4Ward Thinking

Taking Mom to Disney

2012-01-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

My mom has never been to Disneyland. My sister and I thought it was time. So....we took her. And she had a great time!

My sister Mykel in her lovely poncho. The first day it rained so hard we were soaked, despite the ponchos.

First run down Splash Mountain....in the pouring rain.

Drowned rats!

Our wet feet in the puddles.

This is not a picture of a river....it's the pavement! Did I mention it was pouring?

Just for Peter. :)

Space Mountain with some random guy we picked up. ;)

Mom and Mykel.

Mom....waiting for Mykel to take a survey.

Mom

Screamin! Yep, you can't NOT scream. Mom's favorite ride!

Day 2...sunny....Grizzly rapids...smelly ponchos.

Me and mom on the Grizzly rapids.

Waiting for the 3D Muppets show. Cute!

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil....have a great time dropping from the Tower of Terror!

Bug!

Bugs land bumper cars! She's a crazy driver!

Favorite picture!

Mom in her Bugs Life 3D glasses! She's hilarious!

Gotta have this shot, right?

Last ride down Splash Mountain. Love that ride!

Look Who's One!

2012-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

Daddy's little Jazz fan.

Eating cake! Or playing in it rather.

Opening presents with Great Grandma Arleen. Yay money!!


		Yum!

Layla

2012-01-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

I know...I know....I just can't help myself. I've had a bit of a blogging slump lately, but Layla is always a good filler. :) I can't express just how much I love this little baby. She brings so much joy in to my life.

Craving Cards!!

2011-12-02T11:26:00.001-08:00

I want to introduce you all to a wonderful new website: http://www.cravingcards.com/. It's a site where you can go to find great deals on the things you crave. It's in it's beginning stages, but will soon be full of wonderful things to buy and save on. Need an oil change? Need your carpets cleaned? How about a massage? Unlike other "coupon" sites who send you daily deals that expire in 48 hours or so, with Craving Card you can search for and purchase the things you want, when you want them! And....you can earn rewards! Just by shopping on the site. And if you get other people to sign up, you can earn rewards for that too! Maybe you know someone who owns a local business and you think they might want to advertise their product on Craving Cards and you get them to sign up. Guess what? You earn rewards for that too! Just by doing the things you do every day. Let me be perfectly clear...THIS IS NOT A MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING scheme! You are under no obligation to buy anything, and you are not selling anything. Period. You are just shopping, sharing, and earning mulit-level rewards. There is NO COST to sign up. For more information about that see the Craving Cards blog at http://www.cravingcards.blogspot.com/. You earn rewards with your credit cards don't you? This is the same....only BETTER...because you are not just earning rewards based on the things you buy, but also on the things your friends and family buy! How cool is that?? And....you can pay with your reward earning credit cards! Seriously, you cannot beat this! You can do whatever you want with the rewards you earn, including spending them on more stuff on the site ( which you will get an extra discount for), or requesting a check for your rewards balance.

If you're a vendor there is tremendous potential for you as well. You pay for no advertising until your product is purchased. NO UP FRONT COST! And the cost is significantly less than what you would pay at some of the other coupon sites. You can manage your deals in the way you seem fit and offer them for as long as you want with real time sales reporting. Sign up as an affiliate and get your fellow business owners to join and you can virtually pay for your own advertising! For each business you sign up you receive $75 plus a percentage of the Craving Cards revenue from that business for two years! Anyone can do this...not just vendors by signing up as an affiliate! So if you have friends who own a business, this may be a great opportunity for both of you.

There is also social networking and gift registries by way of "cravings". See something you want on the site and click "crave". Your friends and family can look up your profile, see what you are craving, and buy you the perfect gift for whatever occasion! You can add your picture, post messages to your wall to share a deal, etc.

On a personal note, my husband Peter has been slaving away at this website for over a year now with his partners. We think this has the potential to be really HUGE. It's by invitation only at this point and we are counting on you to spread the word. There is big power in word of mouth. And we are putting our mouths where our money is! Literally! :) It's a WIN WIN scenario for all involved. Thanks for your support!

To sign up please use this link: https://www.cravingcards.com/members/signin/sign-up.aspx?refer=256&key=2wh4uzv7vrw4

Terry

Disneyland 2011

2011-10-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

I say 2011 because YES, we go every year!

Halloween was everywhere.

We went specifically for this! And it was a blast! Tons of candy and short lines at the rides!

Batman and Robin :)

Who's the clown??

Zombie Lindsey was hungry

She tried to eat everything and everone

Even the sad clown.

There was a parade

Complete with Mickey

Jamie was hungry too

Like all the time!

We took pictures with all kinds of characters...

Britt and her friend Amy Jo...with Jack

Our friend Jack Skellington

And Pluto

And Woody

We waited around some...

And some more

And did LOTS of walking

And took photo opportunities

Wherever we saw them

And we screamed!

And at the end of the day....we crashed!!

Disneyland....the most exhausting place on earth! :)

A Girl and her Dog...AKA...Lindsey's Senior Pictures

2011-10-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Photos by Brittany Morrill
I can't decide which one is my favorite. :)

Yay for Color!

2011-09-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

I live in a colorless house, (it's a nice house, don't get me wrong), but it's all ONE color! It's a nice neutral, calming color, but ONE color none the less. I finally got around to painting my kitchen. Picking a color is so hard. How do you know what it's really going to look like? Everyone seems to have a red kitchen or some variation of it. My last kitchen was purple. I love purple. I can't help it. I loved it, but I don't think everyone else shared my excitement. ;) This time I went a little more conservative, even though with such light colored cabinets I probably could have gone with a darker shade if I wanted to. When I told everyone I was going to paint it orange I could see the look of fear in their eyes... thoughts of pumpkins and carrots immediately springing in to their heads. It's not ORANGE orange, it's actually called "teracotta". And...I like it! So nice to have a little color! On to the next room! :)

Six months...

2011-08-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

Rachel and I took Layla to get her picture taken a couple of weeks ago. Here are a few of my favorites. I dunno...I think she's kinda cute. :)

A rare smile (she wasn't too sure about this whole deal).

This might be my favorite.

Pouty Face

Not sure about the crazy photographer

I am actually hiding behind the couch, holding her up (it wasn't easy).

Pretty baby

Yep, I can stand too.

Hi toes!

Okay, I've had enough of this!

How do you get rid of an unwanted Pet?

2011-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Pets...Pests....Same letters. Hmmmm.

In my house we have several pets.

There's the dog. Fonzie. AKA The Fonz.

And Ginger, the cat, appropriately named, who thinks she's human.

Chuck the cat, a girl, not a boy, also known as Scaredy Cat

And her sister (we think), Francis, a tortoise shell cat who's afraid of nothing.

And this guy...an actual tortoise, as of yet unnamed.

These are all fine pets. We get along swimmingly. They do their thing, we do ours, just one big happy family.

There's another pet that lives in our house though. And I don't care for this one much at all. This pet's name is PEEVE. I wish we could put Peeve on KSL...."free to good home". I doubt anyone would want Peeve though. Peeve's not much fun to play with, and rather messy.

Peeve always leaves the dish cloth in the sink, and then dumps food and yucky stuff all over it until it gets nice and stinky. Gross!

Peeve never puts the dishes in the dishwasher either. In the sink, near the dishwasher, but not IN the dishwasher. Even when it's wide open screaming "feed me!!".

Peave leaves the drawers and door open all the time. It's amazing I haven't killed myself on one....yet. It's inevitable I fear.

And when the garbage can is full, Peeve just keeps piling more stuff on top until it spills over. I guess Peeve figures someone else will take it out?

Don't even get me started about the gum wrappers Peeve leave in the pantry. (*sigh*) (Shockingly, there weren't any when I wanted to take a picture. LOL)

So how do you get rid of an uwanted pet? Is there such thing as a pet Peeve exterminator? Now there's an idea. How much would you be willing to pay for such a service? I might be on to something lucrative here. :)

The Wedding

2011-07-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

I'm still learning, but here are a few of my favorite photos I took at my niece Jenni's wedding last month. In no particular order. :)

Out in the courtyard

The cake

A couple of cute boys

A cute niece

More cake

The reception was in a flower garden.

The bride and groom, and her mom (my sister).

Just the cutest baby ever. I'm pretty sure that's a halo

Lindsey tugging on her cousin Chris' rat tail.

Beautiful Lindsey

The brides paternal grand parents

Whoa! How did that get in there??

Chocolate covered niece

Bear Lake

2011-07-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after Britt got home, we went to Bear Lake as a family and stayed in my brother's cabin. (thanks Kelly!) It was nice to finally have the whole family together. We rented a boat on Saturday and a couple of wave runners on Monday. The water was FREEZING. But, we managed to work around it and had a blast anyway.

