Where The Wild Things Are!

a new arm snugly

2010-05-28T09:31:00.004-06:00

Last week our little girl fell off the bed, like most kids do. I picked her up and held her until she calmed down and didn't think to much more about it until I put her in bed. She started crying and said her neck was burning like a fire, it hurt that bad. I told her daddy would come look. A bit later I hear both the girls freaking out and we run up to see what was going on. She was really scared because she couldn't move to get out of bed to go potty. That made us worry that her collar bone might be broken so her daddy took her in. Sure enough it was. the Dr was pushing on it and asking if it hurt, she said no but mike noticed she was flinching a bit so they took an x-ray. When the Dr saw it she felt so bad for pushing so hard Jane said she was trying to be brave it really did hurt. Now she has this cute sling she has to ware for 3-4 weeks, she told me that was what she always wanted, a snugly blanket for her arm and seems to be excited about it. Who knew that little fall could hurt so bad.

It's about time

2010-05-17T14:57:00.007-06:00

I know, I know its about time we updated. Life has been crazy and blogging has been the last thing on the list and time flys when your working hard. We have been working on the yard, house projects, school and a teething baby. Our little one is not so little, she sits up like a pro and has started bum scooting. She has four teeth and is working on at lest two more. My goal is to get her into a nap schedule. She mostly likes to be held right now and we have discovered that I might be better one handed then two. Shara is finishing up kindergarten this week, I can't believe how fast this school year has gone. Mike is busy making big decisions with the business all the time, life is never boring and I guess that's good. We have a fun trip planned to Vegas and California to see friends and family, the girls keep asking when they can start packing. We can't wait for the weather to stay warm, you never know what you are going to get lately. I hope to post plenty this summer but no promises.

for kelley

2009-12-10T09:11:00.003-07:00

She is Here!!!

2009-09-01T21:59:00.004-06:00

Today we were blessed to have another beautiful baby girl join our family. We are naming her Megan, yes she has a middle name but I don't want to list to much info. She was 7lbs 6oz just like Mike predicted. I cant believe how good he is at that. She also has dark brown hair, as he predicted, short but a fair amount. She may lighten up like the other girls but it is pretty dark like Mikes. She rally looks a lot like both my other girls did when they were born, especially the big cheeks. I must say that she is more vocal than both the girls were, maybe that comes with being third, she wants to make sure she is heard. So far she takes a binki and I am loven it. She is healthy and the delivery went fast and smooth, according to the nurse I make it look like a piece of cake. It was really fun to have the girls come meet her, Shara love holding her. Its crazy to think that we have another. Thanks for all the support and enjoy the pics.

So grown up

2009-08-28T17:14:00.004-06:00

Kindergarten, can you believe it my little one is all grown up and starting kindergarten. She has been so excited for school to start if only they kept that enthusiasm all 13 years of school. Here is a pic of her on the first day,

Ready or not here she comes!

2009-08-28T16:55:00.004-06:00

She is almost here. I am going in a few days early to have the baby, and I can hardly wait. I don't think I have ever been so prepared. I have cleaned my house, got the laundry done, made a meal plan, organized the baby stuff, finished up my project list, stocked up on library movies and books, and pre-made the baby announcements. I think the only thing left to do is go grocery shopping one more time. I have made a tone of girlie things for this baby so naturally everyone keeps saying it will come out a boy. I have a crib set and a box of boy clothes so I would be prepared for that so I think I am safe knowing it's a girl. I can't wait to see what she looks like!

Jak

2009-06-27T11:55:00.005-06:00

Meet the newest member of the Bartholomew family, Jak (pronounced Jack). Those of you who know me may also know how psychotic I can be about my house (and how I like to keep it clean). So believing that I would let a dog into my house might be hard to believe, but yes we got a dog. Who could resist that cute little face. He is half Yorkie and half Maltese, he will grow to about 3 pounds so he will stay fairly little. We thought we could use another boy in the house. He can be the sweetest thing and very frisky too. So far no allergy problems have arose so it looks like he gets to stay.

What a Party!

2009-04-24T07:20:00.006-06:00

I seem to be way behind on posting, Shara's birthday was a long time ago but we wanted to share the pictures. We had a punch (tea) party with a few cousins and friends. We dressed up, made necklaces and had our snack. It was very laid back but super fun. Each girl came dressed up in their fancy clothes and got a hat and gloves.

The night before we had dessert with her grandparents. What a cutie, I can't believe how big she is getting.

Are you Dying to know?

2009-04-24T07:08:00.002-06:00

We found out what we are having, Its a GIRL! Big surprise I know, we seem to be really good at girls. We are very excited, and maybe someday we will get a boy here. No we have not decided on a name yet. We have a few in mind but we still have four months to decide. I figured it would be a girl because we just had a wave of boys around here and now it is time for the wave of girls. We are definitely prepared.

Crown Molding...only if you really want to mess with someone

2009-03-21T12:14:00.006-06:00

Well, I recently enjoyed the experience of replacing crown molding on an entertainment center we inherited/received from a family member. I gained 2 things from the experience:

1.) If you really, really want to mess with someone's brain, ask them to put up crown molding and return in 2-4 hours. I would suggest only performing such a practical joke on those you wish to truly lose their minds. Also, be prepared for agitation, aggression and profane language upon your return (don't say I didn't warn you, I've even seen bishops turn into sailors).

2.) I am now a true man. For a pencil-pusher/nerd physical therapist that really has no talent when it comes to tools, construction and other 'manly' things, I can say I conquered the beast (and the beast wasn't as scary as I thought).

After concluding that my father in law or brother in law shouldn't have to hold my hand every time I approached a tool, I decided that I would just dive right in. 2 hours at Home Depot, a miter saw, air compression and finish nail gun later I was armed to fight the beast. Being naive I figured this must be simple geometry and cut them at 45 degree angles...after my first cut the look on my face may have indicated that I had realized I was in over my head.

Luckily as a physical therapist we have to measure angles all the time (usually to see if people are regaining their range of motion in a joint, e.g. shoulder, knee or ankle). So I used a goniometer (see picture) to find the angles I need as well as a quick consultation with the omniscient 'google'.

Again I thought I was on top of things until I realized the brain twister of how to place the crown in order to get the correct cut. It is not really that difficult but when you are getting play by play commentary from a 2 and 5 year old with questions about the scary machine and comments like "Daddy, I don't think you know what you are doing" or "I bet gramdpa or chad would be done by now" (courtesy of Shara) it is not too hard to get frustrated. Jane was kind enough to give me her opinion as well which consisted of "It's too loud!!!" "Scary!!! Scary!! Stop it daddy!!"

Nonetheless, my determination was fierce and focused. By the time I was finished it was dark, the girls had in bed for a while, my neighbors were grateful the noise finally came to an end, and no blood had been shed. Success.

Hanging it was fun too, not nearly as hard and the crown looks great!! Ta da'!! It may have taken a few tries though (see below) :]

Fabulous Winner!

2009-03-06T17:47:00.003-07:00

You could be a winner!

The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you. I get to pick what I make for you, but it will be especially for you.
But here's the deal:
1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! (But I'll try to make something cool:)
2 What I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 You have no clue what it will be.
The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!! Maybe I'll get crafty, maybe I'll bake, maybe I'll come with something else. Who knows! So come and play along!

