Aloha!

Aloha...

I wanted to post my pics from our Hawaii trip...

We had such a great time.

A little bit of something for everyone...

Here is what we did...

As a family we all really enjoyed just hanging out. It wasn't a busy trip...lots of beach and pool time. I even attempted boogie board surfing...let's just say I got sand where sand isn't supposed to go and my bathing suit became somewhat of a sand bag...lots of sand between the liner and the suit! Caylor died laughing at me catchin' the waves. OK... so I am not so co-ordinated and athletic...but I did keep my earrings on. We stayed at the Marriott Wailea on Maui! Beautiful! We brought home so many wonderful memories that will last a lifetime... much longer than the henna tattoos we all got.

Mitch- The reason we went was so Mitch could go with his friend to a Just Win football camp in Maui. He was the the only freshman DB and 1 of 6 Howlies... needless to say when they did the Haka...he bailed to the locker room. He did great at the camp. One coach from UNLV thought he was a junior...It got him all excited for the upcoming football season! He was very impressed with all the other players tattoos... I think Mitch wants to be a painted man... he got 2 jaguar ink tattoos ( a tribal band and a mermaid) the first day we were there and then two henna tattoos ( a tiki tribal band and the same band as before) the day we left. It is a good thing they just lasted a few days. Mitch loved to snorkel and just hang out his buddy, Walter. He has an obsession with tank tops and sunglasses...the risky business kind. He was the hottest howlie on the beach!

Jackson was the master of the beach! He built sandcastles, and even buried himself. He loved to boogie board...one time he totally wiped out and thought he was going to die. He quickly recovered and hit the surf again! Jacks was very interested at the Maui Ocean Aquarium. For a boy who won't even touch the gel for his hair, I was surprised he touched a starfish and a sea urchin. When we went to Big Beach and were watching the real surfers in the BIG waves, Jackson was more into catching sand crabs. I could see Jacks growing up to be a surfer...marine biologist...ocean lover! He excelled at the hang loose way of life!

Meg wants to be the next Roxy babe on the beach. She loved the ocean...excuse me, the sea. She swam in the ocean or the pool most every day...ALL day! She really is a mermeg! She made several friends ...one from Alaska, Georgia, and California. She took hula lessons and wondered if instead of having a recital, they were just going to let her perform at the huge hotel beach luau. She was mad when it was only a half hour lesson and she only learned one dance. Although, she was jazzed with the certificate that was delivered to her room later that night. It gave her Hawaiian name...MeKana. She is thinking about changing it legally, or for the second grade at least. She loved everything about the islands and was our cutest little hula girl!

We had a great time... didn't want to come home!

It really was a vacation of a lifetime!

Happy Day Brandy!

Today my little baby sister, Brandy, turns the big 3 0

Yikes!

I am so lucky to have such amazing sisters!

She is a scrapbooker champion....

I think she takes the photo and has it in a scrapbook within 24 hours... unlike me who has is in the book... oh yeah...never!

She is the best mom to her two boys... Jace and Briggs!

She is married to a real hottie... Ryan!

Their wedding was glamorous...like a wedding on a soap opera.
She is beautiful and talented! My other sister Jody and I donated our singing talent to Brandy. It is better for one sister to sing REALLY well than for three sisters to kindof sing.
Happy Birthday!
30... wow you're old!

Get your Freak On!

Last Thursday I was in Hawaii when I heard that Michael Jackson died...

If I would have been home I would have sat glued in front of the TV for hours...soaking up every report and story and rumor. Unfortunately I was with the Media Nazi and was unable to watch very much of it. I have had a tendency to suck into any media frenzy. When Princess Di died, I was up all night with a newborn and watched it 24 hours a day. Finally, Caylor said that if she and I were such good friends she should have come to our wedding or at least send a baby gift. Same with JFk, Jr.... Caylor wondered if we had dated because I was so into it. What can I say... I am interested in pop culture. About this Michael Jackson feeding frenzy... I haven't really heard every little tid-bit rumor that has been reported by every z-list celebrity... I am a little behind. Somewhat okay with that, and somewhat feeling like I am missing out on very important info....

