4! I'm tagged!

My friend Kendal tagged me a pretty fun little game. Pick the 4th picture from the 4th folder on your computer (once you get to where you store your pics of course), post it and tell anything fun about the pic. And no editing the picture!! :) Then tag 4 people! (Let them know they've been tagged too) I'm tagging Megan Stay, Megan Taylor, Emily Tate, and Maggie Leak. But! Anyone else who wants to do this, please do!! It'd be fun to see :)

So, in trying to find this picture, I realized my photo file is a little harder to pick out than just 4-4-4...so I am putting a couple on here, because it depends on how you look at my picture organization!! :) Plus, they're cute, haha!

Here is Cailen during Easter time last year, getting some eggs :)Umm, these are my toes. I painted them red for when we went to Disneyland in May. Here we are heading to the beach!This is Cailen at Mark's family cabin at Bear Lake. He liked to play with his cousins' action figures :)By doing this post, I decided to organize my pictures a little. Therefore, I now have a true 4-4-4 picture. This is the 4th picture from the 4th folder. Well, the fourth picture from the 4th folder from the 4th folder really..Anyway, this was last April when we went with Mark's family down south, around Price, for camping. We arrived first and picked the campsite. This is Cailen bundled up and not knowing what to think of the place :) It was fun though. PERFECT place to go paintballing, which we brough with us of course. Wished I could have lightened it some, but hey, those are the rules.

FightFOCA

http://www.fightfoca.com

I'm not going to rant and rave. For a variety of reasons. First, it's 10:30 and I'm tired. Secondly, I'm not the most knowledgeable person out there when it comes to politics. Thirdly, I don't want to rant and rave, it doesn't make me feel good. And I'm sure there is a fourth, but refer to number one to figure out why I can't think of it. P.S. (I'm using that a lot lately, I know) but does anyone know why this thing keeps telling me I'm spelling things wrong?? I have apparently spelled don't, couldn't and doesn't all wrong..What the heck? Ok, moving on...

I came across this website on Facebook from my friend Katie. She wrote a note about it here (if you can get to it). She explains it pretty good. I just went to the website and signed up! Anyway, reading about it made me mad. Seriously, what the heck??? Obama you're an idiot if you do this. For real. What stupidity. This is my blog, so I get to say this. How retarded! How is this doing anything to fight freaking culture wars? Honestly. How does this do anything for freedom in this country? People think that by allowing people to do whatever they want is freedom. Yeah, right. If you're LDS then you know that freedom doesn't come by not having rules and restrictions and being able to do whatever you want. Freedom comes by making correct choices and living the gospel. This is NOT in accordance with the gospel. How could it be? If it truly would MAKE Catholic hospitals perform abortions, that is ridicluous. That is the exact OPPOSITE of freedom. Giving someone else the right to throw away someone else's life (the baby's) because of various reasons, I know the argument...is not right. Making someone assist in that? EXTREMELY not right. Ugh. It makes me sick. Didn't I just say I wasn't going to rant and rave. Dang it. Ok, I'm done. Anyway go to the site, let your voice be heard. If anyone has any other info or insight, or can inform me better, let me know. I'd love to know if I am somehow misinformed or if this travesty is really as bad as it is sounding. And pleeeeaaase. Pray for this country and do your part as well!

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing"

Ice Skating is HAARD!

