Please Pass the Catch-up!

I know I know...I have neglected my blog. Life sort of took over for a bit and there wasn't much time for computering. I will catch you all up to speed and put your desperately curious minds at ease so that you too can move on with your lives.

I'll start with the 4th of July. It is Jakes favorite holiday and one of my top three as well. We met up with the Becksteads and spent the day in Sandy enjoying all the activities and concerts and later that night the "big" fireworks. It wasn't as great as it has been in the past. The musicality was off and there were long pauses between some of the explosions. Maybe because of the wind? I don't know, but it was disappointing. Still fun and the kids didn't notice anything amiss so I guess alls well that ends well. -I'm just always a critic-

The cabin is really taking shape now, literally. The basement flooring is all poured and the deck footings are in and poured as well. (That was quite the project!)

Last week the framers got the basement/garage all framed in and they will be working again today, tomorrow, and Saturday. They also got the rock retaining wall in place. I will post more pics next week. We will go up Sunday to see the progress and to plan the next work party.

Very exciting stuff! I can't wait for it to be done!

Cassie worked her little self to exhaustion doing chores for people to earn money for an American Girl Doll this month. She was awesome and earned every penny she needed and got to order "Julie". We, um, SHE got her (our) doll on Monday and couldn't be happier! I love those dolls...I'm glad she is loving them too...I have waited forever for her to take an interest. Now I can justify getting me, um, HER all of the fabulous treasures out of the catalogue. And possibly more dolls? Santa? I'm feeling pretty positive that it will be an American Girl Christmas this year!!! She (I) will be so excited! ;)

We are up to our necks in soccer! Coleton has 3-4 practices a week now! Yikes! Just crown me the Soccer Mom! No, really, I want the crown. I deserve the crown...Just Give Me The Freakin Crown!

Moving on...

Jake is done with softball -for the summer- and is playing soccer now. I wonder if I ought to invest in an oxygen tank and a defibrillator just in case? These men think they are still 20-something! At least they have fun. But, oh how they pay for it the next couple of days!!! Sore this-ouch that! Ha! Too funny!

Caden is hilarious. We went out to eat last night and he got up from our table and walked over to another table and started tap dancing for that family! They were cute and urged him on and gave him some applause. He then dazzled them with some magic coin tricks! I'll bet they didn't know they were going to get dinner AND entertainment that night! He just isn't very shy and loves to show off and perform! Did I mention he was tap dancing in flip flops?! He is so darn cute!

Happy Birthday Caden!

What a clown! Caden is the big 7 today! He asked for and received a "real" football and some Heelys for his birthday. We are spending the weekend at our cabin property so we get to celebrate his birthday at our favorite place in the mountains! He opened his gifts at home on Friday and then Saturday afternoon we headed up to Spring Hollow to stay until Monday. But, not before we picked up his delicious chocolate birthday cake from Costco! Mmmmm!

We just love having him in our family and he is always making us laugh! He has the sweetest sense of humor and is quite the charmer. He definitely has our hearts and it's fun to watch him grow and develop into such a wonderful person. So a very Happy Birthday to our little Tato Bug! We love you! Hugs and Kisses and a birthday bum pinch!

What's Up Wednesday

Last Weekend was really fun and very summer-licious! Friday the kids played outside with their friends all day and into the night (They love to play night games!) Saturday morning our neighbors set up their monster blow-up water slide -it's huge!- and the kids had a blast sliding and splashing! We went to see Kung Fu Panda that afternoon and loved it! We laughed all the way through the movie...very cool. We cleaned house for a bit and then went back outside for the rest of the day and again into the night. Sunday we pulled down our garden fence, cleaned out the garden area and put in a fire pit! We had game night in the backyard complete with roasted hot dogs and smore's. It was so great and everyone had an awesome time! It was so nice to hang out on the patio and the weather was perfect once the shade hit us.

Monday we bought fireplace inserts for the cabin! One wood burning and one gas. We arranged for delivery and installation and got a smokin' deal! I am so excited! The sub-plumbing is done and we are going up this weekend to dig holes for the deck posts with a mini excavator.

Coleton left for scout camp early this morning. He will be gone until Saturday afternoon. I'm not as stressed out about it this year as I was last year. But, I'm still a Mom and so I worry and fret until I can't stand it and have to find something to take my mind off it. Busy is best! At least I didn't cry myself to sleep like I did last year! I'm sure he is having a ton of fun and earning lots of cool merit badges!

