Boston rides a tWo WhEeLeR!!!

On Sunday Boston wanted Morgan to take off his training wheels on his bike.  He had a hard time the first day and couldn't really get the hang of it.  On Monday I took him out before the kids got home from school and all it took was about 10 minutes and he was riding by himself with a little help from me to start him out! Probably cuz once he got going I couldn't keep up with him! Ha ha!  Well, he was a pro and was so excited to show anyone and everyone his new talent! He would ride up and down the street saying hi to all the kids making sure that they knew he had learned to ride his bike!  Of course when the kids came home from school he was so excited to show them how much he had improved since the day before! And then when my sister came over to give the kids piano lessons Boston took her right out to show her.  It was then that he just took off without any help! What a kid! Needless to say he fell down alot and has lots of little bruises on his legs, but he is a trooper! He is my youngest to learn how to ride a bike for sure! I think that's just how it goes though, Boston does a ton of things that I always thought Zach was too little to do at his age! For example knowing how to work the mouse on the computer, playing video games, knowing how to use my cell phone better than I do etc.  It is amazing what these little ones know how to do at such a young age!!!

Way to go Bos! We love you! 

cOmInG uP fOr AiR!!!

I am still alive!!! I have been a HUGE slacker at posting pics lately, it's not that I haven't taken any, because I carry my camera with me at all times! :o) So, you're going to get a handful at once! These are just a few shots of our lives in the last couple of weeks! Wow! I can't believe it is already May! Only 19 days left of school for the kids! Yeah! (No, we're not counting down the days) ;o)  There are so many things I could post about to catch up, but I figure I'm so behind at this point, I'm just going to move forward!  We went to St. George for Zach's baseball tournament back in March and had a wonderful time sitting in the sun watching games, and going swimming.  We all got sunburned, but loved every minute of it!  From there we headed to Phoenix our old stomping grounds to go visit our friends.  It had been awhile since we had been, and we got to spend the whole week there- PLAYING!!! It was so much fun, and the kids and I were convinced that we needed to move back!  But, we had to come home, and what do we get when we got here?  SNOW!!! Brrrrrrr!

Then, in April was our "real" spring break, and what do we get?  More SNOW!!! K- seriously it is April here, this isn't right!  Needless to say we were a little bummed that we didn't get to do fun sunshine activities, but we still managed to have some fun without it!

So, bear with me on the pics! Remember these are only from the last couple of weeks, so you might be grateful that I didn't post for the last 2 months! Ha ha!

I love this pic of the kids! 

We were at the movies, but of course I had my camera with me!

Boston fell asleep in the back of the van coming home from the church!

Brinley with her chocolate bar!

The kids had a Primary Talent Show at the church Friday night.  Unfortunately Zach was sick and had to stay home.  Here is Brinley and Boston afterwards.  Brinley did one of her dance routines (without her costume) because they haven't gotten them yet.  And Boston thought it would be cool to shoot some hoops for everyone! They were so cute, and did such a good job!

Where's Boston?

This is how Boston fell asleep the other day in the chair! He was cold, so I wrapped him up in a blanket, and he was out!

I just thought this picture was so cute, Brinley LOVES to read to her little brother!

Brinley got this cute little apron set from her cousin at Christmas time.  Needless to say I haven't been doing a lot of baking.  But it is so nice now that I am feeling better to be able to do fun things like this with my kids again! On Sunday after dinner she wanted to make cookies and use her new apron and chef hat! Who doesn't love a little cookie dough?  Mmmmm!

Cute as a cupcake!

Last Sunday we got a knock at the door, and it was my oldest brother Mike who lives in Logan.  He was on his way back from Laughlin and St. George on his Harley and had been riding for more than a hundred miles in a huge snow storm! Needless to say he was a little cold and wet! So, stopped in to get warm.  It was so fun to get a surprise visit from him, he even stayed and ate dinner with us before he headed back on the road.  When he came in, he had all his Harley gear on, and Boston had to run right upstairs and get is monkey from Build A Bear with his Harley outfit on! So cute!

On April 21st Morgan turned the big 34!  It was pretty uneventful, but he got to be at home with his favorite people (us) and eat his favorite chocolate cake (the one his mom always made him) What more could a guy want?

We got him a new sleeping bag for his birthday, and Boston would not get out of it! He kept saying how comfy it was! He even slept in it that night by the side of our bed! Well, half the night I should say! Funny kid!

