The Highlight of my Day: November 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what I was thankful for in November:

Sat 11/1/14:  Today I am thankful for lazy Saturdays that I get to spend with my husband.  Brad and I spent the afternoon relaxing on our couch, munching on Halloween candy, and watching the last four episodes of Lost, season three.

Sun 11/2/14:  Today I am thankful for a husband and teenage kids, who know how to make delicious breakfast-for-dinner meals when I am not feeling well.  They did an awesome job making french toast tonight.

Mon 11/3/14:  Today I am thankful for fun shows to watch while I'm crocheting hats to sell.  I almost finished making an entire Olaf hat this morning while I was watching "Once Upon A Time," "Biggest Loser," and "House Hunters."

Tue 11/4/14:  Today I am thankful for my growing ability to crochet.  It's neat being able to look at a photo, mapping how to create it in my head, and then making it.  Today I saw a photo of the new Disney robot character from the movie Big Hero 6, and I knew exactly how to make character hat of him.  It's looking good so far.  I think it would be cute to make a hat for David to wear when we go watch the movie in the theater.

Wed 11/5/14:  Today I am thankful that my parents live close by.  They showed up at my house today, when Mom heard I was sick.  Mom brought me a loaf of homemade pumpkin bread, a casserole, treats for the kids, and medicine for my cough.  Their move to Utah has definitely been one of the greatest blessings I could have received.

Thu 11/6/14:  I am grateful for our nice warm house that we live in.  It's so nice knowing that even though it's freezing or below freezing outside, we have a nice house to keep us comfy and warm.  I am grateful to be a homeowner.

Fri 11/7/14:  I had an amazing night with Brad tonight.  Today I am thankful for my marriage and all of the benefits that come from being married to such a wonderful man.  We had an enjoyable time finding new ways to spice up our marriage tonight.  I feel like I'm on a second honeymoon!  Who knew making crossword puzzles and word searches in front of the fire could end up being so fun and exciting?

Sat 11/8/14:  I had another fantastic and memorable day with Brad again.  Can't I just say that I am so incredibly lucky and blessed to have him in my life?  He is INCREDIBLE!  Anyway, today I am also thankful for fun autumn memories I get to create with my kids.  We went over to Grandpa North's house to rake leaves today.  Lizzy and David had so much fun playing and jumping in the leaves with their cousins, Charlotte and Aksel.

Sun 11/9/14:  Today I am thankful for having such a sweet teaching partner in primary.  Sister Ruff brought me some vitamin packets to help me get rid of my cold.  She noticed I was tired in church today, and that I still have my cough.  She wanted me to feel better.

Mon 11/10/14:  I can't stop thinking about my husband!  I am infatuated and obsessed with him this week.  Today I am thankful for love notes and how happy they make me when I read them.

Tue 11/11/14:  Today I am thankful for homemade turkey soup.  I made some for my family and the Bruce-Clan tonight, since Loralee was feeling ill today.

Wed 11/12/14:  I am thankful for our fireplace!  Especially when I get to spend some time with my husband in front of it.  I am so completely in love with him this week.  I shared some of my fantasies with him today, which led to a lot more fun conversations and one-on-one time.  I love trusting him, and him trusting me.

Thu 11/13/14:  I am grateful for the parent-time schedule that allows Scott and Emma to spend more time with us during the week and weekends.  It's nice having them home every other week, the entire time, instead of broken up in pieces.  I can tell they love being home with us.

Fri 11/14/14:  I finished making two Big Hero 6 hats today!  They look so cute on my kids.  Today I am thankful for awesome family-friendly movies that inspire me to create cute character hats.  Disney and other movie companies have gotten so much better at telling good stories.  I am looking forward to watching Big Hero 6 with my family!

Sat 11/15/14:  Today I am thankful for fun, good written shows that I get to watch with my family.  We had a "Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D" marathon.  The second half of the first season was awesome!

Sun 11/16/14:  I missed church again today.  I had a fever all day yesterday, and I did not want to risk anyone catching my illness at church, so I stayed home.  Today I am grateful for Sprite and Gatorade.  They are tasty to drink, and good at hydrating my sickly body at the same time.  I feel much better tonight than I did last night.

Mon 11/17/14:  I am grateful for Monday night routines.  It's fun going to the library every week, and watching Studio C as a family.  I picked up the fourth season of Lost tonight at the library.

Tue 11/18/14:  I am grateful for good health and strength!  We have been having a rough season this year with illnesses, but I am still grateful for the many blessings my family and I receive in regards to being healthy.  It was nice having energy to get things today.  We are very blessed indeed.

Wed 11/19/14:  I felt very sick again, unfortunately. This time with digestible issues.  Today I am grateful for good books that keep me entertained when I am too ill to do much.  I've been reading a novel called Fire, by Kristen Cashore.  It's a fun fantasy book that my sister, Rachel recommended to me.

Thu 11/20/14: Today I am grateful to be a mother of four incredible children, even if I only gave birth to two of them. Today was Emma's 14th birthday.  I stopped by Harmon's on the way to pick her up from school and bought a delicious slice of cheesecake for her.  That made her happy.  In the evening, I had a special moment with David.  It was time for bed, and Brad sent David over to say goodnight to me.  David came up to me and gently put his hands on my cheek.  He whispered "I love you," to me, then began kissing my cheek over and over again very tenderly.  It totally made me cry.  I love being a mother!

Fri 11/21/14:  I am grateful for acetaminophen.  I was in terrible pain today, from what I thought was a sore throat. I think it ended up being some kind of infection behind my left tonsil and tongue.  I took some acetaminophen, gargled salt water and mouthwash, and within the hour I felt a lot better.  It was such a relief to be able to talk and swallow again.

Sat 11/22/14:  We had another lazy Saturday, to recover from our various aliments this past week.  Brad may or may not have a broken or dislocated rib, poor guy. Today I am grateful for the annual Hill Family Pie Night at our old church building.  It was fun seeing all the Hills and other old friends from the Westbrook 2nd Ward, and to eat some delicious homemade pies.  YUM!

Sun 11/23/14:  Today I am so very grateful for my wonderful 14-year-old daughter, Emma.  We celebrated her birthday with Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb tonight.  I made taco salad and a delicious homemade carrot cake.  Emma seemed to love spending time with everyone.  I think she really enjoyed roasting giant marshmallows in front of the fireplace with her dad and siblings.

Mon 11/24/14:  Today I am thankful for the precious moments I get to witness with my children.  It was lovely hearing David laugh with his big brother, Scott, while they played the Spiderman video game together in Scott's bedroom.  David has turned into a HUGE Spiderman fan lately.

Tue 11/25/14:  I am thankful for Studio Ghibli movies. Tonight Brad, Scott, Emma and I finished watching "The Wind Rises" together for the first time, and we all agreed it was a beautiful movie.  I love that every member of my family appreciates Studio Ghibli movies.

Wed 11/26/14:  Family photos were taken today!  I am thankful for my beautiful family, and that we have the tradition of taking family photos every year for our Christmas cards.  I love having up-to-date photos of my family.

Thu 11/27/14:  Thanksgiving was fantastic this year!  I am so incredibly grateful that I married into Brad's family.  They are WONDERFUL!  The food was amazing, as it usually is.  Amanda made the turkey, turkey stuffing, and butternut squash for dinner.  I made the green bean casserole and a large turkey veggie tray, and Brad made corn pudding (under my supervision).  Marilyn made mashed potatoes and her usual delicious homemade rolls.  And Lorlaee made some yummy cream pies and some cranberry sauce.  David decided to run away and scare us right before dinner, but luckily we found him pretty quickly.  He ran down Tuscaloosa, almost to Dixie Drive before Brad found him on his knees, crying near the Fenton's house.  I am grateful Heavenly Father looked out for our family and helped us find David.

Fri 11/28/14:  I am grateful for Disney's new awesome movie, "Big Hero 6."  We watched it together as a family today, and it was fantastic!  Lizzy and David looked adorable wearing their new Baymax hats in the theater.  They got some fun attention after the movie.

Sat 11/29/14:  I am grateful that we live so near the Bruce-Clan.  Loralee and Bruce needed some time alone last night, so they sent Brandon, Ryan, Kaylie, and Rachel over to spend the night.  It was nice having them here Saturday morning.  All my kids love their cousins.

Sun 11/30/14:  I am thankful for dinners at my parents' house!  It's so nice that my parents live so close by.  My mom had decorated her house, out front and inside, with all of her fabulous Christmas decorations.  Lizzy and David were very impressed.  After dinner, Mom, Lizzy, David, and I went for a walk to see Christmas lights while Dad, Brad, Scott, and Emma stayed behind and told stories.  My Dad is a good story teller and kept everyone entertained.

The Highlight of my Day: October 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in October 2014:

Wed 10/1/14:  I love crisp, autumn mornings in October!  The sunlight always seems to have more of a yellowish glow in October.  This truly is one of my favorite times of the year.

Thu 10/2/14:  It's nearing Halloween and the decorations are coming up everywhere.  David loves spotting pumpkins and spiderwebs on peoples' houses.  He calls spiderwebs "Spiderman," and he likes to growl at pumpkins like the pumpkin did in his favorite Halloween book by Margaret Wise Brown, "The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin."  He has also become very fond of skeletons.  He likes to call me a skeleton when I wash my face before I shower.  I guess he associates white faces with skeletons.

