All in a weeks work

This past week has been great!! Here's the update..

Jenna is WALKING!! On the 6th, she took EIGHT steps!! She's still uncertain about it, but she's so darn cute trying to make her way around!

She has also discovered that the shiny silver thing in the kitchen has stuff in it... the fridge is her new fave place to get into!

My nephew Dash came for a visit from Portland, so we were able to spend some time with him. Derek LOVED having his older "cuz" to play with. We decided to go to Classic Skating with him, and the kids all had a ball. Well, except for Jenna -- at this particular moment. :)
I'm sorry, but no matter how young or old -- EVERYONE gets a grin from winning something from the grabber machines!

Hailey's going to be mortified that I'm posting this, but she struck such a great pose, I couldn't resist!

...arcade games!

This was the first time Derek & Dash had skated, and it was very entertaining to help them around the rink.

I canned peach freezer jam w/ my friend Emily & we had a great time!! Canning projects are ALWAYS better with a friend!

Friday night I decided to take the kids to our local high schools first home football game. We had a fun time. (go thunder!!) Derek was especially excited to be amidst all his friends. Here he is with two of his buddies, Karson & Cambrie. So cute!!

Guilty!! Uh, Guilty pleasures I mean

So, we all have our "things". You know what I'm talking about, right? Of course you do -- you know, the things we like, but don't like to admit we like too much??

Well friends, I'm going to share my "things" with you.. some my habits, some my guilty pleasures. These may or may not surprise you, but here they are...

DIET COKE: It's my coffee of choice, and I don't know any other effective way of starting my day, than with a nice spicy diet coke!

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES: Most of the time, I really try to eat healthy, but when it comes to yummy breakfast, I CAN NOT pass up buttermilk pancakes -- especially when they're homemade. They are so delicious, and can only become better when smothered with butter and syrup.... It's only like 2000 calories... that's not bad, right?





CAMERA: I try to keep my obsessive picture taking under control, but usually fall victim to what I like to refer to as trigger finger... the finger starts pushing, and just can't stop. I can't get enough of capturing the moment, and then the next moment, and the next....





FACEBOOK: Do you love this website as much as me?? It is so silly in concept... to know when people are eating, mad, exercising, working, listening to music etc etc etc. BUT, that being said, I love it, and I love that it's a free ticket to put in my two-cents on anything! (NOTE: The games on FB are equally enticing... one word... Farmville)

YELLING: Okay, this is one I'm not most proud of, but I'm trying to keep it real. I have an unusual sense of patience. I'm very patient, until I'm NOT. Which means, I go from being rational and understanding to this...

SINGING IN THE CAR: I am a compulsive car-singer. Doesn't matter what genre it is.. Country, Rock, Rap - oh, and I even belt it out to the kids music (doesn't everyone love nursery rhymes and Backyardigans??) And just to take it to a higher level -- I'll dance. Oh yeah, I've got some insane car-dance moves. It's best when someone busts me dancing AND singing... I just figure it made their day :)

Concessions: My favorite part about any movie or sporting event, would definitely be the concessions. My hubby always teases me that it costs more in concessions than for an actual ticket. What can I say, doesn't everyone love a big drink, some popcorn, nachos or a hotdog on occasion and an ice-cream to make watching a game/show more enjoyable? I suggest they do!

STIRRING THE POT: In general, I live a no-drama life. But on occasion, I like to "mix it up", thus, I add to my "THINGS", stirring the pot... Now, I really don't think I'm the only one who does this... push someone's button, get a reaction?? Like I said, it's like a special trinket or treasure, I only take it out on special occasions, but when I do, it's thoroughly enjoyed!

I SHOULD REALLY BE....: Famous words, right? To be followed by... "cleaning the house, doing laundry, making dinner, ta-da-ta-da". Anything productive, but sometimes, don't you just need to VEG?! The smile on this girls face says it all!

SOME OF MY FAVORITES: Everyone has their favorite shows, right? I have a bundle, that I love to unwind to at night. Most of these are MUCH to my hubby's dismay... he keeps himself entertained by commentating on my shows, and he's pretty brutal too -- Like when we're watching Bachelor(ette), More to Love, The Hills, The City... and the following

Hallmark: There never was, nor will there ever be more SAP in a show than on Hallmark movies

PROJECT RUNWAY: I love this show!! There is nothing else out there that is more drama involving scissors, fabric and every sexual orientation. I highly recommend... and sometimes they come up with really crafty stuff. Makes me feel like I could sew anything myself!

