Hey Tooth Fairy...can you spare some change??

McKell lost a tooth recently and put it under her pillow with a note for the Tooth Fairy. Of course our Tooth Fairy is lame and never comes on the same night that the tooth is placed under the pillow. However, late fees are added on to her regular payment. So one night I decided to help the Tooth Fairy out and take care of paying McKell for her tooth. As I read her letter to the Tooth Fairy, I started to laugh. Her letter said, "Dear Tooth Fairy, Can you please leave me $20? Thanks, McKell" I thought it was funny and sad at the same time. I knew she truly believed in the Tooth Fairy and her ability to leave lots of money. I showed the letter to Kelsey and told her to write a letter saying that the Tooth Fairy could not leave $20 because she would run out of money, but that she would leave $2 because McKell's teeth were so special. The next morning, I went into McKell's room to wake her up. She was laying in bed with her $2 and the letter. I asked her if the Tooth Fairy brought her a letter and if I could read it. She hid the letter and told me I couldn't read it. Then she said "Mom, the Tooth Fairy writes just like Kelsey!!" Wow, she's no dummy!!! I explained to her that the Tooth Fairy just has cute girl handwriting like Kelsey. Later, McKell confided in Kelsey that the Tooth Fairy writes just like her and that she won't give you $20 if you ask for it.

On that note, Connor lost four teeth this month...thanks to the dentist. He told me the other day that I owe him $4. How do you figure that, I asked. He said I lost 4 teeth....pay up!!

Oh what do you do in the summertime?...

Summer has come and gone all too quickly this year. Of course, we enjoyed every minute of it and packed in as many activities as we could. This explains why I haven't updated my blog all summer:) Anyway, I think I am the only mom in the neighborhood who was sad to see the kids go back to school. I think I love summer as much as the kids do.

OUR SUMMER TOP 8:

1. Cruise to the Bahamas. Celebrating our 20th anniversary.

2. LaGoon. We bought season passes this year and really got our money's worth. Where else can you have as much fun on a hot summer day in Utah?

3. Lava Hot Springs with the Banks'. I think that place gets more crowded every year. Jason questions why we travel to Idaho to swim every summer. Once we are there watching the kids play with their cousins and grandma and grandpa, we remember why we go.

4. Park City on the 4th of July. We spent the weekend at a hotel in Park City. The fireworks in Park City are amazing. The Alpine Coaster at PC Mountain Resort is the best!!! Imagine flying down the mountain on a little sled!! Good times!

5. Being with Friends/Sleepovers. A good share of my time was spent answering the door to all the neighborhood kids who came to play. Connor seems to be the little boy magnet in the neighborhood. The little heighbor kids are so cute, and say the funniest things. A lot of their conversations involve bodily functions, etc. We had many, many sleepovers this summer. Too many to count. The best was the boy sleepover. We pitched a tent, invited anyone who wanted to come, and had a sleepover. The boys roasted marshmallows in the firepit and made smores. Then we brought the TV out and watched a movie. McKell and I slept in the tent with them just to make sure they were safe. I vaguely remember them waking me up at the crack of dawn to ask if they could light a fire in the firepit. My kids know if they ask me anything while I'm sleeping, I say yes just to get them to go away. Eventually I did wake up just in time to see them started a large bonfire about 5 feet from my tent.

6. Banks' Water Party: Grandpa and Grandma Banks had their annual summer water party in the backyard. The kids love this day because they get to squirt grandpa with the hose.

7. A. F. Canyon: Several nights were spent having dinner and roasting marshmallows in the canyon. We are so lucky to have American Fork canyon 15 minutes away, yet sometimes it is hard to find the time to get there.

8. St George: We ended summer with a trip to St. George and Zions with our friends, the Goffs.

I have to admit that my favorite part of summer is staying up late and watching TV, playing the Wii, or just talking with kids. My hope is that my kids will look back on their summers with as many fond memories as I do.

Baseball

Connor and his BFF, Jordan, played on the Alpine All Stars this summer. Even though they didn't make it to the finals, they had a great time...and I got to spend every afternoon in the sun watching my favorite boy!!

20 YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS...or something like that!

It's hard to believe that we have been married for 20 years!! I guess time flies when you're having fun. So here we are...20 years older, 4 kids, 1 dog, 1 bunny, 2 hamsters, a large house (and payment), and everything else that comes with being a family. The biggest difference (besides the hair), is that we are not just a couple...we are a family. Jason and I are truly soul mates. We met at the ripe old age of 14 and just grew in love from there. He is my better half. He's calm when I'm not, he's comforting when I'm crazy, he's practical when I'm impulsive (yes...this involves money), and he always makes me laugh. Here's to (at least) 20 more wonderful years. I love you Jase!

We Survived the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic!

Yes, it's true... two people in our family were lucky enough to come down with the SWINE FLU!! Luckily, this did not hit until after our cruise (probably where it was contracted). McKell started with a fever and sore throat. I took her to the Dr's where they tested her for strep. When that was negative, they sent us home and told us it was a "virus". (That is a vague term that means she is not positive for anything they can treat with antibiotics). Two days later she still had a fever. Back we went to the Dr's who now tested her for the flu. Guess what...positive. Only now she was too far into the illness to receive the antiviral, Tamiflu. The next day, Ashley wakes up with a fever. She is always in denial about being sick because it is inconvenient for her. She told me she did not have the flu and she already had "plans". After much debate (none of it good)...Kelsey and Ashley went to the Dr's to get tested. Ashley was positive, Kelsey was not. Ashley received the Tamiflu and was better in a few days. Needless to say, we were the quarantined house in the neighborhood. No kids in or out for a week. Talk about a quiet house. Here's hoping we are done with the flu for the year....I should have shirts made...WE SURVIVED THE SWINE FLU!!

