potd

39: craigs list

2012-02-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

Call me crazy..It won't hurt my feelings, because I know my weaknesses..one of which is my indecisiveness! Got these custom ordered couches. Love them, but I'm thinking a little too formal for the family room. My boys never want to be down in the family room and that's not the feeling I want from this room. I want cozy and comfortable, not untouchable! I will try my hand at Craig's list. If they sell, great! If not, we will make them work!

38: toilet seat

2012-02-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Who knew there were so many options for toilet seats!

37: missionary package

2012-02-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Be on the look out for a little love coming your way!

36: over already?

2012-02-05T16:59:00.001-08:00

Why is it that girls' weekends go so fast! I swear, we were just in the car driving here and now we're driving home! We made a quick pit stop at state line where Theresa and Julie found a reflexology shop! Cassie and I wanted a pedicure instead so we left them to be rubbed! Sadly, there were no nail shops in the entire place! We went back to meet them and were BIG JEALOUS as they were melting into their seats while being massaged! We totally would've joined them, but their were only 2 masseuses and we didn't want to spend another 45 minutes in this place!

35: run like a girl

2012-02-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

It was a chilly 30 degree morning for these California girls..as we were known throughout the weekend! We were the only ones who had traveled from the sunny state for the retreat! I was running the easy peasy 5K..my peeps, they brought out their big girl panties and ran the 1/2 marathon! Studs..yes, but as I was running mile 1, I couldn't help but think how intelligent I was to only choose the 5K! I placed 7th in my division..30-39 is a huge division! I guess a lot of us semi middle-aged women looking for an adventure! I did it under 30 minutes which was a personal best for me, so I'm happy!

So proud of my girls!! I wussed out on the 1/2 marathon. Actually, I didn't really wuss out, I just had no desire to run 13.1! I know I could have if I wanted to, just didn't want to!

And this is why I'm glad I didn't run 13.1 miles! Their accomplishment is awesome, but it comes with a price! Me..I was feeling great! Not an ache in my entire body!! I could've run the stairs all night if I wanted to..but I'll leave that to the other random occupants of the Comfort Inn who took care of that all on their own. A piece of advice: never get a room right next to the stairwell!! Who knew so many people actually take the stairs!

34: winners!

2012-02-03T16:31:00.000-08:00

Todays part of the retreat were some running and health seminars. Sounds boring, but they were actually quite enlightening! I feel like I gained more in a couple hours then a years worth of health education in school. It didn't hurt that there were plenty of raffle prizes..of which, both Julie and I won! I won free yogurt, however, there are no Red Mangos in my neck of the woods {so any of my Utah friends..you want my gift card, it's yours!} Afterwards, we tried the self-timer camera shots again before indulging on pasta..after all, it's all about carb loading before a running a race!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

33: girls trip to st. george

2012-02-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous Red Rock mountains of St. George

{julie..theresa..cassie..me}

GIRLS WEEKEND TO ST. GEORGE, UTAH

I was a little hesitant, at first, about this proposed girls trip! A weekend all about running and exercise? That didn't quite sound like a "get-away" to me. I'm use to girls trips based around being lazy and overindulging in 'bad for you foods'! Theresa used her art of persuasion, and I signed up! When all was said and done, I'm so glad I was persuaded because it was a fabulous weekend! And believe it or not, between both Theresa and I, not one of us brought the Xshot..so many timer induced pictures were attempted..few made the cut!

32: back to the valentines..

2012-02-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

More recycling! I was cleaning out Ryder's closet and came across his enormous collection of animals. Then the idea, that I saw HERE, came to my head. And now, here it is in real life!

Ryder's class valentines...check!

31: sock delivery

2012-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

The kids climb our back fence nearly every day to go play at the Peterson's house. I really do feel blessed that they have such great friends so close by, and it doesn't hurt that they have a huge backyard with all the bells and whistles. It keeps them occupied and entertained. Every once and awhile I look outside to see this {above picture}..days worth of socks thrown over the fence to their rightful owners. Is it any wonder we can never find socks in the morning or why we have so many single socks with no matches. It's infuriating, but it's the price I pay for a little bit of solitude and the knowledge that my kids are having a great time!

30: an early start

2012-01-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

I had some extra time today and I thought I should be productive and get a start on the kids' valentines for their classmates. I found a few ideas on Pinterest and narrowed it down to 2. This was a great use of the bags of unloved crayons that we have collected! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle..what better way to show the Earth love on this Valentine's Day! The school has a strict NO FOOD policy, so you have to be creative with other things kids might enjoy. A giant heart-shapped crayon...what's not to love?

29: jim's dinner or vomit..you tell me!

2012-01-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

I find this picture repulsive, but not as repulsive as the fact that Jim really did eat this. Not only did he eat it, he enjoyed it! This "no carb" thing he's on is really working, but who can sustain such a thing when this is the type of meal you have to look forward to? It looks like a bowl of vomit with little dog poops on the side!

28: skyler's scout overnighter

2012-01-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

Skyler's boy scout troop headed out to Joshua Tree for a campout! I'm so grateful that the men leaders actually took some pictures! They did a little bouldering and at night, they took up a truck full of dead Christmas trees for a massive bonfire. I was told the flames got upwards to 30 ft. high! With our current windstorms, not sure if that was a good idea, but then again, it's scout camp..anything goes and the boys LOVED it!

27: 100 days of school

2012-01-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

To celebrate 100 days of school, the 1st graders dressed up like 100 year olds. Ryder is giving me his best grouchy grandpa pose. He wasn't fond of me drawing in some wrinkles, but I think it was necessary for the integrity of the outfit. His hair was made white with baby powder, but his red hair was hard to cover. I was trying to channel in on the movie "UP". For a last minute costume, I think we nailed it!

26: here we go again..pinewood derby!

2012-01-26T22:16:00.000-08:00

January for cub scouts = Pinewood Derby! I can honestly say that I have not a single ounce of influence over this activity. It is all Jim, and he takes it quite serious. I will not divulge his secrets {I really don't understand them anyways}, but his background with physics doesn't hurt! We did, as we do every year..gave Jayden the pep talk that, "we can't always win" and "we need to have good sportsmanship if we don't win" and "if you don't win, at least you'll know one of your friends did and you should be happy for your friends." I think it's the proper parental thing to do..but every year, ~~Jim~~ Jayden ends up winning every race. It's a little embarrassing..especially when you have some little boys' cars that don't even cross the finish line. Each time Jayden's car comes in first, I see a little twinkle in Jim's eye and envy in the other dad's eyes. Jim's got a bit of a reputation now for his unbeatable cars. First Skyler, now Jayden! What's going to happen next year when Ryder is a cub scout and he will be in direct competition with his brother? How is Jim going to work that out? So glad it's not my problem to deal with!

