New Year's Resolutions

1. Stop physically abusing Brent and Ella
This actually sounds way worse than it is! I don't actually abuse either of them. I swat Ella's butt when she is naughty and realized I was just resorting to this instead of actually trying to make her understand what she was doing wrong. Brent on the other hand does know, so maybe I should step it up!! :)

2. Limit Ella's TV time.
This is going to be hard because she can pull 16 hour days.

3. Give Ella more attention.

4. Read the scriptures or the Ensign every day.

5. Save more money.

6. Cook more often and sit at the table to eat meals.

7. Curb swearing to a minimum.

8. Attend to the yard when Brent doesn't have the time.

9. Loose my annual holiday weight. :)
I have this resolution every year. Because every year Thanksgiving and Christmas get the best of my intentions!

10. Potty train Ella.
This goal is not from lack of trying! She just doesn't seem to be interested or get it. I believe children have a window of opportunity around 2 years old, and if you miss it, you are going to have to wait. Her window was the week we traveled to SLC. She was interested and wanting to sit on the potty and I didn't want her in panties while we drove 5 hours. Sigh. Now I'm going to have to TEACH her, instead of her wanting to do it.

11. Take my vitamins every day.


I am excited to start a new year! I'll have to admit, 2010 was actually a pretty hard, crappy year!! Full of doctors appointment, crazy 2 year olds, schedule changes and disease!! I know it could have been worse, and I am grateful for all the blessings we did enjoy. What are YOUR resolutions?


PS I know it may be difficult, but please refrain form giving potty training advice. I know that is flat out rude, but I have a stack of books and have had every person in the world give me advice. Thank you.

My Brother Got Married!!

Ella thought she was a princess. Little did she know this day was not about her!!

Daddy/ daughter bubbles.

The absolutely gorgeous bride!! And her two attendants. :)
Chelsey has never looked so beautiful.

Bride, Mom, new nieces for Chelsey!!

A very handsome groom and his daddy.

Grama and Jara

Joshlyn and Jackie.

The ceremony was perfect. The officiator did a wonderful job. My favorite part was when he said the family unit was more important than anything in the whole world, including the church. I think the church is pretty important so that meant a lot. He did great.

The reception was beautiful. Perfect. Everyone said wonderful, nice things about the couple when we took some time to share our favorite memories about them. All our families came to celebrate and that made me personally happy. I love my family and I am always so happy to see them. Especially my favorite ones!! (Although one of our favorite aunts was unable to make it. we missed her.)

We love you Jordan and Chelsey!! We are so happy and excited for you!!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas was crazy this year!! Ella really got opening present this time!! She wanted to help everyone! She played so hard, this is how she ended up. Notice she is still clutching her Big Polly Pocket-like dolly from Auntie Joshlyn. She loved her. I'm pretty sure this was her favorite.

This was one of MY favorite presents. My other favorite was my new Canon camera. It is extremely nice. Probably too nice for someone who isn't a professional!! But I'm glad Santa thought I'd have fun with it. :)

Unfortunately I had a kidney infection for the last few days. It was the worst on Christmas Eve. I spent a lot of quality time lying on my mom's bathroom floor. Ella joined me for a few minutes while I was resting. We were watching A Christmas Story.

She loved her castle until Polly came along!!

And crazy Santa brought Ella a mini tramp!! I think he thought it was a good idea at the time but we're not sure where we are going to put it!! She catches air on this thing!! And those pink boots on her feet are also new.

Obviously we went way over board this year! I don't know what Santa and Mrs. Clause were thinking this year but they just kept buying stuff!! I told Brent... I mean Santa.... that we were not buying any toys or clothes or anything else until next year!!

It was a wonderful year! Brent got to actually be home for the first time in 3 years. I love his job but sometimes it would be nice if he got holidays off like everyone else. BUT if it weren't for his awesome holiday pay, we wouldn't have had such a big Christmas!! So thank you HPD!!

I hope everyone had a great day too!!

Bridal Shower

My little brother is getting married!! He chose a beautiful, wonderful girl named Chelsey and we are very excited to have her in our family! My sister, mom and I threw her a bridal shower. We took a test on how well we knew Chelsey. I got 15 out of 20!!

We also gave her sound and lasting advice. I told her

"Be humble, be patient, be loving, be forgiving, be MEAN AS HELL". Hey it works in my house hold!

We also opened presents.... I didn't include those pictures for modesty's sake.... :)

By the way, Chelsey is the blond one on the right. Aren't her shoes cute?