New stages

2009-03-06T07:30:00.003-07:00

As you are all aware I have never been a great updater but felling under the weather has definitely slowed me down even more. Trust me it shows in my house too. I am normally a very faithful cleaner but have I let it go the last few weeks. I felt good the second half of the day yesterday and got the ball rolling. I got off the couch and cleaned my house from top to bottom I even organized my files and scrapbook room and got two projects done. I thought I shouldn't stop there, I thought I would update too. This morning I was so excited because I an 14 weeks along and was not expecting to feel the baby move for another week, but it has been moving like crazy today. It makes it feel a lot more real when you can feel the baby inside, I think this is one of my favorite parts, to bad Mike and the girls will still have to wait awhile to feel it. Many have you have been asking how far along I am and when I am due. I wasn't 100% sure so I have put off answering. After my Dr visit a week and a half ago I am sure. I am 14 weeks today and due on Sept 4. Both of my girls have been a week early so we might make the school deadline with this one. Thank you for all the offers to help me out. We are doing great and I really feel pretty good now except at night. I am hoping that only last another week or so. Now my biggest problem with this new stage is finding clothes to wear, I'm barely showing so maternity clothes are way to big and I am just big enough my regular clothes look a little funny. Oh well can't have it all I guess. If you see me just don't tell me you can really tell now and I will survive the awkward stage.

Simple Joys

2009-02-05T08:05:00.008-07:00

I have been thinking of how it seems to be the simplest things in life that bring us joy. For example the girls worked together the other night to surprise us by putting flowers in Jane's hair, because of the reaction they got they have done it over and over. Then last night at the store my girls found toy cameras, You can't really see through them and the only thing they do is say 3 or 4 things when you push the button, but they think it is the greatest. They worked together the other night to surprise us by putting flowers in Jane's hair, because of the reaction they got they have done it over and over. They were just given big beds (twin size with frames) Shara had a big one but it was just on the floor, now Jane is excited for nap time and they both like going to bed. Who would have thought that would make such a difference.

The things I have found to be simple joys lately are:
-A box of cereal that I can eat anytime and still enjoy without being sick
-breakfast rolls that are my morning snack, I love not having to wonder what I can eat.
-20 more min of sleep in the morning when my girls sleep a little longer
-finding two socks with no holes that match (i just bought new ones last night)
-a hug from Mike
-using the restroom without someone coming in(rare when you have young kids)
Shara's simple joys are:
-the paper airplane her daddy helped her make, she can fly it for hours
-working on homework for school, she loves learning, i hope that lasts
-having her picture taken for any reason
-having me read a book to her in an accent
-being moms helper for anything
-opening the jewelery when is arrives to see what everything looks like
Jane loves:
-a sucker, preferably 2. It stops most crying and entertains her for a long time
-knowing her sister has to take a nap too
-doing things by herself like taking off her coat or putting on her shoes and socks
-snuggling, she loves to hold you, whither watching a movie or just hanging out
-hearing the garage and going to meet daddy as he comes in the door
-painting her toes
what I perceive as simple joys for Mike are:
-a day going by with no major problems at work, sometimes rare
-working out in the morning
-being greeted at the door by his girls with a hug
-watching the office
-playing Madden(PlayStation)with Dave uninterrupted
-the beach in San Clemente

What are your simple joys?

p90 What!?!?!?!?

2009-01-31T21:29:00.005-07:00

p90x by Tony Horton and Beachbody.com is:

1)The best and most complete workout I've seen/experienced.

2)Exactly what I needed after getting a little bored of going to the gym by myself.

3)Completely INSANE/intense

So...I have a missed 3 days the past 3 weeks, but I am loving the program. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it is a program that includes 12 workout DVDs. You are suppose to workout 6 days a week and you don't simply randomly pick a DVD. Instead he gives you a great method that will challenge you and keep you interested. The method is called periodization (he calls it muscle confusion) and is currently used for all competitive athletes at the college, professional and even some high school levels.

As a physical therapist, certified strength and conditioning specialist and a proud holder of a "BS" of Exercise Science from BYU I don't know that the problem for me was that I didn't know how to work out. Rather, I think that like most people I just got busy, bored and a little unmotivated. I found myself teaching others how to care for your bodies, injuries and even how to lose weight yet my waist line was larger than ever.

I heard about p90x from a few patients, then my bro in law "Mr. O" bought it and let me preview a few DVDs and I was incredibly impressed. I found a great deal from a friend who burned out after a week and landed the DVDs, workout books and pull up bar for a mere $80. Another $80 investment of push up bars, Heart Rate monitor, yoga mat x 2 (my wife has been enjoying the workouts as well) and a few other odds and ends and I am in love with this workout!!!

The work out is crazy intense, but they show you levels that most average, middle-aged adults could do. This workout is not for those with back, shoulder or knee problems. On that note, I tore my Achilles tendon and can do most of the workouts with my protective boot (except for plyometrics, but that is probably the hardest, most aggressive work out of the bunch).

The Pros:

1) Fun, Tony is just corny enough that he isn't annoying and you don't want to pound his face in as he mocks you. He is a refined trainer that explains well, makes excellent points and is pretty freakin' buff at 50.

2) Different, I LOVE the yoga DVD (however I have yet to complete more than 50 minutes of the 90 min workout), Kenpo is fun, the Shoulder/Arm routine is AWESOME...the chest/back routine is just hard. But nonetheless I feel like there is enough variety that I my interest is piqued and now that I am 3 weeks into it, it is time to do 6 different DVDs this week and I'm not really even ready for that.

3) Incredible technique, form, information, Tony is spot-on with his advice. I have actually incorporated a few of his moves into the rehab of some of my patients.

The Cons:

1)Not for the faint of heart, this will require commitment and if you are really out of shape, you may need to do some lighter training

2) Time, with proper meal planning and the workouts you have to invest at 1.5-2 hours per day, WELL WORTH IT. I am currently working 60+ hours a week to save my company and I still do it, so quite whining.

3)This program may have taken your last excuse away of "I don't know what to do...Working out just isn't fun...I don't have time." Do half the DVD and tell me you aren't completely wasted. It has a 15 min ab workout that leaves my abs in pain they are burning so much.

As they say on the videos..."Do your best and don't worry about the rest"

Two thumbs up, 5 stars, I can't give it any higher recommendation as a health care professional. If everyone did these workouts I would not have a job, period, the end.

I plan on doing several rounds of 90 days due to my Achilles injury and simply based on the fact that I can switch it up and do it forever really. So in a year when I am HUGE, you will know why. :]

P.S. the workout drink they advertise as "really good" ACTUALLY IS!!! The first 1-2 times I thought it was just okay, but I am LOVING it. I drink it 3x/week, instead of 6x as they would like my wallet, I mean as they would like me to do.

see http://p90x.com for more details

Upcoming in 2009

2009-01-04T22:12:00.009-07:00

We hope to see our food storage climb

We plan to go camping all the time

Use P90x to get our bodies prime

Eat no candy, we’ll save our dimes

Shara starts kindergarten, she will shine

Jane using the potty, won’t that be sublime

Welcome the next baby in line

Mini-vacation from mom, we’ll be on cloud nine

Violin lessons to help Kenna’s skills refine

A fun house to continue to design

A garden to grow, weeds to pull, no body whine

Continue to raise Agility’s bottom line

Top 10 things that happened in 2008

2009-01-04T21:43:00.003-07:00

10. Mike falling apart (February severe L Ankle sprain, November R Achilles rupture)
9. Kenna called to Scouts
8. New Year's Eve Party
7. Camping
6. Bike rides with our girls
5. Dave moving back to Utah/Saturday flag football
4. Christmas surprises
3. Kenna's dream car
2. San Clemente vacation
1. Our first home!

Best Books of 2008

2009-01-04T11:45:00.009-07:00

Traveling in my car to Provo and back (and sitting at home in my bed at night) each day gave me a chance to knock out quite a few books. While the last 4 books are business related the application of each book has been more geared toward my personal life than my business. The first 2 are communication/relationship based and apply mostly to personal lives. Here are the highlights:

1.) Leadership and Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute (VERY POOR TITLE, IT SHOULD BE CALLED SOMETHING LIKE "Getting out of the box, where problems begin"
http://www.arbinger.com/en/bookstore.html#leadershipandselfdeception.

