So what have I been up to lately?

I've been kind of MIA lately. My sisters who I speak to (each of them) at least once a day haven't heard from me in a week. I feel like I feel off the face of the planet. When I think back I can't really tell you what I've been doing to entertain myself. So naturally I just turn on my camera and it will tell me. Since I take pictures of practically everything it is a good reminder for me. So this is what we've been doing.

We always do a little boating, it was so choppy that day! I could barely get a picture, but good for tubing!

Of course we used the big slide!!! It's been so hot lately that even mom got in on the action... let me tell ya! This this is so fun, check out the air I got! Good times!

We did the dinosaur museum again (without the crowds) it was a lot more enjoyable to be relaxed and low key.

She was building a life size dino and had to take a little break!

This is my little man measuring how tall he was. Almost as big as the dinosaur bone...almost

Diggin' in the sand. Yep... good times. Check out the new hairdo, I didn't love it in the beginning but it's starting to grow on me. It's a lot more work for mom. That's never a good thing.

These are a few of the things keeping me busy these days and off of the computer and the phone. Gotta pack in all the fun we can. Only 2 1/2 weeks left of summer.

What can you get for 15 bucks?

So 15 bucks.... what do you think you could get for that. Lunch for the kids at McDonald's. A gallon of gas, maybe! A couple of grocery's......

I'll tell ya what you could get if you were a savvy garage sale junky like myself. Here's what I got (I was gonna take a picture of all this but the kids dove right in and scattered them all throughout the house) So here's my list

1 new tricycle...excellent condition (pink and purple and perfect for Avery)
1 Helmet (so she doesn't scramble her brains while she learns to ride her new bike)
2 baskets (both have been spray painted already and put up for decorations)
15 kids books 4 of which are those cute pop up ones from Costco
1 little people tree house complete with people
1 Hungry Hungry Hippos board game. (We've had it for an hour and it's already been played 4 times)
1 snail teeter totter (the cute little ones you find at Ikea)
1 laundry sorter (the kind with 2 compartments to sort your lights and darks.... yah like my 4 year old is gonna do that! )
1 purple barbie car (convertible of course)
1 dinosaur the eats people and all sorts of things and roars while he does it.

Pretty sweet huh! I love yard sales. It makes me smile to know I can get stuff for .25 or a 1$ that the kids are gonna love. I love that I don't have to pay full price.

I mean lets face it. The second any brand new toy comes out of the box they are usually already hammered ( at least at my house they are) so I don't mind buying something already used that just needs a quick wipe down.

All in all it was a good yard sale day. 15 bucks well spent I'd say!

Spoiled..... Yep that's me!

Okay, in the last few weeks I've found out that I really LOVE having some time for myself. I am not one who shys away from something if I have to do it alone. But also... having said this I have to admit that there's is something about spending time with the girls. Growing up I had 3 sisters and that was enough girl time for me. I had a few select friends that I hung out with but for the most part I would rather be with the guys. Plain and simple, tell it like it is.... that is totally my style.

In the last few weeks I've come to appreciate the something special that comes from hanging out with a small group of girl friends. I was told by a friend that I've been spoiled lately with my extra amounts of me time. Whether that be hanging out with my hubby on some really great dates. Going to dinner with my old college roommates or doing some shopping with some old friends. I even went to see a movie with gals from the ward. It WAS SO FUN!!!!!

I guess what I'm trying to say is I do feel really thankful for all the extra time I've had lately for time to be me. Whether that be alone, with my spouse who I love, or the girls I adore. I think everyone deserves to be a little spoiled sometimes. It doesn't usually last long I am going to enjoy it while I can. To all the girls I named above thanks for showing me such a great time :)

Are your kids Driving you Crazy?

Are your kids doing a lot of this lately? Mine are! I'm really about to loose my mind. They fight and cry all the time. In general they are acting like a bunch of wild animals. So I decided to take them to see some animals in an attempt to tame them (if only for an hour). We headed over to farm country. It was really really fun.

We saw some crazy looking animals. Check this guy out. He was so strange looking I had to take his pictures. What's with the long neck and no feathers. The hard life of a rooster sure took its toll on this guy.

We fed and petted (is petted a word?) the an animals. The kids totally loved it, and mom loved the fact that for at least 5 whole minutes they weren't fighting.

