4Jepps

Proud of Myself

2012-02-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

If you know me then you know that Monday morning I don't go ANYWHERE. I stay home and clean my house. I am very proud of myself that this Monday morning I went with Bryan and Lucas and Ty to have a little fun riding down the hill. I even went a few times myself.

Lucas could have stayed all day! He loves it and we haven't had much snow this year so we knew we had to go. What a fun morning (and I still came home and got my cleaning done).

Indulgence

2012-02-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

Last year for my birthday Bryan got me a Kindle. I was a little nervous about it because I worried about using it enough to make it worth the investment. I knew I didn't have the budget to buy all the books I would want to read, and at the time you couldn't get books from the library. I have found, to my great reading pleasure, that although I still use a lot of 'real books', I also use my Kindle a great deal. Not only can you now get books from the library on it (I don't always because sometimes I get the book faster than the e-book) but I have scriptures and LOTS of my favorites classics on it as well. However, I do search Amazon for cheap books sometimes, and they are there. Sometimes they're even free. What I've found is that on the whole they are kind of silly books that aren't very well written. Many I've bought or gotten for free are YA novels and many are only available in e-book format. (Hmmm, I wonder why?) I have decided that these types of books are kind of addictive. To most people I'm sure they wouldn't be but I blame my obsessive personality, the same one that as a teenager watched soap operas. Somehow this week I've managed to read four of them. So...if you see a bunch of silly names on the list of books I've read this year and they only have two stars...that is why. They are often SOOOO poorly written, so simple, so over the top, and yet, when I start one I can't put it down. For me it's like books on crack. I don't necessarily recommend them to anyone and yet, with some chocolate and a blanket what an indulgence they are!

(As a side note--I wouldn't really want anyone to look at my book list and just read from it without talking to me. Depending on the person I would or wouldn't recommend certain books for them.)

Dangerous Nap

2012-02-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Ty has stopped taking naps but sometimes will get so tired he falls asleep in odd places. I quickly moved him from this spot! I could just see him bouncing down the stairs as he turned over in his sleep!!

Christmas

2012-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

This post is an acknowledgment that Christmas did come to our home last month. Our 'live' tree wasn't so live by Christmas morning and has convinced us to start looking for a fake one. We've never had a tree die on us the way this one did.

Lucas and Ty got lots of fun toys but LOVE these guns from Santa. We had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas day in which we snacked on food, watched football, and kept track of the score of the GFL championship as our Yoda's took the cup for the second year in a row. I didn't like beating Grandpa Garner but it is fun to be the champs again. Merry (very late) Christmas from the Jeppsens.

Chicken Pot Pie and Other Thoughts on Food

2012-01-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

As a teenager my mom made a good effort in teaching me how to cook. I didn't really want to learn and fought her most of the time. I even remember her making me cut up a whole chicken once and I complained so much she never had me do it again. Then I went to college and I cooked a little but Steph was there. I remember inviting boys to dinner and then telling Steph they were coming so that she could make dinner. Obviously I wasn't always the best sister. Bryan and I didn't get married until we were in our late 20's. I made chicken pot pie for him once when we were dating. I REALLY needed my mom's help to do so. After we were married I did make dinner but it was the easy things I knew how to do like spaghetti, tacos, breakfast dinners, and roast. Eventually we moved to Utah and something happened to me. I realized that if I ever wanted chicken pot pie or pineapple rice or homemade cinnamon rolls that I would have to make them myself. Sooo--I learned how to make those things and I learned how to make them so that they taste like my mom's. It is one of the blessings of moving away from my mom that I am giving my family memories and traditions in food. I'm also bringing new recipes into our home as I've learned that I do enjoy trying new dishes. Some I only make once but some are becoming new family favorites.

Sunday I made chicken pot pie. I make two--one for Bryan and Lucas with only chicken and potatoes, and one for me and Ty with carrots and peas (which not only tastes better but looks prettier too). For the first time Lucas ate two pieces and told me it's one of his favorite dinners. I hope that someday he will let me teach him how to cook it so that he can share it with his family.

Christmas Has Begun

2011-12-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last night the Utah Jeppsens got together for our annual cousin party. We ate lots of good food, Rob had some fun games, including the candy bar game, and they kids all got to open their cousin gift. I think everyone went home with something they loved which is pretty impressive.

This morning Ty was ready to open his gift and start shooting!

Pinewood Derby

2011-12-15T08:43:00.000-08:00

Last week was Lucas' first Pinewood Derby. Lots of time was spent on making the car look 'cool'. Lucas did a drawing and then Bryan went to work on the paint. Lucas helped a bit but I think Ty helped even more!

Lucas came in 6th out of 10 boys but the race was so fair that none of the boys felt cheated. Bryan learned some things that he'll remember for next year and Lucas now has a car he loves to play with.

Number 9

2011-11-22T12:26:00.001-08:00

Lucas turned nine years old last week! He is such a great kid and so we wanted to do something fun that he would remember. We let him invite one friend (I only do friend parties every other year) and he chose his friend Matthew. We went to the Brick Oven for dinner and he opened up his gifts after we ate. They brought him an ice cream sunday and made him stand up on his seat while they sang to him.

The funny thing about this picture is there is one just like it from last year when he got a Colts Collie jersey.

This year it was a BYU jersey he wanted. He likes to tell people that the number nine isn't for Jake Heaps but still for Austin Collie.

Then we all went to the first BYU basketball home game of the season. We had a great time. Things I love about Lucas are that he is very tenderhearted and loving. He tries hard to do what it right. He is a natural leader. He loves to draw. He is an excellent student, excelling in math, spelling, and reading. He can talk and talk and talk, and often I feel like I need to tell him to take a break! (I think I now know how my mom must have felt about me sometimes--he obviously gets this from me and not Bryan.) We love Lucas and that he is a part of our family! Happy birthday Lucas!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-22T11:41:00.001-08:00

I know this is almost a month late....but here is a little video from our Halloween. Each year Bryan adds something else to the house.

Ty Being Funny

2011-10-28T20:52:00.001-07:00

The other night Bryan and I were very tired. Lucas and Ty were both being impossible. Lucas would tease Ty and then Ty would scream--loudly. Bedtime couldn't come fast enough. Then when Bryan and I were about to lose it, Bryan said, "I'm going to have to spank some people?" I replied, "Who are you going to spank?" Without missing a beat Ty looks at me and says, "Some people." Leave it to the three year old to diffuse the tension and help us make it to bedtime.

Fun in Florida

2011-10-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

Bryan had a business trip to Orlando at the end of September and so we all decided to go with him! We left Sunday, very early, and arrived that evening. Our main objective was go to Universal and visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

As soon as we got our passes (a special thanks to Melissa's uncle for getting us those passes) we headed straight for Harry Potter land.

Here we are trying butterbeer. DELICIOUS!! I would call it a mix between a rootbeer float and cream soda. Ty wouldn't taste it so he missed out.

It was like stepping into a world that we've seen in movies and read about in books. I loved walking around and just looking at the buildings and shops.

Poor Ty couldn't go on a lot of the rides. They had these little rooms where Bryan or I would wait with Ty and the other one would go on the ride with Lucas. Then we would switch places. I think this is actually the Spiderman ride and they had cartoons running on TV. Ty didn't mind this wait so much.

As we left Harry Potter we made sure to stop and take a picture by the Hogwarts Express. This really was our favorite part of the park. And the inside of the castle was amazing, from moving paintings that really looked like canvas to the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

Bryan and Lucas at the end of the Jurassic Park ride.

Mom and Ty on One Fish Two Fish. Someday it will be fun to go back when Ty is older so that he can do more than four rides!

I was worried Ty wouldn't take a picture with Spiderman. Not only did he take a picture with him but he talked to him as well. Considering he won't ever sit on Santa's lap I thought he did great! I know it helped that it was Spiderman and in his three year old mind I know he believed it was the REAL Spiderman.

Lucas also got pictures with Wolverine and Cyclops. At the end of the day we all picked out some souvenirs. In thinking about what we could get that would remind us of our trip we decided against the traditional t-shirt. Instead Ty got the Sword of Gryffindor (toy sword) and Bryan, Lucas, and myself picked out wands. Lucas: Harry Potter, Lynne: Hermione, Bryan: Dumbledore, also known as the Elder wand, in our home known as 'the big dog.' As soon as I get shelves in the family room I'll find a way to display them. And Ty will get to pick one out when he is older and won't break it.

Day two was spent driving to the ocean and playing. We decided that we're not a fan of toll roads.

I decided not to wear my swimsuit. I don't know what I was thinking! But I still had fun wading in the water with Ty.

The boys loved to play together. Lucas loved to go out and jump the waves. Several times I had to tell him not to go sooo far out because he was making me nervous.

We were so happy we made the effort and spent the day at the beach.

The last morning was spent at the hotel pool which was amazing. Lucas is going down the slide at one end of the pool.

And here are Lucas and Ty at the other end of the pool!I left Wednesday with the boys and Bryan stayed to work a few more days. The boys did great on the way home, and Lucas even had to sit in between two strangers from Long Beach to Salt Lake. He was so nervous and I admit I didn't like it much myself. But when you fly for free that's what you get sometimes! The only downside to our trip was we got caught in a rainstorm at the end of the day at Universal and I had the camera and phone in my front backpack pocket. Unfortunately both got so wet that neither are working. The upside: my camera somehow made it through the next few days. It didn't always work great but at least I got home before it died completely! It was a wonderful little vacation and we really feel lucky that Bryan has a job that provides these fun times for our family.

Still Cougars

2011-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are still BYU fans, although, I admit we left the game early. I was raised to never leave early but at 10:30 PM with a grumpy Ty and an angry Lucas we'd had it. Hopefully Friday night's game will be better. Can it be any worse than BYU 10 and Utah 54?

