We're Not Dead...Just Busy.

We haven't disappeared - I promise. We've been busy. Really busy. I've not even taken that many pictures, so if you want to back out from reading now, here's your chance...

Kim is still really liking his job with ValPak. He's feeling like things are improving for him (and his clients and the economy) and we're hoping and praying for a better year than last. He's been umpiring at night and coaching a couple of Jake's baseball teams. He'd like to fit in golf, but if he wants to stay married, he's advised to work, coach, and help his wife keep her brain intact.
Abby is busy at school - she's had quite the struggle with math this year (can't say I blame her...) and so we're constantly checking on her work, making her re-do tests and assignments and nagging her about keeping her grades up. She's got lots of friends and assures me on a weekly basis that SHE IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD WITHOUT A CELL PHONE! Not sure about that one...
Jake has finished up basketball and is into baseball - I mean he EATS, DRINKS, AND BREATHES baseball. He had a tournament in St. George last month and my parents came to a few games. They saw him hit his first home run of the year! Since then, he's had games, practices, and more games. This last week, during spring break, he played in 16 games!! The girls and I went to SG to see my sister and I came home to a laundry room full of STINKY boy socks and filthy baseball pants! He hit two more home runs during the week (and I missed them both!)
Emily is busy at school and with friends. She finished up her basketball season and is awaiting her softball season to start. We ?think? she's a tomboy one day, and the next she's bawling over clothes and hair. Not sure what to think about this girl....
Natalie is busy at school (for at least half the day) and still keeping me on my toes. She recently told me she has a crush on a boy named Carson in her class....and that she's in love with Justin Beiber. Ugh! The result of having a 13 year old older sister, I'm sure. She is really picking up on reading and is always writing me notes - just this morning she wrote out a menu for breakfast: crel (cereal) and otmel (oatmeal).
I am perhaps the busiest of them all: My day starts at 6:30 sharp (okay, I do usually hit the snooze button a couple of times). Make lunches, rouse the kids, read scriptures (we're almost done with the BOM!), breakfast, rides to school. Home for 1/2 an hour, then two neighbor kids arrive. I'm babysitting them until the end of May - they are good kids and the pay has been nice to have. Then soon it's off to take one to preschool, pick up Nat, pick up the pre-schooler, lunch, homework, and soon thereafter the other 3 rugrats get home. Then it's off to games or practice, homework, dinner, and then comes my favorite time of day...BEDTIME! Squeeze in housework, church calling, scrubbing of dirty baseball pants (I swear, I'll be doing it for the next 6 years, at least) and several projects that should have been done WAY before now (painting the bathroom, quilting projects that are half done and yard projects). Add into all of this mess that I am starting a CNA course this next week in the evenings - it's M-TH from 5-9 pm. Hopefully, it will allow me to get a part-time job and at least be able to have decent benefits for our family.
We're (I) am busy, exhausted, and all around ornery. I don't expect it to change anytime soon. We're just trying to enjoy the short moments in the day when there's a little peace and quiet and hope that at some point, life will slow down a little.

A First

What is the deal with men and their need to kill something?? As a woman, I just don't get it. Recently, Kim's brother Roy was here visiting. They wanted to shoot something. They left early in the morning. They came home late at night. They were covered in mud. They were partially frozen. They shot 12 pheasants. They knew better than to bring home the dead birds. So, here on our family blog, we are documenting Jake's first kill. Doesn't he look proud??

Me, Ree, Februa-ree.

Hiatus. I've been on one. I've not had much to blog about and frankly, just haven't been in the mood to be all cheery and happy about the month of January. Let's face it...January is boring and depressing. Gray skies, smog, ice, and snow. No more holiday cheer, all the organizing, starting taxes, the bills from Christmas arrive. And, to top it all off, it's so cold outside that all I've wanted to do is curl up in a warm blanket and read. Ahhhh, lovely dream....
February has begun a little better than last month. We've had slightly warmer weather (today is 60 degrees!) with a few actual sun-shiny days. The smog has cleared out and we've had plenty of Jimmer to watch on TV. I've had a few people talk me into an attitude adjustment, making me remember that I am blessed in so many ways.
A few days ago, I was perusing The Pioneer Woman's blog...If you remember, I am slightly obsessed with her blog and have cooked just about everything in her cookbook. I noticed on the blog that she is currently on a book tour and was making a stop in SLC! I was thrilled to snag tickets to the signing and my friend Vickie and I drove up to see her. We, along with a few hundred other obsessers, waited in line for our turn for a chat with Ree and an autograph in our well used cookbooks. Ree was all I imagined...sweet, kind, friendly and amazingly skinny. How is this possible? I mean the woman cooks with pounds of butter! My friend Vickie asked her what her secret was and we were relieved to learn that it's Spanx. Made me feel a little better...We posed for a picture for our posterity and made our merry way back to real life.

