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This is the new office chair that now takes up more room in my cherished office.  The chair sits so high that it doesn't fit under my desk and because it is not fabric, my bum sweats...  I still love it as it is very, very comfortable!!!

Dan's birthday is seven days after mine.  He was born seven days after me.  I am seven days older than he is.  He loves this week.  He takes great joy in teasing me and calling me old ~ but just for this week!

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You say it's your Birthday...

well it's my birthday too!  I just don't think a woman over the age of 25 has any reason to celebrate...  I also feel guily after spending the weekend away from my family on our girls trip to St. George.  This is the last picture I have from our trip home:

It is some crazy kind of mash up car that I thought Seth would love!

I thought you all would love the new way I have been doing Chloe's hair.  It is long enough to curl!

I got these decorations while in St George.  I loved Krumpets and

love finding things for my house for the holidays

Or for the kids!  I loved these sparkly blue star fish like sandals for Chloe!

After getting Chloe off to school, I made some fabulous cheese cake for dessert tonight.  I had already bought the berries and glaze like the last time!!!  I didn't sleep very well and wanted to take a nap before she got home from kindergarten, but Seth and I started to shred.  We shredded all of my old paperwork that I had been hording!  We took a nice afternoon nap and then I soaked in my jacuzzi tub {by myself} for almost an hour before getting ready to go out and celebrate my birthday with the family!!!

The kids wished me happy birthday first thing, they sang me various birthday songs and I got oodles and oodles of birthday drawings.  After going out to dinner we went to the office store and picked me out a new office chair.  The kids like to climb up onto mine and I let them because they promise to give me a neck rub or to massage my back...  All of the climbing has caused an arm to detatch, but no more!!!  I picked a chair that's arms were attatched to both the seat and the back parts of the chair.  We savored our cheese cake and watched Dan put my chair together.  I teased about how much funiture he has put together for me lately after swearing he would never do it again.  And then I teased about how many times he can put the same piece of furniture together without reading instructions!!!  He thought it was an opportune moment to let me know that the kids really shouldn't sit on the arms of this new chair because it is just a few screws attatched to the arms that are holding the entire thing together!  Happy Birthday to Me!

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More St. George

On Saturday we woke up for a big breakfast which included many plates of stuffed strawberry pancakes.

Rebecca, Niary, Mekael

Cindy, Andrea & Me:

After breakfast we has some awesome pedicures {Both with and without fungus}!

Then more shopping!!!

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Pictures from Goblin Valley

These are the only pictures that Dan took of them while they were on their fishing trip.  They did end up spending more time playing on the beach then even attempting to fish ~ poor Dan!

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Girls Trip to St. George

Self portraits in the car!  It got a little scary when Makael was taking the shots while she drove...

Portraits with our new boyfriend at Poncho & Lefty's:

I think Lefty like Andrea best!

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Lake Powell or Bust!

Here they are all ready to go.  Dan, Chloe and Seth left today, just after Chloe got home from school.  They were planning to sleep the first night at goblin valley and he had them all scared about the goblins coming to life!  She would ask me, "Mommy are the goblins real?"  What do you think, Chloe ~ I think they're rocks.  After Dan chastized me over spoiling his fun he convinced them that the Goblin rocks turn to life at night!!!  "Is this true mom?"  I don't know I've never been there...

Up until this point they think I am going with them.  They don't know that months ago my friends and I planned to get away for the weekend and just relax and have fun with out our offspring(s).  My sisters and brother and their families had changed the plans for a week at the sand dunes.  They moved it to this weekend but I stand strong and wish them a fun trip.  I still think it is cruel of Dan to decide to not sit around and miss me.  He actually has the nerve to plan his own vacation while I'm away!

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More Photo Shoot

I loved this shot because it shows their heights in comparison:

I hated this photo obviously because of the little stuffed rats the photographer insisted on letting them play with.  They also made silly faces and stuck their tongues out at each other.  They were given a choice and I couldn't sway them away from this one...  It will be just for them!

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Spring Outfits

These are just the first of the pictures we had taken at Target:

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Weekend Report

On Saturday we woke up early and caught the sun rise. Unfortunately that's all we caught!!!