Enjoying (curios about) a carrot.

Sleeping on Daddy's lap. Only a baby could sleep on a boat.

Corey relaxing in the hammock.

Sleepy Britt.

Sleepy Fonzie!

Chilin with mom in the hot tub.

Jamie entertaining the baby.

BLBLBLBLBLBL

Peter...(remember how your mom would tell you if you kept pulling that face it would stick?) It did!

Robin and Jamie

And she's home!

2011-07-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've been a little behind in my blogging. It's been a busy few weeks. Here is the first reason why: (click on any picture to make it bigger)

Waiting patiently at the airport

Lindsey...still waiting.

We see her!! She sees the sign :)

There were 4 Elders with her...

Hurrah!

Hurrah some more!

I got her first :)

Shock and tears...

Hugging her sister Rachel....more tears.

Grandma Georgia and Rachel

Dad and Grandma Arleen

Grandpa Morrill

Meeting Layla for the first time :)

Lindsey! AKA Slime

Best friend hug! Alisa...AKA Lars

Feeling overwhelmed

More tears...shock...

Cutest baby ever...I'm just sayin.

New home, welcome home sign...all new and strange for Britt.

A climactic end to nearly 19 months. We are so happy to have her home. There are some people who were obviously missing from the airport. Corey had school so he couldn't make it (came a couple days later) and Robin and Jamie were in Canada. But all in all, it was such a great day! This girl is one of my hero's. It was a very brave thing she did and she has grown in leaps and bounds. I'm sure it's a let down for her to have to come back to real life and get on with school and the future. But she will always have those 19 months to look back on with many new friends who will feel her influence for a life time. Well done Britt! We love you tons!!!

Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

The girls were away in Canada, so I surprised him with this picture. :)

Card from the girls.

What??

Happy Father's Day to the best dad and husband!

My Harry Potter Obsession

2011-06-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. It all ends July 15th. I have mixed emotions! I am so looking forward to this movie and have been for months. But, when it's over, then what? The whole series will have come to an end and I will not have anything to look forward to. Booo. I read these books with Lindsey when she was little (not that she's so big now ;)). We would take turns reading and couldn't wait to read some more the next day. She thinks I need to take her to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida next year. I'd love to! Seriously, what little kid has not wished he were magic? And live in a castle as cool as Hogwarts?? And fly on a broom? Come on, you know you want to.

The Graduate

2011-06-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Look who's a high school graduate! Congratulations Robbi! We are very proud of all your hard work. Now what? The world is your oyster! (Why do people say that??)

Sorry about the ghostly white robes!

Forgive Me....

2011-05-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

I just cannot help myself. :) I love this baby.

Melee at Mc Donalds

2011-04-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I had a hankering for an Egg McMuffin. So, I stopped at the McDonalds across the street from my office. There are two drive-up lanes, and both lanes had long lines. Just as I finally got up to place my order, a woman in a Hummer decided she needed to cut in front of me. At first I didn’t realize what she was trying to do, so I just pulled forward some more, as did she. Then it became very clear she was going to get in front of me whether I liked it or not. I tried to show her that she needed to get in the back of the line, but she started flailing her arms at me and yelling behind her rolled up window. I decided it wasn’t worth the fight and let her in. I thought that was the end of it, but no, the lady BEHIND me in her BMW didn’t like this at all. She honked her horn at Hummer lady and started pointing to the back of the line too. Hummer lady didn’t like that. Then BMW lady rolled down her window, as did Hummer lady. Here I am sandwiched between the two of them in my little car as they start yelling at each other. Then Hummer lady calls BMW lady “white trash”! Oh my! Where did that come from?? Please ladies…I just want an egg mcmuffin! It’s not going to kill anyone if Hummer lady thinks she needs one before the rest of us. Let’s just all get along and keep moving. Is it really worth all this? What would Jesus do?? J “I’m Lovin It”.

Easter Peeps!

2011-04-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise when I opened the back door yesterday morning to see why the dog had not come back in yet and saw him trying to herd a mother duck and her babies! Just in time for Easter....real life little peeps! I counted at least 11 of them. Why the dog didn't kill them all I don't know, but I am extremely grateful! Poor mama duck got them stuck in the back yard and when I tried to herd them towards the gate where they had obviously come in, she panicked and some of the babies went through the chain linked fence, but she was too big! Fortunately, they figured out how to get back through and to their mama. After I took some pictures I went back in the house hoping they would figure out how to get back out and eventually she did. I haven't seen them since, but I sure wonder how they ever survive! If she had wandered in to my neighbors back yard I don't think their dog would have resisted the feast! It was a lucky day. Cute little peeps! I hope they make it!

Blessing Day

2011-04-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Rachel, Colby and Layla

Daddy's Little Girl

Rachel and Layla

Princess Layla herself

Cutest thing ever!

Cute mom Rachel

Grandma Arleen and Aunt Staci

Aunt Debbie and Uncle Val

Grandpa Heaps, Nate and Val Heaps

Cousin Eric Severson

Lindsey Bunny Ears, Richard and Chris (blurry) Severson

Jenni Severson

Happy Grandma Me :)

Aunt Lindsey and Layla

Richard, Mykel, Jenni, Eric and Chris

Grandma Heaps

Hollie, Val, and Rachel. Sister's-in-Law :)

Great Grandpa Clark Morrill

Aunt Debbie

Silly silly Lindsey

Great Grandma Atkinson

More Princess Layla

Chillin with Grandpa Peter

Families are the greatest!

(Clicking on any picture will make it bigger)

Spring in Utah Part II

2011-04-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a balmy 75 degrees. Cloudy, foreboding skies, but 75 degrees. It started to rain in the late evening. Here is what we got this morning:

A good 6 inches! Oh Mother Nature....you can be so cruel!

Spring in Utah

2011-03-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

View to my right:

View to my left:

Same time....180 degree shots. Only in Utah? Sun and snow at the same time. Crazy spring weather! .

New Hobby

2011-03-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Peter has a great camera. It's a Nikon digital SLR. Pretty high tech stuff. Unfortunately, no one really knows how to use it outside "point and shoot" mode, or automatic. So I decided to take a five week digital photography class. The great thing about digital is you can just delete any unwanted pictures and not waste any film. Technology is wonderful! Obviously I still have a lot to learn, but it should be fun, and I have such a cute little guinea pig to practice on! :)

Peter takes the Gold!

2011-03-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Peter loves to play racquetball and he's very good at it. He plays with the guys at work every Tuesday and Thursday and no one can beat him. Occasionaly this one guy, Marcus, can give him a run for his money and even take a game or two from him if Peter's having a bad day, but not usually. I've never met Marcus but Peter told me he's a really big guy. Saturday, Peter and Marcus represented Disney in racquetball at the Salt Lake Corporate games. They won the gold medal. (The first ever gold medal for Disney in the corporate games.) He sent me this picture. I thought he might have been exaggerating about the size of Marcus.

Okay, maybe not. :)

Watch out America!

2011-03-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

She's beautiful....she's smart....she's funny....and she can now vote! She's 18!!!
http://www.rosswalker.co.uk/movie_sounds/sounds_files_20100522_76672091/psycho/music.wav

Generations

2011-02-20T17:43:00.000-08:00

Four generations of amazing women. :)
Three are truly amazing, and I am just amazed I get to have them in my life.
My beautiful mother, Georgia, Me, Rachel, and little miss Layla Georgia Heaps.

My 17 year old baby...

2011-02-15T17:44:00.000-08:00

How did this happen? How did my beautiful little baby turn in to

my beautiful little 17 year old daughter in such a short time?

My mom still calls me her baby. I like that. It makes me feel young. :) Lindsey will always be my baby, no matter how old she gets. Everyone has a story....and here is hers:

In 1993 we were living on Lakenheath AFB in England. We had three beautiful, healthy, happy kids and all was right with the world. We were content with what we had and really not wanting any more children. One Sunday as I sat alone with the kids in church, (their dad was working), I had the most over-powering feeling I needed to have another baby. Whatever. I quickly reminded myself of all the reasons why I didn't want to have another baby: sleep deprivation, ear infections, diapers and diaper rashes, strollers, formula, etc., etc. The Spirit whispered to me "those are all very selfish reasons". Says who?? I tried to push the thought out of my head, but then I had an even more powerful prompting...I could practically see myself holding this baby in my arms. It was so strong, I couldn't deny it. I tried though. I tried hard. All through church, and all through the rest of the day. The annoying feeling would not leaving me alone. Why is this happening, I thought?? Mike would not be home before I went to bed. I so wanted to tell him what I was feeling. I didn't think he would like it. We had agreed we were done! Corey was 3, we were done with the hard stuff. (Hah!) I knelt down to say my prayers. I told God, not asked, if He really wanted me to do this I needed him to "inspire" Mike with the same feelings. Oh, and I wanted to know right now! I was pretty bossy.