For Cailen that is :) This was a while ago but in looking at my pictures for finishing up about my birthday I saw them and realized that I never blogged about this lovely adventure! And it was so fun! And silly! Seriously, an 18 month old ice skating? What was I thinking?! Well actually, I was sorta thinking. I called the front desk before planning this outing to see what the smallest size ice skate they had was. "Oh they go small, like a 3 or 4!" she said, with a couple more likes in there I'm sure (high-school slang style, you know?) Anyway, we get there, pay for the rentals, etc etc. Then we go to trade in our shoes and the guy informs us the smallest they have is an 8. An 8!!!! Cailen wears a size 4 or 5. Seriously, humungo difference there. Well, we already paid so we figured we'd try it out (Mark was a little pessimistic, I was a little optomistic-slash-hopeful). We get out there and whoosh, out go Cailen's feet. He totally couldn't stand up on his own!! So we carried him the whole way, pretty much dragging him around the rink. It was hilarious. I think we made it around once. Then Mark took him around the same little area so I could take some pictures and video (the video is on my actual video camera so sorry, no uploading of that) and then I took him around about half the rink before cutting across the middle and coming back! He eventually learned that he needed to try to walk. I kept telling him to walk and coaxing with "step, step" to try to help him. If you held him right, he could sorta do this. It was funny. I don't know if he liked it or not, but it was a funny trip, fun memory, and great pictures! Enjoy!

Cailen and Mark, Cailen standing all on his own! (for 2 seconds)

Mark trying to get Cailen to skate

The fam at the ice rink :)

Val trying to get Cailen to skate

CUTE little skates (well, big skates for Cailen)

Look at them compared to mine! So little, yet sooo big for Cailen!

We had fun though. We have passes to our Rec Center and they have an ice rink, so all we had to pay for was rentals. Awesome. Cailen LOOVES to swim too so we do that as well Brynna, if you are reading this...SWIM LESSONS! We need to sign our kiddos up! My friend Brynna and I are going to enroll our little munchkins in swim lessons. Don't worry, we're not throwing them in the pool or anything. It's actually more to get them comfortable with the water and to teach us mom's what we can do to facilitate the learning and stuff. Anyway, should be fun. Gotta love the rec center!

72 hour kits

I have REALLY been trying to work on my emergency supplies, my food storage, etc. I have some first aid kits all figured out for my house and car (check that off my list!) and now I've been working on my 72 hour kits. I saw a website where this lady had used rolling duffel bags and rolling back packs to put everything in instead of regular backpacks. I loved the idea!! So today when I was out spending my birthday money, I picked up a couple.Mark's is the red one and mine is the green. (p.s. look at the uber-cute rain boots in the corner of the pic! I got them for Christmas from my sister Heather!) I couldn't very well leave Cailen out of the loop, but figured he was a little to little to be lugging around his own backpack. Low and behold, I found the perfect thing, and for only $5!! Here is Cailen with his own backpack. He's got a coloring book, crayons, card games, silly putty, a puzzle, and a squishy ball in there to take with him. I figured he could carry his own entertainment while M&D lugged around the essentials. I'm going to add a few snacks, a stuffed animal, some books and maybe a few other light things. He'll be set!!

It's Spiderman, so that's a little weird since Cailen has no clue who that is, but seriously, $5? he loves to wear it as you can see :) I'm keeping the tags on for a little while just in case I see anything in the next day or two that is better (like a Handy Manny or a Buzz Lightyear one)

Anyone have any awesome ideas or lists for 72 hour kits or emergency stuff? I'd LOVE to hear about it!!

I am also getting my food storage in order and trying to get used to using that in my everyday meals, rotating, you know? So if you have any good recipes, places to get certain items, etc etc., I'd love to hear that too!!

Mass Post About Everything!

Ok, so maybe not EVERYTHING. But I felt there were too many pictures I hadn't blogged about that I need to just get it all out there!! So here is a little about Cailen and a little about Mark.

Cailen is the CUTEST kid ever. I might tell you your kid is cute, but I'm secretly thinking "My kid is cuter." Who doesn't?? I'm not a meanie, it's just the truth!! I LOVE CAILEN! So here is him being a silly-bean.