Our cruise to the Bahamas!!!

The slides at Atlantis

Jason tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible....WHY???

Bathing Beauties

Atlantis

Our glitter toes

Sibling love and togetherness...priceless!

Our hotel in Miami...right on the beach

Our ship...notice the waterslides on top...they were a blast!!

We went on a cruise to the Bahamas for our 20th wedding anniversary!! We originally booked a Western Carribean cruise, but the swine flu broke out and the cruise line would not go to Mexico. So...we started in Key West and went to the Bahamas!! And yes...the kids went with us. Happy Anniversary!! This was actually the best vacation and cruise we have ever been on!! We went to Atlantis on Paradise Island. WOW! We debated if we should go because it was pricey...but, WOW, it was well worth the money!! The weather was in the 90's, the sun was shining the whole time, the scenery was beautiful, I didn't have to cook or clean....It was hard to come back!! Here's to summer vacation memories....:) CHEERS!!

Baseball

Connor playing spring baseball!! He loves baseball almost as much as football. He pitched this year, and was really good at it. He also made the All Star Team and is going to his first tourament this weekend. Good Luck, Buddy!!

The end of the school year...Yeah!!

Connor and McKell both got super student awards at the awards assembly. Connor got a citizenship award and McKell got an academic award. Way to go kids!! And yes...I'm SO glad that school is finally out. That means no more homework...for me :)

McKell's Dance Recital

McKell had her dance recital in May. She was in two dances and was just adorable. Even though she hates to go to class because it cuts into her play time, she is quite a good little dancer. We're so proud of her!

Race for the Cure

In May, Kelsey, Ashley and I did the Race for the Cure breast cancer race at Gateway in SLC. It wasn't much of a "race" because there were estimated 30,000 people in attendance, and it was hard to walk...let alone run. However, we had a great time for a great cause. I think this will be a new tradition!!

What happened on the way to Powder Mountain...

My car....

The car that hit me.

See the story in the blog below....I just wanted to post the pictures.

Skiing & Snowboarding, winter 2009

Jason

Me & Connor

Connor

Ashley

Me & McKell

Kelsey - Powder Mountain

I have been such a lazy blogger!!! Oh well. We have been fortunate enough to be able to go skiing several times the last month. The first time was on a Teacher Prep day. We went with half of the neighborhood...the Goffs, the Huishs', the Smith's. What a blast! We went to Brighton, and were practically the only ones there. This was on a Monday. Connor's 10th birthday was on Wednesday (Feb 4th). So for his birthday, I took him up snowboarding at Brighton for the day. Just me and him!! Jason met us up there after lunch. What a great day. The sun was out and, again, hardly anyone was there. The third time we went was over President's Day Weekend. The Brown's rented a condo in Huntsville and invited us to spend the weekend with them. So we started up on a snowy Saturday morning, only to be rear-ended on the freeway! We hit a "white-out" and the person driving behind us did not see our car. We were hit by a car going 70-75 mph while we were stopped behind another car. I'll say it again, I LOVE MY SUBURBAN!! That car is a tank. The damage to my car looks minimal (we'll see how much it really it when it goes in on Tuesday). Anyway, everyone was safe and we continued on our journey to ski Powder Mountain.

McKell's Turns 7!!!!

Happy 7th Birthday, McKell!!
McKell's favorite things.....

1. Pajamas, pajamas, and more pajamas!!! As soon as she gets home, she puts her pajamas on. She even wore her favorite "Pinkalicious" pajama shirt to school one day.
2. The color pink
3. Favorite Book - Pinkalicious
4. Her dog, Hailey
5. Playing with her friends for as many hours as possible each day
6. Being sassy, independent, and wanting to have fun at all times.

Kelsey goes to Preference.

Kelsey & Steven. They are way too cool for a normal date picture.

Kelsey & Alexis.

Kelsey being beautiful.

My Favorite Things...

Here is a list of my favorite things right now. (Note: This does not include people, the gospel, etc.)

1. Gold's Gym. I know this is a real surprise. I got a gym pass for Christmas and I am loving it.
2. My Suburban. Thank heavens for 4 wheel drive in our winter wonderland.
3. Brighton Ski Resort. I took the kids last week and it was wonderful. The sun was shining, I didn't fall down, all was good.
4. Stephen's Candy Cane Hot Cocoa - made in my hot cocoa maker.
5. The Real Housewives of Orange County. I know it's trashy, but I love seeing how the other side lives. (Tuesday nights on Bravo).
6. My very favorite....My digital scrapbooking program, Memory Mixer, that has saved me countless hours and dollars and has allowed me to create really cute pages and be ALMOST done with my 2008 scrapbook. Yeah!!

Good-bye 2008...Hello 2009!

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

McKell gets her OTHER ear pierced!

McKell really wanted her ears pierced. We took her to the mall after a camping trip in June, 2007 to have her ears pierced. (Yes..1 1/2 years ago! ) The employees at Claire's told us they could only pierce one ear at a time. After McKell had one ear pierced, she screamed bloody murder and wouldn't let anyone pierce her other ear. We bribed and pleaded, but she left the mall with only one earing. Every so often she would talk about getting her other ear pierced...when she turns 10. She surprised us this Christmas break and decided to get her other ear pierced while we were at the mall. And this time she didn't even cry. Way to go, McKell.