Next day: Mike and I are sitting outside playing with the kids. Corey crawls up on his lap and Mike gets this funny look on his face. "What's wrong"?, I say. "Oh, nothing", says he. "It's just that I had a funny dream last night". "Tell me about this dream", I say. "Well, he says...I dreamed we had another baby". Hmmmm, I think to myself. A dream is not what I was looking for. This doesn't count. "So, what did you think about this dream"?, I say. "Oh, I was like no way!" he says. Whew! I think. "We're happy with what we got. Who wants to start over with all that?" "I agree", say I. Then I proceed to tell him about my experience the day before and what I prayed for. He agrees that a dream is not what I meant and it didn't count. We go on with our day.

Bed time. Mike picks this moment to tell me...."I didn't really have a dream". "What????" I say! "Well, I came home late from work and couldn't get to sleep. All I could think about was having another baby and wondering what you would think about that and thinking I might just like to have another one", he says.

Morrill of the story?? (I know, I'm so punny). Be careful what you pray for. You might just get it! :) Nine months later to be exact. Can I tell you how happy I am that I did?? I can't even imagine life without Lindsey in it. She has brought so much love and joy in to our lives and I know she really must have wanted to come to this family. She must have been nuts! :)

Fun Things

2011-02-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

Look at this fun thing I found back in the fall at the Swiss Days Festival in Midway. It's hard to tell, but it's about 3 feet tall by 2 feet wide and holds 24 pictures which you can swap out very easily any time you feel like it. They just slide in and out. It's fun to update it with the latest and greatest, or even swap them out for old family pictures for a blast of nostalgia. Perhaps that's what I'll do next. As you can see, right now it holds some of my favorites...of my favorite people. :) (Click on it to make it bigger.)

And of course, I will probably never be able to do a post again without a new picture of my favorite little grand daughter.

More Layla :)

2011-02-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Pictures courtesy of Rachel's friend Becky Doman. Check out her work at http://beckyphotoblog.blogspot.com/

Cutest Baby Ever!

2011-01-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

Layla Georgia Heaps was born in the very early hours of Saturday morning, 2:07am January 22, 2011, weighing in at 6lbs 1oz, 20 inches long. She is the most adorable thing I have ever seen. I may be just a little biased though. Just sayin. :)

Rachel's doctor was a little concerned on her last visit that the baby was measuring pretty small for 38 weeks, so she scheduled another ultrasound for Friday afternoon. I asked if I could tag along. We weren't prepared to be told she needed to be born, asap. It was not an emergency or anything, the doctors were just a little concerned about the possibility the placenta was not functioning 100% (thus the small size) and didn't want to risk it failing all together. So they sent her downstairs to labor and delivery and wouldn't even let her go home to pack a bag. A little shocking, but exciting too. It was time.

Her ultrasound was at 2:30pm, and by 5pm they had her all hooked up and started inducing. We figured we were in for a long night...maybe even a long day the next day, but she progressed right a long and Layla was here by just after 2am. It really went quite smoothly. I was so happy and relieved for her!

Rachel's cousin Marcie was on shift when we walked in to labor and delivery. Cute coincidence!

This was her first picture. She was about an hour old. So tiny, her little face is not even as big as my fist.

I just can't get enough of her. Seriously. She is just so stinkin cute!

Aunt Lindsey. Has a nice ring to it. I have to fight her for holding privileges. She kinda likes her.

Puts her tiny-ness in to perspective. That binky is bigger than her face!

I can't tell you how many people have told me being a grandma is the best thing in the world. They weren't lying. I just feel so incredibly happy and blessed! My mom was there the day after and it was so cool to have four generations in the room. It must be awe inspiring to her as well. This is her first great grand child.

Rachel is going to be a great mommy. And, I feel privileged to be her mother. Way to go Rach!

Oh Baby!

2011-01-08T17:53:00.001-08:00

I am not the least bit excited about being a grandma ;)

Grandma Arleen behind The Booty

Jenny and Hendrix, Staci Jo with baby Rusty, Marci and Traci with their mom behind them. Cute sisters. :)

Grandma Georgia must be telling Staci one heck of a story!

Susie, Rachel, Julie, Jodi, Hendrix - Present opening time!

Cute stuff!

Hendrix found a ball, and had one too! He loved finding all the pictures of Mickey Mouse in our house and learned how to say "Peter".

It was so good to see these three cute sisters! It's been way too long. Katie, Kelsey, Hollie and baby Kaiden who belongs to Kelsey. Cute family!

Julie, Staci, Debbie, Grandma Georgia and Kira.

More cute stuff!

Thanks to everyone who came! Rachel is going to be such a great mom, and I can't wait to see my baby grand daughter. A new wonderful chapter and adventure in life. :) She is due in just under 4 weeks and she's only gained 10lbs! Most people hate her for this. LOL

December Catch Up

2011-01-02T18:14:00.001-08:00

I have fallen behind in my blogging, easy to do in a busy December, especially when you spend the week before Christmas in Southern California! :)

Robin praying for us to have a good trip?

We started the week off on the Hollywood walk of fame and happened to be there the night of the Tron premier. :)

Yes...this is Jeff Bridges! Real and in person....even if he was clear across the street. :)

Peter with his favorite Star Trek Commander

The next day was off to Universal Studios

The girls with the crew from The Right Stuff

Robin thinking seriously about getting this hat.

Jamie outside the very creepy haunted house.

Jamie and Lindsey after catching Jaws.

Waiting to go in to some 3-D show...can't remember which one....

Lindsey showing she really is taller than 48". :)

The Girls with Bart!

The Mouse! Ferris Wheel at California Adventure

Getting ready for the parade

Me and Lindsey looking thrilled to be saving seats for the parade.

This is what Robin and Jamie were doing while me and Lindsey were saving seats.

California Adventure

Main street all decked out for Christmas.

The Haunted Mansion all decked out for a Jack Skellington Christmas.

Minnie at dinner in Goofy's kitchen.

Lindsey in front of Tower of Terror....which she would NOT go on. Something about zero gravity not agreeing with her.

Me and Lindsey in some random shot.

Peter using Jamie's head as a "headpod".

After the drop on Splash Mountain. Lindsey opted out of this one.

Jack Skellington welcoming guests to the Haunted Mansion.

Robin and Jamie enjoying a long awaited corn dog. Yuck!

Peter enjoying his long awaited mustard...accompanied by a corn dog. Gross!

Cinderella's castle lit up at night for Christmas. Awesome!

Last day, turned cold and wet, waiting in line for the Aladdin show. Brrr! Lindsey will be thrilled I posted this picture! LOL

Last night of our trip....in Vegas. Lindsey looking a little concerned about Sponge Bob.

Peter, not looking at all concerned, with his best friend and mentor, Spongey.

We had a great trip and except for the very last day as we were leaving, enjoyed some much needed beautiful weather. Until next year Mickey!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is what our house looked like Sunday morning. It was beautiful, and made me very thankful I was able to enjoy it INSIDE in the comfort of my warm home. I wonder how many people did not have that luxury during this storm? Being the week of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for so many things:

My sweet husband. He does so much for our family. He lives with 3 hormonal teenage girls and a pre-menopausal wife, and yet he still manages to keep his sense of humor and positive attitude. How is that not amazing?

His parents. They call every week and take such an interest in our family even though they are far away. They raised such wonderful children and are a great example to all of us lucky enough to be in their family.

My mom. She is such an example of strength. Physically she is so strong I think she forgets sometimes she is 71. You would never know it. I think she can probably still lift as much as me. However, she is also an example of emotional and spiritual strength. She has been through some tough things in her life, but she just keeps going and stays positive. I really sdmire that.

Our kids. They bring so much joy and happiness in to our lives. Seriously, what would we ever do without them? Each one brings a different personality and contribution to our family and they are a great combination of humor, drama, intelligence, and wisdom. I love each one of them and wouldn't have them any other way.

All the wonderful people in my life who love me and care about me. Brothers, sisters, in-laws, ex-laws, friends, co-workers, neighbors, you name it. I am truly blessed.

Material blessings. A comfortable home, a great job, a car that works, health insurance to cover the cost of my aging, falling apart, body....you know what I'm talking about.

Technology. Seriously. A hundred years ago either me or Rachel, or possibly both of us, likely would have died during her birth. 24 years ago when we lived in Okinawa we had no email, no Skype, no cheap long distance phone calls. We only heard from our family via the U.S. post office. How crazy is that? But now....when Britt opened her mission call, even though Corey was away at college, he was right there on her lap top watching her open it with the rest of us. How COOL is that?? Yep...gotta love technology!