The kids wanted to make their dad a candy bar poster! We had so much fun doing it! Morgan was nice to share his candy with us.  I don't think he got any of it!

So, there you have it! Hope you survived!

The Lehi Eagles go 11-1!!!

This is a picture of Zach's basketball team this year.  They played on a leauge at The Flash Factory, and had an awesome season!  They hadn't lost a game all season and made it to the Tournament.  They won their first 2 games which were really close, it was so fun and exciting for them!  They played for the Championship against the Sharp Shooters, and ended up being a close game.  They only lost by 1 pt! They played so hard and deserved to be there! They are a good little team and had alot of fun! Thanks to the coaches who took the time to practice with these guys!

During an intense "time-out" in one of the games!

It's a GIRL!!!

Wow! I feel like I am living in a dream right now!!! We went and had our ultrasound yesterday!!! And.... it's a GIRL!!!  I am in shock!  I went and picked up the kids this morning from school! They were so excited to be able to come with us to my doctor's appt.  We met Morgan there, and Brinley was SOOOOOOO excited she couldn't even hold still! (Before we even found out!) The kids were so cute when they saw the baby on the monitor and saw the cute little face, fingers, toes, etc. And they even got to listen to the heartbeat! They thought that was pretty awesome! She was so cute, she kept putting her feet and hands up to her face! Brinley already thinks she is flexible just like her! :)  So, when the nurse got down to the bum, she had her legs wide open, with NOTHING sticking out! Ha ha!

The nurse announced that it was a girl, and I thought Brinley was going to jump through the roof! I immediately started crying and couldn't hold back the tears! I was so happy for HER! She came over and gave me a hug with a big SMILE on her face! I think she was surprised to see that I was crying... since kids associate crying with sadness.  I told her, it was because I was so happy!  Then I heard a little voice coming from somewhere else... I didn't know who it was.  I looked over, and Boston was curled up in a little ball with his face buried in the chair,  CRYING!  It broke my heart! He wouldn't let anyone touch him, or hold him! He was so sad!

K- I pictured this day going exactly opposite! I thought Brinley would be the one crying, and we would be consoling her for the next 5 months!  When I had my first ultrasound at 12 weeks, the nurse told us (even took a picture of) that she was positive it was a boy! So, Morgan and I have been thinking this whole time that this little baby inside of me was a boy! I was expecting Brinley's world to be crushed today!

After the ultrasound I held Boston and talked with him.  I asked him what he was feeling inside.  He just said he was sad. :(  In the car we talked, and by the time we got to where we were eating lunch he was fine! 

I have to say too, that Zach was SO cute with Brinley, he was so excited for HER! It was so sweet! I was wishing so bad that I had my camera there with us to capture the excitement on the kids faces and the little guy curled up in a ball!  I meant to grab it, but was too excited I forgot! I guess it's just one of those memories I will have in my heart forever! :)

Bow-Tie Chicken & Broccoli

I got this recipe from my sister and made it for my family last week.  They all loved it, and it was fairly easy! :) So, if you are looking for something new to make in the kitchen, try it!

Bow-Tie Chicken & Broccoli

1 c. broccoli chopped

2 c. carrots slices thin

2 T. veg. oil

1 1/2 lbs. chicken cubed

2 cloves garlic

1/3 c. green onion (finely chopped) 

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. grated parmesan

12 oz. bow tie pasta (cooked)

2 tomatoes diced

2 T. parsley (dried)

salt, pepper

1/3 c. parmesan freshly grated

Cook broccoli and carrots.  Heat oil in skillet over med/high heat. Add chicken and garlic. Cook 5-10 min. until done.  Add green onions- saute 1 min. Remove from heat. 

White Sauce- Melt butter in saucepan. Blend flour and milk, add to pan.  Cook until thickened stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

In a big bowl combine pasta, chicken and veges, and white sauce. Top with remaining parm. tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.  Toss and Serve.

sNoW in MaRcH!!!