Who should read it: Everyone. This discusses relationships, communication and gives you tools to succeed personally, professionally and religiously.

Pro's: Easy read, written in story form and goes quickly. Very well written. Gives you tools everyone needs, helps take away what I call the "justification card" and helps us realize how to really fix problems.

Cons: None.

Why I loved it: I was really struggling with one of my work relationships, completely changed it and now it is better.

1a) Crucial Conversations by Vital Smarts
http://www.vitalsmarts.com/crucialconversations_book.aspx

Who should read it: Everyone. This book has helped my family, personal and close friend relationships more than any other book.

Pro's: Very well done, easy to listen to and immediately applicable. I would listen to one CD, practice the principles, which began to be innate and sincere very quickly. Not a quick fix book, rather a change in approach. Excellent tools that reduce frustration for all parties involved in the relationship.

Cons: Audio book only

Why I loved it: Immediate change in how I viewed my relationships, how I fit into them and how to improve them. Separates perception from reality in many ways.

BUSINESS/PROFESSIONAL BOOKS
1.) The 4 hour work week by Timothy Ferriss
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX3eJRwJqlc)
Also see http://fourhourworkweek.com/index.htm

Who should read it: People who would like to be more efficient, change their paradigm on what productivity really is and those who aren't sure what to choose for their goals/those who have a hard time know what they want.

Pro's: Life-changing ideas about how to be productive, good step by step goals setting, first 100 pages was incredible. The BEST book I read this year, hands down. 1-Define, 2-Eliminate, 3-Automation, 4-Liberation.

Cons: The author is a punk, he makes good points, but he is a punk and swears here and there. Last 200 pages focuses on automation/drop shipping and doesn't necessarily apply to all. He is big on travel, I am not.

Why I loved it: My productivity is about 10x better (no exaggeration, literally 10x) since I read the book, stopped multi-tasking and focused on strong/concentrated efforts on tasks. It also help me define better what I want in life, church, family, etc. Also see this video from the book : http://vcr.csrwire.com/node/9964.

2.) Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbXSmusaFOU&feature=PlayList&p=3787826DE513000F&index=1

Who should read it: People who want to understand the importance of FINANCIAL education and how money really works.

Pro's: Completely changed how I view money, promotes what I would consider gospel principled saving/spending, including tithing. Can be paradigm changing and prepare you to do more. Not a how to book, but rather a how to think book. I re-read it about 2x/year (or listen to it)

Cons: Slow start, written in story form and you may struggle the 1st 1/4 of the book if you a typical 'novel reader'. The truth may hurt at times during this book.

Why I loved it: Helped me see the world through different eyes, very liberating for me personally and helped shape the direction of my future.

3.) The Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki (Sequel to Rich Dad Poor Dad)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk75OUYNvRY

Who should read it: Those who want to understand what the best way to make money is, once you understood how money really works. Also those who want to find out where they would best fit in society, like those trying to decide on a major in school.

Pro's: Helps you understand the difference between job types, how money flows, taxes and gives you additional financial education.

Cons: He believes that there is a right/wrong way to work, while I may argue that certain people may be happier in certain areas even if they won't make the most money there.

Why I loved it: Incredible book, builds well upon the first book and is the next chapter in your financial education.

4) The E-myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

Who should read it: Anyone who either works at a business or has the desire the start their own large/small business.

Pro's: The Bible of how to start a business the right way, helps those who shouldn't do it decide not to.

Cons: Michael Gerber has a hard time getting to the point in certain areas of the books and can be long winded, I recommend the audio version for this reason.

Why I loved it: Probably helped me develop my company (Agility Physical Therapy) more than any other book. Best how to book, while the others are more philosophy based.

5.) The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
http://www.profitadvisors.com/richest.shtml

Who should read it: Everyone, teaches basic principles about money.

Pro's: Short, direct book, with great examples, quick read. Promotes very sound/conservative financial principles.

Con's: Written in an old world English that drove me nuts at times.

Why I loved it: Drove to home the importance of paying yourself first. I don't know that it taught me many new things, but certainly helped me realize the ramifications of poor priorities/habits with regard to finance.

Christmas surprise...take notes boys this is how it's done

2009-01-04T09:22:00.008-07:00

This year I decided to try and really surprise my sweetie. I found out that a car she test drove (and loved) in June was still on the same lot due to the poor economy. I schemed for over a month, negotiated the price only to have the car sold right out from under my nose 1 week before Christmas. This called for some serious scrambling and rethinking on how to make this Christmas a special one and I think I came up with a pretty good result.

Kenna's wedding ring was lost a few years into our marriage and I couldn't afford to buy her a new diamond, but she didn't want her ring setting to be out of production. We have been waiting to replace her diamond for quite a while and this year we did. Rather than just giving her that I came up with a 9 gift scavenger hunt that represented key moments when were dating and culminated with her new diamond. It was fun and she pretty much cried before she even got to the 2nd gift!!

Here is a quick summary of how the gifts went down:

Gift #1- children's book (by Max Lucado) & a willow tree doll,- We met at my brothers house while she was babysitting his kids for their anniversary.

Gift #2-Pint of Ice Cream - Our first date ending with us getting Ice cream and talking for about an hour. I was able to find the same flavor as what she ordered that night!

Gift #3-Toy Boat and Movie tickets- One of our first few dates we know remember as the "marathon date" as it lasted about 14 hours. We went boating, to lunch/dinner, a wedding reception and watched a movie

Gift #4-Rod Iron clock/wrist watch...Some would say that our dating relationship didn't go all that fast. I didn't hold her hand for about...uh...well, about 5 months. So the clock represented the 'time' that I took. :]

Gift #5-Stuffed Animal (Moose). It may have taken longer than 5 months if it had not been for divine intervention. We were on a group date up Little Cottonwood canyon on hike. I wanted to hold her hand, but she was being a bit of a stinker, putting her hands in her pockets, etc (because I was taking so long she decided that I needed to work for it now). A huge MOOSE came barreling down the mountain and scared our group half to death. I took her hand and led her behind a large group of trees and never let go. Thank goodness for that moose!!

Gift #6-Carabiner/Restaurant gift card-Shortly before my birthday my mom informed Kenna that she could be in charge of my birthday. She hadn't 'officially' achieved girlfriend status, or at least we hadn't had the "define the relationship' talk, so it was a bit awkward for her. She did a great job and took me rock climbing and to my favorite restaurant.

Gift #7-Customized ring tone of our song-- Just before Christmas the missionary called her indirectly and said he would call her on Christmas. You can imagine how well this went over with yours truly. This DID spark the 'define the relationship' discussion, which obviously moved things forward.

Gift #8-Walter Rane Art "He is not here" This was the gift she though would finish the hunt as it represented our engagement and my promise to bring her to the house of the Lord. She has been telling me about this piece of artwork for years!!

Gift #9-Her new diamond- I didn't actually bring the diamond home, just a letter from Wilson Diamonds inviting her to come get her new diamond. She was speechless and it was fun!!

P.S. a week after Christmas she found the best deal I've ever seen on the car she wanted and got that too!!

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

2008-12-22T22:20:00.005-07:00

I was really wanting a white Christmas but now that I am the one to shovel the driveway (its a workout) and they don't plow the streets I think I have had enough. However my girls can't get enough.

Last Tuesday was the first really good snow of the season and we took advantage. Jane is old enough this year to play with us in the snow. First my two angles made snow angles.

Then we tried to build a snow man. Either there are some major tricks to it or it was the wrong kind of snow. We kept trying anyway, the girls made it two thirds of the way through and then came back for the finishing touches this is the end result. It has snowed a lot more sense then maybe we will attempt a bigger one, or some sledding.

Update on Mike...Painting is suppose to be easy?

