Handel's Messiah

Last night, my sister and I were able to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah. (For those of you unfamiliar, this is where the "Alleluia" chorus comes from). I had fun, although it was a bit long for me, especially coming off a night of little sleep after a FABULOUS Christmas party. After our experience, I thought I would post a little guide with some tips for those of you wanting to go and see this for yourselves.

Tip 1: Take a shower. You may want to do your hair, and maybe put on some make-up. Perhaps, dress up a little bit.

Tip 2: If you are in the chorus, it is even more important for you to shower and put on some make-up.

Tip 3: Do NOT listen to the ushers. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Tip 4: Having the words printed in the program is NOT an invitation for audience members to sing. (There were at least 2 audience members singing, and one of them could not carry a tune).

Tip 5: If you are going to dedicate the performance to someone, make sure you know their name beforehand. Maybe practice it a few times.

Tip 6: Tune your instruments BEFORE the performance. Violins especially!

Tip 7: If you are a soloist, and are sitting up front where the whole audience can see, you may want to think about controlling your facial expressions. Now matter how much the music moves you, it is distracting if you are bopping away with random changing faces.

Tip 8: At the end of the performance, please do not think that the aisle is the best place to chat. Some of us are ready to go home.

It was a good performance, just a little long for me. I think I was still too tired. Lori and I really couldn't stop laughing at the Tenor and his facial expressions. I wish I had a video camera to record some of them.

10 Days Left

This has been a crazy couple of weeks. Rocky has been gone for 11 days, and we have 10 more to go. The first five days he was in Las Vegas, and for the past 6 days he has been in Pennsylvania working with his new job. It seems to be going well, however we really miss him at home!

The Christmas season is officially here, which means parties, parties and more parties. Which I get to go to all alone. Great. It hasn't been to bad, thanks to all my friends and family who have been keeping me entertained. Then, in the middle of this holiday season, Rocky's grandpa died. This wasn't very unexpected. He has been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past 5 years or so, and has very recently declined very quickly. It is just hard because Rocky is gone, and is not able to come home for the funeral. I get to be our family representative. I feel kind of bad because I have had to find babysitters for the kids for so many other things, and now I get to pawn them off again.

I also think that all the changes have started to get to Ciara. She has been acting like the devil for the past week. She threw a big fit before school on Friday, which made her miss the bus and be a little late for school. We have had a pretty good couple of days, so hopefully this means she is starting to adjust a little bit.

I had my annual Christmas party with my friends last night. It was so fun, although I am so tired today. My throat still hurts from all the laughing. I have looked at some of the pictures already, and they crack me up! I can't post a lot of them, so let's just say a wonderful time was had by all. Some of the highlights of the evening were:

"I am going to be a Rockette."

"That snowman has been talking smack about you all night. You need to tackle him."

The Silver Lining

Instead of dwelling on all the things in Utah that I will miss, I have been making a list in my head of everything I am looking forward to in our move east. I am very grateful for friends and family so close, but I have to look forward to our new adventure. Here are some things I am excited about experiencing next year:

1. Clean Air. After these past couple of gross, hazy days, I am very excited to be somewhere where the air quality is not a concern. Small town, less pollution = healthier Caden (I hope).

2. NYC. I have always wanted to visit NYC during Christmastime. I want to see the tree in Rockefeller Center, maybe see the parade, or the Radio City Music Christmas show. We will now have the chance to see this.

3. Washington, DC. We will be able to show the kids so many great things. Rocky has never been there either, and I am glad he will be able to explore as well.

4. Schools. The school system in our town is one of the best in the whole country. I will be excited to get the kids out of the over-crowded Utah schools, and into one where they actually spend money on the students and have the staff to teach.

5. Traditions. I am excited to create our own family traditions. I have spent every single Christmas and Thanksgiving with family. And I have loved it. But now I am excited to start my own traditions with my own family. It will be hard, and I will miss my family a lot, but it is about time I started my own traditions.

6. Family. Not my parents, but my own little family. When we lived in Denver, we acted much more like our own family, instead of someone else's kids. When we are constantly surrounded by our family, I feel that Rocky and I act more like our parent's kids that like and individual family like we should. I look forward to growing closer to my husband and to our children.

Lewisburg

For those of you not on Facebook, here is the big news:

We are moving to Lewisburg, PA.  Even as I write this, I still can't believe it.  I really didn't think this would happen, but it has.  We have house plans for a lot in Mountain Green, UT which we will never get to build.  I was picking out appliances, counter tops, and furniture.  I was so excited.  And then this.  

The Lewisburg firm called Rocky back in July.  He wasn't that interested, since he had a good paying job here.  But we figured that we could get a free trip and see Philly.  Which we did.  Rocky liked the firm, and PA is beautiful.  But we were comfortable here, and the money was better here as well.  The firm kept in contact with Rocky over the next couple months, and even flew him out there again in October.  Again, the firm was great, Rocky really liked the partners, but the money just wasn't good enough to get us to move across the country.  We started to put in offers on lots here, Rocky drew up house plans, and then on a Monday a few weeks ago it all changed.  His current firm had a meeting where they told everyone that they had to go to a mandatory 32 hour work week (with a corresponding cut in pay as well).  It wasn't the cut in pay that made us reconsider, but how unstable the cut made us feel.  What comes next, being laid off (again)?  Rocky was not confident that this firm would have enough work in the coming months to support everyone, so we decided to go where the work is doing well.  And it happens to be in Pennsylvania.  

When we were first toying with the idea of moving (back after the first trip there) I thought and prayed about the decision for a long time.  I wanted to do what was right for my family.  I waited and waited for an answer, and never got one.  I assumed that meant we were meant to stay.  So we made plans here.  On a Thursday, Rocky called the PA firm and told them that he really wasn't interested.  The following Monday was when the Utah firm cut his pay.  That was the only sign I needed.  I know many of you may scoff at my decision making, but I do believe that things happen for a reason.  