Wednesday I worked with Julie (always a blast!) and afterwards we went to lunch with the girls and then she and I went to look at exterior doors for the cabin but the sales guy was a twit so we didn't buy any. We will go back when it's the "cool guy" the Chet knows who is working. Ugh, I just really don't like stupid people.

What's Up Wednesday

You get two weeks for the price of one this time! Aren't you the bargain hunter! Or maybe I'm just a slacker ;) ahem...anyway, here goes-

On the 7th we had some friends over for game night and had a great time. The kids were really good and played happily until midnight (we were really into our game and kept saying just one more round...we'll maybe just one more...ok one more and that's it!...etc.) Time does tend to get away from you! It was fun even though the boys won.

Sunday was our anniversary

Monday Jake had two softball games...they lost the first and won the second. He is my Homerun King!
Coleton started his soccer conditioning camp. He goes every day this week for 2.5 hours. Yikes! He's not quite sure how he feels about this, but I feel very strongly that after all the money I paid he is going to LOVE it! He doesn't think I'm funny.

Tues-Thurs was life as usual. Coleton was doing great at soccer camp and even enjoying it as it got easier. I worked Tues and Thurs. Dad watched the kids for me on Tues and took Coleton to his practice, bought them all lunch at McDonalds, and then took them swimming at his house. What an awesome Grandpa!

Fri-Sun the kids spent the weekend at Jakes Moms house so that we could have some alone time to celebrate our anniversary. Friday night was Betos and videos. Saturday morning we woke up and had german pancakes and then went to see a movie. After that it was Cafe Rio and then we headed to Gateway. We took the train and met an "interesting" guy who reminded us of a mix between John Locke from Lost and Creed from The Office...He seriously could have been their love child! Anyway, we had so much fun at Gateway! We ate some dinner and walked around...shopped a little and mostly just held hands and talked. It was fabulous!

This week I'm not working so I get to catch up on everything I neglected all last week. We are going to go swimming over at Julies house today and the kids are excited. Monday was fun because Spencer came over and right after he left Julie came over! Well, I guess Julie comes over every Monday but I still love it when she's here. Spencer was a treat though...he hardly ever shows up at my house! Alright, that's about it in a nut shell...exciting huh? I know, you're jealous, but try to love me anyway. Not everyones life can be as exciting, but it's ok if you want to live vicariously through mine. I'll understand :)

Happy Fathers Day

I just wanted to say a quick Happy Happy to all the Fathers in my life.

To my Dad, who even now is still My Superman...The Man of Steel! I love you! You are the best! And apparently I take after you more than I thought...Jake is almost to the point of banning me from public places where "stupid people" might be lurking because I just can't refrain from pointing out their flaws! (Don't even get me started on Walmart)

Jake- What can I say...He totally Rocks! He is such a great father and husband and he totally gets me. The kids worship him and have a great relationship with him. Even Coleton (the Teen!) still loves to "hang" with Dad. They have this whole morning ritual that I just recently discovered! I think Jake is most beautiful when he is playing with the kids...It makes my heart pitter-patter and I fall in love with him all over again! "Sexy" takes on a whole new image once you have kids! But, he is still my hunk-a-hunk of burning love *wink,wink*

My brother and brother-in-law- They are great Dads and their kids absolutely love them! I love having so many great men in my family! My kids always talk about their uncles with pride and enthusiasm. I trust them with my kids and that is the highest praise I can give! They are the best guys in the world!

14 Years!

Today is our wedding anniversary! We have officially been married for 14 years...Wow! It doesn't seem like it's been that long and yet it seems like we've been together forever. We dated for three years before we got married so that means we've been together for almost 17 years...oh my! I've been having flashbacks about my pre-wedding thoughts and my wedding day memories all week. It's been a fun jog down memory lane. I wish I had some pics of my wedding to post but I was married before the digi camera was born! I will have to see if I can find the box I packed them in and scan some of them onto the computer. You would laugh at how young we both look and at my poofy dress! I think Jake weighed about a buck fifty and had a 29 in waist! We were so young and naive! What I wouldn't give to go back in time and give myself some advice and direction! It's been an adventure and the highs and lows have been worth it because we are still in love with each other and life is good if not perfect. Jake is still my best friend and the one who makes my heart beat fast. He is awesome and I couldn't have chosen a better partner.

