Niner, Niner

Today is our 9th Wedding Anniversary! Right now we are all in Utah. Kurt is at work right now and will pick me up at 6 o'clock for our big date. I don't know what we're doing, but I am excited for a night out without the kids. I am also excited to have more than 3 choices when it comes to picking a place to eat at.

Stampin' Up! Convention

I have been in Denver for the last 4 days and am having a blast. I have been going to lots of classes and learning and seeing lots of new ideas and techniques. Convention has been very motivational and inspiring. I love my job! I get to make money and play with stamps all day! It's awesome!

Check out my stamping blog for a write up of my convention experience.

Denver is a way awesome place and has fabulous places to eat. There is a lot of diversity here and very interesting people. The mountains are beautiful, just like Utah, and it is blistering hot, just like UT. I am loving the transportation system which makes it easy to get around, and 16th street with all the fun shops. I have only explored downtown, but would definitely love to get out and see more. Maybe another time...

World's Apart.....O.K. just a few states

Here I sit in Denver in my hotel room, my husband in Utah, and my kids at Auntie Helena's house in Idaho. It's weird being apart. It's nice getting away, but there is always a part in your heart that longs to be together.

Hiking at Webster's Dam

This last weekend I attended my cousins wedding while Kurt took the boys hiking at Webster's dam.

Kurt went on a great spalunking expedition in our storage unit and found the backpack carrier so that he could haul Gavin on his back while hiking. He packed a lunch and off they went to Webster's Dam. They went about 3 or 4 miles and were gone most of the afternoon. The boys loved it! They saw a big ol' bull, Hatchet Jack's Cabin, and the area where Crazy Sue Warnberger lived. Hatchet Jack and Crazy Sue are characters that Kurt uses in his bedtime stories. The boy's eat it up. Everyone was exhausted and slept forever when they got home.




So while the boys were hiking, I attended my cousin's wedding in the Idaho Falls temple. It was really nice to be able to spend time by myself in the temple. I don't get there enough having kids and all. I haven't been to a ceremony in a long time. It reminded me of my wedding day. I was soooo nervous. And the day was so long. But it was a wonderful experience. I remember the room being packed with our families. And I kept shaking my foot from nervousness. When it was time to put on the rings, I was surprised to see that Kurt had gotten me the ring that I had my eye on. He wasn't with me when I found it, but he managed to get the exact ring that I had tried on months earlier. It was a great surprise. This Sunday, in 5 days to be exact, we will have been married for 9 years. What a great day being able to spend time reflecting back on my own wedding day. James and Jill thanks for getting married and letting me witness such a special event.

Freak Me Out!

So tonight Isaac and Owen take Toukes (nan's dog) out for a walk around the block. While I was up talking with Kurt's mom (Nan) Isaac runs in the house and drops Toukes off and heads back outside to play as so I thought. Which isn't a big deal. Well, 10 minutes after Isaac and Owen left to go outside to "play" I get a phone call, and it's Isaac. He and Owen went to Heber and Cy's house (Kurt's Cousins) who live through the block. A big no-no to leave without telling mom. The good thing is Cy had them call me to let me know where they were. I told Cy to send them home in 10 minutes. The 10 Minutes had passed and I was expecting them shortly as it was getting dark. At 9:35 I started to not worry but to think, hey they better be walking through the door soon. Finally at 9:40-ish Owen walks through the door. I say, "Where's Isaac? Owen says, "He's coming." A minute later I say, "Owen where's Isaac?" "He's coming! He took the long way." Ok......So I waited........At 9:46 I get somewhat worried/concerned. So I go outside to see if I can see his bike or him. And by now it is dark. I didn't see his bike, and now I am worried. So I call Cy and ask him if Isaac is over there. He says, "No, he and Owen left together and I told them to go fast so they would get home before it was dark. He's really not home? I will get in my car and drive around." Now I am a little frantic....I was outside about to start walking around the block when the phone rings and it is Pat (Kurt's mom) and she says, "Have you seen Owen, is he downstairs with you?" I say, "Yes, but Isaac didn't come home with him." She says, "I have Isaac right here." ?????..............................................PHEW!