It was really chilly but very beautiful ~ I had a nice nap...

We got home and Dan started working in the yard, getting it all ready for spring. He was mowing and trimming, fertilizing and weeding. He was watching the kids as they made chalk drawings and jumped rope. Two ladies approached him from across the street. They told him that they had purchased the bench sitting on our neighbors’ front porch. They wanted to leave the $5 on the porch but were afraid it would blow away. They asked Dan if he would be willing to give her the money when she got home. He teased, "How do you know I'll give her the money?" and they looked at him kind of weird...

When our neighbor got home, Dan ran across the street to give her the money and she said, "What bench, I'm not selling a bench!" She used to have a very nice $200 bench that {Dan's description} a 60 and 40 year old, respectable looking set of women took off with. He feels so bad...

I had to wonder were my own 60 year old mother was on Saturday afternoon???

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Do you remember this guy?

This past week has been kind of blaugh...  Spring break with a winter storm just isn't any fun.  I had plans to go up to Bear Lake with the kids and spend some time chillin' and relaxin'.  I don't know why chilling and relaxing at home just isn't the same but there you go!  Luckily, I have been sleeping in all week!  Actually I wake up at 7:30 and then snuggle in Dan's blanket, then fall back to sleep.  There is no need to get Chloe ready for school, the kids can fix themselves breakfast {usually includes chips of some kind}, and Dan is off to work.  Yeah, Spring Break...

Sadly there has been a reason I haven't been snapping photographs of any kind: 

This is what I look like {Minus the beard and shoes ~ Of Course!!!}

I have a stye in my left eye and it is little and barely noticeable but it hurts.  It hurts when I wear makeup.  It hurts when I walk in front of a mirror and notice it.  It hurts the worst first thing in the morning when I have sleepy eyes.  It hurts when I wink and/or blink ~ depending on which eye I wink with.  I have been utilizing my little nurse Chloe.  She brings me a hot wash cloth to press onto my eye.  She gives me comforting advice like, "Why don't you just pinch that zit on your eye?"  She also has taken in upon herself to take some pictures for our blog.

She was the first to finish cleaning her room today. 

She posed all of her babies on her bed and talked Seth into a photo shoot:

This is the face that was torturing me while we were at Target last week

getting Spring photo's taken.  He wouldn't stop with this cheesy smile:

P.S. I was able to pick up my fixed car last night from the auto body shop.

It is all repaired and looks great! 

P.P.S. I should be able to get my pictures from Target tonight!!!

I hope we'll be able to get some outdoor pictures in their Spring outfits ~ maybe for Mother's Day.

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Round 2

I tried to get this picture of the kids racing into Jenn and Nates basement on the hunt for easter eggs.  The fear of self preservation took over and I got out of the way!!!  Although the snow prevented us from having a traditional get together in Spring, with flowers blooming and green grass... aaaugghhhghhh!!!  I'm not bitter, the snow will melt and it will be spring again...

Chloe and Harlie posing with their Blue Malt Egg Smiles!!!

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Easter

I'm so glad that Jeanette was able to bring the chicks for pictures this year.  I love the little fluffs of feathers and the kids' excitment and nervouseness when they are brave enough to hold them.  The yellowest chick kept pooping on Chloe and she decided she was done and would rather jump on the tramp any way! 

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Saturday's Sessions

I am so glad that Wendy is letting me have the Easter Egg Hunt at her house for my turn to host F.H.E.  Although it is such a releif to not have to have my house ready for tomorrows big day, I still feel like I have too much to do.  I appreciate that conference has fallen on Easter weekend but I don't have the luxery of sitting down and watching the bretheren.  I usually like to take notes so that I stay alert and awake.  Today I decided to remain standing {That should do the trick} but just in case my eyelids started to droop, I muscled my way through Sugar Cookies, Easter Cup Cakes, Sting of the Bee Cup Cakes, 2 batches of Strawberry Jam, and 3 Lasagna's!

The beautiful Jam:

Sting of the Bee as individual cup cake servings

{before the butter cream and rapsberry jam in the middle}:

Tomorrow I have to frost everything and make the rolls for our Easter dinner, oh yeah, and prepare my lesson for FHE...