Simply Smile

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.

'Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday.' Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name.

The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.

Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.

The frog says, 'Sure. I have this,' and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.

Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says, 'There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral.' She holds up the tiny pink elephant. 'I mean, what in the world is this?'

(you're gonna love this)

The bank manager looks back at her and says... 'It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan, His old man's a Rolling Stone.'

(You're singing it, aren't you? Yeah, I know you are........)

Never take life too seriously!

Come on now, you grinned, I know you did!!!

Have a lovely day

What's Up Wednesday

Thursday- It rained and rained! Caden's t-ball game was cancelled and so were the team photos. He was really bummed and a little ticked off. He still wore his uniform and cleats and that made him feel a little bit better. *He is so darn cute!*
-I had to work all day -I do love my job though, it totally rocks
-Cassie had her last day of dance

Friday- Let's just say that I was DONE! I was on the verge of a major freak-out and it was either beat the children senseless or ditch em at their cousins! I know you Moms can relate...sometimes you're just DONE! I love my children and I love being a Mom but sometimes I just need a time out. Coleton went to my parents and Cass and Cade went to my brothers. Jake had to work late which was fine with me. I wanted to be ALONE! I had the absolute best time! I saw two movies all by myself, I took a steaming hot bubble bath with scented candles burning, I read a raunchy romance novel in a QUIET house and loved every minute of it! The best part was the bath...no one was screaming, or banging on the bathroom door. No one was begging to "just put their feet in the water", or asking, "Can I just see if this Lego ship can float?" I didn't have half the kids in the neighborhood running in and out of my house and driving me crazy...it was an awesome day!

Saturday- Jake and I woke up to a blissfully quiet house and had a peaceful breakfast then went to a matinee movie. We picked up the kids and had a great day of yard work, playing, and house cleaning. Really, it was a great day. I was a new woman!

Sunday- My whole family met at my parents for breakfast and a tour through our families history and then we headed off to the cemeteries. It was fun and I learned some new stories and recalled some neat memories. When we were done with my side of the family we drove to Ogden to visit with Jake's grandma and to see his dad's and grandparents graves. It's always hard for Jake to go to his Dads and I don't know if it will ever get any easier. We did have a nice time with his grandma though and she loved seeing the kids.

Monday- Jake went golfing in the morning and afterwards we went to my parents (again) and had a barbecue. We tend to spend a awful lot of time with our extended family! It rained like crazy but fun was had by all and it was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.

Tuesday- I worked all morning.
-Cassie had a field trip to Timpanogos Cave with her fourth grade class. She had a blast and is still talking about how neat the cave was. She is really sore from the hike though and is complaining about her muscles hurting. She said that almost everyone in her class could hardly move today! Too funny!
-Coleton had a field trip too with his science class. They went on a geo-caching type hunt...they had to find hidden objects using several different technologies/techniques. His group set new time records and he is feeling very hot-to-trot about it! Yea Coleton!

Wednesday (today)-I worked all morning again.
-Cade went to daycare for the very last time EVER! He is way excited and so is my checkbook!
-Tomorrow is the last full day of school this year!

Crazy Weather

This has been the craziest spring season ever! Record highs, record lows, sun, snow, wind, rain...sometimes all in the same day! Do I wear my flip-flops or snow boots!? Tank-tops or sweaters!? One day we are working and playing out in the yard getting sunburned and the next day we are sipping hot chocolate snuggled in blankets on the sofa! I'm so confused!

It is just so mean to tease us with the sun and dangle summer right in front of us, but always just out of reach. It seems as if Spring is having a super dramatic temper tantrum! Well, I say let's just skip right over Spring and her nasty little attitude and jump into Summer! I mean, I'm not shaving my legs and getting pedicures for nothing! I want to wear shorts and sandals! Come on Mother Nature...Get it under control and bring on the warm weather!

Our Vacation!

We had sooo much fun in California! We spent 8 days in the sun and had a blast! It was an action packed adventure and we loved every minute of it! We started out in Disneyland for two days and then did one day in California Adventure. It was Caden's first time and he was beyond exited! The whole time we were driving to California (10 hrs) he would ask about every hour or so if we could see Disneyland yet...So cute. One of our favorite rides was the Tower of Terror!!! -Caden excluded, he opted out of that one- It was the best, and so scary! Coleton and Cassie are fearless and absolutely loved all the roller coasters and "intense" rides...They are definitely taking after their parents! We also had a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen one night. I would definitely recommend it! We loved it and had a riotous good time!