What had happened was Isaac was on his bike and he would ride ahead of Owen and wait for him to catch up, well Owen decided to take the short cut and so Isaac backtracked to the short cut to catch up to Owen. Isaac says that he saw a squirrel and followed it and then Owen was gone. Owen came home and went downstairs to our house, and Isaac came home and went upstairs to Nan's house. Nan knew that they were at Cy's house and knew that Owen was supposed to be with Isaac. So she says, "Where's Owen?" And Isaac says, "I don't know, I was waiting for him and then he took the short cut and then he was gone." So Nan goes walking with Isaac back to Cy's house to try to find Owen. But Owen was home downstairs with me. So when Isaac doesn't come walking through the door, it was because he was with Nan looking for Owen.
OH BROTHER! (literally)

They both returned home safe, but I gotta tell ya, FREAK ME OUT! It all happened within 15 minutes, but it was really unsettling not seeing them both walk in the door together. You always hope that your kids will be safe, it's hard not being able to be there 24/7 to protect them.

On a lighter note, I got my hair cut today, and I think I am pleasantly happy with the cut I got. After 3 other attempts to get a good cut since January (which is when we got back to Rexburg) I think I have finally found a good hair dresser in this small town of Rexburg. Imagine that! Oh, I cut it at Radiance. It's over by World Gym in the new little strip mall. A girl named Krista did it, if you're looking for someone good.

He Talks!

Gavin has finally broken through the mute barrier and actually produced words and sounds for the first time ever! A nice change from the high pitched squeels and squacking he is always doing. The kid is 18 months. Most kids his age can say about 5-6 words. I can only hope that this will be the start of his new found vocabulary.

Isaac was playing around with my jewlery and put on one of my bracelets and says, "Mom, this bracelet is like what rock stars wear, except they have little horns." (He means silver spikes. It was a black beaded band bracelet .) I said, "How do you know what rock stars wear?" He says, I saw it on Guitar Hero, and it's serious."

Picture him rocking out on his air guitar all dolled up in my black bracelet, pearl necklace, high water flood pajama bottoms that belong to Owen, and no shirt all while carrying on this conversation.

My Own Personal Maid

Whenever I babysit my niece, who is seven, she always wants to help me "do jobs" whether I am cleaning or not. After a few times of her helping me out, I finally told her that I would start paying her. Oh, how her eyes lit up! One day she cleaned my whole kitchen all for a BUCK! Now this is a maid service that I can handle. Today, she helped me organize our game cupboard, empty garbages, and clean the kitchen again. I forgot to pay her, but she will at least be getting a buck and a quarter. She claims that she will take a quarter for her services, but I insist at least paying her a dollar. I may just start having her come on a regular basis. I love having my own personal maid!

I've tried bribing my own kids to get them to clean, but they would rather sit in their own filth for a month before even thinking about cleaning. I don't know what it is, but it's always easier for kids to clean up messes at other peoples houses than their own.

Phantom Commentor

To the person who commented in my July 11 entry:

I don't know if I should be flattered or out for blood. Am I correct to assume that I know who you are?

Blurry Eyed

I have been doing myself a great dis-service the last 5 days and having been staying up until midnight and sometimes until 2, 4:30 in the morning. Procrastination has a price and mine is sleep deprivation. I have been diligently working on my swaps for Convention, which is in less than 2 weeks away. I will be attending the Stampin' Up! Convention in Denver, CO along with thousands of other crazed women who are just as crazy about rubber stamps, paper, cards and scrapping as I am! I have signed up for 4 organized swaps which require only your best work! I hope mine are up to par, as I have been stewing over my "baby" page in particular. So far I have 3 of my 4 swaps done. I can't wait to come home with hundreds of samples and ideas. Kurt told me that I needed to get a hobby. So I did. And I love it! To see what I have been working on click here.

Sweet and Sucky

Student Loans =SUCKY
Rexburg=SWEET
Being Apart=SUCKY
Slow Drivers=SUCKY
Berries and Cream Dr. Pepper=SWEET
Sunburns=SUCKY
Rebates=SWEET
Mentha Lip Shine from Bath & Body Works=SWEET
Messy House=SUCKY
My New Sunglasses=SWEET
History Channel=SWEET
Dishwashers=SWEET
Grease Stains=SUCKY
Home Equity Loans=SWEET
TacoTime=SWEET
Paper Cuts=SUCKY
Window Shopping=SUCKY
Shopping=SWEET
Chocolate=SWEET
Bad Haircuts=SUCKY
$5 Little Caesar Pizza's=SWEET
Wind in Rexburg=SUCKY
HGTV=SWEET

Cutie Pies!