Photo Overload

2011-09-02T16:29:00.001-07:00

Just a warning--the next post is full of pictures. More than I usually use for one post. But it was a week long camping trip so there were a ton of pictures and lots of memories to document. Also, I'm almost caught up!!

Redfish Lake

2011-09-02T15:20:00.001-07:00

It is near impossible to get an outlet camping site on Redfish Lake. I know--because we have tried. But we decided to try again and we got one last February. We headed there after the GFL draft with Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen for a fun filled week!

We built some sandcastles.

Lucas and Ty played in the water everyday.

Lucas and I went for an hour long horse ride. I'm hoping that when Ty is 8 and wants to go that Lucas can go with him. I'm glad I went but it hurt!

Grandma had one of her fabulous puzzles to work on.

We surprised Lucas with a few things. One was a slingshot and one was a raft. Ty even went out with him a couple of times.

Ty and I went on lots of little walks where Ty would look for little animals to say hi to, or for bad guys to shoot. Apparently bad guys can be found even when camping.

Grandma and Grandpa surprised Lucas and Ty with some wooden airplanes.

They loved flying the planes around camp.

Ty spent a good part of the time chasing the little ground squirrels. They were quite friendly and would often come into camp to get scraps of food.

Ty also spent a large amount of his time shooting bad guys with his 'fire gun' which was a stick with another stick poking out. It now resides in our home. We couldn't leave it, right?

What camping trip is complete without playing with Grandma Jeppsen's cowboys and Indians?

Bryan and I went on our traditional canoe ride. Ty refused to get in.

Uncle Terry and Aunt Lanae came up from Idaho Falls for a visit. Uncle Terry taught Lucas how to fish. Bryan has always told me what a great fisherman he is. It touched both Bryan and I that he took the time to show Lucas the ropes.

Every time Uncle Terry felt a tug he would say something like, 'Lucas, switch me. Let me check your line.' Lucas came back to camp saying,'I caught four fish!'

When you're from families of 11 and 9 you don't get much alone time with Grandma and Grandpa. This was a vacation we'll all remember because of the time together as a family and the time spent with Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen. We didn't really plan for it to be just us and them, but it turned out that way, (thanks to strict rules at the campsite about the number of tents in your camp) and we'll cherish the memories.

It's been five years since we'd been to Redfish. Here is hoping it doesn't take us five more years to get back.

GFL Champions

2011-09-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

The first of August took us back to Idaho for the Garner Football League Draft (and family reunion). We did all the usual things. Bryan and Lucas took part in the golf tournament Saturday morning and then we all went swimming. Ty has learned to use water wings and he loves it! I love because I don't have to be in the pool with him for two hours!

Lucas still LOVES to swim.

And this year our Toronto Yoda's were the GFL champs, thanks in large part to Austin Collie. Hmmmm, I seem to remember some members of the GFL laughing out loud when we drafted him a few years ago. This year let's hope he doesn't have any more concussions. Go Yodas!!

Home from Brazil

2011-08-31T08:14:00.001-07:00

The end of June brought home Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen home from their mission in Brazil where they served as PEF missionaries. We headed up to Idaho to celebrate their return and have a Jeppsen family reunion. We went a few days early and enjoyed the 4th with Grandma and Grandpa Garner.

Scott and Bryan provided the entertainment in the form of some great fireworks!

The Jeppsen reunion was filled with fun. Raft trip down the Payette River where half the raft overturned and it made for some scary minutes. Lucas and Bryan went and thankfully Bryan managed to keep Lucas and our 10 year old nephew in the boat. We also went to Raging Waters Water Park, played games, and had lots of fun being together.

One evening Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen passed out a few gifts for each of us. The granddaughters each got a beautiful necklace and the grandsons a Brazilian baseball cap. Lucas and Ty love theirs! Bryan and I also received gives and I am touched by the thought they put into these souvenirs from Brazil.

The best part was having them home and hearing their talks in church as they shared their testimonies of the gospel and their experiences from Brazil.

Catch Up

2011-08-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

What to do when I am so FAR behind blogging? Well, not as far behind as I know some of my friends are whose blogs haven't changed for a year or more, but still--I haven't done much this summer. So, I will try and do a new blog every couple of days until I'm caught up. This photo of Lucas and Ty was just for fun. Ty is trying so hard to smile and Lucas is still growing into those two front teeth!

BYU Cougar Kick Off

2011-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

We got back from Redfish Lake (which I will do a blog post about sometime in the near future) and discovered that we were just in time for BYU's Cougar Kickoff. We love going and seeing the players. This year the players weren't walking around the field like they used to do--but Bryan managed to get a picture of Lucas with Ross Apo who is hopefully going to have a great year as a wide receiver. Behind them is QB Jake Heaps. We could have stood in the long, long line and got autographs but it was hot and the picture is all we really wanted. Lucas had a great time running races, playing volleyball, and throwing a football. Ty did not have as much fun but hopefully will next year. He didn't want to do anything but be carried. This time of year always makes us excited for the games to start!

I Haven't Forgotten

2011-07-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

I do still know that I have a blog and I plan to someday update it. Give me time. July has been crazy and August is no different. By mid August I will have lots of posts from our summer fun. Until then, here is a fun picture of Bryan, Uncle Ben, and Grandpa Jeppsen getting ready for an epic Nerf war at Uncle Scott's. The kids loved these battles and I loved watching them.

40th Birthday!

2011-06-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Bryan turned 40 last month! I asked him to put together a little video of his birthday and what we did to celebrate it. It's in the following post. Bryan is not a party person and didn't want to have a big party with lots of people. I actually did think of surprising him anyway but knew it wasn't what he really wanted. So we had a blast spending the day together as a family--bowling, eating at the Brick Oven, opening gifts, and having birthday cookies with ice cream (Bryan's pick instead of a cake).

Bryan is a wonderful husband and father. A few things I love in him as a husband--very protective of me, always encourages me to do whatever makes me happy, very willing to watch the boys whenever I feel like I need some time away with friends or by myself, helps out in the home where he can, he always makes sure I have chocolate, giving, and he is a calming influence for me when I stress about anything--which happens quite often.

As a father he loves to play with the boys, he is a great storyteller, he feels such a strong desire to raise them with strong values, a work ethic, and morals, he has always been willing to help out from the time they were newborns, and he really does work hard to provide anything we need as a family. We are so lucky to have him! We love you Bryan!!

2011-06-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

Bryan's birthday video

Timpanogos Caves

2011-06-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

My brother Steve and his family came down to Utah for a few days and we were lucky enough to have them stay with us. One morning they had plans to go to the Timpanogos caves. I thought to myself, 'Lucas would love that. Let's go with them!' Katherine let me know the hike was 3 miles (1.5 up and 1.5 down) and that you went up in elevation over 1,000 feet. But somehow that was all lost on me. Bryan told me I could leave Ty with him since he was working from home. I told him, 'No, Ty will come with us. We'll take a stroller.'
So we get there and of course no strollers are allowed. Why would they be? The forest service doesn't need a three year old to go rolling off a mountain. I carried Ty a lot of the way up. And Steve and Katherine helped me out by taking him some of the time while he was yelling, 'Mommy, mommy!' I hate saying I'm scared of heights but I do get physically queasy and panicky--especially when someone goes to the edge on purpose. I almost chickened out at one point. I told them to go on without me and Ty, that we'd go back down. Although, going back down didn't seem too fun at the time either.
However, I made it up thanks to Ty not wanting to be left behind. (And sorry, I don't have any really great pictures of how high we were. I stopped taking pictures and concentrated on making it to the top.) The caves were awesome. Ty wouldn't let me put him down. In the last cave they turned off all the lights and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Ty still talks about how dark it was and that there was a bad guy in the cave that said, 'Ohhh, haw, haw, haw.' There wasn't. When we stepped into the sunshine Ty yelled out, 'We did it!' He was able to go down most of the trail on his own--thank goodness because my legs were done. Lucas loved it and did great. Really Lucas, Emma, Mary, and Grant all did great! It was just Ty that needed so much help. Lucas even recognized what type of fossil the guide showed us in the first cave. I don't remember now but it was something from the shallow ocean that used to be there. Going down was much easier and it wasn't nearly as bad as going up. Thanks to Steve and Katherine for letting us tag along--and for carrying our water and sharing their granola bars.

The next few days were rough because I was sore to the touch and couldn't move without pain. Of course that's what I get for hiking up a mountain with a 30 pound 3 year old! But I did it! And maybe when Ty is older we'll go again--but don't hold your breath.

Funny Sayings

2011-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few funny things Ty has said lately--and I know it may only be funny to us and grandparents but I had to write them down somewhere!

At dinnertime I often have raw carrots as the vegetable. It's the only way my family will eat them. Ty loves carrots! This is the conversation from a few nights ago.
Me: Lucas, if you want something else then eat some carrots.
Ty: I want some carrots.
He reaches for the bowl, gets it, grabs all the carrots, and puts them on his plate. Then he pushes the bowl back.
Ty: The carrots are allllll gone.
Then he ate every last carrot.

Lately Ty has been sleeping in Lucas' bed. It doesn't always work out for the best but they love sleeping together. Last night I got Ty ready for bed and asked him where he was going to sleep. He started telling us with Lucas and then said this about sleeping with Lucas:
Ty: Lucas is not talking. Lucas won't talk.
Me: Then what does Lucas say?
Ty: Ty, go to bed!
Then of course after they were in bed Ty had to 'tattle' on Lucas by coming to the top of the stairs and telling us again, that, 'Lucas is not talking.' Of course Lucas is trying to go to sleep but Ty just wants to talk and play with him! In the end, Lucas went to sleep and Ty didn't fall asleep until 11:00. Also, Ty will wait up in his room by his door with his pillow and blanket ready, so that when Lucas turns off his light he can go in and climb into bed. I've got to start looking for bunk-beds so that they can share a room for a while! At least until Lucas realizes what it's like to share a room with a three year old.