Fri 10/3/14:  The weight is coming off slowly, but the fact that I can easily slip out of pair of unbuttoned jeans that I couldn't even come close to buttoning 3 months ago is a really good sign.

Sat 10/4/14:  Little D turned 3 years old today!  He's such a darling.  Scott and Emma blew up a bunch of orange balloons today, while Brad and I went to buy Papa Murphy's pizza.  Lizzy and David LOVED the balloons.  Lizzy had fun drawing pictures on them, and David had fun making the jack-o-lantern balloon growl like "The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin.  We had a small lunch and birthday cake with Grandpa North.

Sun 10/5/14:  I loved watching Scott and Brad get geeky together and play Dungeons and Dragons after General Conference.  They looked like they were having fun.  Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb came over for dinner.  I made chicken and vegetable stir-fry.  It was yummy.

Mon 10/6/14:  Tonight was the first episode of Studio C season 5!  Some of the sketches were very funny.  I loved the opening sketch the best: "Studio C Secrets Revealed."  Can't wait to see what other fun stuff they come up with.

Tue 10/7/14:  Whoo hoo!  Brad is getting a raise!

Wed 10/8/14:  My highlight of the day was working on the Totoro hat I am making Brad for Halloween.  I finished the ears and the eyes.  He's starting to look more and more like my favorite Studio Ghibli character.

Thu 10/9/14:  David and I gave my parents a surprise visit today.  I thought it would be a good day to go for a walk by the river.  Mom joined us, and we walked to the park by her house, then walked along the paths by the river.  David got his shirt wet at the park, so I took it off and he spent all of his time walking shirtless.  He pet a couple of dogs, and he liked seeing two white horses trotting on the horse trail.

Fri 10/10/14:  I was in good spirits today.  I did a lot of grocery shopping this morning with Lizzy and David.  In the afternoon we headed over to Brad's work to get flu shots.  Lizzy and David got the mist sprayed up their nose again instead of getting the shot, which made them happy.  Lizzy does not like getting shots, but she enjoyed watching me and her dad get shots.

Sat 10/11/14:  We headed over to Murray this evening, to attend a western-themed party with my parents' ward members.  They had a chili cookoff, pumpkin growing contest, and lots of food and family activities.  Lizzy liked panning for gold, and David liked roping and sitting on the rocking horses there.

Sun 10/12/14:  We had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house tonight.  Mom made us chili and potatoes, leftover from the party on Saturday night.  We went for a walk around the neighborhood, looking for Halloween decorations. David especially was very excited to see the pumpkins and scary things.  He's  REALLY into Halloween this year.  Mom and I visited one of her ward members on the walk, and got some delicious home-grown veggies from their garden.  Murray is a good place to grow a garden.  Everything is so green and healthy there.

Mon 10/13/14:  Brad and I took the little ones to Pumpkin Point Farms tonight.  David was ecstatic to see the pumpkins everywhere.  He wanted to pick up every small pumpkin he could and put it in the wheelbarrow.  We finally settled on 5 pumpkins, paid $15 for them, and then had a fun time exploring the corn maze, saying hi to Mater the truck, riding in the hay ride, and watching Lizzy and David climb in various tractors.  It was a fun evening.

Tue 10/14/14:  U2's Songs of Innocence album was released today on iTunes.  Brad of course, was thrilled beyond thrilled when he found out that the album was free and automatically sent to his iTunes account.  U2 graciously gave away their new album to everyone on iTunes.  It was pretty awesome.

Wed 10/15/14:  As I anticipated, Brad and I have been listening to a lot of new U2 songs today.  They are starting to warm up on me, and I am liking them more and more as I continue to listen to them.

Thu 10/16/14:  Lizzy, David, and I went to Grandma's house this morning, to see the baby snake Grandpa Whitcomb caught a couple days ago.  The snake was of course very shy, but my dad held it up for the kids to see, and I got to hold it a little, too.  It was very cute, and the kids loved seeing it.  We also enjoyed walking to the river later, and playing at the park.

Fri 10/17/14:  After a month of thinking my wedding band made its untimely end, falling into the abyss of my kitchen sink, Lizzy found it tonight hiding under the big brown leather seat in our living room.  My heart is happy!

Sat 10/18/14:  We harvested our fierce yellow pumpkin today!  It has gotten very orange, and David couldn't leave it alone any more, so he pulled it off the pumpkin vine.  It's sitting on our kitchen table now, awaiting its fate.

Sun 10/19/14:  I hinted to Brad about what I want for Christmas this year.  A signed copy of The Piano Guys newest album.  I think he's going to get it for me!

Mon 10/20/14:We had a fabulous FHE on the topic of marriage and families today.  We talked about making righteous choices when we date, and looking for someone who makes us want to be better than we are ourselves.  We especially talked about the warning signs of dating someone who may have personality disorders that lead to divorce.  For example, don't marry someone with a victim-like personality.  They are nothing but trouble.

Tue 10/21/14:  I love autumn!  I'm not ready for winter to come just yet.  The weather has been pretty mild for the most part.

Wed 10/22/14:  Tonight was YW in Excellence at our ward building.  The theme was pink and purple, so I wore my purple sashay scarf with a plain black shirt.  Emma sat with us some of the time, but she seemed to like hanging out with her cousins best of all.

Thu 10/23/14:  Date night!  Brad and I dropped off Lizzy and David at Grandma's house after Lizzy's Student Led Conference this evening.  We grabbed some Subway, then headed home after Emma's conference and watched some BYU soccer while we ate dinner.  We LOVED spending time alone without children.  Brad started a fire in our fireplace for the first time.  We roasted marshmallows and drank martinellis in the dark while writing sexy love notes to each other.  It was so much fun!

Fri 10/24/14:  Scott and Emma came home this afternoon, after being gone for most of the month. Scott told us it was too long to be away, and he was happy to be home.  Brad started another fire, and we all roasted marshmallows together.  I love spending time together with my family.

Sat 10/25/14:  Our neighbors and ward members put together an excellent little "trunk-or treat" event at the park tonight.  Lizzy dressed up in her Kiki outfit and David dressed up as Tombo.  Scott and Emma didn't want to wear costumes.  Lizzy and David loved getting their candy from each decorated vehicle.  They also enjoyed having balloons made by Sister Western.  Lizzy asked for an "Elsa" balloon, and David ended up with an orange snake with yellow eyes.  My favorite part of the activity was trying everyone's homemade chili.  I tasted every one of them, and they were delicious.

Sun 10/26/14:  I enjoyed giving my lesson in CTR 5.  The lesson was on making wise choices, so we focused a lot on the wise man and foolish man parable from the New Testament.  The kids were very focused on the lesson and participated a lot during it, which made me and Sister Ruff happy.

Mon 10/27/14:  Studio C was fun watching tonight, especially with Scott and Emma home.  My favorite sketch was probably Halloween Prank Gone Wrong.  I loved watching Mallory and Matt react to Whitney possibly being a serial killer.

Tue 10/28/14:  We carved pumpkins tonight!  I helped Lizzy with her little jack-o-lantern.  She wanted a traditional scary-face one.  David painted his little pumpkin with acrylic paint.  He did an excellent job covering most of his pumpkin with muddy purple paint.  Scott carved  two pumpkins-- a Two Face pumpkin and a Nightwing-ish one.  Emma's pumpkin focused more on her passion for RWBY-- an American anime show.  I tried to carve a Totoro pumpkin, but it came out looking like Turnip Head from "Howl's Moving Castle."  Papa carved his jack-o-lantern to look like Margaret Wise Brown's Fierce Yellow Pumpkin.  David was very excited to see that.  "Grrr... in the dark!"  That's David's favorite line to quote.

Wed 10/29/14:  Our family, minus Emma, went to crash Westbrook 2nd Ward's Halloween carnival tonight.  It was fun seeing old familiar faces there, and watching Lizzy and David participate in the fun activities.  Scott enjoyed visiting Brett and Jordan. The Polaks showed up at the end of the night with Grandpa North.  Zach dressed up in his awesome custom-made Compact Disc costume.  He was an instant hit at the party.

Thu 10/30/14:  One more day until Halloween!  I crocheted a darling red bow for Lizzy to wear with her Kiki custom.  She's going to look so cute.

Fri 10/31/14:  We had a fantastic Halloween!  I took the little ones to Brad's work to go trick-or-treating in the middle of the afternoon.  Lizzy and David are always so very charming with Brad's coworkers.  After that activity, we headed home and I made a spooky 7 layer dip for the Halloween party at the cousins' house tonight.  Loralee, as always, made a fantastic dinner consisting of Slime Punch and Sandwich Snakes.  My parents came to the party, and so did Grandpa North, Scott and Emma, Sterling, Marilyn, and Loralee's neighbors.  We went trick-or-treating after dinner.  The funnest part of the evening was watching David get genuinely excited every time we stopped at someone's house.  David appreciated every Halloween decoration he saw, and he was always very polite.  He received a lot of attention from everyone.

The Highlight of My Day: September 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in September:

Mon 9/1/14:  I woke up at 5:00 this morning thinking, 'It feels like September.  I need to start crocheting hats.'  Before I knew it, ideas started popping in my mind a mile a minute.  Now it's time to get out the yarn and crochet hooks!