So off to Lewisburg we go.  Rocky leaves on Dec. 8th, but then will come back for Christmas.  Then in January we will all go and become PA residents.  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think of it.  But I know that we will be OK, and that it will all work out.  

The F Word

I think about this word sometimes. No, I am not talking about the real F Word (you know, the mother of all swear words). I am talking about the word "fat." My kids are discovering this word, and they like to use it. I understand that this is not a bad word, but when you are out in public with your kids, and they see an extremely large person, it isn't fun when they say (very loudly), "Mommy, that man is fat!" I understand that they are just saying that as a statement of fact, and not as an insult. But I think that the word "fat" has become an insult. When did it stop being a fact? I am sorry, but some people are just fat. I am torn between agreeing with my kids and telling them that it is not nice to call people that. When they see smokers and say, "Mom, that man is going to get sick" I whole-heartedly agree with them. Yes, smoking will kill you. But with everything we now know about obesity, is it wrong to also say that the morbidly obese will also get sick? This is such a touchy issue, that I hate to address it. How do I explain to my kids that they need to be healthy without ruining their self image? I believe there is a big difference between being overweight and being fat. But it is hard to define that line. For the mean time, I will just try to ignore the fact that my son likes to say that people's butts will pop.

Devious Child

I will post the obligatory Halloween pictures soon, I just don't have my camera handy and I thought I would share this lovely story.

Yesterday morning before school Ciara commented on how it would be a good day to wear her flip-flops to school since they were not having recess.  I explained that it is way too cold to wear them, and also I don't allow her to wear them to school.  She said OK and put on her regular shoes and socks.  I sent her off to school and that was that.  She comes home from school and is wearing her flip-flops.  I asked her where she got them, to which she replied, "In my backpack."  I asked her when she put them on, and she told me that she changed her shoes while she was in line waiting to go into her class.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't think I would have to worry about her changing her clothes at school until she was about 14.  What other 5 year old would take different shoes to school to change into?  What kind of devil child am I raising??

(On a totally different note, my Frye boots are so comfy!  I could wear them all day and not complain!)

Grey's Addiction

I meant to be better at blogging, but I got Grey's Anatomy season 4 and 5 for my birthday.  I have been watching them around the clock.  Even Rocky was getting into it.  We would stay up way to late watching.  We would finish an episode, and decide we could do one more.  It was always just one more, one more until it was 1 am.  I think they need a Grey's Anatomy addiction recovery program.  I can't believe how obsessed I was.  

Sick season has definitely started.  Both kids were sick this weekend.  I took them to the Doc on Monday to find out they both have ear infections, and Ciara has conjunctivitis.  Armed with medicine, the kids are now better, but they have passed to cold onto me.  Yuck.  We have been watching way too much TV, but I just don't know what else to do when we are all sick.  I have been going overboard with the hand washing (I really don't want conjunctivitis).  And now it has been snowing all day.  If I didn't have to watch the kids, I would actually enjoy laying around, bundled up with the fire, watching the snow outside.  I am glad that the forecast for Halloween looks good.  I hate taking the kids out in the snow.  

Frye

Yes, I know I have been a slacker. I have been trying to update every week, but time seems to fly by so quickly that a month passes before I realize it.

I celebrated my birthday last week, and one of my best presents is:

I have been eyeing these boots for months and was finally able to purchase them! They are the Frye Harness 12R. Very comfortable, and go with many outfits.

Yes, I do find it sad that boots can make me so happy. But what can I say? I am a shoe girl. My mom can remember Frye boots being popular back in the 70's. She was amused that they are now back in popularity again. I guess I will have to hang on to these, and perhaps when Ciara is my age she will want a pair too!

Thank you to everyone who made me feel special on my birthday! And thank you to the Frye company for making such cute and comfortable boots that were exactly what I was looking for!

Fall

I can't believe that October is already here. I am loving the weather today, not too cold with lots of sun! This kind of weather makes me feel energized, not sure why. So I just celebrated my anniversary. Incredibly, it has been 9 years. I really can't believe it has been that long. It doesn't feel like it. It just makes me realize that I was just a baby when we got married (what were we thinking??). I can say that I have never regretted this decision, and can't imagine my life any different. Well, maybe I can imagine winning the lottery . . . The kids have picked their Halloween costumes. Ciara is Dorothy and Caden is the "scary" Spiderman (you know, the black one from Spiderman 3). They are both so excited and ask every day if it is Halloween yet. We drove up to Morgan and Mountain Green again to look at houses. I think we have both decided that this is where we want to live. I am still nervous (small towns and all) but I think it will be OK. It is just so nice and quiet up there. Although now Rocky thinks he wants to buy a lot a build. I don't know how I feel about this. Yes, it sounds great and I would love to pick out everything that would go in our house, but what if we go over budget, or if something else happens? I guess we will get it all figured out. I swear I had much more intersting topics to blog about, but I can't seem to remember them at this time. I will update again if I figure it out.

Mom's Gone Wild 2009

This is my sister: (and her husband)This is my sister is Vegas: This is my sister (and Brandi) after a night out in Vegas: (we were still in Cesar's Palace when this was taken)

Our annual girl's trip was last weekend. We had a blast. And what happens in Vegas, really does stay there. Here are some highlights. (Sorry if you don't understand it all, but there are tons of inside jokes.)

"Blanket likes cheese."

"It just gets poky."

All the "nan" talk.

Time travel in the Grocery Store.

The porn house.

The shoe chair.

Sleeping in the streets of Chicago.

The puking spot at the gym.

Making (or burning) cookies at 3 am.

There are many more great memories. Although what is it about Vegas that makes the freaks come out? I thought we all looked pretty cute dressed up, but SLUTTY seems to be more appropriate in Vegas. So do fake boobs, peroxide hair, dresses that are better worn as shirts, and sequin shirts (especially on guys). And why do married guys think it is OK to hit on married girls? Just because we are both married doesn't make it OK. Oh well. I still had fun.

