Alene & Melody

Backyard Makeover

2011-10-14T00:33:00.001-07:00

Melody and I moved into a new house about a year ago but the backyard (as in little square outside the patio) had been neglected. For fall break, we were able to give it a make over! My grandpa, uncle and cousin came over Monday and Tuesday and put paver tiles off the patio but left a strip down the side for me to do something with. I wasn't sure at first what to do with it (except where I wanted my grill and glider to be) but the rest were vague ideas. Luckily, I have friends with amazing ideas and they know how to make them happen! Tanisha and Jenn gave creative advice and then Tanisha took me shopping for a few things. Thursday, Donelle, Shelley and Chad came over and did some serious manual labor to help bring the ideas into reality. Which was really nice considering it was 103 degrees! Thanks to all the help, our backyard is a lot more inviting and Melody has a place to hula hoop and jump rope and I have my glider in the corner to read and relax on. Melody and I are both happy :)

3rd credit card gone!

2011-09-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

What would life be like without a few bumps in the road? I don't really know anyone who knows the true answer to that question. For myself, this last year has been full of bumps and a few bruises to go along with them. Cryptic, I know...but unfortunately, too many things in my life are better left that way and especially regarding posting anything on the internet. BUT, I had to post that even though the debt snowball has had to slow WAY down this year, there was still some progress and my 3rd, and last, credit card is paid off! I had to celebrate here, even if it was months behind schedule. The best I can do to say why the slow down is that I have had to try to cash flow some other things, that still aren't over, and that made it necessary to go back to minimum payments on this card that otherwise would have been paid off in Feb of this year. But, even though things did not go as planned, progress is still being made and Chase Bank will no longer be collecting money from me every month :)

Disneyland with Friends

2010-10-18T11:29:00.001-07:00

Our first day at Disneyland was great! It stayed open until midnight and we packed every minute of the day with rides! We got to go with the Gardner's and the Muir's and we ended up seeing the Anderson boys and riding a couple rides with the Hendricksons. Melody had SO much fun being with friends. Erik, Melody and Ryan had a lot of fun in line together and were laughing most of the time. Melody and Erik were tall enough for everything and so they got to go on Indiana Jones for the first time. Mel was a little spooked before the ride but by the end she loved it and they all wanted to go again. We did a few new things this time, we went to Tom Sawyer's Island and the kids played for a while and we rode the train around Disneyland. We also went on Autopia for the first time. Now, this one is the one I thought was new, and I found out that it had been there for a LONG time... not sure why I had never been on it but Melody and the kids LOVED it and went on it a few times. Melody drove me around once too and thinks she is ready to drive a real car,lol. We had lunch at a place in New Orleans square that had yummy food and the kids all liked it too. That evening we went on the Haunted Mansion and I guess I have only ever been on this ride at Halloween time because Tanisha told me it was completely different than normal. The ghost dog reindeer, Xero, was Melody's favorite on that ride. Space Mountain was also re-done for Halloween. No planets, just scary monsters and creepy music. The kids weren't too sure about it...Melody says she likes it better the "normal" way. I think I do too! We rode rides until the last possible minute and then did some shopping on main street. Melody and Erik were so tired they both fell asleep and had to be carried out. I carried her as long as I could and then Jason carried Mel the rest of the way. It was a great first day of vacation!

Fall Break Road Trip to CA

2010-10-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

For Fall Break this past week, we drove to California. I drove behind the Gardner's since I did NOT want to drive alone. We stopped on the was in, at Pink's, a famous hot dog place. I am a fan of a good hot dog on the grill, so I was not so excited when I saw that this place was more famous for the stuff you put on the hot dog than the actual hot dog. I think that some of those in the group liked there smothered dogs but Ted's still holds the top place in my hot dog loving heart :) After we ate, we went back to the cars and the Gardner's suburban wouldn't start...too many electric devices plugged in. Coleman took the battery to the store in my car and Tanisha and I hung out with the kids on the side of the road and did some people watching in a kinda scary neighborhood. We kept ourselves amused and when Coleman came back with a new battery from a retarded Walmart that didn't work either. We waited again while he tried an auto zone. So after 3 hours or so and a couple batteries later, we were finally on our way to our hotel. We had thought it was close to Disneyland but it turned out to be a ways down the street but we were so excited to just arrive I don't think anyone cared.

Camping

2010-10-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

In September, we went camping with the Gardner, Hendrickson, Holste and Muir families. Tanisha and Coleman did A LOT of work for this camp out. They had an awesome menu planned and we had amazing food! The kids had a blast and got to hike, play in the water, and go to a fish hatchery. The kids tried to play their DS's but after a while we talked them into playing cards and they LOVED old maid. I had brought up a deck of cards and Melody got to show the other kids how to play. It was a fun trip and we came home tired and dirty so I am pretty sure that means it was a successful camping trip :)

Second Grade

2010-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Melody is in 2nd grade this year. She has a great teacher and Erik is in her class, plus a few friends from last year so Melody is VERY excited about that. I love that Melody loves school and is so excited to go. We did some great bargain shopping this year on clothes so I let Melody pick out her shoes....of course it was the twinkle toes that she loved. But I figure that a girl has to love her shoes :) Mel couldn't decide which outfit was her favorite so we did pictures on the 1st and 2nd day of school.

Leslie and Kerri's Big Day

2010-10-18T09:48:00.000-07:00

At the end of May, Leslie and Kerri wen through the Gila Valley temple. I got to be Leslie's escort since Val was Kerri's. We got up nice and early and I made Leslie and Kerri take pictures before and after. It was a great day! The session had a few bumps with people getting sick and new temple workers figuring things out but Leslie likes things to be a little more exciting than the usual :) After, we had more pictures with everyone and then went to Leslie's house for a yummy breakfast. I am so excited for Leslie and Kerri. It was great to get to be there with them.

Gila Valley Temple

2010-10-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Gila Valley Temple is So beautiful and I love getting to see it when we travel to Safford. I am especially glad that Melody got to see the inside of it before it was dedicated. We got to talk more about temples and why they are so important. We drove down to see it with the Gardner's and got to hang out with Leslie and then take the Gardner's to our favorite place to eat, Casa Manana, while we were there.

Cinderella

2010-10-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

In May, we took the girls out to see Cinderella. I think most of us thought this was going to be a play but it turned out to be the ballet. It was a good time. We did a princess dinner for the girls before the ballet and they all dressed up and looked SO beautiful. I think overall the girls liked the ballet but they had some interesting comments on the costumes. If I ever go to the ballet again, Debbie, I need to borrow your girls because their comments were the best!

Girls Trip/ Liz's Birthday

2010-10-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

In April, I got to go to Women's Conference in Utah with the girls :) On the drive up it started to snow and I was pretty excited about it. I had to go out the first morning we were there and play around. We got to go to some amazing classes and I don't know if I can even pick a favorite but the theme of simplify and putting what is most important first were things that were hard to miss and really good advice. I don't know why I didnt take any pictures at BYU??? But there were TONS of ladies and it was hard to get around. We did get to see the Howard's first house and eat at the pizza place across the street. I know Donelle has pictures of that; we wanted Debbie to have a reminder of the trip since she couldn't 't come :( After the conference was over, Andrea picked me up and took me home with her and I got to have dinner with her and Jared and Kylie. It was great to spend some time with them! The next morning, Andrea and I met back with the rest of the girls and did a live temple session in the Salt Lake temple, which was great! Then we just explored temple square and for lunch we celebrated Liz's birthday with afternoon tea that Shelley had planned (aka for us, hot chocolate :) When we arrived, the hostess put a flower bud in a glass of warm water and it bloomed....you are supposed to drink the herb tea it makes. Liz was a good sport and tried it first and after we added a few sugar cubes, the rest of us tried it. I thought it tasted like eating grass...not so good. But it was fun to be in such a beautiful place and hang out with good friends. I had such a wonderful time being with good friends and getting a spiritual uplift.

