SUMMER DAYS....... DRIFTING AWAY..........

Ok, so this summer was not as exciting as the last, no museums, hikes, or other activities.. We just spent alot of time staying at home, grocery shopping and the occasional dinner at a friends house. Jared spent alot of time working, so that left me without a car for the whole summer. And as anyone who knows me, knows that I hate the sunlight and the heat, therefore, I hate summer. I am a Fall/Winter girl, I love the cute outfits, the cold temps and the wonderful scenery. So I wasnt going to walk around anywhere with 4 bottles of water, 3 kids complaining about the heat and 1 stroller crammed with stuff to keep cool. Nope not me!

So we watched alot of movies at home, had tons of time to clean and organize ( which was all undone during the first week of school), and I had time to finish a project or two, here and there. Altogether, It was a good summer, not the greatest, but good. Despite not having a car to drive three kids around in, or having money to go to all these great places, we made up for it by having play-dates with friends, making delicious food and enjoying each others company (maybe a little too much).

We also didn't encounter any major accidents this year, which we were all grateful for, but we did all gain some weight... I guess that makes up for the accidents.. Oh well. Jared and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary this year. We were able to have dinner twice at the Cheesecake Factory and the Olive Garden... We were planning some other activities like going to Park City but that didn't work out like we hoped.

This summer I went on my first camp out EVER!!! Cant say it was horrible but it wasn't great either... We (the kids and I ) stayed in our friends camping trailer... it was nice and cool and comfy. The adults and teens took a 6 mile hike which left us all immovable for days. The camping trip was only one weekend long but it was tiring. The kids had fun. Maybe next year I might try it again. As long as we go with the same friends we went with this past summer.

We also had the opportunity to do some horse back riding... that was fun... and free! Pictures of that will come soon... when I have time to get them on here. The kids will say their summer was fun, and it was, but it was also relaxing. The best part is that they all reserved their energy for school. Yay me!

The first week of school post will be coming soon...

Graduation Day!!!

So I know its late but I thought that I would post the recent Graduation pics that I had! Lizzy is dead center in this one hope you can find her! She is so happy to be starting 1st grade and the most exciting part for her is that she can have lunch at school... silly girl!

Jamie is also very excited to start Kindergarten. She will be in Lizzy's old class with Lizzy's former Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Spendlove. The girls are super excited to start the new year, meeting new people, learning new things and having wonderful experiences.

Lizzy is 6 yrs old today!

Ready for a party!

Side walk chalk is a great thing!

Barbie presents! whoo hoo......

he stole my soda!

Home-made Birthday cake. Strawberry cake and strawberry frosting.
And some great Chocolate/Marshmallow icecream!!

Drinks on a hot day!

Wonder what she got?

Arlene's macaroni pie was a big hit! It was gone so quickly that all I got was a pic of an empty dish... oh well, maybe for the next bday party we have a pic of it! yum!

Grilled hotdogs! yummy!

So happy to be 6 yrs old!

6 yrs old!

I have a 6 yr old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow I am old!!!!!!!!! well, Liz had a wonderful backyard birthday party. Really simple but alot of fun. We invited some of her friends from school, their families and some of our friends. The kids all had a blast, and the food was excellent...

I was really glad to have the Martinson family, Josi and her boys, Arlene and Troy, Tearron Frye, Ana and her family, and Lizzy's Best friend, Regan and her mom!

It was a simple, happy birthday with simple activites and simple and delicious food... I just hope I can pull off something this great in August for Jared Samuel's 2nd birthday!

Hiking to the top!

The Valley near Bountiful

Little Snowmen in JUNE!!!

Thinking of sliding down the snow back to the trail...

Daddy and his girls.

Playing in a puddle right by the campsite.

Bacon for breakfast???

Breakfast of Blueberry pancakes and bacon.. yumm!

Their tent.

Dinner of hotdogs, chips and chilli!

Playing in the fire...

First Campout EVER!!!!!!