***Due to popular demand, I need to add some quotes and moments that were forgotten.

-"Where'd you get that panis?"

-"This $20 is for you to buy diapers for your baby."

-Brandi's 1 minute challenge.

-Singing hymns in the car. (He can sit on a tack.)

Oktoberfest

This past weekend, we went to Snowbird's Oktoberfest with Rocky's parents. We spent the night Sunday night up there, and then got to play all day Monday. The kids had a blast. They climbed the rock wall, jumped on the big trampolines, rode the Alpine slide, got their faces painted, and tons of other things. Here are Joe and Caden coming down the slide.

And Rocky and Ciara coming down the slide.

Ciara got a rainbow painted on her face.

And Caden got a shark. He thought it was so cool that when his mouth opened, so did the shark's.

The only problem with this great trip: Rocky's mom's health. On Sunday before we left, she was saying how much on side of her body hurt, and also around her shoulders and neck. (She has had a heart attack before, about 3 years ago). We kept telling her that she should stay home and rest, but she refused. She was in so much pain that you couldn't touch her at all. And she had to walk really slowly and take deep breaths. Seriously, what is this woman thinking? We kept expecting her to keel over at any minute, but she made it through the trip. Monday night as we were eating dinner, I got a phone call from Rocky's grandma. She had been trying to reach Brendalyn (my MIL) but couldn't get a hold of her. She sounded like she had been crying, and I immediately thought that Grandpa Ward had died (he has Alzheimer's and is not doing too well). Brendalyn calls her mom back only to find out that her brother has died of a heart attack. He had one about a year before Brendalyn had hers. He was apparently driving at the time. I know that Rocky and I were both thinking that it means she just has a year left as well. I don't understand why the woman can't take care of herself. Joe (my father in law) decided that she would be fine, because he hasn't heard of a brother and sister dying so close to each other. Sound reasoning.

In closing, we had a good weekend, but a sobering one as well. My heart goes out to Rocky's uncle's family, and his Grandparents. How awful to loose a child, no matter how old they are. I just hope that Brendalyn will take better care of herself.

What a Summer, and First Day of School.

Yes, I have not been posting nearly enough. I kind of took a break for the summer. I am hoping that being back in a routine will help. My goal is at least one post per week. We will see how this goes.

I have lots of pictures to share. We took our trip to Pennsylvania, which was fun. It is so beautiful there. There was only one problem. The one day we chose to be in Philadelphia also happened to be the day the First Lady and her daughters were there. They got there around the same time Rocky and I did, and apparently wanted to see the same things. Since they are under heavy security, they shut down Independence Square, which meant we couldn't see Independence Hall (where the constitution was signed) or the Liberty Bell. Oh well. Rocky's main goal was to eat a Philly Cheesesteak, which he did. We also went to Lancaster County, which is where there is large communities of Amish. I am strangely fascinated with them. It was just so neat to see the buggies driving down the streets with the cars.

And today we had the first day of school. I was so nervous. I am not sure why. It is just so scary to think how big Ciara is getting. I console myself with the fact that Caden still has 2 years to go, but I know it will go by so fast. I almost started crying after she got on the bus, but I put on some music to distract myself (thank you Tupac and Kanye). For those of you that are not aware, I go on an annual girl's trip. This is our third year, and we call our trip Mom's Gone Wild (of MGW for short). This trip is coming up on Thursday, and I CANNOT wait! We are going to Vegas. I should have plenty to blog about when we get back.

I just loved seeing these Amish Farms. The countryside was so green and beautiful.

I just loved to see this! Rocky thought I was a little crazy because I got all excited every time we passed a buggy.

Here is Ciara, waiting for the bus. As soon as she saw it, she decided she didn't want to go anymore. But she soon changed her mind and hopped right on. When she got home, she told me that some of the older girls in the neighborhood helped her find her class and sat with her on the bus. (Thank you Sarah Farnsworth and Carli Elgren for taking care of my girl!)

Here she comes off the bus. Caden hopped on, and I had to drag him off screaming. He doesn't understand that he doesn't get to go with her.

Damn Delta Airlines

So we had another horrible customer service experience.  Rocky and I have been planning a trip to Pennsylvania in the next couple weeks.  We have lot's of skymiles, and thought we could use those for one of the tickets.  We found his skymiles number, but couldn't find the pin number, and of course, you can't do anything without the pin.  After a day of trying to guess the number, we were finally locked out of the account.  Rocky decides to call and find out what his pin is.  After a number of phone calls (one of which the representative hangs up on him) he finally gets it figured out.  I then go online to try to book the ticket only to find out that we have been locked out of our account.  I called Rocky to let him know, and he said they told him that our account is good now.  I finally call myself, and tell them the problem.  They tell me that I am wrong.  This pisses me off.  I am looking directly at my computer, and it says that our account has been locked.  He tells me again that everything is fine with my account, and offers to walk me through the process of logging on.  I explain that walking me through will not make a difference, since I am locked out.  He again says that I am not locked out, and that everything is fine.  Again, I say it is NOT fine since I cannot access my account.  He finally transfers me to another department where they tell me there is nothing they can do, and that we have to wait 24 hours to access our account.  I called Rocky and told him this, so he calls up Delta to argue some more.  They then inform us that we need 50,000 miles to fly to Pennsylvania, and we only have 49,000.  When did this happen?  I thought that all domestic flights were only 25,000.  Oh well.  We got the flights booked, and then yesterday Rocky wanted to change one of the flights.  He apparently had to go through many people, supervisors, and (after dropping the "f-bomb") ended up at the complaint department where they finally were able to work with him.  Why are these people intent on making our life difficult?  We were trying not to use Delta, but that is difficult when you are flying out of Salt Lake.  

Enough of the anger, next post will be about my kids new favorite activity:  snail races!