Pinkalicious Party

2010-10-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Liz was in charge of my birthday party this year and she knows my favorite color is pink, so what better than a Pinkalicious party? We enjoyed yummy pink treats and I got the Pinkalicious book and some other Pink themed gifts and we played Just Dance on the Wii. I have to say it was pretty fun, Chrissy had the overall high score of the night, but I am pretty sure I was right behind her. Thanks for a great party :)

Tanisha's Birthday Party

2010-08-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

For Tanisha's birthday party we had a Parisian themed night with a Julia Child spin. We had our own Julia Child (aka Jenn) come and teach us how to make a fruit tart with a flaky pastry crust, hollandaise sauce and different kinds of quiche. We had 2 different kinds of appetizers that were new to just about everyone at the party and then had 3 different kinds of quiche with asparagus and hollandaise sauce. For desert we had the yummy fruit tart and to drink sparkling french soda. I was a loser and forgot my camera so I had to steal a few pics to have something to post. It was decorated really cute, like a french cafe. Tanisha got the Julia Childs cookbook for her present and then we watched Julie and Julia. The BEST part was Leslie dressing up like a mime. Tanisha was hoping a mime would show up and Leslie was a great sport and acted the part well! Liz also got together a great game of pictionary, themed off of places in France. Shelley made really cute place cards for everyone (again, I am lame because I dont have a picture of them!) Donelle let us transform her house into a French cafe, Jennifer Pearce let me use her super cute Parisian decor and pictures that were perfect! Jenn and Leslie were amazing to shop for food and Jenn cooked EVERYTHING with Leslie and I as assistants. It was a huge group effort to pull it off but I think Tanisha enjoyed the party and everyone had some yummy food!

Jenn's Birthday Party

2010-08-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I finally made it to 2010 pictures! This year for Jenn's birthday, Leslie was in charge and we had a movie night at my apartment's theater room. It was PJ's, minky blankets and good times. We watched Mama Mia and Phantom of the Opera and we got to sing as loud as we wanted too :) Leslie planned a great party! Happy Birthday (a few months late) to Jenn. She is one smoking hot, fun, generous, kind woman. I am lucky to be her friend and I know A LOT of people that feel the same way!

Christmas 2009

2010-08-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

I can totally tell that it was not my turn in 2009 to have Melody for Christmas because I have hardly any pictures! It was Melody's year to go with her dad for Christmas but I did get her for a couple of hours Christmas Eve. We had our usual mexican food dinner and our family Christmas Jar delivery and a small program. I was glad Mel got to come for a little while. She opened up her presents before she had to leave. Some favorites: the minky zebra scarf, the necklace Aunt Maya made, a new coat, and some games. It is always hard having to share your kid...it has been 5 years of it and i am still not used to it but Melody and I have just made the best of it. It is always hard to be one place and have fun and then have to leave, even if you know there will be fun at the other place as well. Melody is amazing and I am So lucky that I get to be her mom. I am excited though, because this year is my turn! YAY!

2009 School Christmas Program

2010-08-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

Melody's first Ben Franklin Christmas program was a good time. Melody had a blast singing and it was fun to be there with friends. We took some pictures after with the Gardner boys and Hatch girls and then took the kids out for ice cream. Everyone looked great all dressed up and I am pretty sure everyone made it through the night without spilling ice cream on their nice clothes :)

Mel's broken arm....from last year!

2010-07-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last year, about mid November, Melody fell at school and broke her arm. I picked her up from school as usual and she came walking to the car with an ice pack dangling over her arm (although I use the term ice pack loosely...it was hot). I asked her what happened and she said she fell in PE while playing mosquito tag and went to the nurse and got an ice pack. I looked at it and it looked normal so I figured, no big deal....until later. That night Melody couldn't take the toothpaste cap off and then the next morning she couldn't turn the door knob or open the car door. I took her in to see the doctor and ....you guessed it, it was broken about an inch above her left wrist. Mel wore a splint for a couple days and then she went to an ortho doc a few days later and picked out a purple, glittery cast. Mel wore it until a couple days before Christmas. She was ready to have it gone so I wouldn't wrap her arm up with Press N Seal anymore when she took a shower. I was glad to have it gone too.

Veteran's Day Parade 2009

2010-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Last year, Melody was in the Veteran's Day parade with her dance class. Melody got to be in the parade with Kaeli, Paige, Maddie and Lexi. The girls looked great and had a good time. Melody LOVED the big pink flower that Ms. Tracy made for them to wear. We had to take a picture of just the hair so you can all see the flower :)

Student of the Month

2010-07-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Melody was student of the month for Miss Thomas' class in October. Miss Thomas is an amazing teacher and I think every kid in her class loves her. Melody loved being in her class and we are both sad that we couldn't take her with us to 2nd grade.

Fall sports

2010-07-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last fall, Melody was in our neighborhood soccer group. She had a lot of fun going to practice and playing in the games. The kids all had a blast and the coaches were all great. It was great to have some inexpensive fun!

Turning 7

2010-07-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

I can't even say that I can't believe Melody is 7 because I have posted these so late and now she is nearer to 8! Last November we were at the Gardner's house with the 3 youngest because Tanisha and Coleman, Jason and Nick were in Hawaii. We celebrated with a little get together with some friends and cupcakes the night before and then on Melody's birthday we had dinner at the Mabb's house (after dance) and more cupcakes :) That night, Mel opened her presents from her dad, grandparents and me. She was patient to wait ALL day to open them up but she was pretty excited to see zhu zhu pets, mario cart, webkinz and a beautiful dress. Over all she had a great birthday.

Halloween 2009

2010-07-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

Melody branched out for last Halloween and decided not to be a cat (she has been a cat for the last 4 years!) The pretty bat costume caught her eye after I turned down the WAY too expensive Dorothy costume with the sparkly shoes and toto dog in a basket. I was excited because it wasn't a cat and because i could curl her hair and put a little make up on her :)

Day at the Zoo

2010-07-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, before any of you think I am crazy and took my child to the zoo in the 115 degree weather, these are old pictures. I havent posted anything really from the last year. So, I am going through the pictures and posting things so I have the last year documented. This was last October during fall break. Melody and I went and spent a day at the zoo. Mel is SO much fun to be around. Her laugh is the best and we had a great time laughing at the monkeys and seeing all the animals. Melody wants to be a vet and LOVES animals so the zoo is always a big hit.

Mary Poppins

2010-07-04T22:58:00.000-07:00

Melody was in a Singing camp again this year, thanks to Chrissy taking her! I brought Melody to Chrissy's house every morning for a week and Melody got to play and swim with Kaeli and Paige and the boys and then after lunch Chrissy took them to singing camp and brought them home after. THANK YOU CHRISSY! Melody had a blast and this year they learned songs from Mary Poppins. We sang Mary Poppins every minute of that week to be ready for the performance Saturday. Melody had a solo in Supercalifragilis and I put the clip above so you can see what a great job she did. Kaeli and Paige did great on their parts, too. It was fun watching them. The Gardners came to watch the performance and cheer the girls on, thanks for coming guys!

Our New Place

2010-07-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

FINALLY, here are the pictures of our new place. Melody and I are settled in and have been here about 7 months...time has just gone way too fast! We have adjusted (kinda) to living on the third floor and being by the pool (where there is a party until 3 am most nights, no joke!). Since moving in, Melody had a broken arm and I broke my toe and had a surgery...all not that big of a deal until you have to carry groceries up to the third floor! Good thing we healed up fast (and had friends to help us out :)

2nd one gone!