My testimony of the gospel. I have known from a very young age, before I really even knew much about the church or anything else, that God existed. No one taught me that, I just knew. I wanted to be good for Him, and I felt bad when I did something I knew wasn't right. I still feel that way. I know in my heart that God lives and that His son, Jesus Christ is my Savior. They say "knowledge is power". How powerful is that little piece of knowledge??

Well, that is the short list. I could write a much longer, more detailed one, but I'll keep that one in my mind and my heart.

The Tale of the Wrong Way Aviator

2010-11-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

In 1990 we were renting a cute little house in a small village in Germany called Steinbach. The heat in our house was provided by radiators fueled by coal oil from a huge tank in the garage. We were on a pretty tight budget and it had cost us $1200 to fill the oil tank. It was supposed to last at least a year. Corey was scheduled to be delivered by C-section on the 15th of November. On the 10th our heat went out, and it was freezing! We thought we were out of fuel (the tank sounded empty) and it had only been 3 months! We didn't have another $1200 to fill up the tank and being full of pregnancy hormones and worry I cried myself to sleep. I awoke at about 2am having painful contractions and knew he wasn't waiting for the 15th. He probably wanted to get out of there to cheer me up. :) We called my good friend Beth to come watch the girls and headed off to the hospital in Kircheim Bolanden about 20 minutes away.

We still didn't know what we were going to name this child, and although we didn't know the sex, we were pretty sure it was a boy. When you're in the military stationed overseas the only English speaking station you get on television is AFN (Armed Forces Network). It doesn't have regular commercials, mainly just informational tidbits. I had been carrying this baby very high. As I was laying on the table and we were still trying to decide on a name, my husand remarked that it was like the baby was trying to come out the wrong way. Instantly we were both reminded of one of those little info tid bits from television about "wrong way Corrigan". He was an American aviator who in 1938 set off from New York city headed to Long Beach, CA. He ended up in Ireland! Thus the nickname, "wrong way Corrigan". Corey! We loved the name instantly, even though we still didn't even know if we were having a boy. And of course when he came out just a few minutes later, we loved him instantly. He was so wide awake. They brought him over to me and laid him on my chest and he just stared at me. It was so amazing. :) He was the best birthday present a mother could ever ask for!

We got to spend a nice warm week in the hospital while daddy figured out the heating issue at home. Thankfully, we were not out of fuel, and the landlord was able to fix it in time for us to come home. All's well that ends well...and boy did it end well! Happy Birthday Corey! I love you!

Brrrrrrr!

2010-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

What a difference a few days makes. This is how the valley looked Saturday when I went for a walk. Beautiful fall colors, snow capped mountains. It was beautiful.

This is how it looked this morning!

Oh winter. I'm so not ready for you.

Fall is in the Air

2010-10-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

The sun, lower in the sky, rises later, sets earlier, shortening the day

The air, crisp with the first smells of burning logs in the fireplace

brings the sound of recess, football, crunching leaves

Red hot fire blazes everywhere

Shadows creep, hinting at the beginnig of the end of another year.

What happened to September?

2010-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, an entire month went by with no post. It's amazing how quickly that can happen. But there really hasn't been much to blog about. School started, the weather was unbelievably warm for this time of year, and we didn't really do much to enjoy it. Unfortunately the 2nd of September I hurt myself moving some furniture and was in pain most of the month. It didn't really hurt when I did it, but the next day my left shoulder was really sore. It just kind of felt like I had slept funny and I though for sure it would go away. But, as the days went by, the pain was shooting down my left arm and I was having tingling, numbing, and muscle spasms. I Googled it of course. I looked up pulled muscles and pinched nerves. It could have been either one judging by my symptoms, and the treatment for both was ice/heat and anti-inflammatory's like ibuprofen and naproxen. So, I did all that. It got a little better for a couple of days, then came back with a vengeance! It was non-stop 24/7 pain. I couldn't sleep, couldn't find a comfortable position. I went for a "trigger point" massage. That didn't help. I just knew if I went to the Dr., like always, they would just say "heat/ice, rest and ibuprofen". Finally I couldn't stand it any longer so I went to the doctor last Monday. I fell apart. She understood that I really was in pain. She told me right off that she didn't think it was my shoulder at all, but more likely a herniated disk in my neck and it was pressing on the nerves causing the pain, numbness, tingling, spasms, etc. She started me on prednisone and muscle relaxants and sent me for an MRI. Sure enough, I have two bulging disks in my neck. One that has been there for a long time, and this newly acquired one which is causing the most significant amount of pain. She sent me to see her husband who is a spine specialist. He told me he would try everything he could, shots, physical therapy, etc., but that surgery is most likely in my future. He hooked me up with an epidural shot of some steroids last Friday. The pain has graciously subsided, but I still have the problems in my arm. I am doing some exercises the physical therapist gave me to help with that. I will most likely need another shot in a week. It's supposed to help in the healing process. I know at least 4 different people who have had the surgery and they say it has fixed them 100%. That's good to know, but I was so hoping to get through 2010 without another surgery. Is this what happens when you get older? What will 2011 hold? I still have my appendix....

Cooking Class

2010-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Tinga (basically a Tostada with a really tasty chicken concoction)

The past few weeks Rachel and I have been taking a Mexican cooking class. We love Mexican food in our house! :) Our teacher, Sandra, is from Mexico City and has a beautiful and heavy spanish accent. To her, everything we make is so "jummy jummy". Cute! Yesterday she was teaching us how to make a new dish and I asked her to spell it for us. She started out "A, L, A, M, "V as in Baby"... I swear that is what we all heard. She is so sweet. The first week she taught us how to make several different kinds of salsa. They eat salsa with everything, and you can mix some of them together, or with guacamole, for even more variety. The next week we did appetizers and made a couple of things I have definitely never heard of. I forgot to take pictures. Last night we made entrees. I will post pictures, but right now Blogger seems to be having issues with that. The class has been really fun and I have enjoyed spending time with my Rachel. It is taught at my alma mater, Cottonwood High, and it's been interesting spending time there. The place hasn't changed much since I went there 30, yes 30, years ago. In fact, a couple of my teachers are still there! Crazy. It seems like it was just yesterday. Anyway, we have one class left, desserts! The only Mexican dessert I know is flan, which is what we'll be making. To be honest, I am usually too full after eating Mexican food to ever order dessert. :)

Cute Sandra, our instructor.

Alambras

Enchiladas

Back of Rachel..LOL

Jet Boat Ride

2010-08-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from the jet boat ride we took last month at Niagra Falls. Pictured are Peter's mom and dad, cousins Tyler and Shannon, me, Peter, Robin, Jamie and Lindsey.

Funny story. As we were waiting to get on the boat, there was a group of Asian tourists with us. There were three bleachers full of these dark haired yellowish skinned people, and sitting right in the middle of them was our fair skinned light haired little group looking very out of place. That would have been a great picture, but none of us had our camera since we were told we would get soaked. There were several people in the tourist group who pulled out these little ponchos, more like oversized plastic bags with hoods. The girl who gave us the orientation showed us her raincoat, a long, thick, heavy duty jub, and told us that even with that on she would get completely soaked. The Asian tourists either didn't speak English, or didn't believe her, as several of them donned their funny looking ponchos complete with their hats on top! It was great fun to watch as their boat was nearly submerged in the rushing rapid and they were all drenched accordingly. Not a trip to take if you don't want to get wet. It was so hot, and the boat went so fast on the way back, we were nearly dry by the time we docked. It was great fun!

F is for ...

2010-08-18T07:36:00.001-07:00

My life is filled with so many fantastic F words. Like these for instance:

Family

Feasts

Footsies

Fire Pit

Firstborns

Flowers on my Hibiscus Shrubs

The Fonz

Freshmen

Fresh Fruit

Fun!

Fluid Filling Felines

Favorite rooms

Furry Friends

Funny Faces

Fabulous Sunsets

and Finally.....a home to call our own. :)

Life is Fantastic!

Niagra

2010-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the Canadian side of the falls. The American side is much less impressive. The boat is called the Maid of the Mist. It takes you up close and personal and you are showered with mist. We didn't take that ride as we were going on a much more exciting one later (more on that in another post).

Lindsey getting "misted".

A view from close up. It was amazing to me there were no barriers in place to keep a person from jumping right over. I've been to the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State building where they make it impossible for a person to fall or jump off. Not so here. I thought it was very dangerous.