2008-12-07T10:07:00.005-07:00

Just to update everyone, Mike had surgery on the day before thanksgiving and is doing great. He actually relaxed over the break and is back to work. He is way more helpful with the girls than I expected and getting very fast at the stairs. Sometimes I don't think he knows how to let someone else take care of him. He is a trooper.

We had our first attempt at painting. We decided to paint because we cant take the white walls anymore we thought the master bath would be a god place to start since not everyone sees that and we have little experience. After we taped everything I let Mike use the shower, big mistake. I had to go back over all the tape to push it back onto the wall. Looking back I should have replaced it but live and learn. Besides a little bit of bleeding it looks really good. My sister told me a trick i was to lazy to implement but next time i think I will listen to her wisdom. Both Mike and I cant believe what a difference a little color can make. I ready to tackle the next room!

This is why men have a mid life crisis

2008-11-16T07:19:00.009-07:00

Once again I am forced to acknowledge that my body can't do what I'd like it to do. While playing flag football with my elder's quorum and some friends my Achilles tendon decided that I didn't have enough opposition in my life and once again, I needed to learn patience. :] The Achilles rarely ruptures after a hit or "twisting wrong". On the contrary, it usually ruptures when you are running or starting/stopping quickly.

Dave said "hike" and I started to run, it felt like someone kicked the back of my foot and when I whipped my head around looking for the guilty party and saw no one, I knew exactly what that meant. Sometimes having medical knowledge isn't the greatest, there is something to be said for long ER waiting room visits that end with complicated medical terms you can't explain to your family. You can at least have hope that it is something minor even though all evidence suggests otherwise. I couldn't use denial at all. A few orthopedic tests and one incredibly 'gushy' tendon and I knew more than I wanted to.

On the flip side I called 2 of my orthopedic surgeon friends, got an appointment first thing in the morning on the next business day and will have surgery in the coming week regardless of what their skiing plans were.

Prognosis: This will absolutely be another lesson in patience as I will be on crutches for 2-3 months, a normal shower will become an acrobatic event involving plastic bags/shower chair, and my little 2 year old won't be able to figure out why I don't carry her up the stairs.

All things considered I am extremely grateful that we have options like a surgical repair and I think I know of a killer physical therapy office to rehab my injury in, with incredibly friendly staff. Also, the only real pain I have is in my right shoulder after pulling a muscle while using the blasted crutches!! I am in good spirits, which is more than I can say for my best friend Dave, he just lost his favorite target. Many of you may not know that we get up early 2-3x/week just to go practice running routes and drawing up trick pass plays. Yes, we are most juvenile 28-29 year old on the planet, but we have most fun too (and probably have one of the strongest friendships too).

As for my football career as a weekend warrior, both my father and Kenna have officially declared it over. Could someone please retire the number "9" so I feel a little better about that?

For the curious, here is some additional info on my type of injury:

http://arthroscopy.com/sp09009.htm

Whats in your folder?

2008-11-12T07:36:00.003-07:00

TAGGED

Saw this on a friends blog and thought i would try it.

Here is what you do. You go to the 4th folder in your picture album, pull the 4th picture in that folder, and post it!

here it goes!
I think I would have ended up with a very funny picture from my other computer but Jane sure is a cutie.
Try it it's fun.

Projects

2008-10-31T15:38:00.004-06:00

I have been working on a few projects for the house. The first one was inspired by my Mom. She has a bunch of old windows that she uses to decorate. She gave me one and after we talked this is what I came up with.

I was very proud of myself i think it looks like something you would spend a fortune on in a boutique . Not to mention that all the flowers are from mike, so it is special too.

Also this is the wall in my dinning room wall. I had a little trouble getting the letters to stick, but they are up now. We did something similar in my cousins house, so i got to see what it might look like before i tried it.

This one looks way better in person. It was hard to get the lighting right to take the picture but it gives you the general idea.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T14:36:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! We also wanted to share some of the fun things we have done this month.

We made sugar cookies with our friends, we had so much fun but boy was it messy.

We went up the canyon and collected leaves for our new place mats this year.

We went to a Halloween carnival at the preschool. they gave us cotton candy, their were lots of games and even a spook ally. Shara didn't want to sit and sing with her class at first, she sat down reluctantly but once the music started she got right into it. She was so cute! She was very excited that she got her first kazoo at the fish pond.

Today we made ghost cookies with our cousin. these cookies were not to messy to make but I have a feeling they will be very messy to eat.

I also punched tin cans full of ice with a nail to make cute candle holders for our front porch.

I think the favorite activity was making the bats and ghosts for the front of our house. all growing up we made ghosts for our windows and i have continued to do so through the years. We also have made bats that hang from the porch and blow around in the wind. We have so much fun making them and it sets us apart from the neighbors.

2008-10-15T08:19:00.003-06:00

My friend Sara did this on her blog and I thought it was cute! This is what Shara had to say about me...

1. What is something mommy always says to you?

I love you

2. What makes mommy happy?

when I give you a hug

3. What makes mommy sad?
when I don't give you a hug for prayers

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

when you do something silly

5. What was your mommy like as a child?
born, cute and cozy

6. What is her favorite thing to do?

cleaning (not so sure where she got that one?)

7. What does your mommy do when you're not around?

go cut someones hair

8. What is your mom really good at?

Scrapbooking and remembering things

9. What is your mom not very good at?

your not very good at doing stuff on the computer (she is right on that one)

10. What does your mom do for her job?

Scouts

11. What is your moms favorite food?

Daddy's rice and Beans (they are tough to beat but i would have said chocolate)

12. What makes you proud of your mom?

that you remember stuff

13. What do you and your mom do together?

Projects (like scrapbooking and crafts)

14. How are you and your mom the same?

when we both have blond hair (I'm temporally dark)

15. How are you and your mom different
when we don't have the same hair

16. How do you know your mommy loves you?

Because when i say that to you, you say that you love me too.

17. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?

to the store
Anyone feel free to play along... I think it's funny to see what your kid(s) will say about you:)

Field Trip

2008-10-14T10:32:00.004-06:00

We got to go on a field trip with Shara's class. We had a blast. We went on a hay ride and got to walk through the pumpkin patch and pick our own pumpkins. There was a corn maze, that took us a min to get through. Also they had a bunch of animals to see. I think the best part was the pumpkins, they each are so proud of their find.

I do it!

2008-09-21T09:12:00.002-06:00

We recently celebrated a birthday for our little one and I think the theme for the next year is going to be I Do IT! She wants to do everything by herself even though she gets frustrated we are not to help. It's great to see her becoming more independent and capable but all the wining that goes with it is a little hard to take sometimes. It's a good thing she is so stinking cute to balance it out. When she finally gets what she is trying for she gets really excited and says I did it. then she stands up and puts both hands in the air and proclaims "Ta da!" Really can she get any cuter.

Memory Lane

2008-08-31T20:44:00.001-06:00

I saw this on my friends blog and thought it would be fun.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot. Anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty fun to see the responses.If you leave me a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one to you.

Roar!!

2008-08-31T17:31:00.006-06:00

Thanksgiving Point had $2 Tuesdays in August, we were lucky enough to find out about it right before the last Tuesday of the month. We made a family event of it because, daddy loves dinosaurs and the girls love doing anything with dad, it's a great combo. As much as they loved seeing the dinosaur bones i think their favorite part was the river and digging room. I couldn't believe how many people were there, I'm glad the girls didn't mind sharing their space with several other kids. It's truly is amazing to see how big dinosaurs really were. I am glad we don't have to coexist with them. Check out the photo album.

Family Reunion

2008-08-31T17:20:00.004-06:00

Recently we had a family reunion at seven peaks, It was a Blast. I wanted to post just a few of my favorite shots. I hope we do it again sometime, it was great visiting with everyone.