Congratulations Jayden for your 1st place win..2 years running!

{if ever there was a kid who needed this confidence pick me up, it's our Jayden!..our middle child, who is constantly outdone by his big brother!}

25: my kind of mutual activity

2012-01-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Our activity for the night was eating yummy frozen yogurt!

{only because the girls had a camp meeting the next night and Bishops storehouse on Saturday..we thought we'd lay low!}

24: getting our craft on

2012-01-24T16:55:00.000-08:00

Our Relief Society put on a little crafting session this morning. I wasn't feeling particularly crafty this morning but I went. I made this cute garland out of paintchip samples. When I got home I couldn't figure out how to stop it from twisting around. I was seeing more of the back {which isn't so cute} than the front. I tried restringing it {on cuter string if I do say so myself}..it didn't work. Then, being in Pinewood Derby mode, I thought a weight might help. I looked around to find something heavy enough but small enough. I grabbed some red hot candies out of another display and viola..it worked!! That's called problem solving my friends!!

23: my new gym..for a month

2012-01-23T16:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Spreebird {formally Screamin' Hot Deals}, I bought a month pass for $10! The best part about it, is that it's seriously 5 minutes from my house. The classes are great and I don't have to reserve a month in advance and pay a dollar per class like at 24 Hour!

22: jims in survey

2012-01-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

I don't often get a picture of the day from Jim's work{this sign is posted on the front doors to his building}..today was the day! We got the call early this morning that the surveyors were there! Seriously, on a Sunday! They like to catch you off guard. It's an annual thing, but it's always a surprise when they show up. Apparently, this survey is unlike anyone Jim has ever had and the surveyors are making everyone crazy and on edge! Sounds like tons of fun!

21: what an inspiration!

2012-01-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here is my good friend Jennifer..she is awesome! She has been training so hard to run this 1/2 marathon. It was in Temecula, through the wineries. When we {Chantal, Jenniffer, and myself} heard that her family couldn't make it to cheer her on, we knew we had to be there! If she can run in this freezing rain, we could pull ourselves out of our warm beds and wait for her to finish! She had no idea we were coming. When we saw her turn the corner, we rolled out a banner for her to run through. She didn't even recognize us at first. She was so grateful that we were there for her! It's amazing to see friends accomplish things off their bucket lists'. It kinda makes me sick though how great she looked after running 13.1 miles..accomplishment is a good look for her!

Interesting fact: looking at her workout app, she burned over 1400 calories during this run! I'm sure I picked them up for her in the donuts I ate this a.m.

20: my work is never done!

2012-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

No..I did not take a job as the elementary school custodian. I taught Meet the Masters today {REMBRANDT} in both Ryder and Jayden's class. When I got into the art room I was disgusted at how dirty it was. I'm really not that anal, but it was gross and very distracting! Food all over the floor, wrappers everywhere, broken crayons, papers, and just trash. I couldn't believe it could get this bad and I'm not one to just sit around, so I found Mr. Ben {the maintenance supervisor aka: custodian} and asked him for a vacuum. He brought me this super power, backpack gizmo. It was AWESOME! It sucked up everything and I could move around the entire classroom with ease. I couldn't help thinking how great this would be for stairs!

19: word clubs

2012-01-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Ryder's first grade words..he's now on his last list..rocket words!

18: soapbox derby winners!

2012-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight at mutual, the Young Men put together our activity. They built soapbox derby cars for all the classes {we finished them off by attaching a few screws and bolts} then it was off to the parking lot for races. It was hilarious watching the youth try to figure out how to steer and control their cars..but in the end, there could only be 1 winner! After several trial races, it was time for the finale! After 3 strenuous laps, complete with pit stops and driver changes, the Laurels came out VICTORIOUS! We smoked the rest of the groups. We've got not only beauty but brains and brawn! I couldn't be more proud of my girls!!

17: back in the saddle again

2012-01-17T12:08:00.001-08:00

Ready or not {I'm leaning towards NOT}, here I go! It's time to start training again for the Ragnar. I've taken a few months off running and now I have to start completely over! Why do I do this to myself. It's hard! I did a 5 1/2 mile run with Jim on Saturday and my legs killed for 2 days afterwards..probably not wise to start off from where I left off! Today, I took a more realistic run. I am loving the free app: Endomondo. It does everything. It tells you your distance, time, calories burned, and also has a GPS..it even comes on and tells you every time you've hit a mile and the time it took you to run that mile. It's just a little too honest! I swear I thought I was running faster than this! It does get me excited to run, in the hopes that I beat my previous time. It's great for my competitive nature.

16: another day off school

2012-01-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

It feels like my children are never in school. Way too many holidays. We made the most of it and went to Knotts. We thought the rain would distract people from coming, it didn't. It's weird..there were hardly any lines in the morning, then long lines by around 1 then by about 4, we were back to no lines.

{this is Skyler, Brody, and Ryder on Boomerang..they are in the last 2 cars}

15: lost dog

2012-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Late afternoon on Saturday Skyler found this dog. It had a collar but no name tag. It was love at first sight. He even named her: SADIE. I told him that he needed to take her out into the neighborhood to see if anyone was looking for her. He attached a rope and took her for a walk with no luck. It was getting dark so we decided she would stay the nigh in the backyard. Skyler went next door and borrowed some dog food. The boys were instantly attached and told me that "the law is, if the owner doesn't claim her in 2 weeks, we get to keep her." I'm not sure I've ever heard that law before..nice try boys. I told them that after church we would take her to the vet to see if she had a microchip installed. I tried to explain to the boys that the owners were probably heart broken about losing such a pretty dog. Their response, "No..if they loved her so much they wouldn't have let her out!" Their viewpoint was quite one sided. They begged us to let her sleep inside because it was so cold, but we stood our ground! First thing in the morning, they ran downstairs to see her and play with her. During church, Jim had to run home and get something. He saw a very distraught woman, crying and posting a flyer on the mailbox. He pulled over to see if everything was alright..he's a good guy..fighting back tears, she informed him that they had lost their dog, a dog that had been in their family for years. Jim immediately informed her that the boys had found the dog and we had her in our backyard. She was so relieved and overjoyed. They went to go get her. Jim told her that the boys had named her Sadie and she was flabbergasted! Her actual name was in fact, Sadie! It was as if it was meant to be. The boys were in tears when we told them, but later that afternoon, the women came back to our house and gave each boy $10 and a huge bag of candy for taking such good care of Sadie! The $ helped ease their broken hearts, but their yearning for a dog has only intensified from this experience!!