I love parties and I'm very happy I got to have one to welcome such a nice girl to my family. She makes my brother very happy and we are all excited for them to be married!

PS I'm not just saying this either, I really do like her!! Anyone who knows me should know I am only sincere!!

The Intruder... Part 2

First: My Auntie Katie told me about a movie she watched as a girl that scared her to pieces. It was about a disembodied hand that strangled people. The scariest scene in the movie was when a lady is driving down the road and the hand springs up from behind the seat, grabs her by the throat and strangles her. Okay, keep this in mind as I tell this story.

I inadvertently left a bottle of milk in my truck that Ella had drank, and unfortunately forgot about it. It rolled beneath the seat and the only reason I found it is because I FOLLOWED THE STENCH. Not good. So I have been trying to keep the windows rolled down a smidge so I could air things out a bit. I went to my Tuesday night Zumba class, and thought the cool night air would help alleviate the odor of rancid milk permeating from my truck. There was middle school basketball this evening and all the mommies picking up their children had taken up all the good parking spots, so I parked next to the dumpster at the middle school. No big deal....or so it seemed!!!

Zumba ended and I am hobbled out to my truck. Usually I am very vigilant about checking my Tahoe for serial killers and ax murders before I get in. I have a big back seat, and a large cargo area that any psycho path could comfortably curl up in. Alas, I did not check. Anything.

So I am driving down the street and I keep thinking I can hear rustling of some sort. I glance over my shoulder and check my review mirror. Nothing. I routinely leave packs of water bottles and grocery bags in the cargo area. And I have the stroller back there. I'm listening to music, still kind of pump from my work out. I get about a mile away from the gym and SOME UNKNOWN CREATURE LEAPS ONTO THE HEAD REST OF MY PASSENGER SEAT!! (Now think back to the story I started with) I scream like a chick in a slasher film and swerve erratically all over the road. I then seriously attempt to bail out of the vehicle. I open the door and try to jump. My seat belt saves my foolish life. I screech to a halt, probably doing lasting damage to my brake pads and fall out of my door. I succeed in fleeing my truck, scrambling across the asphalt, all the while screaming at the top of my lungs, because I am CONVINCED that either a disembodied hand or the DEVIL is in my truck!! My heart feels like it is about two beats away from exploding and I have never felt adrenaline surge through me like I have at this moment. I probably broke the sound barrier with the speed in which I raced down the street. I turn mid stride to see if the hand or devil is after me and see a dark colored CAT SPRING FROM MY CAR.

It is puffed out, its tail held in the air. And hauling... you know what.... down the street because it probably thinks I am the devil or some other form of screeching banshee.

As my heart returns to normal pace. I walk back to my running car, the radio blaring, the door wide open. I check for any other freaking felines lurking in the bowels of my Tahoe. I get behind the wheel and drive home. I am glad I didn't run over someone on an evening walk or plow into another car. Or a house for that matter!! I also called that cat all the bad names I could think of and then I made some up.

Moral of the story? DO NOT leave your windows down with out checking if someone or something is hiding in your car. Because it will scare the $#@& out of you and you may never be the same. As I am sure I will never be the same!!!


In hind site, this story is humorous. At the time it WAS NOT.

The Christmas Card

These may look cute but it took about 20 of them to get Ella to cooperate.

We tried to do a natural, squeeze the baby picture. Not so good at pictures.

Ella says Cheese!!

She also went to the doctor this week. She was in the 25% for both height and weight. Yay!! She has never been that high!! We are happy she isn't a little runt anymore, just petite. She is very smart and learning so much. Too much!! She got in trouble the other day, turned and glared at me and shouted, "I'm mad!!" And we have now banned Nie Hoa, Ki Lan from our home.

Thanksgiving Weekend

My mom had left over fabric that she gave me so I turned it into a fun Christmas quilt for Ella. She loves it. She calls it her Christmas Blanky.

I decided I wanted a Christmas quilt too. So I made one. Slightly more difficult to make than Ella's! I may or may not have verbally abuse this quilt on numerous accounts. I also may or may not have cursed at my sewing machine. (Not shown is the back. It is poinsettia fleece.)

Ella's dessert. Her first whip cream beater. My dad said that barely letting your child eat her first beater at 2 plus years old has got to be some form of child neglect!!

There was only 4 people at our Thanksgiving feast this year. My brother, my self, my mom and my dad. That's it! It was pretty casual and low key. We ate until the pain set in and then we slept. My two favorite activities!