On Saturday after Zach got done with Baseball practice I took the kids up to Logan to go to my parents house.  I was sick of being at home and needed to get away.  Morgan has been really busy at work, and was busy moving his branch across the street to the Chase branch.  So, we left town! The kids didn't have school on Monday, so I thought it was a good weekend to get away! My brother took the boys to the Aggie game Saturday night, and they had a blast! We got to keep their cute little girl Bailey and Brinley was in heaven having a little sister for the night! On Sunday we hung out and played hookie from church! Me and my mom made dinner and had all my family over.  It was my nephew's birthday and he turned 18! WOW! It was such a fun and relaxing weekend.  Well, Monday morning we woke up to SNOW! Not just a little, this picture was taken at 9:00 in the morning! It didn't stop snowing ALL day long! It was so crazy!  I wasn't about to drive through Sardine canyon with all that snow, so me and the kids decided to stay one more night! Yeah! Pary time! They were so excited to get to stay at grandpa and grandma's longer and be able to see their cousins! And not to mention they got to miss school the next day! On our way home on Tuesday I got to stop at one of my bestest childhood friends house in Brigham City. It was so fun to see her and her cute kids!  I'm so glad that we went up and were able to have a fun weekend! Heaven knows we all needed it! :)

2+2=4

Yup, that's how old my little buddy turned on Sat.! I can't even believe he is 4, and growing up! He is so stinkin cute, and I swear he already acts and talks older since his birthday! (O.K. I'm sure it's just me, but hey!) I don't know why, but Zach and Brinley are always more excited on his birthday than he is...well, in the morning that is. They both can't wait for him to wake up and open his presents! Brinley came down into my room at 6 a.m. and I made her make a little bed on the floor until he woke up. Then Zach comes bee-boppin down at 7:00 and so kindly woke us all up! The funny thing is Morgan was out helping someone move in our ward, and we had to wait until he got back to open presents anyway! His daddy even made him a special birthday breakfast with his favorite things! Normal Pancakes (he doesn't like puff pancakes like my other kids), crunchy bacon, and orange juice. He loved all of his presents, and was so cute when he opened them! So grateful for a 4 year old! :o) Zach hurried and set up his Geo Tracks for him, and then him and Morgan whisked off to basketball practice for a few hours.

I had promised Boston that he could have a friend birthday party this year. He has never had one, and was so excited! I was worried beforehand how I was going to pull it off feeling the way I have been, but thankfully I felt pretty good the few days before and was able to do the things I needed to get ready. I just kept praying the morning of his birthday that I would feel good enough to do his party for him. And miraculously we made it through! His party wasn't until 4:00, and the poor little guy had to wait ALL day long for his friends to get there! ( I didn't even think about that part, Way to go MOM!) His party was so much fun, he loved having everyone there for HIM! We kept it pretty simple, and did some of Boston's favorite things. He LOVES to play games, so we played Musical chairs, Pin the tail on the donkey, Duck duck goose, and everyone's favorite... hitting the pinata! I feel like I didn't get very many pictures of the day, because I was busy videoing (is that a word) the whole thing. Boston chose a baseball pinata and was determined that HE was going to be the one to break it! After all, it is his birthday right? :o) So, he got to be the first one to hit, and then his friend Maddux was next, he busted it open on his second hit! We weren't expecting THAT to happen! :) So, Morgan rigged it up and tied a rope around it, so all the kids could have a turn hitting! They were all so cute, and excited when they candy came out!

Then we went upstairs for pizza, presents, and cookies! It was a fun day, thanks to all who made Boston's birthday special for him! He was worn out by the end of the night, and so was I!

Oh, I have to give an explanation about the UTES shirt! Ever since my brothers and nephews were here watching the Sugar Bowl Boston has been a Ute fan! It is the funniest thing, because my family are all Utes fans, and Morgan grew up liking BYU, and is now the typical Utah Valley BYU fan (even more so since we live here) So, I get a kick out of Boston liking the Utes. My mom was asking what she could get him for his birthday, and I told her if she got him ANYTHING Utes, that he would love it! So, when my sister came over and let him open his present, he went running around the house going crazy because of this shirt! All of his friends were just staring at him...seriously! I wish I would have got it on video, I think it's the only thing I didn't get of the day!

Morgan thought it would be fun to take the family to the Utah v.s. BYU game this Saturday, Boston wants to wear his shirt, I think I may even go get me one! :o)

Enjoy this slideshow of Boston's special day!

4 things I love about my 4 year old!

1. He is funny

2. He is tender

3. He is my buddy!

4. He is nice to everyone!

I love you Buddy!

Fun Pictures!

Here is a little re-cap of our week! Life is good, and I have the best kiddos in the whole world! I feel like I haven't been taking as many pictures of my kids where I haven't been feeling well. And I LOVE taking pictures, so this has been hard for me!