2010-03-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just paid off my 2nd credit card in my debt snowball and I am SO excited. Current debt paid over the last 6 months is about $8000.00! Every month I gain more momentum and love seeing the balances on my debt go DOWN! I got a little off track on my budget the first of this month with a couple things that I failed to plan for but I was able to adjust some other areas and make sure everything balanced out. I am almost giddy now. If you are wondering how I am doing this, see my last post on my favorite guy, Dave Ramsey. He is amazing and so is his plan!

MY FAVORITE GUY! DAVE RAMSEY!

2010-03-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Dave Ramsey! He has totally changed my financial life. I first heard about Dave from Randy Quinn, who listened to The Dave Ramsey show in Texas. I got on-line and read about the "baby steps" and ordered the Total Money Makeover (a must read!) that night. I read it and have put it into action. I cut up the credit cards and am using cash or debit card for everything. I make a written budget every month and have made myself stick to it. In January, I signed up with Donelle and Randy to go through Financial Peace University, Dave's 13 week series and I am really enjoying it and learning a lot. So far, I have paid off $5,000 in debt and working hard on paying off more. SO, what is this all about? It is common sense. It is not buying things unless you have the $$ and cash is the way to go. It is amazing how making a budget and telling your money where to go can make you feel like you got a raise, even though you didn't. There is no more wondering, where did all the money go? I know. It went where I told it to. And me, being me, make sure to tell the $ to let me have some fun still, and I do a little but I know that, as Dave says, if I live like no one else, later I can LIVE like NO ONE else! Which means sacrifice now so you can enjoy life later with more satisfaction because you worked hard and earned it. He has 7 baby steps to break things down:

1. 1, 000 starter emergency fund
2. Pay off debt using the Debt snowball (smallest amount to largest amount) to get out of all debt but your house.
3. 3 to 6 months of living expenses in savings
4. 15% of household income in retirement
5. kids college fund(s)
6. Pay off the house
7. Build wealth and give

I just had to put this on here to spread the word that if you try this it will change your life for the better. If any of you were like me, stressed, worried about the bills every month, and thinking this is just "how it is" then you have to check this out. Because it isn't how it is. It is a great thing to have HOPE and that is what I have had for the first time about my finances. I am so excited for the day I can say I'M DEBT FREE! It will be a while but progress is being made. If anyone wants more info go to daveramsey.com. You can read more about the baby steps and listen to his radio show on-line. Or you can call me! I love to talk about this Dave:) I will post at big milestones in my debt snowball. I have paid off 1 credit card and am working on the second....more to come :)

GoodBye

2009-12-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

Melody and I have been busy the last couple months and I have a lot to catch up on. The main reason we have been so busy is that we moved. Today, with the help of good friends, we cleaned up the house and I locked the door for the last time. I have to say that I got a little emotional saying goodbye to our home for the last 4 1/2 years. We have SO many good memories from living here and have made great friends. I am SO grateful for all of you that helped me move: pack and unpack, clean, have a yard sale on the coldest morning yet and go up the stairs to the 3rd floor! Melody and I moved into an apartment on the 3rd floor and are still adjusting to the climb. Luckily, we got to stay close by all our good friends! Tanisha and Coleman have been out shopping with me to get a few things for the new place, I will have to post pictures after it is all put together. This move has been difficult and it has tested my faith a bit but I know Melody and I are where we are supposed to be...hopefully, I get to find out why someday :)

Camping

2009-08-30T17:20:00.001-07:00

Friday night, Melody and I went camping with our friends (and ward). We followed the Gardners up to Christopher Creek and had some of the boys ride with us in our new car. Mel was excited to have company, and I was excited the little car made it up all the hills! We got dinner in Payson (and let Coleman transfer funds) and then headed to the campsite where the Dennisons and Linfords were waiting; the Mabbs showed up right after us. (the Howards came in later that night too) The whole group except the Quinn's (we missed you guys...Donelle, you are still planning the next camping trip, right?). Coleman and Tanisha let Melody and I borrow a tent, an air mattress and a sleeping bag, because honestly, I dont do this very often and only have 2 camp chairs and a sleeping bag for Melody. That night, we hung out around the camp fire and made smores and let the kids run around and play cops and robbers. It was fun to stay up late and hang out with everyone. Poor Liz and Tyler had kids throwing up until 3am, so sorry guys! But they hung out with us anyway-in between cleaning things up...you guys are awesome!

Saturday morning everyone was up EARLY and the kids (all of the kids in the whole ward I think) went down the hill and made a village. It was pretty cool...except for a few minor injuries, it was a big hit. The guys got a mean game of horse shoes going and I think Chad and Jon ended up winning. It was a relaxing morning and then it was time to pack up and head home...home to clean it all up. Mel, me, the car all got a bath! None of us had ever been that dirty...lol. Thanks for talking me into the trip guys, it was a blast and Melody had a great time too!

Early Bird

2009-08-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Melody got up at 6:30 Sat morning and cleaned her room and straightened up the bathroom all before I woke up. It was a nice thing to wake up to. She had asked me Friday night if she could wake up early to clean and I said yes, thinking that wouldn't happen...guess I was wrong. Thanks Melody!

First Day of School....X 2!

2009-08-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

Melody has 2 "first day of school" pictures this year. The first picture is from two weeks ago when she started ALA (American Leadership Academy...they wear uniforms)and the second picture, is the first day of school a week ago at Benjamin Franklin. The story? Well, I put Melody's name on a waiting list for Ben Franklin in Jan and up until the Thursday before school started, they didn't have a spot for her. ALA did but they started a week earlier, so Mel started there and on her second day of school, I got the call that she was in at Franklin. I think both schools are great and so I decided to let Melody make the decision. We had toured both places, and she decided Franklin was her top choice. So, she had a Friday off to meet her new teacher and then started school again. Luckily, she let me take her picture for a second time. I think Melody is going to have a great year and made a great choice on the school. It also works out better for my work schedule so I am pretty happy myself:) I get to work 8 to 3 in the office and then from home for 1-2 hours every afternoon, so I can be home with Melody after school regularly...a first for us!

Reception

2009-07-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

More reception photos. Melody and Doyle (Tif and Brian's) spent most of the night catching frogs. I kept telling Melody she was in a beautiful dress and we didn't want to ruin it and she just told me that she was being VERY careful and that she always wanted a pet frog! Nice. Unfortunatly, the frogs (all 6 of them) didnt make it home from the reception.

WEDDING!

2009-07-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

SO, I was a dork and totally forgot my camera on the day of the wedding and didnt get any pictures at the temple. But, I did manage to get a few at the reception of the couple, the fam and the kids. Amber and CJ look like the perfect couple and the girls looked adorable in their dresses. If we look a little sunburned, it is because it was 113 degrees and the reception was outside. A little hot setting up but the evening was perfect. Just how you ordered it mom...LOL. I babysat the chocolate fountain most of the night and got to see lots of old friends in the process. I have an amazing family, everyone worked really hard and it ended up beautiful for the blissful couple. Highlights: tying tulle to all the chairs, the wind blowing away the decorations and getting to re-do them, cleaning the chocolate fountain and the ALL TIME best-having an entire bowl of chicken salad not used (for all you in the kitchen you know what I mean :) Amber, I am so thankful for you! You are such a great sister and friend. CJ is a lucky guy and I hope you two make it a great life! CJ, thanks for being a GREAT guy for my sister. You guys are the best. Have fun in Silver City and enjoy the newlywed life!

Amber and CJ

2009-07-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

These are just a couple of the amazing pictures Amber and CJ got during their announcement photo shoot. A girl from Thatcher took them and did a great job!

