Christmas in SoCal!

After spending the last 4 years in Philly for Christmas, we decided that it was time to go home this year. This trip was defenitly a long awaiting vacation for us! THe big thrill for Christmas was of course Disneyland. The kids have been talking about it all year! We picked a most excellent day to go--before all the schools let out for the holiday. The weather was of course fabulous, and the longest we waited in line was about 30 minutes. My mom and Owen's mom joined us which added to the fun, and also helped us out with a little kid relief. Maggie is now tall enough to ride all the rides, so that was an added bonus. But she wasn't crazy about the rollercoasters. Maggie's top favorite was Indiana Jones which she rode twice. I of course love everything there--but my top picks have to be the matterhorn bobsled, and Thunder Mountain. Audrey enjoyed everything that wasn't fast, and Drew of course loved It's a small world. We had a great day at the happpiest place on earth!
While in SoCal, we were able to go to the Newport Beach temple. Afterwards, we stopped at our favorite spot--Corona Del Mar and played in the tide pools. I especially loved dropping stones into the sea urchins. We also admired the 5 million dollar homes, and dreamed of living there some day,
For Christmas, Owen's brother Tony hosted a French holiday. The kids were in their chef hats, and everyone got a moustache. We were only allowed to speak in french, and Maggie (Jacque) and Audrey (Pierre) were wandering around speaking in their french accents, and saying "we we" and "bon Jour" We topped the night off by singing "The 12 days of CHristmas" --and everyone had their individual part. --oh and a nice game of monopoly which I kicked everyones bootay! Thanks Tony for making Christmas so much fun.
We had such a wonderful time in SoCal--maybe it will be our next destination when we move in June?

Check out my Slide Show!

Christmas projects

I thought I'd share a few little projects I've been working on lately. Thanks to my friend Amberlee and her always creative ideas. The kids have had fun working on them too! They are great projects for them because they are pretty easy--especially the ornament. They are making them for their teachers at school.

Scrap paper ornament



1. Go to Michaels or AC Moore and buy clear bulbs--they come in different sizes
2. Cut strips of Christmas scrapbook paper 6 inches long and about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Roll paper around a pencil until tight.
4. Fill the ball with rolled paper until full.--paper unravels a little
5. Use some cute Christmas ribbon to make a hanging thingy--I really don't know what to call it!--Inside the ribbon I wrote a little message to Maggie's teacher.


Christmas Magnets


This little project has been a little trial and error. But, I've got it down to a science now.
1. Supplies--Those little clear glass gems--Sorry, I don't know what they're called, but you can find them at Michaels and AC Moore. Scrapbook paper, SOBO glue, Thick magnets, a small paint brush, E6000 glue or Aileens tacky glue, a gift card tin--or you can use an altoids tin and cover it with cute paper.
2. Trace a circle of scrapbook paper to fit the gem. Paint SOBO glue on right side of paper and press to flat side of gem. --SOBO dries clear.
3. After it dries, glue on a thick circle magnet with the E6000 glue.
4. Wala! You have a very decorative magnet! Store magnets in gift card tin.
Helpful hints: If you're paper is too thin, the magnet will soak through and create a nice black circle on your magnet. Cut a small circle out of cardstock to place on the gem before you glue the magnet on. I made a bunch of Christmas ones, but I also have some that are generic that say Friend, share etc. You can be creative.
We are giving these to the kids teachers also. We're also giving them to our neighbors and visiting teachees.

New Do's!

Maggie and I finally decided to cut off our dead ends. I've been up for a change for sometime now, but had a hard time getting the guts to do it. It's just so easy for me to pull Maggie's hair up for school. It's hard enough trying to get her out the door on time, so a quick hair do is always a bonus. Plus it was fun to braid her hair. As for myself, well, most days I have so much going on that spending time on my hair was the last thing I wanted to do. So I spent many a days with my hair pulled back. But, I was so tired of it, and it really was ugly and had no style to it. So now I have to get used to this flat iron thing--takes a little more time, but it's such a nice change. Thanks to my friend Jodee--she always does such a nice job!