Face Lift

2008-08-31T16:55:00.004-06:00

We have given our house a face lift and wanted to share pictures. We love everything about our house but the outside needed something, it was a lot of peach so we opted for a lift. What do you think? We are pretty proud of the way it turned out. I also have a star to go above the porch but I have decided to wait until the yard is done before putting it up.

Before After

A Little Closer

Frustration

2008-08-10T09:37:00.004-06:00

Have you ever tried to be very clear on your instructions and then surprised at how wrong someone understands what you have told them. Even if they repeat the same thing back to you.
I have been frustrated as of late with that very thing. We have been continuing to work on the house and yard. Because we have no idea how to do anything I have been researching and planning. I have done everything to learn what I needed to come to firm decisions but it seems that when I explain it to others they always miss the most important details. They know more than I do about these things and when I talk to them they act like I'm talking in another language. Have you ever had this happen? What frustrates you?

Back on the Train

2008-07-20T08:30:00.002-06:00

I have finally finished a lot of the little things that come with moving and our Internet is no longer giving us trouble so I decided it was time to update. Everyday Shara tells me how much she loves our new house and how beautiful it is. I am so glad that she likes it, almost as much as Mike and I. It has been fun finding the right place for everything, the only place that I just haven't been able to get right is the pantry. It seems impossible to get right, I guess I better go back to my sisters blog and read how she did hers.

Our last place had no inside stairs so even thought Jane is plenty old enough to do stairs she had no idea when we moved in. I tried showing her but she just wanted to be held. Finally I asked Shara to show her, by doing it next to her. That was all it took, one day and she was a master.

Mike has finally picked golf back up and is loving it, I love seeing him do something that he enjoys so much. Besides the house we are pretty boring and I'm sure I have talked enough about that so i'll have to come up with a good idea for the next post.

2008-06-23T11:09:00.002-06:00

Sorry I have been a slacker lately, but getting ready to move has taken some time. I always forget how much stuff we have until its time to move. I guess it's all relative though because once we move into the house I'm pretty sure it will feel like we have nothing to fill it up. I will try to post again soon, and hopefully it will be much more interesting.

The House

2008-06-04T16:18:00.007-06:00

Ready for some more ups and down on our house roller coaster?

I know we have kept you all in suspense, so here is goes, but at least we are not charging admission.

We put in an offer on a house right before the long weekend and our vacation. We were hoping to hear the night we got home, no such luck. The next day we couldn't handle it so we called the Realtor. Apparently the other Realtor (not ours) dropped the ball, he never submitted our offer, he said he accidentally deleted it. I was Angry, I think he was trying to hold it out for someone else, very unethical. Our Realtor worked through another agent in the office and got it submitted but said we wouldn't hear for at least 2 days. Then he called us after two days and said it would be another 3 to 4 days(got to love banks). Talk about anxious. In the mean time we have been trying to decide if we should jump ship on the other home we have under contract. We decided to do some more ward shopping so to speak. If you didn't hear about our first experience with this idea, ask me sometime, it's a great story.

As we were sitting in the meeting Mike turned to me and informed me we could leave any time. As we left he said he had come to a firm answer on the offer house. It was not the right house for us, it was not where we needed to be at this time. We talked about it some more and speculated because we decided not to go with that house, they would accept our offer. They did!

Then we had to be strong enough to say never mind even though we loved it. Talk about ups and downs. Our Realtor told us to make sure we didn't just have indigestion before he called them back.

We really love the house we have under contract and have become increasingly more excited as we have talked and moved forward. I'm sure there are many houses out there that are good deals and that we could fall in love with but we love this one and it is a great deal. We should get to move in by the end of the month. I can't believe we are getting a house! Sure there are some projects to be done but we are young and should have to do a few hard thing in life, like dig sprinklers. besides what house doesn't have a project or two. We are very excited and hope that everyone can be happy for us too.

Vacation

2008-05-30T13:18:00.010-06:00

Have you ever got home from vacation and felt like you need a vacation? This is usually the case for us but not this time. This vacation was all about relaxing. We stayed on the beach, so we could go down and play or come have lunch and take a nap with no hassle. the kids weren't constantly asking when we were going to get ready and go to the beach, we were already there.

I think my favorite two things about the vacation were sitting on the deck in the sun listening to the ocean while reading a good book. I love just soaking up the sun. The second thing was breakfast across from the pier. I can stop thinking about the french toast, yumm!

Shara and Jane loved playing in the sand, I don't think they ever got in the water. Their cousins were with us so they always had someone fun to play with and to give them new ideas. Like burying them selves in the sand and taking up lodging in the towel closet. They also got to see some fun wild life, a rabbit, lizards, pelicans, dolphins and the favorite lots of puppy's.

I always enjoy shopping and we did some of that. I bought 3 sand dollars in hopes that one would make it home whole. Nope, all broken beyond repair. The shells and rocks I found all made it.

My least favorite things where being searched at the airport, I don't recommend letting your drivers license expire! Also we cut it a little close heading back to the airport and forgot to fill up the rental car with gas before dropping it off. I think they charged us a default of like $7 a gallon, mind you it's only $4 at the gas station. Oh well, you live and learn.

Over all I think we cant wait to do it again. We love San Clemente, but may venture to other beaches next time too. We recommend this type of vacation to all! Now we are back to everyday life.

Why I Love San Clemente (a.k.a. heaven on earth)

2008-05-25T17:05:00.004-06:00

Those of you who know me well, you have probably heard how much I love San Clemente (usually to the point that I annoy you, yes I am aware :] ). Let me give you a few experiences that epitomize why I love it.

Yesterday we went to a gift shop and we were there about 20-30 minutes. About half way through the only guy in the store (I assume it was the owner) goes in the back and brings out a plate with a huge burrito on it and starts eating it next to the register. The register is located in the center of the store. In what I would call a normal/professional setting this would not fly, BUT IN SAN CLEMENTE it is a staple. I love it!! I was thinking, I wish in the middle of a initial evaluation with a patient with a shoulder injury I could get up and bring in huge burrito and be like "Keep telling me about you injury/functional deficits while I pound this burrito" and not have them flinch.

Another time we went to a donut shop for breakfast and the total was $3.46 The shop owner explained that they have a $5.00 minimum to use credit cards, but instead of making me order more food he says "Just come tomorrow and we'll be square" and slams the receipt down on some little spiky thing and gives my food. I was floored!! The next day I went back and explained what had happened the day before. A different guy grabs the spiky thing and asked what my total was. He couldn't find it, but quickly grabbed another receipt and asked "I've got one for 3.20, that is close enough" throws it on and ran my card as if this was standard protocol and occurred all the time.

As we walked around the town, in stores and drove around I can't really say that I found one person that was stressed out. On our first trip a few years ago we actually forgot our cell phone and were wandering around looking for a pay phone. We must have looked distressed because a realtor noticed us and asked if she could help. After explaining our predicament she quickly offerred up her personal cell phone without asking my income range and if was interested in property. This is a realtor folks, no offense to all of your realtors out there, but my experience has been that most realtors are in a similar state to a starved Lion in a beef slaughtering house--pouncing on anythihng that looks remotely good. IT WAS LIKE WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO BE STRESSED IN THE AREA, TOO MANY BAD VIBES. :]

So this vacation I have wore flip flops (or no shoes), sat on the beach listening to the ocean while watching season 3 of the office. Can life be more complete? I submit to you that it cannot!!

I have bought 3 t-shirts and a sweater with the words "San Clemente" on them and will wear them with great pride. My primary goal in life (besides the really important stuff like being a total awesome dad) is buy property on the San Clemente/Dana Point area on the beach and retire here.

You want to talk about "Chi" & "Zen" we've got plenty out here.