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Coloring Easter Eggs

In years past they have rushed through the eggs as quickly as possible. Because of their impatience and/or speediness most of their beauties ended up the same color. Not wanting to stop they just kept switching dyes and {happily more Seth than Chloe this year} many of the eggs were a lovely shade of gray. In years past they have been so fast that I didn't get my fill for the year’s annual tradition...


This year I bought just enough eggs and we prepared three dozen. We lost a few in the boiling process but even with those mishaps, Chloe, Seth and I each had almost 11 eggs to decorate. I divided them up and gave each person their own egg carton to keep everything kosher. Once all of the dye was distributed and counted out ~ just right, we actually started out slow! But if you look at some of Seth's eggs, there are two that are getting very gray... I did have to give up a few of my eggs. Seth kept getting confused and would mistakenly take one of Chloe's eggs that were soaking for a darker, deeper shade... To keep the peace, I sacrificed some of my own eggs and their last chance for Easter egg beautification. But that's what Easter is all about.

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More Projects

So I've added the pom pom ribbon to the first canvas.  What do you think?  I also found this little monster bin at target on clearence and thought he could hold our extra towels!  I love the pom poms on the hand towels!!!

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I Just Got the Call!!!

I just got off the phone with the Insurance Agent giving me the OK to get my car fixed. After the man rear ended me we had communicated about repairing my car. He asked me to get a couple of quotes. When I called him last Friday to give him the bad news I was only able to leave a message. I told him that it was approximately $1,000 in damage and that if he needed to go through his insurance, I would understand. And to please call me back, or I will continue on with the insurance company... He never called me and the weekend passed. I got a call Monday morning from this man's sister. He was in the hospital and they noticed my number on his cell phone a couple of times. She wanted to know who I was and why he was calling me. When I told her that He rear ended me last week while driving his mom's car and we were trying to make arrangements to get my car fixed she got really quiet. She then told me he has a drug and alcohol problem and attempted suicide over the weekend and is in the hospital, unconscious. Her mother had just gotten home and she asked her if she know that he had gotten into an accident with her car. The mom hadn't a clue.


I called the insurance company with the information he gave me and placed a claim against his mother’s car and insurance policy. They contacted the policy holder, she new nothing about anything and looked at her car, which received no damage, and said her car hasn't been in an accident.

When the insurance adjuster called me back she had a close version to the story I had been told. Apparently he decided not to tell his mommy that he borrowed her car and bumped into me and to get out of the situation he drunk himself into a stupor, called the cops on himself and was placed in rehab and will be unreachable for 90 days. Because no one could confirm my claims the insurance company was bound to wait until he could be contacted. They told the mother that if she is trying to say that he didn't have permission and access to drive the car, she would have to file a police report against her son. He did have access to drive the car and she didn't want to press charges... The agent left me a message letting me know that on Friday the mother would attempt to meet with him and get him to sign a statement so that I could move forward and fix my car.

I called her back with hopes for redemption. No one has called me a liar, but the entire situation is very fishy!!! I told this helpful woman that I have a message on my answering machine from the day after the accident. He called to again apologize, to make sure I still had his phone number (which matched the # on the insurance policy) and that he would make sure to get my car repaired. After she listened to the message and made her own recording she was excited that this might just work. After she finished up the recording for her file she told me that she had never experienced anything like this, with any claim, ever.

The message he left on my answering machine was viable for admission of guilt and I followed up the glorious call from the insurance company with the auto body shop and car rental place to drop my car off for repairs next week!!!

I guess I learned my lesson.  I will always contact the police to make sure an accident is not just a She said, He said accusation!  Dan was right, I was wrong.

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Finished Menu Board

I picked up the tin and vinyl at Wendy's ward's super saturday last year...  It is such a strange shape, I have had an impossible time finding a frame for it to fit in.  I have a super sister with a saw!  She made the board with stand and I painted it at the last make and take.  It has taken almost six months for this to be put into use.  So, so sad!  This is how I take on projects...  But, I am feeling inspired to tackle a few more that have been lurking in the cobwebs of my brain!

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