Park City Night at The Canyon's Resort

2011-05-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Bryan spent much of April up in Park City for JetBlue. We went up for a night just before Easter. We had a great suite with plenty of room, and Ty loved playing with his guys on top of the fireplace.
I do not like being cold. I hate it, so swimming in cold weather doesn't appeal to me much. Of course Lucas REALLY wanted to go swimming in the pool and hot tubs. Bryan couldn't take them--he was busy working. So I put on my swimming suit and headed outside. The pool was heated of course and after getting acclimated a bit I ended up having a really fun time with Lucas and Ty. I think Bryan was in shock that we stayed out for almost two hours!
The boys loved sleeping by the fire and watching TV. (The fire is on here even if you can't see the flames.)
We also had fun at the Olympic museum, eating out at Pizza Hut (one of the only dine-in Pizza Huts we know of in Utah), and sleeping in before heading to Idaho for Easter.

Happy Birthday Ty

2011-05-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ty turned three years old on Saturday! He started off his day with one of his favorite sugar cereals.
Then we headed off to Trafalga for a little fun. We played miniature golf, drove the go-karts, and the boys rode a few small rides. Lucas was the only one to go in the splash boats--the rest of us didn't want to get wet.
We came home to have cake and ice cream. Ty did a great job this year blowing out his candles. After opening presents we ended our night with dinner at a local pizza place.
All day he tried very hard to smile! He is such a fun little boy and we love him in our family. Here are a few little facts about Ty. He loves to talk to his grandparents every week on Sunday. I don't think they understand half of what he says but he is a blast to listen to. When we watch Chuck on TV he and Lucas get up and dance to the theme song. We have a child lock on his bedroom door to keep him in at night and his closet door has a lock on it so while we keep him in he doesn't empty every toy he owns. We open his door after he is asleep and lately he has decided that mom's bed it WAY better than his own. He comes in and sleeps with us and usually I go put him back in his bed--eventually. The problem is I know he will only be three for a year and it will be soon enough that he will be too big to climb into bed with me and Bryan. So for now, I allow it. He loves Lucas and although they fight plenty, Ty tries to do EVERYTHING his big brother does. We all love Ty!

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day started off great with breakfast in bed! Then we relaxed until church and Bryan gave me a corsage. It was so pretty and it smelled wonderful. This picture was taken after church. We'd been home for no more than 5 minutes and Lucas was already out of his Sunday clothes. Ty was tired and refused to be happy. But it was a great day for me and I hope for all women. I know I'm extremely lucky to have such a wonderful mother and a wonderful mother-in-law!

New Towels

2011-05-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

For Easter I made the boys a couple of BYU towels. I was actually going to do this for Lucas at Christmas but put it off when I decided to do one for each of them. Then I procrastinated until the night before we left for a Park City one nighter and Idaho. I got the towels made but it was Grandma Garner that got the 'Y' sewn on each towel.

It is huge on Ty but he loves it. Lucas' is white with a blue 'Y' and fits him perfectly. I also feel very lucky because I didn't pre-wash the towels or the material and nothing bled through on the first wash! I really should learn not to procrastinate so badly.

Busy Doing Nothing

2011-04-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not really busy doing nothing. But do you ever feel that you are busy all day and yet you've accomplished a minimal amount of things? That is how I have felt this week. I'm busy doing things but I tend to go from one thing to another and somehow I don't get as much done as I want. That's my excuse for not posting for so long. I did have a wonderful birthday, we did go to Idaho and I have pictures from Easter there, and the Easter Bunny did drop off a big box for the boys. Bryan did spend 4 hours putting together the basketball hoop that was in the big box, and I have more pictures of Lucas and Ty with their basketballs in front of the hoop. Hopefully within the next few days I'll get the pictures downloaded so I can share them. It can be one of my distractions as I run around the house trying to mark things off my to-do list. Maybe that's my reason for not posting. It's not on my to-do list. Rectified: I've added 'Blog' to the list of things I need to do.

Bon Jovi

2011-03-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

In no particular order here are my top 7 reasons for loving the Bon Jovi concert:
Number 1: Nostalgia
While singing along to 'Shot Through the Heart' I couldn't help thinking of the first time I remembered hearing the song. I was on the bus coming home from school in Junior High. Nothing important happened. I just remember sitting there and thinking, 'I like this song.' Ditto for most his 'old' songs.

Number 2: People Watching
Who doesn't love to watch a middle aged woman with teased out hair and an 80's outfits dancing and screaming like she's still 16. I equally enjoyed watching a group of 20 something girls come and go with their beer. Yes, this is judgmental but they seemed SO high maintenance it was funny, and not because of the beer.

Number 3: Alone Time
Thanks to Kellie (Thank you SO MUCH) Bryan and I had a great evening out. We did end up eating at McDonalds due to lack of planning. Everyone else decided to eat at the Gateway before the concert. Next time we will pay more money and go to a place that takes reservations. Oh well, lesson learned. We ate, we sang, and we walked to our hotel, all without Lucas and Ty. In the morning we took our time and enjoyed a breakfast before picking them up. I was worried about Ty but overall he did great and we got some time to be Bryan and Lynne.

Number 4: Thinking of the Future
Yes, I enjoyed the alone time but I still sat there and thought ahead to the time we'll take Lucas to his first concert. He knows who Bon Jovi is and was jealous we went without him. He is too young now but maybe when he is a teenager we'll all go see 'The Killers' (if they're still together) and let him experience rocking out to one of his favorite bands.

Number 5: Singing
I LOVED singing as loud as I could without worrying. No one can hear you and everyone is doing it. There is no pressure to be on key and the object is to just belt it out as loud as you can. Amazing to sing that way and hear a whole stadium singing with you.

Number 6: Technology
The set was incredible. There was this screen that could break up into little screens or be bigger screens or be a giant screen. Then there was another set of screens that at one point turned into stairs for Jon Bon Jovi to walk on. So cool to watch all the changes!

Number 7: To Do List
I've always said Bon Jovi would be a concert I'd go to and now I have. There is a lot more I want to do but it's great to mark off something and have a wonderful memory of it. What a great night and thanks to Bon Jovi for putting on a terrific show.

I had a break

2011-03-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

From September to December I felt SO busy. It seemed like every week there was something else to plan, something else to get done. My to do list was long and I never got quite done. I looked forward to January and some days of quiet and peace. The last few months have had more days like that. Life is busy so there are always things to do, but I've had a few more days of not quite so much to do.

As I look forward to the next five months I think my break is over. Not that it's a bad thing--just a busy thing. And there will be breaks and fun times throughout the summer, a few visits to family in Idaho, camping in Idaho, Youth Conference (not really a break but I know it will be rewarding), swimming at the new rec center, and lots of the boys playing outside while I sit and read. All in all a pretty good life.

Blast from the Past

2011-03-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

These pajamas always make me laugh. My brothers wore them and before them they came from some cousins that were my age. My mom kept them and gave them to me when Lucas was born. You can't see them very well in this picture of Lucas. But the picture below of Ty shows them in all their glory. They are polyester and will probably last forever. Someday I'll pass them on to somebody else in my family who will apprecite the froggy jammies and let their little boys wear them too!

Cub Scout Cake Auction

2011-02-18T16:08:00.001-08:00

We had a cake auction to help the boys earn money for Cub camp this summer. The BYU helmet was Bryan's idea and he did a great job! I helped but Bryan came up with all the ideas on how to make it look like a helmet.
I need to remember to make one of these for Lucas birthday in November. He loved it!

We've Been Jimmered

2011-02-18T15:55:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday we all went to the BYU basketball game against Utah. We had to see Jimmer play one more time before he went off to the NBA. Steph, Denise, Grandpa Garner, Scott, David, and Ayla all came from Idaho to go as well. (Off topic--I love being able to fit more than five people into our car!)
Jimmer would simply touch the ball and we would all scream.
Here are some of us.
And here is Ty overwhelmed by the noise. When the game started he clapped through the fight song and sang the end. But by the end of the first half he had a vacant look in his eyes and did not want to leave my lap. He's always had issues with large crowds--but we won't give up. We'll try again next year. It was a great night and we had lots of fun watching Jimmer and the cougs play some basketball.

When Lying is Approved

2011-02-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Bryan did a video side job and made a little extra money. A week or two later I asked him where the money was. He really needs a computer just for him and his editing work and when he does extra jobs I try and save a bit of it for him so he can someday get a dream machine. He told me he didn't have the money yet. He was waiting on approval from the person he did the video for. I remember thinking it was strange because I was sure he'd told me he'd already been paid, but I didn't think much of it.

Fast forward to Valentine's Day. Every year Lucas draws a map and Bryan and the boys hide a few things in the house and I go on a treasure hunt. (By the way this started before kids when Bryan surprised me with a Valentine's Day hunt after work. Very romantic.) This year, because of the new Pilot, our discretionary money has been greatly reduced. Sooo, for Valentine's Day I was expecting a treasure hunt with lots of chocolate and maybe one small gift. I go on the hunt and find some chocolate from Ty and some chocolate from Lucas. The last surprise was in the oven, I reached in, pulled out a bag and said, 'Nordstoms? WHAT did you get me?' Inside was a bottle of my favorite perfume which I have been out of for some time. Channel No. 5. He knew it was on my list and that I would never actually buy it for myself. So thoughtful and nice, especially when it means he will have to wait even longer for his big, bad, editing computer.

I will approve Bryan lying to me whenever he does something that sweet.