So, here you go, sit back and enjoy! :o)

So, Brinley has been asking me if she could have "side bangs" forever.  I don't like bangs on myself, so I just figured she wouldn't like them.  And have been trying to talk her out of it.

Well, yesterday I told her I would, I don't want to be one of those moms who doesn't let her kids have their own opinions on things... it's not like she was asking me to dye her hair pink or anything like that. But then we didn't ever get to it, and she was so sad.  So, this morning before church, I went down and got my scissors, and we cut them off! She was SO EXCITED! I actually think they look really cute, and think she looks older!  We may end up cutting them a little shorter, but we'll see how this works for awhile! I love you sissy!

The other night, Boston wouldn't let us help him get ready for bed.  He wanted to do it "All by myself" which is a big milestone for him! We usually have to do everything for him! But he did it! He even brushed his teeth all by himself! He was so cute, and so proud!

TA-DA!

Zach was really bugged by his music teacher the other night, seeing how music is his least favorite subject at school, he doesn't really enjoy singing the songs! (Unlike Brinley, I can always tell when she has had music at school, cuz she goes around the house singing the songs all week) So, Zach was trying to explain to us what his teacher is like, she is an older lady, and sounds like she is set in her ways, and has been teaching for a long time.  So, Zach pulled up his shorts as high as he could and just started singing "My Darling Clementine" with his pointer, acting like his teacher! It was hilarious! We were all laughing our heads off! I think he felt better after being able to vent about his teacher for a bit! We all need that once in awhile right? (Zach, I hope you don't kill me for putting these pictures on, you know we all love you, and you make us laugh so hard!)

Zach being goofy!

"Now you listen to me, or else..."

Cute little Boston fell asleep the other night while we were watching "Space Buddies".

Brinley has been sick with a bad cold and stayed home from school on Fri. she made her and Boston a little bed with blankets and pillows on the floor, and got to stay in her pajamas all day! This is the life!

On Thursday I had to take Zach to the dermatologist to get a mole removed that was on his neck.  He thought it was so cool that he didn't even feel anything.  They stuck the needle in to numb him, and that was it! He didn't feel them shaving the mole off with a razor blade! He had one taken off his back too.  He thought it was pretty cool!

While we were there, we had them freeze a wart off his finger that he has had for awhile.  Now this hurt!  The doctor told us that it would get a big blood blister underneath, but to be careful not to pop it.  He has a hard time not picking at it, but loves to show all his friends! They said it can take 1-3 weeks to go away! I am just hoping we don't have to go in for a second treatment!

Brinley LOVES to read! She has made all these little books at school, and we have kept every single one of them.  The day she was home from school, she got out her little box and started reading.  She wanted to read them ALL, but after 2 hrs of reading I told her she needed to take a break, and give her eyes a rest!  I hope she always likes reading this much! :o)

8 Things about ME!

My friend Tiffany tagged me this week, so here goes my first ever "tag blog"

Here are the Rules:
1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six '8' items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment

8 FAVORITE TV SHOWS

1. American Idol
2. The Office
3. Extreme Home Makeover

4. Good Things Utah
 

K, so I don't watch T.V. that much! I know it's pathetic I can't even come up with 8 shows!

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY

1. Took Brinley to the doctor

2. Went to Jamba Juice! So Yummy!

3. Talked on the phone

4. Picked up Zach from school

5. Took Zach to the dermatologist 

6. Ran some errands

7. Went and saw Morgan at work

8. Went to Pizza Factory 

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO

1. March 13th We are going to Phoenix to visit and St. George for a baseball tournament!
2. March 27th we get our ultrasound to find out what we are having!
3. April 15 Spring Break!
4. May 29th The LAST day of school!
6. The snow to melt!
7. SUMMERTIME!!! YEAH!
8. This baby to be born in Aug!

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

1. Tepanyaki
2. PF Changs
3. Cafe Rio
4. Olive Garden
5. Gandolfos
6. Pizza Factory
7. Macayos ( a mexican restaurant we loved in Phoenix)
8. Chilis

8 THINGS ON MY WISH-LIST

(Do I have to stop at 8?) Ha Ha!

1. A new house
2. Organization
3. A cleaning lady
4. Someone to cook for me
5. A clean garage
6. A whole night of uninterrupted sleep
7. A healthy baby
8. Some sunshine!