The Past Month

Normally I don't let a whole month go by before I blog. But time seems to be flying. Ciara had her last day of preschool, her dance recital, choked on some quarters (I had to do the Heimlich on her) and she went to Vegas for a long weekend. Caden finished school, soccer, started a new soccer, and now has a stomach flu. Rocky lost his job, and found a new one Downtown which is nice (he was commuting to Park City before). And I sold my car and bought a new one. My original title for this post was "Dave Ramsey Sucks." Then it was going to be "Larry Miller Used Cars Sucks." But now so much else has happened, I couldn't dedicate the whole post to them. Dave Ramsey no longer sucks. I was just bitter because my husband started to listen to him, which is why we sold my car. But I ended up getting a somewhat cooler car (no more minivan for me) so I am happy. But purchasing the car is what made me had the Larry Miller people. I understand that salesmen are not to be trusted. But what this guy did really made me mad. In our quest for a new car, we ended up at the Larry Miller used car super-whatever in Sandy. These guys don't even let you get out of your car before they pounce on you. We explained what we were looking for, and one guy decides to help us. They can't find the car we want, so he starts to drive us on other dealer's lots to find us our car. We finally see one at Riverton Hyundai, and we look at it and are interested. We asked him how much the wanted for it, so he races in to ask. He comes back out and tells us that they have it at $20,000, but he can get us into it for $15,000. We say no thanks, and leave to go to another dealership. On our way out, we decide to call the Riverton Hyundai people just to see how much they tell us the car is. Lo and behold, they are asking $12,000. Seriously? Did they other sales person think we were stupid? It ended up being the car we purchased, but I was just so mad a the Larry Miller guy. To almost double the price and then act like he could get us a good deal? I understand they work on commission, but to blatantly lie . . . well, it is over, and I am liking my car so far. But do NOT go to the LHM dealerships.

Here are some recital pics:

Boys and Brats

I had the opportunity to go to Ciara's preschool on Friday.  They encourage parents to come in a help in the classroom throughout the year, so I thought I would go (Ciara had been begging me to come with her, and I was able to get Rocky to watch Caden so I could go).  One of the first things they do is play outside in the playground.  While we were all outside, her teacher (Miss Mari Lin) started talking to me.  She said, "I don't know if you are aware, but we have a little problem with the boys and Ciara."  I told her that I knew that Nils and Cameron both were a little obsessed, and that there had been some problems with that.  She then goes on to tell me that it is not just those two boys, but all the boys in her class (there are six of them).  Apparently, they are all a little attached to Ciara, and are constantly fighting over her.  Luckily, Miss Mari Lin explained that Ciara is not encouraging it, nor does it seem to phase her.  After playtime, we went inside and I was given a first hand look at this obsession with my daughter.  As soon as the teacher called everyone over to the rug for circle time, the magic began.  Ciara wanted to sit with me, so we went to find a spot.  Immediately, all the boys circled around us.  ALL OF THEM.  There wasn't room around us for everyone, so they start to elbow each other so they could get closer to us.  Miss Mari Lin had to come and move everyone into their own space.  This happened every time the kids had to sit down.  The fight for who got to sit next to Ciara would commence, Miss Mari Lin would have to move everyone, and then if someone got up for some reason, another boy would take their spot.  It was a little crazy.  I started to worry, especially when the teacher started to say that her daughter was the same way, and that it didn't change as she got older.  I was prepared to deal with boys as she got older, but this young?  Maybe it is just this class.  Perhaps next year at kindergarten she will escape the notice of the boys. 

One other thing I noticed was another little girl.  Ciara had mentioned her before, about how she doesn't share, and she isn't very nice.  I will call her "Pam."  From the moment Pam came in, she was just plain mean.  She was hitting and pushing the other kids, and she refused to do what the teacher asked.  The thing that was most upsetting to me was what happened during our coloring time.  I was sitting at the coloring table where the kids were making their pages.  At one point, Pam and 3 other girls were sitting at the table.  Pam starts whispering to the girl next to her.  She then states (in a really snotty voice) that she is making a club with the girl next to her, but the other girls aren't invited because they aren't popular.  She then starts to taunt them, and just kept saying how popular she is, and they can't come to her house, only popular people can.  I was so shocked!  A 4/5 year old talking about being popular?  What is she learning at home?  Is she getting this stuff from her parents, and older sibling, or TV?  Either way, I just had a flash of her in 10 years as one of the "Mean Girls" of high school.  Then I got worried for my kids.  Is it too much to hope that they can just be nice people, not popular, not picked on, just nice, good kids?  Are any kids like that anymore?

All in all, it was a very entertaining day at the preschool.

Breathe

Monday I took Caden to see a Kinesthesiologist (or Voodoo Dr as I like to refer to him as).  Caden has been on 3 prescriptions daily for a long time now, and I am hoping to get him on something more natural.  (For those of you unaware, Caden is being treated for asthma.  They have not diagnosed him as "asthmatic" but they just treat it like that.  This is something we have been dealing with since he was 6 months old.)  The "Doctor" just did some strange things (pushed on my arm and touched his stomach and put lasers on his chest) but nothing invasive.  Then he gave us some homeopathic drops to give Caden.  Well, Monday night was awful.  Caden was up all night coughing and struggling to breathe.  I thought, "Kind of strange that the day I see the voodoo doctor we start having all these problems."  I didn't think it was a direct result, but still a little weird that it happened the same night.  Last night was fine.  He coughed a little, but slept well.  

Tonight is a different story.  Again, he can't sleep because he can't breathe.  He is fine during the day.  He played soccer today, no coughing.  But the moment he falls asleep, he has coughing fits that last 10-15 minutes.  We have the humidifier going in his room full blast.  We have taken him outside to help calm the breathing down, but it just isn't cold enough to help.  I feel so helpless when he can't breathe.  I was holding him outside tonight just looking as his sleeping face.  He still looks like my baby, but he is almost too big for me to hold now.  The number one reason that I need to leave SLC is for his health.  The air here is so bad, I KNOW it is making him worse.  Even the doctor suggested moving.  