14: jim's cheat day

2012-01-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Jim decided to start the new year off with a new outlook on the way he eats. We have a close friend who has lost a lot of weight by following what he calls, "the 4 hour diet". Basically, this entails cutting out carbohydrates: bread, rice, pasta, fruit..you get the point..all the good stuff for 6 days of the week. The thing that sold Jim on this was CHEAT DAY! One day a week you get a cheat day where you can eat anything! It sounds contradictory to me, but it's working and he's never felt better. It's kinda funny, because come cheat day, everyone keeps asking him what he's going to eat. It's like they're just as excited for him as he is. Jim hasn't really embraced the cheat day to it's full extent. He feels a little guilty. He loves how he feel and wonders why he'd want to mess around with it. By week 2, cheat day came a little easier to him and we binged on yummy THAI food, oh yeah, and a raspberry filled donut!

13: project life 2011

2012-01-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to making my Project Life Book for 2011 {this is the title page..I also printed up 275 pictures to put in the pages..I was up to date the first couple of months}. Yes..I have this blog which is exactly what I put in the book, but it's not as tangible or easy to just flip through. It's a bit redundant, especially copying all the journaling by hand, but it's worth it when I see my family looking through the pages. I think this year I'm going to do it digitally in a photo book. It's nice to change things up!

12: softlips

2012-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

This is everyday! In my entire life, I have never gone through a whole tube of lip balm! I either lose it, it melts, it breaks, I wash it in the washing maching, or falls in sand..whatever the case may be, I have never used a tube from start to finish..until today!! Winter is very dry around here so I live with this "lipper" (as I commonly called it in when I lived in Hawaii) by my side at all times. It felt so satisfying to get to the end, where even digging my fingernail deep down wasn't producing enough! This feat may never happen again, so I'm relishing it today!

11: actually using what i've pinned

2012-01-11T23:19:00.000-08:00

I've been ~~wasting~~ spending so much time on Pinterest lately..partly because I was sick in bed. I justified my missing church by dedicating my Pinterest session to all things church related. I came across this cute Book of Mormon cover idea and thought it would be perfect for our girls, seeing as we just gave them new Books of Mormon's for our reading challenge {to read the entire Book of Mormon before girls camp..6 months}. They were pretty easy and quick and I love how each girl created a little something different! Thank you Pinterest!! My addiction to you is not wasted!

10: mother hubbards cupboards

2012-01-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

Our pantry was absolutely bare! With the kids home on vacation we have been doing a lot of eating out and with being sick, I was in no shape for battling the market. Today was my day! Kids started back at school {after a long 3 week and 1 day vacation} and I headed out with my recyclable bags in tow {using my bags is my new years resolution..potd to follow} and loaded my trunk! Doesn't look like much, but those bags can be stuffed! This is a grocery store trip and Costco trip!

9: nacho

2012-01-09T23:11:00.000-08:00

How can you not love this face? I can't believe I am smitten with a bearded dragon! I'm definitely the mother to 3 boys!

8: sick

2012-01-08T23:10:00.000-08:00

I didn't get out of bed today!

7: jerry seinfeld..hilarious!

2012-01-07T23:03:00.000-08:00

I woke up Saturday morning SICK! Didn't feel good at all. Of course it was the day that we had tickets to go see Jerry Seinfeld in San Diego. Fortunately for me, comedians don't go on till so late {9:30} so I got to stay in bed till around 6! I managed to pull myself together. We even had time to stop at Panera for some warm soup! The show was absolutely hilarious. Just like the t.v. show..it was an entire 1 1/2 hours of laughing at the most simplest things..it's just that Jerry has a way of making the most normal and simple things, extraordinarily funny! Totally worth getting out of bed for!

6: knott's berry farm

2012-01-06T22:56:00.000-08:00

I hadn't been to Knott's Berry Farm since my 12th birthday {when our home teacher, Tom Gibson, took me, my friend Lisa, and my entire family}. With Ryder now reaching the magical height of 49" we decided it was time to try it out! The boys were not disappointed! It wasn't terribly crowded and we got on every ride with very little wait time. I just realized that I'm not a young buck anymore..I don't think my head can take the constant exposure to all the jostling and turning! We ended up getting season passes, so I see a lot of Knott's in our future!

5: it's out! {plus christmas take down}

2012-01-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

FINALLY!!! It literally just fell out while he was playing with his legos!

The great Christmas take-down! The boys' response, "Our house looks so plain now!" They're right..it does look pretty plain!

4: beach in january..i love so. california!!

2012-01-04T22:48:00.000-08:00

A glorious, 80 degree beach day in January!! This is why I love living in Southern California!! There had to be at least 12-15 families from our stake at our normal spot in Oceanside!

And there's Ryder..with the tooth that is just agonizingly just hanging there!! I just want to pull it!

3: christmas card books

2012-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

I always save my Christmas cards! For years, I added the pictures at the end of each years' scrapbook. For the past 3 years they have just been in a box...until today! Saw this idea HERE and knew it was what I needed to do! If you want the template yourself, it's free on their blog!

2: the 123rd tournament of roses parade

2012-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Highlights of the Rose Parade..so glad Tella came and joined us! It wouldn't be the same without you!