8 PEOPLE I TAG

1. Cody
2. Shannon
3. Jessica M.  
4. Jessica S.
5. Jill
6. Kari
7. Tara
8. Holly

Free Breakfast Anyone?

So, who wouldn't wake up their kids at 6:45 a.m. to take them to Denny's for a free breakfast before school?

Only to get there and see that there is a line out the door?

So, we resort to IHOP instead, because the husband doesn't want to wait.  Where the service wasn't the fastest... this is Zach waiting for his food! :o)

And my cute kids that agreed to get their picture taken at 7:00 a.m.

(notice the tired eyes)

I had to add this picture, Boston wanted to wear this sleeping mask last week, and I went upstairs to see that he had totally fallen asleep with them on! I might have to try those on him more often!

DuE dAtE!!! :o)

So, we went in this morning and had an ultrasound because I was unsure how far along I was... but I guessed pretty dang close!  I am exactly 12 weeks and 4 days! With the baby being due on Aug. 3!  We are so excited!

We get to find out what it is on March 27!  Brinley is of course hoping for a little sister.  She prays every night that it is a girl!

Morgan was able to come in with me, and we took Boston to my friend Jessica's house.  I was just going to take him with us, and she thinks I am crazy, so she always talks me into bringing him to her!

So, I also was able to see my doctor today.  My appt. on Mon. was pretty lame, they didn't even do anything, but I was dehydrated and ended up going to the hospital for another IV.  So, that I was thankful for.  It always makes me feel so much better! I am so thankful for everything I am able to do right now, it is just amazing to me with how my other pregnancies have been!

My doctor says the baby looks great, and is right on with it's growth and measurements, I feel so relieved to know that everything is o.k. I know it is perfectly normal to worry when you are pregnant, but with this one, I have worried an extra lot! I just wanted to be sick when I wasn't so I would know that something was going on inside my body (like a healthy baby was forming) I know I am weird, but I feel a lot better about things now!

The kids are so cute, when I showed Boston the ultrasound pictures, he took one look, and said, "Is that the baby"?  "It looks like an alien"! I just busted up laughing!  After I picked the kids up from school, they just came running to the car wanting to know when we were going to have the baby! Yes, I have been talking about this ultrasound ALL week, I have been pretty excited!  So, when I showed them the pictures, and was showing them the little arms and legs, and little feet, they both just went "OHHHHHHHH".  They thought it was so cool that you could see everything!

We told them they could come to the next ultrasound when we find out what it is! They are very excited!

Well, sorry these last few posts have been about me... I will try to focus on my family more now! Ha ha!

I appreciate all of your concern though, it really does mean a lot to me! I figure this is the easiest way to inform everyone of what is going on with me right now!

I never thought I could do a post without pictures... but I don't know what I could put a picture of??? Me at the doctor???

I did add my pregnancy ticker on the side though, I love that it keeps track of how many weeks I am for me!

Just thought I would share with all of you my exciting news on this happy day! YEAH!

Take Backs!

I take back everything I said about not being sick!!! I didn't have a very good week last week, and ended up in the hospital Friday night to get re-hydrated! It was a great feeling after not being able to eat or drink for 3 days! I pretty much felt like I was going to die on Friday and had to call my friend Jessica to see if she could come get Boston for me. What a sweetheart! She is always there when I need her.  After spending the 2 previous days with me in bed, I figured it wasn't fair to him.  He always has a great time at their house, and their are plenty of kiddos to keep him entertained! She even went and picked up Zach and Brinley after school when I found out I was going to the hospital and took them to her house.  They had a great time as well, thank you so much, it was so nice to not have to worry about them while I was there!

So, I have been feeling great since I came home, I have even been able to EAT!  We decided to take the kids and do something fun on Sat. since we had been home all week.  We had a fun day together! I have the best kids I could ever ask for, they are so good, and Zach and Brinley are such a big help when they get home from school!  I just love 'em!

Friday night we were going to watch a movie, and Zach came downstairs with our box of "home videos" so we popped one in of when he was born and it was so much fun to watch! The kids loved it, and we had to go through each one... we watched them the next morning too, they were getting a kick out of seeing themselves, and kept saying "I wish I could go back to that age". It was so cute!

