Tulip Festival

Today for my birthday I had a little outing to the the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival. Actually the "festival" is over but the tulips are still going strong and will probably just get better. The weather was amazing. Warm and pleasant and the slightest hint of pink on your arms at the end of the day. I don't know how many times I have been to the gardens - too many times to count and every time the kids and I love it. Special thanks to Aimee and her kids for always being up for an adventure at the gardens. Once again - I took my camera and did not take any pictures. How lame can I be?

I also had one of my favorite lunches from Rumbi's - South Seas Chicken Salad. Thanks Sunni. She was so nice to bring me lunch - we couldn't leave because my new kitchen table came today. It is beautiful and I am so excited to finally have it.

Today was a good day - so many nice phone calls and visits and thoughtful little gifts. Last year I think I cried half the day. So no tears today was a huge improvement. I finished out the day with a yummy Golden Veggie H at Hires with my family and our friends the Weeks. Maybe being 34 won't be so bad.

I shouldn't forget to mention that my kids made me a cute little present out of scrap wood in the garage that they glued together. Then they helped themselves to my wrapping paper and ribbons and did quite the job wrapping it all up.

--Also - Happy 1st Anniversary Angie and Klane!

--Oh and we saw Karen and Alan Ashton (founders of Thanksgiving Point) ??? around Thanksgiving Point on those cool Segways. What is the proper adjective for what you do when you are on a Segway - gliding, rolling, scooting?

Thank Heaven

How long has Cheesecake Factory been in Utah and we just haven't been brave enough to wait it out? Funny thing is - I don't even care about cheesecake - I was going for their food. Anyway, we finally went and dang it is good. The biggest problem is deciding from a book of options. The other two couples who came with us made it so much fun and they were all so willing to share a taste of their food. Now we know about more dishes to try. I can't wait to eat my leftovers and go back for another meal.

*I took my camera with me and then totally forgot to get a picture. Duh! I am not good a photo-documenting events. Something to work on.

**Oh- and thanks to Kenyon - He got there at 5 to get a pager and then we all showed up later so the wait wasn't quite so long. What a good husband. :)

Cancer Sucks!

Saturday night I got a terrible phone call from a friend who had heard that our mutual friend's little boy (5 years old) was at Primary Children's Hospital and had just been diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL). Lame. You immediately ask - why? How does a healthy little guy get this? But, we asked the same thing with Kenyon. It is so dumb! But, how grateful we are that there is such medicine and treatment out there that will get Jake and Kenyon into remission (eventually). It is going to be a yucky road for Jake and his parents but the prognosis is so good. And our friends are amazing people who are tough and can be strong through it all. You can check their blog for updates on their son. (Jake's mom is my friend that always takes our family pictures and she is incredible).


Yesterday Kenyon and I finally went to Huntsman Cancer Institute. We hadn't been there because when he was admitted to the hospital (St. Marks) we just took the dr. that was on call. He is a good, qualified doctor but more of a general oncologist rather than specialized in leukemia.


Hooray for Huntsman!
We had heard lots of great things and I finally tracked down a doctor that had more specialities in blood cancers/disease. He was great. It was a LONG appointment, though. Kenyon got there at 8 am and didn't get out of there until 2:30. I stayed with him until 11 when the kids were all needing me back at home.


Dr. Shami told us things we hadn't ever been told and he was very thorough. He took Kenyon into a bone marrow biopsy and should have results for us next week when we go back (that is much faster than our previous doctor). It wasn't all good news but he seems to have a plan and on top of what needs to be done. So we are switiching over to Huntsman.


I was talking to a friend the other day - are we just getting older or are more and more people we know having these health trials? I think it is a combination but it is pretty crazy how often we hear about people we know who are struggling with health issues.

Check this out!

So who doesn't hate going to the doctor - I have a doctor post coming but I just read this post on this funny blog. You have to read it. It is worth your time. The post is called "Paper Underpants" at The Meanest Mom blog. Hopefully you can't completely relate but who hasn't hated what paper covering they give you?

I'm It (It is a little long so skip it if you want)

I have been Tagged so many times and I was tagged again a week or so ago so I think I better do it - once and for all.

