PAC 12, BABY!!!

A couple of weeks ago, the University of Utah held it's annual Spring Football game.  It's a chance to see the team as they play each other and get excited about the coming year.  It's was especially exciting this year, because of this:

 They put the new logo on the field.  It was pretty cool and you could feel the excitement of the fans who were there.

The kids got a little bored with the game and I can't really blame them.  Let's just say the offense needs some work, but the defense looked great!

 After the game, they let people down on the field.  The kids thought that was so awesome!  They ran around and for some reason, kept petting the field. 

My kids are weird.

Once Upon A Time....

There was a little princess named Zoey.  Zoey got a bad infestation of sugar bugs.  And we all know what sugar bugs do.  They put holes in your teeth!  So, Zoey called for the tooth doctor to fix her tooth.  The tooth doctor had all the magical tools to get those ugly sugar bugs out of her teeth.  But the tooth doctor had one more magical thing.....a Twinky Star!  Twinky Star's come in all sort of colors and they fill the holes that sugar bugs leave.  Well, you know that all princess' love the color pink....so Zoey chose a pink Twinky Star to fill the hole in her tooth.

And the sugar bugs were vanquished from Princess Zoey's mouth!!  

At least for now.

St. George Competition!

I've been such a slacker!!  OK, not so much a slacker as busy.  My life is really busy right now.  So, I've neglected our annual St. George trip for dance. 

I guess I was putting it off, because this year was a little flat.  My parents couldn't come this year and Hali and Porter were getting over being sick and Scott was coming down with the same thing and it poured rain.  But I do have some cute pictures for you!

This is Hali's cute team!  This is for their Jazz dance to the song "Forget You" from Glee.  Love this dance!  Hali is in pink, third from the left.

 Close up in all her heavily made-up glory!

 Sunday morning I woke up to these two beauties cuddling in their sleep.  Heart melter!

The team took a first in their lyrical and a fourth in their Jazz.  They took a first in both just last weekend so they are getting better!

Sunday we had to wake up early and rush home to Salt Lake, because that was the day they put me into my new calling.  It was a fun, but quick weekend.  And cold.  I really wanted it to be warmer.  Bummer.  I guess there is always next year!!

Well...It's Official...

I am now the Primary President of the Highland 1st Ward.  Crazy.

I've known for about a month now and it seems a lot longer.  I'm the kind of person that learns by doing, so it's really frustrating when I can't do something.  It's stressful to me.  As soon as it get going, the stress will totally go away, but for now it's still a little there.

For those of you who read this and are confused, let me explain.  The Primary is what we call the children's group at church.  So, I'm in charge of all the classes, the singing, the cub scout program and more.  It's a lot of work, but I love being in Primary.  I have found more joy serving there than anywhere else.  There is nothing funnier to me than a conversation with a child.  The things that they say are priceless!  So, I'm really excited to be with them every Sunday.

I've got some amazing women to work with and I'm excited to get to know them better!  It's going to be a big job, but I know that these women will be the key to managing it all. 

I feel really good today.  The Bishop gave me a blessing yesterday and I could literally feel the responsibility fall on my shoulders, but it didn't feel like a burden.  Kind of hard to explain.  I felt like I was given the gift of being able to handle it all.  That the Lord was giving me what I needed to handle this job, in addition to all that I already do. It feels pretty good.  And I'll do my best to live up to His expectations. 

Wish me luck!

When It Rains, It Pours!!

That's the theme of my life right now.  Well, actually, the theme of our household.  It's been a little stressful lately.  Scott's been so busy at work.  The have a major deadline this week and not enough people to do the work.  So, he's been working really long hours.  Poor guy.

Then there is all the stuff I'm dealing with.  Mostly with my kids.  I love being a mom, but there are times when it's really hard.  When your stomach is tied in knots and you don't sleep a whole lot.  This would be one of those times.

Porter has been struggling in school this year.  And it's been tough.  But I think we are in the process of figuring out why.  I took him to our doctor recently and he suspects, as do I, that Porter might be ADD.  Porter is a smart kid, but he can't focus for very long at all.  For example, Porter is really good at math, but if I sit him down at the table to do his math homework, I can't walk away.  He won't do it.  If I sit with him and say, "ok, Porter do number one", he'll do it.  I have to make him do each and every problem.  And reading is really a struggle because his mind just wonders in the middle of a sentence.  And he can't sit still.  It's frustrating.  So, now, we are trying to get ahold of a specialist, who will for sure be able to diagnose him and then we can go from there.  In the meantime, I get to go meet with Porter's teacher and the school principal to talk about Porter's "progress".  Yay.  I can't tell you how excited about that. 

Then, yesterday, both Porter and Hali were complaining about not feeling good.  So I kept them home from school and made an appointment with the doctor in the afternoon.  I thought maybe it would be a waste of time, because they certainly weren't acting like they were sick.  But it ends up that Hali has an ear infection and Porter has strep.  Lovely.