It is tradition that I go and stake our spot 2 days before the actual parade. It's tedious, but necessary. This year I was rewarded greatly for my service. Just as I had arrived at our spot {Saturday, Dec. 30th @ 10:30 a.m.} a nice elderly gentleman came up to me and asked me if I could use his grandstand seats! Having never seen the beginning of the parade, I jumped at the chance! These tickets are $90 a piece and I would never pay that to sit, sardine style, in the bleachers. The day of the parade, right before the start, Jim and I made our way to the seats. We felt so special, bypassing security and grabbing free donuts and hot cocoa and such. Little did we know that we were literally in the best seats in the place. In fact, during the opening number, the performers popped up 2 row ahead of us and started singing. We had to of made it on t.v. somewhere..the cameras were all over us! It was exciting, but the parade started and we wanted to get back to our family and friends. Those around us didn't quite understand why we'd leave 5 minutes into it. Little did they know, we actually had better seats somewhere else!

At the end of the parade, the OCCUPY demonstrators were free to march. There were all walks of people, marching for some cause or another. I even saw a Hawaii Sovereignty protester..seriously, still? I don't think the above protester realized that he was at the beginning of a 5.5 mile walk! I had to laugh at his sign..in correlation to his size, yes, he is the 99%, literally!

{was that mean spirited..i'm sorry, but come on..I couldn't resist!}

1: happy new year

2012-01-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

The gangs all here!!

It's New Years Day but the parades not till tomorrow. We had several families join us this year for our Rose Parade tradition..most of them even camped out!

The Garrisons, Tenneys, Warrens, Hunters, Theresa, and the Baughs came out in the morning. It was an unseasonably warm day which lead to a warmer than usual night {it was still cold, just not as cold}. I'm loving that our group grows a little bigger ever year!
{the essentials: propane heaters, books, games, food, and friends!}

365: another years over..another rose parade ritual

2011-12-31T21:55:00.000-08:00

It all begins with the CHALK! My sister lives close to the parade route and went out early Friday, Dec. 30th morning to mark our territory. There is a silent law that one must respect the chalk. Rarely, if ever, does anyone try to take a spot that has been pre-chalked. It's just not cool! When you're needing a space as large as we needed, this is just what you have to do!

Another ritual is fighting off the cops who tell you, "you can't save seats until 12:00 p.m. the day before the parade." Been there, done that! For some reason these officers are on a total power high but I do as I always do and say, "I'm just cruising the sidewalks, no harm in that is there?" I was out at our spot at 10:30 a.m. Saturday {mind you the parade isn't till Monday}

Another essential: zip ties and wire cutters.

The parade people think they're being smart or something by zip-tieing all the porta potties shut until 12:00 p.m. the day before the parade. Experience is a great teacher and I have been schooled on how to get around little things like this. It's a simple solution that gives me my own, personal porta potty for over 24 hours. This year I mixed it up a little and found pink zip ties!

This year New Year's Day falls on a Sunday. The parade has a no Sunday policy so it won't be until Monday, January 2nd. It's a little bit of an anti-climatic New Year's Eve when you don't have the entire street celebrating with you. I was so grateful that Theresa drove down at 10:30 that night to hang out with me. At midnight, we had a party for 2 along Orange Grove Blvd. We had our poppers, our noise makers, and such. We had a terrible time getting our camera set up for a picture, but it is what it is! By about 12:10 a.m., we nestled in the warm car and waited out the night while watching our chalk!

364: lululemon

2011-12-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

I have fallen victim to peer pressure and have enter the sacred realms of Lululemon. This is not your ordinary workout wear store! The prices are not for the faint of heart. I will have to say though, the pieces are exceptionally well made and durable and even the shabbiest of behinds look fabulous in their yoga pants. Expect to come out a lot lighter in the pocketbook when you exit the store but these workout clothes are so cute, you could wear them as everyday wear. So it might be double the price, but it's double the wearing possibilities!

363: boys in nature

2011-12-29T21:44:00.000-08:00

Jim decided to take the boys hiking today! They drove up to Santa Rosa Plateau, though in the picture it looks like they are somewhere in Africa.

{I love how Jim made it in the picture..down in the corner!}

362: laurels quilting project..the sewing phase

2011-12-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

For the past 4 months we have been working on a quilt project with our Laurels. Each of the girls picked their own fabric and design. We've been cutting out {for what seems like forever} and now, we have finally reached the sewing stage! This is the fun phase, when you see it coming together! Hopefully by the time some of the girls graduate we will have their quilts finished and ready to go to college!

361: the "real" deal

2011-12-27T21:39:00.000-08:00

Santa's throne was vacant at the mall so the "real" deal stepped in!

360: my airsoft hudlums

2011-12-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

It's been non-stop airsoft wars around here!!

359: merry christmas!!

2011-12-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

They were up at 5:30 a.m.! Way too early for me! They had to wait till 6:00! {wearing their Grandma jammies}

BEFORE

AFTER

2 IPOD Touches and a XBOX 360 Kinect = 3 happy boys

Socks from my mom! I totally thought she knitted these for me, but speaking to her later that day, she fessed up that she bought them at a little store in Nauvoo! {She's totally capable of knitting them, she just didn't}. I just loved how they matched my tree!

The TRIPOD family picture..in the room that's never used!

A little look into our Christmas day!

358: a kickback christmas eve

2011-12-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

Did all my shopping this year on Amazon! With free, 2 day shipping, why would you go into the stores? It was always a thrill and would bring a "big smile" when I saw these brown boxes on my front porch..even up to Christmas eve!

With no family around, we had a very laid back Christmas eve. We went to the movies {saw Arthur Christmas}, had chinese food, then drove around the neighborhood looking at lights. We miss all our family and our Christmas eve traditions, but it was nice not having to drive anywhere. We had nothing to put together and I had already wrapped all the present, so it was an early evening for Mr. & Mrs. Claus!

357: a bunch of nuts roasting by an open fire

2011-12-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not seeing this kind of apparel in say, Colorado or Nauvoo!

Merry California Christmas!!

356: all i want for christmas is my 1 front tooth

2011-12-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

Ryder's top tooth has been literally dangling for weeks! He would not let anyone pull it or even get near it for that matter. This morning he woke up and it was out! He didn't even realize that it had fallen out while he was sleeping. We had to search all the pillows to find his tooth, but we found it amongst all the little pieces of popcorn inside the couch, that similarly look like little teeth. Now, looking at his other top tooth, it looks like it's on it's way out! We have been trying to persuade him to attach a string to his top tooth and to a nerf dart and firing the gun all while catching it on video {we've been watching it on you tube..it is awesome!} but Ryder will have NOTHING to do with it! I have offered him $20. We have promised him anything he wants..nope, he won't budge! I so want to do it..I'm probably scaring him for life because he's crying and yelling at me, "No means No mom!"