So, we asked Liz what she wanted to do for her 6th birthday... she said she wanted to go camping. Well we didn't have a tent or anything for camping as a family, because we never been camping as a family yet! So, Jared got a tent from his brother Levi, it was small but the perfect size for Jared and the girls.

I thought it would be best if Jared took the girls camping without me, little Red was really sick that night and I didn't think that it was wise to take him to the mountains in cool weather. So we stayed home.

On Friday night the girls and Jared set out to Bountiful for a camp out with Jared's ole buddy, Tearron. The girls helped to set the tent up and helped with the fire. For dinner they all had hot-dogs, chips and chili... I heard that the chili wasn't a good idea, you probably already know why! hahah

They stayed up till 11pm, till the sun went down and the girls work up at sunrise ( 5am)! After a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes and bacon they girls, Tearron and Jared headed on to a little trail to do some exploring!! There was still snow on the top of the mountains, I guess it will all melt away in August, but there was enough snow to make a little snowman!

The girls had a great time and they cant wait to go camping on July 9th!

Things I loved as a kid... and still do!

So I thought that I would enlighten you on a little bit more about me.... My blog is usually about the kids and the family but now I have friends that check out the blog that want to know more about me.... other then being a mom and wife!

So here goes:

1. CARTOONS: I am a kid at heart I guess, but I love watching cartoons, I can watch them all day long, and with three little kids I usually do! My favs are mostly cartoons from when I was a kid. Like Looney Toons, Tiny Toons, Rocko's Modern Life, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, Power Puff Girls, Gargoyles, X-men....etc! Definitely enough cartoons to drive a regular adult crazy, but like when I was a kid, I still look forward to Saturday Morning cartoons!

2. CHOCOLATE: I think any woman would agree, but for me specifically I crave only one kind of chocolate... and that is anything chocolate hazelnut..... Yep that is just the only thing that I would eat really. If it has hazelnut flavoring I would still eat it. But then who wouldn't. As for being a woman, when the time comes, and it does, I will eat anything with chocolate in it ... no prob.. but on a regular day chocolate hazelnut is for me!

3. GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES: I recall when I was in the first grade and my little sister started to go to Kindergarten, for some reason we went on the same bus to school but on the way home we took different buses. So my mom would pick me up first and drop me off at the apartment, where I would let myself in while she went back downstairs to pick up my sister. So while she was gone I would make myself a grilled cheese sandwich and a tall glass of chocolate milk. Dont worry I didn't use the stove. We had a pizza oven thing and it was basically like a toaster just put the bread and the cheese in, push the button and in about a minute you would have the best thing EVER!

To this day the only thing that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside is a good grilled cheese sandwich. Simple, Cheese and bread... no ham, or veggies or nothing. Of course now I use a bit of pepper Jack Cheese... and when ever I do make it now I always remember the Nesquick chocolate milk! mmmmmm

4. SPENDING TIME WITH MOM: As the older sibling in my family it meant that time with my mom was limited. She is the old fashion kind of mother, always cleaning or cooking or something. But I remember that most nights after 8pm my mom would sit and watch tv, usually with a hot cup of tea or something. My sister and dad would be in bed and I would sit next to her and watch whatever.. didnt really matter but for the first time at all during the day, this would be the time that my mom would talk to me! It was nice... Even when I was a teen, studying for this or that, or running around with friends, I would come home and find my mom waiting for me, watching tv. I would then go and change and get a bite to eat and sit with her and watch whatever she was watching.

Now, its definitely harder to do. I dont get to see my mom much but when I do, we always fall back into the same routine. The kids go to bed, Jared ends up on the PC and I get to sit with mom and talk.... I hope that one day when my kids are older and busier that we can do the same thing... I hope!

5.BURGER, FRIES AND A SHAKE: Yes, I know... I was a kid who fell in love with McDonald's. I still think that this combo will still any heart.. literally and figuratively! But when I get depressed this is something that helps to lift my mood. Of course I share most of it with the kids and Jared but even the smallest bite helps make feel better!