Rockin Out

2011-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is mostly for grandmas and grandpas, uncles and aunts, but if you like watching a two year old rock out then this is for you!

http://vimeo.com/19913278

Causing Trouble

2011-02-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

Ty bites his nails, ALL THE TIME. Then he comes to me and tells me to 'Fix his nails.' He wants me to clip them but it's pretty impossible because he has no nails to clip because of the biting.

Last week I was upstairs in the bathroom when I heard what I thought was a large crash followed by seriously loud music. That was followed by screams. Turns out it wasn't a crash but Ty got a chair, turned up the stereo, and then turned on the radio. I ran through the house, pulling up my pants, and found Ty in the kitchen still screaming and now crying also. I ran past him even though he wanted to be picked up, turned off the stereo, and then went back to hold Ty. He then told me, 'That scared me.'

Then a few days ago the whole family was in the kitchen. We all heard a bang, bang, bang, but no one was paying attention until Bryan yelled, 'Stop!'. Ty had a little car and was hitting our banister! Our poor banister is now all chipped up and sad looking. I guess I should be grateful it wasn't something worse!

Confession

2011-02-03T15:58:00.000-08:00

I confess...I'm addicted to YA supernatural romance books. And maybe this shouldn't be a confession because anyone who knows me already knows this. But I have to have some explanation for the way I've spent the last week--spending every free minute reading a story about two princes from India who over 300 years ago were turned into Tigers. A white one and a black one to be exact. Laughable I know. Plus, the books themselves were poorly written and poorly edited and I found SO many character flaws in the heroine. But, I still loved them.

So why do I love these kinds of books besides the obvious answer of romance? I've thought about that a lot the last few days and the only answer I have is that it is escapism. I have a great life--great husband--great kids--great everything (most of the time). Still, when I pick up a story I like I don't have to think about the Valentine's party I should be planning, the Scout shirt I should be sewing numbers onto, or the fact that I should be calling someone to help with the nursery on Sunday. I don't have to be me. Before I was married I created my own stories of adventure and falling in love--and I was always the main character. I still daydream but obviously not in the same way. So these books do it for me because I can't be the heroine anymore falling in love with an English man.

For those few of you who will tell me I should start writing my own story--I'm getting close. I have the main characters, just need to flesh out a plot that has something more to it than hand holding, eye gazing, long kisses, and obstacles to true love.

For the even fewer of you who will want to read my latest obsession they are 'Tiger's Curse' and 'Tiger's Quest'. The first was just re-released last month and the second will be re-released in June. The author had self-published and has now been picked up by a publisher which explains some of the poor editing. The third will be out in November.

Currently I'm not reading anything because I'm still hung up on the Tiger books. If anyone has a good suggestion of an escapism book then let me know. And I don't only read YA romance books so any suggestions would be appreciated. Now I'm off to the real world so I better think of something for dinner!

Leadership

2011-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Each month one student per class is given the Principal's Pride Award for being an example of a certain characteristic that they discuss all that month. Lucas received the award yesterday during the assembly. The quality for this month was leadership. He got to sit in front of the school, shake the principal's hand while she gave him a certificate, and was awarded a medal.
We are so proud of him and the wonderful example he is to those around him.

He was so happy to be recognized and Bryan and I were grateful we could be there!

Lucas' Favorite Things

2011-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

When calling our Grandmas and Grandpas Christmas morning Lucas told them his three favorite presents. Note the order--

1. Wide receiver gloves
2. Indianapolis colts watch
3. Ipod Touch

Yes, his number one favorite gift were wide receiver gloves, cost: $10. Number two was a last minute gift, a digital colts watch, cost: $10. The Ipod Touch was NUMBER THREE? Yes, that's Lucas.

(By the way, he does use the Ipod daily and loves it. Also, we didn't actually pay anything for it so the cost to us was zero for the Touch. And finally, it's the end of January and his gloves are already wearing out.)

Christmas Pictures 2011

2011-01-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know I'm a month late but here are a few photos of our Christmas! A wonderful man in our ward was Santa this year. He did it at his home and we were able to go. Ty did not like it.
What would Christmas Eve be like without new pajamas!
Ty and his loot. The batman big wheel is currently living in our kitchen where he rides it everyday. Our kitchen is now turning into Ty's personal garage where he keeps the batman 'motorcycle', his scooter, and an umbrella stroller for a baby doll he likes to give rides to. The most annoying thing is he likes to 'park' his vehicles right in front of the stairs.

Kids Can Sleep Anywhere

2010-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

As I said in the previous post--Ty does stay in his room when going to bed. However, this is how we found him a few nights ago.
He stayed in his room. He just fell soundly asleep leaning up against the rocker. I wonder what he was thinking?

The Car Bed is Back

2010-12-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

The car bed is back up from the basement and as you can see Ty was very happy about that.
He's done remarkably well in adjusting to a bed instead of a crib. The first night he got out of bed a bit but for the last week he at least stays in his room. Yes, I know that will more than likely change but for now he's doing great.

Dinner and Temple Square

2010-12-09T07:29:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we continued to celebrate Lucas' baptism day by going out to eat at the Training Table.
Then we all headed to Temple Square to see the lights.

So much fun to be with family!

Ty would not look at the camera. The best thing was it was not that cold. By the end of the night I wasn't even wearing my hat and gloves. We went home and had hot chocolate and leftovers from the brunch.

Baptism Day

2010-12-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

On December 4th Lucas was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint. Lucas' baptism day started off with opening a gift from Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen. It was a triple combination that matches the bible he got for his birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Garner. He was VERY happy and loved how his name was 'published' on the front.
We got ready to be at the church just before 9 AM in the morning.
Lucas was SO excited and looked so happy that morning. We had a wonderful experience watching him being baptized. Bryan had to keep reminding himself of the prayer in English because it kept going through his mind in Spanish! Lucas did a great job and Ty loved it when Lucas came out of the water.
Everyone came back and we had a brunch at home. Thanks to everyone who helped.
Ty is unhappy here because I must have done something he didn't like to his food.
And here is a picture just for Grandma Jeppsen of all the Jeppsen grandchildren that were able to be there.

Budding Photographer

2010-12-02T08:21:00.001-08:00

A couple of days ago I was on the phone with a friend. I was sitting in the living room because we had been talking for a while. Ty was being very quiet so I went looking for him.
I found him in the kitchen with my camera taking pictures. My first thought, 'I hope he didn't break it.' Then I laughed out loud as I scrolled through the photos. Over 40 pictures of my purse and the house.
Plus this one.
And this one. At least he didn't break my camera!

8th Birthday

2010-11-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

Lucas is 8 years old! He had a great birthday with lots of fun surprises. Toy guns from friends, a movie mug (free refills at Larry Miller theaters here in Utah), clothes, and some new Iron Man toys he bought with birthday money.
What he has wanted more than anything is an Austin Collie Colt's jersey. We told him they were really hard to fine--which they are in his size--and that maybe Santa could find one. However, I managed to track one down about two months ago and have been waiting for his birthday ever since. These pictures really show his reaction.
He was soooo excited and ran around the room giving me, Bryan, and Ty all big hugs.
He is such a remarkable boy and we are so happy to have him in our home. I always want to remember his zeal for sports. He can't watch a game on TV without playing along. We're lucky we have a family room that lets him. He does so well in school, makes friends easily, and tries to be nice to everyone. He loves Ty--he also teases him mercilessly--but that's part of being a big brother right? He loves telling me that I'm addicted to whatever book I'm reading or game I'm playing on my iPod. And this part is silly but I love that he took after Bryan and I can can read incredibly well. We love you Lucas and can't wait until December 4th for your baptism!

Football Maniac

2010-11-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday Lucas had a traumatic experience. We were watching the Colts play--really watching Austin Collie play. He hadn't done much in the game when he caught a great pass and then sustained a helmet to helmet hit. He didn't get up, didn't move. This may sound silly to many of you because we don't know Collie but Bryan, Lucas, and I were scared. We watched him through his whole career at BYU and we watch him whenever we can now that he's in the NFL. We watched as they carefully put him on a stretcher and took him out. Lucas was sobbing and I had a hard time not sobbing with him! Luckily it was a concussion. Not that a concussion is good but it is way better than being in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Before we knew he was okay Lucas said, 'I don't think I better play football.' I told him we'd have to wait and see how he felt when the time came. Fast forward to Monday night. We sit down to watch a show and Lucas can't stop throwing up the football and running around the family room. I have to tell him two or three times to sit down and STOP PLAYING FOOTBALL! Now maybe Lucas will get hit once and decide it's not the sport for him but I don't think so. Sometimes we love something so much we take risks just to do it. I don't think Austin Collie will quit after Sunday and I think Lucas is a football maniac and will love to play the game his whole life--even if it's just in the backyard with his dad and brother.

Batman and Robin

2010-10-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Not much to say...just love this picture of Lucas and Ty. Thanks to Bryan for thinking of Batman and Robin. It was all his idea and it looks adorable! It will be a blast on Halloween night to see them walk around the neighborhood together.

Family Pictures 2010

2010-10-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we made it to the mountains to take some family pictures. Overall they turned out great. Our family photo is okay--this is the only one where my eyes were actually open. I'm cursed and Bryan was amazed at my ability to blink every time the flash went off! Bryan is staying busy at work, church, and home. This last year he moved to the communications department and now does multi-media full time for JetBlue. He makes videos, slide shows, and whatever else they need him to do. It was a wonderful blessing when they offered him this job and he loves it. He was also called as the Elder's Quorum President shortly after I was released as the Relief Society President. He is really trying to bring the Elders together and has had some fun activities so far. He hasn't made as many Furious Monkey highlight videos for BYU football this year (we've only won two games) but has spent lots of time throwing the football to Lucas.