Later that night was finally girls night out!! I've been looking so forward to this! We haven't gotten together in awhile..too long, if you ask me! We had Thai food for dinner and then went to see "New Year's Eve"..kinda as an homage to our days pass when we painfully saw "Valentine's Day" {same director, same concept, same ginormous cast of hugely popular actors, same kinda sappy story line}. There is no one other that I would have rather seen it with than my girls! It wasn't quite as lame as Valentine's Day, but I'd wait to RedBox it!

355: holiday fun

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

Another busy, but fun day! Started the day off with turbo kickboxing (no picture, sorry). Afterward, came home and made lots of salsa! I think I bought too big of jars because I only got about 2 jars per batch of salsa, so it took a lot longer than expected {story of my life, remember} and I didn't even finish! I figured people get tired of all the sugar and sweet during the holidays that they might appreciate some salty and savory! That night for mutual we had a joint activity with the boys. We went to a local park and went ice blocking! It was Skyler's first time and he loved it. After ice blocking, I headed down the hill to Riches for Lisa's birthday party!

354: stirfry, it's whats for dinner

2011-12-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

I totally felt like my mom today! I think she would be proud. I was industrious and used what I had. Had a veggy tray left over from our party last weekend and it still had some broccoli, snap peas, and carrots. I couldn't just throw them away! Instead, I threw them in the wok with a little chicken and teriyaki glaze and made a stir-fry! Jayden told me it was the best meal he has every had! Coming from the boy that hardly eats, I take that as a successful dinner and a roaring compliment!

353: the crazies of this day

2011-12-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what Ryder was doing today! But it was a little crazy to come home to him wearing bits and pieces of Jaydens old tae kwon do equipment for no apparent reason other than, "It's comfortable!"

I'm hoping I'm not alone in this! Please...someone else has got to have a room that looks like this, this time of year, right?!

352: jayden's primary talk

2011-12-18T20:52:00.001-08:00

Jayden gave a talk today in primary. It was a recycled talk from last week when Ryder gave one in Junior Primary.

351: work party #2

2011-12-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

Work party #2 was for all of the Administrators and their Directors of Nursing in the Southern Region. Not as many people but still needed to get the house ready, food bought, and presents wrapped. Above is a picture of all our LEFTOVER desserts! How in the world are we ever going to finish these? I guess it's time for a leftover dessert party at the Geddies'!

I caught Jayden looking through my Project 365 scrapbook. Basically it's this blog in a book. Just seeing him looking through it is the whole reason I do it! He was loving it! He's probably looked at it 3-4 times. Maybe I need to leave them out more often.

350: performance day at tony tobin

2011-12-16T20:37:00.000-08:00

Last day of school before Christmas vacation! Ryder had his 1st grade production: Twas the Crazy Night Before Christmas! He was so anxious for us to see him. He kept reminding us of the time over and over. We were front and center! Earlier that morning I was the waffle mom in Jayden's class. It was a good thing I brought in my waffle maker because even with 2, it took awhile. It was a busy morning which led to a very busy night. We had our ward Christmas party and I was on that committee. Aside from spending a few hours Thursday night decorating, I needed to cook a couple hams and get to the church early to set up the projector and screen for the YW's number. By nights end, after cleaning and taking down the decorations {that felt like we just put up},I was tired..the second my head hit the pillow, I was out!

349: teachers gifts' nightmare!!

2011-12-15T20:26:00.000-08:00

Why can't I leave well enough alone? Why can't I be like the other parents and just stop with the gift card for the gift card tree? Why must I always put so much pressure on myself to do more? I never learn my lessons. This year was no exception. Every year, in addition to giving a nice gift card, I always like to make something for the boys' teachers. For the past 3 years I've been making my crayon monogram art. Well this year it was a nightmare because crayon art doesn't want to form into the letters A or S! At least not the way I envisioned them. Jim had to step in and cut the crayons for the A! I was getting so frustrated with what is usually an easy project. I didn't even attempt the S. I decided to do something different and use buttons. It took some time, but I was so happy with the outcome. The A didn't quite turn out how I'd like, but it was done! Maybe by the time Ryder gets to 5th grade I will smarten up and just do the gift card!

{The reindeer card was a fun project I did with Ryder's class}

Another night up till 1:30 a.m.

348: not as easy as it looks

2011-12-14T20:21:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that Pinterest is my newest time wasting addiction? I had seen a fun, easy project that I thought would be cool during winter. As a Laurels class at church, we decided to help make some decorations for the upcoming ward party. Perfect, I thought! Now was the time to pull out the cotton ball snow idea seen HERE.

Again, like so many things I take upon myself, it wasn't as easy as it looks. In fact, it was kinda a disaster. I thought we'd make tons. In the hour, we were lucky to have 10..and even those got all tangled up. The moral of the story..the things that look the easiest are NEVER that easy!

347: curse you cookies!

2011-12-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

As if my life weren't hectic enough, I was invited to a cookie exchange party. While talking to another friend about it, it was brought to my attention that I had read the invitation wrong. I think she wondered why I was so calm. I thought we only had to bring 1 dozen cookies. I was informed that it was 11 DOZEN!

My calmness quickly turned to panic. First of all, I'm not really a baker. I don't bake for fun, I only bake when I have to. Second, we were having the missionaries for dinner so I wouldn't be able to start baking until after 8! Third, they were to be nicely wrapped and I didn't have any supplies, nor the time to get any. So off to Wal-mart I went for last minute supplies. I didn't get started till 8:30 p.m. I was a baking fool. Things were going pretty steady. I baked while watching Fear Factor. By about 12:30 a.m. I was almost done! As I pulled my last 2 dozen out of the oven, I quickly realized there was a hole in the pot holder I picked up and I dropped them all on the floor! I was nearly in tears at this point! Exhausted, I whipped together another batch hoping it would make 2 dozen. It did! Then I had to start wrapping them. I didn't do anything terribly elaborate but it still took a lot of time. I didn't get to bed till 2:00 a.m. and by that point I never wanted to see another cookie in my life!

346: detention!