Today I bought the Essential Michael Jackson album from itunes and have listened to it all day. I am sad that he had to become such a freakish side-show! Why couldn't he have just stopped when he was still black and still had a nose. I was somewhat saddened by the loss of such a musical genius. But then, as you look back through time at all the creative geniuses the world has produced, most of them were freaks in one way or another. As I listened to some of those songs I was totally taken back in time. I even had to pull up YOU Tube to watch the We are the World video.( It was amazing to see the not so surgeried Michael Jackson AND Kenny Rogers) I also watched several of Michael's music videos. Wow what an amazing dancer. I Loved my little stroll down "before Micheal was so damn weird street"! I felt the need to discuss, so I called my Pop-Culture Guru friend, Mindi, and chatted about the freak he had become. I knew that Caylor would have absolutely shut down any conversation starting with " wow, today I was thinking how sad I am that Michael Jackson died, but even sadder that he became such a freak". Mindi helped me talk it out and I don't think I will seek therapy over the loss.

The album is amazing! So many memories from my own life! Too bad his bazaar behavior had to overshadow even his music in the end. I am just wondering how many times I can have the word "freak" in one post? But, then when talking about Michael Jackson... there aren't any other words that quite work. So... Go listen to the Essential Michael Jackson...grab your crotch, wear a glove, and get your freak on!

Mermeg

Meg's first time in the ocean!

She is now hooked and wants to be a roxy surfer girl or a mermaid!

We like to just call her Mer-Meg!

I think part of her wanted to grow a tail upon entering the ocean...

only, she doesn't call it the ocean, she calls it the sea.

Hang Loose!

Aloha!

For the past week this has been the view from my balcony...

I am home now...sob, sob!

Good-bye... Aloha and hello reality!

I am trying to organize my photos and my sleep deprived, red-eye flight brain.

I will post more about my fabulous week in Maui...soon!

More to come... I have missed you!

Paws...not claws!

For those of you that don't know me... I am somewhat of a neurotic picker.

When I was little I was a total nail biter... I never had pretty nails...always hurting ones.

I started getting my nails done when I was 15 years old.

That is 23 years ago...

I have acrylic nails longer...

than I have really needed a bra...

than I have been able to drive...

than I have known Caylor...

than I was in school (from pre-school to my bachelor's degree...)

Even right after I was married and we were poor white trash...

I had fake fingernails.

I would clean my sister's house and mop her floor so she would do my nails... I was a creative bargaining- bartering - fake nail addict.

I hold my pen like a complete idiot because of my nails...

violin? No...had fingernails.

Piano? No.. I had fingernails. ( although, I did take for years and years, but never learned the bottom hand)

Every once and a while I would achieve great satisfaction by biting them all off.(Usually during church or a long car drive.)

If there was any amount of lifting I would pry those little suckers off!

My fingers throbbing and my cuticles thrashed... I would head to my nail girl for my fix.

Last week on the way home from St. George, Caylor heard me cracking away at my hands and just rolled his eyes... he knew what was happening.

I was taking off the nails. It was okay because I was going to see Chalyce the next day.

A strange thing happened... I felt liberated! I cancelled my appointment, postponing it for a week. I was torn, because Chalyce is one of my most favorite people on Earth and she is cheap therapy... how am I going to see her? What will become of my life?

I cancelled the next appointment and am kind of freed from acrylic. My hands have stopped throbbing somewhat and the cuticles are kind of healing.

Maybe I don't need nails for medicinal purposes!

I don't know how long this will last... but I have paws instead of claws.

I can type, text, & play my izits game on my itouch.

I can't pick real zits, scrub my hair or tickle .

I was usually a white tip french manicure type girl...

but right now I am sporting black, short, Adam Lambert type nails...and

I love them!

Meg thinks I am a goth because I wear black every day and have black nails.

Maybe I will experiment with white foundation, lots of black liner, and a wardrobe from Hot Topic.... first the hair, then the 20 year high school reunion, and now no nails...

I must be having a mid-life crisis!

A new nickname...

As a kid growing up in the 70's I loved watching the re-runs of BEWITCHED!

Samantha and Darrin were the best! I wanted to be Tabitha or at least be named Tabitha! Endora and all the rest of the kooky witches and warlocks made my summer days.