He was rocking his "babies" to sleep. He calls the Wendy doll simply Doll. And he kept wanting Eeyore to sing his song, so I had to keep pushing it for him while he rocked them. Adorable! (P.S. This is the chair in his room where I put him to sleep so he knows)

I took Cailen to work with me on Thursday. For those of you who don't know, I work for this family helping them with things around the house like ironing, vacuuming, etc. And they let me bring Cailen! It's pretty cool of them. Anywy, he's a dork and I was hoping he would take his nap while I was there (hence him still being in his pajamas...I thought maybe they'd set the sleeping mood) well that totally didn't work and he decided to be silly instead. He kept taking the garbage can out of their little boy's room and running around with it. This let me get my vacuuming done, so I took some pictures before having Cailen put it away. He was walking around with it over his head for quite a while. I think I actually heard him bump into the wall a few times, haha.

Now on Thursday, Mark got up at 5 am to go ice fishing with his step-dad! ICE fishing. At 5 AM! Craziness. But this is what he brought back to us, which is now in the fridge. Fresh trout! It was a little disgusting to watch, but Cailen was fascinated (as can be seen in the picture with his cousin Gabe). He kept pointing and saying "fish" as Mark was chopping the things head off!! Ok, and tail. And when I would hold the bag for Mark to plop it in there.

I love my two boys!!!

Weekend of Birthday

I have been so incredibly lazy about my blog lately. I just know the effort it will take and so I haven't wanted to even start. Now I'm way behind!! But I am determined to catch up. In order to do so, I have to talk about my birthday again :) I had a weekend of birthday celebration! I already talked about the Friday before my birthday (a week ago, ha) when Mark and I went out. Now on to my actual birthday, Saturday. I was trying and trying to think of how I wanted to spend my birthDAY and just couldn't figure it out. Finally I decided I wanted to go to lunch with Mark at CHILI'S. For those of you who don't know, Mark has put a ban on Chili's (and Applebee's). We didn't have the greatest time at either the last couple of times we went and so for a few years now, Mark has refused to go (I have snuck a few times :) hehe). But Chili's has my FAVORITE dessert and soup. I used to go during college to Chili's with friends to celebrate my birthday. Anywho, I decided it waas time to go back. So he was a lovely sweet husband and took me there for my birthday! I got the Chicken Enchilada soup (DELICIOUS!!) and then we split the Paradise Pie for dessert (also to die for!) It was great. My mom watched Cailen so we could have a nice relaxing time. Then I went with my mom and sister to Color Me Mine. It was fun! This was the second time I have been there, the first time I made a plate with Cailen's footprints (adorable!!) This time I made another place, but it is a birthday plate! I thought it would be cute to make a special birthday plate on MY birthday. So it's for the cake, cupcakes or whatever I make for whoever's bday. I hope it turns out cute, I haven't picked it up yet :) Then after that, my mom dropped me off at ZTejas restaurant in the Gateway for some dinner with my dad. We went to the Jazz game that night! I haven't been to one yet with my dad, so it was fun that there was one on my birthday! Thanks Dad!! It was a lot of fun and they played well, but they ended up losing :( Oh, and I wish I had got a picture of the kid who sang the National Anthem. He was like 8 and he sang so incredibly! I am jealous. Anyway, the Jazz played the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although they lost and it was annoying that they did so, it was cool to watch LeBron James. He kind of annoyed me too because you could tell he was stinkin' cocky. I hate this stupid idea athletes have to FAKE injuries. They are sooooo dramatic! I saw it with pro soccer when we went to Real Salt Lake games. And I see it in the NBA. How lame! Just suck it up and deal with it, stop trying to get fouls called and whatever else you're trying to do! Anyway, off that soapbox, here are some pictures from my birthday, it was fun!

I totally forgot to take pictures at the pottery place and Mark refused to take anymore supposedly useless pictures :)

Here is me blowing out my birthday cupcakes my family made me :) And the presents my family gave me too: I got two pairs of jeans, some cute brown boots, some brown shoes, an emergency radio (sweet!) and a dust buster--all of which was on my wish list! Awesome! *funny side note, I ended up getting three dust busters and two radios...apparently my list wasn't as varied as I thought and EVERYONE actually got me something on my wish list. I also ended up with some stud earrings and a rice cooker from Mark's family. Yes!

