2011

2011-12-11T22:28:00.003-08:00

Happy holidays!

2011-12-11T22:28:00.001-08:00

Happy holidays!

My Beautiful Girls....

2011-07-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

This are a couple of pictures I took on dance picture day...

2011-07-08T19:35:00.001-07:00

The end of 2010....

2011-01-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. Mom, Grandma, Crystal, Dan and kids came to UTAH for the their first Thanksgiving. We were worried they might not be able to come because of the snow, but they made it! We had an excellent Turkey dinner, then the girls went midnight shopping at the mall. It was fun! Unfortunately they left a day early, but it was a good thing, because we got about 10 inches of snow on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Christmas was the usual... our family celebrating together. We went to Mass on Christmas eve and opened some presents. We actually got to sleep til 9:30am before Jessica woke us up to see what Santa brought. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast! Greg got a tool set he wanted and a watch. I got a new camera AND an Iphone (whew, must have been very good) tee hee Jessica got a docking station for her Ipod and Wii games, Kellie got a Kindle Reader. We had a great Christmas.
The next several days the girls went through all of the STUFF in their bedrooms and decluttered. We had lots of trash and give aways! But we got the jobs done with all four of us helping. Whew...so nice to go in their clean rooms now. Kellie also got a new bedroom set for her room.
We went to the movie Tron on New Years as a family. The movie ended at 12:00 so Kellie hollared "Happy New Year" to the few folks in the theater. Ha Ha
We are now getting back to normal busy schedules...
My New Years Resolution is to try to post more often on my blog... :)

Happy 2011!!!

2011-01-04T22:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos from the last few months that I have been wanting to post...

winter is here...

2010-12-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Snow in the mtns...

More October fun...

2010-11-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

Homecomings, Fall Foliage, Mom/Grandmas visit, Halloween, Bunko...it was a busy month!

St. John's Ladies Luncheon

2010-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

We went for the ViP table this year!! Whoot Whoot! We had wine at the table and a great view of the entertainment!! This year they had dueling piano's. It was so much fun!! They were a great crowd pleaser. Plus a great lunch with wonderful friends!

More October..

2010-11-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

I hosted Halloween Bunko, with a rock star theme. I was Cyndi Lauper. Kellie went to 2 Homecoming dances and a Halloween Dance. I made jess a tule skirt and she was a punk ballerina. Kellie and Jess both went trick or treating both nights. Utah trick or treats on Saturday eve when Halloween falls on a Sunday. (I know weird)
Greg got his buck up at the property where we have our trailer. It was the biggest he's got so far! He was happy. Jess continues to hang out with all her new friends and long time friends. Both girls are preparing for their december dance recital.
Looking forward to November... I'm excited because my sister and family, plus my mom and grandma are coming to Utah for Thanksgiving! The first time EVER!

October went by in a flash...

2010-11-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Here are some pixs...

Funny Face

2010-10-24T01:36:00.000-07:00

This picture slideshow created with Smilebox

2010-10-21T07:55:00.001-07:00

BACK to SCHOOL... already??

2010-09-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time again. Going school clothes shopping, getting school supplies and getting up EARLY! :)

Puppies... 4-5 weeks old...

2010-07-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

The puppies are growling (which is so cute), wrestling, running and jumping in and out of their bed. Wow...have they changed in just 2 weeks. I have even taken some video...they are sooo cute. Here are a few pictures...

Puppies... 23 days old... mommy kisses

2010-07-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Puppies...18 days old... eyes open...CUTIES.

2010-07-08T23:57:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures...my the little cuties are growing fast!

My Jessica...

2010-07-05T02:05:00.000-07:00

continued..

2010-06-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Kellies Latest Photoshoot...

2010-06-25T10:23:00.001-07:00

Model: Kellie Garvin
Photographer: Jeets Photography
Location: International Peace Gardens, UT

One more I really loved...

2010-06-24T14:02:00.001-07:00

We Can’t Believe You’re Gone

Dad, our sadness knows no end;
We can’t believe you’re gone;
We’re grieving for you every day;
It’s hard to carry on.

You were always there to support and care,
When we needed a true friend,
How we’ll ever do without our dad,
We cannot comprehend.

You were our teacher and our guide,
Our dad, so good and strong;
Your example will sustain us now,
And last our whole lives long.

We’re trying to communicate;
We hope that you can hear;
Expressing what we feel for you,
Helps us feel you’re near.

Our memories of the times we had
Help the pain to go away.
But Dad, our lives won’t be the same;
We’ll miss you every day.

A part of us went with you;
You left a gap too big to fill;
You’re our father and our hero;
We love you and we always will.

By Joanna Fuchs

Tribute to my DAD...

2010-06-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

Life Lessons

You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.

Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.

Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The (woman)(man) I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.

I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
So here's to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.

By Joanna Fuchs

The PUPPIES are here....

2010-06-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sadie had her puppies on June 17th late in the evening. She was finished delivering by 11pm. Her delivery went well and fast... so fast that she had one in the car and I didn't even know it!! We thought it might not make it...but after lots of love and massage...it did!

Here are some pictures of the lovies...

Alta Hawks Basketball....season shots...

2010-05-17T21:43:00.000-07:00

More Willy Wonka Jr...

2010-05-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Willy Wonka Jr. -

2010-05-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

Kellie and Jessica had their closing show on Saturday, May 8th! Here's some pictures from the show!

Spring is here...