Tue 9/2/14:  It was nice having FHE with Scott and Emma tonight.  We talked about our week and what we're looking forward to.  Everyone is mostly excited about Comic Con.  Scott officially finished putting his cosplay costume together today.  The last thing he needed to do was sew on a brown patch over his pant knee.

Wed 9/3/14:  The thrill and excitement for Comic Con is in the air!  That's all everyone keeps talking about over here.  Two more days.

Thu 9/4/14:  More legal stress today, but I have faith that everything is going to be okay.  I think harder times makes Brad and I stronger as a couple.  I like being on the same team as him.

Fri 9/5/14:  I finished crocheting my first Olaf hat today!  He turned out to be incredibly cute.  The hat was a special order made for Jacob Goodwin.  Can't wait to see how cute he looks in it.

Sat 9/6/14:  I crocheted all day long today while Brad, Scott, and Emma had a wonderful time at the Salt Lake City Comic Con.  It was fun listening to their exciting tales when they got home.  They all dressed up in costume.  Brad was Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, and Scott and Emma were Pazu and Sheeta from Castle in the Sky.  They really had a fun time meeting Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman) and getting his autograph and photo.  While they were away, I finished the Anna and Elsa hats I've been working on.  They look so cute!

Sun 9/7/14:  Today was Stake Conference.  It was a broadcast conference, with the topics mostly focused on family and prayer.  The main speakers were Elders M. Russell Ballard and Dallin H. Oaks.  It was nice coming home at noon and then visiting with the Bruce-Clan afterward.

Mon 9/8/14:  I took Lizzy and David to Oquirrh Highlands Park after picking up Lizzy from school.  I played with them the entire time

Tue 9/9/14:  I loved spending the day with my wonderful husband.  He took off work to go to court this morning.  The results of the hearing went well for us, with a few bumps here and there regarding child-support.  It was fun watching the thunder and lightning storm while we were waiting in the courthouse.  Brad and I had lunch together, and watched Lost while eating some yummy angel food cake.  We were also able to listen to U2's newest album, "Songs of Innocence" for free on iTunes.

Wed 9/10/14:  Finished another Elsa hat today.  I made the braided hair a little longer on this one, which turned out perfect.  I'm going to make another Anna hat, too, and make some minor changes.  Tweaking patterns can be fun.

Thu 9/11/14:  I took Lizzy and David to Oquirrh Highlands Park again today.  I would love it if Rachel bought a house over here someday.  It's such a fantastic neighborhood. The view at the park is lovely.  I've been looking at the prices of houses there, and they would be ideal for Rachel's family. I'm hoping Rachel will move here someday.  We'll see how things pan out.

Fri 9/12/14:  Tonight was our ward's annual soup contest and cake auction.  I ended up making a cake and not a soup this year.  My cake was a "Happee Birthdae Harry" cake, from Harry Potter.  I was going for something geeky and easy.  Worked out well.  The Bekins family ended up buying it for $19.

Sat 9/13/14:  I had an over-abundance of tomatoes today-- my biggest harvest yet.  Looks like I'm going to need to make some salsa and spaghetti sauces soon.

Sun 9/14/14:  My Downeast Basics dress fits me now!  YAY!  I wore it to church today and received some nice compliments.  I love it.  It's beautiful!

Mon 9/15/14:  My husband has been going through some hard times lately, but I am grateful that we have each other to lean on.  I support him and love him with all my heart.

Tue 9/16/14:  I officially finished my second round of Frozen crochet hats this morning.  I took some photos and edited them, and posted them on Facebook, where they received a LOT of attention.  They are cute!  Lizzy modeled the girl hats, and I had fun doing a photo shoot with her.  She's a great model.

Wed 9/17/14:  Scott turned 17 years old on the 17th!  Can't believe he's growing up so fast.  I bought him a delicious cake with chocolate swirls for his birthday, and we sang to him after he came back from Young Men's tonight.  I love that boy.

Thu 9/18/14:  I woke up with a cold and sore throat today.  No fun.  I caught it from Lizzy and David.  My highlight of the day was being loved by Brad.  He's such a wonderful husband.

Fri 9/19/14:  Brad has been loving the new U2 album.  I think we've both agreed that our favorite song on the album is "Every Breaking Wave."  It helped when Brad told me the meaning behind the lyrics.  Now I love it.  It's a catchy tune, and falls right in my voice's sweet spot.  It's fun to sing along.

Sat 9/20/14:  We drove up to Silver Lake this afternoon, to see the pretty autumn leaves.  The weather was perfect.  I enjoyed taking photos of the kids, and Scott enjoyed taking photos of the scenery.  We hiked around the lake and up the mountain a little bit.  Lizzy looked so cute in her red cowboy boots.

Sun 9/21/14:  We celebrated Hobbit Day, a day early.  I went all out in preparing a delicious feast-- fit for any hobbit.  I made a roast turkey, bacon potatoes, lumbas bread, homemade white bread, and sauteed garlic mushrooms, with pickles, carrots, and fancy cheese on the side.  My mom and dad came and brought some yummy sweet bread and apple cider.  I made a delicious birthday cake for Scott.  We invited Michael, Brandon, and Ryan to come over to celebrate with us.  It turned out to be a lovely day.

Mon 9/22/14:  My son, David, loves the book "Goodnight Moon."  It has become a new favorite, and Brad has been reading it to him every night.  They've also started reading "The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin," by Margaret Wise Brown.  Brad and I have noticed that David has been talking more now that he's being reading the same books every night.  He loves books.

Tue 9/23/14:  I had a blast editing photos today.  I took some really nice ones of our Hobbit Day feast, and our mountain excursion on Saturday.  It was enjoyable posting them on Facebook and reading people's comments.

Wed 9/24/14:  I am grateful that I didn't marry Terry.  He'll always be an important person in my life, and a part of me will always treasure the good times we shared together, but I'm glad it didn't work out between us.  I talked to him on the phone this morning, for the first time in years.  He's going through a very hard time right now.  After listening to him tell me his sad story for almost an hour, I came to the conclusion (again) that marrying Brad was the best decision I have ever made.  I have an amazing husband.  I love our marriage.  I love our family.  I love the bond that we share.  Today I am not taking it for granted.

Thu 9/25/14:  I had the pleasure of being taken back in time today.  It's amazing how listening to music can do that.  I was having an enjoyable time listening to various musical artists on Grooveshark this morning, when I came across some good ol' Backstreet Boys.  Immediately I was taken back in time to when I was a teenager, playing Tomb Raider 2 on the Playstation with my sisters and Raven Roberts.  I could almost smell and taste the flavor of pepperoni pizza and buffalo wings.  Mm mm!  I'm craving junk food tonight!

Fri 9/26/14:  I invited my mom to come over for dinner on her birthday.  I made chicken chili and homemade salsa.  My gift to her was a pretty orange shirt that Lizzy and I picked out for her birthday.  Lizzy had fun entertaining Grandma and Grandpa.  She invited them out in the backyard and the front yard, and we enjoyed looking at the lightning bolts high in the sky.

Sat 9/27/14:  It rained all day today.  My highlight of the day was attending the women's session of General Conference with my mom at her stake center.  I am glad that my mom is being well taken care of by the sisters in her ward.  I can tell that she is well loved.  My favorite speaker of the night was President Uchtdorf.  He gave a wonderful talk on living the gospel joyfully.  We had yummy treats at the end of the night: veggies, spinach dip, grapes, and eclairs.

Sun 9/28/14:  We had dinner at Grandma Whitcomb's house tonight.  She made a yummy enchilada casserole with salad, chips and salsa, and apple juice on the side.  She then fed us ice cream sandwiches, cookies, and vanilla pudding.  Way too much food in my opinion, but it was still fun being there, especially when the thunderstorm arrived.  Brad, Dad, and the little kids went outside to look for bats.  It was too cold and wet for bats, but we saw an amazing lightning show instead.  It sure did make for a fun ride home.  The temperature dropped, and the rain poured on us, and we even saw snow on the side of the road.  SNOW!  Scott and Emma were not pleased that it was snowing in September, but Lizzy and David loved it.

Mon 9/29/14:  I cut David's hair this morning.  He needed one really bad.  He looks adorable now, but also older.  Can't believe he'll be three in a few days!  We had a real Family Home Evening tonight.  We talked about the importance of prayer, and had yummy doughnut holes for dessert.  I am proud of Scott and Emma and how grown-up they're becoming.  It's nice having adult conversations with them.

Tue 9/30/14:  I love my husband so much.  He had a really stressful day today, but it ended well for him.  I am grateful for our friendship and the love that we share.  I know how to make him happy.  On the side note, some awesome looking black boots arrived in the mail for me today.  I tried them on and they look fantastic!  Thank you, Zulily!  I'm addicted to you now.

The Highlight of My Day: August 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in August 2014:

Fri 8/1/14: My little kids and I met Rachel and Craig at the City Creek Mall in SLC this morning.  We had lunch there.  Rachel bought some yummy Greek food  It was my first real time walking around the mall, and it was beautiful.  The kids loved seeing all of the little creeks and waterfalls everywhere.  They also LOVED going to the Disney Store.  In the evening, Brad and I dropped off Lizzy and David at Grandma's house with Claire, and we went with Craig and Rachel on a double date.  We had dinner at Iceburg, then we headed over to Gardner Village.  We took photos, walked around, looked at some shops, and bought some awesome vintage-looking Batman pictures for gifts for Scott and Emma.  We'll give the gifts to them for their birthdays and Christmas.