Sweethearts

2009-07-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

I have had lots of company this month! Which is a good thing, since Melody has been gone so much. Amber went thru the temple on July 2nd and the whole family came into town and then Andrea, Jared and kylie came down for the wedding (and the heat...come on Jared you love it!) One of the nights I got to have both Kylie Sue and Lanie at my house. They are both little sweethearts in their own way and I tried to get pictures of them playing together but they would stop playing when I tried so I settled for standing still next to each other(and when i say playing together i mean kinda playing together...it usually ended up with Lanie sitting on Kylie but I think she was trying to be friendly:)

Baptism

2009-07-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

At the end of June the Quinns came to AZ for a visit and Nicolas got baptized in Safford. Our whole group of friends made the trip and Melody got to come too! She was spending time with her dad but I got to pick her up for a couple hours.(i only had to trade for 2 weekends + 1 day but it was worth it) She had never been to a baptism before and I really wanted her to go, especially when it was such a good friend. Nicolas is a great kid and a great example to all the younger kids in the group. Donelle had an awesome luncheon for everyone afterward and then the group got a little tour of Safford. They got to see where Leslie, me and Donelle all grew up and they got to ride 4 wheelers, shoot a gun, and then go to Dairy Queen. Doesn't get much better than that.

Melody's High School Musical Performance

2009-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Also in June, Melody and her friends, Kaeli, Paige, Maddie and Lexie all went to a High School Musical Camp and had a performance at the end of the week. Let me tell you about the HSM overload that occured that week. We woke up and sang it, after work, we would watch clips from the movies and at night, Melody went to sleep listening to the soundtrack! I think I can sing most of the words myself now :) (Liz, thanks for taking Melody and for singing MORE with the girls in the car!) At the show, all the girls had a one line solo. It was so fun to see their personalities come out, especially Lexi! Melody did a great job on her solo, I was totally proud!! All the girls did great!

Amber's Bridal Shower

2009-07-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

In June, all the sisters put on a bridal shower for Amber. We had a chocolate dipping party the night before. It was lots of fun! The red velvet/cream cheese chocolate dipped dessert was the favorite (and I am NOT a chocolate fan!) The gorgeous invites were made by Candice Cook: she did an amazing job!The shower was a blast and it was great to see everyone! Amber was too cute, she doesn't like everyone "looking at her" but she was a good sport, especially with the lingerie:) I had to post the pics of her opening up the candy necklace g-string and the pretty white outfit that I got her. Love Ya Amber Lee!

Broken Things

2009-07-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

This post is for all of you that I promised last week that I would update.So, what is broken? The dishwasher, computer that controls radio and cruise control in my car, and now My computer has decided it doesn't want to connect to the internet (even after 40 min on phone w/ Cox and 1 and a half hours on the phone with Dell). So, you guessed, no pics of the wedding/reception until I getit fixed.Amber and Cj look gorgeous in the pictures and the kids looked adorable so as soon as I can I will post! It was fun seeing old friends and lots of family at the reception. Andrea, jared and kylie-i am glad u got to come visit- love u guys :) Hopefully posting will be soon :) tanisha is sweet talking coleman to come over and work his magic:)

Melody's last few weeks of school

2009-06-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks of school went by fast, Melody had alot going on but here are a few highlights. She got to tie-dye a shirt for earth day and her whole class wore them to school on a certain day. She loves hers and if you look closely you will see a kitty (of course). She also got to go to Paige and Tana's princess party and loved dressing up! Melody has been reading her first chapter book..a Junie B. Jones book and has wanted absolutely no help from me...well, she finished it before school was over and could actually tell me what the book was about. Great Job Mel! The last pictures are of her school program. She wore her favorite dress and sang her little heart out! After the program, I got to check out her classroom and take more pictures! She is such a great kid. I had pneumonia last month and while I was sick she took great care of me! She organized my pantry (except for the top self) and my medicine cabinet one day while I took a nap! Am I lucky or what? As you can tell, I am missing her!! She went to spend time with her dad and has been gone week and there is still a week to go! I love you Melody!

Memo Board

2009-06-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

For any of you that have been to Kelly's house, you know how amazing she is and how fun her classes are! I took a class to make this amazing memo board and I LOVE it. I used a flat minky fabric for the backgroud and it looks great in my house! Thanks Kelly (and Tanisha for creative imput) for having such wonderful classes. You can check her out at www.createyourownjoy.com

Leslie's Bday Weekend

2009-05-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Leslie came to visit for her Bday and we had a blast! For her actual Bday we went to Oregano's for dinner and then went to the Hale Theatre and saw Charley's Aunt..pretty funny. On the way home we stopped at Krispy Kreme...had to have some kind of dessert on the big day...we had done cake the night before with more friends and then went and saw Star Trek. The rest of the weekend was fun... nothing but fun times and then before Leslie left Monday, we went and got pedicures....Leslie has the Brown toes with turquoise dots, Jenn's are the pink tip with flowers, mine are the black tips with dots and Shawna"s ( leslie's sister) are the turquise with brown dots. TOO cute and so much fun! Happy Birthday Leslie!! I am so glad that you came down, Love YA!

Liz's BDay

2009-05-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

Liz and I usually have a party together bu this year we had separate parties. For Liz's Bday we went to Baby Jake's grave and spent some time out there. Tanisha had made a beautiful flower arrangement with a picture of Jake on it. Jake is such a big part of Liz and her life that it was the perfect thing to do and for all of us to share time with her and Jake! After that we went to Red Robin for dinner. Liz, you are such an amazing person. Happy Birthday! I am glad we are friends, I know you have been through so much and I appreciate your sharing your birthday with us!

My Birthday Arrest

2009-04-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Fot my birthday, this year, I was arrested fot tax evasion! Tanisha couldn't pass up the April 15th tax day idea :) As I was leaving work, I was apprehended in the parking lot (luckily I left later and no one saw!) But, I will take this kind of arrest any day as I got to go to Jimmy's for a pedicure and then to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner with some great friends!! They gave me a new camera (because as you can tell from the pinkish hue of the Texas pictures mine wasn't working too good and finally bit the dust), which I love and When I got home, Tanisha had Kelly make minky pillow cases for me to match my blanket...A little bit of heaven to sleep with :) But the party didnt stop there...I got taken out to dinner almost every night for the weeek after, Thanks to Brenda and Maya and my family. We also wnent to the movies and saw 17 again, which I thought was hilarious. My sisters and brother and Donelle all sent cards cuz they couldnt be here. Thanks to all of my amazing friends for making me feel special and so lucky to have great friends in my life!! I also had to throw in a couple pics from the last 2 previous Bday parties...80's/karaoke and my chinese party were amazing! I am completely spoiled!

DALLAS

2009-04-05T16:26:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, Randy and I headed to Dallas! (Donelle and Shelley stayed home with the kids) I think I said WOW, about a million times. I had no idea how cool Dallas is or that it is home to so much art. Randy took me to see a herd a sculpted longhorns and cowboys that was up in Downtown. Then, we went to see the JFK memorial and the book depsoitory and the grassy knoll. We got to take the tour of the 6th and 7th floors of the book depository and it was amazing! The pictures and news reports were well done and I felt like I was back in time. I have to say I was a big believer in the whole conspiracy theory and multiple shooters, but the evidence in the tour has persuaded me that there was probably just one shooter (although, I still wonder...) After the tour, we had lunch at a really cool diner and then went to the Nashar Sculpture Museum! I said WOW a lot here! I loved it! I would recommend checking this exhibit out to anyone going to Dallas. There were a couple of pieces that were so beautiful and a few that I didnt know what the heck all the fuss was about; but, overall and amazing place. Next, we went across the street to an Asian art museum. It was amazing as well. There is furniture from the MIng Dynasty and the collection of snuff boxes and bottles were cool. The carvings were so intricate you had to have a magnifying glass to see all the detail. I took a picture of one the hallways, you walked thru tons of oragami hung from the ceiling. Last, Randy I drove drove around the campus of TCU where he is going to school. It is a gorgeous campus and sounds like a great school.

