Rumble, Rumble

We hope that you all had a very nice Christmas and your family was able to reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ. Our family had a very nice and relaxing one this year. We were able to spend some time with family members for a couple of days and as they left they missed the excitement here in Yuma. We were sitting in the Dentist office while our kids' teeth were being cleaned and my chair, and the dentist tray started shaking. If felt like my children were playing and running upstairs in our home, but we weren't at home. The earthquake lasted for about 20 seconds and then followed by little waves or "ripples". It was a new experience.
(By the way..... NO cavities. Yippee!!!!)
We wish you all a Happy New Year and hope that 2010 brings you much happiness.

Halloween Nightmare

No one told us that we were moving into the Halloween Subdivision.
There were so many cars and trick or treaters down our street that it was almost frightening. Like 30-35 at your door at one time. We turned all the lights off once we ran out and gave away 300+ pieces of candy(it was all done in about 15-20 minutes). The kids had never been able to pass out candy before because we were never home to do it, so they enjoyed it too.

But the next morning this is what we found on our block wall. I guess it is to be expected living in a corner house. Why do punks have to ruin other's property?

Halloween 2009

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids this year for Halloween. Emmalee was Sandra Dee from "Grease", Damian was a Mummy (it is fabric not toliet paper like some thought), and Aubrey was Sleeping Beauty.

Crazy Hair Day for School

Damian's crazy hair


Aubrey's crazy hair

Aubrey is 7!

Aubrey turned 7 on October 24th. She had been bugging me to polish her nails. So, her wish came true.

Aubrey's special birthday cake. (It is a butterfly in case you can't tell)


Aubrey loves Texas Roadhouse so she didn't have to twist mom and dad's arms too hard to go there.

Some big guy broke the saddle at Texas Roadhouse so she got to sit in a chair



Opening gifts

Way to go Aubrey

Aubrey earned Student of the Month only 1 month into this school year. She is in 1st grade. Way to go Aubrey!

My new Scrapbooking Blog site

If you go to http://scrapnocrap.blogspot.com/
you can see my new scrapbooking blog. I have posted my cards, vinyl for the walls, and decorative boards used in my house and those made for gifts. I have so much fun doing this hobby and wanted a record of what I have created. I hope if you are crafty you will enjoy this.

Can you name that tune?

Damian started band at school. He is following in his dad's footsteps and learning to play the trumpet. Here is what he sounds like. Sorry for the jumpy video but I couldn't stop laughing. Earplugs anyone? Seriously, I am really excited that my kids want to learn how to play musical instruments, but now I know why my mother-in-law had to take Steven to the park to practice.

No more Floaties!!!

I am happy to report that all 3 of my kids learned to swim this summer just by swimming nearly everyday in our pool. Emmalee and Damian only needed about a week to do it and now they swim like fish and dive in too. However, Aubrey has had a lot more hesitation about putting her face in the water. But, this weekend she swam from one side of the pool to the other with NO FLOATIES!!!! Yippee. I just gave her some new "Cool" goggles and away she went. Then she said, "Now I can swim across the deep end to the other end of the pool". She did that too!

Here is a video to show you how cool she is in the pool.


Here is a cool picture of her too.

Back to School!

I have had a chance to catch my breath and can now post some pictures of the kid's 1st day of school. Poor Aubrey picked up germs at school and got sick after the 3rd day. She ended up with Bronchitis, a fever for 5 days, a horrible cough, and asthma breathing problems. She finally got to return today after missing more days than she has been at school this year.
Aubrey is in 1st grade, Damian is in 5th grade, and Emmalee is in 7th grade in Middle School here. They are all doing great and we are so proud of them.

Breakfast anyone?

It is officially the Hottest day today in Yuma since we moved here. It is currently 120 degrees at 4PM. It is only slightly cooler at 112 degrees on my backporch in the shade. So we decided to try to fry an egg outside. What else are you going to do in Yuma in the summer-We had already been swimming to keep our brains from sizzling....maybe they did already sizzle and that is why we are trying to fry eggs outside now. Well, here is our proof it is possible!

Before....


After....

"I am stuck on Camping"

We were able to join my siblings and their families and my dad and step mom in the white Mountains for a week of camping at Big Lake. We had a nice relaxing week and here are a few pictures.

Off to the Emergency Room we go- **Warning** Do not read if you have a weak stomach

We started off our holiday today wondering what we would do. Aubrey was emptying trashes and reached into the kitchen trash can to retrieve a candy wrapper that was stuck in the little contraption where the foot peddle is located that raises the lid (it is a very small opening but sharp obviously), and decided that we were going to spend a portion of our day at the emergency room since she almost severed her right index finger off.
Below are a few pictures of her finger after getting stitches,the opening where she got it stuck,and her smiling once again with all her prizes from the hospital.
This is a "memorial day" for sure, just not the kind I wanted to have.

Why men should not be alone

My uncle sent this to me and I laughed so hard I couldn't even see the video through the tears. Oh it is SO TRUE (at least in my house)!!!

Call Me Crazy....Never Mind...Don't

Ok, I have been saving Capri Sun Bags for quite a while (over a year) to make more capri sun bags but haven't done it. I have been trying to find a way to get some money for my Women's Conference Trip coming up in a couple of weeks. I searched on ebay to see if there were any bags on there already. There is 1 lady and I was shocked at how much she charged for them and they are selling!!! So I decided to make some myself and undersell her just a bit. I spent almost all day making them yesterday and here is what I finished. I made a wallet too but they just aren't worth it in my opinion. If any of you need an adorable bag/lunchbag just let me know and I can hook you up.