Dylan was so brave. He showed no fear. He let the chickens and the roosters peck his fingers. He loved the HUGE Clydesdale horses. He even got his shirt eaten by a baby cow. (No pictures there, it took both of my hands to pry it out of his mouth! REALLY REALLY funny though!)

We ended the day with some pony rides

(He was a little nervous riding it all by himself. Excited to try..... but nervous none the less.)

(She liked it except when I took my hand off to take her picture. Then she wasn't so happy)

We even got new hats!!! Now they look like they belong on the farm! You think anyone will buy that and take them there to work for a few days? Yeah.... me neither DANG!!!

Nine Years and Counting

Nine years down and only an eternity to go (as my husband always says) It might bother me if he said this in anything but a joking matter. The truth is I am happier today than I was nine years ago on my wedding day. I couldn't have made a better choice picking someone to spend forever with.

These are a few of my favorite things that I love about him.

1. His makes me laugh every single day (either at him, or with him ) either way I'm good. I'm not picky : )

2. He is very patient -my dad used to lose his temper with 4 girls driving him crazy all the time, Michael is NOT that way no matter what stupid "girl" mistake I make.

3. He puts up with all my crap... no matter what crazy idea I come up with or where I want to drag him and the kids he always goes along with only minimal rolling of the eyes.

4. He's the first person I want to talk to or tell when I have BIG news.

5. He is such a GREAT dad. My kids are seriously lucky kids!

6. He works so hard so I can stay home with the kids. He would be willing to do anything to give me that option to stay home.

7. His is a really great friend. He treats me like he would any best friend. He is patient, respectful, and encouraging.

Thanks for all you do babe. I couldn't have picked someone more perfect for me if I had looked for hundreds of years. (Thankfully it didn't take that long!) I hope that I return the favor and make you as happy as you make me. Nine years and counting, only an eternity more to go.

Retail Therapy

You ever get the urge to change every single thing in your house? I'm sure I'm not the only one. It probably has something to do with the mid summer boredom that sets in or from being in the house 80 % of my life but regardless of the reason this is what I'm feeling this week.

My loving husband of... well actually 9 years tomorrow, is probably reading this right now and rolling his eyes or trying to hide his wallet somehow. Good luck with that honey :)

So anyway, I'm in need of some girl time and some accessory shopping. I'm well aware that changing everything is not an option, but some new home decor accessories can do wonders for a girls spirit.

So any takers.... who wants to grab a bite and peruse some boutiques and fun shops and have a completely girly night out? This offer is only extended to anyone who I will not have to ask if they need to use the potty, or I won't have to cut up their food so they can eat it. If you fit these very strict criteria.... come on let's go!

Thanksgiving Point Musem

I guess I didn't kill myself sufficiently over the weekend because Monday came and I was pretty antsy to get out. The kids would NOT stop fighting and me being well.... stupid thought that if we got out of the house for a bit they might not fight for about 2.5 seconds. Well I was wrong, but we did go out. We went to the dinosaur museum and I drug the rest of the neighborhood posse with me. I used to get together with moms all the time and do stuff like this but once you all have 2 kids or more it gets to be a little bit overwhelming.

So here they are. This is the "GANG" that hangs out together 24-7. Avery was not behaving nicely notice how she is sticking her bum at the camera? I am sure that was intentional! They are a fun little group!!!! But as all of you moms know you put nine kids together anywhere and there is bound to be drama.

I thought it would be a nice relaxing (non-busy) afternoon at the dinosaur museum. But Nooooo I had to pick the day they are celebrating their 8 year anniversary. I know how to pick 'em all right! It was fun because they had lots of extra stuff to do. But it was also very very busy!

Princess Haley went for a cute little flower on her cheek.

Big D went for a dino on the cheek! Notice how crappy the pictures look? I am learning how to shoot in manual with my camera. My very patient neighbor has been helping me. The lighting inside was tricky and apparently I didn't do very well. I put up my "bad" pictures so you could see how much better I will be doing in the future.

If you've ever been to Thanksgiving point you know the highlight of the whole trip is the sand and water tables and the digging for dinosaur bones at the end. And as always my kids loved these parts the best!

He loves this part with the water and the sand and the little dinosaurs. He would play here for hours... actually he has on past occasions. Just not today when his sister is screaming and running all over the place! (sorry dude)

It was way too busy for my taste and Avery was screaming 75% of the time but the kids had fun so I guess you would call it a success. Who cares if mom had fun anyway right?

