fact, I didn't even eat dinner! I made a fruit pizza in the shape of a cookie sheet and I only used blueberries and strawberries to decorate it, but it was delish nonetheless. The kids met me at the park and we watched the fireworks with the Marchants. It was a great show! That city just keeps getting better and better.

Race Results:

Hudson 19th place overall with a time of 20:26.05

Larissa 25th overall with a time of 22:30.11

Dalton 51st overall with a time of 31:56.22

Mikaela 52nd overall with a time of 32:21.29

I like to do my part!

I'm going green! This is my attempt at saving the world, one grocery bag at a time. I have used these bags twice. Once at Albertson's and once at Costco. Both times the person behind me in line has asked me where I got these bags. The bags I use are from Target, but every grocery store had them for a moment. Now, no one seems to have them in stock. I keep hearing that they will get them in again, but I have yet to see it. I was searching and searching for these bags until my dad finally said to me, "I have some downstairs that I got a while ago." Ugh! Are you kidding me?


I really like using them so far. You should try it if you haven't already. One other "green" thing I have tried is turning off my idling car while waiting for kids to come out of school, piano, friends, etc. I know, I know, what would be huge for the environment as well as really huge for the pocket book is a smaller, more economical car. I'm working on it. Baby steps!


What's next for me...lightbulbs?

Happy Birthday D-Rock!!!

Derrek at approx. 6 years old

Doesn't Dalton look a little like the birthday boy?

Today is Derrek's birthday. We are going to celebrate with a BBQ with kabobs and other meats and mom's awesome potato salad. Then we will have cake and ice cream. We are even going to try out the new slushy maker to see if it will work for the family reunion.

Because I am nine years older than Derrek, I remember helping take care of him all the time. I remember holding him, changing diapers, feeding him, and rocking him. He was the cutest little baby ever. Derrek is one of the two best brothers I have ever had! I just love him. Here are just some of the reasons I love D-Rock!

He is funny

He is smart

He is humble

He is honest

He is a peacemaker

He is insightful

He gives good advice

He is reasonable

He is patient

He is tolerant

He is good with my kids

He tries to help everyone

He is a good worker

He is a great baseball player

He is a surprisingly fast sprinter

Summer, Derrek, and Val

Kim, Derrek, Summer, Marc

Larissa, Derrek, and Summer

Derrek, Suzanne, Nick, and Larissa

Whole lotta church!

Today we had stake conference = 2 hours. Then, I listened to Summer speak = 1 hour 10 minutes. Then, I had planned to drive an hour to a family baby blessing = 4 hours. But, the baby blessing was cancelled (phew) and I was invited to another baby blessing (uh oh) and I turned it down. All I can say is, I wanna get outta my dress and that would have been a whole lotta church, especially for the kids!!!

Summer Fun!!!

Summer is officially here! It's hotter than hot outside and Dalton has started swimming lessons. All the kids are questioning bedtime at 9! Evertime I mention bedtime, Dalton says "what, it's light outside!" That would explain why they can't get to sleep until 10:30!

We spent Saturday at the pool and it was awesome! It was a great way to cool off. I think we are going to live at the pool because it is just so stinkin' hot out. The other kids will start swimming lessons in July and August (if we can figure it all out with vacations). So between all of that and a couple beach and lake trips and a trip to Seven Peaks, I think we will get our water fill. That's how we like it! Oh, and I even ate a blue raspberry snow cone for the first time in forever!!!

I love Summer!!! Bring it on!!!

I feel so Amish!!!

The cable t.v. went out! We can only watch one or two stations! One computer keeps dying and one computer left the building for a week (with it's owner, Summer)! So, in other words, no computer and no DVR! What?! We have no air conditioning at all! No central air or swamp cooler! I am super hot and bothered and not in a good way! Mom even told me I should go plant a garden! Are you kidding me? That would be the biggest time waster. I suck at gardening. The only way I plan to hang outside is by a pool or a lake!

I like the amish, but I don't want to live like them.

It's actually not that bad, we still have some fans strategically placed throughout the house and I can occasionally get my computer to come on if I hit in the right spot. Next week I shall be back to my technological addictions in life. But, for now, I will have small glimpses of computer time and one or two stations on t.v. and I will sweat in places I didn't know I could sweat! Who's with me!