The little people in the yellow rain coats are going behind the falls. We didn't do that either, but I bet it's awesome. I've seen pictures and movies of Niagra Falls, but it's still really cool to see it in person. Check that one off my bucket list. :)

A Few Canada Pics

2010-07-29T20:52:00.001-07:00

Pictures courtesy of Robin. Will post more when we get them from everyone else. (Click on them to see them bigger.)

Peter's family, chillin in his sister's beautiful backyard. Green eh?

Lindsey, Robin, and Jamie with their cousins Shannon and Tyler at the Grotto.

Cousin Shannon, Jamie and Lindsey at the Lakeshore

O Canada

2010-07-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

I just spent the past 10 days in Canada. Pictures to come. Things I loved:

Meeting the rest of Peter's family. (They are totally awesome, eh?)
Niagra Falls. You see pictures, even video, but it's nothing compared to seeing it in person. No crazy people going over in a barrel though, darn, would've liked to see that.
Hiking to the Grotto at Tobermory and going for a swim in the refreshing lake.
How beautiful and green it is there. It reminds me of jolly old England.
Peter's dad making me breakfast. Dang he's a good cook. His tenderloin was awesome too. :)
Lindsey beating Tyler at pool. Hahahahaha!
Peter's family. Did I say that already eh? Guess I did.
Coming home with the habit of saying "eh".
Being silly with the girls on the long trip home.
Seeing Peter in his element. He's just a happy little guy.

Things I didn't really care for:

Long layovers in Dallas. I'm becoming way too familiar with that airport.
Humidity
Mosquitos (due to the humidity)
Saying goodbye to family. That's the worst! :( Such fun to be together, so sad to be so far away.

However....visitors welcome, anytime. :) Thanks for your hospitality! Love you guys!!

Two Silly Girls and a loooong layover

2010-07-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you have too much time on your hands while waiting for a connecting flight in Dallas.

Such is My Life ...

2010-07-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

Or....My Life in Boxes...

Everyone should move once a year. It's a great way to get rid of junk, build muscles, make new friends, break up the monotony, find things you forgot you had, brush up on your cleaning skills, get reorganized, keep your accounts updated, and keep everyone guessing (a.k.a. thinking you're crazy). However, it's NOT a good way to preserve your nice furniture, your pocket book, or your un-bruised body. Perhaps it's not such a great idea afer all. Perhaps I am done moving. After all I have done it more times than I can count. I think I shall stay a while. Maybe until they haul away my cold dead body.

Oh How I Love That Man Of Mine :)

2010-06-20T18:54:00.000-07:00

You can tell a lot about a guy by the way he loves his kids. It's very evident this man loves his girls. He would be lost without them. He is a great daddy, and a great husband. Happy Father's Day Peter!

Major Owies

2010-06-20T18:42:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you trip on your baggy sweat pants and fall down the stairs:

Broken left wrist, hairline fracture in the right wrist, and we're not really sure what's up with the elbow. They originally wanted to put some screws in it, but then decided it wasn't necessary. It looks pretty nasty, regardless! They think she hyper-extended it so the bone is okay, but she tore up her ligaments. Not a fun beginning to summer. She's taking it pretty well though. What a trooper. We're just grateful she didn't break something else!

Before and After

2010-05-30T17:54:00.001-07:00

The Fonz

A face only a mother could love

An hour later: He has eyes!

The big picture

Yep, same miserable expression, must be the same dog. :)

Momness

2010-05-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

I've had some pretty incredible blessings in my life and been able to accomplish some amazing things. Amazing to/for me anyway. But, the most amazing and fulfilling thing I have ever done is this:

And this:

And...(I am on the phone with) this:

The cute girl, not the rooster.

And I come from pretty good stock: :)

My Beautiful Mother

My Sister Mykel, Mom, Me

Three Generations (Jenni, Mykel, Mom, Me and Lindsey)
Will there be a fourth generation next year?? :)

Someone really should have told me my hair was sticking up like that.

Day before Mother's Day Ritual

2010-05-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

The day before Mother's Day is the Susan G. Komen "Race for the Cure". This has become a yearly ritual for our family. Every year more and more people turn out (17K this year)and it gets harder to run without tripping over someone. It's amazing how many people have been affected by this terrible disease (breast cancer). Here are some pictures from our experience this year. (Peter was there, but behind the camera.)

Jamie and her friend Stevie on the way to the starting line.

It's a little chilly first thing in the morning....walking to the starting line. Robin looks psyched :)

Me, running....very slowly...but running. I don't do running. This is the ONE time a year I run a 5K. My knees don't allow anything more.

Kira, Robin, and Lindsey after the race.

Nice hats!

The Graduate

2010-05-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Colby graduated from Utah Valley University on Friday with a degree in Business Management. Finally finished, what a relief! Way to go Colby!

The Zoo Zoo Zoo

2010-05-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

Peter's mom, Audrey, has been in town the past 10 days for a visit. Unfortunately we have not provided the nicest weather, but one of the days when it was warm we went to the zoo. I have not been there for several years. Where are all the animals?? No zebras (they died), no polar bears or bears of any kind, (moved to Oregon during renovation), no sea lions or seals, no lions! What kind of zoo has no lions?? All in all it was very disappointing. But, at least it was fun to spend time together and enjoy a nice day before the snow returned.

I got nothing...

2010-04-19T07:46:00.001-07:00

I hear from time to time where people get "bloggers block" and go for weeks without posting. I'm afraid it's my turn. Life has been somewhat uneventful of late, which I am not altogether ungrateful for, but it doesn't provide much material for blogging.

We are STILL trying to buy our house. It's going on 16 months now since we first made an offer. That has created quite a bit of stress. Yes, I know what you're thinking "give it up and find something else". Believe me, we have looked! And looked! And LOOKED! But there is something about this house that won't let us give up, and we haven't found anything we have liked even remotely as much. So, while this weekend was absolutely beautiful and lawn mowers and weed whackers were out in full force, I am still not able to do anything with my yard (or lack therof), or plant flowers, or any of those fun springtime activities. Boo hoo for me right? What person in their right mind would wish to be able to mow the lawn or pull weeds? Sadly, me. I love to work outside. I'd rather be out working in the yard than inside doing housework ANY time. But, it's not a total loss. I was able to skate and go for a bike ride instead! You who know me best know how much I love to rollerblade. Hurrah! Draper has jogging/bike trails winding throughout the city and it's great for skating. I felt like I was back in my element. And when I got home all hot and sweaty, boy was I grateful I didn't have to go out and mow the lawn! :)

Sometimes Life Just Isn't Fair

2010-03-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

My heart is breaking for a dear friend today. From November of 1986 to October of 1989 I lived in Okinawa, Japan. One of my best friends there was Nancy Cyr. Her youngest daughter Denise was the same age as Rachel and they were best buddies. Nancy lives in St. George now and this is the story of her two sweet little grand kids. I share this story, not to make you sad or depressed, but hopefully to help you appreciate the blessings you have in your life. Hug your kids today, and your grandkids. Cherish every moment. Please read their story.

http://dylanandrileyslack.blogspot.com/

Dylan passed away Friday night at Primary Children's Hospital.

Above and beyond the call of duty!

2010-03-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't see the blog I keep for Britt, this is a great story. http://hermanamorrill.blogspot.com/

And, on the not so light side, here is one from her best friend who is serving in Chile:http://sisteralisajones.blogspot.com/

I am so glad she is okay and her family was able to talk to her. What a scary few days!

A day late, but not forgotten

2010-02-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Robin!

I'm really not sure why she is standing on the couch, or what this is all about actually, but it was on the camera so I couldn't resist! One cute 17 year old kid. :)

Sweet Sixteen!

2010-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

My baby is 16 today! As much as I didn't want her to grow up, she did it anyway. I know it's dark, but this is her with her new little Honda Civic. I'll post more pictures in the daylight, but she just brought it home and is so excited I had to take a "now" picture, dark or not. I have to admit I am anxious about letting her out on the roads all by herself. It just doesn't seem possible. I love this girl and she will always be my baby. I feel incredibly lucky to be her mom. :) Love you Lindsey!

Valentines Day

2010-02-14T19:23:00.001-08:00

This one's a little too personal for sharing, but a good end to 14 wonderful days. :) I hope he enjoyed the past two weeks as much as I have.

Pizza Day

2010-02-14T19:21:00.001-08:00

13 Pepperoni's in the shape of a heart.

12 Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2010-02-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

He really tried to ruin this day. I had sent him a dozen strawberries to his office with a note to meet me at the Little America Hotel instead of going home. Well, he decided he was going to call in sick Friday! I had to convince him that he really needed to go to work. I had dinner and and an over-nighter planned for us. Fortunately, he didn't argue too much and went to work and everything turned out great. It was a nice relaxing evening with a great dinner, relaxing hot tub and sleep in.