I tend to talk in allusions... brief references to known things.

When I taught school this was a problem, because the kids didn't know the "things" I was referencing... they would look at me like I had 14 heads and then I would have to explain myself.

Anyway...

I have a new nickname... compliments of Margie, Megan, & Brooke Aslett...

GLADYS KRAVITZ

I can see my neighbor Margie's house from my front window so I can keep tabs on her.
I would say things like... "I was being Mrs. Kravitz and waited for you to be home before I called"... "or... I saw Brooke and Megan doing blah blah blah"
Not really checking up on them, but as I sit at my computer I look right at their house.
There aren't strange things going on like at the Steven's house...
but...
I have earned the nickname of Gladys.
Even a friend that I met through Margie and her girls calls me Gladys.- in fact, she called me Glitterific Gladys.
It kind of cracks me up.

Peace On Out!

Peace on Out!

I am headed on a mini vacay with my main man!

We are headed to Arizona for his business conference!

He will be in business meetings and I will be here...
My kids are not out of school so Viv has so graciously come to tend!
She has brought an entourage of sisters and cousins...
so... I think a good time will be had by all!
I am jazzed!
The Arizona sun, no kids, an adult pool, a little bit of shopping= HEAVEN!
I am even going to try to hookup with the darling TAMMY while I am in her neck of the woods....
I know I am not a huge daily blogger...but I will be outta here this week!
Peace on Out~!

Hair Today.. .Gone Tomorrow!

Holy Moly! I did it!

I cut all my hair off!

I got in Dean's chair... we chatted about it... and I did it!

A little crazy!

I don't really know how to do it...

I hope I don't look like a goof...

My kids didn't like it...

Caylor said he did...

What do you think?

Well... Maybe I am not going to put it out there, seeing that there is a massive amount of hair in some garbage somewhere and I can't glue it all back on.

So if you hate it just don't leave a comment...

Crazy!

p.s. nice self picture... forgive me! I am a crappy photographer

A new DO...

I am off to visit Dean... my hairstylist & neighbor extraordinaire!

What to do...

What to do?

I think I am ready for something different, but

since I hide behind my hair I can 't go

TOO drastic. No pixie-cut!

Maybe I will just get a trim...maybe a mohawk?

Maybe a little color?

Who knows...

One time I got some crazy red and blond highlights...

Caylor called it "Amy and the Amazing Technicolor Hair-do"... thanks hon...

I think he would like me to go back to the long spiral curly slutty, heavy metal chick crawling on the Jag hair- do I had when we were dating... good-bye 80's.

Although... I did rock the big hair and am waiting on pins and needles for it to come back.

So that leaves me with... what to do?

I don't think a new hairdo comes with a new body and brand new wardrobe...

DANG IT!

Well... here's to the new or old DO...

We'll see!

Touched my Heart...

This week I have had the opportunity to see life from a different perspective...

My dear friend's daughter placed a baby for adoption.

I went to the hospital and saw her darling daughter, the precious baby, and even got to meet the new adoptive mother.

It was such an amazing thing... I am just awestruck at the maturity and graciousness of this most perfect gift.

I watched as the new adoptive mom held and primped and loved that baby...

I was so excited for her.... She is amazing! The perfect pick!

I then watched as the birth mom held and looked, and just loved that baby.

My heart has been breaking for two days, yet happy and proud at the same time.

Adoption is such a miracle!

I truly believe it is another part of God's plan in creating families.

I am praying for the darling sweet young girl... as her body and soul heals and her future is bright!

I am also celebrating for the adoptive family and their new joy.

I am glad that I had a glimpse into this situation... it was amazing and heart wrenching and wonderful all at the same time!

There are such selfless people in the world...

This 19 year old girl taught me a huge lesson.

I aspire to be as good!

Miss Saigon...

Wow!

Last Saturday I roped Caylor into taking me to Miss Saigon at the Pioneer Theater...

HOLY COW!

It was so great! I have seen it 4 times now and still love it!

The music was great, the actors were great, and overall...GREAT!

I was impressed with the performance!

Caylor was a good sport to go with me... he isn't what you would call a real lover of the arts.

I cried at the end...duh!