Sat 8/2/14:  Today was chore day.  Brad worked hard on fixing the brakes on the van.  He needed my help at one point, so I helped, and he was able to successful fix the brakes without any more problems.  I'm so proud of my husband.  He's such a smart, capable, handy man.

Sun 8/3/14:  The big kids came home this morning from being gone all week.  It was nice having FHE with them before church.   Brad told the kids that he was wanting to go to Comic Con with them this year.   They were really happy to hear that.  I helped Emma pack for Oakcrest tomorrow, and then we went over to see the Bruce-Clan.

Mon 8/4/14:  Scott picked his cosplay costume!  He wants to be Pazu from Castle in the Sky, and we want Emma to be Sheeta.  Brad will be Ned Flanders again.  I'm trying to convince Lizzy to be Kiki for Halloween, and David to be Tombo.

Tue 8/5/14:  I got to hang out with Rachel and Claire again this afternoon!  They had some time-- about three hours worth-- to visit with us before Rachel's plane too off.  Lizzy, David, and I met them downtown at the Conference Center, then we went to City Creek again.  We had lunch at Subway, then walked down the mall.  The kids had fun looking at all the water features at City Creek.  We saw some fish, too.  It was hot and sunny, and the kids got wet in some of the water fountains.  We stopped at Deseret Books to look at music for Rachel.  While we were inside, a huge storm filled the sky and we began to get some thunder and lightning.  It was a big surprise to walk out of the store and see how dark the skies were.  Love Utah weather!  My biggest highlight of the day was Rachel telling me that she and Craig want to move to Utah!  Yay!

Wed 8/6/14:  All I can think about is how excited I am about the prospect of Rachel's family moving to Utah.  I want them to move here so bad.

Thu 8/7/14:  My garden continues to give me a hefty bunch of tomatoes every day.  I am loving it, especially since I'm eating so much produce lately.  I love my garden.

Fri 8/8/14:  Tonight was the Stake Ice Cream Social.  The kids had a blast spending time with their cousins and Valeen Hyde.  It was adorable watching them run up and down the lawn at the stake property.  The ground was very damp, but David was smart and wore his new galoshes.  He loves the new galoshes he got from Chase Timmerman.  He even wears them to bed at night.

Sat 8/9/14:  Today we tore apart Aunt Marian's backyard deck.  Brad, Scott, and I had an enjoyable time ripping up the old wooden planks and carrying them to the side of the house.  All the Bruce-Clan boys were there (minus Jason).  James Clark helped tremendously, as did the Polaks, and Natalie's new boyfriend, Collin.  We got the deck mostly done by lunch time.  We left a few planks up so Marian and the dogs could get down to the lawn without trouble.

Sun 8/10/14:  I cooked some green beans and peas from my garden today.  They were so yummy!  David and Lizzy helped me finish them off, too.

Mon 8/11/14:  We visited Grandma and Grandpa this morning.  I helped put up Alva Gene Mallory's painting in their family room.  I am SO happy they bought back that painting.  Every time I see that painting I instantly remember my grandparents and Hale Mana, and all the good memories I have of them.

Tue 8/12/14:  Brad took off work today.  We headed over to Thanksgiving Point to see the Gardens with Lizzy and David.  The admission prices are usually $15 per adult and $12 per child, but since it was Two Dollar Tuesday today, we only got in for $6.  The Gardens were beautiful!  My favorite garden was "The Secret Garden."  Absolutely gorgeous!

Wed 8/13/14:  I am so excited with the thought of Rachel moving to Utah!  I hope she does.  She's saying that if they do move here, they would like to move in the early spring, like my parents did.  I have been helping her plan out the details of how they would make the move work.  So far, the plan is for them to sell their condo, move into my parents house, keep their furniture at ABC Storage, and find jobs so that they can get a loan to buy a house.

Thu 8/14/14:  Lizzy got to spend the afternoon at Grandma's house today because David was feeling sick.  Grandma bought her a new green bathsuit for her to wear at the swimming pool.  David was feeling fine by the end of the day, which made me happy.

Fri 8/15/14:  We had a lovely evening with the Moons tonight. We played GUBS and had a BBQ hamburger and hot dog dinner.  I loved watching the kids run and play in the backyard.  They had so much fun together.

Sat 8/16/14:  Lizzy and David graduated into bigger beds tonight.  Brad set up Scott's old twin-size bed for Lizzy, and David has moved into Lizzy's toddler bed.  I bought a Frozen-themed sheet and comforter set for Lizzy, and I bought David a soft Batman blanket, so he could have something new, too.  David loves that blanket.  I enjoyed reading "Green Eggs and Ham" to them on Lizzy's new bed.  She was very excited to go to bed tonight.

Sun 8/17/14:  I kept David and Lizzy home from church today, because David broke out in a horrible blister rash, and Lizzy had a fever and was feeling nauseous.  I felt nauseous, too.  We must have a strange virus going on.  I was very appreciative of Sister Western teaching my CTR class at church.  There are so many kind and understanding people in our ward.

Mon 8/18/14:  We went to the Kearns library as usual tonight, but left our DVDs and books at home.  We decided it might be fun to drive to the Magna library afterwards, and drop off our stash there.  It's a beautiful drive from our house to Magna.  On the way home, we bought some strawberry/banana popsicles at Smiths.  They were a favorite among the kids for sure.

Tue 8/19/14:  Lizzy's school uniforms arrived in the mail today!  She had fun trying them on and modeling for me.  She is going to look adorable on her first day of school tomorrow.

Wed 8/20/14:  I took the girls to Entheos this morning, on their first day of school.  We got Lizzy's pin number from the office, then she had breakfast with Emma and her cousins.  She looked so incredibly tiny, sitting next to her big cousins and other junior high students at breakfast.  I walked her down to her Kindergarten class and helped her hang up her backpack.  David made himself right at home on the bean bags in the back of the classroom.  It felt weird saying goodbye to Lizzy.  I choked up as I walked out the door of the school, realizing that she's getting so big, and doesn't need me as much any more.  It reminded me of the Kindergarten book Lizzy's teacher gave Lizzy at her orientation.  All the parents were crying at the end of the book.  Yes, I was one of those parents, too.

Thu 8/21/14:  I found out today that the weird virus we have been having on and off this week is in fact Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease.  It's highly contagious, and little Nolan Moon got it after we went to visit last Friday.  Poor Nolan.  Lizzy has probably exposed it to her entire Kindergarten class, even though she is no longer feeling sick.  Lizzy is loving Kindergarten now.  I took the cousins, Emma, and Lizzy to school this morning, and Lizzy enjoyed jumping out of the van and walking to school without me.  It made a big lump appear in my throat again.  My little girl is growing up too fast.

Fri 8/22/14:  Scott and I had a fun time painting etherium crystal necklaces today.  Emma is going to use one for her cosplay costume in a couple of weeks.  The kids and I have been fun gathering cosplay costume items.  Scott's goggles arrived in the mail a few days ago.  They are going to look really neat with his yellow cadet hat.  His hat should be arriving in the mail sometime this coming week.

Sat 8/23/14:  We spent the day at Marian and Gordan's house.  We helped demolish the rest of the deck, then we spent the afternoon playing games and having fun conversations together.  I love Marian.  She is always fun to talk to.  I like talking to her about weight loss.

Sun 8/24/14:  I have been having fun looking at houses for sale in our area.  I want Rachel to move here so badly!  Today I found some nice homes within Rachel's price range, located in a very desirable neighborhood near where I live. I sent her links on Facebook.  I'm hoping she'll get the buying bug and want to move here.

Mon 8/25/14:  The kids and I had lunch at Grandma's house today.  Mom had found a snake in her garden this morning, and I was hoping Dad would have been able to catch it so I could see it.  But Grandpa didn't get home in time to catch it.  Still, it was fun visiting with them and eating Grandma's homemade chicken soup.  Lizzy and David ate their usual chicken nuggets.  They love eating chicken nuggets at Grandma's house.

Tue 8/26/14:  Received some really welcome news this afternoon.  Definitely an answer to prayers. Brad and I were so happy we went out to eat at Virg's to celebrate.  Lizzy and David got free ice creams from some really nice ladies in the booth a few feet away.

Wed 8/27/14:  Lizzy put on a show for me tonight.  She wanted to invite lots of people to come over to watch her, but I convinced her that her audience would only be me, since everyone else already had plans for tonight. She was insistent that it would be a scary show, but that's not how it turned out.  I made sure to act scared when required, but that proved to be hard at times, since her show was really quite cute and funny.  She sang songs about witches and germs.  She's been in a big germ phase lately.

Thu 8/28/14:  Rosie arrived today!  Tricky is visiting out of town and dropped off Rosie at our house for us to spend some time with her.  I love having Rosie here.  She always makes me wish I had a dog.

Fri 8/29/14:  Lizzy, David, and I took Rosie to the park today.  It was fun watching Lizzy run with Rosie on the lawn with her leash on.  Rosie was always in a hurry to come to me, though.  I love that dog.

Sat 8/30/14:  We had a family lunch at Grandpa North's house, to spend some time with Tricky before he returns home to San Jose.  Aunt Marian and Gordon came, too.  Brad decided to take the opportunity to participate in the ice bucket challenge, which has become a fad on social networks this summer.  He did it with a twist, though.  Instead of dressing up as himself, Brad dressed up as Ned Flanders.  His video was pretty hilarious.