11 Ways to say I Love You

2010-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

11 Hearts with "I love you" written 11 different languages.

10 Things I Love About You :)

2010-02-10T16:47:00.001-08:00

9 Silly people in our family

2010-02-09T13:40:00.001-08:00

Click on the picture to read the captions. They are all quotes from Spongebob, Peter's hero.

8 Slices of his favorite pie

2010-02-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

Kahlua Cream from Marie Callenders - it's a shame I had to help him eat it. ;) An eighth size portion of this pie is ridiculously impossible to eat. It's very rich.

On another note, I got to talk to Brittany on the phone yesterday! She had a 3hr layover in the Dallas airport so they let her call. It was so good to hear her voice. She has grown so much since she's been in the MTC. She is very excited to get to Texas and start working. She sent me an email last night from the mission office to let me know she arrived safely. She said when she got off the plane there "were Mexicans everywhere, and mariachi music" and she almost cried. She said she knows she is going to love it there. She is a funny kid. She is going straightway to Laredo, which is a little further NW, but also just a few miles from the border.

7 conspicously placed love notes

2010-02-07T09:33:00.001-08:00

6 Item Breakfast

2010-02-07T09:32:00.001-08:00

Five Finger Massage

2010-02-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

You are the one 4 me! :)

2010-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Three bags of a favorite treat

2010-02-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

Two Die For

2010-02-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

This one is a little hard to see, but it's a pair of "Lover's Dice", and NO they are not naughty! Get your mind out of the gutter.

14 Days of Valentines

2010-02-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

Day One: I am one Lucky Girl!

I owe this idea to a friend, and she knows who she is. (Thanks K!) Fourteen days and fourteen ways to show your husband just how much he really means to you. They don't have to be expensive or elaborate, just simple ways to show you care. For day one I printed off a picture of us on our wedding day and slipped it in to his car with a card telling him what a lucky girl I am. (I really am.) Thirteen more days to go, and I am looking forward to each one. Feel free to use my idea (which I borrowed) and let the love fest begin! Sickeningly sweet you say? Too bad! I'm not asking for your approval. :)

Choose the Right

2010-01-10T17:57:00.001-08:00

Today, being Sunday, we went to church as usual. Peter and I have the CUTEST little primary class. They are 4 going on 5 this year which makes them the CTR class ("choose the right" for those of you who don't know what that means). It's nice because they have a year of Primary under their belt so they are not terrified and they know what they should be doing. (As in NOT running around, yelling, crying, poking their neighbor). It seems like in every primary class I have ever taught there has always been that ONE kid. You know the one. hyper-active, can't sit still, can't stop talking, needs constant attention, or is just down right naughty! The one you hope under your breath doesn't come each week, and then you repent later for having that thought. Not this time. We have the cutest, sweetest, most well-behaved class I have ever taught in all my years in primary, and there have been many! (Ok, I am probably jinxing myself by even mentioning this.) And such cute names: 4 girls, Oakely, Joey, Cambria, and Brynn, and 3 boys, Anderson (who insists we call him Spike), Cache, and Liam. It's fun teaching this class with Peter. Since we didn't get to raise our kids together, it's fun to see how he interacts with these little tiny kids. He is great! They say the funniest things! And I can't believe how smart they are at the ripe old age of 4. One of the boys had an old bruise on his forehead and I asked him how he got it. He said he had fallen out of the swing and broken his neck! I laughed, because obviously his neck was not broken and it was too yucky outside to have been in a swing recently. But then his twin sister mentioned something about him having to wear a "halo" and I realized that he really had broken his neck at some point. I won't even go in to the things they tell us about their families and what goes on at home. "Out of the mouths of babes". :)

Christmas

2010-01-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little delinquent. I've been great at keeping up with Britt's blog (http://hermanamorrill.blogspot.com/), but slacking with mine. Christmas came and went before we knew it!

Robin discovering the hidden joys of the stocking.

Every boy needs a good toy for Christmas.

Jamie, not quite awake yet.

Lindsey in a rare appearance without her tongue sticking out. Must have been caught off guard.

For me?
Robin and Jamie showing off their blankets. They got them for each other.

Sisters

Family Feast

Brittany

2009-12-15T07:53:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone,

For those of you who are interested in writing or keeping up with what's going on with Britt, follow this link: http://hermanamorrill.blogspot.com.

The fastest way to get her a letter while she is in the MTC is through www.dearelder.com. On the link to the left under "send stuff" click on "Provo MTC". Then just fill in your information, and hers. Her box number again is 92. Estimated departure date is 2/9/2010. Then just write and send. She will get it same day if you write in the morning....by noon the next day otherwise. I also have her email address now but she only gets to check it once a week. It's hermanamorrill@myldsmail.net. Feel free to write her there as well. This will my last post to my blog for Britt so be sure to bookmark the link to her blog for updates on her mission!

Day One

2009-12-09T20:51:00.001-08:00

Today was a bitter sweet day. Bitter to know I will not get to see her for the next 18 months, or call her, or talk to her, or enjoy her presence in my house. Sweet knowing she is doing something she really wants to do, and the Lord is looking out for her. It was so hard to leave her at the curb. Do you know how much I wanted to go with her? I am a bit jealous of the things I know she is giong to experience over the next year and a half. All of you who know her as I do have no doubt she will be an awesome missionary. The past 4 months having her home, if you can call it that since she spends more time out with her friends, or volunteering in Mexico, has been a wonderful growing experience for both of us. I am privileged to call her my daughter. Good grief I love this kid!

Farewell Britt!

2009-12-05T14:44:00.001-08:00

Brittany's farewell was last Sunday. She had 76 RSVP's on Facebook which got me a little panicked as most of that number did not include our family. We may have gone just a little overboard on the food, but it sure was good. Better to have too much than not enough. :) Our families are amazing when it comes to things like this. Everyone was so happy to help and it was greatly appreciated! She had many, many friends who came out to send her off. Even though we are sure going to miss her, we are so proud, excited, and happy for her!

Staci, Tony, Val, Jamie, Lindsey, etc.

Grandma, Grandpa, Corey, Sean

Silly

Richard.....trying to lick Lindsey.

Richard, Lindsey, Mykel (my sister)

Grandpa and Grandma with baby Hendrix

Food Line

Britt is in there somewhere.

View from upstairs

Hey, you gotta eat somewhere!

I know she introduced me and I'm pretty sure she really likes the guy on the left, but I can't remember their names! LOL

Girls Day Out

2009-11-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the void we will feel when Brittany leaves on her mission in just 10 days, we, the girls, treated ourselves to a pedicure and lunch. It was sad, but we managed to have just a little fun. ;)

Britt and Brave Sir Robin

Rachel and Lindsey, obviously not enjoying themselves.

Jamie, sorry, it's a little dark.

Me and Britt

The finished product!

Two silly girls. The house will definitely be more boring without Britt.

Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory

Not a good picture, but hey, it's my cell phone and there's a window behind us.

All that Jazz

2009-11-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

The company I work for has season tickets to the Utah Jazz games. They are great seats....no nose bleeds from here. :) Last year I took Peter to a game. He has been grounded from further attendance. This year I took a true Jazz fan, Lindsey! She was excited to be able to sit close enough to actually see the faces of the players. It was a great game...won by a point in over-time. It was fun to have some one on one with her, doing something she loves.

My Favorite Birthday Present

2009-11-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

19 Years ago today, on my 28th birthday, I was blessed with best present a mom could ever ask for. I know what you're thinking, those numbers can't possibly be right ;) But alas, they surely are. Where does the time go? How did this cute little bundle of joy go from this:

to this:??

When he started talking he couldn't say his name. He called himself Tooey. One day I tried to help him pronounce it. I said Ca Ca Ca Corey....he said Ca Ca Ca Tooey! His sisters still call him that.

He has always been a tender heart. He was rarely in trouble because he didn't like having anyone mad at him. I know he cares very deeply.

He is not a risk taker. How grateful am I for that when he got a motorcycle?! When he was a sophomore in highschool I took him to get registered. We were a week late so there weren't any other kids there. As we were walking around the school to find his classes we came to a gate coming down from the ceiling. I started to go under it as it was still about 2 feet off the ground. He got really upset with me and told me I couldn't do that. I assured him it was okay because there wasn't anyone there to get mad at me, and obviously the gate wasn't supposed to be down. It took me a while to talk him in to coming under with me. I'm such a rebel! I'm glad he's not. :)

He has many talents. He has a lot of natural ability when it comes to sports, especially anything that requires him to run.....fast. However, he is more interested in the Arts. His writing amazes me. He also plays the guitar and sings (what girl doesn't love that??). He is smart and funny.