I love musical theater... Now I am listening to the soundtrack nonstop on my ipod-

Doing a little bit of research about the Vietnam War ( remember I am a History NERD!)

A little obsessed ...again

I love this play!

Happy Day Mitch!

Mother's Day was extra special this year...

It was Mitch's birthday!

I have officially been a mother for 15 years!

YIKES! I am not that old!

Here is a little about Mitch...

(anyone sickened by mothers braggin about their kids turn away now!)

He is a funny kid...Mitch has had a GREAT sense of humor since he was a little boy!
He loves to tease little kids and little kids LOVE him... he is kind and makes them feel big!

He LOVES sports! It is what he lives and breathes! Caylor's parents flew up on Saturday to watch his baseball games...he was so excited and pleased to play for his #1 fans!

For his birthday he got airfare and expenses to go to Hawaii with his buddy, Walter, to a football camp. He is so excited! Walter's dad is a football coach at Utah State and is one of the guest coaches at the camp. We have been so excited for this opportunity for Mitch... We have also been laughing that he will be the little white kid being mowed by all the big Poly kids. It will be good for him....He said he is scared. He is a great athlete and will be able to hold his own.

He is goofy... this pic was for a science project where he had to show his "niches" or his jobs. He hurried to put on one of my aprons for dramatic effect. He is a goofball...but quite a bit of fun!

He has gotten so big lately... this was the first day of school this year 8th grade.... braces and all!

Like I said... GOOFY! And now he has a best friend, Walter, who is just as goofy...

He is fully addicted to texting... just a regular teenager!

I can't believe my boy is 15 and growing up so fast. I am so proud of him... He is a good kid and we love him so much.

Jessica Sprague Alchemy ROCKS!

Hey there... I wanted to give a huge shout out to Jessica Sprague and her amazing hybrid for dummies classes.

I AM NOT A SCRAPBOOKER!

Well... unless you count Mitch's pathetic 1994-96 book with Mrs. Grossman stickers scrapbooking.

I didn't even give into it when, as Caylor called it"Pebbles in my Panties", hit it big in St. George.

Anyway... I found the greatest hybrid scrapbooking class online here

It was soo easy and fun!

Here are a few pages from the book I made Viv for mothers day...

It turned out great (especially for my first attempt.)

It started when I was just born and went through the really great pics of us in 70's & 80's!

We were totally hot and dressed so cute!

The kit was so easy... I got to be creative and pick the paper and colors I wanted to use and then I just had to follow her VERY specific directions on the technique. I learned so much about Adobe Elements ... I'll bet I could even design one myself now, she is such a good teacher.

It ended with a current photo of Viv and the girls...

It was a fun gift to make and give!

If you are at all interested in mixing digital scrapbooking with the traditional 3d kind... for sure check out Jessica Sprague.

I have taken 2 classes and learned SOOOOO much.

Oh.. the places you'll go!

My little apron is all grown up...

You know how designers and clothing people like stars to wear their stuff...

Well...

Last week I made an apron for my friend, Margie...

( ya' know my famous scrapbooking friend...do I sound like a name dropper, good!)

It was super sassy...zebra, pink, and green!

She wanted it because she had a few scrapbooking events and for once didn't have to wear a corporate apron...

She wore it to St. Louise and met with the one and only, Mary Englebreit...

( who sent her assistant over to tell Margie she like the apron)

And then she wore it to Atlanta...

They were having a big auction for breast cancer awareness...

and

she sold the apron for $400.00

Yes that is 4 FRANKLINS, HUNSKIES, WHATEVER!

She also sold one yet to be made for $260.00

AMAZING... it is just my little apron!

It was a sassy apron, a great personality, and a good cause!

This is Margie and the babe that "won" the apron...

Overall they raised $4000 for TATAs

Great work!

Faster Clocks!

The days are getting longer...

But...

The clocks are getting faster!

The last two weeks have been crazy!

Spring is springing...

and baseball has started!

5-6 games a week...

hotdogs for dinner ( aka- spring cuisine)
Play Ball!

The Lazy Daisy Cottage...

The Lazy Daisy Cottage!

This is the cutest quilt shop EVER!