When Randy and I finally made it back, Donelle, Shelley and I went out for girls night. Donelle took us to eat at Le Madeleines and the chicken ceasar salad was great! Next, we went to the mall and shopped a little and just enjoyed the time. It was a great time! When we got home we arrived to crashed out kids. They all had a slumber party every night in the playroom. The next day, we let the kids play and packed up to come home. The week went by WAY too fast. Thanks Donelle and Randy for the best spring break vacation. You are wonderful hosts and tour guides and friends. We miss you guys and can't wait until December (or sooner) when you move back. Thanks for letting us come and invade your home :)

Waco

2009-03-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, we loaded up the Yukon and Cindy's van and headed to Waco. Who knew Waco was so cool?! We went to a Discovery Kids Museum in the morning, and the kids would have stayed all day if we'd have let them. We didn't even see a third of the museum it was so big. But, the rooms we did go into were all geared toward kids and letting them play with everything. They got to learn about printing, the weather, recycling, towns, tea parties, water, bubbles, animals, reptiles....and a whole lot more. Melody says it was the best museum EVER! For lunch we went to the Burger Barn. Donelle had found it on-line as one of the best places to eat in town. It looked a little scary as we drove up...but the food was excellent. We had to take a few pictures of the decor. There was no rhyme or reason to it...anything the owner had collected was out! I would definitly recommend it, if you're going to Waco and looking for a good burger and awesome atmosphere :) After lunch, we went to the Cameron Zoo. It was perfect...not too big or too small and we were close to the animals...Melody's favorite was the tiger because "It's a Big Cat" of course, I should have guessed that, right? :)On the way home, we stopped by the DP plant and picked up a few things. Donelle found this awesome sign to bring home (and for Randy to haul back to AZ in a few months....be glad she didn't get the bar stools, the huge clock, or anything else :) It was a fun day and I would go back to Waco for sure.

We Love Six Flags

2009-03-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

This is cute, the kids all yell "WE Love Six Flags" before they take of one one of the rides by themselves!

Six Flags

2009-03-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Monday, we went to Six Flags and I was as excited as the kids! I have always wanted to go. The kids had a blast on the rides and were great standing in line. Seeing the characters was a big hit as well. But, the best part of the day for Melody (and I think some of the others as well) was being tall enough to go on some rides WITHOUT MOM! Melody thought she was SO cool that she didnt NEED me! It was actually really cute to hear the kids talk about how grown up they are now and how excited they were to tell us all about the ride afterward. I thought it was a fun day... however, one regret. I didnt get to go on any of the BIG rides. I guess that will have to wait for another trip. Anyone interested?

Fort Worth

2009-03-24T20:30:00.001-07:00

Sunday, we all went to Fort Worth to check out the sights.(After Donelle, Shelley and I all went to church with Donelle...you know I had to get a look at this "special" ward) Our first stop was the stockyards. I loved the brick roads and seeing the longhorns. Melody and all the kids were excited to pet a horse too! Next, we went to ride a little train through the city. It was beautiful and I could not get enough of the scenery and the trees! SO PRETTY! There was a river by the train station that we threw sticks in while we waited and I thought that was gorgeous too! I was THAT tourist, taking pictures of everything :) Then we got to go to the Water Gardens and I really liked it because this place is referenced in a book that I had read "Same Kind of Different As Me" (Lent to me by Donelle & Randy and an excellent book!). I always love to see the places talked about in books I read. Randy was a wealth of knowledge about the city, Thanks Randy. That night after we got the kiddos to bed, Donelle, Shelley and I got to stay up late talking...which pretty much became the nghtly ritual...and it felt like Donelle had never moved away and we were all just hangin out as usual! It was a fun day with a lot more to come :)

TEXAS!!!

2009-03-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break, Melody and I went to Texas to see the Quinn's! We got Shelley, Carson, and Jace to go with us and it was a blast! I will post more of our trip over the next week. I took so many pictures, that I need to pace myself :0 We flew to Texas last Saturday and, as you can see, Shelley got to sit with ALL the kids! I was across the isle being a bum! Melody and Carson entertained themselves with their DS and all the kids were great little travelers. We got into Texas in time to have dinner with the Quinn's...Taco Salad...Yummy! (no one makes it as good as you guys do!) It was the perfect start to our wonderful week... to be continued...

Weekend Fun

2009-03-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we stayed close home! It was nice to spend some time at home. Melody and I had our Friday night Mommy-Meller Sleep-over (Yes, Mel's "friends" are invited and of course the Minky Blankets are a must at these :). We watched Sword and the Stone, one of my favorites...and I actually stayed awake for it. Then, Saturday, Melody had her last soccer game. The Mabbs and Virgins organized a neighborhood soccer league and it was so much fun. Melody loved to play and see her friends. Thanks for all the hard work! After the game, Mel and I did some yard work and planted sweet peas (Our Favorite) It was a nice weekend for sure!

Jakey's Blankies

2009-03-01T22:21:00.001-08:00

This is a repost from my friend Liz's blog (Dennison Family, Liz and Tyler) click on the link to see Jake's story. This is a special baby and an amazing family. Please help them give back, in memory of Jake.

We are getting ready to start making "Jakey's Blankies!" (The soft white one under Jake's head). Jake had 2 of these. One for his blessing and one that was brown with a giraffe print that we held him with while he died. He was buried with the white one so he would be extra comfy! These blankies mean a lot to the Dennison family. They are made out of a special material called Minky and it is SOOOOOO soft!! You can't help but want to snuggle with it!! We think that every child should have one of these to snuggle with so we want to make a BUNCH of these for the heart unit up at St. Joseph's hospital in memory of Jake. We are needing donations to make these, so if you were wanting to donate, but haven't, please send your donation BY MARCH 8TH at 8:43pm!!!! We really want to make a lot of these, and possibly make a bunch every year, but we need more funds, even $5 would be GREAT!! Thank you all for your generosity and THANK YOU to those that have already donated!!
You can send the donations to:
Bishop Anderson
Summerfield Ward (Jakey's Blankies)
2791 E Los Alamos Ct Gilbert, AZ 85295
Make checks payable to: Summerfield Ward

Playground Trauma

2009-02-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

This was the picture I got today from Chrissy. Melody got her two front teeth kicked out on the slide today at school...and another one on top is very loose and hanging. She did manage to find one tooth but not the other (she was a little sad about that..as she didnt know if the tooth fairy would pay up for a tooth that wasn't under the pillow) I explained the tooth fairy understands about those kinds of things but Mel wasnt too sure. She changed her mind when she once again woke up to a glitter trail and an upgrade on the $$$ to $5. I think now, she thinks it is cool to have her front teeth knocked out. Thanks to Chrissy for dealing with the trauma (one of the down falls of being a working mom is to not be there! but Mel is lucky to have a bunch of awesome "second moms")

Sapce Project

2009-02-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I wasn't going to be dealing with any type of "science project" for another couple years (not my best subject) and I was totally okay with that. But, it seems that 1st grade expects a little more out of the kids (and parents) these days.

Our Task: To do a project on a planet with a report and a visual aid of some sort.

What Melody wanted: a HUGE model of the solar system, with all the moons and dwarf planets included. Now, I do like to do a good job but that seemed like total over kill to me. I tried to talk her into a nice poster...

Compromise: A small scale solar system with just the planets...and I would let her paint everything herself :) I thought this was great and so did Melody. We went to JoAnns and got some suppies and I let her go to town. I was impressed that she saw the whole project through and didnt pawn it off on me!

End result: A small replica of the solar system, created by Melody and with a Bow tied onto it by...ME (you guessed it) I also had to find some info on Saturn and type up the report (with her watching to make sure I did it right! good times) She was pretty proud of herself and said, "that was fun, can we make another one?" She got up in front of the class the next day to present it and said hers was one of the best..almost the best but Ben's was cool too! Great job Mel, thanks for working so hard!