He is very sarcastic. You don't have to be around him long to figure that out and he can get a room laughing very easily. He is an animated story teller. It's as much fun watching him tell a story as it is listening. He is every passionate.

He has been a real blessing in my life. I can't believe he is all grown up. I will love him forever.

And best of all....I know he will never forget my birthday. :) Happy Birthday Corey!

Rub a Dub Dub

2009-11-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Alone in the house,

Quiet as a mouse,

Britt heard a clunk,

“Just the cats”, she thunk,

She went on her way,

Going about her day,

When whining she heard,

The thought then occurred,

With no Fonz in sight,

Something’s not right!

She called out his name,

Whimpers in return came,

So she followed the sound,

And here’s what she found!

Rub a dub dub.....he's stuck in the tub!

Why was the dog in the tub you say? When he learns how to speak, we'll ask him some day! :)

Home Shots

2009-11-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of the new house. It's a work in progress that is hindered by the precariousness (is that a word?) of not actually owning it....yet. We hope to own it soon if all goes well, but we don't really want to put any money in to it for blinds, landscaping, or home decor that we can't take with us should we have to move. So for now, we have to be content with our paper blinds, our refrigerator that doesn't match, etc., etc.

This is the view out of one of the upstairs bedroom. The Draper temple is so pretty, and it's even more beautiful at night. I tried to get that picture but it doesn't turn out.

This is the entry as you come in the front door.

Main Floor Family Room

Kitchen

More Kitchen

Formal Living Room

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Exercise Room

Some day, when we are lucky enough to own it and put some finishing touches on it, I will post some more pictures. The neighbors and the new ward have been very friendly. They have thrown us right in to the fire and given us the cutest little five year olds to teach in Primary. Moving is hard, but when you are part of a great big church family it makes it much easier.

Fool You Once ....

2009-10-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Please don't mind while I do a little venting. I usually try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Unfortunately, this has gotten me in trouble more than once. This makes me sad. Saturday as we were on our way to a movie, we got in a car accident. The driver made an illegal U-turn right in front of us and with no time to get out of the way we hit him. He was so nice! He apologized over and over again and begged us not to call the police. I knew this was not a good idea. But he was so nice, and so sorry. His car was in much worse shape than ours. Again, I suggested we call the police. I tried to get people to take pictures. No one wanted to do either. Peter was also very nice and understanding. The guy gave us his insurance information and promised he would call them right away and admit he was at fault. He apologized several more times and we let him go. I really thought he would do as he said, after all, he was so nice! I know what you're thinking, and sadly enough you are 100% right. :( Did I mention how nice he was?? He called his insurance company all right. But he would not admit he was at fault, so they will not pay. They seem to think Peter should have been able to read his mind and avoid hitting him somehow. And of course, with no police report, how can we prove otherwise? Yes, it was really stupid of us. We tried to be nice, and instead we got taken. How sad that you can't take people at their word? I remember a time when I lived in Tucson and a well-liked college professor had turned up missing. They found his body in a field. He had stopped to help some "stranded" motorists, and for his kindness they took him out in the desert, robbed him, and killed him. I hate that we live in a society where you can't trust people anymore. It makes me very sad. Fool you once, shame on them! Fool you twice, shame on you! I learned a valuable lesson, but I don't want to let this one dishonest guy keep me from having faith in others. That's no way to live either. Shame on him!

Pardon our Mess....

2009-09-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

New House

Sorry I have been slacking on the blogging lately, but I have been an little overwhelmed by life the past couple of weeks as we have had to shift gears into moving mode. Being a former military wife and having moved seemingly a million times, I don't usually accumulate a lot of junk so moving is pretty easy for me. Not this time! Six years in one house, the longest I've ever lived in one house in my adult life, and a husband who had a houseful of furniture and "life" to add to my own, (not to mention that he can't throw anything away) has left me with so much to do I feel I'm drowning in a sea of "stuff"! After several trips to the new house it seems the task is never ending. Have we even made a dent in it? It's good to go through your house and see everything you have, get rid of stuff you don't need anymore (when Peter's not home so he can't see what I throw out ;)) donate things to charity, clean things long overdue for a touch up, and find things you forgot you even had! Except we still haven't found those long lost drill bits!! Packing, taping, lifting, cleaning.....my knees are sore from all the stairs. Yes, we are getting movers to come for the furntiture on Friday, but I think that is the least of our belongings! And then there is the cleaning! It's hard to sit at work knowing I have to so much to do at home. It will be a crazy, busy couple more weeks ahead. But....it will be good to be settled and get on with our lives together. A new adventure! I will post pics of the new house soon, when I get a breather.

The Mission Call!

2009-09-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

I think this pretty much says it all! :) Congrats Britt! We are so excited for you!

Why do they call them Wisdom Teeth?

2009-08-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

This was the scene yesterday morning as Brittany had her wisdom teeth out. This was part of her preparation to serve a mission. She looks pretty miserable, but she actually came through very well. She asked me 3 or 4 times if I had taken her picture, she couldn't even remember me taking this. I had even showed it to her after I took it. She couldn't remember walking in to the recovery room either and wondered how she got there. She had a rough day. The pain meds made her throw up and she got pretty sore before they finally kicked in.

She is feeling much better today, though she is a little swollen. Poor baby. It's hard to see your kids in pain. Does it really make you "wiser"?

The Happiest Place on Earth....

2009-08-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

It's also the sweatiest and most tiring place on earth, but it was worth it! :) Corey disappeared when we took this picture and we didn't realize it until after. That's the trouble with such a large group I guess.

Epcot

Colby, Rachel and Pooh. Awe, how cute!

Four silly girls and Tigger! Lindsey, Robin, Jamie and Brittany.

Waiting for Beauty and the Beast....Corey and Lindsey are soaked through the bones. They got caught in a downpour while waiting in line.

On the monorail. One of MANY trips....

Colby, Rachel and Brittany at Magic Kingdom

Corey, Lindsey, Robin and Jamie

On the tea cups...I get nauseous just watching them.

Oh, Peter is so happy! He found Spongie in the airport on our way home.

Last Day in the Park. Rain Forest Cafe at Downtown Disney.

My most favorite thing about Disney World is experiencing a new ride for the first time, such as Expedition Everest and Dinosaur....and even more, watching my children experience a new ride for the first time. We got Corey and Lindsey to finally get over their fear of rollercoasters! Yay!

They had so much fun on Rock-n-roller coaster and Splash Mountain. We walked...and walked....and walked...until our feet were dying. But we had so much fun! What next??

P.S. For those of you with a Facebook account I have posted many more pictures there.

College Bound Corey

2009-08-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

New Digs

Today I went with Corey down to Cedar City to get him moved in to his new dorm and attend an all day orientation at Southern Utah University. He is my third child to go to college, but it doesn't get any easier. I can't believe he is old enough to go to college! Where did the time go? I am excited and anxious for him at the same time. SUU seems like a great school with countless opportunities to make new friends, learn, volunteer, and figure out what life is all about. I have to live vicariously through my kids when it comes to campus life as I didn't get to experience it myself....one of the things I most regret in my life. I am happy for them, that they get to have this opportunity, and I know they will never forget, or regret it. Corey is going to have an awesome time I think. I will miss him, but I know he's going to be fine. I sure love that kid!

Chocolate Moose Squirrel Cake

2009-08-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon was a beautiful time to head up in to the mountains for what is becoming an annual event for our family, sponsored by grandma Morrill. We saw a huge momma moose with two babies in tow and she didn't even seem to care that we were just feet from her snapping pictures and staring in wonderment.

We also made a new friend! This bold little squirrel seems to have a sweet tooth! Of course, how could you resist coca cola cake? It came right up on the table, only inches away, and helped itself to the cake. More pictures to come. These two were taken by Debbie Hacker.

Happy Birthday Mom -Audrey :)

2009-08-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

A quick happy birthday to one of the sweetest women I know. :) More to come....

Harry Potter and Midnight Madness!

2009-07-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's no secret. I love the Harry Potter books, all 7 of them, and all the movies. Doesn't every child wish they had magical powers? I have been looking forward to this latest movie for EVER! Rachel, Colby, Corey, Lindsey and I went to the midnight show (ok, so it was 12:05am) this morning. We did not take Peter because he hates HP and we did NOT want his negative vibes interferring with our movie going experience. It was so much crazy fun! The District, all 20 theaters, were completely full. The line up of cars just to get in to the parking lot was crazy, and we won't talk about the popcorn line! It's not something I would do for every movie, but once in a while it's fun to join in the excitement and anticipation of a big opening like this one. The nice thing about the District is advanced ticket purchase and seat reservations so you don't have to get there several hours in advance to get a great seat. I love that!