6.SWIMMING: I love to swim ... not so much at the beach but more like the local pool. As soon as I smell that chlorine I get excited... like a kid going to the pool is super fun. Now going with three kids is kinda hectic. Even thought I usually dont get to swim like I use to, its still a blast. I love it way too much... the only part that I dont love is the "trying to fit into a swimsuit' part!

7. CAKE: Not the Birthday cake.. maybe something without that much sugar... I especially like Angel Food cake. But I could eat cake everyday.... not a fan of lemon or orange cake but I like all the usual flavors. And would fore-go the frosting for a fruit topping and some whip cream! Yummm..

8. SLEEP: This should be number 1. Even as a kid I loved nap time. I slept so much during my teenage years that my mother would tell me ' Your going to sleep your life away!' whatever that means, but I do sleep alot. I dont think I am lazy at all, I work hard... I guess I wear myself out more then most people do!

I recall when I was 16, we were just done with exams and I was beat. I was also coming down with a cold or something, I remember coming home to a empty house and wondering where everyone was...then falling asleep in my room. The only thing I did was take my shoes off... Still had my school uniform on (gross I know). That day I had a activity at church or something to go to but was planning on not going due to my cold. I fell asleep at 2p and I woke up at 1130p, got a drink, went to the bathroom and went to bed. I got up the next morning at 8a.... So I slept for more then 15 hrs straight.... When I woke up my mother almost fainted... She didn't know I was home.. She thought that I went to the church activity before she got home and thought that I spent the night at a friends house!!!! I got a bite to eat then went back to bed and slept till 2p...

As you can tell I love to sleep. Especially now, when sleep is something that I dont get much of. I will try to get Jared to watch the kids long enough for me to get a hour of extra sleep, but we all know that if you gave me a chance I would sleep well into the next day! ... I love sleep!

9.BLUE: I love the color Blue... anything blue is the thing for me. I love sky blue and periwinkle blue... I have tons of blue clothes... I think one day I will have a house and I will have a blue room... It will be a place where you can just sit and read! ...

10. READING: I never had a problem reading anything. If you asked me to read it, I usually would. I have a problem though... I have to finish one book before I can start another ( I think its my only OCD thing). Not great... I just started to read the Old Testament... So when I get done with that, in the next 5 years, I can start another book! LOL...

Books I usually enjoy reading are fantasy ( Harry Potter, anything with mermaids, Lord of the rings, anything really with the fantasy world) and children's books (Cinderella, Snow White...etc) Shakespeare, To Kill A Mockingbird, Annie John, The Chrysallids. I recently read the two of the Twilight series... not a fan.. and not going to read anymore of those books... it just too slow of a story!

One day... not too far away... I hope to publish a series of childern's books. One that I have been writing since I could write. I made many stories with this character in it, when I was a kid and now that I am grown up I hope to introduce Tom the Cat to the world, along with his friends... We will see how that goes!

11. CATS: Yep I love cats... all kinds wild and domestic. I think a house without a cat is a lonely house. So right now my house is lonely. I have this saying that I will be the old lady in the neighborhood with a house full of cats. They are great, independent and self reliant animals. The best part is that I could leave the house for a day or so and come back to a clean house. I hope to adopt our next cat from the shelter. And with the kids we think that we need a cat that is older then three years old. I am also looking for a cat to inspire me about the books I want to write. I think I may base my book on my other kitty (Thomas) but we will see! Either way I would love a cat that is just fat, lazy and mild tempered. So I am also looking for a chubby cat... I think they are cuter with a bit more meat on them!