So, this post goes to my family! They are the greatest! I couldn't go without thanking Morgan for taking care of everything last week while I wasn't feeling good.  Everything from getting the kids dinner, helping with homework, doing baths and bedtime, cleaning the kitchen, and helping pick up... I could go on and on! Thanks honey, I couldn't have done it without you!

Let's just hope that I continue feeling as good as I do now... We'll see what this coming week brings! :o)

Love you guys!

HoLiDaY cAtCh UpS!

I know I have been a slacker in the blogging world! It has been awhile since I posted... Sorry to you faithful readers!

First of all, my dad and brother are doing great and are on the road to recovery!  This surgery is such a miracle, and we feel so blessed that everything went well! As some of you know, 2 days after the surgery my dad had a minor heart attack! Luckily he was in the hospital and they were able to catch it, I'm afraid if he would have been home, that wouldn't have been the case! He didn't feel a thing, and didn't even know he was having one.  When they rushed him down to the Heart Center and did the angiogram, that is when they found out that his main artery was 100% blocked, and he had a huge blood clot!  They were able to put a stint in right then, and needless to say he had to spend a couple of days in ICU which made his stay at the hospital a little longer than anticipated! He and my mom were able to go back home to Logan last Wed.  They were both very happy to get back!  Thank you for your prayers and concern in our behalf!

On a side note... 

Yes, for those of you who haven't heard the news! I am PREGNANT! That would be another reason for my slacking abilities at this time!  I got to take a pregnancy test for the first time in my life! It was so fun!  With my other kids all I had to do was start puking and that was how I found out! But nope, not with this one! I actually got to enjoy the signs of being pregnant (as much as you can enjoy them) Ha ha! I actually wrapped up my test and put it in a box with a poem and had my kids open it up on Christmas Day! It was so much fun! We saved it as the last gift, and they got to open it when they were all done opening all their presents.  Zach came running over to me and gave me a hug, and we both just started crying! It was a tender moment for sure! It is so fun having him be older and have him understand things, and he is so cute to ask me how I am feeling every day!

We had my sister and Morgan's brother (who are both single) with us Christmas morning, it was so much fun to have them here! They are definitely the "fun" aunt and uncle!  I had already told my sister, she was here when I took the test! :o) But, it was fun to have them here and share in our excitement!

I have been very lucky and have felt fairly good for being pregnant, considering how sick I was with my others! For the most part I am just sick sick at night, which I think is a blessing since Morgan is home at that time! I am able to get up in the mornings and help the kids get ready for school, and able to take care of Boston during the day, which is a blessing as well! That is definitely the hardest thing for me being so sick, that I can't take care of my family! I get nauseous at night time, so Morgan has to take on dinner duties, which he always does with a smile! :o)  Anyway, I could go on and on about me... but I won't! I just wanted to share our exciting news with all of you! I go to the doctor on the 26th, and I will find out how far along I am! Which I'm sure you are all dying to know "WHEN"!  So, I will keep you posted!

I know I never posted about the holidays, but I am just going to roll with it instead of trying to catch up at this point! We had a wonderful time with family and it was so nice to have the kids have a break from school for a couple of weeks! We needed a week to recover before they went back to school, it was hard getting back on a schedule of going to bed early and doing homework, reading, piano, etc... after school! The boys start basketball this month and are very excited! 

O.K. I can't handle not posting any pictures... here are a handful from our holidays!!! 

Boston is way into Transformers right now! These are all the ones he got for Christmas, and of course he wanted to dress up as Optimus Prime!

Boston with his toolbox Santa brought him!

Zach with his new bike!

Brinley surprised that she got an American Girl doll from Santa!

The kids dressed up on Christmas Eve, Boston was mad and wanted to be a shepherd!

The kids with their cousins at Temple Square on New Year's Eve! 

We talked my brothers who are BIG UTAH fans to come watch the game at our house! It was alot of fun! I think it was the first time I have ever heard Morgan cheer for Utah! But of course HIS team wasn't playing!

The cute boys after the game!

The boys watching the game!

We took the kids to see Bedtime stories on Christmas Day! We have never been to a movie before on Christmas so we thought we would try it out! The only bad thing was that we had to get out of our pajamas! It was a really funny movie, better than I thought it would be! The kids loved it! This is my sister and Morgan's brother with the kids!

Sorry I kinda went overboard... Thanks for bearing with me!

"Son Donates Kidney to Dad"

Doesn't that just give you chills to even read?  

So many of you have wondered how my dad and brother are doing that I thought I would post a little blurb on the latest...