Jenn's Bday Entertainment

2009-02-01T22:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Jenn! Jenn, you know I love you and that is why I would dress up and make a fool of myself for YOU! This year for Jenn's Bday Leslie, Christina and I planned a lovely lip sync to "Dancing Queen" in honor of Mamma Mia. I had to post Leslie and Christina's great outfits, they are awesome..Unfortunately, I can not steal Lelie's pictures off her slide show and I only got a couple pictures..so if you want more of this goodness check out Leslie's blog. I did have to throw in a pic of my awesome pants...If the black pants Leslie and I are wearing look familiar, you may have seen them at Target on the clearance rack (which is the only place for them!) I turned these beauties into some great disco wear. If anyone needs to borrow them...let me know :)

Melody Lost Her First Tooth

2009-01-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

A big day, Melody lost her first tooth. I was at work and got a message from her saying she lost her first tooth. Mel was so excited for the tooth fairy to come she could hardly go to sleep. Luckily, she did and low and behold the tooth fairy came in the night, leaving a purple glitter trail and a nice dollar under her pillow.

New Year's Day

2009-01-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

New Year's day was nice and relaxing. We all went to a big field and the guys shot off rockets and then there was a great girls vs boys kickball game. The Girls totally Dominated (at least that is how I remember it :) We had to get a picture of the kids (minus Melody...hopefully next year she will make it into one of these) but I also got one of the parents...trying to get all the kids to look. Great parenting skills guys.

New Year's Eve

2009-01-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

This year I was lucky enough to get an invite from the Gardner's for their New Year's party. We had a lot of fun playing the "2 truth's and a Lie" game as well as the candy bar game and fruit basket turn over...sorry chad! Maybe next year you will get a better fruit:) The best part was that the Quinn's got to be here! Thanks for a great time...I sure have some great friends!!!

Family Pictures

2008-12-30T20:20:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas my family was supposed to take some beautiful outdoor photos...but it started to SNOW! SO, we had to improvise. David Palmer, Jay and Aubrey's brother in law took our pictures in a big building and is going to photoshop in different backgrounds. I am interested to see where I end up at. Melody wanted penguins in the background, there were a few requests for the beach and one for the mountains. When I get the finished product I will post them. Melody looked beautiful in purple. I have a great looking family!! Love you guys!!!

Christmas

2008-12-30T20:00:00.001-08:00

Christmas was a lot of fun. I love to be at home with my family and hang out. Analyse was great. She helped Melody make cookies for Santa Christmas Eve and took her to put oats out for the reindeer. We all stayed up late watching Home Alone (one of my personal favorites)and then got up way too early to open presents. Melody was so excited to add more webkinz to her collection and get cute aprons and Barbie movies and a catz2 Wii game (she got a Wii from Santa at her dad's house the day before). She loved her minky blanket and so did I (thanks Tanisha!) I also got a Wii fit from all my awesome friends (thanks guys, I'm excited) and a sewing machine from my parents (you're the best!). My dad wasn't too sure what this ipod thing was that he got for Christmas but by that night, it had become a favorite...especially loaded up with the Mamma Mia sound track (who doesn't love Abba, right?) Robert got the great lamp from the Christmas Story and my mom got a Wii for the family and that kept everyone busy the rest of the day.

My Space

2008-12-23T23:53:00.000-08:00

For all of you that wondered if I no longer had internet and for those of you that called to tell me to update the blog, here it is..and 3 posts in one night..do I deliver or what? So, why haven't I updated in a while?...Well, there was Thanksgiving..and I worked...and then I started a new job with Banner. My title is Episode Utilization Coordinator. All it means is that I make sure that Banner gets paid all the money it can from each case. I get to use my nursing skills and knowledge and learn about a whole new financial world and coding world. It has been interesting. I also get my own space, my very own cubicle! I guess this might not be that exciting to some, but I have spent too many shifts carrying around my clipboard and not sitting down for 12 hours to NOT be excited. Another perk is that I no longer have to work nights, weekend, be on call, or work hollidays !!! I also can work from home some and so if Melody is sick, I won't have to use my time off. So, now that I have adjsuted over the last couple weeks and Christmas prep is done, I can relieve all of your worried minds :)

Tree, Lights and Fun

2008-12-23T23:34:00.000-08:00

Melody and I have had fun getting ready for Christmas. We put up the tree and listened to our Christmas favorites..Alvin and the Chipmunks(old school)and the Carpenter's. We were lucky to have Coleman and the scouts put up our Christmas lights, Thanks guys! We went to the temple and looked at the lights and it was great that Melody wanted to talk about Jesus and tell me that He is the reason we have Christmas. Another highlight, was walking around the Beazer neighborhood with the Gardner boys and looking at all the lights. There were cookies and hot chocolate at evey corner. HOwever, I am not sure if Tanisha will allow me to go with the boys again as Ryan stained his shirt, Jason's pants got sloshed and Erik got burned...ALL with hot chocolate.
I love Christmas and know that Melody and I are very lucky girls to have so many wounderful friends and family. You guys are the best!

Family Time

2008-12-23T23:04:00.001-08:00

This year for Grandma and Grandpa Shreve's Christmas party, Alisha and Robert and Fam, and Andrew, Denise ( my soon to be sister in law :) and Brandon and Denise's sister all came down to the big city. We went out to eat and then went to G&G's house. The kids had fun playing the candy bar game and the gift exchange was a big hit...although I talked Melody out of trading for a huge remote control boat and she was a little upset. In my defense, where would we ever use it? The bath tube is, sadly, not big enough and we do not have a pool. Anyway, Melody ended up with a movie, Jared got a remote control dirt bike, Lauren got a barbie and Brandon came away with a pop gun.

After that, we headed to Zoolights. The kids loved the talking giraffe and the "dancing lights". It was a new experience and the best part (funny now) was that Melody got hungry and I told her she could wait until we got home to eat AGAIN, she then proceeded to cry and say (Loudly) "Please, mommy, just give me anything to eat..I am soooooo starving." and then "I'm going to die because I never get to eat."...You get the idea, and all this while standing in line for the shuttle. I'm sure someone behind me in line was calling CPS. I decided to ignore her and, would you believe it, she fell asleep before we could get home and feed her, the poor, starving girl!

It was fun to hang out with our family and it was a great day because Andrew and Denise got engaged. I'm so excited for you both. Denise, I love you and am glad I get you for a sister :) Andrew, you know I love you. Congratulations!!

Happy 6th Bithday, Melody!!!!

2008-11-05T17:16:00.001-08:00

Melody is 6!! This year, Melody wanted to go to the park and have a pinata and cupcakes. So, that's want we did. Melody passed out some invitations and picked out a pinata, made goodie bags and helped make and frost the cupcakes. We had the party on Saturday the day before her birthday and had a blast!! Melody was tired from being up late the night before for Halloween and had a little bit of a melt down becuase someone said she wasn't really 6, but after a time out, she was fine (DRAMA!) MEl had fun playing with her friends and loved her cupcakes and presents!! She got a singing kitty card, a big pony, the Tinkerbell movie and High School Musical 1, kitty in my pocket, a vanity to paint and decorate, a picture frame, lip gloss and bath stuff, littlest pet shop book and magna doodle, littles pet shop animals, hannah montana pajamas, purse, and make up, 2 fur real kitties, a coloring book and cool crayon holder, play doh and a really cool necklace. Melody had to wear the pj's to bed and wore her new necklace until she had to take it off. Aunt Brenda had Melody over for dinner and gave her a huge kit of stickers, stationary and craft things.