There is more stress going on, but I can't talk about that yet.  I'm really ready for this week to be over.  Don't be too worried about me, though.  I've passed that stressed point and am now at the laughing point.  Every time something else goes wrong, I laugh.  Like the letter I got yesterday that said we are .01 points off of getting a $200 rebate for the energy efficient washer/dryer we bought last month. Nice. 


I'm feeling like Satan is really working hard on me, right now. He so wants me to be discouraged.  And I know that when I'm down, it brings my family down.  I don't deal with stress well.  But I'm determined not to give it any more time.  I won't let it get me down.  I won't let it affect my home and my family.  Well, not anymore than it already has. :)  I've always been big on a person determines how they will react to any given situation.  And I chose to be upset and angry, but now I'm changing my mind and my attitude!  I'm a woman, I'm allowed to do that!  I will smile and mean it!

Thanks for letting me vent!

Vanity

My kids have never been shy or modest.  Maybe I praise them too much.  I don't know.  Today, when I picked up Zoey from pre-school she had this:

I couldn't believe what a great job she did writing her name so clearly!  And I told her.

Her response:

"I know.  Everybody thinks I'm amazing."

Once Upon A Time....

Let me tell you a little story about a little girl who loved Cinderella. She loved everything about it and as she grew, she loved to find all sorts of books and movies that had a Cinderella theme.  When she was a teenager, she and her sister discovered the magic of the movie.....

The Slipper and the Rose.  

They watched it over and over, singing the songs and sighing over the beautiful costumes.

I so love this movie...

and it hasn't been in print in YEARS!  So it's really hard to find.  I got an advertisment email just before Christmas from a site that sells old movies.  I was thrilled to find this movie listed.  I immediately bought the movie and then texted my sister so that she could get it, too.  She was so excited that she paid the extra shipping to get it there fast.  I was so disappointed when I got the email that said they didn't have anymore and I wouldn't get a copy.  So sad!!  Then I found out that my sister got a copy!  What?!  That so sucks!  Just the other day, I got another email from the same site and I thought I'd just look again, just to make sure.  And there it was.  Oh, man!!  So, I paid for the faster shipping and it came in the mail today.  Scott was totally laughing at me and said that I'd watch it and not think it was as good as I remembered.....WRONG!!  Even Regan and Hali watched it and sighed over the beautiful costumes.  They would have sung along with me, but they don't know the songs yet.  Give it time.

Last Day at Walt Disney World

When I booked our trip, I wanted every possible second there.  So we stayed a day longer than my parents.  And I realized, that the extra day wasn't really necessary.  We were tired and I was ready to go home.  But we did get to make sure that every ride we didn't get on the first time, was hit this time.

We started our day with another character breakfast.  We went to Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary Resort.  Incredible hotel!

 After breakfast, we headed back to Epcot.  We rode Test Track again and then since we didn't do it the first time: Mission Earth. 

 There are two versions of Mission Earth.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this ride.  I had heard it was pretty intense.  And I tend to get claustrophobic, so I was a little unsure.  So, I took Regan, Hali and Porter on the mild version of the ride to see what it was like.  The kids LOVED it!  And I thought, "Piece of cake!"  So, Scott and I went on the more intense version.  Holy Crap!  Big jump from mild to intense.  If I could have raised my hand to stop the ride, I think I would have.  I can't even describe what it was like.  But I don't think I'd go on it again!

After Epcot, we went over to Hollywood Studios.  And got bored, real fast.  Hali wanted to go on the Great Movie Ride again.  ugh.  Just as we were about to get on the ride, Zoey starts doing the potty dance. So, she and I get out of line and tell the rest we'll meet them at the exit.  I guess at the end of the ride, Porter realized he had to go to the bathroom, too.  But he didn't say anything.  Then as the ride is coming to the end, he can't hold it any longer and pees on the seat.  Again, not saying anything.  Scott doesn't notice wet pants until they are almost to us....outside the ride!  OMG!  I really hope that some unsuspecting person didn't sit in my sons pee.  Gross.  Makes you rethink all the times you've sat in water on a ride, doesn't it?  And let me tell you, finding pants for a six year old boy at Hollywood Studios is impossible!  They had underwear, but NO pants!!! I finaly got a pair of extra small mens boxer shorts.  The saleslady had to take a safetly pin that was holding on a tag, off of a shirt, so I could pin the shorts together.  Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I really do love my children.

We took the time to see our first parade of the trip.

 Scott and I went on the Rockin' Roller Coaster.  It was fun, but really threw you around and gave me a headache.

 We saw the Indiana Jone's Stunt Spectacular.  My kids are still taking about this one.  It was pretty cool.

 We had dinner that night at the 50's Prime Time Cafe.  It's like an old 50's sitcom house and the waitress was like our mother.  It was pretty cute and the food was really yummy!

The next day we flew home.  Again, my kids did really well on the plane. Even the drunk ladies across the isle thought so! I think they just may be natural travelers!  Now, I'm ready to go back!