10 Years Ago

-I was a newlywed and I had just finished my 2nd semester in the masters program at the University of Utah in Teacher Ed. I actually had my best grades ever - especially considering the fact that I got married in the middle of that semester. Maybe not the smartest move -but it didn't seem to hurt my grades. Whew

-We lived in Draper, UT in our first house.

-The picture is of me golfing with Kenyon and some family at the golf course by the airport. I used to like to golf. I hope to get back into someday - but not now.

Things on my to do list Monday -

- Work on my lesson for Sunday

-Teach my cousin how to make a bag

-Make dinner for a new mom

-Get to the barbell class on time

-Survive with Kenyon out of town for two days - actually - more than survive - be productive

What would I do if I suddenly had a billion dollars -

-Obviously save a chunk of it for medical bills, college, missions, retirement, etc.

-Move and pay off the house we buy. -Actually before we buy a new house we will move to Italy for a year and just live and experience life. Live in a little villa. Maybe take in another year of London.

-Travel More - Greece (for Teague and me), Africa (Ghana, South Africa, Madagascar), Thailand (Kenyon would love to go back), Fiji, France, Prague, Jerusalem (again), I think I will stop there because all this dreaming isn't very helpful.

-Then the really fun part would be coming up with some creative ways to give. I have enjoyed catching bits and pieces of Oprah's Big Give and I love the idea. I liked the challenge of trying to give big in your own community. Finding creative ways to meet the needs of those around you. I have some good examples of people in my life who are so good at giving and it looks like so much fun.

-Of course, I would like a little wardrobe makeover. Nothing much just a little help (or you might think - a lot of help).

-The list goes on but a billion bucks ain't comin' so I will stop.

3 of my bad habits - Do I have to tell?

1 - I think I waste too much time avoiding the things I really need to do.

2 - I am not a good flosser. I hate it. I try but I stink at consistency.

3 - I am not patient (that is no news flash).

Places I have lived:

Salt Lake City (born here)

Seattle, WA (raised here)

Provo, UT (college)

Bountiful, UT (twice - college and building a house)

Jerusalem, Israel (BYU study abroad)

Moscow, Russia (taught English for ILP)

London, England (lived there with Kenyon - work assignment)

Draper, UT (first house)

South Jordan, UT (second house -and hopefully not our last one - even though I really love my neighbors)

Jobs I have had:

Lots of babysitting

Picking raspberries for a summer

Movie theater concessions

Montessori preschool - teacher assistant

BYU Chemistry Dept. secretary - best job ever!!

University of Utah teacher assistant and adjunct professor (I think that is what they called me - kind of silly - I co taught a class for a year)

Jr High Teacher - kind of

Assistant to the director of education and training at TenFold

Teacher at Sylvan Learning Center

5 Things (most)People don't know about me:

1 - I was in the high school marching band - played the clarinet and I was actually halfway decent but could not play a note if I had to now. It makes my mouth hurt just thinking about it. I had a dream that one day I would play in Harry Connick Jr's band. That would have been the best ever - but clearly I was not that good.

2 - I don't like pickles, tuna, milk, soggy food, avocados, olives, mushrooms, un-melted cheese, butter on my toast, and bananas. Probably, I am considered picky, but I don't think I am too bad. I make a variety of foods.

3 - I love clean and organized living spaces but I don't do it well. I don't know why I can't keep it up. It drives me crazy but it is never quite how I want it around here.

4 - I have seen Wild Hearts Can't be Broken, White Fang, Top Gun, Man From Snowy River - saw so many times I couldn't even count. (thanks mostly to Jul, Julianne, Julie, Becky and Annalise)

5 - The first boy I intentionally kissed was Kenyon - we aren't counting the guy my friends talked into kissing me on my 21st birthday. Sickness!

So that's all folks. Enough about me - I am tagging you. Courtney, Christina, Becky

Big Time

So my oldest boy - who is only 8 - gets to go to Fiji.
He will go with his cousins and an aunt and uncle. His cousin, Steve, plays for the BYU soccer team and they are traveling to Fiji to play the Fiji National soccer team. How cool is that? He gets to go - that is if he gets his passport in time. He is so excited. Of course, anyone who knows T - knows that his DREAM vacation is Greece. He had this awesome unit on Greek mythology and he is convinced that we need to take a trip there. I don't doubt that it would be a great trip, but just not really in the plans this year (or probably the next 10). He has even begged his grandma to take him there. He was telling me how excited he would be if he could see the temple of Athena or Zeus.
I wish I could make that dream come true. But the next best thing for him - Fiji. He can't stop thinking about it. He wants to pack today. He has a million questions so I can see that the next few weeks will be spent studying Fiji. Talk about jealousy at our house. We are all wishing that we could join him.