The next day, Nov 2nd, Mel woke up to her present from Mom, which was a DS and balloons, and her presents from dad, which were games for the DS. She was very surprised and excited! We had stake conference that morning and Melody had to wear her purple dress to go with her new necklace. Super Cute! What a big girl :)

Halloween

2008-11-05T17:00:00.001-08:00

Melody got to wear her Halloween costume 3 times this year, and was very excited about it. Fall Festival, the Trunk or Treat and then Halloween. She was a kitty for the 4th year in a row but a pretty kitty, so I was happy to give her cute hair and put a little make up on her. Jared, Lauren, and Camden came down for the weekend before Halloween and got to go to the trunk or treat with Melody. Thanks for coming to play! We had a great block party on Halloween, the food was great and the kids had a blast trick or treating. As you can see, I dressed up this year. I hadn't for a long time and since I was going to a party that required a costume later I dressed up with Melody to go trick or treating. I got a lot of "Lucy, you got some splaining to do" comments as well as a lot of inquiries for Ricky. I mean who doesn't love Lucy? The party I went to later was a bust but thanks for taking me out Jennifer :)Good times.

Last Day :(

2008-10-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

Our last day, Melody wore her cute new shirt from Tanisha and we did her hair in "Minnie Ears" with bows Tanisha made for her. It turned out really cute. We spent the day checking out shops, shows and random rides (melody's favorites). We enjoyed some good treats and relaxed on a bench waiting for the parade. It was nice to just enjoy the atmosphere of Disneyland. It was hot and really crowded so it was a good day to have no agenda. That night Melody had fun jumping on the beds. We flew home the next day and she was ready to come home. She was so tired she slept in the airport. It was a great trip and we both had a blast!!

Great Pictures!

2008-10-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

I usually don't go for the theme park pictures but I couldn't pass up this one from Space Mountain. It just shows how Melody is on a good ride. Total exuberance. I wish I could have recorded her singing YO-HO on the pirate ride as well. It was awesome!!

We also ran into a few characters and ended up with a few pictures. Melody was most excited to meet the Mayor of Disneyland.

Day 3

2008-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

The 3rd day we had early entry to Disneyland and got to ride a lot of rides with no wait! Melody really wanted to eat at the resturant in th Pirate ride so we had lunch at the Blue Bayou. The atmosphere was great and the food was...okay. But I'd never been ther before and it was good for me to try something new. AND for all of you that know I am not too fond of lettuce, I took a picture of my salad as I knew you would never believe I ate it. I even tried the avacado in it and...liked it.

Later, we met up with the Dennison's and Melody was so excited to see her friends. We went on the Grizzly Rapid ride and got wet, then went to Soarin' and the Tower of Terror. Maddie showed Melody with the Beauty and the Beast library with books that tells you what character you are most like. Melody was like Ariel and I was like Mulan (my favorite!! I'll be a hot asian chick any day!)

To end the day, Melody and I watched the Parade of Dreams at Disneyland. I am glad she humors me and let me watch the parade every day :)

Mel at the Parade!

2008-10-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

Melody loved to dance at the parades! I caught a little bit of it and love it!

Day 2

2008-10-10T17:46:00.001-07:00

The second day was also a lot of fun but crowded. It was Miley aka Hannah Montana's Bday party Sunday at Disneyland and it closed at 5 pm. There were signs and stages set up up around the park and secruity was increased, we could only walk certain places and after about 2pm we decided to go to California Adventure. I took a picture of the people waiting to go into the BDay party (there were a limited number of tickets for $250 dollars a piece!) Melody told me she loved me even though I couldn't take her to Hannah Montana's party.

Melody really liked the parade at California Adventure and she even got up the nerve to ride the Tower of Terror. I didn't hear a sound out of her the whole time and after I looked over and her eyes were huge and she was shaking. She said she never wanted to do it again. But, the next day she tried again with Maddie and Payton and loved it. GO figure! She says it is too spooky at night but during the day it is okay.

Melody went through a few things before deciding on her "prize" She finally ended up picking a Bambi webkinz. She was careful to not let him get wet and to buckle him in on the rides. At the end of the day, they were both exhausted!

Disneyland Fun

2008-10-10T17:30:00.001-07:00

We wasted no time Saturday. We did most of the rides at Disneyland and managed to see the fireworks. It was crowded but not to bad considering it was gay pride day. Space mountain, Thunder Mountain, Splash mountain, and Pirates were Melody's top priorities. There is nothing like going on rides with Melody. She is so excited and laughs and giggles so infectiously that you can't help but laugh, too :)

On our way to Disneyland

2008-10-10T17:19:00.001-07:00

We left for Disneyland Saturday morning. Tanisha and Coleman drove us to the airport (THANKS!). Melody was so excited that she didn't mind the wait at the airport or on the shuttle from the airport to our hotel. She is a pretty good little traveler and just colored most of the time. We made it to Disneyland about 3pm and Melody was ready for some fun!

Pay Phone?

2008-10-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, just a quick question. Has anyone seen a pay phone lately? I dropped my cell phone the other day and was out somewhere and had some car issues and needed to make a call. I thought, I'll just use a pay phone, no big deal...until I couldn't find one. I walked down the road and the gas station didn't have one, the fast food place didn't have one and the strip mall was a strike out. I gave up and decided to wait it out for my car to be repaired. (The place I was at said their phone was for buisness use only, I won't be going there again) The last couple days I have been looking for one as I drive around and I almost found one. I saw what looked like one so I pulled over to look and there was no phone in the little stall. SO, I want to know if anyone has seen a pay phone lately!

Counting Down

2008-09-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

6 days to go! Melody and I are on the countdown and are both so excited to go to Disneyland on Saturday!! We have been planning the trip for about a year and it always seemed so far away, but Fall Break is next week and I took the entire week off of work. (I haven't ever done that and I am almost as excited about that as Disneyland...but not quite :) Melody has already outlined all the rides that are top priority. She could care less about seeing a princess or the characters... it is all about the rides. I'm the same way so it works out great for the two of us. Hopefully we will have a great time and get some good pictures too.

Swimming Lessons

2008-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from Melody's last swimming lesson. She just had one other girl in her class and got a lot of one on one time with her teacher. She loved wearing goggles, but they never would stay on right. She loved using the kick boards and playing water games. But, Mel is most proud that she was able to swim to the other side of the pool. I got a picture of her teacher so you could see the likeness to the card she made, not bad, huh?

Melody's Thank You Card

2008-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Melody has been taking swimming lessons for the last 8 weeks and has really liked her teacher. She wanted to make him a card so I gave her a thank you card that was blank inside and this is what she came up with. I think it is too cute and pretty good for no help. Melody says, " Swimming lessons are the best and Jacob is the best teacher." The card says ... Dear Jacob, I thank you for being a great teacher for me. From, Melody

The Shack

2008-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young. I thought it was really good and it has made me think a lot about my relationship with God. I don't agree with everything but I think it has a beautiful message and it never hurts to take a look at our relationships. The beginning of the book was hard for me to read because of the tragedy that set up the play of events but after that it was interesting to read of one persons search for peace. If anyone is looking for a good book, I'd recommend this one.

Pine, AZ

2008-09-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

After working hard last weekend, Melody and I went to Pine this weekend with Maya and Nate and their family. We stayed in Aunt Brenda and Uncle Art's cabin (thanks!!). Melody Said we had "the best weekend ever". I agree that is was a lot of fun and very relaxing. We drove up Friday after work and stopped off at the Maya and Nate's ward campout and then went to the cabin. We got to have Taya ride with us and Melody loved having a friend drive in our car.

Saturday, Melody loved riding on the golf cart into town to the Honey Shack for honey sticks. We also saw a few deer while we were driving around. Later that day, we went bowling. Melody had never been before and she liked it a lot and even got a spare. She can't wait to bowl again. All the kids did a great job and Maya and Nate got into a pretty fierce competition. Maya was pretty smooth and won the first game but Nate came back in game two for the win. Next, we went to a creek and let the kids play. It was freezing but Jade swam across and earned herself 5 dollars :)

Sat night the kids had dinner, popcorn and a movie while Maya, Nate and I went to dinner at Mama Joe's. The food was good and it was nice to hang out with them. I always get great conversation and learn alot ;) when I'm with them. After getting the kiddos to bed, Maya and I made hair clips. I thought they turned out great! (Maya you are the best).