I hope this natural stuff works.  I really don't want my son on steroids, but if we keep having nights like this, I don't think we have much of a choice.  

Things To Be Grateful For

Today, I am grateful for Method Toilet Bowl Wipes.  When you have a 3 year old boy, these wipes are a necessity.  I don't know what I would do without them.  Caden is usually pretty good about aiming, but occasionally he goes WAY off.  I mean not even in the bowl.  All over the floor and the wall.  But with these handy wipes, it doesn't take that long to clean up.  I can't imagine what I would do without these handy little wipes.  

Yesterday we attended a Real Salt Lake soccer game.  It was really fun, besides the fact that we lost.  The kids had a good time as well.  Caden has been playing soccer and was interested in how the "Daddy's" play soccer.  We did have a good time.  

And snow cone season has begun!  I will have to do another post dedicated to this, since I live for snow cone season.  

Good News!

Rocky passed his final test!  For those of you that don't know, Rocky has had to pass 9 tests in order to become a licensed architect.  No, the Bachelor's degree isn't enough.  Neither is the Master's degree.  After both of those, you have to work many hours in order to be eligible to take the tests.  Then you have to pass 9 of them.  And if you fail one, you have to wait 6 months before you can retake it.  We got the letter last night that he passed the last one, and that he is now eligible to be licensed.  Wahoo!  I know he must be thrilled, but as the wife who has been through this with him (I have been there throughout all the degree's and tests, and the kids have been there for a lot of it too) I finally feel like the studying and tests are OVER!  Good job, Honey!

What Do I Want To Smell Like?

I hope that many of you have decided to go into Goldsmith Jewelers and get your free pearl necklace!  If that goes well, then I may get invited to other events and have more free stuff for you.  So please help me (help you).

I have been on another perfume hunt.  For some reason, I love perfume.  My mom has never worn it, so I don't know where this obsession comes from.  I try to find my "signature" scent (the one scent that is a staple and that when other people smell it will think of me).  But every time I finish one bottle, I find a new scent that I like better than the last.  I also notice that my perfume can vary depending on my mood.  So in the quest for a new smell, I thought I would tell you all what some of my past favorites have been.  Maybe someone else out there knows what my perfect perfume would be.  If you do, let me know!  

1.  Laila by Guir Ness

 This was one of my first grown-up perfumes.  I used the Bath and Body works stuff, and the Body Shop stuff for many many years. (My smell of choice in high school was Vanilla. Not the flowery vanilla you find today, but true vanilla. I wish I could find it again).  I found Laila at Nordstrom on accident.  My Aunt likes to spray random perfumes on me as we walk through the department.  One day she sprayed this on me, and I really liked it.  I used it for about 3-4 years.  I tried to get it again, and I still like it, but there are just so many good smells that I found another one to replace it.

2.  Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel

When we took a trip to NYC after I got married, I knew that I wanted to do some shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue. I decided to sample some perfumes while I was there.  That is where I found this one.  It will always remind me of NYC, but I haven't worn it since.  It has a kind of strange (to me) base that I just couldn't get over.  I like the top notes, very floral, but after a while I just got sick of it.  NYC is also wear I first discovered No. 5 (which will be mentioned later.)

3.  Ginger by Origins

This was my pregnancy perfume. I couldn't wear any of my other favorites while I was pregnant because the smell of them made me want to vomit. But this warm fragrance worked. I still have a huge bottle of it, and I have tried it since my last pregnancy, but it just doesn't have the same appeal.  I still enjoy the smell, but not all over me anymore.  The bath stuff I still like, and I don't mind ginger shower gel, but having the perfume of it it just a little too intense.  I do recommend it for pregnant people!

4.  Light Blue by Dolce and Gabana

I found this one in Denver. Rocky and I were at the Cherry Creek Art Festival which happens to take place right outside the Cherry Creek Mall (best mall ever if you ask me).  I sprayed a few perfumes on me while we walked around the festival, and I drove Rocky crazy asking him to smell different parts of my arm and tell me which one he liked best.  I eventually picked this one, and really enjoyed the citrusy scent.  There is another scent that I found that is very similar to this, but I can't remember what it is called.  My sister likes it, but she doesn't think the two are similar.  I think she just can't smell.

5.  Bright Crystal by Versace

(Currently wearing).  This was my last find.  I love how feminine it smells.  But I am almost out.  So begins my perfume search.  I smelled all the other Versace's since I have enjoyed this one so much.  I really like Versace Signature.  I am hoping to receive this for Mother's Day.  So if you know me, and this I smell not so great, then I should probably stay away from Versace.  I have noticed that some fragrances do not do well on my skin.  My husband really like "Lucky You" by Lucky Jeans, but it turns sour on me.  Not sure why.  

Honorable Mention:  Chanel No. 5 is also in my closet right now.  I got this for Christmas many years ago.  I only wear this on special occasions.  It is such a heavy scent that I can't wear it during the day.  But I still enjoy it.  

From Logan to Provo

Thursday was a busy day. It started off with me getting the kids ready for a road trip. My BFF Tiina was up in Logan watching her brother's kids, so we decided to drive up to see her. It wasn't too long of a drive, but the kids started to get kind of antsy. We made it up there, and it was so fun to see her! There were lots of boys to play with, so Caden definitely had a blast. Ciara was a little lost, I think. But she still had fun. After some hours in Logan, it was time for us to leave. :( We ran into some traffic on the way home, but still made it to my sister's house before 6:30, which was when we needed to leave for Provo. So we hopped in the car and made our way to Provo. Truth is, the only place I have ever been to in Provo is the mall, and that was only because they had a REALLY good Nordstrom (we have since gained our own big, fancy Nordstrom, so I should have no more need of driving to Provo). Why, you may ask, were you going to Provo? Thanks to my blog (and to my sister with the connections), I was asked to go to a jewelry store to see this new product.