Wow What A Weekend!

So we had an eventful weekend how bout you? First it was the 4th of July. Always a favorite around here! We didn't do much in the day. I know, I know, we should do all the parades and "stuff" but we went to McDonalds and let the kids play over breakfast and called it good.

We did have an all American BBQ at our house later that night and it was fun. This seems to have become somewhat of a tradition around here. BBQ then fireworks with all the neighbors. We should do a BIG fireworks show one day but we have so much fun at home what's the point?

Here are a few shots from the night.

Dylan L O V E D the sparklers. Of course he did. Someone hands you a stick of fire and tell you YEP ! You can play with it. Isn't that what little boys dreams consist of ?

Then we had the traditional gathering of neighborhood friends for our annual fireworks in front of the house! The kids love it. GOOD TIMES!

Then of course the next day was Avery's birthday. So we opened presents and went swimming and out for nuggets.

This is Avery's face when she opened her very own curious George AKA "unkey" doll that giggles when you tickle it. Needless to say she loved it.

She also got this! Her very own set of wheels! Too bad she has no idea what the handle bars are for. So sad..... she got her mother's sense of driving. You don't earn the nickname "crash Cozart" for nothing. Good to know the legacy still lives on!

Now.... all of you know that I had very grand intentions of birthday cakes for this little girls this year. However after days of partying I was just feeling kinda yucky, plus we had 2/3 of a giant chocolate cake( from Costco... need I say more?) left in the fridge from the night before. So we went for the easy way out. Cupcakes. I know, I know, a far cry from a Curius George and big yellow had cake but who cares anyway right? She's 2! Plus she loved helping out with the cupcakes. So it turned out to be a good thing!

Now on to the family party. (whew.... is anyone else getting tired yet?)

We played in the water, that is the usaual theme around our house, but if it ain't broke... don't fix it. Wouldn't you say?

These two are such great friends. They L O V E it when we get together!

This is my super cute little nephew! This kid is so buff! I swear he's got more muscle than me. And that's saying a lot !!! ; )

Some of us got a little bit grumpy after such a hard day playing. Doesn't she look like she's calling you out? What you looking at punk?

So...... SO..... SOooooo much fun! Lot's of work but well worth it. We'll do it all again in a bout a year!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

I guess it's official.... she's no longer a baby. Today my baby is a toddler. She was by far my "funnest" baby. Before you gasp at what seems to be blatent favoritism hear me out. She was my last baby so I kinda knew what I was doing (at least as much as a mother can really know) She also has a more laid back personality than the other two. Way more of a go -with- the - flow type of girl. This makes mom's life way easier. So NOoooo not loved more, just a fun baby. She has a way of wrapping people around her little finger. (especially Daddy)

So planning a fun birthday for a 2 year old that doesn't even know what "birthday" means can be interesting. We were all kind of wasted from staying up and watching fireworks last night, a problem I see happening every year of her life I'm afraid! So we woke up and opened presents. and then played with them for most of the morning. We took her to Carl's Jr. for lunch and play time. Then we took some much needed naps, went swimming in the evening and got snow cones and ice cream and went to bed. I know this sounds like a "normal" type of Saturday, but it was exactly what she wanted to do. Even Haley thought it was great.... she said when she was going to bed "I hope Avery remembers her birthday, 'cause it was a really GREAT birthday." Tomorrow is the "family" party with Aunts and Uncles and Grandparents. Fun times!!! How my 2 year old ends up having days and days of birthday parties I'll never know. Wish me luck.

Free TV Anyone?

So does anybody want a free TV? Granted it isn't working at the moment but you never know what people's skills are... maybe someone out there fixes TVs and would like a big screen TV for free. Either way it's all yours if you want it. We were going to get a flat screen to go on the wall above a fireplace anyway so when the big screen went out we figured we get it a little early. This same TV went out once on us already and we paid a couple hundred bucks to fix it. So if anyone is interested in it let me know. : )

I just want it outta here. It makes me feel guilty when ever I look at it. Because I have a knack for buying things that I want or think I need but not really(hopefully I'm not alone in this). I'm sure that my husband would adamantly disagree with the fact that we don't really need a shinny new flat screen TV to hang on the wall but I have my doubts about it's necessity. So please if you're interested give me a call so I can start to feel a little less guilty.