Sunday was Nate's birthday. So, we surprised him with a great gift and the kids all made him cards. We had some yummy cupcakes and even though we couldn't find the candles, I'm sure his wish still came true. Nate, thanks for your great example and all you do for us. We love you and hope your Bday is great.

Unfortuantely, we had to come home. We had a blast! Thanks to the Brooks Fam for the invite and to the Sanders for sharing your cabin.

I did have to add a few pictures just for laughs; we were riding through town and I noticed a sign asking for a pulse oximeter to be returned. My work continually calls and leaves voicemails to all of the nurses asking for stuff to be returned, I think I'm going to suggest this at the next staff meeting :) Also, I had to take a picture of the big hill that I tried to drive up. I was taking it nice and easy and...didn't make it. Luckily, Nate got us to the top. Thanks Nate.

Before and After

2008-09-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Some of these pictures are repeats, but for a reason. Donelle and Leslie's sleepover party pics are a great before of my living room. You can get the idea of the transformation from nothing matching to something Better! Tanisha and Coleman were the catalyst of this project and Jon and Chrissy provided most of the furniture. Since we were working with a limited budget ;) there had to be a lot of creativity and ingenuity. Tanisha was definitely the artistic inspiration. I had a few basic ideas but luckily I have friends with good taste. Thank you for all you do for Melody and I. We appreciate you and your families. Thanks for everything!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T20:50:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Weekend went by way too fast but I got a lot done. Mom, this post is for you. Sorry I didn't make it home but look at what was going on. Since Leslie just moved out her room was empty and we no longer had a table or chairs. Tanisha and Cole came over and got things going with a trip to Home Depot and then back to my house for some chair refinishing. My sister had given me some chairs a while back but they got rained on after some issues with the back porch and a big storm...long story. Anyway, the chairs got sanded, painted and finished. While doing this, Tanisha found out why you don't spray paint anything with bare feet. (She did eventually get them clean :) Tanisha also found us a great kitchen table on the side of the road for FREE. It was painted a kind of pinkish red color, so it got painted as well. Melody and Paige and Nathan broke the new table in with some pony painting and twinkies, what could be better? Next, Leslie's old room is being turned into an office. It is not finished yet but coming along. The last project was to change my FHE board (becuase honestly there are only 2 of us to choose from for all assignments) into something else. I used old pictures and put it by the Family Proclamtion. I think it turned out pretty good considering I am craft challenged.

Melody and I also got to do a few things. We had a Mommy-Meller sleepover, rode bikes and cleaned the house together. Melody did all the jobs on her new chore chart and loved it! My friend Shelley came up with the chore charts and did alot of work to help a bunch of us make them. I love how it turned out.(you are the best Shelley!) Monday, was yard day and then that night we had a cook out with some friends and it was a good end to the weekend.

Happy Birthday Shelley!!

2008-08-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

We had Shelley's birthday party last night and it turned out really great! Our theme was Tool Belt Diva. Shelley is always creating new things and then using some tool to make it. So, she got a pink tool kit and "designer bags". We had nachos and wings for dinner and Tanisha made an awesome cake! There was a name that tool game (good job Angela), and a bird house building contest. Jennifer and I got our house together first and didn't even hurt each other, so we won that contest and got a pair of pink saftey glasses a tool belt and a pink hammer :) My favorite picture of the night is Chrissy checking out her bird house with a little IBC to make it all better. Melody hung out at the party too and REALLY liked the cake. I had a blast. Shelley, you are amazing. We are all lucky to be friends with you.

Gardner Boys

2008-08-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Melody and I stayed with the Gardner boys while Tanisha and Coleman were out of town. I think they discovered that Leslie was the "fun one" but it was a good weekend none the less. Melody had a blast being with the boys. They swam, slept in a cool fort and, what else?, played video games!! My camera died after only 2 pictures. So sorry Trevor and Nick. Next time we will get some better pics.

1st Grade!!!

2008-08-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Melody started school today and absolutely loved 1st grade. She was so excited this morning that she didn't need to be woken up and couldn't wait to get going. It was overcast and she was afraid of rain, so she picked out an alternate first day of school outfit and had to bring her umbrella. She didn't need it but she said she looked good and thought her hair was like Hannah Montanna :) Can you ask for anything better? I was a little worried during the day that she would be tired, hungry or scared. I shouldn't have bothered because it was "the best day ever and first graders are the best!" She loved her desk and her teacher and recess and lunch and the bus, even though it was late. She is lucky to get to ride the bus with her friend Kaeli, who does an awesome job of lookin out for Mel-Thanks Kaeli! Melody also made a few new friends by asking them , "do you want to be my friend?" and that sealed the deal. I am so happy that she loves it.

It Figures!

2008-07-27T22:02:00.001-07:00

Twilight Quiz by QuizRocket.com fun quizzes!
Fun Quizzes | Quizes for MySpace » MySpace Quizzes

You are Bella Swan, the apple of Edward's eye. You are very private, clumsy, sweet, and funny. You have a wonderful ability to accept people (or mythical creatures) for what they are. You have an amazing capacity to love, even though you can be too hard on yourself.

I know Bella is the main character and all but she drives me a little crazy. What does it mean that I am like her?? Makes you wonder,however, I wouldn't complain if Edward came looking for me :)

Memories of Me Game

2008-07-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

My cousin Mindy and my friend Allison have this on their blogs and I loved the fun responses they got so I thought I'd give it a whirl. You know me, always ready for a great trip down memory lane.

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

California!

2008-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to California with my friends. We loaded into Donelle's suburban and headed to LA. We went to eat at a place called Clementine's for breakfast on Saturday morning and then went to Santa Monica Beach for the day. Leslie and Donelle braved the cold water for some boogie boarding and some of us walked to the Pier to look around. It was very relaxing, even though a few of us ended up with interesting sunburns from the wind blowing when we sprayed on the sunscreen :)

Later that night, we all got beautified and went to dinner at Fabrocini's and then to WICKED! It was so much fun. I love going to Broadway plays and seeing the sets and costumes and enjoying the music. I loved the ending and that it was a surprise. I had tried to figure the story line out from the music and asking Leslie questions. I had got it all right but the ending and Leslie let it be a surprise. It was a blast.

Sunday, we did a little site seeing and had to stop at Leslie's favortie cupcake joint, Crumbs, and then we made our way home. The drive was long but I love finding out more about my wonderful friends. I know how amazing they all are but I always find out more things to admire and respect about each of them. Thanks for an awesome weekend and for your friendship. I know I am changed for the better because I know all of you!

Tagged

2008-06-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my good friend Becky, so here it is.

THE RULES....list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names....

3 Joys... #1 Melody
#2 My Great Family
#3 My Best Friends!

3 Fears... #1 Something Happening to Mel
#2 Weird noises at night ( I have a crazy imagination)
#3 Missing out on great opportunities

3 Goals... #1 Finish the Old Testament ( To those of you in on the New Year's
resolution bet-I won't be cooking dinner :)
#2 Read about all the Presidents of the US ( I am only half way
through John Adams, so I've got a long way to go.)
#3 Run in a 10K this year

3 Current Obsession... #1 Spending Time with Melody
#2 The Twilight Series (Yep. I'm reading them again so I
can be ready for book 4!!)
#3 Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches... YUM!

3 Random/Surprising facts about me (I've posted some before on other tags like this so I will give you some new ones.)
#1 I failed my driving test the first time. (Trauma)
#2 I still believe that there was a car decorating contest at THE Hippie
dance in high school(Our car rocked!!)
#3 I've never been to the Grand Canyon (how lame is that)

Alright, so on to the tagging... Tanisha, Donelle, Chrissy, Liz, & Shelley