Sun 8/31/14:  This morning, while I was getting ready for church, Lizzy joined me in the bathroom while I was applying some primer eye shadow to my eyes.  The primer was a nude color, and didn't show up much on my eyelids, but Lizzy didn't seem to notice.  She became very excited and exclaimed, "Do me!  I want some, Mommy."  So I applied a few swipes of primer to her eyes.  She was very enthusiastic about it, and quickly glanced in the mirror to see how her beautiful eyes turned out. "Mommy," she said after a few moments of squinting in the mirror, "Why can't we see it?"  I answered, "Because it's very light."  I was a little taken aback by her reaction.  Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes got big.  "Mommy, I didn't know it was FAIRY LIGHT!"  Yep, she's a five-year-old.

The Highlight of My Day: July 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in July 2014:

Tue 7/1/14:  I'm in the process of recommitting myself to eating healthy and exercising more.  I did very well today.  I did some laps in my mom's pool this morning.  The little kids and I like our new routine of swimming at Grandma's.

Wed 7/2/14:  I enjoyed taking Scott to work late this morning.  His original ride backed out, which is fine by me, because I like hanging out with him and supporting him with his job.  He's fun to talk to.

Thu 7/3/14:  We spent another morning at Grandma's house.  This time a fun little family from Michigan joined us in the pool.  We enjoyed talking with them.  The two children were almost the exact same ages as Lizzy and David.

Fri 7/4/14:  We had a lovely Independence Day.  We woke up early this morning and headed to the park for our ward's annual Independence Day breakfast.  Valeen came with us, because her parents participated in the race early this morning.  Her dad, Brother Hyde, won the race.  Brad was in change of breakfast with the rest of the Elder's Quorum presidency.  I had a great time painting faces again.  In the afternoon we headed over to Aunt Marian's house for our annual 4th of July swimming party and BBQ.  The pool was extra cold because the water heater wasn't working, along with the hot tub.  Marian is going to replace the hot tub and the deck later this summer.  Her kitchen is completely remodeled now.  Gorgeous!  Uncle Bob and Aunt Nadine were visiting Marian from California.  It was nice seeing them.  My parents came, too, and so did a young man from Santiago, Chile, named Roberto.  He was visiting my father-in-law, David.

Sat 7/5/14:  I made dinner for the Bekin's family tonight.  Poor little Rachael was very sick in the hospital, but she's home now and is sitting up again on her own.  I made pizza casserole and brought a box of ice cream sandwiches for all the kids.

Sun 7/6/14:  It was nice hanging out with the Bruce-Clan tonight. I saw their new cat, Luna for the first time.  David had fun conversing with her at the top of the stairs.  David was lying on his belly, his face right up to Luna's.  She was not too thrilled with the conversation and ran off.

Mon 7/7/14:  We had FHE on a MONDAY night!  YAY!  It's nice having the big kids home every other Monday during the summer.  We did "Sweets and Sours" and went to the library together.  Everyone (minus me) had ice cream sandwiches for a treat.  I had a veggie/fruit popsicle.

Tue 7/8/14:  I love hanging out with Scott.  I find the drives to his work to be very enjoyable, because he always has something fun to talk about.

Wed 7/9/14:  My highlight of the day was Bradley holding me in his arms and telling me what a wonderful wife I am.  I love that he appreciates the things I do for him and his children.  Tonight I feel very loved and valued.  Thank you, Bradley.

Thu 7/10/14:  Lizzy volunteered to do laundry for me today.  I was very impressed with how she carried the laundry basket full of clothes down the 2 1/2 flights of stairs, and knew exactly what to do with them once she got there.  She put the clothes in the washer, measured out the exact amount of detergent needed, and pushed all the right buttons, too.  She hardly needed any help at all.  When the clothes were done, she put them all in the dryer herself.  Then she volunteered to carry up the clean clothes that were left on top of the dryer all the way up to my room.  It was a heavy basket, but she managed to carry it up all by herself.  In fact, I didn't even know she had done it until I went up to my bedroom later and saw the basket sitting on my bed.  Looks like I got a little maid living in my house.

Fri 7/11/14:  I helped Brad with some legal stuff today.  Can I just say that I absolutely love my husband?  He's such a wonderful husband, father, and man.  I wish he didn't have so many stressful things in his life, but I'm grateful that we have each other to lean on when times are tough.

Sat 7/12/14:  Today was PW Companies' Annual Lagoon Day.  We got to go to the park for free.  Scott brought along Brandon this time, since Emma was still at YW camp.  Me and the boys went on the old White Roller Coaster while Brad took the little ones on the merry-go-round.  Then we all went on Rattlesnake Rapids, which Lizzy and David weren't too fond of.  The boys went on a lot of rides by themselves while Brad and I took the little ones on the kiddie rides.  We had a good lunch and went on a few more rides together.  It was a fun day.

Sun 7/13/14:  I felt a little tired and sunburned today, but happy, too.  I love summer in Utah.

Mon 7/14/14: David was my little gentleman tonight.  After we came back from running errands, Brad opened up the van door and unstrapped David.  David ran all away around the van to my side, opened it, and held it open for me while I climbed out.  Then he closed it and said, "Good job, Mama." It was so cute.

Tue 7/15/14:  I harvested my first little crop of tomatoes from my veggie garden.  About 15 tomatoes in all.  I think I'm going to get a lot of tomatoes this year.

Wed 7/16/14:  I have been enjoying taken care of my garden every day.  I love watching everything grow.  It literally changes day after day.

Thu 7/17/14:  I feel so healthy and happy with my new lifestyle choices.  I love eating clean, and getting some exercise, too.

Fri 7/18/14:  The little ones and I spent a good two hours at Grandma's pool today.  It was lovely.  David gave us a little scare when he took off his arm floaties and tried to swim without supervision.  Luckily Lizzy saw him on time and we got him out.  One of Grandma's neighbors brought out some dinosaur toys, which David and Lizzy loved.  Overall, it was a fun morning.  I got a nice sunburn and tan.

Sat 7/19/14:  I was so happy when I saw the scale this morning!  I've lost 8 pounds since the beginning of July.  My body is responding well to my new eating habits.

Sun 7/20/14:  Brad, the kids, and I went over to visit the Stanely's tonight.  It was fun looking at old high school photos of Brad and his friends that Sister Stanely has kept in scrapbooks all these years.  I think Scott looks a lot like his teenage dad.

Mon 7/21/14:  I took Emma to see her pediatrician's office, for her annual exam.  I loved spending time with her, talking while we waiting for the nurse to check her.  On our way out of the parking lot, we noticed that one of the vans next to ours had the doors left wide open.  Inside, I noticed there were two car seats.  I instantly thought of the mother I saw with twin toddlers up in the waiting room.  I asked Emma if we should close the door for them, and she agreed we should, so we did.

Tue 7/22/14:  I am thrilled that my sister is coming tomorrow!  Today was preparation day.  I can't wait to see them!

Wed 7/23/14:  My sister Rachel and her kids arrived in SLC today! I drove Lizzy, David, Valeen, and me to the airport to greet her.  We went over to Grandma's house later in the evening, had dinner, and went to the park.  Brad and Emma came with us.  Rachel and I had fun taking photos of the family while we were at the park.  We arrived right before sunset-- perfect for taking photos.

Thu 7/24/14:  Weighed myself this morning... 10 pounds lost since July 1st!  YAY!  Today was Pioneer Day.  We celebrated by swimming at Grandma Whitcomb's house, and then by having a BBQ/pool party at the Harman's.  I invited Rachel and her kids to come, along with Mom and Dad.  Brad and I played a round of Nerts with Marian and Amanda.  Amanda nailed us.  I came in second.

Fri 7/25/14:  We headed to Fashion Place mall this morning, to spend time with Rachel and my parents.  Rachel and I enjoyed shopping at DownEast Basics.  We bought matching dresses.  Afterwards, we had lunch and Costco and went shopping.  I invited everyone to come over for dinner in the evening.  We had taco salad.  Always a favorite!

Sat 7/26/14:  We went on a family outing to Silver Lake, in Brighton.  It was my first time going there.  It was beautiful!  We had a blast walking around the lake and having a picnic in the shade.  It was fun spending time with Rachel, Eric, and Claire.  Eric and David really like spending time together.

Sun 7/27/14:  The Hydes invited all of us to come over for a BBQ at their house tonight.  Rachel's kids and my parents came, too.  We had hot dogs, chips, and watermelon.  The kids enjoyed playing in the water in Valeen's wading pool, and teasing the dog.  I enjoyed visiting everyone and seeing Gordon's vegetable garden.

Mon 7/28/14:  Today we went to the Hogle Zoo.  It was Lizzy's and David's first time at the zoo.  They liked seeing all the different animals there, but the favorites were definitely the giraffes, elephants, and gorillas.  For some reason the younger children were fascinated by the gorillas.  Perhaps because they resembled people so much.

Tue 7/29/14:  Rachel and I exchanged photo frames at Kohl's today, and hung up all of mom's beautiful family photos on her wall.  It looked fantastic when we were done.  I'm so glad Rachel was there to help me.  I could have never have done it all by myself.  Rachel shared some wonderful news today!  She's not going to be leaving for Bear Lake tomorrow as planned.  She is going to stay a couple of days longer and trade Eric for Craig--- meaning that Eric will go with the rest of the Montgomery family to Bear Lake while Craig stays behind.  We will miss Eric, but I'm so grateful for the extra time with my sister and her husband!