So today I checked T out of school to apply for his 2nd passport. He got his first passport when he was 2 months old so that we could move to London.
Of course, that has expired (I don't think that anyone would believe that they chubby little baby in the picture was him). We had to drive downtown but it was worth it because they seemed a little more efficient than the post office. T has made sure that we in every prayer we say that we plead that the passport makes it back in time for his trip to Fiji in 3 weeks! It is going to be close but I paid every possible expedite and overnight fee to make sure it happens.


Come on passport...make it in time. I love that he wants to travel.

Baptism Day

A little flashback and a some current..So above is a picture of the day I was baptized. My kids do not believe that is me or that that is their grandpa. We've changed a little.

Our little boy was baptized on Saturday. I can't believe that the day has already come and gone. He was so happy and excited. We worked so hard to get him prepared. We didn't quite reach our goal of completing the Book of Mormon but we are close and I think he has really loved the scriptures. He has been so motivated to read the whole Book of Mormon. He got his own set of scriptures on Saturday and spent most of Sacrament meeting looking up my favorite verses and marking them with his new yellow pencil. His grandfathers were witnesses and one grandma gave a talk and the other gave the prayer. He was baptized with 3 other boys that are in our ward so it was fun for them to be together. It is great to have good friends to help you along the way of choosing the right.

Afterwards - the craziness! Everyone came for treats and it was fun but crowded. If only the weather had been a little nicer than it could have been outside. It felt like the longest Sunday but it was a good day.

We want to keep Lucy

This is our little friend Lucy. We want to keep her - except she is very well loved and I don't think we could convince the parents to let her go - for very long. We did get to keep her for a day and she was so much fun and perfectly good. GCrew said, "Mom, I just can't stop looking at her. She is so cute." All of us agree. So anytime her parents want to lend her out, we are willing!!

FHE x7

Tonight Kenyon and I tried out parenthood and FHE on 7 children. My sister left her 4 kids so she could go to a volleyball game. Tempting to skip FHE tonight since there were seven under the age of 8. But, since I am teaching an Enrichment lesson tomorrow on FHE I couldn't exactly skip it. So, we did it. We had a very short lesson on John the Baptist (in preparation for the baptism on Saturday) and then my nephews taught my kids a new game - "What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?" It requires screaming and running as fast as you can. And plenty of giggles. It was pretty chaotic but everyone was happy and we successfully got them all in bed. I am not sure they are all asleep but they are in their rooms and doors are shut. I feel pretty good about that.

Healthy Snacks

My sisters have the cutest blogs. Kristine just shared her favorite healthy snacks. Good question. I am not good at healthy snacking. I will take chocolate covered cinnamon bears or a handful of chocolate chips with pretzels or cookie dough ANY DAY! But, healthy? I need to work on that. I'll let you know if I can change my ways. Do you have favorite healthy snacks?

How Lazy Can I Be?

What is wrong with me? I can't even think of anything to blog about. I have spent entirely too much time reading all your blogs. That is fun. But, I have been very unproductive. Hmmm. That isn't true. I have done really boring things like clean my pantry, clean my fridge, laundry, carpools, and a lot of episodes of Lost (we are currently working our way through Season 3). Today I took a spinning classes and a barbell strength class. My legs are killing me. I am dying to work on a project - I have a new bag pattern that I want to try and a two new quilt patterns. But that will be in a week. My sister is coming up from Cali and my mom is coming in from Seattle. I can't wait. It will be fun to have some family around. The kids can't wait to have their cousins right here in our house.

I do have a question - I have to teach an Enrichment lesson next week about Family Home Evening. Help? How do you do that? Do you have any good ideas? Successful family home evenings? Tips that make it work for you and yours? What motivates you? I will take anything. Or a creative way to present it? I want it to be fun - not boring like my Sunday lessons.

There you have it folks...I promise to be better.