Here's my dad and I at the game and a shot of the action!

Happy Birthday to Me!

So today is my 25th birthday! Wow, I'm a quarter of a century old! I don't even know what to say on this post because I don't know if I'm excited it's my birthday or not, haha! But it means I get to celebrate and that's fun. Mark took me out last night for dinner to celebrate. We went to Rodizio's Grill and ate our weight in yummy meat. I totally forgot to take pictures while we were there, so here are some ones I got off the internet, so you get the idea of what this place is like if you have never been:

They bring these skewers around and slice you off a piece! You can just keep getting more! It's awesome. I mean look at this meat:

Yummy! But my favorite is the grilled pineapple! DELICIOUS! The first time the guy came around, I got two pieces, haha!

Mark and I are going to try to learn how to make grilled pineapple at home because it is SO good! Anyway, that was last night, let's see what I get to do today on my ACTUAL birthday :)

Here's a picture of me and Mark after dinner when we went to pick up Cailen from his mom's house. I HAD to get at least one picture of us! (Mark thought I was a dork for still wanting to take a picture) I'm wearing my awesome leather jacket I got for Christmas :) Anyway, I'd better get off here or I won't do ANYTHING fun for my birthday!

Tag :)

Saw this fun tag on Kendal's blog and had to join in! Super easy and super fun to read about on other's blogs! So tag yourself! Just copy and paste the following list and then bold the things that you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band--(also middle school band for me, Kendal)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain--Mt. Timpanogas, in the middle of the NIGHT!

9. Held a praying mantis

10. (where'd #10 go?)

11. Bungee jumped

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Taught yourself an art from scratch

14. Adopted a child

15. Had food poisoning

16. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

17. Grown your own vegetables--oh yeah, just don't ask me if I used any of it or if it got trampled by snow and/or animals...

18. Seen the Mona Lisa in France--sweet! The Louvre ROCKS! Maggie...good times.

19. Slept on an overnight train--I totally missed hanging out with my high school friends on the train while we were traveling around Europe because I fell asleep!

20. Had a pillow fight

21. Hitchhiked

22.Taken a sick day when you're not ill

23. Built a snow fort

24. Held a lamb

25. Ran a marathon

26. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

27. Seen a total eclipse--I believe so...during elementary school. It's all a blur. I might be totally wrong!

28. Watched a sunrise or sunset--both!

29. Hit a homerun--softball. Nice.

30. Been on a cruise

31. Seen Niagara Falls in person

32. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors--I've been to England, does that count?

33. Seen an Amish community

34. Taught yourself a new language--not by myself really. But when I was in France, I had to learn more than I already knew.

35. Had enough money to be truly satisfied--of course! The money doesn't make a difference!

36. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

37. Gone rock climbing--repelling on a mountain...climbing indoors, does that count?

38. Seen Michelangelo's David--as we drove by, but didn't get to stay in Florence. But I've seen the Thinker. So what if that's Rodin, it was AWESOME!

39. Sung karaoke

40. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

41. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant--but I've always wanted to! Guess this means I need to

42. Visited Africa

43. Walked on a beach by moonlight

44. Been transported in an ambulance

45. Had your portrait painted--charcoal drawing in Paris

46. Gone deep sea fishing--Almost! I chickened out.

47. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

48. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

49. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

50. Kissed in the rain

51. Played in the mud

52. Gone to a drive-in theater--I think the last time I went, Cailen had a blowout diaper and I had to change it in the backseat. Yum. Then we had to watch the whole movie with it in the back of the car. STINKY!

53. Been in a movie--no but my mom was, this cheesy wrestling flick back in the 70s.

54. Visited the Great Wall of China

55. Started a business

56. Taken a martial arts class

57. Visited Russia

58. Served at a soup kitchen--no, but I really want to do this too! Does anyone know of a good one in Utah to go to?

59. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

60. Gone whale watching

61. Got flowers for no reason

62. Donated blood, platelets or plasma--blood.

63. Gone sky diving

64. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp--Dachau...a very sad place.