Wed 7/30/14:  It was great spending time with Craig and Rachel today.  We invited them to come over to our house for chili tonight.  My parents came, too, of course.  It was nice visiting with everyone.

Thu 7/31/14:  My little ones and I headed over to my mom's house for swimming this evening. David loved showing off his new swimming skills.  Little Claire has gotten used to me holding her now.  She let me hold her in the pool-- something Rachel says she never does with anyone, including Grandma.  I think me playing silly with her in the water warmed her up to letting me hold her.  I love her teethy grins.  She's so precious.

The Highlight of my Day: June 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in June 2014:

Sun 6/1/14:  We celebrated Brad's and Grandpa North's birthdays with a yummy enchilada casserole for dinner and homemade carrot cake for dessert.  YUM, it turned out well! Scott and Emma were the biggest cake fans.  They surprised me by taking multiple servings.

Mon 6/2/14:  I loved watching Studio C with Brad tonight.  Some of the sketches were fantastic, like "Trailer Spoil Alert," "Best Filibuster Ever," "Shallow Mal," and "D&D Revenge."

Tue 6/3/14:  I loved celebrating Brad's birthday with him.  We started off the morning very happy, and it just got better from there.  I invited my parents to come over for dinner.  I made cheese enchiladas with garlic and basil rice.  After dinner, Mom and Dad took the grand-kids to the West Jordan park while Brad and I had some alone time.  We drove to Jamba Juice in Jordan Landing, and watched "Austenland" together at home. Cute movie!  Very funny.

Wed 6/4/14:  Scott got his drivers licence today!  Yay, Scott!  He drove Emma to YM/YW tonight, and drove his cousins home.  So proud of him!

Thu 6/5/14:  I took the little ones to Grandma's house this morning.  We had breakfast at Winchester Park and walked south along the Jordan River Parkway.  The kids loved seeing the cabbage butterflies in the sagebrush, and the moving water in the river.  We came home just in time for Scott to get out of school.  He got home early on the last day of school.  He hung out with me, then called work to see if he could come in early.  I liked chatting with him as I drove him to work.

Fri 6/6/14:  I'm making tutus-- lots of tutus for Lizzy's birthday party next week.  I bought a bunch of tulle from Joann's, in different shades of pink and purple.  It's going to be a very girly party.

Sat 6/7/14: Brad and I watched "Ender's Game" today.  It was very well done!  I think it should have had more positive publicity than it did.  I would like them to make a sequel.

Sun 6/8/14: I wore my new mint chevron skirt to church, with a peachy colored shirt and my mint green necklace.  It made me feel nice and summer-y. I had some good bonding time with Emma this morning, before getting ready for church.  Emma stayed home from church today, because she wasn't feeling her usual self.  After church, Lizzy and I dropped off some birthday invitations to some of the neighborhood girls.  Lizzy is very excited about her birthday.

Mon 6/9/14:  Today Lizzy turned 5 years old!  I spent most of the day prepping for her small family celebration tonight.  We had pizza for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb.  After dinner, we opened presents.  Lizzy got a Tinkerbell shirt, a pair of white shorts, green fairy wings, a handmade Tinkerbell tutu, and some green flip flops with white pom-poms (Tinkerbell shoes).  Her big surprise came at the very end...  A new (used) green and red Dora bike with training wheels!  Lizzy was very excited, and would have ridden her bike all night if we didn't already have plans.  We went to International Peace Gardens, with Lizzy all dressed up in her Tinkerbell outfit.  Then we came home and had ice cream sundaes for dessert.  YUM!

Tue 6/10/14:  The kids and I got up early this morning and went to play outside.  Lizzy was very excited to ride her new bike.  David brought out the red tricycle, too, but he had a hard time pushing the pedals.  After multiple attempts, and lots of mini-tantrums, I finally got David to figure out that if he put his tricycle at the top of the driveway and rode his bike down to the street, the pedals would move with little effort because of the downgrade slant.  That helped him out a lot.

Wed 6/11/14:  Brad and I watched "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."  I liked it!  Definitely my favorite Ben Stiller movie.  Walter was a very likable character.

Thu 6/12/14:  I was very grateful to receive some help today from Sawyer Western, who came to my rescue when I had a flat tire coming home from dropping Scott off at work.  I had a moment of distraction when I spilled a soda on me while turning right by the field near our house.  I hit the curb and rode onto the sidewalk, and into the field.  It shredded my right passenger-side tire, but luckily I was able to make it home okay.  Sawyer and his friend heard me scraping the asphalt as I was driving home, and ran out and asked if they could help me.  They immediately got to work, taking off my tire and putting on the spare.  Luckily, I had a warranty on that tire and was able to get it replaced for free, minus the $19 warranty renewal.

Fri 6/13/14:  Today was Huntsman Day at This is the Place Heritage Park.  Brad and I took the three younger kids with us, since Scott couldn't miss another day of work.  We got in the park for free, and had free ice cream, too.  It was crowded there, but we were able to get in some pony rides, and ride the little train.  We liked visiting Mary Fielding Smith's house, having lunch in front of one of the original pioneer cabins, and visiting Brigham Young's farmhouse.  It was a fun day.

Sat 6/14/14:  Lizzy had her friends birthday party today.  More kids came than I invited-- probably because Lizzy invited every kid she saw in the neighborhood.  I had enough tutus for all the little girls, which turned out perfect.  Lizzy loved her Tinkerbell cake topper.  She especially loved all the gifts she got from everyone: Frozen playset and Cinderella light from Maddy; badminton set and princess coloring book from Valeen; Dr. Suess book and Frozen book from Anistyn; Tinkerbell tin box with $5 cash, #5 magnet, breakfast bar, protein shake, and notepad paper inside from Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb; shirt and pink and purple pants from Mani; and a Rapunzel backpack and lunchbox from Mama (me).

Sun 6/15/14:  I loved celebrating Father's Day with Brad.  He's such a wonderful father.  My highlight of the day was watching him come into primary during sharing time and seeing Lizzy get excited.  The kids played a game of finding the matching tie for each father.  Lizzy found her dad's blue tie right away, and helped him put it around his neck.  Then all the kids sang "Daddy's Homecoming."  It was precious.

Mon 6/16/14:  Brad and I watched "Gravity" tonight, starring Sandra Bullock.  It was very well done.

Tue 6/17/14:  Brad and I had a fantastic 8th wedding anniversary.  I surprised Brad by sending the little kids off to their cousins for the night while he and I had a romantic candlelight dinner in the privacy of our own home.  I made steak garnished with red bell peppers and mushrooms, and I made corn-on-the-cob with green beans on the side.  We had cake and Martinellis, too.  We watched "Downton Abbey," and "Mission Impossible III" while cuddling on the couch.  It was lovely.

Wed 6/18/14:  We watched some more "Downton Abbey" tonight-- 4th season.  I've been waiting to see it all day, even though I already know what's going to happen.  It's such a good show.

Thu 6/19/14:  I drove the little kids over to Germania Park, which is connected to the Jordan River Parkway near my mom's house.  The kids loved playing on the playground equipment and watching Grandma slide down the swirly slide.

Fri 6/20/14:  I took the little ones swimming at Grandma's house this morning.  It was our first time going, and we had lots of fun!  David learned how to "swim" with his floaties on.  It looks like he's running in the water.  He's so cute.

Sat 6/21/14:  Brad and I went on a date to watch "X-Men: Days of Future Past."  It was a good movie! The ending totally made me and Brad cry.

Sun 6/22/14:  It was fun watching "The Lego Movie" with Scott and the cousins tonight.  Scott bought the movie on Blu-ray a few days ago.  He's been waiting for it to come out for months.

Mon 6/23/14:  We went to the library tonight as a family.  I loved Scott and Emma coming with us.  Seemed like old times.  They like being home with us every other Monday night, too.

Tue 6/24/14:  Brad figured out what's wrong with the car tonight, using the new code reader he purchased on Amazon Prime.  He should be able to get it working without us taking it in, which is a relief.

Wed 6/25/14:  Brad fixed the car!  It's nice going back to being a two-car family again.

Thu 6/26/14:  We had a huge rainstorm this afternoon, which was a nice treat.  I liked not having to water my lawns and plants today.  I went visiting teaching this evening when the rain was coming down the hardest.  It was kind of fun getting soaked in the summer rain.

Fri 6/27/14:  Emma's friend, Jessica, came over to visit this afternoon.  She was very talkative and friendly with Emma.  They seemed to have a lot of fun together.  I made beef and broccoli for dinner.  It was a huge hit, as usual.

Sat 6/28/14:  Brad and I bought some tables at a garage sale for a killer deal: two identical solid wood tables for only $15 each.  The couple who were selling the tables were very nice and offered us some Mexican food.  We took one of the tables over to Grandma's house in the evening and went swimming there, too.

Sun 6/29/14:  My parents watched "My Neighbor Totoro" with us tonight, after we had dinner.  My mom brought a casserole and some fruit for dinner.  I love Totoro!  The movie always makes me cry now, even though it's made for kids.  It's such a sweet story.

Mon 6/30/14:  The little ones and I went swimming at Grandma's house again today.  I had a good workout swimming laps in the pool.  It was nice!  I think I want to make this part of our summer routine.

