Can We DO IT?

(these pictures have nothing to do with the post, but I think they are fun, this is Will and Ky while we lived in Oregon. Yes this was taken in the month of January. Notice no jackets and playing outside, oh well.)

So I read this blog called moneysavingmom.com (you can link to it over on the side), mostly because she posts really good deals and coupons that she finds on the Internet. Occasionally she will do these challenges which I mostly ignore. But she is having one this month called "eating from your pantry" and I thought it sounded interesting and.....I think I am going to do it. I am not sure though, last year we did a challenge of not eating out for a whole month and it was hard, but we did it. But here goes nothin. Couple of reasons why I want to do this though, first its a "challenge" I like those :) Second, it will save on our grocery budget that maybe we can put towards our trip to Cape Cod this summer, and third, I think that it is a good idea to maybe clean out the pantry and use some of the food from it that I don't normally use. I am not sure how long we will be able to do this for and, honestly, I haven't talked to Brett about it. But I am going to try it anyways. I hope that I can do it :) No promises though.

New Years Resolutions

O.k. yes here it is. I contemplated long and hard about a New Years Resolutions and whether I should post them for all the read. But a couple of things made me realize that this is something that I should probably do.

Yes New Years Resolutions kind have the stigma of the "making the same ones each year" and yes many of mine are ones that I usually do every year and are constantly some of my goals. But I thought who cares. As long as you are working toward a goal I think that you are headed in the right direction. It's when you stop making new goals or stop working toward goals that is not good. You should always be striving to be the best that you can and improve yourself. So I say there is nothing wrong with New Years Resolutions even if they are the same ones every year.

So then I thought do I post them online for all to read....again I went back and forth because it's hard. Many of the things that I would like to work on are things that I am not particularly proud of and kind of show all of my faults. But if there is one thing that I do know about myself it's that I do well when I have accountability. It's easy to make new goals, keep them to yourself, and then if you don't reach those goals at least nobody knows. But if someone knows about them, I know that it's going to make me work harder at keeping them. So the next time you see me just say "hey how are your resolutions going?" and then even if they are going crappy at the very least I will be reminded of them!

O.k. so here goes.....

-yes I am going to start with the one that I would like to lose weight. Seriously I know so typical, but really I could try and lose some. Each of my three kids has left there five pounds with me to carry around and I am done. I don't want to do it anymore. So instead of going on some diet, which I know never really works (expect for weight watchers, love that one!) my real goal is to eat more healthy and to make more healthy food for my family.

-Next I want to live within my budget. Actually we did really really well with this one last year, even with some pretty big expenses and trips we came in under. YEAH!!! But this is one that I will make every year. We made a budget about three years ago and it seriously put SO many things into perspective for me, I had no idea what kind of money we were spending. But now I am so careful and love looking at my budget. I highly recommend a budget if you don't have one.

-Of course I need to add this one I am going to strive to strengthen my testimony and strengthen my families by making sure that we have FHE, scripture study, and family prayer. Again we do pretty good with this, expect for maybe the FHE part. It's hard because, let's face it, we are together every night. My kids are still young enough, but I realize that it's a habit that we need to be forming now so when the kids are older it will be "just something that you do".

-I NEED to be more organized. I struggle with this. BAD. I can spend hours getting myself organized and work really hard at it and be pretty organized for awhile, but then I fizzle and things just get more and more disorganized. And with three kids that just can't be the way that it is anymore. I need to STAY organized.

-o.k last one. Hardest one to write. I need to become less selfish. Hmmm how to really write what I mean? Here goes.....I think that a lot of stuff that I do is for my own benefit. I guess what I mean is I am always thinking how can this benefit me, when really I should be thinking how can I help and benefit others. Because always looking out for myself doesn't really bring the kind of happiness that I am really wanting. And when I help and serve others I really really feel good,which I guess benefits me, remember that "Friends" episode where Joey tells Pheobe that there is no selfless act and she proves it by getting stung by a bee and other things., anyways got off track. I am not sure if this is sounding they way that I want it to so I am just going to say, I am going to try and be more selfless in my thoughts and actions.