65. Bounced a check

66. Flown in a helicopter

67. Saved a favorite childhood toy--her name is Sarah and she is a monkey.

68. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

69. Eaten caviar--had the opportunity and totally passed it up, YUCK!

70. Pieced a quilt--I remember helping my mom for her church activity.

71. Stood in Times Square

72. Toured the Everglades

73. Been fired from a job

74. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London--umm, I think so, but it was a long time ago..on second thought, maybe no..So I won't bold this.

75. Broken a bone--I've dislocated a few things and had to have a cast, does that count?

76. Been on a speeding motorcycle--with my dad when I was little.

77. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

78. Published a book--published IN a book, some poems.

79. Visited the Vatican

80. Bought a brand new car

81. Walked in Jerusalem

82. Had your picture in the newspaper

83. Read the entire Bible

84. Visited the White House

85. Killed and prepared an animal for eating--Hey, if my friend counted this for going fishing, I am too!

86. Had chickenpox

87. Saved someone's life--not that I know of.

88. Sat on a jury--almost! Yikes!

89. Met someone famous

90. Joined a book club

91. Lost a loved one

92. Had a baby

93. Seen the Alamo in person--SAD! I haven't seen this!

94.Swam in the Great Salt Lake--when I was little. And it was more like floating...

95. Been involved in a law suit

96. Owned a cell phone

97. Been stung by a bee

98. Seen Mount Rushmore in person

99. Learned to play an instrument--and don't know how anymore :) the clarinet, in case you're wondering.

(was there a #100 Kendal?)

UPDATE SINCE POSTING:

Since posting this, I have ran in a HALF marathon (#25), remembered that I did get flowers for no reason (#61) from Mark when we were dating, and sorta saved someones life (#87) seen here.

Blog Hopping

You know you do it.

I'm all about blog hopping these days. I find some great stuff, people I haven't heard from in years, fun ideas, etc. It's great! Links are fabulous too! That way, I know it's not private (haha) and I can get to it. I love looking at crafty stuff for ideas too. I found a few on one of my favorite crafty blogs, Joys of Home. It has given me hope to look at Joy's blog, but I've found adorable other blogs too! Here is one of my newest, Inspired Kara. She's even got a give-a-way! Awesome! Check it out here. I hope I win :) Another one is Our Creative Life. She's also got a give-a-way! What are some of your favorite blogs and sites? Do share!

Dancing with the Stars!

The time spent with family this Christmas was a lot of fun, so I'm still talking about it. One of the presents my parents gave this Christmas was tickets for all the girls (me, my two sisters, and my mom) to Dancing with the Stars!!

The traveling show came to Salt Lake on the 30th of December and so we made a Girls Night Out!! We left early for parking, walked to Ruby Tuesday and had dinner, then walked back to watch the show. It was AWESOME! They had Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene, Lance Bass, and Marlee Matlin for the celebs (I loved Marlee!). Their partners were Alec Mazo, Cheryl Burke, Lacey Schwimmer (awesome!), and Fabian Sanchez. Derek Hough was there too (obviously the fave!). It really made me want to get into dancing again. In fact, I am asking for ballroom dancing lessons from my husband! He has to go with me of course. So we'll see if I get the lessons, haha! I took a social dance class in college but of course I've forgotten most of it. Even if I remembered how to waltz or whatever, Mark doesn't know, so it's pointless! Anyway, the night was lots of fun, we stayed out late and enjoyed hanging out with girls :) Here are some pics and a few clips of the evening!

Waiting for it to start!

The celebs with their professionals

This waltz (below) is what made me want to take classes!