2011-12-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

Skyler conveniently pulled this detention slip out Monday morning just as we were leaving for school. He's not stupid. He knew he'd be grounded all weekend if he showed us Friday. Also, my rule is, if you get detention, you can get yourself to and from school {thanks mom for that one..but Goddard was seriously like 6 miles away from our house} however, it was pouring outside. So not only did he get a ride to school, he got to miss piano. So I would look at his detention as a win win for him. I think Santa will definitely leave some coal in his stocking!

345: geddies ghetto leftover party

2011-12-11T20:00:00.000-08:00

Late Saturday night, when everyone had left the party, we realized we had so much extra food! I quickly sent out a few texts to some friends in the ward seeing if anyone was up for a leftover dinner party Sunday night! All were in! The Trevino's, Moody's, and Fifield's all came over to partake of some food and I guess some football. The kids had plans of their own. When I went upstairs, I noticed that they had pulled the cushions off the 2 sectionals upstairs and created a lake of pillows! All in the name of fun! It was keeping them busy so the adults could hang downstairs so a few misplaced pillows was nothing! We did a pretty good job of getting rid of the food, however, we still had a bit left. We should have called a few more people! I just didn't realize we had as much as we did, plus, kids just don't eat a lot!

344: the party

2011-12-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

We love having all of Jim's department heads over for a Christmas Party every year! They are the reason he loves going to work so much! They are incredible individuals that truly love what they do and are so loyal to Jim and the company! This year we had nearly 50 people, 15 of them children. My upstairs honestly sounded like the running of the bulls. Picture frames were flying off the walls, pillows were everywhere and dart gun bullets littered the ground. All I could do was smile and be a gracious host! At least they were having a good time. We had more food than we could possibly eat! Along with being incredible workers, they are incredibly generous. We had an ornament exchange, which is always fun. Jim got a great one..the QUEEN! Perfect! It was a great night but by the end of it, all I wanted to do was go to bed!!

343: shopping is exhausting!

2011-12-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

We will be hosting our annual Christmas party for Jim's Department Heads, from his work, tomorrow night. Jim really wanted it to be a special night for all his employees children, so we spend about 3 hours at Target fighting our way down toy aisle after toy aisle with other crazy parents. I never realized how hard it was to shop for all the different ages. We had girls and boys from 2-17, with very limited ideas of what they liked. Wouldn't gift cards be the easiest? Jim thought they weren't personal enough. Yes, some got them, but for the most part, we got everyone a present that I truly hope they will like! I don't think I've ever shopped that much in one time frame! I was EXHAUSTED!!

342: endless train cakes

2011-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night we had our Young Women's Christmas party. Our theme was based around The Polar Express and Believing! My sister had just had a train party for my nephews 4th birthday and had this great train cake pan from Williams & Sonoma, so I piped up and said it would be great for the girls to decorate their own trains for the dessert. Sounded like a good idea a few weeks before the party. Fast forward to the day before the party. The cakes were a little more time consuming than I thought {story of my life}. I had to make about 40 of them. The cake pan made 9 at a time {that is if they all turned out o.k., which they didn't all the time} so it took a little longer than I anticipated. Of course I felt like I had to make a sample for the girls to see. Seriously..I need to learn to simplify my life!!

341: jayden's first band performance

2011-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Jayden's first band performance. He started playing Saxophone in September {lucky us}! We sat in this overly crowded room with other supportive parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, etc..you get my point, it was CROWDED! After a lengthy speech by their teacher informing us {more like preparing us} that learning a musical instrument is like learning a new language and it takes time..yada, yada, yada. Let's just get on with it already. As soon as they blew their first note, I just about lost it! It was the funniest thing I've ever heard. Jim tried to shush me, but I couldn't help it! I was crying. It was just too much! So I decided to include a brief video clip of one of their best songs so you could enjoy, as I did! We are proud of Jayden for getting up there and trying new things {though in my mind I wonder if he wasn't lip synching and pretending to play..which Jim informed me he did most of his band career}.

340: footsies

2011-12-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

A few months ago Skyler was commenting on how much he loved the foot jammies he use to wear when he was a baby! He wondered why they didn't make them for bigger kids. Then one day I was in Target and came across footsies in large sizes and decided to get Sky one. He was giddy with excitement! In all fairness, Jim had to go out that night and get Jayden and Ryder a pair too. So we have fully reverted to our childhood days and the footsie p.j.'s! Cute..but not as cute as those chubby, toddler days!

339: a new sport in the family

2011-12-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

Terrible picture I know, but basketball is so fast that it's nearly impossible to get a picture. Skyler is the blurred vision in white. He was moving fast and knocked the ball out of the opponents hands..my shutter speed..not fast enough!

This is Skyler's first year playing basketball. I'm actually liking it because the games go so fast! You are in and out of there in 1 hour! Practices, however, are on the other side of town which is a pain, but it's nice to see Skyler branch out and learn new things.

338: another addiction!

2011-12-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

Just what I need..another thing to consume me and my time! I'm addicted! I have about 3 games going on currently. Between this, Pinterest, Facebook, and my blog, I have no time!

337: a beautiful beachy day

2011-12-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

A wonderful breakfast at the Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. It's becoming a bit of a yearly tradition for us! Would have loved to stay in OC all day but sadly, we had to get home. Sky had temple baptisms, then a basketball game, and after that, his piano recital! It was good while it lasted!!

336: happy birthday jim!

2011-12-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

The view from our room..all I really need now is a yacht!

Jim's birthday always seems to fall on the same day as his work Christmas party! It's easy for me..it's a built in party! This year we stayed at the Balboa Bay Resort. It was a beautiful hotel right on the water, with several yachts anchored nearby! Thanks to my sister for watching the boys..I think {had a few shattered objects left in my nephews wake}. The party was, lets just say, interesting! I did get the entire room to sing Happy Birthday to Jim, to his dismay. My old man is 41! Happy Birthday Jim!

335: christmas cards, check!

