Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for...
1. My mom, sisters, and sister in law- they will all pitch in to help corrale my kids. It has been so nice to come with Caylor and not worry about my kids. Plus...what kids don't like to swim and eat Popsicles? They have been to the cabin, the lake, swimming, and playing with cousins. They are partying like rockstars. I just hope my empty nest parents can survive. ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS!

2. Fun friends from all over the U.S.- It is so fun to come to this conference with Caylor every year. He has worked for this company..well...forever and once a year everyone gets together and it is so fun to see everyone. We have traveled to Hawaii and Mexico with some of these folk and it is good to see them and catch up.

3. Room Service- Need I say more? Yesterday afternoon I think I had a gallbladder attack and it was room service that brought me something that somewhat helped.

4. Caylor's laptop- It has been fun being on the computer without anyone asking when I am going to get off and make lunch OR not having to listen for the garage door to open. BLogging freedom at its best.

I am shouting it from the rooftops...

Last night I had an interesting experience... I was at a company dinner with my man and I had a prize, an apron, to give one of the girls that was there. Her name is Jen and she is a fellow blogger. She grabbed her camera and wanted a photo for her blog. Everyone around there started asking about it and I got all embarrassed and shy about it. I felt dumb about these people ( my man's boss, and other colleagues) finding out that I was a blogger. One guy even said, "Well, I have never met a blogger before!"(I did ask if he wanted my autograph...He didn't.) Some of them even logged on with their phones right there...HOW FUNNY. I don't know why I was so embarrassed. I think I just like my own blogging peeps to know...people that do what I do. I started thinking about why I blog...hmmmmm. I have decided that I am not going to feel dumb... I like to do it! Iam going to be loud and proud...YIKES!

This is the life...

I hardly know what to do with myself. Yes, I said myself and not the three little minions I am usually rang-tanging. I stow-awayed with my man to a business conference and while he is in meetings today I am left to my own devices at a resort in San Diego.... HMMMMM what to do? What to do? I think I will first go get a pedicure ( without my kids calling every 30 seconds to see when I am coming home), then go to the ADULT ONLY pool and NOT listen to my kids fight, then I will go back to my room and watch a movie, before getting ready to go out on the town with my man! This is a great day. I really do love my kids and I don't always want to live the selfish life- obeying only my desires...but for a few days I will gladly take it. I am glad that my little loveys are partying like rockstars and having the time of their lives with cousins- NOT HERE.. .( and for anyone creepy... the same body-guard, ex pro- wrestler, ninja, crazy protector is staying at my house)! I think this will be a good day... Why have I called my kids twice already this morning and worried that they are having a good time and hoping everything goes great? I guess habits are hard to break... but I am going to bust my butt to have a good time. I am outta here...gotta go pamper myself!

I am now part of a Tag Team...

Wrestling? No, Blog tags... both Mindi and Holly tagged me so here it goes... THis is how you play- 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/ collections, 3 surprise facts about your & then 5 people you want to tag!

JOYS-

1. My family ( my man, my boys, and my girl)

2.Having fun & laughing until my stomach hurts.

3. Throwing a fabulous party with fun friends!

FEARS-

1. A tragedy in my family

2. Kidnappers

3. Bats...(yes bats and it has stemmed from a childhood fear of them getting in my hair)

GOALS-

1. Create a scheduled and productive life.

2. To keep the butt I worked off...OFF.

3. To have a happy home.

CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS-

1. Aprons...( making them, giving them, wearing them, online searaching them, etc..etc...etc...)

2. Dishes...Dishes...Dishes! I'd love to eat off a new every night for a month!

3. MAC make-up! (especially fake eye-lashes...LOVE THEM!)

SURPRISES ABOUT MYSELF-

1. I have never ordered or eaten a steak at a restaurant.

2. I would love to work at a mortuary.

3. In High School I had a huge crush on Caylor thought anyone that dated him was so lucky... and I was lucky enough to marry him. ( okay 10 out of 10 on the cheese-o-meter)

PEOPLE I TAG-

1. Chalyce

2. Tammy

3. Tanja

4. Devri

5. Angie

Sweet Sixteen?