Ho! Ho! Ho! to You!

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Thanksgiving Festivities

We had a great Thanksgiving with our friends the Claytons, Griffitts and the Coburns. I think of Thanksgiving last year, and we had a great time in NYC with the Newells, Coombs, and the Coxes and had a fabulous meal at the Marriott Hotel. The only downfall was that it POURED rain all day Thanksgiving, which makes for a miserable day with 3 wet kids! So, with our luck, the weather this year was FABULOUS! Upper 60's. As we sat down to dinner, the black clouds came over and the rain began. Crazy Pennsylvania weather I say. After Thanksgiving we pulled out the Christmas --the kids were so excited, they kept asking me all day, "when are we going to get the decorations out?" On Saturday night, we went to our outdoor mall, and awaited the christmas tree light up, and the arrival of Santa Claus. It made for an exciting holiday weekend, and now it's Tuesday, and back to reality I guess. But...this will be the 1st year that we are going home for Christmas in 5 years. SO on the 15th of Dec. we will be in sunny California!
Thanks guys for making Thanksgiving so much fun and very memorable! BTW--OWen makes a killer turkey--so if you ever want a recipe for a gourmet turkey, we'll send the recipe your way!

Check out my Slide Show!

Snow Snow Snow!

SO the day has officially come! It all started this morning with a little sleet, and now we've had a nice downfall of snow since, and it's still a coming, and it's 4:00! We actually love the snow--well for about 2 months, and then I have spring fever. I think that's why we couldn't live in California--we like the change of seasons. Owen agrees too, even though he grew up in California, he loves the snow. Maggie has already wanted to go out and make snow angels. I told her to wait until there was a little more snow, or she's going to make a mud angel. Before Church we snapped a few pics of the kids in their church clothes.

craziness

Last week we made indian headdresses to help celebrate Thanksgiving. Here are a few shots along with the kids being their crazy selves. When Drew sees the camera, he immediatly says "cheese", and squints his eyes. It's going to be hard to get a normal pic of him.

Car accident

So, it's not serious, but last night as I was pulling into work, some young kid rear ended me, and scuffed up my bumper pretty bad. He immedietly came to me and begged me not to call the cops, and wanted to see if we could work this out without invoving the police. I honestly didn't know what to do since I've never been in an accident before. After calling Owen and my insurance company, I decided to call the cops to protect myself. I felt bad for the guy, but I don't trust people, and knowing my luck, he would have given me wrong info. So, after waiting and hour and a half, the police finally showed up, and after they reviewed our info, 3 other cop cars came speeding up to the site, and hancuffed and arrested the guy. Apparantly, there was a warrant out for his arrest--4 counts of armed robery the night before. (I guess he didn't know he'd been caught) I got to thinking that he could have blown my head off while I was waiting for the police to come. BUt now I'm a little worried that he's going to send someone to come get me--after all, if I hadn't called to cops, he wouldn't have been arrested. So.....now I have a jacked up bumper, and unless my insurance takes care of it, it's going to be repaired at my expense. I highly doubt he's going to give me the money--oh, he didn't have car insurance either. Isn't life great?

Boo to You!

We celebrated Hallowenn a little early this year. Not on our part, but in Allentown, they have a specific night scheduled for each borough to go Trick-or Treating. SO Emmaus borough was last night. Kind of strange, but we just pretended that yesterday was Halloween. It actually turned out great though, because I was able to get work off, and the weather was cooperating. No rain! Maggie was originally going to be a cheerleader, but since she lost her front teeth about a month ago, she thought she'd make a rather nice vampire. I think she looks quite scary! Audrey was a cute little witch and Drew was Frankenstein. Drew was a little stinker before we left, and wanted his costume off! Once he figured out that we were going door to door and begging for candy, he had no problem! He was at each house eagerly opening his bag. When we got home, all the kids dumped out their candy to observe all their loot and did a little trading. (We used to do that when we were kids-- Ha Ha) Happy Halloween to all of you--whenever you may celebrate it-most likely on the 31st I can imagine!