My cousin, Dana is the owner... and quilter extraordinaire!

It is in St. George and has just the cutest fabric and gifts.

I just helped them start a blog...

Go check it out!

HERE!

A great day!

Last week I got a Viv, Grandma Connie, & Dear Lizzie fix all at once.

Viv and Connie came up for a few hours to get Viv's hair cut, and attend some sort of meeting.

They were here only about 18 hours, but we still managed to have a lot of fun.

We met my cousin, Diane, at Dear Lizzie for lunch.

It was a great lunch date.

Viv+Connie+Dear Lizzie+fun cousins= A GREAT DAY!

Sun!

I can't talk right now...

no blogging...

no laundry...

no inside business...

The sun is out.

I feel like Margot in Ray Bradbury's story "All summer in a day"...

if I go inside I will miss out on the sun for years.

I am in love!

Finally!

I see somthing in the sky that I really don't recognize...

I think it is called the sun.

I have got to find some wonderful glasses and go outside.

It is supposed to be sunny and great weather...

I can hardly contain myself!

Have a great weekend...soak up some rays and have some fun!

Celebrate Spring!

An Amazing Movie...

I watched THE most amazing movie this week!

It needs to be stated that I am a full -fledged

HISTORY NERD!

I love anything historical and especially German World War II...

This movie is so good...I have thought of it for two days now and cried several times while thinking about it.

My neighbors, Dean and Paul, suggested it and I had to call after I watched it to ask,

"Friends like you guys...who needs enemies"

It is so gut-wrenghingly wonderful.

It is not a happy feel good movie...

But one that EVERYONE needs to see once.

Just make sure to have tissue!

Spring?...more like Spring a leak!

It is raining again... or should I say still.

I need the sun!

I know I couldn't live in Forks,

Edward or not!

But, If I had an umbrella as cute as this... I might be singing in rain "Under my umbrella...ella...ella...Hey...hey...hey"

I am ready for the warm weather to hit.I think it might be on its way... looking for a scorching temp of 72 degrees this weekend! Yahoo!

Home again, home again... jiggity jig!

Whew! I am home! Hip Hip Hurray! It is true what they sing...

"Be it ever so humble...there is no place like home!"

The bad part of this whole thing...laundry, suitcases, exhausted kids, lack of funds.

All in all... we had a fabulous time in Sin City!

Baseball was fun! It was nice to have weather that somewhat resembled spring, and we got to shop a little.

Friday night the games ended early, Viv took Jacks and Meg back to St. George, Mitch hung out with the team... so Caylor and I went out on the town!

We went to dinner at New York, New York and then hit the Piano Bar at Times Square.

HILARIOUS!

Here are a few things I learned:

There is no weight limit to wear a little black strappy dress.

( one set of spaghetti straps were working over time...not pretty)

It is okay to get on the piano and dance. ( not me... some drunk chick from Canada)

Plastic cups are good for two things. 1- drinking from 2- puking into

( This particular cup was used for both...minutes apart...really drunk guy sitting next to us- kept trying to buy Caylor and I drinks to "loosen us up"... he was a bit too loose)

I am not a gambler... I would rather shop than throw my money into some machine...lost forever!

I am not as young as I used to be and staying up until 3 am is not good for me...

The Las Vegas strip is a fun place to spend a very little amount of time.

It was a great weekend!

Spring Break 09'

Yesterday was the first day of Spring Break 09'... wow! How times have changed...

We cleaned bedrooms, I got my nails done, & we had Chinese food for dinner.

In my life there are a few historical things I heard about, but missed out on...

Woodstock

The tearing down of the Berlin Wall

Live Aid...

BUT-

There is something that I did get to experience several times...

Spring Break 87'- 90'...HERE

St. George Boulevard!

The best part of growing up in St. George could be summed up in two words: Spring Break!

Back in the day... all the school districts along the Wasatch Front let out the week before or after Easter... The highpoint was Easter Weekend!

1 million ( okay maybe only a few thousand)teenagers would descend on the St. George Blvd like bees to honey !

There were dances, going to the "narrows", cruising the "Vard" in my convertible Cabriolet, walking the "Vard", hanging out at Las Palmas, finding Northern Utah hotties, etc. etc. etc...