We went to Universal Studios next and it was totally awesome! All the kids loved everything! The mummy roller coaster was so weird, but way fun! (Cade is still leery and a bit short so he bypassed all rides that went fast, got you wet, or looked scary) Don't worry, we'll work on it and next time he'll be begging to ride! We saw a couple of shows/performances and they totally rocked! We loved the Waterworld show!

After Universal we headed down to San Diego and hit the Wild Animal Park before checking into our hotel. The park was o.k. and we had fun but it wasn't spectacular. The tram tour was cool though and we loved seeing the cheetahs and lions...very cool. After we checked into our hotel we headed for the beach since it was still fairly early and played in the sand and waves for a bit. The kids and Jake love the beach and ocean and could stay forever. I on the other hand have a different idea of fun. The beach is only fabulous if I'm laying in a lounge chair, shaded by an umbrella, while alternately snoozing and sipping on a drink, being left completely alone and having nothing to worry about except my drink being empty. So I was a good sport and sat on a towel and took videos and pictures and pretended to love it. I did love seeing my family so happy so the sacrifice was worth it!

The next day was Seaworld and it was fantastically fun! The shows were awesome and our favorite was the sea lion and otter show...too funny! I fell in love with flamingos that day. They are so ugishly beautifully weird! I love them! Caden liked Shamu and the sharks and he thought the dolphins were really cool. Coleton loved everything and was really disappointed when he sat in the "soak zone" at the Shamu show and didn't get wet...not even a drop! Poor kid. Cassie was in Cassie Heaven at Seaworld. She just loves animals and had a blast. We couldn't get her away from the tide pool exhibit where she could touch and hold everything. She even fed dead fish to the sea lions -ewww!- blah! But, to each their own right!? Afterwards we headed for the beach again...yea. This beach was much nicer and everyone had a good time. Some of our neighbors were enjoying a Disney vacation just like us and we were on pretty much the same schedule so we meet up with them throughout the trip and hung out in most of the parks and at the beach. Coleton and their oldest boy are best friends and Cassie and their middle boy are sweet on each other and "going out" so it was very exciting to vacation with them! It made it really fun for the kids to share some of the excitement with their friends.



We drove to St. George the following day and stayed in a nice hotel over night to break the drive up a bit. We all swam in the pool and soaked in the hot tub and talked about our fun trip! Everyone agreed it was the absolute best! It was sad to go home the next day, but reality does have a way of finding you. All-in-all we made some great memories and had some excellent quality family time.

New Job for Jake! (and slacker catch-up stuff)

Jake has officially accepted a job offer! He will start the week after we get back from California.(He has this entire month off!) We are both excited and nervous! I love change but Jake is more of a "comfort zone" kind of guy...so he is a little anxious. I think it will be a good move with a lot of great potential. Cross your fingers that it all works out! It is a local job(sort of)so we won't be moving far...but we will be moving. Lot's of change!

Last week and the week before were not so fun! Julie's in-laws had a family emergency and her and Chet took off for the Philippines leaving me to care for their boys for a week. (This was all arranged within a 24hr period!!!)The night they left, their kids came down with the actual Flu, Influenza! So of course I caught it and then so did the rest of my family! Not Fun! We were so miserable and pathetic! It was the worst! Anyway, I think I deserve the "Best Aunt/Sister of the Year" award!
She could only call us once the whole time they were gone and it was like a two minute conversation. I didn't even tell Julie that we were all sick...she would have just worried and there was nothing she could have done about it...so I spared her the agony. Everyone is fine now and the dust is starting to settle on the in-laws family ordeal. It was a whirlwind event and my heart goes out to my sister and her family. I love you!

Spring soccer has begun! It is condensed into one month so my head is spinning! Coleton has soccer three times a week until the end of April! It might not be so bad if it were a little warmer...Brrrrr... It's a lot of fun though and his team has improved a lot since last season. (I am such a soccer Mom) :)

Irish Girl Calls Demolition Company...Too Funny, and Very Well Done! I don't know how she stayed so serious!