Here are some quick other ones....
-learn how to download pictures from my camera to the computer without Brett's help
-always have a book to read
-sew my girls matching dresses
-have an awesome garden this year and make use of all the wonderful veggies from it
-run a half marathon. Yup, not kidding. I tell me people that I ran a marathon and I can see them look me up and down and think to them self "your kidding right". Well I did run a marathon. But let's face it that just isn't going to happen, too busy for that kind of commitment, but I think that I can do a half marathon.
-do a lot of freezer dinners
-paint my living room and bedroom
-invite friends over more often
-play more games


o.k. that's all, for now. Wish me Luck!
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Just Because She is SO Stinkin Cute!

GO UTAH

Go Utes!!!!!!!

At College Game Day in 2004

Brett and Will at the game in 2006 ( I love the guy behind them taking a sideway glance at the camera!)

Last year at the BYU vs. Utah game!

Good luck tonight!!!

A dance recital, a Santa Claus visit, and Temple Square

Here are some pictures of what we have been up to the last couple of days....

Why why why am I such a scrooge. I think going to the mall to see Santa Claus is one of the things that I feel like you have to do, rather than get to do, during Christmas time. I just don't like dealing with no parking, long lines, and rude people! Reason why I do most of my shopping online. But I do have to say this year was not so bad, we went to Fashion Place mall and there was only three people in line in front of us.

and...YaY!!!Kyanna didn't cry this year. Do you like how not one child is looking at the camera?

I don't like how dark these turned out, but oh well. Here is Kyanna's dance recital, it was so flippin cute. I must say right before it was her turn she was clinging to my leg pretty good and so I thought that there is no way she is going to out there, but she did it! TOO CUTE!



For FHE last night we made our annual visit to Temple Square! Growing up it was tradition to go to Temple Square on Christmas Eve, well Brett's family always has a Christmas Eve party so we try and go for FHE every year!

ha ha I love this picture of Will!

am I a terrible Mom, I made my baby, who has bronchitis mind you, go out in the cold. But really I am pretty sure she was warmer than the rest of this. This little coat is awesome, we have had it ever since Will is a baby. It keeps them SO warm usually they are sweating when we take them out.

And just because she is cute....

Wow that was like three posts in one!

6th month check-up

Jenna had her six month check-up yesterday! She is doing good, other than this nasty cough she has had for the past two weeks but I'll talk about that in a minute. She is now 14lbs 6 oz, which puts her in the 21% for weight, which great considering that at her 2 week check-up she was in the 4th percentile. She is in the 59% of height. And no big surprise here, her head was, well.... off the charts big, but I personally think they were just a little too generous with the head measurement. She is doing all what a cute little six month old like herself should be doing, rolling over, sitting up, eating baby food, and grabbing just about everything she can. So much fun.

Anyways like I said she has had this yucky cough for about 10 days now. I took her to the Dr. 10 days ago when it started to get bad and she checked out fine so I wasn't worried. The Dr. said if she gets worse bring her in. Well she has never gotten worse it just hasn't gone away. So on Wed. the Dr. listened to her lungs and decided that she better get a chest x-ray.

Well have you ever seen what they put little babies into for a chest x-ray. The only words that come to my mind is pure torture. I searched and searched for a good image to show, but this is the only one that I could find which was kind of close.



Now notice how the baby is smiling and happy to be there and thinking this is lots of fun. Well...that is SO not how it really is. There is NO cute blanket hanging up, just a black one. NO teddy bear sitting next to you, no you are in this cold empty room with only a bed and huge x-ray machine. And you don't get to stand there and hold her arms up. NO! NO! NO! They do make them straddle and then you put there arms up in the air over there ears while they enclose them in this plastic type wrap and then strap it closed. REALLY it's like pure torture not only for the baby, but for the parent that has to watch her baby be like this. And then they make you leave the room to take the x-ray! Luckily it didn't last very long, but I hated watching Jenna in this think. UGH!

So I guess what Jenna has is bronchiolitis, which is the baby form of bronchitis. She is really been so good, you would never guess that she is sick until you hear her cough. I just hope that it ends soon!

Best Friends

I sure love to see Will and Kyanna playing together. MOST of the time they play so well. I love that they are close enough in age that they are able to have so much fun with each other. Although I must say when they fight, and they DO fight, it can get ugly quick. They are either the best of friends or the worst of enemies. But more often than not they like each other.








Watching a movie. Also Will is sooo good to put with Kyanna!





Actually as you will see in the next picture. Will is getting ready to throw a snowball at Kyanna.


Yup there it is.





I just love this picture of Will!