2011-12-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

December 1st is when I like to have my cards finished and ready to mail out! It just feels so good to have this huge project checked off my holiday list. This year was my first year of not making homemade cards! I took that burden from off my shoulders and it's going to be o.k. I added my homemadeness with a cute label instead. When I got to the post office to mail them, my great friend Theresa just happened to be there picking up a package. Instead of just taking a photo of the cards going down the slot, she took a picture of me relinquishing control and sending them on their way! I could have just handed Theresa her card, but where's the fun in that! She's worth the 44 cents :)

334: all we need is a studio

2011-11-30T23:12:00.000-08:00

Apparently all we really need is a 1 bedroom home! When we got our new couches we moved the sectional up to the play room and moved the older sectional from the play room into our room (until we can figure out what we want to do with it). The boys seemed to find it an open invitation to take residency in our room. Despite having 6 bedrooms in our home, our boys never want to be in their own room..they never want to be alone. So that puts them either in our room or the playroom. It goes against all good parenting, but I am becoming a very lazy parent and don't want to fight it! I'm imagining there will be a day, sooner than later, that they won't want to all be together, so I'm relishing their need for each other while it's still there!

*this is truly how they sleep! Ryder sprawled out, Jayden..he talks in his sleep, and Skyler..always likes his face covered.

333: another tree

2011-11-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

I have found that the best way to protect your hands when fluffing an artificial tree is to wear dish gloves! 2 trees down, 1 to go!

332: dear santa...

2011-11-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

It won't be much longer before these envelopes are a thing of the past! Kinda makes me a little sad to think about it! Skyler even made one! I know that he probably has caught on, afterall, he is in 7th grade, but he hasn't let on that he has. He just goes along with it. I think he is conflicted..he wants to believe, but can't let on to his friends! Just as long as he doesn't ruin it for his brothers!

331: happy early birthday

2011-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

An early birthday cake for Jim! Who are we kidding..no matter how delicious the cake was, all he wanted was the frosting!

330: a day at the beach

2011-11-26T15:25:00.000-08:00

Where else do you take family who is visiting from COLD COLORADO on a beautiful, sunny, 80 degree California winter day? The beach! We drove down to Coronado for an amazing day at the beach! The boys even got in the water, terrified of the stingray warnings, they didn't stay in for long! Capped it off with a trip to Rubio's so Joel could have his fish tacos!

329: san diego zoo..the tree

2011-11-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Everyone was itching for an activity outside of the house. Mom and Dad Geddie suggested the San Diego Zoo. I had to stay home because we had an appointment to have our upstairs Christmas lights installed..shoot! Oh well, I guess this would be a great time to start the tree! So with Christmas music belting through the house, I began work on the task that is this large, 9ft. tree! It seriously took me all day! Fluffing..is the worst part of all, but on a fake tree, one of the most important! I had to make a pit stop at Michaels for a few extra things, but I was able to finish it and hang the downstairs, outdoor lights up before the family got home from the zoo. I love how it turned out, but it was still a little different for me! It's growing on me more and more everyday! It's good to have a mix-up once in awhile.

328: thanksgiving

2011-11-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

A pre-dinner hike in the hills behind our house! A rather large snake cut the hike short!

Jana and I..I hadn't seen Jana since I visited her in Atlanta back in 2006 shortly after she adopted Malia! {I was in the airport when I heard the news that Steve: the Crocodile Hunter had been killed. Also, the day I got home, I got called to be the YW President!}

Jana, Aaron, Malia, and Jonah Larsen

I am so grateful this Thanksgiving day for the wonderful blessings in my life! I have more than I deserve! I'm grateful that Jim's family could come out from Colorado and spend the week with us! I am also so grateful that my dear friend Jana and her family could spend Thanksgiving with us {they made a quick, impromptu trip from Georgia to spend the week in Carlsbad!}. I'm grateful that we did not have to go to HOME TOWN BUFFET and that we had plenty of food to eat! I love having my home full of friends and family. I love creating great memories and reflecting on the old ones! It was a wonderful Thanksgiving!

327: uncle joel and ryder

2011-11-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

I've been trying forever to get Ryder to learn how to ride his bike! His name even lends itself to riding a bike, but he will have nothing to do with it, so I thought having someone other than myself try might work! Nope! He is as stubborn with others as he is with me! Uncle Joel gave it a valiant try, but Ryder is still Rideless. Remember...he was 4 1/2 before he would potty train! STUBBORN!!

326: chips

2011-11-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

With company coming, I stocked the pantry! 8 bags of different chips..if there is not one here that they like, then they are too picky and I have other choice words to share with them! :)

325: the hassle for clean carpets

2011-11-21T14:52:00.000-08:00

The carpets were in dire need of cleaning! The only problem with having them cleaned, is all the moving of furniture that must be done. It was definitely a major pain..however, the kids loved building forts all day with the furniture being so close together.

324: i've been refreshed!

2011-11-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Back in April, at the Boy Scout auction, I won 1 hour of decorating services from "Refresh Your Nest" {my friends' Kristi & Bobette!} Well..Kristi just got called to be the new Relief Society president in our ward and I made the joke that I better cash in before the company takes a little hiatus! No sooner did I say that, that Bobette was at my house and planning things out. Unlike me, Bobette can have a room done in a day! They love to shop..I do not! Within a few days the room was pulled together. I did contribute a few things..light fixture, drapes, white comforter, and the lamps came from my living room! The room definitely feels REFRESHED!! Thanks girls!! Bring on the guests!

{Tella, that's an open invitation!}

*It's hard to photograph a tiny room!

323: frustrating installation

2011-11-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

Kinda a funny story behind this light fixture...but I'm going to keep that one to myself! After exchanging one {because the 1st one didn't work}, we finally got the light working! Not too shabby for $69.95 at Costco! It was the perfect addition to the refreshed guest room!

322: christmas superstore

2011-11-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

With only about 4 hours of sleep, I set off on another busy, but fun day! Chanin and I drove down to San Diego to go Schnoda's..a giant wholesalers warehouse of decorators stuff! It was a mecca for all things Christmas. Every row had another theme or color of decorations! A little overwhelming, but fun and fairly inexpensive! After 8 years of a very traditional red/gold tree, I had decided to mix it up and go completely different. I have been collecting ornaments and stuff for awhile and this store helped me finish off my stash! Later that night, it was Skyler's end of the year football banquet! Didn't get a good picture so I took a picture of the giant poster they made for him.

321: day of chaos

2011-11-17T14:21:00.000-08:00

Another extremely busy day..dentist for me, institute, boys home from school, Skyler basketball practice, Ryder birthday party at Pump it Up, Jayden's soccer banquet {which I was in charge of}, and then the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn!

*and you wonder why I always get so behind on my blog!!!