I'm staying busy as well. It seems like there is always something to plan! This month is especially crazy and November and December will be just as busy. I do take time for myself every night to read and play games on the iPod before I go to sleep. I'm having a hard time going to sleep until 12 but I really enjoy that time without interruptions and craziness. I love working with the Activity Day girls and I've been in the nursery on Sundays for about six months as well. I love the little children and being with Ty.

Lucas turns eight next month. He will get baptized in December and I'm soooo excited for him. He is in 2nd grade and loves school, most of the time. His favorite things are Ty and football. He is doing great in flag football this year. Last night was the first game he didn't get a touchdown in. Bryan said one father came up to him and told him how good Lucas was. He then asked Bryan if he played football in high school. Bryan didn't. Then he looked at Bryan and said, 'Is he self motivated? Did you push him?' Bryan replied that, 'No, we don't push him. He practices every day to be a wide receiver.' That may be crazy but it's true. Every day Lucas gets his football and if Bryan can't pass to him he practices by himself. Day after day he does this. He may never be a star athlete but if he is it will be because of his persistence and desire to be a good football player. He is also a typical seven year old who hates to clean, loves to whine, and wants to play with friends all the time. Also, he has started piano lessons recently. His response to being told he was starting piano, 'I'm not a musician.' Our response, 'Tough.'
Ty is two years old and very lovable. Right now he is in the pantry eating spaghetti noodles from the package. That is Ty. If he wants something then he gets it. Last week he wanted a drink but I was busy. I came downstairs to find our water pitcher emptied all over the counter as he tried to fill up his cup. If I put him off he does it himself. He is independent and is doing some things much earlier than Lucas. He is more motivated that way because he sees Lucas doing things and he wants to be just like him. He loves to read books and is learning to sing. I wouldn't call him an early talker but he is getting the hang of it and we love to listen to him. Ty is also a typical two year old. He loves Toy Story and Curious George, he loves to scream when he doesn't get his way, and he still enjoys getting into things he shouldn't. Also, he still loves to cook. If I start cooking he is there with a chair to help me. He is lovable, fun, mischievous, and I can't imagine our lives without him.

Lucas' touchdown in his first game

2010-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Bryan's Dream Car

2010-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Bryan drove this around for three days last week. He was involved in a rewards program with JetBlue, and no his reward wasn't driving the car but he was helping with the recognition program. They called themselves 'The applaud squad.' They drove all over Salt Lake and Utah counties visiting homes of those receiving recognition.
Bryan loves convertibles and driving a Corvette convertible was truly a dream come true for him. After the week, despite his sunburned face, he told me he now wants a convertible more than ever. Hmmm, I better get busy writing that best selling novel I've been putting off for years.

Mission Accomplished

2010-08-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

I finished Mockingjay yesterday and yes, I did make it all the way through without reading the end. It was physically hard at times not to read the end and I actually don't know if I enjoyed it better. However, I spent yesterday reading because I knew I would never make it if I didn't read it fast. So did I like it?

***Spoilers*** (Don't read this if you don't want hints about the ending.)
I'm still processing this book. Yes, I loved it. It was a page turner but there were some things at the end that I said, 'Really? After all she does to protect some people they still die?' Although I was very confused at times who she should end up with there was always one boy I wanted her to end up with. So I was happy about the final choice but I felt a little sad about how Katniss got to that decision. I want to say it was contrived but it does fit into the plot and there are hints throughout the book about what will happen. I guess part of my problem was that I had no idea how Collins was going to end it and since I didn't know the ending I haven't had time to prepare for what happens.

Mockingjay is different from the other books. Katniss spends a lot of time as a mentally unstable person and not the strong young girl we saw in the first two books. That was frustrating at times but I think it's true. After going through so much you would break down at times and then be strong when you had to be. Anyway, I'm happy I've read it now and I know how it ends. Bryan said that if I read it without reading the end he would buy me something nice. There is another book coming out next week that I want and so I will go buy it as a reward for my patience.

Additional note: I've had a few days to think about it, and I still liked it because I like the characters, but I do feel there were some flaws in this book. I like the VERY ending because I wanted her with Peeta but how she gets there just didn't feel right to me. Oh well, I didn't write it and so I'll have to live with how the author saw things happening.

Friday Night Pizza

2010-08-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Friday night is always pizza night at our home: Pizza and a movie. This time Lucas invited his friend to come over. I had to take a picture of their pizzas. Lucas had his standard of pepperoni with no cheese. What surprised me is that his friend put HARDLY any cheese on his pizza. What are they thinking? No cheese on pizza. I think they're both crazy.

This is what a pizza should look like. Pepperoni, sausage, fresh basil (my slice of course), and LOTS of cheese! We took our pizzas, spread out the blanket in the family room and watched Harry Potter. Everyone had a fun night--even the boys with no cheese on their pizzas.

To All The BYU Haters

2010-08-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

For All the BYU Haters from Furious Monkey on Vimeo.

Mockingjay

2010-08-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

The third and last book to 'The Hunger Games' series comes out on Tuesday of next week. I've posted before about my issues with reading the ends of the books first. I've been thinking about this book in particular and wanting to open it to the last page and read how it ends. The truth is I do enjoy the suspense when I don't know the ending but I usually can't help myself. So--any suggestions? How do I read it and not skip ahead? I could try reading it really fast but next week is a busy one for me and so I don't know if that's even possible. Maybe stay up Tuesday night until it's done? Book club is at my home that night so do you think my friends will be offended if I read while we have book club? If you have any helpful hints let me know--I'm open to suggestions.

Annual GFL

2010-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in August we headed to Idaho for the GFL draft. This year we were able to spend a couple of days in the mountains at the Clegg cabin (Jennilynn's family). The boys did lots of fun things; the lake, swinging, smores, playing in the sandbox, and going for a walk with Uncle Jeff. Unfortunately, Grandma Garner was not well and the weekend for her was spent mainly in the hospital. She went from the cabin to the ER. She is doing well now and we are all happy that she is. It was scary!
(For more info you can go to her blog at http://grandmaandgrandpagarner.blogspot.com/)
This is a model forest that the kids all made in the sandbox. It was so cute and they were all so proud of it.
The events of the draft were scaled back because of grandma's hospital stay but we still went swimming and had pizza the day of the draft.
I love the way their shirts turned out. They looked so cute. It's too bad that one wash ruined the iron ons. We used to make shirts all the time for Lucas and that never happened. I don't know why but it looks like we'll have to make shirts next year for the Yodas.
This year was fun because our team has won over 100 games through the years. We received a clock in commemoration. It now sits on my little desk in the living room, I love looking at it!

Bedtime Songs With Ty

2010-07-25T20:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Ty singing some songs and getting ready for bed. If he knows it's time to sing he always calls for Lucas to sing with him. It is fairly long and so I'm sure it is mostly family that will enjoy watching this!

Bingham Copper Mine

2010-07-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

We've lived in Riverton for six years now and we had never gone to the Bingham Copper Mine--which is only 10 miles from our home. So today Lucas, Ty, and myself went with some friends. It was crazy busy because it's free right now but I'm glad we went early so that we missed the biggest crowds.
If you click on this picture and enlarge it you'll see some trucks driving back up. They look so small from where we were standing.
Here is a closer view of one of the mega trucks.

And here is a tire from one of the mega trucks.
The wind was blowing so hard I was afraid it was going to blow my camera right out of my hand! I did get a little dizzy looking down, it was pretty amazing.

Artwork

2010-07-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

I have a desk in the kitchen where I work. My computer is on this desk. There is also a small spot on the wall--just enough room for a calendar. Each year I get a new calendar and the last two years I've had a Twilight and New Moon calendar. Laugh if you must but it is there. And yes, I know this opens me up to all sorts of jokes but if you know me then you know I am secretly (or not so secretly) obsessed. I don't like all the pictures in the New Moon calendar. The above picture is July. Why would I want to look at the human friends all month?
So Lucas has drawn me a replacement. I love it and would much rather look at it! However, next month is Edward and I won't mind looking at that one for 31 days.

David's Moves

2010-07-13T09:42:00.001-07:00

I meant to post this picture in the previous post but had accidentally skipped over it. So here it is. It was so fun to watch David show off his Michael Jackson moves. He really is good.

Lucas informed me that he will dance like that at his wedding. I told him it takes lots of practice. So yesterday he watched Michael Jackson videos on YouTube and started practicing in the kitchen. He has a long way to go but I loved watching him try.

David and Ayla's Wedding

2010-07-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday my brother David got married to Ayla in the Boise Idaho Temple. It was a beautiful HOT day!

The reception was so much fun. It took a few minutes for people to get out on the dance floor but once we all went out it was a blast.

David is a great dancer--he did some Micheal Jackson moves for us--here he is teaching Lucas some moves.
Lucas got very into the dancing.

It was great to be with family and enjoy visiting and working together to make the wedding a success. Thanks to Steph for letting us stay in her home. We appreciate your willingness to let us invade your upstairs bedrooms!