Me and My Gal Pal, Ree

Today is Valentines Day. I am thankful for all the Valentines in my life...especially this guy. A little over 16 years ago, we'd just had our first and second dates. I wondered if he might be my Valentine forever? Not too long after, I managed to talk him into it. Best thing I ever did.

Doesn't he look thrilled to Be My Valentine??

My New Bro-In-Law??

I think my parents should send my littlest sister Timmi out here to meet this guy....I don't watch alot of sports on TV, but this was an AMAZING game. If Jimmer became my brother-in-law, we could have a Timmer and Jimmer Fredette!!! (Wait, Dad - before you get too excited with the idea of putting Timmi on a plane to Utah in the hopes that we could have a REAL basketball player in the family, maybe I should google him and see if he's already married....)

Christmas 2010

Our Christmas season most often begins with a trip to Temple Square to see the lights. This year, it was my intention to get a fabulous family picture for our Christmas cards...it didn't happen. We went on a rainy, cold night and I had to threaten my children within an inch of their lives to smile for a picture. Out of about 35 shots I took, ONE turned out. And, if you got our Christmas card, parents were not included. Maybe next year....

This shot I took of the Holy Family in the middle of temple square...despite the bad weather, it was a lovely scene.

Of course it can't be Christmas without a bazillion concerts, projects, and sing-alongs. Nat was in an awkward place and I wasn't able to get a clear shot of her fabulous singing.

Emily's class did a great job with all of their songs. They sang "Silent Night" in several languages, including sign language. Loved it!

Jake, looking "too cool" for a sixth grade Christmas sing-along. Wouldn't even crack a smile. Stinker....

Our nice neighbors that live across the street have invited the kids over for gingerbread house decorating for the last couple of years. The girls have always had a good time, and of course, made a HUGE mess. Good thing those ladies are patient!!

Natalie's house used EVERY piece of candy that came in the kit...it was "gorgeous", according to her....

Christmas Eve PJ's has become a tradition at our house. We have to decorate sugar cookies for Santa (using every assortment of sprinkles that we have in the house), clean up the house (mom's rule), and then the kids can open their jammies.


Here they are being goofballs...


Another tradition we have is reading our Christmas books. We read the story of Jesus' birth and then end with 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. Then, we shove them off to bed with a threat to not come up the stairs before 7 am. Kim and I actually were up at about 6:30, so we got up and tortured them by not letting them come up early!

Pretty sure Jake was 'in love' with his new snowboard, boots, bindings, goggles and a promise for a day of snowboarding....

Abby, bless her heart, tried to not show her disappointment that she didn't get the Ipod touch she so desperately wanted. It was uncertain, for a few days, whether or not Santa would be delivering ANYTHING to her...she left her $300 retainers on the floor of the TV room and Buddy the Wonder Dog had a delicious snack! UGH! Apparently, Santa must have taken pity on her and did bring her a few things anyway. She was in LOVE with the make up kit that Grandma sent her (thanks, mom...pretty sure I've never seen such an assortment of eyeshadow!) and loved her new wool peacoat. She got a few other items such as an Ihome (ipod dock) and a new bathrobe. Maybe an Ipod touch will come next year??

Although the picture doesn't show her excitement, she was so happy about the pink cowgirl hat. Too bad it wouldn't stay on her head! We will have to return for a smaller size so that this cute cowgirl can wear it all over the place. She was so happy with her horses and corrals, new scooter, cowgirl shirt, new movies, and games. Santa was good to this girl!


Emily was THRILLED with the new artists easel that Santa brought her. He also brought an entire bucket of art supplies (to join the thousands of other stray crayons we have around here...), new boots and clothes, a new scooter, and games.


I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that he put on the ENTIRE lot of snowboard gear AT LEAST 20 times during the course of the day. He loved the Twins jersey (Joe Mauer, of course) that grandma and grandpa sent. ALL of the kids (including the dad) have enjoyed the Wii and all the games that Santa brought. I'm loving that we can stream our Netflix in the house now and watch it all the time! Santa didn't leave Buddy out...he got a new bed that he now loves to lounge in.

The aftermath....it was horrendous for two days straight. I stayed in my jammies all day on Christmas and the only things I worried about were getting all the paper picked up and making dinner. We had a fabulously relaxing day.

This pretty much sums it all up...poor Nat was exhausted and Buddy the Wonder Dog decided to join her for a long winter's nap.

Mary and Joseph

I heart this picture....

Bah-Hum-Bug????

Remember this post from last year??? I will save you the trouble of reading all my woes. I'm in the same boat....feeling grinchy and bah-hum-bug about this years Christmas so far. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment and blogging happy thoughts is the last thing on my mind. I'm determined to find a better attitude and hoping it gets better. If I could only go without sleep, I might get it all done...