Just took some pics of the boys and thought I would post. It's crazy how big they are getting. Gavin is Gigantor. He is in the 90 percentile for his height. He will be 18 mos. in a few days!!! NURSERY!!! He is funny and has a funny personality. He still isn't talking yet, but loves to laugh and scream. We still can't tell who he looks like, me or Kurt? He reallydoesn't look like any of us. I guess he is just a good enough mix that you can't tell.

Owen is Owen...In his own little world. You will often find him doing his own thing. He is very independent. He is going in tomorrow to get tested for his speech. Just needs to fine tune it a little. Hoping to have him up to par before kindergarten. A cute story about Owen that happened the other day: Kurt was leaving for work and everyone was supposedly asleep. As Kurt backed out and started driving off, he looked in his rear view mirror and noticed Owen standing in the middle of the road. He was crying and screaming Dad! Kurt stopped the car and went to see what was wrong. Owen crying on his Dad's shoulder says, "You left and we didn't have prayers yet." What a sweet kid!

We took the kids to get their check up's a couple of weeks ago, and we found out that Owen weighs more than Isaac. It was a shot to Isaac's pride and he has finally stepped up his eating habbits in hopes of not letting his little brother get bigger than him. I am finding this to be a good tactic to getting some meat on his skinny little bones. He may be a skinny little kid, but he is one cool cucumber.

Is there a snail heaven?
I have recently learned the art form of turning a slimy snail into a thick green mucousy snot-like substance. I had no idea that some people find this to be adventuresome, interesting, and fun. I have to say that it is adventuresome, but it runs a close first with cleaning up vomit from a kid who does not belong to you, or changing the same kid's rank diaper that involves lots of corn. Are you getting the picture? I find it to be gross!

So, I have a friend who goes out on a nightly prowl around midnight or later and actually hunts snails. The snail is the enemy. They eat the garden and flowers and there are tons of them! In an effort to save her produce and lovely flowers, it is necessary to eliminate as many slugs and snails as possible.

There is a process to this whole snail thing.

First: Get a headlamp or some other form of light and a bucket to put the slimy things in. Oh, and a stick to shove the escapee's back into the bucket.

Second: You have to be willing to move back bushes, and flowers, and weeds in order to find the snails. I am one who tends to not want to know what creatures come out at night and prefer not to be surprised.

Third: Once you find the snail, pick it up and put it in the bucket.

Fourth: Once you have collected all the snails you want, go get your salt.

Fifth: Begin dumping salt on the helpless little guys and watch them quickly sizzle and shrivel to their death. Apparently there is some sort of chemical reaction when the salt hits them. And this is when they turn into a thick green mucousy snot-like substance.

Sixth: Dispose of the thick snotty remains, and do it again tomorrow night!

Now, I want you to know that I am an animal lover and so is my friend. But appearantly this is something that must be done or they just seem to multiply and then you really have a problem. I do feel bad for the little guys, but I am glad to know that the next time I sit on her lawn or walk on her walkway, her turf will be snail proof thanks to her bizarre infactuation with hunting snails at 1 in the morning.

We are currently in Utah visiting Kurt. On a whim we decided to come spend the whole week with him! We just found out yesterday that we got the house that we wanted!!! (to rent) We are stoked! Kudos to our friend Rochelle who found it for us. I am quickly finding Utah to be one of the hotter places on this planet. I do have to give props for the nice tan that I've gotten though. And get this-Walmart doesn't close until midnight! It can't get any better than that. (Sorry to all you Sam Walton haters.) Oh, and another nice thing about Utah, the weather at night is pleasantly nice. Warm, no wind....my kind of weather. We will be moving the end of August. Just thought I would let you know in case any of you want to come help us unload the truck! Just kidding. No but seriously the truck will be there August ?(specific date to come at a later time) in the morning.