Scott's New Drivers Licence

It took a year of practice, and one failed test, but Scott finally got his Drivers Licence today!  Congratulations, Scott!  He drove Emma to their Wednesday night activity at church, and drove his cousins home after the activity.  I can't believe how grown-up he's getting.

The Highlight of My Day: May 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in May 2014:

Thu 5/1/14:  Brad set up the tent in the backyard after he got back from his camping trip with the 7th grade students at Entheos.  Lizzy and David had a blast playing inside.

Fri 5/2/14:  Hello, spring weather!  It's a beautiful day!

Sat 5/3/14:  Today Brad, Grandpa North, and Scott took down the old swamp cooler on our roof and installed a brand new one.  The new one is awesome!  Looking forward to a much cooler summer this year.

Sun 5/4/14:  Today was Star Wars Day!  I had fun being geeky with Brad and Scott.

Mon 5/5/14:  I made some chicken tacos, homemade salsa, and quesadillas for dinner tonight, since it was Cinco De Mayo.  Brad absolutely loved it.

Tue 5/6/14:  I love spending time with my family.  They make me happy.  Looking forward to having Scott and Emma come home tomorrow morning!

Wed 5/7/14:  Brad, Scott, and I stayed up late watching X-Men: The Last Stand.  It's been fun introducing Scott to the X-Men movies.

Thu 5/8/14:  My highlight of the day was soaking in the tub for an hour.  It was a great way to unwind by myself... until Lizzy found me and climbed in, too.

Fri 5/9/14:  I got a new haircut today.  Mom offered to babysit and pay for me to get my hair done, which I took full advantage of.  I cut it nice and short, so I'll be cool in the summer time.

Sat 5/10/14:  Brad and I worked hard gardening our front yard today.  He bought me some lilacs and a snowball tree for Mother's Day, as well a couple of green lawn chairs.  We planted our new plants and I worked on my flower bed.  We also stopped by the YW Garage Sale, as well as a garage sale at the Goodwin's.  Lizzy got a bunch of cute dresses and toys from the Goodwins.

Sun 5/11/14:  I had a wonderful Mother's Day today.  Brad was a very good husband and did many nice things for me, including making me breakfast, doing all the dishes, organizing the living room and den, letting me take a nice long bath, and giving me extra hugs and kisses.  It was nice going to our church meetings with my parents today.  I liked being in Relief Society with my mom and all the other women in the ward.  After church, we all came back to our house and I made some yummy creamy chicken soup.

Mon 5/12/14:  Even though Mother's Day weekend has already past, I feel incredibly blessed to be a mother today.  I have such amazing kids.  I love Scott and Emma more than they realize.  And Lizzy and David bring such absolute joy into my life.  I love them all so!

Tue 5/13/14:  I am going to miss walking Lizzy and David to Lizzy's preschool every morning.  They have their own little routines when they walk along.  For instance, David always has to peer inside the large pine tree by the Jenkin's driveway, and read the letters off of the sewer plate in the middle of the street by the Westerns.  They both love walking on the tiny brick wall in front of the Jenkin's house, too.  It's hard to believe this chapter in life will end soon, and Lizzy will be attending Kindergarten in just a few short months.  Sad and excited all at once!

Wed 5/14/14:  David ate more than half of a small watermelon tonight for dinner, and about five pancakes.  That boy is such a good eater!  I anticipate a very full diaper tomorrow morning.

Thu 5/15/14:  I went with Lizzy's preschool class to Wheeler Farm this morning.  Lizzy loved having me there with her.  I let her use my camera and she took lots of photos of the animals.  Later on in the evening, I went with my mother to her stake Relief Society Dinner.  I LOVED hearing the speakers there.  The focus of the night was making lemonade out of lemons (meaning, overcoming our unique challenges in life by having a good attitude and faith).  A sister spoke about her unique marriage struggles, another sister spoke about her battle with depression, and another sister spoke about her rare medical condition.  They all had wonderful testimonies, and made me feel grateful to be a member of the church and all the many blessings that I receive.

Fri 5/16/14:  I love spending Fridays with Scott and Emma.  They are such good kids.  Today I noticed that Scott has the exact same laugh as his father now.  It's funny how they are becoming so much more alike as they grow older.

Sat 5/17/14:  Today was the Stake Day of Service.  Some very good men in our ward came over to our house and helped us remove our old fence in the back and put in some new wooden beams.  They'll come back on Friday to finish the job.  We are so grateful to them!  The little kids have been having a fun time running from our yard into the Bennetts' yard.

Sun 5/18/14:  I went to my parents' Sacrament Meeting today, to listen to them speak.  I have never heard my mother speak publicly in church before.  She did a wonderful job!  My favorite part of her talk was her talking about her conversion story, and how she met my father, and how the Holy Ghost helped her come to the United States.  My father spoke about how the Holy Ghost influenced him on his mission and in praying for his future eternal companion.  They did such an awesome job!  I'm so glad I went.

Mon 5/19/14:  We bumped into the Bruce-Clan when we went to the library tonight.  The library they usually go to is being remodeled until the end of the summer.  A bunch of my movies that I had on hold were ready to be picked up.  Brad and I started watching the sequel to "Thor" tonight.

Tue 5/20/14:  I made some yummy strawberry bread for the mother/daughter activity tonight.  It turned out really nice!  I'll have to make it again sometime.  Brad and I also finished watching "Thor: Into Darkness."  I liked it a lot better than the first movie.

Wed 5/21/14:  I cut Scott's hair tonight while he, Brad, and I watched "X-Men: Days of Future Past."  It's a decent movie, but not one of my favorites.  It too violent, and the story isn't very good.  It was nice watching it together, though.

Thu 5/22/14:  Today was Lizzy's last official day of preschool.  I'm amazed by how fast time has gone.  I'm going to miss walking with her to Miss Nicole's house on Tuesday and Thursdays, and taking David to the store while she was in class.  Today David and I bought a big birthday cake to celebrate this weekend with my sisters and their families.  I can't wait to see them!

Fri 5/23/14:  My parents, the Alcudias, and my little kids and I spent a few hours at Heritage Park today, before Rachel and her family arrived.  It was lovely!  Lizzy and David loved riding the ponies and trains, and they loved seeing the baby animals, too.  We got to hold chicks and play with the baby goats.  It was a lot of fun.  In the evening, we celebrated Grandpa North's, Eric's, Brad's, Lizzy's, Claire's, and Rachel's birthdays.  We had a party at Grandpa North's house with everyone.  It was cute watching the kids opening up their presents. I think I liked Emma's birthday present the best.  She got a one-of-a-kind Batman drawing on a Latin dictionary all the way from France, from her Aunt Rachel.  Really nice!

Sat 5/24/14:  We headed over to Temple Square in the rain so Chris could see Temple Square for the first time.  It was pretty!  We took lots of photos.  The little ones had fun spending time together.  Eric really likes hanging out with Lizzy and David.  In the afternoon, the entire extended family went to Murray Park to have our family photos done by Michelle (Day) Lopez and her husband.  We all got dressed up and looked really nice.

Sun 5/25/14:  I went to my parents' ward to sit with the Montgomerys and my parents during Sacrament Meeting.  My niece and nephew were very cute to watch.  After that meeting was over, I headed back home and picked up the rest of my family.  Brad spoke in our Sacrament Meeting, and I didn't want to miss that.  His topic was on sacrifice, and he did a wonderful job, as usual.  After church, we headed back to Grandma Whitcomb's house and had lunch.  The Montgomery's and us headed over the Jordan River Parkway to walk along the horse trail with the kids.  They loved throwing rocks in the river.  Then we headed to my house to have a yummy pot roast dinner.  YUM!

Mon 5/26/14:  The Montgomerys and my parents joined our family at our Stake Memorial Day breakfast.  We sat with the Bruce-Clan.  I played a game of chess with my dad.  He won of course, but I had fun challenging him.  He said he hadn't been challenged like that in a long time.  Later in the morning we headed over to Wheeler Farm.  I had fun playing bocce with Brad's dad and sister, Amanda.  Craig and Brad played, too.  I won a couple of throws.  That was fun!  We had sandwiches for lunch, and headed over to look at the farm animals.  Lizzy and David loved hanging out with the horses the best.  Lizzy kept saying she wanted to take a little black pony home so she could "practice."  She wants to learn how to ride a horse.

Tue 5/27/14:  We spent one last morning with the Montogmerys before the left.  We played at Millrace Park, and went to Iceberg for lunch. My dad was set on finding a snake while we were at the park, but that didn't work out, much to Mom's relief.  The kids had fun playing on the play ground and spending time at the pond.  We saw some giant fish in the pond, and some ducks and other water birds.  The kids loved it.

Wed 5/28/14:  Today was Lizzy's preschool graduation.  She's growing up so fast, I can't stand it!  But I'm so proud of her.  She is such a beautiful and smart little lady.  My parents came to the graduation at the Magna library, and we brought Valeen, too, since I babysit her on Wednesday.  It was cute seeing all the little kids singing up front and wearing their little blue graduation caps.  They were darling.  Lizzy, of course, was my favorite.

Thu 5/29/14:  Brad and I headed to Lowes to buy some more compost for our new garden bed.  We picked up some darling little tomato plants, too.  I'm excited to see how they look in our yard!