The movie did not disappoint, well except for one big fight scene they left out, but something had to go...it was an extremely long book! All in all I think they did a great job. I will definitely see it again...and again...and wait anxiously for it to come out on DVD. Oh the anticipation is already building for the next movie....and then the finale. I can't wait!

Happy Brittday! :)

2009-07-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

21 Years of Brittany! This face says it all :)

Can you say trouble?

Bam Bam!

Cute Face!

Flexible!

Growing up...

Dancing Queen

Senior Pictures

One of her many silly faces

Brittany was the best baby you could ever hope for. When she cried it's because she wanted you to put her down and let her sleep! She was so sweet, and cute, and chubby. We called her Bam Bam because she was so strong. As a toddler we had a hard time keeping her clothes on. She liked to crawl around in the buff and pretend she was a kitty, or a dinosaur. She has always been a very tender hearted soul. She is the life of the party and can have fun in any situation. She started doing gymnastics when she was 6 years old and was very good at it. When she was 16 she switched to dance, and has never stopped dancing. She is an awesome and beautiful dancer. She is a gifted and talented photographer. She is smart, funny, and downright silly. She lives what she believes. Once, when she was in Jr. High, she went to a drive-in movie with a group of friends. When she got there she found out the movie was rated "R". Despite the peer pressure she called me and asked me to come and get her. I know she has been a good influence that way on her friends. She sticks to her principals and everyone knows it. She has had some tough things to deal with in her life, but she has remained happy, optimistic, and just makes the most out of life. She lives every day to the fullest. If you want to hang out with her, you practically have to make an appointment! :) She makes friends everywhere she goes, and her personality is infectuous. I love this girl! She is my daughter, but she is also one of my best friends! The world is a better place with her in it, and I know there are many lives out there that will be blessed by her touch. Watch out world!

Happy Birthday Don! :)

2009-06-28T19:17:00.000-07:00

Dad loves to have birthdays!
Look at that happy face!

With his sweetheart of 50 years

Man of the great outdoors!

Happiest as father and son...

No. I meant to say, happiest eating...

Oops. Wrong again. Happiest on couch watching football

.. or maybe happiest with granddaughers...

Downtown salt lake city.

Oh no! Jamie is about to order a 16oz steak again!

Jamie loves her grandpa

One of my favorite shots. (can even see some nose hairs)

Posing for GQ at the Happiest Place on Earth?

Disneyland day one...look how happy and energetic....

Asking for directions from his little buddy.....

Not as mad as the Mad Hatter

Rush hour traffic, even at Disneyland

Disneyland day 3....the picture says it all.

Happy birthday Dad!

We all love and miss you very much, and are looking forward
to seeing you later this year!

Convalescing

2009-06-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

I suppose it was inevitable, just a matter of time. This is the inside of my right knee. That cute little heart shaped chunk of cartilage is what has been causing the pain in my knee the past two weeks. It tore off and started floating around, lodging itself in some excruciating place when I was least expecting it, sometimes for a minute or two, sometimes for an hour, laughing at me all the while. Well, no more! My Olympian hero, Dr. Eric Heiden (yes, that's right, five gold medals in speed skating Eric Heiden) pulled it out yesterday. :) I hope this was the last surgery for me...FOREVER. That was number 4, in 4 years. I am done! No more! I would like to keep the rest of me as is, no more owies! NO MORE!

What's up with this weather??

2009-06-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

I beg to differ! This is what it really looks like right now!

Graduation weekend

2009-06-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

Does he look smarter?

Corey and his cousin Staci

Dinner at Tepanyaki

Staci's mom, Debbie, had a big party at a park on Saturday to celebrate all the graduates in the family. Corey and Staci from high school, Jared from Georgetown Law, Marci from SLCC, and Jenny from the U of U. What a smart family :)

There was a pretty heated and long lasting volleyball game. Lindsey got some great action shots.

Colby showing off his great serve....or something...

Corey played awesome! I don't think he knew he was so good at volleyball.

Me and Rachel taking a break from volleyball to visit with Peter and grandma. Brittany missed out on the festivities...poor baby.....she's in Paris. I think. She hasn't emailed me, so I can only assume.

How did this happen?

2009-06-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

9th Grade Promotion

What happened to my baby? Where did she go? This is just not right. I swear she was here yesterday. Time goes by way too fast. One day you have this cute little baby and before you know it she becomes a beautiful young woman. Congratulations on making it through Jr. High Lindsey! The best is yet to come right?

Academy of Finance

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Corey's graduation from The Academy of Finance. This was a two year program through his high school that allowed him to take college level classes and earn credit for them while concurrently enrolled in high school. I am very proud of him for sticking with it, I know it wasn't easy. He is looking very handsome in his suit before we leave.

I singled him out of the group picture at the end. Of course! He's mine. :)

There were 24 graduates from his school, the largest class ever, including his cute little cousin Staci. (Ok, she's not as little as Corey, she had to squat down to get her head even with his!) She earned her associates degree while she was enrolled in this program.

I love this boy! Next Friday will be his high school graduation...more pics to come!

Well...it was a great idea anyway...

2009-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have always wanted to try to skate all the way downtown. So I had this great idea for Monday morning....we would park our car at the nearest entrance to the Jordan River Parkway, I would skate, and Peter would keep up on his bike. We woke up to a beautiful morning and headed out on our trek. The Parkway was packed...I don't think I've ever seen it so busy! We took a couple of pictures and headed out. All was going well...until we hit about 3800 south. Stupid me, I didn't think to take a picture...but due to the weekend rains the trail was completely under water for about 50 yards! Peter tried to ride through it to see how far it was, but it was so deep his feet were submerged even on his bike! No way I was going to make it through on skates. So, unfortunately we had to turn around and head back. I was majorly disappointed, but someday I WILL finish this quest!

Peter the Birthday Boy

2009-05-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

P is for Peter
Precocious. (Synonyms = Intelligent, bright, gifted, talented)
Practical (Well, most of the time)
Pleasant and Personable
Patient (Especially with teenage girls and homework)
Positive
Peculiar
Prestigious (Video Game "God")
Provider
Patriarch
Playful
Passionate
Physically Phit
Pretty Handsome
Passenger Petrifier!
Practically Perfect! (Passenger Petrifier Preventing Proficiency)
Yep, Peter has finally caught up to me and for the next 6 months will be as OLD as me.

I have to admit, I am Positively and Passionately in love with this Person who is Peter!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the women I am grateful for this Mother's Day:

This is my cute little mom. She is probably the most patient person I have ever known. I don't think I've ever heard her say anything bad about anyone in my whole life. She must have been Thumper's mom. She is smart, hits a pretty mean golf ball, and a great ballroom dancer. She is strong...both physically and emotionally. She has always been such a good example to me. I didn't need a lot of disciplining when I was little because I just never wanted to disappoint my mom and that was enough to keep me in line. She is soft spoken and gentle and I wish I was more like her. I have always thought she was an angel.

This is my cute little mother-in-law. Now, I've only met her once and that was a year and a half ago. It's been too long since I've seen her. She reminds me a lot of my mom. She is also very soft spoken and patient, and she laughs at all Peters silliness, which is a lot! I haven't been able to spend much time with her, but I can tell from the way Peter talks about her that she is also a very special person. She lives in Canada, much too far away, but he talks to her usually a couple of times or more each week. I know she must be a wonderful mother because she has raised such a good son who is an awesome husband. I know how much he loves her and she will always be his "mummy". :) I am so grateful for her influence in our lives.

This is my "other" mother-in-law...or my first mother-in-law. She has been a part of my life for 30 years and probably knows me even better than my own mother. We are two peas in a pod and she has been there for me through some pretty tough times. Legally we may not be related anymore, but spiritually I think we knew each other before we came her. (She knows what I'm talking about). When we lived overseas she wrote or called every single week. We have wonderful memories of adventures in Europe, Virginia, Jackson, Tucson, and California....to name a few. I doubt I could ever repay her for her love and support throughout the years. She has been a great blessing in my life.
How cute is this?? Britt is in Italy right now and this is what she sent me for Mother's Day. It's amazing to see your daughters grow up and become women. It's even more amazing when deep words of wisdom come sprouting out of their mouths! Brittany is out to save the world and I think she just might do it. :) Anyone who knows her knows how much fun she is to be around. If she were a Native American her Indian name would be "Tenderheart".

Finally, we have Rachel. She has always been wise beyond her years and seems to know just the right thing to say at the right time. She has been my friend as well as my daughter and my "happy child". She is going to be an awesome mother when she finally gets around to giving me a grandchild. ;) She has so many qualities I wish I had. I still want to be just like her when I grow up! I love her tons!

To all of these wonderful women in my life I love you all and wish you a most Happy Mother's Day!