I've been tagged!

Thanks Tamar and Kristin--this has been fun reading about every one's little quirks and fetishes. I have to admit, it has also made me a little envious of those of you who are obsessed with cleaning--I just can't get myself there.

Here are the rules:
A. Each person list 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

1. I am addicted to those home shows. My favorite is Flip That House. Basically, people buy houses that need some serious gutting. They gut the house, make it beautiful with all the bells and whistles, and then sell it and make a killing! Some day, I hope to find myself flipping houses.
2. I have watched the same program for 20+ years. Yes, I love Days of our Lives. Somehow, my friend got me started when i was about 11 years old. Pretty young, I know. "Days" (that's what you call it if you're a regular watcher) is not one of those steamy soap operas, it's more mystery and backstabbing and all that good stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not completely addicted, I don't watch it everyday--obviously with children, when I was on my mission, and that brief period when Marlena was possessed with the devil-( a little creepy) But that's the great thing about a soap, you can pick up where you ended off --even if you haven't watched it in weeks.
3. I get annoyed really easily! Little things like people who eat with their mouths opened, flaky people, and people who don't listen to you when you're talking to them--you can tell they're tuning you out! Seriously bugs! I'm also a very light sleeper, so any teeth grinding, or snoring will really bug! I have to run a fan at night to keep me asleep.
4. I have a pretty good memory when it comes to music. I absolutly LOVE music--all kinds. I know every word to every song out there--ok, not quite every song, but close. I really need to go on that Singing BEE show. I think I'd do rather well.
5. I love to inflict pain on others. OK, that sounds bad, but that's how Owen put it. I love to pick and dig and poke at things on peoples bodies. If Owen had a big zit and he won't let me squeeze it, I won't leave him alone until he gives in which is after I've pinned him down. I think that's why I'm a nurse--"Time for your shot! HA HA HA HA!"
6. If I could change anything about my life, I would have become a dancer. My mom was a dancer and she taught dance at Weber State. I lOve Dancing with the Stars! I think it's fun, sexy and a great way to stay in shape. I chose soccer and track though and that was fun, but being a dancer would have been great!
Alright enough about me, I tag Alyssa, Deb, Michelle, Becky, Beth, Krystin C., Holly R. & Sheila

Ghosts

Tonight for FHE, we had a lesson on the Holy Ghost. I was quite impressed with Maggie on how much she knew. I think she's had terrific Primary teachers that have taught her well. FOr our activity, we made white chocolate ghosts, and now I have a tummy ache. They are quite sweet!

Emmaus Halloween Parade

Each borough is Allentown hosts a Halloween parade. I thought this was unusual, since I'm so used to the typical 4th of July parade. This was actally such a fun event taking place through the streets of Emmaus borough, at 7:30p.m. Losts of goblins, monsters and witches paraded the streets, throwing candy--of course my kids favorite part. Here are pics of us waiting for the parade to start, Drew waving at the big fire truck that came through, and of course only in Allentown would you see a tractor in a parade.

Where did the music go?

Yes, I had a playlist for about 1 week. I took it off because my mom was complaining about it. I guess it was a little annoying listening to "suddenly I see" everytime my blog would come on.

The Lake-

On Saturday we went up to "the lake". (Krystin--what lake was that?) We went with the Coburns and had hamburgers and a nice stroll around the lake. The guys were pretty good at skipping rocks 7-8 times. Drew just loved throwing as many rocks as he could in. We're just savoring our last few weeks of the beautiful weather. Pennsylvania is such a beautiful place to live. We are torn about leaving because we really have enjoyed our time here and all the beautiful places to see, but, when it comes down to it, the west is our home.

Friday Night Lights!