JetBlue's 10th Anniversary Party in Park City

2010-07-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

JetBlue had a big party in Park City last Friday. We were celebrating their 10th year as an airline. The Park City Mountain Resort was ours for the day! It was also every other JetBlue employee's for the day so there were more than 4,000 individuals trying to do everything. We got there as early as we could. While Bryan did the zip line, Lucas tried rock climbing. This is as high as he got--I think he needs to practice some more.
Then we all went up the ski lift. Believe it or not I think this is the first time I've ever gone up a lift! I've never skied and although every year we say we'll go do the alpine slide, this is the first time we've gone up to do it.
I love Ty's face on the ski lift. He had to sit by himself. At least he stayed still the whole time! Bryan took Ty down the Alpine slide and Lucas went down by himself. While they did that I went and did the zip line. I was nervous but knew I couldn't pass up the chance because it was free. It was a blast! As soon as the door moved and I was going down I was fine. It was a beautiful ride to go down, and I think I was actually more nervous going up the ski lift than coming down the zip line!
We had to wait FOREVER for the mountain roller coaster. Lucas and Ty had a break while Bryan and I stood in line. Ty couldn't go so I went with Lucas and then Bryan went after we got back. That was a beautiful ride also. It was so fun coming down through the mountain, looking at the scenery, and going as fast as we could. Lucas also got to play in a bounce house and do a few other small rides. Both boys loved the little carousel they had set up. We had some lunch and then drove home exhasted! We were there from 10 AM to 2:30 PM. I'm glad we went early because those who came late had even longer lines and most people didn't get to do the zip line. There was a limited number of tickets for that ride. Thanks to JetBlue for a wonderful family day!

Ayla's Shower in Utah

2010-06-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is my future sister-in-law, Ayla Powell. Saturday we had a shower for her here in Utah at my home.
I invited all the family that lives here in Utah and then mom, Steph, Jennilynn, and Ayla came from Idaho.
I had to put this picture in because Martha (my cousin) is smiling so nicely!
It was wonderful to catch up with everyone and we missed those that were unable to make it.
Doesn't she look adorable in this apron. I love it! And I can't wait until the 10th of July when Ayla and David get married. He really picked a wonderful girl!

Second Child Syndrome

2010-06-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is the booster that Lucas used until he was four or five years old. Even at that age he didn't want to stop using it. Lucas does not like change and will fight it. Ty has used it for a year. For the last month it has been empty because Ty refuses to sit in it.
Here is Ty sitting up to the table on a phone book. He won't sit in the chair but will sit on a phone book. I think he just wants to be like everyone else, especially Lucas, and so, yes, he does make bigger messes but this is not a fight I need to win. He also refuses to wear a bib, another fight I've chosen to let go. If he is eating something particularly messy like ice cream with chocolate sauce I will take off his shirt and undershirt and then he will wear a bib. Silly kid!

Mistborn

2010-06-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

I love reading. My perfect day is reading a book, under a blanket, eating chocolate, drinking root beer, and listening to my favorite songs on my Ipod. I don't know if I've ever had an afternoon like that but still, I can always hope. Looking back at my teens and 20's I realize that I was a book snob. I accepted that there were a few books written in the last 100 years that were good like 'To Kill A Mockingbird', or 'Lord of the Flies'. They were classics so they were deemed worthy. I thought the really good stuff had to be Jane Austen, Shakespeare, E.M. Forester, the Bronte sisters. In other words anything that the BBC or Masterpiece Theater could make into a period drama. Now I did like Harry Potter years ago so that doesn't quite fit in but like I said, I made certain allowances.

I didn't do this on purpose or consider myself a literary snob. I just happened to spend my time reading and researching authors who have long been dead. Then I married Bryan. I read 'Lord of the Rings' on his encouragement. I read 'Ender's Game' and in return Bryan read 'Pride and Prejudice.' (I liked 'Ender's Game' much better than Bryan like 'P &P'. He thought it unrealistic that Darcy would change so much.) What I learned is that there is great literature all around me and by not reading it I was depriving myself. Then we moved to Utah and I became part of a book club. Most of my favorite books from the last few years have come from their suggestions. I still love all those books and authors that I used to read that are over 100 years old, (I've even found a few more to love) but I've expanded my horizons and I like what I've found.

Finally, I get to the reason for this long, long post! If you love getting lost in another world then read the Mistborn series. I got so emotionally involved in the characters of these books. I cringed through their struggles and wars. I yearned for their hopes and dreams to come true. The series made me laugh, cry and sob uncontrollably, and ponder my own faith and beliefs. Brandon Sanderson is a true storyteller and if I could ever motivate myself this is the kind of book I would like to write. Fantasy but with a realism that stays true to who we are as humans and individuals.

One favorite quote from the book: "Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief--what is faith--if you don't continue in it after failure."

Flat Stanley

2010-06-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

For school Lucas did a Flat Stanley project. We decided to send Stanley to Uncle Ben and Aunt Heather in Indiana where Ben is in school at Louisville. They did a great job for Lucas and even took Flat Stanley with them to Chicago!

Lucas and I had fun putting on the pictures of Flat Stanley, along with the letter he wrote to Lucas. Lucas added some artwork of his own--BYU, a baseball, and a baseball bat. He will give a presentation on it at school this week. Thanks Ben and Heather!

Happy Birthday Bryan

2010-06-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

May is a bit busier for us because there are two birthdays in our home. First Ty and then Bryan. Bryan took the day off--it was a Friday and when Lucas came home from school the two of them went to Boondocks. Lucas was able to drive a go-cart and he absolutely loved it. They played video games and played a round of laser tag. Bryan was the only adult and so of course their team won.

Ty and I met Bryan and Lucas at Chili's for dinner where we were able to relax and enjoy the chips and salsa. After, we went home and sang happy birthday with blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream. (Unfortunately, only Bryan likes blueberry pie. So he got pie and the rest of us had ice cream Sundays.)

Bryan got some great gifts this year, an IPod Touch from me, a PS3 racing game from the boys, and some accessories for this IPod Touch. We don't buy a lot during the year so birthdays and Christmas in our home is a super fun time. Each of us looks forward to getting something new!

It was a great birthday!

Now next year will be 40 for Bryan. Any ideas on what we should do? Maybe a surprise party? I don't know if he would like that....

Happy 2nd Birthday Ty

2010-05-20T07:31:00.001-07:00

Last Friday was Ty's 2nd birthday. He has been such a fun boy this last year and I am so grateful for him. He loves to get into things, He loves to play with Lucas, and he is learning more and more words each day. If he makes a mistake he says, 'Oh no. Oh shoe.' We didn't know what he was saying at first but figured out that he was trying to say the word shoot. It's lucky no one in our home swears.
We started his birthday off by having cake and presents first. He got some really fun things this year.
His favorite so far is the guitar Lucas got him. It really is the cutest thing and we've all had a turn playing with it.
Then we headed to Provo for dinner and a baseball game at BYU. Cougar Club members got in free that night. I can't say the whole night was fun. Ty had a melt down at dinner and he didn't like staying in one place at the game. But we tried and hopefully made a great family memory.
I had to add this picture of Bryan and Lucas. I love Lucas in this picture. He looks so old to me!! What a fun night! Happy birthday Ty!

Corn on the Cob

2010-05-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night when Ty saw me taking corn on the cob to the table he got VERY excited. I'm not sure how he remembers what it is because we haven't had it since last fall but he remembered. I actually only had two ears of corn, one for me and one for Bryan. I didn't get much of mine. He loved it and I could barely get him to eat his chicken. I had to take a picture. It was just too cute to see him gobble it up.

Flour Fun

2010-05-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

The other day I was on the computer and Ty was in the pantry. He was being quiet and I was happy to get some time doing whatever I was doing. All of a sudden I hear an 'Uh Oh.'
He had opened a bag of flour and was having fun playing in it with a fly swatter. It took me forever to clean up but I had to laugh and take pictures.

My New Toy

2010-05-03T07:31:00.001-07:00

For my birthday I got an Ipod Touch. We didn't take any pictures of me with it on my birthday but here is one from the other day. I've spent the last month learning how to use it and having fun. My favorite thing is watching 15 minutes of one of my favorite movies right before I go to bed. I just finished 'North and South', (Not the 80's TV movie with Patrick Swayze) one of BBC's all time greats. The only problem is that my bedtime has now gone from 11:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. 15 minutes often turns into 45 minutes.

I love the Ipod!

Just for Adi

2010-05-03T07:20:00.001-07:00

Adi, Cristy, and I got together for lunch a week or two ago. Adi asked Cristy and I if we were going to post a picture this time because we always say we will and then we usually forget. So, Adi, here is your picture. I remembered--just a little late. It was fun to catch up and just think girls--next time LeShel will be with us!!

Here are the two cute boys that came with us to lunch, Ty and Jack.

And here is Ty, looking cute, while we waited outside for our friends.

I Did It!!

2010-04-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

I read a book ALL the way through and I did not read ahead at all, or read the end before I finished!! You may be asking yourself why is this such an accomplishment? Don't people typically start a book on page one and end on page 368? 368 was the number of pages in this book and I was constantly checking to see how many pages were left so I could tell myself, 'Only 200 left, only 100 left, only 50 left, only 10 left.' You get the idea.

If you know me then you know I have a serious issue reading a book without knowing what happens at the end. I just like to know. I always finish the book but I JUST LIKE TO KNOW! However, this book isn't even out until May 10th. My wonderful sister Denise let me read an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) that she was able to get. So I decided that since it's not even out then surely I could read it from beginning to end without cheating. And I did. I feel very proud of myself. Every time I felt like reading ahead I would make myself put the book down. I tend to read ahead when it's late at night or I've been reading for a while. However, I'm not holding my breath. When the last book to the 'Hunger Games' comes out in the fall I don't know that I can be this strong.

Also, I don't know the rules on ARC copies so I don't think I'll mention the name of the book or put it on my 2010 list until May. I doubt it's a book most of you will know anyway but it is the second in a series so it was nice to get my hands on it a little early. Now onto Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and no temptation to read ahead because after all, I do know how that one ends.

Five For Fighting

2010-03-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

I won tickets to a concert at The Depot in Salt Lake. It was to a band called 'Five For Fighting'. Bryan and I were able to go and enjoy his music. We had a great time (besides the fact that we stood for three hours). The name of the singer/songwriter is John Ondrasik and he is amazing. I loved listing to my favorite song of his called 'Superman'. It always makes me wish that I could play the piano!