A Must Watch Movie

I highly recommend all of you to watch the movie Fireproof if you haven't seen it already. It is an awesome, mushy, good-feeling movie. Put the kids to bed and watch it with your hubby. You have to look past some of the cheesy acting and look at the points being made. It really makes you realize that you don't ever want to take your spouse for granted. It is definately worth the money to rent- actually I am looking for a copy to own.

Happy Birthday Steven!

Today is Steven's Birthday. Aubrey says he is 24. ;)
It was so cute what the kids did for his birthday. All on their own, they wrapped a gift for him in some wrapping paper with only stickers instead of tape. He got a toothbrush! Aubrey wanted to give it to him (she had just gotten it last week in a raffle bundle she won at school). When he opened it she had the deepest, loudest belly laugh. It was so cute. Damian also drew Steven a picture. On Steven's shirt it says "I love my son". We are blessed with very cute kids!

Join the Fun

I saw this on Elena's blog and enjoyed it. Join in.
Copy- then highlight the things you have done in bold.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14.Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22.hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a 1/2 Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31.hit a home run. 32.been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone. 78.Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100.Made amends with someone who offended you 101. Flew in a small Cessna plane with just you and the pilot 102. Ran out of gas 103. Eaten fried okra 104. Swam in the Caribbean Sea 105. Peed in a swimming pool 106. Stayed in a beach house 107. Hosted an exchange student 108. Been a Secret Santa to a family in need 109. Worked on a political campaign 110. Coached a sports team 111. Baked bread from scratch 112. Driven from coast to coast 113. Paid off all of your debt 114. Roast marshmallows over a campfire 115. Cut up a credit card 116. Drove a car through a flood 117. Been on t.v 118. Had braces 119. Been to the top of the twin towers in NY. 120. Have played in both the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans 121. Been to ground zero 122. Bitten your fingernails 123. Scrapbooked 124. Visited Mexico 125. Seen a Tornado in person 126. Been lost at sea 127. Kissed a frog. 128. Given birth to twins. 129. Received 2 moving violation tickets in 1 day. 130. Taught English in a foreign country 131. Gone rappelling132.Seen a show in New York City. 133. Have never had a cavity 134. Peed your pants from just laughing so hard.

Make sure to add a new question once you're done.

I am as happy as a pig in mud

My mother-in-law was coming to visit us and mentioned that she had a mixer that she would be willing to give to me if I wanted it. At first, I thought "I already have a mixer why do I need 2?" Then she told me that it did a bunch of stuff and would even grind wheat. Well, of course I said yes after she told me it would grind wheat. After all, what good is it if I have all these cans of wheat and no way to grind it? Well, she came last night and brought it with her. So today I decided to try it out. I ground about 2 cups of wheat into a fine flour in about 30 seconds. It's so SWEET!!!! Reading the manual it tells you how to make your bread dough in the mixer. So I am enjoying my first attempt of homemade wheat bread after only 1 hour from start to finish. I need to order more wheat now from the cannery. 300 lbs. per person just isn't going to be enough.
Below you will see the machine, my loaf of bread dough, and then the final product.
Gotta go enjoy my bread. YUM YUM!!!

25 Random Things About Me

1. My favorite number is 3.
2. I like Navy Blue clothes or anything Navy actually.
3. I am the youngest of 3 kids in my family.
4. I love to scrapbook and make cards. I say the one who dies with the most, wins!!
5. I’m allergic to people who smoke. Ok, not them but the smoke.
6. I love to read to my children and hear them read.
7. I wish I knew how to play an instrument, especially the piano. Or even read music for that fact.
8. I love to kiss and smell brand new babies.
9. I couldn’t live without…chapstick
10. I will NEVER Bungee jump!
11. I stress about stressing!!
12. I love to shop for the best bargain.
13. I love candles.
14. I love Disneyland- I am such a kid at heart. I like to have fun!!!!
15. I like to cook but not bake.
16. I have never broken a bone and hope I never do now at my age.
17. I love to go to Women's Conference at BYU. I really look forward to it each year.
18. I was born in California. I have never lived outside of 3 states. (Not all at the same time obviously.)
19. I love the internet!
20. I would love to go on a Cruise someday in Hawaii with my husband. He wants to go to England someday too so we have some traveling to do.
21. I want to serve a mission with my husband when our kids are grown and gone.
22. I love to go to the Temple.
23. I love Beautiful Sunsets
24. I love to listen to LDS Musicians.
25. I love to be at home with my family. I have the BEST!!!

So while Steven was finishing up his degree (1 1/2 years ago), he promised the kids and I that we would go to Disneyland. Well, last weekend we finally got to go and it was worth the wait since all of our kids were tall enough to ride any ride we wanted. Aubrey wishes she wasn't tall enough for the Indiana Jones ride. She hated anything that had "big dips" or went fast. She loved Dumbo though. Emmalee is our dare devil and the faster the better for her. Damian was the cautious one at first but had a blast and asked to ride "50,000" more times. I guess 50,000 is his favorite number. We couldn't have had a better vacation and the wonderful memories we made is what it is all about. It truly is "where all your dreams come true."
Here are a few pictures of our wonderful memories.