12.ANIMALS: I think that I have WAY more patience with animals then humans. For some reason I just understand them better, and enjoy their company. When I was a kid I wanted to be a Vet... I still do. I hope that I can get a chance to work and help with animals. I would like volunteer to do some work at a local zoo or shelter... that is, once little Jared is in school. I dont really mind cleaning cages or changing newspaper, but I hope that I can give the animals some attention that they wouldn't get. I am a sucker for lost, abandoned or sick animals (especially cats) I just dont think its weird. So if I come to your house and you have a pet.. I may become their best friend before I become best friends with you.. Just sayin'

13. SLEEP:.... oh wait I already did that one!

14.CHRISTMAS: I love this season... the snow, the decorations, the food and all the great things that come with the holidays. I have always loved Christmas time. Especially when I was a kid and we would celebrate our Trini Christmas at my grandmother's house. That was a huge event. I loved it all. We got to see family that we usually didn't see (like my older half sister Simone) and get to cook special types of food that you usually only eat at Christmas time ( pastels). The best part for me was going to our favorite tree place and choosing a real pine tree to take home and decorate On the way home from the tree place we would stop at the little mom and pop store and get some fresh apple cider for the month! . It was truly the best time. As I got older, I got to help my mom choose the color theme and decorations, I loved it all!

15. MERMAIDS: Probably already mentioned this sometime ago... but I love anything to do with Mermaids... I am a fanatic... some people like dragons, super heroes, cars or dogs or something like that, but this is the thing that makes me feel like anything is possible ( no matter how weird). After all we know more about space then we do about our Oceans ... so maybe there are mermaids!!!!!!!!!! just kidding.

As a kid I loved to draw and write stories. So I have many pictures and stories of mermaids. I became a fan of mermaids when I was 5 years old and I saw Disney's The Little Mermaid for the first time. Now my kids love this movie and anything to do with mermaids. Living on a island for most of my life helps with my fascination with mermaids... but who knows why or where it all began...


So that's it for now ... hope you enjoy it!

Our Little Tornado!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well as our son turned 20 mths old we soon found out that the terrible two's were coming up. We didn't realize that it would be the next day. From temper-tantrums at the supermarket, throwing his toy cars at anyone's head, spitting food out, spitting and tearing my home apart.. all became a part of our DAILY lives. No more hugs or kisses from this boy. And its likely that if you get too close to him you might get a black eye or a concussion from his "flying cars".

But every now and then our sweet little boy comes back, but only for a few short minutes and you might get a hug and he might share his chocolate cookie with you.... when this happens I am always disappointed that I didn't get a pic of him.

However, on this day Little Jared was heading out to a father/son activity, and our little tornado was so excited to be going somewhere with his daddy. I actually got a pic of him. Then he ran way real quick...... and finally I got a pic of him calling 'DADDDDYYYYY' I bet it was because he was ready to go and his daddy was taking too long!

I look forward to his 2nd birthday in August (time sure does fly) and hopefully we will have more happy pictures to put up of our little TORNADO!!!!!!

Steamed Asparagus.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Grilled marinated beef and grilled cherry tomato kabobs.

Mother's Day Dinner...

So I bet your wondering what I got for Mother's day... well I got NOTHING! That's right NOTHING... exactly what I wanted!!! yep... See I didn't want flowers ( they would die on me and I would be sad) or chocolate ( I would have to share with everyone and not get one single piece) or jewelry ( because I would have no where to wear it except for church, and my son would pull it right off of me!) or a book ( no time to read) or clothes (too picky) and I definitely didn't want breakfast in bed ( don't eat breakfast) .

So........ the best thing that I could think of for Mother's Day is for everyone to LEAVE ME ALONE!!! And I got exactly that! NO changing diapers, NO feeding the kids, NO entertaining the kids, NO dealing with temper-tantrums or accidents... and best of all NO chores!

I pretty much slept as much as I could. I slept till about 1030am and then took my time getting 'ME' ready for church. Came home from church, took a nap while Jared took care of the kids. Then I woke up at about 6pm and started to get our healthy and quick dinner ready.

Just strung the marinated beef and tomatoes on the kabobs and sent Jared out to grill them. All while I microwaved our favorite mashed potatoes and flash steamed some asparagus.

Dinner was great. Tasted great... best part Jared did the dishes... and then on to chocolate ice cream with hot fudge for dessert....

After this Mother's day I was well rested and ready to deal with the hectic week ahead... I know what I am doing next year for mother's day.... absolutely NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!