Growing Up...houses, yards, jobs & kids

2008-05-25T10:09:00.006-06:00

Well, the one thing that I have realized as we have looked at houses is that the one thing that I am totally afraid is truly growing up. I don't know how to do many things that it seems my father was innately good at like: taking care of a yard, lawn, fixing leaky faucets, general maintenance with cars and basically being what I would call a true adult. I mentioned that I didn't fee like a real adult to one of my co-workers and she quickly recanted "You own your business, have a doctorate degree, are married and have 2 kids...I'm pretty sure you are already there" (meaning I am an adult).

This was nothing short of terrifying, simply because the thought of me being an adult is pretty silly. I mean, let's face it; I would still play with transformers if A) it was socially acceptable B) I had the time and C) my best friend Dave wasn't in Idaho (cause I know he'd play with me). Of course we would have some type of smoke screen like we were playing with our kids, but I have 2 girls and he has 1 gril so we would probably get smoked out :-]

Buying a house seems like it would be "the nail in the coffin" to seal the deal that I am actually an adult. I am not sure that I can deal with truly being a responsible adult and although I am only 28 years old I can appreciate why people have mid-life crisis. I will consider this my early/transitional life crisis. Oh if only I could institute recess in the adult world where everyone is required to go outside, form a pickup game of flag football in an environment where all the toys were provided along with "the lunch lady" (Usually a giant lady that keeps the bullies away, picks you up when you fall, gets your ball if it goes over the fence and has the eyes on the back of her head so no one can get away with anything).

So I guess Kenna was right when she said that going through those model homes (see our last post for details) truly was "the beginning of the end". It would now appear that I am about to embark upon a life with more and more adult stuff: talking about life insurance, mortgages, interest rates, investing, and other things they talk about on CNN...if I have a nervous break down, don't say I didn't warn you. :]

I need a vacation and luckily we are about to take one...we are going to heaven on earth, also known as San Clemente, CA

To House or Not To House?

2008-05-24T20:44:00.003-06:00

Well, Mike and I decided to go walking through houses to get a better idea of what we would like in a house. We planned on purchasing next summer and wanted to be prepared. That was the beginning of the end. We found it, exactly what we wanted. The question was: "do we move on it this summer or stick to the original plan?" As we started researching we came to the conclusion that we should move the time line up due to interest rates and housing prices. That is when the roller coster picked up speed.
First, we were going to build, then the lot we picked got taken, then our plan wouldn't fit on the lot, then we decided not to build. Then a new lot became available, then we found a speck home. We singed a contract and then went looking at existing homes with the Realtor. We found a house that is to die for and decided to put in an offer. Can we say A.D.D. ? We have had all sorts of ups and downs and we are sure there are more to come. We are waiting to hear on the "house to die for" before we decide to back out of the speck home. Both are great options so either way we will be happy. The saga continues!

Project #2 and an experiment

2008-04-28T09:49:00.005-06:00

Well I decide I should get on with my projects so I picked another one of the easy ones and got busy. As I was cutting out the pattern I noticed I bought the wrong size. My easy project just got a lot more complicated. How hard could it be to just cut down all the pieces and make it work? I was never the greatest at math and I'm sure that I didn't cut them all down to the same scale but I tried. It worked out okay and it was cute enough that I allowed ambition to sneak in and I ended up making a miniature one for Jane. With her little diaper bum, it kind of sticks up in the back but oh well i tried.

Ambition

2008-04-20T10:50:00.003-06:00

My Cousin called me from Joann's and said patterns were on sale. The kids and I thought it sounded fun to go see them so we met them there. That's when ambition set in. they had so many cute fabrics and patterns I wanted to make them all. I ended up picking out 6 patters and fabric for five of them. We came right home so I could get started. Well it seems I picked the hardest one first. I was still cutting out pattern pieces when ambition walked out the door. I didn't really know where to start and I had forgotten all the notions (zippers, buttons, elastic).

I put everything away and decided to wait for.... well I guess more ambition. Shara had seen the dress I was making for her so we decided to start with that project instead. It wasn't to hard and turned out really cute. Just in time for Shara to ware it for her first talk in Primary. Having her love it so much has given me motivation to move on so I'll show you when i get the next one done.

My Birthday

2008-04-01T22:58:00.003-06:00

Well it seems that birthdays just keep comming, they say those who have the most live the longest. The day of started off just like any other day, running around and getting things done. Mike asked me to come by his work where he surprised me with 25 white carnations (my favorite) and one rose and Rock Band! If you don’t know what that is, it is a game kind of like guitar hero but with drums and a microphone added. It’s a Blast! That Night my sister brought her daughter by to watch my girls and her and her husband took Mike and I to get chocolate molten cake at Chili’s (also a favorite). What more could a girl ask for family, phone calls all day, cute cards, flowers, chocolate, a date and fun! I am so blessed to have so many people that love me. Thanks Mom and Dad for the scrapbooking stuff I will put it to good use. Thanks Errol and Susie for the money I bought a really cool tool for scrapbooking as well. Thank You Everyone!

The Accident

2008-04-01T22:53:00.005-06:00

Yes it was During Church Ball.

It’s funny to me that most injuries you hear about happen during church ball. Mike enjoyed getting up really early and going to play basket ball with a bunch of men from the stake. One member got underneath him when he went up for a rebound and he landed wrong on his ankle. He felt a snap, and I got the dreaded call. “Sweetheart, Kevin is taking me to the ER, I think I broke my ankle.” I defiantly couldn’t sleep after that. He didn’t end up going he went to his office instead and iced it, a Dr. friend of his came by and told him to come in to his office and get a X Ray, it looked broken. I took him in and it didn’t look good. The x-rays came back perfect, which might not have been a blessing. It’s a toss up, I can’t get him to take time to rest long enough to let himself heal. I think he might have had to if it were in a cast. He has a grade 3 high ankle sprain and was on crutches for a week. The pain should last a good month or more and I must say NO Basket Ball allowed for some time! the pictures were taken three days later and don't begin to do it justice.

The Table

2008-04-01T22:04:00.008-06:00

When we got married we lived in my sisters apartment and we barrowed her little table then me moved to my moms basement and used a desk for a table. In Las Vegas we barrowed a two person table from our landlord, not like anything else would have fit. Then when we moved back to Utah we invested in a small (really small) table with folding sides that barely fit in our kitchen, but I can say we moved up in the world literally. This last summer we were sick of living in basements and 600sq feet, so we moved to a third floor condo. We love it, it is twice the size of all our other places and best of all we have room for a real table. we found a great deal on a table we love and couldn’t resist. We love being able to have our plates and the food on the table at the same time. Now when we invite people over we don’t have to bring out the card table and folding chairs. I Love It!

Old New

Lost In Space?

2008-04-01T22:03:00.002-06:00

No we didn’t fall off the face of the Earth, but almost. Life has been a little crazy and by the time I can get to the computer I am so tired I couldn’t bring myself to do anything creative. I’ll try to catch you up on the more eventful things. There was my new table, Shara’s birthday, and my birthday, Mikes accident and that should cover it.

Two Steps Forward

2008-02-15T08:16:00.006-07:00

Jane has finally decided that she likes walking. She has been capable for some time now but chosen not to, kind of like the crawling thing. She was very comfortable as long as she was holdind your finger but as soon as you let go she was on her bum. Grandpa Errol and Grandma Susie let us barrow a toy that she can walk behind, for some reason it was way cooler than the one we already have. She has been cruising around the house and can maneuver around almost anything. The Other day mike looked up and she had come halfway across our living room on her own. She walks about 10 steps at a time now. We are very excited.

You can't aford to miss this sale!

2008-01-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Lia Sophia is changing over to their New Spring/Summer catalog and is giving you a great opportunity to get you favorite pieces before they are discontinued.

Just go online to www.liasophia.com/kenna

then email me your order at: kbsquared@gmail.com

Feel free to email me with any questions

The January supper save plan is
For every 1 item (least expensive) you buy at full price and get 2 items at half price (unlimited times)
All orders must be in by 9:30 pm on Saturday night.