2009 New Year's Resolutions

Ok, so I figured this year I should really make an attempt to make some resolutions for the new year. That way I will have some concrete goals and I will have this blog and my readers (there are some out there aren't there?) to keep me honest. So here goes with my list:

1. Read the BOM 3 times. I made a goal last year to finish the BOM by Thanksgiving, which gave me approximately 30 days since I made the goal a few days before Halloween. That was a crazy month. And needless to say, I didn't make it. But I did finish before Christmas, which was two months of reading, so I figure 4 months each time through should be plenty!!
2. Included in the above is to read the scriptures daily. This is both personal and as a couple.
3. Daily prayer, personal and as a couple. MORNING and night.
4. Scrapbook!!! I gotta get a bunch done. Doubt I'm going to do this one as well as I'd like, but I'm sure going to try!!!!
5. Organize my storage room. This is a BIGGY. But I realllllly need to do it because I can never find anything and I'm sure half of it is junk anyway, so I really need to go through it. I gotta do this one!!
6. EXERCISE consistently. Even if it's a lousy and useless one-time-a-week thing. I have a membership to the Rec Center and it's doing me no good!
7. Travel as much as possible. Europe?? Argentina?? ZIONS?
8. Taking a page from my friend Megan's list: Be more DIY and re-usable. I need to get my creative juices flowing! I'm on a tight budget and I know I can be doing more myself.
9. My husband will be thrilled about this one. Cook dinner more (homemade...ish). Then we can live on leftovers or something. I'm really trying to get my food storage together and make meals using that stuff. Or at least make things myself and not from a box! So if anyone has any yummy (and easy?) recipes, I would totally appreciate it!
10. Judge others less and focus on improving myself. I can't make anyone change, so I can only be the best example I can be.
11. Get outside more and be creative about the family activities we do. Granted, it needs to warm up to get outside, but I know there are free and cheap activities out there that we can do as a family. Again, if anyone has any ideas (tried and true or even experimental!) let me know!!!
12. Volunteer. I'm wanting my sister to move to Utah ASAP so I can have a wingman for this sorta thing. I have been wanting to do this for awhile now and well, 2008 just wasn't my year. So in 2009 I am going to work hard at it! At least do service for others, that counts too :)
13. Play with Cailen more often. I mean, sit down, focus on Cailen and help him enjoy being young as well as teach him things! My sister-in-law just gave me some flash cards and he got some educational toys for Christmas, so we'll work on our numbers, alphabet, animals, etc. I want some dedicated sit down play time, where nothing else gets in the way. If I have to schedule it in, by golly, I'm going to schedule it in!
14. Along with #13, finish Cailen's Animal Alphabet book!! I've been working on this for like 9 months now...all it needs is to be laminated to! You would think in 9 months I could have laminated it....Well, I'm going to get it done!!
15. I figured a round number of 15 sounds good for my resolutions, so #15 will be get dolled up every now and then. Not anything crazy, but do my hair, makeup, dress nice, whatever so that I feel pretty and good about myself :) If Mark happens to get me what I want for my birthday (ballroom dance lessons for the both of us) then maybe the time I'm dolled up can be spent going out. We'll see. I might just be watching Toy Story with Cailen instead, haha!

I might have overdone it a bit..I'm slightly worried. But at the same time, it can all be done!! I modified it a bit after I reviewed the list and took out words like "once a week," "every month, " etc (except for the religious goals). That way, all I can do is improve, right? Haha, so help me keep it up! Here's to a GREAT 2009!

Christmas...again

Christmastime is just too much fun. And there are too many cameras and too many moments to capture on those cameras. So here are a few more pictures showing my awesome family and awesome Christmas season.

Three generations! Cailen, Gma and Great Gma! /Sisters! Heather, Val and Michelle

Cailen playing with the nativity scene /Mommy, Cailen and Gma

My mom and dad / Cailen leading us in song during the reading of the birth of Christ

Cailen decided to lick my Scentsy scents/ Christmas morning

Great Gma Silver / Cailen's personal Rock Band