Am I 16 today? I just wondered because I just met Holly from TheSaratogaFam for lunch and to give her the apron she won on my blog & I was as nervous all morning... it was as if I were going on my first date at 16. I was worried... I wanted to look cute and make a good first impression... HOW LAME AM I? I can proudly announce that I am part of the 21st century... I met someone online and met them in person. I was so happy she is really as darling in real life as she is on her blog and not some scary predator that was going to nab me from Cheesecake Factory. Collette and I both went and had such a good time. It was funny... we just met and sat down and then were like old friends. The blog made it so we didn't have to get to know each other. We even fessed up to what confession was ours on Mindi's Confession Booth within the first 5 minutes of meeting.( I could tell you what we both said, but then I would have to kill you and that might get messy) When she contacted me with her info to send her the apron she won, we decided to just meet instead. It was such a fun time. I think I talked both of their heads off.... Collette has known me for a long time and she is still around so I hope I didn't scare Holly of so soon. This is a photo of Holly and I... I look twice her size, but I didn't eat her or anything! I am a gentle giant!

So you're telling me there is a chance...

Calling all friends in the blogosphere...My darling friend Tonia, you know the glitter babe from Over the Tipsy Top Design, is giving one of my aprons away. You can go to her blog and enter...give a shout out on your blog and have 2 entries. She is picking and will announce on Friday. GO check her out.

P.S. the apron I gave them to giveaway is pink, and black, and cheeetah, and sassy! You will totally want it!

I want this to be ME!

I really do like being domestic... and I really want to look like this while being domestic. I want the pose, the fabulous outfit, the hairdo, the jewelry AND the apron. I can feel the need to entertain coming on. It is one of my favorite things to do...throw a fabulous party. I think soon I will have a party. It sound fun! As for right now I need to take myself in all my ponytail and workout clothes glamour to the laundry room to get some work done. I really would like to be like June Cleaver! Does she really exist? I am going for Glamour... I've just got to get a few things done first!

It better shine like the top of the Chrysler Building...

Can anyone remember Miss Hannigan in Annie... well this summer I have taken a page out of her book and am working the kids in my house like they were rotten orphans...little pig droppings. Just kidding- but I do have a pretty good system for getting jobs done around my house. Because I am not a very organized person ( more like a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl) I have to give credit where credit is due and tell you that I got this idea from Jackson's tutor and my life coach, mentor, inspiration and friend, Judy Wayment! My kids all have a job binder... On the front cover it has a chart of jobs they have to do every day... but sometimes when I say clean their version is a little different. That is why this system ROCKS!!! Instead of hollering " It better shine like the top of the Chrysler Building!" I have given them a step by step guide in how to do the job and then when I check it off I go by that very check list... Each day of the week has every job they do that day spelled out in the magic list. The beautiful thing is that these little jobs have to be done before the T.V. or X-Box is turned on, friends are called, or anything else is done. It takes the emotion out of it because if it takes 30 minutes or 4 hours it is totally up to them. I will say that for the first week it was crying and knashing of teeth, but as I stuck to it without emotion ( easier said than done) it got easier. Good luck and if you have any questions...just ask! It revolutionized my summer! I also showed Meg's book. Last summer she couldn't read so I did pictures. Give it a try... If I can do it ANYONE can! Your kids will hate it at first, but then they get used to it and it makes the world a better place.

ALOHA!

Mindi just got back from Hawaii... so she is doing a Hawaiian themed giveaway! Check it out here, leave a comment, scroll through her sweet Hawaiian BRAGGING pics and hopefully you'll win. Okay... so she's not bragging- just showing what a fun time she had while we were all stuck at home.

Time is UP!

Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you for the 100 comments I got and the people that entered my Domestic Diva Apron Giveaway... So many of you gave me a shout out and even came back to leave another comment...LOVED IT! I had so many people enter... I felt bad the chance to win went down with every lovely comment I got....SO.... I am giving two aprons away! I put all the names of the enterees (x's shout out and repeat comments) into a pot and drew one name.... and then I put all the names of my 10 top commenters in a pot and drew one of their names. So it does pay to be a repeater here! Thanks again for playing along! I just might do this again sometime... Come back to check it out!