You can’t afford to miss this sale!
Book a show (catalog shows welcome) and pick your favorite piece ($100 value or less) for free, Presented to you at your show.

You can also see the new catalog on my site.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's already 2008!

This last year flew by. We didn't send out a news letter of Christmas card this year so i thought we would do a quick glance back at the events in 2007. After all it was a Big year for us.

MICHAEL:Kind of a big year for Mike as he Graduated from Physical Therapy school (UNLV, in Las Vegas, NV) in May. He also opened his own outpatient physical therapy clinic in August, which is going very well. He has been working toward this goal for several years and it has been a lot of work, but fun to see him to do this.

KENNA: I started selling Lia Sophia Jewelery and have had lost of fun with that. I have been able to spend lots of time with my girls, we went to the summer movies at the Scera with my cousin and friend and their little ones, we enjoyed to pool until the closed it, baking shopping. I love to scrapbook and have plenty to catch up on. i also have been reading a lot, so if you know any good books, let me know. I had the opportunity to go on a few trips this year, we went to Arizona to see Stacy and Las Vegas to graduate and party. I hope this next year we get to go to California and back East.

SHARA: Loves Preschool, reading, play-dough, swimming, movies, friends and dress ups and cougar. She is a true princess.

JANE: Enjoys following Shara around, the tub, little lamb, she likes to think she is Queen.

We moved to pleasant grove and have been loving our new place. I think we will stay close to this area as it is close to the clinic and both our families. Wish you all the best this next year!

Merry Christmas

2008-01-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

I just think this is the most classic picture, what do you think?

Christmas was fun. We had mikes parents and sister over in the morning to open presents

Of course that is the morning they are content to sleep in. We ended up having to wake them up.

Jane was not very excited about her rocking horse, in the store we couldn't get her off it. However she loved the ball pit Santa brought her. Shara got an art easel and dress ups. Santa was a little frantic about a blue hat that Shara requested last min. It was a blue Easter hat to go with her Cinderella dress. lets just say Santa and his helpers are very resourceful.

Michael loved his surprise, I had amazing pictures of me and the girls taken. Please see slide show for info, she really is amazing. Mike got me a Sizzix machine which i am so excited to play with. We had a lot of fun dong things for others and spending time as a family.

We had a family Wii night and a big dinner the day after Christmas, the whole family was here. It doesn't happen often and might not happen again for many years. It was wonderful to have everyone together. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Deck the Halls

2008-01-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Family Traditions

2008-01-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Every year on Christmas Eve we get a new pillow case with new p.j.'s in it. This year Shara got a Cinderella pillow case. Jane's has little ballerinas and mom and dad got matching red ones.

Last year we were invited to make Candy Trains with some friends. It was a lot of fun so we decided to bring it on as a family tradition. This year we tried to make them with everyone at our family Christmas Party. It didn't work out the best but it was still fun. I think i mixed up the icing wrong, things kept falling apart.

We also make a new ornament for our tree every year. We were lacking a little this year, we went with easy. Shara made her ornament in preschool, Mom and dad put the latest family picture up and Jane offered her bell.

What traditions do you have?

Baby Talk

2007-11-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Jane is now trying to say words. Last night we discovered that she can very clearly say "Jesus", it was very special. She can also say milk, please, ball, baby, all done, poopie, grandma, uh-oh, nana(banana), amen, more, eat, mama (she says it when ever Mike comes home so I think she really means daddy by it). My personal favorite is "cheese" when ever I pull out a camera she starts saying cheese and smiling, it is so cute. She also says nigh-night she finds her baby and a blanket and puts it to bed saying nigh-night over and over in a sing song voice. When I go in to get her when she wakes up she says whats up? (pronounced wuz-up)

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well Thanksgiving was a lot of fun for us this year.

We didn't want to overlook the importance of Thanksgiving like the stores want you to. We decided to take my sister in law's idea and implement it into our own family. We made a Turkey and every night each one of us said something we were thankful for and added a feather.

It was a lot of fun. Thanks Em.

We also made some fun hats. I had planned to talk about the pilgrims and Indians for family night but the turkey seemed to take up the length of their attention span, maybe next year.

What Thanksgiving food is your favorite, or makes it really feel like Thanksgiving for you?

Mike's is stuffing, it's not Thanksgiving with out stuffing.

For me I think yams say Thanksgiving. But I do love having turkey and cranberries.

Let's not forget the pumpkin pie.

For Shara I don't think it's the food, she loves to get together with all her cousins and play game's. I think Scott is her favorite right now.

I bought a green onion cheese ball and crackers to snack on while we played games, it's tradition. The funny thing is my sister who we played games with feel the same way and bought the exact cheese ball and crackers only minutes after me. Needless to say their was plenty to go around. Thanks for playing games with us Corrie.

What are you most thankful for this year?

I am so thankful for my Family. Mike is the best husband ever and our girls are so sweet.

It is great to see how everyone in my family supports each other, no matter what someone needs, they are their, what a blessing. I am grateful to be living close enough to enjoy seeing most of them often and can't wait to spend time with those who are further away.

Halloween

2007-11-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

You guess it, Our little princess was Cinderella for Halloween. She got to wear her costume to preschool, when I went to pick her up the teachers told me that one of the little boys jaw dropped when she walked in. Later at playtime he proposed. Shara just replied that she wasn't ready to get married yet. I think we will be fighting the boys off her whole life.

Our little cuddle bug was the cutest ladybug you have ever seen. She was a good sport and kept her hat on the whole night. It was fun to see her crawling around in that round little thing.

Mike and I decided to dress up too, he was a football player again and I was a cheerleader.

Halloween was a lot of fun this year, Shara really got into the "trick or treating". We went to the ward "trunk or treat" and then we made our way over to Grandma's neighborhood. We love to go to grandma and grandpa's house to show off our costumes and see our cousins.

Shara keeps asking if it is going to be Halloween again tomorrow I don't know what was more fun for her, dressing up or getting candy.

We also took the opportunity to carve pumpkins together. Shara drew the face on her's and helped scoop out all the gooey insides, a big accomplishment for her. Michael and I free handed the others, pretty good for not being artistic.

Sick Kidos

2007-11-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well like many of you out there, we are taking our turn being sick. Both girls have a yucky cough and Shara sounds like she is losing her voice. I kept her home from preschool last week, it was hard on both of us. She loves going and was very sad not to see her friends. I'm just not enough entertainment for her anymore. We decided to do something fun to fill the time. We went over to Grandmas and picked a few raspberries then we went for a walk and collected leaves. We came home and arranged them on card stock, later we went and got them laminated. They are now our fall place mats. Our table is much more festive now and Shara is very proud of her work.

I was looking on my sisters blog and discovered she has done the very same thing with her kids, I guess great minds think alike.

Shara is hoping to be able to return to school and nursery soon, life is only half as fun without friends.

We all love a little bit of Jewelry

2007-11-11T17:45:00.000-07:00

Due to several questions I thought I would share more information about the jewelry I sale. I am personal jewelry consultant for Lia Sophia and I love it. It’s a lot like stamp, candle and shoe parties. Someone hosts the show and I come with my jewelry and provide the party. I love this company because it has great benefits for the hostess and all the jewelry has a lifetime replacement guarantee. I love having a chance to get out with other girls and visit, I get to wear all my fun jewelry and have a little extra cash.

I am starting up a Jewelry club for all you Jewelry Lovers. There are two groups, every one in the group agrees to order $50 worth every month for 6 months (group 1) or every other month for 12 months (group 2). Also, everyone will get a chance to receive hostess benefits. Which are 20% of sales in free jewelry (starting around $50), four items $100 worth for $15 each or at the bonus price listed in the catalog and 2 half price items. On their month they can also get outside orders (orders from people who are not in the group but would like to place orders) if they would like to increase their free credit. If they get three extra orders and two bookings they can get 40% in free jewelry credit. One night a month, two days before orders are due, I will have the jewelry on display at my home for anyone to come try them on and visit, as always everyone is welcome.