Thanks to Elisa for watching our kids so we could go. I won the tickets yesterday and so it was SHORT notice. It was a fun night out!

The Smell of Sunday

2010-03-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Before I went to church yesterday I put a roast in the oven so that we could eat as soon as we came home. As I walked in the door the smell of the cooking roast washed over me. My first thought, 'It smells like my Grandma and Grandpa Garner's home on Sunday.' My second thought, 'Wouldn't they be proud of me that I made that smell for my family.'

Some smells you never forget. I will always remember walking into my grandparents home and smelling the roast cooking. The potatoes would be boiling and when they were done grandma would mash them and grandpa would make the gravy. Now I mash the potatoes and make the gravy the same way grandpa did.

Whenever we sit down to eat a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes I think of Grandma and Grandpa Garner and wish they could be here to eat it with me. After a few years it now smells and tastes just like theirs.

Side note: When we walked in the house yesterday Bryan was the first one to speak and he said, 'It smells just like Grandma and Grandpa Foote's home.' Bryan and his family would visit his grandparents in Brigham City and while at church Grandpa Foote would cook a roast in a toaster oven on the back porch. When they would walk home from church they would turn a corner and the smell would hit them. Isn't it funny how smells take us back to great memories in our lives!

That Time of the Year

2010-03-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Lucas is once again playing baseball this year.

Bryan has even volunteered to coach. I hope they have fun! It is the first year where things start to get really serious. There are try outs (Lucas doesn't have to do because he is automatically on Bryan's team) and everything.

Baseball in Riverton is big deal. They take it VERY seriously. Last year the Pee Wee all stars, which is what Lucas is, even won state. Like I said, they are serious about baseball.

This may be his last year playing. Lucas' true love is football and he has been waiting and waiting to play tackle football. In the fall he will have one more year of flag football and then next year is tackle. I refuse to pay for baseball and tackle football and if you knew the fees you'd understand why. We warned Lucas of this and I think next year he'll choose football over baseball. I just wanted him to have a chance to try out different sports and now that he has he can start playing the one or two that he really loves.

I do love going to the games and watching all those little boys do their best. They try so hard and I love seeing how happy the kids and parents get when a ball is hit or caught.

Official

2010-02-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was released as the Relief Society president of my ward. I always knew I would feel sad but I was taken back by how sad I was all last week. I spent much of the week on the verge of tears and at night I couldn't sleep and would cry as I thought about everything. There are things to feel relieved about because it is a time consuming calling, but in truth it has been my favorite calling ever. I love the Relief Society program and the sisters in it.

I'm so grateful I was able to bear my testimony yesterday in Sacrament meeting. After that I felt better--until the Stake Relief Society president came up to me and told me she'd heard about the change. I could tell she knew exactly what I was feeling and that helped me more than anything.

Today I'm feeling much better. I'm sure it will still take some getting used to and I still feel I need to be doing something. I'm excited to serve with the Activity Day girls (8 to 11 year old girls), and I feel like I can serve the sisters in my ward in a way I couldn't before.

I'm just so grateful to Heavenly Father to have been given the opportunity to serve the women in my ward. I've learned and grown so much!

The Harlem Globetrotters

2010-02-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Bryan and Lucas had a fun boys night out Monday night. They went to see the Harlem Globetrotters in Salt Lake.
They had so much fun being together and watching the antics of the Globetrotters. Lucas can't stop talking about it. He wants to see them again next year but we told him he'll have to wait a few years so that Ty can go with them next time!

A Sleeping Ty

2010-02-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ty isn't really a baby anymore, more of a toddler.
But don't you just love sleeping babies? I do.

Brick Oven, Basketball, and Missionary Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen

2010-02-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

We went down to Provo last weekend for some family fun. First Bryan dropped off Ty and me at the Brick Oven so we could get our name on the waiting list. Then he went and picked up Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen from the MTC.
We all love the Brick Oven--Lucas likes the garlic bread best! Grandma and Grandpa Jeppsen used to eat there as students when it was known as 'Heaps of Pizza'. We have lots of great memories there. Bryan and Rob both went and ate pizza there before going into the MTC. My family has similar memories of the Brick Oven as well. I wonder what Lucas and Ty will remember about eating pizza at the Brick Oven?
Ty loves to use silverware. I'm not sure what he was doing here but he was happy and sat most of the time! I think it helped he was sitting in between Bryan and I.
After dinner we took Madre and Padre back to the MTC. We don't know if we'll get to see them again before their Visas come and they leave for Brazil. It was so much fun being with them and getting to visit with them again before they go.
We have no pictures of us at the basketball game (I forgot my camera in the car). BYU beat Utah and it was so much fun. Jimmer Fredette had 36 points! Ty did amazingly well at the game. He was nervous at first but clapped and smiled when everyone cheered, and he didn't cry at all. A much improved experience from last year. He stayed awake the whole way home even though it was after 10 P.M. He was so tired but instead of being grumpy became a loopy, happy boy when we got home.
Lucas did not make it home without falling asleep. He had so much fun at the game and cheered and yelled with everyone else. He was fascinated with all the Utah fans in the section next to us, and watched them through the night. He loved being there and if we lived in Provo I'm sure we would go to more games than we do. It is nights like this that make great family memories.

Placing Bets

2010-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last year at the GFL draft when we selected Austin Collie there were a few snickers. But Lucas had his heart set on him and Bryan and I felt like it couldn't hurt. As a family we had so much fun watching Collie play for the Colts and as a rookie have a great year. Before the Colts first playoff game Bryan made a challenge. He told Lucas, 'You only get ice cream tonight if Collie gets a touchdown before the half is over (Lucas had to go to bed at the half). I didn't think Collie was going to do it then--touchdown!

Sunday Bryan decided to do another challenge. 'You only get chocolate sauce on your ice cream if Collie gets a touchdown.' (We have ice cream most Sunday nights if you're wondering.) Lucas didn't like that idea. I said, 'I will make brownies tonight if Collie get's a touchdown.' We came home from church and watched the game. Collie did amazing and yes, he got that touchdown. We had a fun afternoon watching Collie play with the Colts, and after I made some yummy brownies.

We will probably be keeping Collie on our GFL team, the Toronto Yodas, and I don't think many will laugh at us now. So my question is this. What do we bet on for the Superbowl if Collie gets a touchdown?

Ty Eating, Reading, and Causing Messes

2010-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ty loves to read which we love! The other morning he even brought a book to the table.
And this is Ty this morning. I ran down to the basement for a few minutes and when I came back up this is what I found. I suppose I should go clean it up now (since he is now sitting in it and spreading it all over) and be grateful I have two more boxes of Rice Krispies in the pantry.

Missing Cord

2010-01-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

Six years ago Bryan got me a PDA for Christmas. I still use it--daily. A couple of months ago Ty got milk on it and I thought it was gone for good. But I took it apart and put it back together and it started to work again.

Today, I realized that I had lost the cord to recharge the PDA. I couldn't find it anywhere and it was all my fault. For years it's always been upstairs in my bedroom. Always in the left bathroom drawer. I ALWAYS recharge it upstairs in my bathroom. But a few weeks ago I decided it would be better to bring downstairs. Then I lost it. I looked in every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen, no cord. Well, there was one but I didn't think it fit.

The think is I physically start to panic without it. My body stresses over the thought of no PDA to keep track of my to-do list. Silly but true. I always tell people that, 'If it's not on my list, I'll forget about it.' Bryan came home and started to help me look. He knows I'm much happier with it. He found the same cord that I thought didn't fit and guess what? It did fit. Don't ask how I can be so dumb but...

I don't know what this says about me. But I love that PDA and I'm excited to upgrade to an Ipod Touch in April for my birthday!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-15T15:06:00.001-08:00

I know this is a bit late but I still wanted to post a few pictures of our Christmas for 2009. Lucas and Ty got to open their Christmas Eve pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa Garner and they loved them. I especially like Ty's. They have monsters all over them with monster faces on the feet (which you can't see in this picture).
Lucas' big gift was a new bike! He was soooo excited! He asked Santa for a blue Mongoose bike and that is just what he got. I'm sure it took Santa months to find just the right one.
Bryan got a new golf club. It is a Titleist hyprid that he has been wanting for a long time. It was fun when he saw the box (which I didn't put out until he was in bed) because he knew what was in it. I got lots of fun things like new boots, a new watch, and new books.
Ty got a little scooter and he is already learning how to use it. By summer he'll be unstoppable! We had a wonderful Christmas and feel so blessed for what we have, and for the chance to be together as a family on Christmas day.

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

Bryan put our Christmas Card into a video this year. Here it is, if you would like to see it:

Santa

2009-12-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

Today we went to find our Christmas tree and decided to stop at WalMart. They had a Batman cave on sale and I want it for Ty for his birthday. Yes, I know his birthday is in May but I also know I won't find a better price! So anyway, we stop at WalMart and when we walk in we see Santa sitting at the entrance. The line was not long and the pictures were free! I couldn't believe it. We were even prepared to pay $5 because we didn't have a camera. I love the picture. Lucas is sitting and smiling, I'm laughing because Ty is trying really hard not to touch Santa, and Ty has the look on his face that says, 'I'm going to lose it if you make me touch this stranger.' I knew Ty would never sit quietly on Santa's lap and so I just got in the picture with him. Lucas still loves Santa (even though he told me this was not the real Santa because the real Santa is TOO busy right now to be at a store), and he asked for a blue Mongoose bike. After WalMart we found a beautiful Christmas tree and spent the afternoon decorating it. Now the questions is, 'How long before Ty breaks something?'