We live 20 steps away from Emmaus High School. On Friday night, we ventured out into the cold and took the kids to their first football game. We had a great time! We were hoping Drew would be facinated with the football game itself, but he was more into the band than anything. He couldn't take his eyes off of them. Maggie said it was the best night of her life--really. She was even getting into all the cheers--I think she'll someday make a great cheerleader with all her school spirit. Emmaus creamed Allentown 56-0 , homecoming game too. GO Hornets!

Flip That House!

My latest craze is a show called FLip that House or Property Ladder. Owen always says "no more Home shows!" But I really love to see the outcome of these hiteous homes that turn out so nice, and then they sell them and make a killing. Some day, I'd really love to FLip a house! SO speaking of flipping, I'd love to flip this outdated house we live in right now. Good thing it's only for 8 more months, because if I have to look at the wood paneling and the boats, buggies and train wallpaper in my dining room longer than that, I think I may go crazy! It really is ugly --you've got to see it to believe it!

Friends, Food, and the Good Word

On Sunday we had our friends the Newells and the Cox's up for dinner and conference. We hadn't seen them since we moved to Allentown. We had dutch oven pizza, salad, and yummy dill bread that Robyn made. FOr dessert we had yummy pumpkin cake. The kids painted some Halloween masks, and had a lot of fun playing together.

Happy Birthday to Me!

So I celebrated another one. Where does the time go? And if you missed my birthday, well , it's too late--don't try and give me one of those sorry i missed your birthday calls--maybe you'll repent and remember next year--it was September 30th. The older you get, the less exciting birthdays are. I think the kids were more excited than I was. They awoke me with lots of screaming yelling "wake up, it's your birthday!" After church I made my birthday cake--special recipe from my friend Jordan. German Chocolate Cake--from scratch. ALthough, it didn't turn out near as good as Jordans. Our home teacher came over for the first time and spent 2 hours talking about nothing. We didn't have a message, a prayer, and I don't think he knows anything about us. SO it was a little annoying--ok so it was really annoying! How many hints do you have to give to let someone know it's time to go!!!!
All in out, it was a fantastic birthday because I was able to spend it with Owen and the kids.

Can-Can anyone?

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!
I bet you never knew we were such a talented family? Well, now you know!

It's Finished!

SO I just finished an amazing book called "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyers.--New York Times best seller. I'm not sure if she's LDS, but I'm assuming she is because she graduated from BYU. SO, I was completely lost in this novel and if you read it, I'm sure you'll never be able to even comprehend how incredibly handsome Edward is. SO I"m so excited to start the next book "New Moon." and then "Eclipse"! Both are sequels. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take me to read it, since I don't read often because of the obvious--3 kids. I think if I was to pull a book out after they went to bed, I would probably pass out after about 5 minutes. So, I decided to go back to work. I couldn't pass up the great hours I was offered. SO I had to do hospital orientation--fire safety, HIPPA, and all that stuff I've done many times. Shame on me, I brought Twilight and read over 100 pages. C'mon it was 2 full days of boring lecture! This week, I started training at the clinic, but...it's been a little slow, so i took advantage of my alone time and finished. So this morning I woke up to go to work and my eye was glued shut. And yes I have pink eye. Maybe that's my punishment for not paying attention in class.

1st grade or bust!

Maggie started 1st grade yesterday! She was so excited, she couldn't sleep. Her teacher seems so nice, and Maggie is most excited about not having to wear a uniform, and that she has a playground to play on--2 things that bothered her at Shawmont last year. And of course....I cried. This is only her 4th year of school, and yes, I will probably cry every year. I'm such a boob!

I had to wash the dress up clothes, it had been a while, and man are they thrashed! Lots of good times in those dresses with Audrey, Maggie, and all the little girls from dental school, who have worn them--and there have been a lot--Ashley, Avery, Jada, Julianna, Evie, Mallory, Sally, Emma! Audrey thought it looked like a princess lived at our house. BTW--we do have a dryer now, but these are much too delicate to dry i the dryer. Enlarge it for the full effect.

Curls!