This new product is Pandora bracelets. They are a new kind of charm bracelet. The jewelry store that introduced me to these is Goldsmith Jewelers (located 120 N University Ave). They were all so nice there. They cleaned our rings, gave us food, showed us how they make jewelry, and best of all, gave us free stuff! We each got a free pearl necklace, and best of all, a free Pandora bracelet with a free charm. The picture you see above is a bracelet that is full of charms, so mine doesn't look that pretty yet. But it will one day. I have already circled all the charms I want from the catalouge. They also have a fun website (http://www.pandora-jewelry.com/) where you can actually build your own bracelet. I have spent many minutes (or possibly hours) making up bracelets that I would love to own. I would also love to make one for my daughter. I had a charm bracelet when I was little, but as I have grown up, it seems more juvenile. Pandora charms are much more adult and sophisticated (in my opinion) so I hope that it is something that she will enjoy when she gets older.

As a treat for all of you, here is a coupon for anyone to head down to Goldsmith Jewelers and get a free pearl necklace. So head to Provo, get your free necklace, and check out their Pandora stuff! (But you have to go there by 5/9, so hurry up!) Give the coupon to your husband so he can give you the necklace for Mother's Day, or use it to surprise your mom.

Free Necklace Coupon

Where Was I?

I really don't know what has been going on this past month. Usually I can post once a week or more, but lately I have not been on the computer. We had the birthdays, Easter, meetings, tests, staples . . . OK, when we last left off, I was going to check out another buffet. Golden Corral sucks. We all thought the food was awful (although they have a lot more of it than Chuck-a-rama). Rocky even had a feather left in his chicken. How does that happen? Then to top it all off, Caden tripped and fell, which resulted in 2 staples in his head. I still can't figure out how he fell so hard, but blood was every where, and I think we freaked out all the other patrons. He is better now, staples are out, but Ciara was very upset when this happened.

Tomorrow I am going to Logan to visit a good friend of mine (or BFF as I should call her) and can't wait! Then later in the day I will be making another trek down to Provo. It is going to be a busy day!

Also, I have registered Ciara for Kindergarten. I can't believe she is alreayd that old. I thought I would be all excited to have her out of the house every day, but I almost cried thinking about it. I am sure I will be more excited after it has happened. But still, she seems to young to be riding a bus.

And I finally moved both kids out of car seats. Yes, Ciara was 5 and still in our Britax. But now both kids have boosters. I got the Recaro ones, and I will have to let you know how I like them.

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Birthday Madness!

Yes, I have been missing for a while. April is a crazy month for us. We kicked it off with Caden's birthday. For his dinner, we decided to introduce him to Chuck-a-rama. Since this kid loves to eat, we figured it would be a natural combination.

And it was. He ate about 8 bowls of yogurt and applesauce at the same time. As you can see, he had a spoon in each hand and was as happy as can be. He is definitely my special boy!

What we didn't count on was the other child falling in love with the buffet. Ciara was in love with the desserts and hot chocolate. So she has decided that is where she wants to go for her birthday. After talking with some buffet buffs, they have all directed me to go to Golden Corral. Apparently it is much better than Chuck-a-rama. We will see.

You might not be able to tell from this picture, but we did cut about 6 inches off Ciara's hair. It was all her idea. I kept trying to talk her out of it, but she insisted that she wanted short hair. So we did it, and I almost cried as I saw all the hair come off. But it looks really cute, and it can always grow back.

Caden got a big boy bike for his birthday, and it sucks that there is too much snow on the ground now for him to ride it. He has ridden it every day that was sunny, but now it is in the garage for a little while. Maybe this weekend. I cannot believe how big the kids are getting. It is just crazy. I know all parents say this, and now I know why. I will have to post more pictures of Easter and birthday parties later. Things should slow down soon!

Customer Service

This past Tuesday, I was on a mission to get the kids some shoes for Easter. I have already acquired their clothing, and thought it was time to get the shoes, being that Easter is only a few weeks away. Ciara needed brown dress shoes to go with her dress. I usually get their shoes at Nordstrom, but have been made fun on since that sounds a little extravagant. This time I decided to check out some of the cheaper stores. I first went to Payless. They do not have any brown dress shoes. Then I went to Khol's. Again, no brown dress shoes, but some cute brown sandals that might be good for summer. I looked at the price, and they are $25. But I couldn't find Ciara's size. I also looked for Caden, but again, nothing. Either they didn't have his size, or they didn't have what I was looking for. Then we went to Famous Footwear. I have to say, I was quite disappointed in their selection. Mostly, they had tennis shoes, which is not what my kids need right now. I finally decided to go and check out Nordstrom. The new kids shoe department has this great fish tank with a coloring table right in front of it. The kids were in heaven. And Ciara loves shoes. She kept picking out new ones to try on. I found some really cute patent brown ballet flats for Ciara, and some stylin' skater type shoes for Caden. Of course, they didn't have their sizes. But the great thing about Nordstrom is that if they don't have it, they will find it and ship it to your house for free. Ciara shoes showed up on Friday. I had to hide them because she keeps putting them on. Caden's will be here in the coming week. The ballet flats were so hard to fit. They need to be somewhat tight so that they stay on the feet, but I hate buying shoes that fit so well, since they won't fit for long. Plus, Ciara has a really slim foot. We had to buy her ballet and tap shoes in a slim size. And most kids shoes do not come in a slim size. I decided to go a half size up on the flats anyway, so she can (hopefully) wear them through next year. The sales lady gave me some things to put in Ciara's new shoes to keep them on her feet (think Petals). She gave me 2 different kinds free of charge. That is why I shop at Nordstrom. Yes, some of their shoes are a little ridiculous (no, my kids do not need designer brands), but they do have great deals, and they really take care of me. Caden's shoes were only $5 more that they Payless or Khol's brand, and I would rather pay the $5, and have a better quality shoe and great service. So for those of you that think I am frivolous in shopping at Nordstrom, I no longer care. I love Nordstrom! The following day, I took all 3 kids (my 2 plus my nephew) to Albertsons to do some grocery shopping. It wasn't so bad with all kids. They were quite well behaved. I was having some difficulty finding things on my list. I couldn't find thermometer covers (we have one of the ear thermometers, and it needs the covers to work). I first asked at the pharmacy, and they said to check the baby aisle. Nope, not there. I gave up. We were checking out, and the check-out lady asked, as always, "Did you find everything you need today?" They always ask this, and I have always replied, "Yes." This time, I told her that I could find the covers. I thought she would just direct me to a different aisle, and I would have to come back and check out later. But someone else was sent on the search for me. Unfortunately, they didn't' carry them, but she suggested some other stores close by that would most likely carry them. I was quite pleased with the help. When we got to the car, Caden decided he didn't want to get in. I still have a basket full of groceries, and am trying to get all 3 kids in, and he throws a fit. Great. But one of the bagger/can-i-help-you-to-your-car? guys comes to my rescue. He came over, introduced himself (Adam), tried to calm down Caden, and loaded all my groceries in the car. I wanted to hug him. Just when I start to think that customer service is a dead language, I have a good week.