If you are interested in hosting a party, catalog show or joining the club or have any questions let me know. To see more of their Jewelry click on the link below. If you would like to view the full catalog please contact me for details.

http://corporate.liasophia.com/jewelry.html

"Mikeology"

2007-11-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Meme: brought to you by the ever-lovely No Cool Story via MillieRules: Let others know a little more about yourself, repost this as your name followed by "ology."

MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Outback Steakhouse, love the salad, potato & steak...

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A: Tuna sandwhich (I actually do eat every day for 2 week stints)

Q.What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Chicken Alfredo is we are talking gourmet pizza, otherwise give me the classic pepperoni

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is currently on your computer wallpaper?
A: Actually, it is a seascape

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A: 2

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. 4 months ago...I like gummi bears and will never give them up.

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A.Yes, I was hit with a soccer ball in grade school and was out cold...I guess the blow to head explains a lot for those of you who know me.

OTHEROLOGY
Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Olive green

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. Yes, someone was choking on some food and I performed the Heimlech

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. Yes, I was choking on a grape and my dad did the same thing!

DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: Nothing, I hate to have anything in my pockets

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. Late at night, after 2-3 mountain dew's with lot of friends, Yes! otherwise, no.

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: can't remember

LASTOLOGY
Q: Last person who called you?
A: Dave, my best friend.

Q: Last Person you hugged?
A: Kenna

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 9

Q: Season?
A: i like fall and the beginning of summer, i love sweaters and i love when it's time to brake out the shorts...Ditto for mikey

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Mood?
A: Relaxed for the first time in a month, yet productive, I am in a getting things done mood.

Q: Listening to?
A: Kenna, giving me "more honey-do's", yes, filling this out was one too :)

Q: Watching?
A: College Football, surprised?

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: I am doing it!! spend time w/ the family on a Saturday and just chill!

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Transformers (1984 cartoon release, not the new one)

Q: Do you smile often?
A: I try to smile with each person I meet, but know that I don't always smile.

TAGOLOGYIf you just read this, YOU'RE IT! Just let me know :)
Hank
Dave
Josh & Brooke
Andrea
Anyone?

"kennaology"

2007-11-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Meme: brought to you by the ever-lovely No Cool Story via Millie
Rules: Let others know a little more about yourself, repost this as your name followed by "ology."
MOUTHOLOGY
Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Claim Jumper, local I think it really just depends on my mood, but Wingers is up their.

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A: Cereal.

Q.What are your pizza toppings of choice?
A. Like Corrie I also like Barbecue chicken and cheese, but also pineapple and maybe a sliver or two of an onion.

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is currently on your computer wallpaper?
A: Me too,Windows - the one with the sweeping green hill and clouds in the sky

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A: 2

BIOLOGY
Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. I bet I have one now but the last time I had work done was 6 months ago.

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A.Nope, I was put under for my wisdom teeth but the as close as I come.

OTHEROLOGY
Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Blue or forest green brings out my eyes and I love red.

Q. Have you ever saved someone's life?
A. I saved my husband from a evil girl he was dating (before we were married).

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. I saved my self from chocking to death. I dont eat Roman noodles anymore

DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: The remote to my car that fell off my key chain, if I unlock my door with the key the alarm goes off.

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. I thought is was painful to watch but it is a great movie to quote.

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: Some one tried to break in downstairs, they tried to tell me a newspaper broke the window but it was dated the morning after and their was a witness..

LASTOLOGY
Q: Last person who called you?
A: Mikey

Q: Last Person you hugged?
A: Jane.

FAVORITOLOGY
Q: Number?
A: 18

Q: Season?
A: i like fall and the beginning of summer, i love sweaters and i love when it's time to brake out the shorts.

CURRENTOLOGY
Q: Mood?
A: Serene for the moment, should change when Shara repeats the same thing about twenty times

Q: Listening to?
A: Shara singing about wanting to go to Chucky cheese.

Q: Watching?
A: all my spelling and grammar errors.

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: Give Mike his Christmas present

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: Meet the Robinsons

Q: Do you smile often?
A: yes, my girls are very fun to hang out with

TAGOLOGYIf you just read this, YOU'RE IT! Just let me know :)
Mike
Andrea
Anyone?

Birthday Wishes

2007-10-09T07:22:00.002-06:00

Due to a handful of loved ones with birthdays in October we wanted to send out a extra birthday wish. Happy Birthday and may this next year bring you great joy and happiness. Our family sends all our love.

Sharing Links

2007-10-09T07:18:00.000-06:00

We have enjoyed looking at all your blogs and want to share them with others too so we have linked them to ours. If we have linked you and you would like us to remove it please let us know. Likewise if you would like to be linked to ours we would love to add you to our friends and family.

Preschool for Shara

2007-10-02T15:25:00.000-06:00

Shara is now in preschool and loving every minute of it. When I went to pick her up after her first day, the teacher couldn't believe how smart Shara is. They read the Little Engine That Could. As the teachers would read they would ask the students if they thought the other engine would help. Shara answered, " He looks grumpy, he's not going to help." They couldn't believe that she was already perceptible enough to pick that up by looking at the picture. Shara doesn't miss a thing.

They got to go to the nearby orchard and learn about and pick apples. Afterward they made applesauce for a snack. When they worked on the letter "b" they made mini loafs of bread and got a balloon. Needless to say, it has been so much fun for her.

Ribbon Cutting

2007-10-02T15:16:00.000-06:00

The ribbon cutting ceremony and open house were a success. Thanks to everyone that was able to come. Mike and Mike both looked great and presented well. The bankers and other associates were impressed and enjoyed the clinic's professional atmosphere. It was so neat to see all of Mike's hard work and dreams becoming a reality. The work is definitely not done, but is off to a great start. The clinic is busy and we hope it will continue on that course. A special thanks to all those who were instrumental in making this happen for our family.

The Year Mark

2007-10-02T14:03:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it has already been a year since our little Jane came into the world. She is a little sweetheart and she's a mama's girl for now. She has been bum scooting for months with no intention of crawling. Despite my best tries she wasn't interested because she was much faster on her bum. Finally on the morning of her first birthday she got up and crawled across the kitchen like a pro. She still mostly scoots along but now we know she can crawl if she has a mind to.

Jane skipped baby food and went straight to table food. It saves money but is a lot harder to take anything on the go, not to mention nothing is just mine, we share everything from rice and beans to the Twix. I think her favorite things are strawberry lemonade and daddy's home made rice and beans. Breakfast is another story she wants nothing to do with it. We are trying scrambled eggs now and she is at least willing to give them a try.

She loves to be outside or playing with her big sister. No one can make Jane laugh and smile as well as Shara. They have so much fun together, what a blessing they both are.

Mark your Calander

2007-08-05T16:25:00.000-06:00

We have received word from Lindon City Mayor and the ribbon cutting is going to be on Tuesday Aug.14th the Mayor will be there at noon. We would love to share this event with all of you that can come, if not we will try to post as much as we can. Yes there will be food.

Our title

2007-07-28T08:38:00.000-06:00

We thought that Where the wild things are was fitting for our family, we seem to be running wild all the time.

At the moment we are trying to get everything ready to open our doors on the clinic this Monday. We are so excited about it but there is still quiet a bit of work to do. We have hired to Secretaries and they are working on the ribbon cutting, you are all invited.

I also have been doing jewlery partys like crazy. I am having alot of fun and can't wait until my new jewelery arives next week.

New at This

2007-07-27T23:15:00.000-06:00

After having so much fun reading Corrie's blog, Michael and i decided we should try our hand at it. I'm sure you will be able to tell everytime we learn something new, but thats the fun of it.