Fri 5/30/14:  I took the kids shopping at Sam's Club today.  I was worried about how that was going to turn out with Lizzy coming along, but it turned out okay.  She was mostly good at the store.  After we got home and put away the groceries, Lizzy enthusiastically helped me empty out the dishwasher.  She did such a good job putting the utensils away.

Sat 5/31/14:  Brad was feeling a little ill today, but I was still able to get a lot of things done without him.  I went to Lowes and purchased some more soil for our new garden bed.  I also bought some metal tomato towers so I can convert them into green bean tepees.

Lizzy's Preschool Graduation

Lizzy with her teacher, Miss Nicole.

Lizzy's class field trip to Wheeler Farm.

I can't believe a whole school year has gone by!  Today was Lizzy's preschool graduation.  I was full of emotions as I watched her stand up with her class and present the short program they had prepared. They performed songs and stories that they had learned in class.  Lizzy's favorites were Up on the House Top, Pete the Cat, and I'm a Mean Old Witch with a Hat.  She said her part timidly in the microphone: "We learned about life cycles and things that grow."  I am proud of her for doing well in preschool.  She learned many new things during the school year.  She learned how to write her name, identify colors, become more familiar with the alphabet and numbers, and memorize songs.  I think the most important lessons she learned this year was how to socialize with others her own age, and how to discipline herself by getting to class on time. It took her a while to get used to the routine of going to school, but she became better and better at it as the year progressed.  She even became more willing to wear clothes other than dress-up dresses, which was a huge accomplishment-- believe me!

Grandma and Grandpa Whitcomb and Valeen came to Lizzy's graduation.

The Highlight of My Day: April 2014

Something good happens every day.  Here's what happened in April 2014:

Tue 4/1/14:  I took a home video of Scott dressed up as "Skuman" early this morning.  He and his dad had a great time planning his costume last night and coming up with some cool Batman lines to quote at work today.  "It's not what is inside that counts.  It's my sku that defines me.  I'm SKUMAN!!!"  Pretty funny stuff.  I love my geeky boys.

Wed 4/2/14:  I had a fun time planning out our trip tonight.  We are going down to St. George tomorrow.  I read up on the best hikes for kids at Zion National Park and Snow Canyon.  I made an itinerary for our trip and made some last minute changes to our overnight lodging.  It's going to be fun!

Thu 4/3/14:  Today we went on our family trip to Southern Utah!  We drove to Snow Canyon, near St. George, in the late afternoon.  The kids enjoyed eating dinner and playing in the red sand at the Sand Dunes.  We went on a short hike to see some pioneer names carved into the side of the mountain on the Pioneer Names Trail.  It was so incredibly beautiful there!  We definitely want to go again someday.

Fri 4/4/14:  We spent the day at Zion National Park today.  It was gorgeous!  We took the kids on a few short trails to the Lower Emerald Pool and Weeping Rock.  We also went on a longer hike along the river through the canyons on the River Walk trail.  The kids loved seeing all the squirrels there.

Sat 4/5/14:  We listened to the first session of General Conference on our long drive home today.  We got home just in time for Scott and Emma to go their YM/YW BBQ at Brother Goodwin's house, and to watch the second session of General Conference.  I liked being home again.  I had a blast uploading and editing photos from our trip.

Sun 4/6/14:  General Conference has been great this year!  I loved hearing President Monson talk, as well as President Uchtdorf.  I worked on a couple of crochet projects during conference.  I am making a red, white, and black blanket for Scott, and a orange kitty hat for my visiting teacher's son, Chase.  It's been very fun!

Mon 4/7/14:  I took the little ones to Grandma's house today.  We picked up Grandma and took her to the DI and Michaels.  I bought Lizzy and David an adorable little red tricycle at the DI for only $5.  Lizzy played on the tricycle for hours in the backyard this afternoon, riding it down the slope over and over again.

Tue 4/8/14:  Brad and I watched an incredible Italian film tonight called, "Life is Beautiful," starring Roberto Benigni.  It was marvelous!  It made us laugh and cry.

Wed 4/9/14:  We had homemade chili tonight!  It was a hit, as always.

Thu 4/10/14:  It was HOT today!  I love this spring weather.  It makes me want to garden.  All of my tulips are blossoming now.

Fri 4/11/14: Brad's conversation with the two little ones tonight as we were driving home from Entheos Art Night-- Brad: "Lizzy are you going to get married someday?"  Lizzy:  "Yes."  Brad:  "Lizzy, who are you going to marry?"  Lizzy:  "David."  David:  "I'm sorry."

Sat 4/12/14:  Today was the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt for all the neighborhood kids.  Lizzy and David loved gathering eggs at the park and eating candy all afternoon.

Sun 4/13/14:  It was nice attending Stake Conference today.  Little David fell asleep in my arms half-way through the meeting, which I loved.  He's such a beautiful little boy.  I liked kissing his head and snuggling with him as we listened to the different speakers.

Mon 4/14/14:  Brad and I loved tonight's episode of Studio C!  I wish Scott and Emma were here with us, but we'll probably end up watching it with them again anyway.

Tue 4/15/14:  I'm almost done crocheting Scott's large red, white, and black blanket.  Only a couple more rounds to go.  I crocheted while watching "The Voice" and "Dancing with the Stars" today.

Wed 4/16/14:  We watched Studio C with Scott and Emma tonight, since they missed it on Monday.  I knew they would like the "Pretend Boyfriend" sketch.  They were not expecting Jason Gray dressed as Batman to show up.  So funny!

Thu 4/17/14:  Today was a super busy day.  I enjoyed watching Lizzy and David hunt for eggs and candy at Lizzy's preschool this morning.  Lizzy made a darling plastic milk jug bunny basket to gather her treats.  It was so sweet.

Fri 4/18/14:  Emma and I spent a lot of time together today, talking and laughing as we did chores together.  She didn't have school today.  We talked about her Grandma North, and some of the cute things Emma did with her when she was little.  Grandma North was a wonderful "mother" to her and did an awesome job raising her when she was little.  Emma told me a story of how we talked about Grandma North during FHE one night, and how Grandma always did things for us to help us and she never got paid.  Emma was so touched, she went to her piggy bank and emptied it out.  Then she put her coins in a tissue and left it on Grandma's pillow. I thought that was such a cute story!

Sat 4/19/14:  Today was our family Easter celebration at Grandpa North's house.  It was fun watching all the kids, young ones and old ones, hunt for eggs in the backyard.  It was nice spending time with Amanda and her family, and having my mom and dad there, too.  My mom made a honey ham and I made a potato salad.  My mom was impressed by Marilyn's homemade rolls and Amanda's vegetable salad.

Sun 4/20/14:  Today was Easter Sunday.  My highlight of the day was having a birthday dinner with my family and my parents.  I made roast beef with potatoes and carrots.  My mom brought a fruit salad and some chips, too.  We celebrated my birthday with some homemade angel food cake (made by Loralee) with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

Mon 4/21/14:  One of my favoritest birthdays for sure!  Brad did such an excellent job keeping me happy.  He took off work and we went to the park and the library with the little ones in the morning.  My parents came later and babysat Lizzy and David while Brad and I played all afternoon.  We went to Red Butte Gardens at the U, then we went out to eat at Crown Burger and watched Captain America: The Winter Soilder at Century 16 theaters in SLC.  Later in the evening, we stayed up after the kids went to bed and spent time together, cuddling on the couch and watching movies.  Love him!

Tue 4/22/14:  Brad and I started watching a bit of "Lawrence of Arabia" tonight.  Brad's first time, my second time.  We've been watching a lot of classics lately.

Wed 4/23/14:  I helped Lizzy catch some red bugs for her preschool today.  I've never seen her get excited about bugs before.  She surprised me with her enthusiasm.

Thu 4/24/14:  My sisters are coming one month from now!  I can't wait!!!  I liked talking to Rachel on the phone and planning things out.  We want to do family photos while everyone is here.  Susie hasn't confirmed when she's coming yet, but I'm hopeful she'll be here the same time as everyone else.

Fri 4/25/14:  Brad fixed the lawnmower today.  YAY!  Now it's all ready for summer.

Sat 4/26/14:  Brad and his dad bought our new swamp cooler.  It will be so nice having a brand new swamp cooler in the summer time.  I'm a little nervous about them getting it on our roof.  It's huge!  But I guess I shouldn't get worried  too much.  They seem to know what they're doing.

Sun 4/27/14:  We had a mutual Family Home Evening tonight with the Hydes at our house.  Lizzy and David were very happy to play with Valeen.  Brother Hyde went out in the backyard to look at the fence behind our shed.  Brad wants the ward to help fix our fence for our Stake Day of Service next month in May.  We think we might be a good candidate, since we also share our fence with the Bennetts.

Mon 4/28/14:  Brad and I took the little kids to the library tonight, and watched some Studio C when we got home.  My favorite sketch was Fencing Slow-mo Replay.

Tue 4/29/14:  Brad took off work today to get ready for the camp-out tomorrow night.  We cleaned and shopped, and helped Mom and Dad move new bookshelf.  I'm going to miss him tomorrow night.

Wed 4/30/14:  My mother took me and the little ones out to dinner at Virg's tonight.  Brad and Emma were on the 7th Grade Adventure camp-out, and Scott was at Young Men's.  It was nice spending time with my mom.  We stopped by Seagull Bookstore, too, so Mom could buy some decor for her new house.