320: ryders team party

2011-11-16T22:48:00.000-08:00

This is the season for end of the year parties! Tonight was the party for Ryder's Neon Ninjas! Short, sweet, and to the point! My favorite kind of team party!!

{coach Holly was amazing with these boys!}

319: RIP lightbulbs

2011-11-15T22:41:00.000-08:00

I seem to be the last to know about everything! I just learned that starting this Jan. 2011 kids have to be in boosters seats who are not 8 years old and 80 pounds! Shoot, that's some middle schoolers I know! Then, last night, while at Home Depot looking for a particular lightbulb, I learned that lightbulbs are going extinct. At least the old school ones. The factories have already been closed and starting Jan. 1 2012 you will not be able to get regular bulbs..everything will be these terribly expensive, low wattage crap! I totally can understand why Gov. Perry wants to get rid of the Dept. of Energy, even if he can't remember it!

I guess I will become a lightbulb horder..I can't stand the energy efficient, ugly swirly bulbs! They not only give off an awful looking light, they just are not very aesthetic to look at!!

318: sick skyler

2011-11-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

Sickness seems to be rampant around town! Skyler is the latest victim! Took him to the Dr. and all they did for him was give him a breathing treatment! Despite earaches, they said he didn't have an ear infection, just upper respiratory congestion.

317: jayden and his sock

2011-11-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Random picture, yes! But this is everyday life with Jayden! The kid, when he takes off his shoes, will only wear 1 sock! He has been doing this for as long as I can remember. When I ask him why, he says it just feels better. To each their own! Jayden has always beat to his own drum! These are the things I'm sure I will miss when he gets older {assuming he stops wearing only 1 sock when he gets older..hoping he stops wearing only 1 sock when he gets older!}

316: great sportsmanship!

2011-11-12T22:29:00.000-08:00

I woke up very early Saturday morning to pouring rain! My first thought, "Awesome..Ryder's game will be canceled!" Then we got the text that the game at 8:00 a.m. was still on, rain or shine!

Fun for the kids, purely wet for the parents! This was classic Ryder..the other team scored and immediately he gave them a thumbs down and said BOOO! Apparently good sportsmanship hasn't sunk in much with Ryder!

315: 111111 , 11:11

2011-11-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for things like this! Especially knowing it will never happen again in my lifetime!

314: another broken lamp!

2011-11-10T22:23:00.000-08:00

This is why I never have lamps in my house!! I had 2 lamps I totally loved! The housecleaners broke the first one, and Jayden just broke the second! ARRRRRGGGHH!

3 boys + nice things = disaster!

313: geddie family photos..oceanside pier

2011-11-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

A sneak peek at our family photo shoot! After having to reschedule 2 times because of rain, we finally got them done..and on the most beautiful day ever! Just look at this sunset..this is without photoshop!

312: ryder's 1st love letter

2011-11-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

I was cleaning out Ryder's backpack and came across this...his first love letter. My first reaction was..how cute is this! Then I got to thinking, great..I'm really going to have to watch out for this casanova! Apparently several girls in his class have a crush on him. Never had this issue with my other boys, not even currently with my 7th grader! Heaven help me..this red head is going to be the death of me!

{but really..how cute is this! Ryderrrr, I like you! You are good! It's much better than the alternative!}

311: a sad ending, but a good fight!

2011-11-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Jayden's soccer team, The Green Strikers, made it to the playoffs! It was a very exciting and nerve racking game! The first goal of the game wasn't scored till the end of the 4th quarter..by us! Unfortunately, the other team handed it right back to us with a quick score. So the game was tied 1-1. We went into overtime..with no score! Then on to second overtime. Sadly, in the last minute of overtime, one of the other teams players {which happens to be our friend} had a breakaway, took a shot and scored. It was a great game but the boys were a little disappointed! Jayden had one of his best games ever and was named the "Starburst" player of the game! Driving home, a few tears were shed! Then comes the question that no parent really has the answer for, "Why didn't Heavenly Father answer my prayers? I prayed to do good and he didn't listen!" Ummm..sometimes we don't always get what we want! Yeah, that's a standard answer but not exactly what a 9 year old, who is heart broken, wants to hear.

310: happy early thanksgiving

2011-11-06T21:01:00.001-08:00

With my parents being home for a short visit, we decided to have an early Thanksgiving dinner. It was a small group, but the cooking is basically the same if you have 6 or 20! I dusted off my grandparents very old china for the occasion. We had the works, but I had to take it one step further and try a new recipe. I saw this beautiful cake on the cover of BHG and said, me, the non-baker, was going to make that..and I did! It was a coconut, cranberry and walnut concoction! I wish I could photograph food better. The lighting doesn't really do it justice, but I was pleased with the outcome..even if I don't really enjoy baked goods!

309: happy birthday charlie

2011-11-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

It was my nephew Charlie's 4th birthday so I drove the boys up to Pasadena for his party! My sister threw him a train party, complete with a bounce house and decorate your own train cake. It's nearly impossible to get Charlie to slow down and smile, so I got what I got. But his little brother Peter, he's a ham!

308: Ryders award

2011-11-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Not the best picture..but it's all I had! It was pouring rain so they had Friday flag salute in the MPR. Ryder was recognized for learning all his rainbow words! Now it's onto sundae words!

307: meet the masters marathon

2011-11-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'm the art docent in both Jayden and Ryder's class at school. Each month they learn about an artist and then do a project relating to that artist. Today was a marathon of art. I taught in Ryder's class, took a small break, then came back for Jayden's class. We made clay pots and painted designs on them. One of the more simple projects!

306: sad sad day in the geddie home!

2011-11-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

It was a very sad night at the Geddie home! Skyler went to go check on Dygger and he wasn't moving. I followed the sobs and crys and found that Dygger had finished his race..he was now in tortoise heaven. The boys took it terribly hard! We had tears most the night. Dygger was a part of our family for 5 years! Though tortoises are suppose to live much longer, I think in our home, 5 years is pretty long.

305: surprise!

2011-11-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

My parents came home from their mission in Nauvoo for a short visit to pick up some winter clothes and go to some Dr. appointments. They had arranged a ride home with someone in their ward, but we couldn't have them so close and not see them, so Jayden, Ryder, and I drove up to surprise them! They were indeed surprised! The boys were at the bottom of the escalator and my mom didn't even recognize them until she was almost at the bottom! It was a quick visit, but we would see them more during the week!