HOUSEWIVES OF...: Okay, this one really is aweful, but I just love the drama. There are all sorts of seasons, Orange County, Atlanta, NYC, NJ etc. It's funny to see that people live so ridiculously! Catfights & backstabbing galore!

Now that I've shared some of mine -- I want to know, what are your guilty pleasures????

It's your birthday, shout HOORAY!

Our lovely Jenna LaRille turned ONE!!

She has been such a joy in our home over the course of the past year. Every stage has been precious to me, and it's been bittersweet to have her hit such a milestone of being 1! Her smiles and giggles, her fury and frustrations have all been wonderful! We love having her in our family, and I can't imagine a more perfect little lady! Here are some shots of her celebrations!

Where, Oh Where has my summer gone??

We barely had reached full summer mode, yet, it has already come to an end.

Here are some of the highlights of our summer.

Whitney Lake - Camping
Streams were thoroughly enjoyed by the kids!

Whitney Lake was one of my favorite camping locations. It is several miles off of the Mirror Lake Highway - all on a dirt road, but it's SO peaceful, and because of the less-groomed road, there were relatively few campers. We enjoyed fishing & campfire cooking.

One note: If you choose to go up there (yes, even in summer) - bring WARM gear. It was so freezing cold at night, Dave & Derek nearly froze. Luckily, we bundled Jenna sufficiently so she stayed warm. Once morning came, we were awoken by a herd of sheep that had been brought in the nearby hills by their shepherd to graze. It was amazing to see how many SHEEP there were! This is definitely going to be a repeat location for our family!!

Jenna preferred to be fed, and lounge at the same time (Oh No jenna - you CAN'T have my diet coke) :D

The view! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Me & Hay

Dave & Jenna -- and the dog... :o

Fishing!

Jenna & I chose to observe while the rest fished, particularly because I don't care for touching slimy worms.

Hailey LOVED fishing!! She got her own (pink) fishing rod & everything!

Dave - teaching the techniques...

FAMILY VISITS!

My sister Melanie & most of her kids came out during July for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. We enjoyed some extra activities, like visiting "Jump On It". Fun & jumping was had by all!

GO Mel!

My girls!

Nothing like story time w/ Auntie Mel to cement a solid relationship:)

The Temple!

The cousins

I LOVE this temple, it is so beautiful, and we had a great time walking through w/ the kids.

Girl's Camp - 2009

This year I was able to attend girls camp w/ my ward. It was difficult to be away from home (especially the baby) for a week, but it was wonderful to get to know the young ladies better & to spend time w/ them. We were able to stay at the Heber Valley Camp which is a luxurious (for camp) facility!

At the lake, there was this sign posted & I thought it was fitting for our time up there.

The view from the top, after one of our hikes.

The camp had some amazing challenge courses -- this was one of them that any who wanted to participate in could. It was awesome... the rope ladder, the step across & the zip-line down. It was a blast!

Myself & Kathy, our camp director -- paddling around out on the lake.

Playing some games w/ the girls at campfire

Liberty Park

This was one of our favorite summer spots to go. The kids had a great time when we'd go, feeding the ducks, playing in the water or on the playgrounds. I love this park!

PEEK-A-BOO!

Lava Hot Springs, ID

This ended up being one of the funnest trips we've had. We rented a house in Lava Hot Springs w/ Dave's parents, his sister Lisa & her family. It was such a fun town - cute little Main ST w/ lots of quaint shops. Hailey LOVED having freedom to roam the main drag w/ her cousin Dawson. There is a HUGE swimming pool in town w/ lots of diving boards & planks. Dave told Hailey if she jumped off the 30 foot plank he'd give her 20$. Hailey lamented over that, wanting the $$, but being uncertain about the jump. She spent a few hours standing on the planks, walking to the edge & then backing up. Finally, she opted out of it, and decided to enjoy the lower plank (which was still HIGH -- in fact, too high for me to jump off!), the diving boards, the water/climbing wall & the other diving boards. We loved tubing the Portneuf river that goes through town. Besides one capsizing by Dave & Derek (thank-goodness for life jackets on little ones!!), the tubing went without problem. The water was COLD, but very fun -- Perfect for family tubing!! The hot-springs were hot indeed, and felt nice after a long day.
Derek gained a new confidence as he flew into Dad!

My girls!

Me & my honey :)

All geared up for tubing!

Hailey - trying to keep out of the cold water, whenever possible.

Summer's good, summer's fun, next year will be another one.

And with that -- back to the reality of school years & schedules :)