More Wildlife

2009-12-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

So a few weeks ago I posted a couple of pictures of the fox we often see in the field behind our home. A few days later we looked out the window and these deer were back there. I love seeing wild animals running around close to our home. Of course, I don't think I'd like to see a bear or a cougar but the fox and deer are great!

BYU vs Utah

2009-12-02T08:54:00.000-08:00

This year we had three military helicopters fly over the stadium. Always fun.
Sometimes it was a fun game. But the fourth quarter was miserable! I kept thinking, "It's Lucas' first time at a BYU, Utah game, please don't lose."
When we won in overtime we all went down on the field. It was a fun afternoon and night. Now if we can just get four seats together! We figure it will take us another four or five years to get four seats all together. It will be a great day when we all go, including Ty, and sit together as a family.

Girls Night Out Twice

2009-12-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

LeShel came to visit family and friends at the beginning of November and I was sooo happy that she fit us in. It's been so long since the four of us have been together (LeShel, Me, Cristy, and Adi)! We ate WAY too much at the Olive Garden. (We each got a dessert as well) Then we played some Rock Band at Cristy's home. So much fun being together. I know I can say literally anything around these women and they are never surprised or shocked. Everyone needs to have friends like that!
Then I got together with a group of great women who all like Twilight. We went to dinner (Olive Garden again), saw the movie, then went out for dessert. These cardboard cutouts were at Red Robin and so we gathered around and had someone take our picture. It's not that I really wanted my picture taken with the cardboard cutouts--I just wanted a picture of us all together so I can remember our fun night. It was so great to be with my friends and enjoy a movie. I'm so lucky to have so many wonderful and supportive women in my life!

Lucas Turns 7

2009-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Lucas had his 7th birthday on Sunday. He was so excited that morning and church was extra hard to get through. He just wanted to come home and open his presents. We got home from church at noon and had his special birthday dinner. He chose ham, rolls, and rice (with soy sauce). Then we sang happy birthday to him and he got to open up all his presents.
Here he is with everything he got. He played all Sunday afternoon with his new army toys and can't wait to wear the BYU stocking hat to the game on Saturday. He is such a great kid and we are so happy to have him in our home! Happy birthday Lucas!

The Fox

2009-11-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

One advantage of a field behind our home is the fox that comes to visit during snow storms. I don't know why it's always during a storm or right after but that's when he comes.
We love to watch him hunt for food. Last time he got into a stare down with a cat. It was pretty funny because I think the cat was winning! There was no fight though. The cat and the fox went there separate ways. I'm happy that he came back so early this year. Next year at this time there will probably be construction on the Mountain View Corridor behind our home and not the fox we love to watch.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

Lucas and Ty had lots of fun this year for Halloween. Ty was a lion (a costume I had from when Lucas was little), and Lucas was a GI Joe ninja.
Lucas went trick or treating with some friends and came back with a full load of candy. He even came in at one point to dump his pumpkin and then he headed back out for more.
Ty did go to a few houses but spent most the night looking out of the window and waiting for kids to come to the door. He does know what chocolate is and was so excited to see some in his pumpkin.

Bryan carved our pumpkins from the garden. My favorite is the one that has fire eyes and a fire mouth. He does a great job every year!

Troublemaker

2009-10-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Each baby is so unique and different. Of course I know that. With Lucas we had no need to put baby locks on anything. It's not that he didn't get into things, but he didn't get into things much. The most we did was get outlet covers so he wouldn't electrocute himself. So, here comes Ty and I think, 'I don't need to get child locks, just outlet covers.' Ty is like a tornado. He goes from one thing to the next. One of his favorite things is to get into my pots and pans and play with them on the little table. He puts as many as he can on the table. Invariably they start to fall off, making lots of noise. Then he starts to throw them off the table to make even more noise. (This is usually when they get put up on the counter where he can't get them.) My cupboard starts to look bare as he continues to get more and more out through out the day.

We have now put the little table in the family room so that there is not so much noise from pans falling or being thrown on the floor.

This morning I went to visit an elderly lady in our ward boundaries. She is not a member but is a sweet lady who we help when we can. Ty found her stool and proceeded to drag it around her kitchen. There was nothing he could get into, right? I look over to find him pouring a cup of coffee down his front and all over her floor! There is never a dull moment at our home when he is awake.

Family Pictures

2009-10-26T08:03:00.001-07:00

Today I was going to post the wonderful family pictures we did in the canyon by the river. BUT, Lucas got the flu Friday and so there are none. It really is a bummer because we've been planning to go for months AND Stephanie was here to help us. So we'll have to go by ourselves, use a tripod and hope that Ty smiles at the camera, or even looks at the camera. Of course it's supposed to snow tomorrow and this weekend might be too cold, too late for pictures. We'll see how it goes. Lucas is doing fine now. Both him and Ty had whatever it was--threw up for a day and then woke up the next morning feeling fine. I'm crossing my fingers I don't get it. We've had flu shots but it obviously doesn't protect you from everything.

Flag Football

2009-09-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to let Lucas play flag football. He is having so much fun. He loves playing baseball but I think his real love is football. He wants to be a wide receiver one day and is always going in the backyard to practice catching the ball. During one game he caught the ball in the end zone and Bryan was able to get some great pictures of it.

Then he was given the ball on a reverse and ran it 90 yards for a touchdown.

Last night he came to me in tears after the game because he didn't get a touchdown, in fact, he didn't get the ball all night. He was so sad and said in the car, 'I used to think someday I could be a great wide receiver but now I know I can't." I had a talk with him about how lots of players have bad games and all we want him to do it have fun and try his best. I hope I got that through to him so that he won't be so hard on himself. What a funny kid!

Sneaky Mechanics

2009-09-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

We had to take in the Accord for it's yearly safety and emissions testing. A few miles from our home was a new Tunex and we had a coupon to get the safety inspection done for free. So we took it in. First of all, they were slow. We had it in by 1 and Bryan called at 4. The guy told us we didn't pass the safety and that we had a leak in the power steering rack. The part alone would be $300, but he had to look up labor. I called back at 5--he was still looking up labor. Finally, he calls back, we're expecting a bill of $700. He tells us it will be over $1,200 to fix.

SHOCK!

I keep telling myself, it's okay, at least we don't have to put it on a credit card. We tell Tunex that we'll come get the car. We call a couple of other places to get quotes.

Matson Auto and Marine calls us back and gives us a total below $1,000. An improvement. But then he asks Bryan, "Does it leak?" Bryan replies, "No, not at all. We have a slow oil leak but nothing else." The guy at Matson (in Riverton by Albertsons) then tells Bryan you should only fail the safety if it's REALLY leaking. So we take the car in that night so he can check it in the morning.

The next morning I get a call from Matson saying, "There is no leak, just a little grease and that's not even leaking." He proceeds to tell me that there is an oil leak and a few other things wrong but it's probably not worth fixing because the car has over 180,000 miles on it. So our car passes the safety inspection.

Bryan goes to get the car and is told that we should report Tunex because this isn't a little mistake. It isn't a mistake at all. According to him the inspector at Tunex was dishonest and couldn't possibly have done this by accident. Matson doesn't charge us anything for checking. Bryan presents him with some doughnuts and our thanks. Bryan also mentions that we will be using him from now on for our auto repairs.

The moral of the story--don't go to the Tunex in Herriman off of 134,000 and Bangerter, and question mechanics if you're suspicious. I don't know that we were suspicious but we didn't want to pay $1,200. The funny thing--if Tunex had told us it was under $1,000 we probably would have just had them fix it and not called anyone else. That's where greed gets you!

Peeta or Gale

2009-09-17T14:42:00.001-07:00

Back to 'Catching Fire'. Who should Katniss end up with? I'm really torn and usually I ALWAYS know who the girl should end up with. I really like Peeta but maybe he dies to save Katniss? I like Gale too, and I think he'll be in the final book a lot more than he's been in the first two, but maybe he falls for Madge?

So I'm curious, what do you think? Peeta or Gale? Or maybe neither? Maybe Katniss dies to save them both!

Twilight Again

2009-09-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I read Twilight again this week. I just finished Catching Fire and had to get it out of my mind because the last book in the series will not be out until next fall. I'm waiting for several books at the library but since I had nothing else to read I thought I might as well read Twilight again to get ready for the New Moon movie in November. My books are still all on hold, nothing ready to pick up, sooooo I guess it's on to New Moon.

Update

2009-09-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I took Ty to his 15 month exam last week. His height is in the 64th percentile and his head is in the 45th percentile. Not bad. His weight is in the 1.93 percentile. It makes me laugh because he eats like crazy. He eats his food and then whenever he sees anyone with food go goes and begs to have some. He is healthy, he just can't gain weight! We love him. He is a trouble maker who loves to get into everything, loves to climb, and loves to cry when you take away whatever he has that he is not supposed to have. He is down to one nap and we feel lucky when he sleeps until 7 in the morning. I wouldn't change him for anything.
Lucas is in 1st grade and so far is not too bored. His favorite part of the day is recess because he gets to play football and basketball. Recently we found BYU uniforms on sale at the BYU bookstore. The haven't made them for a few years so we snatched one up and he wears it all the time. He is playing flag football and aspires to be a wide receiver some day. His favorite players are Austen Collie, O'Neill Chambers, and McKay Jacobson. He is a great kid and we are proud of him and all he is learning and doing.

Yummy Doughnuts

2009-09-10T08:17:00.000-07:00

We have tried to go to a new doughnut place called 'Beyond Glaze' but have been unlucky in our timing. For example, we went the day after the 24th of July and they were closed. We never remember how big a deal Pioneer Day is here. Anyway we finally made it in a few Saturdays ago and this is what we got. They were so sweet and yummy (and expensive)! Lucas had a grasshopper, Bryan had German chocolate, and I had coconut cream. I could barely eat all of mine because it was so rich.