Yesterday Dec. 30 was the day of the surgery. It really happened this time!

It was a long day for everyone.  My brother and my dad had to be at the hospital at 9:00 a.m. They took Matt back at 11:00 and got him started.  Me, my sister Sonnet, and my brother Ryan headed over to the hospital around 11:30 and were able to see my dad right before they took him back.  He really was in good spirits and didn't seem nervous at all! All he could talk about was how cute his doctor was! (That's just my dad!) So, we all spent the day in the waiting room with my mom and Matt's wife Angie.  There were lots of laughs, and tears while we were waiting.  I'm just glad we could be there with them to pass the time.  My brother Rhett joined us later, and my brother Mike couldn't come until the next day because of work.  The doctors were great about keeping us updated on their conditions.  As soon as we heard that Matt's kidney was out and they were putting it in my dad... we were all just like "WOW this is really happening!  The surgery for Matt took a little bit longer than expected.  He had 2 arteries connected on each end of the kidney (most people only have 1) that made it harder to remove.  We were all anxious during this time to hear how he was doing. Matt's doctor came out and told us he was done and was doing fine, and that he would be in the recovery room for a couple of hours before we could see him.  By 5:30 my dad's doctor came out and said they were DONE and that my dad was doing great, and that we would be able to see him in about an hour.  We decided to leave the hospital for a change of scenery and went to Mimi's Cafe for dinner.  We went back to the hospital and were able to see Matt, but were still waiting on my dad.  We went in his room and visited for a bit, but he was still really sleepy from the anesthesia.  He was able to talk but couldn't keep his eyes open.  It wasn't until this time that I realized what a sacrifice this was for my brother to give his kidney to my dad.  I didn't realize how hard it was going to be on him.  The recovery time for the donor is a lot longer than for the recipient. Once my brother decided to donate his kidney, he never looked back.  Not even after all the tests they had to run on him to make sure he was a match.  I respect him for this decision he made to help prolong my dads life.  

My dad didn't get out of recovery until about 9:30.  He was having a hard time breathing and his blood pressure and oxygen levels were low.  They had to get him to where he was stable before they would let him come up to his room.  The nurse had called and talked to my mom, so we were all anxiously waiting for him to arrive.  They both just kept wanting ice chips, and you couldn't give them fast enough! We were relieved that they were both in their rooms and were through the initial part.  We left the hospital about 11 and called it a night, hoping they could both get some rest!

What a miracle! They are both doing really well today. I just got back from the hospital tonight from seeing them and they are both up and WALKING already! The new kidney in my dad is working wonderful, it is just amazing!  I don't have any pictures, because my brother requested that no pictures would be taken of him!  Oh well, it is the memories that we will have to remember right! 

 This is truly a Christmas we will never forget! It has been so great having the family all together, and spending time together.  That is what it is all about!  We have truly seen the greatest "gift" ever!

Thank you for showing your concern, and pray for a quick recovery for both of them! :o)

I Love You All!!!

Yesterday when I went to the mailbox, I didn't have ONE christmas card! It was the first day in a couple of weeks, that I hadn't gotten at least one!  I was a little sad, but today made up for it!  We were leaving to run some errands today, and I realized I hadn't gotten the mail yet, so as I was pulling out of the driveway I decided to "drive" by my mailbox.  Hence the big snowstorm we had yesterday I wasn't thinking about the big snowbanks on the sides of the roads... we got 12 in. in one day! My kids were in heaven, they were outside playing in it all morning, until I made them come in and get ready for our family party we had that night.  So, I drove up to the mailbox, just like I always do, but didn't even make it that far! I totally got stuck right in front of our house! I felt like an idiot!  After spinning my tires for 15 min. and flipping snow everywhere and getting NOWHERE, my neighbor had to come and TOW me out with his truck!  Yes, I said TOW! He and Zach tried pushing a few times, and he could see I wasn't going anywhere, so he said he would go get his tow rope and be right over! I felt so stupid, but I was so glad he was there to help us!  Would've been a funny picture but...

So, when I finally got my mail (which Zach had to climb through the snowbank to get) and brought it to me, I got 15 Christmas cards today! I was so happy, it was so fun to hear from you all! Me and the kids had so much fun looking at all the pictures, and reading about your lives! So, I had to take a picture of all the envelopes cuz I am a dork!  Thank you for making my day!

Merry Christmas!