Disney on Ice

Yes, we went to Disney on Ice. Just Ciara and I. We had front row seats, which was really fun. Ciara was just mesmerized by the whole thing. She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time. She was thrilled because Lilo waved at her, and Tinkerbell blew her a kiss. Also, Nana (the dog from Peter Pan) came right up to us. She thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Here is Ciara with my Aunt Rhonda. Her and her daughter came with us. We all had a blast!

Here is Captain Hook and the pirates. Ciara was worried that he was going to steal her snow cone, so we had to hide it under our seats.

Here is Nana, wanting some attention.

Karma

So the funeral is over.  It was considerably sad, but I hope that the healing process can now begin.  I titled this Karma, because I have a small update.  After my FIL was so rude, he had a small incident.  He was having his lunch in his car in a Home Depot parking lot (this sounds strange, but he does this quite regularly) when he started to fall asleep (also quite normal for him).  He says he felt some one hop in the back of his truck, so he woke up and ran out to see what was going on.  There were 2 guys stealing one of his saws.  He chased them, and caught up with them but they threw him to the ground.  He was hurt, not seriously, but enough that he has been sore for a while.  I feel bad that this happened.  But my first thought was that karma will get you every time.  He has since let the dogs sleep at their house with my SIL, but they have to stay somewhere else during the day.  

On another note, I went to the new Nordstrom yesterday.  It is beautiful.  It is large, and pretty, and they have so much stuff.  I could spend hours in there.  But I didn't have time.  I found an Easter outfit for Caden.  This sounds easy, but since Rocky has banned all sweater vests, this is harder than it sounds.  I had to find something that did not require a vest, and most Easter outfits for boys are all about the sweater vest.  I found one, and Rocky has approved, so mission accomplished.  

One other interesting thing happened.  On Wednesday at the gym there was an incident.  For those of you not in Utah, we had some pretty serious wind on Wednesday.  As I went out to get in the car to leave, I noticed a car parked at a weird angle to mine, blocking me.  I went back inside to find out what was going on, and it turns out that the wind had blown a car out of it's parking place and across the lot into the car next to me, just brushing mine.  The worst part was they couldn't find the owner, so no one could move the car.  And I had to pick Ciara up from school.  I talked to the manager of the gym, and was very disappointed in him.  He basically said, "Well, there isn't anything we can do.  Sorry."  And then left.  That was it.  I was really upset by that.  I called the police, and they came out.  I felt really bad for the people parked next to me, and they got almost all of the damage.  I had a small scrape on my bumper, but as soon as I was able to leave, I took off so I could get Ciara.  I still have no idea whose car it was.  Ciara's school was great, they just let her play until I was able to get there, but I still felt so bad.  I wonder what this says about my karma . . .

More Than Sadness

I have been thinking about this for the last few days. There have been just too many thoughts bouncing around in my head, and I need to get them all out. I don't have a journal, so this suffices. If you do not want to read about depressing things, then do not read this. Also, many of you know my in-laws, and if you don't want to know more about them, then stop reading. I am not trying to judge anyone, but I am angry and confused. Wednesday evening, my sister-in-law's boyfriend committed suicide. Even typing this now makes me feel like ice is running through my veins. They had been together for a really long time (about 6 or 7 years, on and off for the past 2 years, but on for the last couple of months). There are just so many questions left after this. I don't want to post any details of it, because it is just too morbid. I will just talk about what happened after. My sis-in-law (SIL from here on out) is destroyed. I think that is the only way to describe her. I don't know how she will get through this, but I know she can. He did leave a note, and from what I have heard, he blames his dad. I know his dad was really hard on him, and expected a lot. But I feel so awful for both his parents. Being a parent myself, I can't imagine going through this, and feeling responsible. No one deserves this. I know I didn't know him well, but he was so nice. He was always polite, and played with the kids and always seemed to smile. He had so many friends, and his facebook page has been flooded with condolences. I just hope he is happier where he is now. During this, I have lost respect for my father-in-law (FIL now). The night it happened, my SIL showed up to stay at their house with the dogs (her and her boyfriend had 2 dogs together, which he was keeping). My FIL doesn't say anything nice, no "I'm sorry." Instead, he decided to throw a little fit because she has the dogs. My mother-in-law did put her foot down and let the dogs stay there. But my FIL was so angry, he didn't talk to his own daughter in the midst of her desperation. He didn't talk to her for over a day. Not until my mother-in-law made him, and even then all he could mutter was, "I'm sorry." Even when she was sitting on the couch sobbing, he couldn't get off his own chair to comfort her. I know he has these angry moods, where he is just mad at everyone, but to not be able to see past yourself to you own child who has been destroyed is beyond my comprehension. I have always tried to make excuses for him in the past, but I am beyond excuses now. My mother-in-law and I have had our differences, and I know she will always say things that make me cringe inside, but I have to respect her for trying to get her husband to be the dad. She is doing what she can with what she knows. It may not be the right thing, but she is trying, which is more than I can say for my FIL. I saw my SIL today, and she seems to be getting by. She does look empty, and just said, "I still don't believe it, it doesn't seem real." I can't even imagine what the next few weeks, months and years will look like for her. She has been very involved with his mom planning the funeral, and I think that has helped. She was able to see him yesterday and said he looks peaceful. I hope his spirit is also peaceful now. And I hope that she will also find peace one day. The obituary will be in the paper tomorrow, and I will post a link when I am able to.