...And I am not that old!

There once was an old woman who lived in a shoe.... You know the rest of the rhyme! This past weekend was a little crazy- I had 11 kids at my house. Our great friends, The Kemps, were in town and they have 4 kids...my three kiddos, my nephew came to visit, and then my mom had to bring me the rest of the grandkids she was supposed to be tending, but due to the sad situation with the Petersen/Newbys she had to ditch. 11 children! I had an aunt that had 13 kids...whew! The really good thing was my trusty sister-wife, Kamari was here and we tag teamed the domestic resposibilities. I did not make her pull weeds...this time she had to help with child crowd control. We piligged the heckout of the weekend. We even took them out in public! In separate cars of course...nobody I know owns a 15 passenger van. We went to the movie and even braved Lagoon with 11 kids on a Saturday. CRAZY! It was a fun time... now I am off to the land of milk and honey to return the last 2 children, catch some rays, and have a great time with my sisters. 11 is a crazy amount of kids... It makes the five I've still got seem easy and my own three will be a breeze!

Dear Chelsi...

When my phone rang Friday morning at 6:50 a.m. I thought it was just my mom being up since 4 a.m. and thinking it was okay to call the world... I was so wrong. She called to tell me that our dear family friend, Chelsi Petersen, was killed in a car wreck in Provo Canyon. My heart broke! This is a girl that I can remember the day she was born...have so many GREAT Lake Powell memories and feel just like family to her whole entire family. I left the family mortuary business so I don't want my blog to turn into the mortuary, obituary pages...but this is such a sad thing! She was so talented and beautiful and her family is the absolute BEST. Besides being beautiful on the outside she was just as beautiful on the inside. I am so sad for the Newby/ Petersen family. She was a track star for BYU. This is an article about her in the Deseret News and here is a link of photos and a KSL story. She was a darling girl and will so be missed. My darling cousin, Missy Glendenning, has set up a blog for Chelsi...so if you knew her- log on and let her family know what she meant to you. Here it is!

Happy Day Jacks!

Happy Birthday Jackson! Today is my middle son's big day and I am going to celebrate him in blogland... YEAH JACKS! He is my most curious, intense, funny, sometimes really goofy, kind-hearted, orange lovin', athletic, handsome, SMART, Extraordinary 11 year old!

Thankful Thursday

Here are the things I am thankful for this week:

1. I am so thankful for my son, Jackson. Today is his birthday and I am so lucky to be his mom! He is such a great kid- so energetic and full of life ( sometimes not such a great thing) but he is a sweety and such a kind, tender heart. He is a good friend- the last little while has been a little tough as he is trying to find another BFF and mourn the loss of his little buddy! He is a trooper and a social butterfly so it shouldn't be too hard. He is my best tender and treats his sister so good ( She actaully owns him...he'll do anything for her). Jacks is such a special little boy- I know that sometimes he feels like he is stuck in the middle of this crazy family. Today is his day so as soon as he wakes up I am going to totally devote myself to him...(so I guess no more blogging for me today).

2. Summer Vacation? Enough said...

3. 79 comments! Yeah! I am so glad that my giveaway idea actaully got some of you blurkers out into the light of day. I am actaully going to give 2 aprons away because I am so appreciative and "THANKFUL" that you all played along. I just hope I can write things that you will want to read and comment on so I can keep some of you for free.

All that glitters and shines!

Interested in creating something like this...

You all remember my glitter cup? Well the creator has started a blog of fabulous ideas for decorating, entertaining, and anything else glamorous! Tonia and Marla have teamed up supply beautiful things that are easy and fun to do... their creativity + your doing= something over the top. Tonia has been one of my best kept secrets as far as entertaining goes...she is so creative and can inspire greatness. Check it out...you will be soooo happy you did!

p.s. the cupcake and strawberries were really done by Tonia...they are not stock photography!

Thanks...Thanks...Thanks...

Thank-you for all the great comments... See? Your love is for sale! I can't wait to pick someone to win the apron...heck if I keep getting so many comments, I might just have to give 2 aprons away! I have loved loved loved today...so many comments and then going to see your blogs- no laundry done here today. Hopefully I have met some new friends that will come back for free...

I am going to try to buy your love!

Okay... so it worked a little to beg for comments- now I am going to blatantly buy your love- I am not above bribery! I am going to try to beat some blurkers out of the bushes with a little June Cleaver enticement... I am going to give away an apron to one commenter! I love aprons, I love making aprons, I love blogging, and I love getting comments... mix together and you have a

DOMESTIC DIVA GIVEAWAY.

So...here is the recipe-

1. Leave me a comment and I will enter you in the contest. If you don't have a blog or a google account then just leave me an anonymous comment with your name and e-mail address.

2. Give me a shout out link on your blog and I will enter you twice in the contest.

3. Visit me again in about a week...pretend to think I am hilarious and make a comment ( and then pop my bubble and tell me to enter you a third time)

When I contemplated this give-away idea I tried to think of the reasons I was doing it... here is what I came up with- I wanted to bribe a few more people out of the blurking shadows... and I wanted to meet a few new friends in the blogosphere. Kindof goofy...but hey... it is what it is!

OHHHH... I almost forgot I am even going to give the winner the chance to choose what colors the apron is ( so you can match it to your kitchen) You have a voice in the matter...so let me hear you!

P.S. This goes from today until Sunday- June 15th at MIDNIGHT!

School is out for the Summer...

No more homework, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks...YEAH! The kids countdown is over...SCHOOL IS OUT! I can remember the last day of school being the BEST! In grade school the teachers would use slave labor and make us clean their rooms...then in middle school we would think we were so cool going over to Dixie Frozen Yogurt for the end of school celebration. High school was the ultimate...signing yearbooks and checkin out and scheming the summer "scam"! AHHHH... those were the days. Even as a teacher I loved the last day of school...FREEDOM! Now days... I am having a plethora of emotion...glad that there will be no more homework or projects, the kids won't have to be rushed in the morning, and no big schedule. On the other hand there will be no schedule and routine and approx. 80 days of bliss. BLISS? YIKES! I am off to the pharmacy to get a party pack of those "mother's little helpers" that this state is so famous for...

A nasty little apron...

Last month my friend had a birthday and I made her an apron... It is an inside joke that these aprons are best worn alone... so I wrote a little rhyme to get that point across. Aprons are such fun gifts to give and to get. A few people read it and wanted a copy so... here it is. Feel free to borrow it for a girlfriend's birthday or an upcoming bridal shower.

Here is a little birthday gift...

to help you in your life.

It is sometimes really hard-

being a fabulous wife!

The house, the kids, the choas-

you try to be a winner!

Somedays you're just too busy...

Who has the time for dinner?

This is a little helper.

It will work with your man!

Just wear this and nothing else-

Don't touch a pot or pan!

He'll come home wanting-

something really good to eat.

Instead...you'll have all dished up-

His very favorite treat!

Happy Day to my Sis...Jody

Happy Birthday to my little sis...Jody! She is 34...ouch and what is more painful than her age is that I am the older sister. Jody is the perfect little sister... growing up I owned her... wasnt' the nicest big sister, but as I have grown up we have become great friends. I am lucky she is my sister. I was looking for photos of her for the birthday mosaic, and had a hard time finding one of just her... that is how she rolls...always giving to others. She has a great husband and three darling boys. They race motorcycles most weekends and she is their #1 fan. Looking at the photos above you can tell that she used to be a total exhibitionist...she should take up her old hobby because she is tiny and still a total hottie... at 34 I would dare say she is knockin' on cougar. Gotta love her and I am so excited because she is coming to town tomorrow and we are going to party like rockstars. Just kidding we're going shopping and to lunch before she has to join the pit crew at the motorcycle races. I am lucky she is my sister!