This was the greatest weekend of the year!

My friends and I already had our summer tans, new clothes, and were so excited to hit the Dixie nightlife.

Some really great memories were created!

So... the question is... Did you go to St. George during Spring Break?

If a certain group of St. George girls either stole your boyfriend for the weekend or took your lounge chair at Las Palmas...we were sorry.

We were locals...we thought we owned the place!
What do you remember?

p.s. Now that I am finished reminiscing... I will get my herd ready to go to the movies and pack our stuff to go to a Vegas ball tourney... really? Times have Changed!

It's all black and white!

I am seeing black and white all over...

I just got my toes done... cute black polish with white flowers and rhinestones!

I ordered these...

I should have ordered these... It won't quit raining/ snowing


I worked on this...
A sassy summer apron for a friend...
& I made her baby matching burp rags... sorry no pic... already delivered!

The best part of the apron is the flower... it is plastic and now has a big old blingin' rhinestone in the center.

Can you stand it?

Have a great weekend!

I hope it is sunny where you live!

Create!

Wow! This is so powerful! Okay... I got a little teary!

I have seen this on a few blogs and facebook walls..love it!

Being Creative is such an important aspect of my life...

Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday...

I haven't played the Thankful Thursday game lately... It is so over due!

This is what I am Thankful for this week...

1. I found a new friend... She is so dang cute, and funny and she has been my neighbor for almost a year and I just met her... Yeah- I pretty much suck as a neighbor! Anywho... I attended services and she was the RS teacher... I was totally drawn to her. Later that week a bunch of us went to lunch and I have been in love with her ever since. Then to top it all off... after I am totally somewhat stalking her (googles her... and it worked), I find out she is FAMOUS! Kindof a rockstar in the scrapbooking world... t-shirts and everything...see I should be a scrapbooker so I could have known her sooner and been REALLY impressed when she moved into my neighborhood! Here she is... check her out. She is just a girl, but oh so much more! She is Margie Romney- Aslett. How cool... she is even a hyphenater!

2. Old Friends... It was so much fun re-connecting with some of my oldest and dearest friends. It is sad how life sometimes gets in the way of staying close with people that mean so much to you... I am stickin' with these babes from now on- They are too much fun!

3. My Project 365... It is true... I have stuck with this for 13 1/2 weeks now. I have never followed through this much in my entire life! I have really enjoyed this little project and think it is going to be amazing to look back over every single day of 2009. Here are last week's pages... I guess as proof I am not as flakey as I usually appear!

4. My i-touch. I know this sounds totally materialistic, but this little gadget has rocked my world. I love love love pandora radio! I just bought a game called izits that is the best ever...move over bubblet! I can actually get emails now even if I am not at my computer! Not to mention the music! I am waiting with baited breath for my contract with my current provider to expire so I can get rid of my ghetto phone and move on up to an iphone. It is good to have goals and something to look forward to...

5. Going to Vegas, baby! The thought of getting out of northern Utah snow spring and actually experiencing real spring is a good thought!

When I grow up...

When I was little I wanted to reach for the stars...

I wanted to really BE something...

I knew I wanted to be a wife to a handsome man...

I knew I wanted to be a mom... I sang the song "When I grow up I want to be a mother...and have a family... 1 little, 2 little , 3 little babies of my own."

As time went on I thought I wanted to be a Marine Biologist because they got to work with dolphins... then a rock star... then a dance teacher...then a Solid Gold dancer...

I thought I wanted to be a mortician and follow in the daddy's footsteps...

I went to high school and college and decided I liked English and History and teaching...

1+1+1=3 !

I found my handsome man

& started having babies

I became a high school teacher and taught for 10 years.

Then I decided I wanted to just be a mom...

This is really what I want.. this is the best job ever!

My babies are getting big & are all in school

Sometimes I think I would like to be an aesthetician and give facials (pick zits for money)...

Somedays I like to sit and blog all day...

Somedays I like to sew or paint or play with my pictures...

I want a room of my own that I can use to create whatever I want!

I really like to entertain and throw parties.... I like my life to be a party!

It is crazy that sometimes I still wonder what I want to be when I grow up!

Will I ever grow up?