OK, here is the obituary:  Zac

Work, and Birthdays

I know that I said I was going to blog about the octuplet lady, but I just can't.  I am so sick of hearing about her, that I don't want to add to it.  I will say she seems a little crazy, and I feel bad for all those kids.

I have been thinking a lot lately about going back to work.  Yes, I kind of work now, but I work maybe 10 hours per week.  I just like to imagine all the monetary benefits of me working.  Plus, it would keep me busy so I wouldn't be tempted to spend money.  (When I get bored I tend to buy things).  But I worry about the kids.  My current job allows me to bring the kids with me, which is great for the amount of hours I work.  However, it might get more difficult trying to bring them with me more.  I don't think they would like being there for 5 or 6 hours straight.  Ciara is starting kindergarten in the fall, which means she will be gone every day.  (I can't believe she is that old).  I just wish I had picked a better major.  Why didn't I do nursing when I had the chance?  

I am also trying to find a fun place to have the kids' birthday party.  I am not having it at home, so I have been looking at different places.  I think my top 2 are Young Chefs Academy, or Bouncin' off the Walls.  If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know!  

Too Busy

What is going on? I thought things were meant to slow down in January, but I am still so busy and February just started. I am gone every night this week, which I HATE. I haven't been very good at keeping this blog updated. I do have a topic I am working on right now, but I want to get all my facts straight before I start to rant (this has to do with octuplet woman). Meanwhile, I have been reading like a mad woman. In the past month, I have read the Harry Potter series, the Twilight series (twice), 19 Minutes, Revolutionary Road, Wicked, and am now on to Left to Tell. This last book is a must read for EVERYONE. It tells the story of a survivor of the Rwanda Holocaust. It is a true story of how she survived by hiding in a tiny bathroom with 6 other women for 91 days. They never left the room. It is such an incredible story, and I encourage everyone to read it.

25 Random Things

Whenever I am away from my computer, I have so many things that I think about blogging. As soon as the computer goes on, I forget all of them. So why am I writing? I think I will just repost something from my facebook page. For those of you that read it, sorry. This is a repeat. But for the rest of you, enjoy! 1. I was in 5th grade twice, but graduated High School when I was 17 (blame in on going to school in 3 different countries). 2. I get a little obsessive when reading. I can't put a book down, and I don't rest until I am finished. 3. My feet grew 1/2 size after having 2 kids (6 1/2 to 7). 4. I don't run, but am interested in training for a marathon. 5. I recieved the calculus and physics award in High School. 6. I didn't learn to drive until I was almost 17, and didn't drive regularly until after High School. 7. I danced classical ballet until I was 18. 8. I HATE tomatoes, but love its products (salsa, spaghetti sauce, ketchup). 9. For about 5 years of my life, I had a British accent. 10. I have a great memory for random facts. 11. I have had 6 or 7 friends get divorced in the past year. 12. My first major was Biology (I was PreMed). 13. My last major was Spanish, and I did finish it. 14. I am constantly thinking of going back to school to be a nurse (if I had the time and money to do it). 15. I played piano until my 2nd year of college. 16. I also played the flute and french horn (but not for that long). 17. I love to sing. I am not very good, but I like to imagine that I am on Broadway. Musicals are my favorite to sing to. 18. I have honestly never tried any drugs. Not even pot. Not sure why, all my friends did. But I didn't. 19. I streaked once in college across campus. It was about 3 in the morning, and there were about 8 of us in just our shoes. 20. I went to Mardi Gras when I was in college. That is all you need to know about that. 21. I have travelled all over the world, to random places like Kenya, Singapore, Tahiti, and Dubai. 22. I actually like math. 23. I hate to ski. 24. I worry about raising my kids in Utah. 25. I want to loose 20 more lbs, but I love food too much to do it.

Obama in the Jury Room

Today I had jury duty. I was dreading this for so long. For those of you that don't know, the last time I had jury duty, I was put on a trial that lasted 3 days. I was also 7 months pregnant, with a 1 year old at home. It was a horrible experience. Luckily, today, they settled out of court, so we were all released. While waiting, the coordinator put the inauguration on his laptop so we could all watch. It wasn't my ideal place to watch this historical event, but it was kind of neat to see everyone clap after he was inaugurated, and to see how much attention we were all paying to his speech. Yay for Obama! And where have I been this past week? I don't know why I haven't been blogging. I must have been busy. I did go and visit a good friend of mine in Ft Worth. I had the best time! I was so sad to leave Tiina, and hope to visit again. We ate so much food (and I tried Taco Bueno, and don't get what all the fuss is about). Mainly, we just talked and talked and talked. Do you all have friends where it doesn't seem to matter how long you have been apart, but you seem to pick up right where you left off whenever you do get together? Tiina is like that for me. I hadn't seen her in almost 2 years, but it didn't seem that way. I still miss you Tiina! I was also introduced the "Flight of the Conchords" while in TX. I will post you a clip from "Business Time" which makes me laugh every time I watch it.

Hoes Gotta Wash Their Clothes Too.

So there was this show on when I was in college called Sifl and Olly.  Most people have not heard of it.  So much so that I was starting to believe that I had imagined the whole show.  But I have found proof on UTube.  Here are some of my favorite clips: