California Trip

We had so much fun in Cali (again!). This is the third time Joey and I have been able to go since October and the second time we've taken the kids. Before you believe we are totally just spoiled...the first trip was "free" because of a time share presentation we had attended. The second trip was "free" because we had a bad experience with the hotel on the first trip, so they gave us a free room and we had family getting sealed in the San Diego temple so it was the perfect excuse. We had wanted to take Tyler to Disneyland for his first time sometime this fall but...I'm pregnant! So we didn't want to go when I was 7 months along and huge so decided to just go this month. It was so fun. It's great at my house. Joey grew up in Southern California until he was 12, so he's kind of a Disneyland lover, which means we go as much as we can. I love visiting California. I wouldn't want to live there, but it's kind of addicting. I feel like now... well maybe we could go when I'm 7 months pregnant :) The first two trips were to San Diego. This time, we stayed in Orange County. Monday we left at 4 AM and drove straight to the beach spending a few hours there. Tuesday was California Adventure and Wednesday we spent at Disneyland. We survived with only a few meltdowns and had a great time.

Tyler with Aunt Karmie.  The kids both LOVED the beach. 

Joey's favorite past time at Disneyland...running the video camera.  His dad was kind of a video camera freak and I think Joey has picked that up.  He loves to document stuff on camera.
The kids loved Bug's Land in California Adventure.  Kelley thought this was so great because of the candy corn on stalks...just like real corn.  I like this area of CA because it's a lot less crowded than similar rides at Disneyland.
Joey and I in the Hollywood Backlot
When people asked what Tyler did at Disneyland he says he saw Mater and Lighting McQueen.
The kids in their coordinating outfits.  We bought the kids ears that just happened to coordinate with their Christmas Fleeces we bought them.  Tyler's of course got lost halfway through the day.
Tyler's favorite ride was the Carousel.  The lines were really short so we were able to go at least twice every time we rode...which had to be at least 5 or 6 times between the two parks.  He actually also amazingly loved the Go Coaster in Toon Town.  The train was (obviously) a big hit and he like Dumbo too.  He really didn't love all the kiddie rides (snow white, Mr. Toad).  They actually are quite scary all in the dark with the spooky music and lights...
Tyler wasn't at all into the characters.  He didn't really have a desire to see anyone, besides cars, but he kind of loves Pooh Bear.  It's pretty funny because he doesn't really watch Pooh that much, but has this Pooh Bear blankie he's had since he was born.  So I talked him into saying hi because of that.  He refused to say hi to Tigger though who was just around the corner.
Kelley had a great time seeing the princesses.  It was actually quite ridiculous.  The line at the Princess Faire where they always have a few took us over an hour and half to get through!  She got to see Mulan, Ariel and Snow White there.  We got lucky though by the Tiki Room and found Jasmine and Aladdin with hardly anyone in line there.  These guys were really cute and Aladdin was so sweet with Kelley.
California Adventure closed at 6 PM the first day, so we got to go back to the hotel and relax a little.  By the time we got to Disneyland though I think it was a bit much for the kids.  This is about 6 PM that evening.  They survived for a few more hours after this, but I think it was time to go home!

By the way...I'm almost 11 weeks along, I can't believe no one has noticed my little "announcement" on the sidebar...oh well.  I'm due December 22, but my kids were 10 days and 2.5 weeks early.  We aren't going to find out what we are having until they are born.  I'm already in maternity clothes.  Totally depressing, but that's what happens I suppose.

We are Back!

We got back from Disneyland at 1 AM this morning.  We had a great time, details and pictures to come soon.  Also, Tyler's tonsilectomy went well.  He did great and I think had a normal recovery.  He seems all back to normal now, except his voice is suddenly all scratchy.  I'm hoping we didn't do him in in California and that this doesn't get worse.  Hopefully I'll get to posting more soon...

The Easter Bunny

So Joey found our camera cord and I'm connected to my new pics again!  This is perfect because of something that came up during snack the other day.  Somehow the kids got on the subject of the Easter Bunny and the big Egg Hunt they had at the city park this year.  They were talking about the bunny there and Kelley immediately pipes up "Did you see his ankle?"  While she waiting to take a picture with him he was kneeling down and you could see his ankle under his costume.  She knew it was a costume then and felt the need to inform all the kids that THAT particular easter bunny wasn't the real one...she knew, she could see his ankle.  I've also attached some cute pics of my kiddos in their easter outfits.  

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful..."

No, I'm not referencing myself here. ;)  I moved a LOT growing up.  I was pretty adaptable though and for the most part just threw myself into something fun and went with the flow.  I sometimes felt like though there were people who hated me because I came and fit in and had fun and whatever else.  I could never understand that....until now.  So, maybe it's just because I feel like my life gets more chaotic by the second...but there's this one person (will not name names) that I'm starting to really loathe.  I look at their "life" as I see it on my blog and they seem SO perfect.  They always have cute hair, cute clothes, cute body, cute kids, fun stuff going on...like a million things going on and they seem to balance it oh so perfectly.  Now, I don't actually know this person very well, so all I see is what they put on the blog...but it really makes me kind of "hate" her.  Of course I don't REALLY hate her....has anyone else ever been here?  It's a sad strange feeling.  I think it must have something to do with the green eyed monster, who is a dear dear friend of mine unfortunately....

Happy Mother's Day

Just wanted to take a minute and thank my honey and kids for a great mother's day.  That kind of thing hasn't really been big around our house in the past.  I was pleasantly surprised this morning however with breakfast in bed.  Kelley had made a cute little card with bath salts at school and the kids had picked out a really funny talking card (they LOVE those things and I can't walk past them anymore, or we never get away).  Church was nice as usual.  Then back home, a little lunch and a NAP!  Joey made dinner for me and even cleaned up most of it.  We then took a drive as a family and a little walk around Three Peaks with the dog.  Now it's 10 PM and I am going to go to bed.  It was truly one of the most relaxing Sunday's I've had in a while.  In addition my sweet mom and sister cleaned up my house yesterday so I don't even have anything to do in prep for tomorrow.  I'm so grateful for people in my life that take a few minutes to show they really care.  I'm really bad about being thoughtful that way, but being treated so kindly makes me want to treat others the same.  THANK YOU!  I LOVE YOU TOO!

The boy and his playground

Tyler L.O.V.E.S. the playground.  We are just two blocks away from the elementary which has a great set up, even for little ones.  Tyler would spend all day there I think if we'd let him.  Currently we are limited to after school however because we have tried to go during the day and inevitably the big kids always come out and craziness ensues (for me anyway...trying to keep track of 8 or so little ones amidst 25 or so others...).  He is just so full of energy I think the physical aspect of the whole thing is therapeutic to him.  It is really great, except when it's time to leave when pure joy gives way to MELT DOWN.  Hopefully with the summer will come much more time at the playground and he won't be so upset when it's time to go home.  (Ha Ha, I have to say to myself...)

DON'T Forget: COUPON CLASS

Tonight (TUESDAY), my house, 7 PM.  Leave a comment if you need my address or directions.

Classically Me

Spoiler alert:  This is going to be a lengthy post and probably boring for most of you.  But this is my blog/journal and I want to document this because it's so typical of my life it just made me laugh today as I could see it unfolding in front of me.  So here you go...if you care to read it:

Today I had a class all morning, so I knew that was shot.  But oh how I had the best of intentions for this afternoon.  I was going to get my hair done at 1:30 and be home by 3 PM.  My sister was watching my kids and was going to take them to Fillmore so my day is totally free!  3-5 would be spent on the living room and kitchen area...which is a huge disaster.  I just want that clean so I can have a little peace for the Sabbath :)  5-7 was to be spent working on my lesson for tomorrow and then the rest of the evening to be spent cleaning up something else.  It's 9 PM.  Here's how it really has gone:

1 PM - Get out of my class, head to Hermie's to pick up lunch for me and Joey.  He was at a track meet so I had to take it to him.  Hermie's also takes forever.

2 PM - Get to my hair appointment 1/2 hour late.  Luckily my stylist/sister-in-law likes me so she does it anyway.

4 PM - Meet Joey back at the track meet where he's still shooting pictures.  Pick up the kids from my sister who didn't go to Fillmore after all.

I got a new phone this week and needed to move my numbers off my old phone onto this one.  So I drove all the way over to the store, only to find out that my old phone is messed up and won't connect to their machine.  Yet another project now to complete.  Where's my easy button? ;)

Come home...I am TOTALLY beat for some reason.  So I get the kids some popcorn, check my email/facebook/blogs because I've been disconnected from the internet ALL DAY and go try to go to sleep.  Of course I locked the doors and told Kelley not to answer it or the phone at all.  Just when I'm getting really nice and asleep I hear Kelley yelling "Who is it?" to someone outside.  It turned out to be Joey, apparently he didn't want to use his KEY to open the door.  You know how when you are at that point where you are almost asleep and something wakes you back up?  No matter how tired you were/are it's really hard to get back to sleep after that.  Well I tried to anyway, but then someone knocked on the door and I had to run out to find out who was seeing my house in this condition.  It turned out to be my mother in law, which at that time I was like "whew!".  But now I realize that she was probably just as appalled at my house as anyone would be.  There are few people I allow to see it when it gets this bad.

Well I still tried to go back to sleep just for a little bit when my phone blares out "Girls just wanna have fun!" by Miley Cyrus and my brother needed me to watch my nephews for a few minutes, which I had previously agreed to do.  So I got up and actually felt a little refreshed.  We all watched the end of "Barbie: Diamond Castle" together as a family until I decided I could get up and be productive.  By this time it's almost 7 PM...no dinner, no clean house, no lesson.  What am I to do?  So I figured out a very quick dinner and decided to go load some stuff in the van to go to the storage shed.  That will help with the mess!  We just have too much junk and not enough places for everything to be put away.  So I head outside to do that.  While doing that I notice the dandelions on the lawn are getting progressively worse and remember the tool my mom bought me last weekend to dig them out.  So inside the house I go to find the dandelion tool.  I got all the dandelions out and almost pulled out the lawnmower because we do have SOME patches of high grass, but it was stuck behind a lot of junk...so I decided to go back to the storage shed thing.  After that I then put away food storage stuff in the garage, but noticed my sidewalks and driveways needed to be swept, so pulled out the broom to complete that.  By this time I'm starving because we never actually ate what I had prepared.  So we eat and I decide: OK, now I really need to clean up the house (which was one of two fairly simple goals for the day).  But before I do that...I have to clean up the kids room (which is actually in fairly good condition in the first place) because they will be going to bed soon.  OK, now I really need to do my lesson because it's getting late and that HAS to be done (the other of the two goals).  But first I think I'll update my blog...

"I am SO not 'earthy'..."

That is the exact phrase I remember thinking to myself a little over 8 years ago when I took my first Yoga class.  I had a membership at Gold's Gym here in Cedar and decided to try it.  I remember feeling a little embarrassed about going because I had these notions of what Yoga was and the type of people that practiced it.  Somehow I fell in love with Yoga.  And through the years some of my preconceptions have been proved true, but I have gained so much personally from my practice of Yoga.  OK, let me say here, I don't really "practice" Yoga like I would like to.  I mostly just go to classes sometimes often, sometimes not at all for months on end because I don't have time.  But one day, in my ideal world I will practice Yoga more.

I started out just loving the way I felt physically.  There's a lot of stretching and movement.  You can do a more "power yoga" approach that gets your heart pumping or just focus on the stretching aspect of it.  I used to have a lot of back pain (when I was young, 19, 20, 21).  That's where I carry all my stress.  But when I started to do Yoga on a regular basis my back pain went away, I slept better and I was in much better physical shape.  

Lately I've been more into the meditation and relaxation part of it.  I think those "earthy" people are onto something with feeling centered and focused.  I attended a Kundalini Yoga workshop tonight.  It was unlike any other Yoga I've ever done, but a lot of that energy focus and meditation stuff.  Although I don't think it's my everyday type of Yoga I loved it.  It was like going to a motivational speaker and just getting "pumped up".

I've been thinking for a while about getting certified to teach Yoga.  I think it might be the time.  The daycare is doing SO well.  Almost too well some days.  I have a lot going on with that.  I think I could use the time away to focus on doing something to keep myself healthy and well.  There is a studio here in town that has an excellent program.  So stay tuned.  And if you see me and I seem more "at peace" instead of stressed out...maybe you'll know why :).  

Seriously if you haven't tried it, you ought to.  I think a lot of LDS folks shy away because it seems so foreign and almost like a religion.  It's not.  There may be people that use it for that, but really I think the ideas of Yoga are very much in line with LDS principles.  I have noticed in several recent General Conference talks they have talked about taking time to meditate and how that can help us grow closer to Christ.  And it's probably not for everyone, but you might want to try it out if you never have.