Like mother like daughter--thought I'd try the ol curls out on Mags. I think she looks pretty cute!

Fun in the Mud?

On Labor Day, we decided to come down to Philly for a little R & R. WE had a great time with friends and of course the food was great! Audrey, Taft, and Neveah decided to have their own spa treatment with an organic mud bath. How delightful!

What's been happening....

Well...what to say about our uneventful life here in Allentown. We've been here almost 2 months now, and it's been a transition for us. Leaving lots of good friends and familiar surroundings in Philly, and starting from scratch here. Allentown still feels like a big circle to me, and I'm not as adventerous as I was in Philly about exploring the surroundings. We spend a lot of time at home, and I hope that I haven't bored the kids too much. Someone at church reminded me that school starts next week. It took me off gaurd because I honestly didn't realize it was that time already! Part of me is sad that my time with Maggie and Audrey with not a care in the world is over until next summer, but more of me is happy that I'm not going to have to entertain 24/7. Now they can go out and make some friends and have a little more stimulation than boring ol mom who cleans all day.
So this summer in Pennsylvania has been the strangest summer--that is the weather. We've had some unusual chilly days, usually it's hot and very humid. Last week, we had 4 straight days of rain and cold. But by the weekend it warmed up to a nice 97 and humid day. On Friday evening, we went to some friends to play games. I had one of the young women come over to baby-sit. Ok, so I've never hired a babysitter before--in Philly we always did trades and it was great! I had to drive 20 minutes to pick her up--each way, then drive 20 min to our destination--each way, then when we got home, the babysitter was passed out on the couch.--I woke her up and she sat up and looked at me, and then layed back down and went back to sleep. Well, it was 11:00, but I still had to drive her home. I did get her to wake up at least. Maybe I do miss those trades, they weren't so bad!
Owen took the girls fishing on Saturday. They were gone most of the day and came home wearing only their underwear. I guess they had a little pool party at the pond. So, while they were gone, it was just Drew and I--which he enjoyed. While I was in the shower, he managed to get into my camcorder home movies--my fault for leaving them out, and ripped one of them up. It was devistating, but really my fault. And to top it off, he came in and threw 3 of his books into the shower with me. What a little devil!
So today is Sunday and Maggie pulled her front tooth out. It's been loose for a while, but I think OWen helped it out a little for her. She looks different--there is a big hole there with no signs of the new tooth coming in. The other one is loose, so depending how long it takes for those teeth to grow back in, she may be singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."

Yes, Our church is in the middle of cornfields

So, many of you --especially those of you from Philly, can't believe my church building is in the middle of cornfields. For the last 4 years my church building has been in the ghetto of Philly next to a Burger King with Trash EVERYWHERE! Now, I drive through rolling hills of cornfields until I reach our building which is completely surrounded by cornfields. We even have a hitching post--in case you decide to ride your horse to church and need to tie him up.

No more training wheels!

We've been trying to get Maggie to take off her training wheels for a while now. But, if any of you know her, she has a lot of fears, and was a little aprehensive about this. But, we convinced her to go down to the high school parking lot by our house and after a few falls, and a lot of crying, she figured out that it wasn't too hard and hopefully she'll take the phrase "it's like riding a bike, you never forget." to heart! Good job Mags!--Audrey didn't get her training wheels off--she just went along for the ride.

Where are We?

Have you ever heard of a little town called Jim Thorpe, Pa? Sounds like a strange name for a city, and it actually reminds me of my OBGYN in Utah--his name was Dr. Jeff Thorpe. It's actually a beautiful little place up near the Poconos. Last Saturday we took a little day trip up there with our friends the Coburns. We visited a little butterfly museam where they taught you all about butterflies and cocoons. They even succored Owen into voluntering himself to dress up as a butterfly. Afterwards we went into a special butterfly room where all the butterflies were flying amongst you. They would land on your head and crawl on your fingers. It really was beautiful! Afterwards we walked to streets of Jim thorpe, and had dinner.