2010-05-11T08:15:00.001-07:00

May...

2010-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's already May and we have had a busy month already. Kellie and Jessica were in the play Willy Wonka Jr. It opened last Thursday night with a BANG!! After 5 AWESOME shows they closed on Saturday (May 8th) night. Jessica was in the Rainbow Chorus and Kellie was Mrs. Beauregarde.
Greg and I celebrated my birthday with our usual Mardi Gras party! Excellent Food and friends, fun gambling and great music! For my birthday I got flowers, sandals, a shirt, hiking shoes, gift card to a spa, and a gift card to Maurices.
Mothers Day was spent getting the rest of our plants planted. I had been covering them and keeping some in the garage all week because of freezing temps. Sunday was a beautiful warm day! It looks like the weather doesn't show any frost in site... I HOPE! I got everything planted! We also cleaned out my rock fountain and got that going for the summer! Whew...I was tired... Now for Monday and Tuesday... RAIN! Can't even sit out on the patio and enjoy all my work. For Mother Day I got some wonderful gifts... a free standing hammock (for the patio or camping), heart rate monitor (for working out), solar turtle for my garden, and flowers.
Whew... what a fun weekend. :)
Kellie has finished up her basketball tournament. Jessica is sad the play is over. She looks forward to doing another one soon.
Greg and I look forward to camping this summer!

Pix from Jessica's 12th Birthday party...

2010-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

A Club Soda toast to the Birthday Girl! Everyone had a great time at the Fabulous Glam Birthday Party.

Winter scene

2010-03-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

March is going out with a bang...

2010-03-21T22:12:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

It seems before I know it... the month is over and I hard wrote anything on here.

March 2nd was Jessica's 12th Birthday! The Birthday girl/guy gets to pick where they want to go to dinner. Jess wanted a brand new phone for her birthday... since she always got the hand me downs. So she got on! Very cool touch screen with a full key board.. she has been texting ever since. I will post picks soon from her birthday party too!
The Girls auditioned for Willy Wonka Jr, in Sandy city and both made the play. I was so proud of them! The play will show May 7 and 8th.
I had my foot surgery again last week. I'm doing well, not much pain. She was able to get some thick, hard tissue out, so hopefully my foot pain will be behind me now.
We've had some beautiful days in the 50's and spring fever is coming on fast! Some bulbs are coming up and spring is in the air. Can't wait for warmer weather.

Sweethearts Dance.. Feb 5th

2010-02-12T10:56:00.000-08:00

Kellie went to sweethearts dance at Alta HS. on Saturday night. Greg and I cooked dinner for her and another couple at our house. We cooked salad, pork tenderloin, twice baked potatoes and I made a chocolate cake for dessert. They were running late after all the photos, so they missed out on dessert. Kellie and Sawyer had a great time! After the dance they went to a friends to watch a movie and hang out. Eikkkk... I don't think Greg and I are quite ready for this.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-17T22:58:00.001-08:00

January has been a busy month...after enjoying time off school and work... everyone went back on Jan 5th. The quarter ends for school last week, so the kids are off Monday and Tuesday, again already!
Kellie continues to play bball 6 days a week, 2 games a week. Her knees have been hurting her, due to her flat feet. So she is getting braces to help support them and doing to physical therapy to strenghten the upper leg. Yes, sometimes we go together!
My foot is doing better. I am down to 1 x per week of physical therapy. I have been to the gym and can do the stationary bike and still lift weights. It has felt good to get back at it. I have a lot of scar tissue build up in my foot near the scar and that is causing the pain. Apparently, had "thick" tissue the Dr. said when she went in during the surgery. Even though no previous injuries... who knows... but she said it makes sense that it is giving me trouble now. I actually can go most of the day with just walking and normal activity and it doesn't hurt me. So I know it's getting better. Yippee...
Jessica had a party with her girlfriends on Friday night. She had a great time. We ordered pizza, they played a few games and made pretty flower clips for their hair. It was a "New Year Party", lol.
Greg is looking forward to his trip to Yellowstone again this year with his Dad, Gerard and Omar. He also got a couple new lenses for his camera, so is anxious to try them out. I will post more of the pictures on here... they are big files, so have to do a few at a time...

Christmas 09

2010-01-17T22:49:00.001-08:00

Celebrated Christmas at home...

More Thanksgiving...

2009-12-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving...

2009-12-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

2009-12-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

All the presents are opened and scattered through the house. The wrapping paper is picked up and the boxes are in a pile waiting to go out to the trash. The kids got iTouch's for Christmas and Greg has been trying to get iTunes working on the computer for several hours. We think he may have been successful! I got 2 pecan and 2 pumpkin pies made. Yum, yum. Were going to a friends for dinner. Will post pictures soon...

Happy Thanksgiving...

2009-12-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

We loaded up the car with the kids and dogs and went to Montana for the holiday! The weather was great and we didn't hit any snow on the way up or back. It was great to visit with my parents and my sister and her family. While we were up there I got some Christmas shopping done. Greg went to the GRIZ game with Dan and Eric. THEY WON!! Go Griz! The "girls" went to the movies. Most importantly we had a fabulous Turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Yum, Yum. I will have to get to the gym soon and work off some of that stuffing, turkey and pecan pie!

Taste of Salt Lake, 2009

2009-11-08T18:25:00.001-08:00

Few more halloween pixs...

2009-11-05T08:37:00.001-08:00

Kellie Mowing the lawn....

2009-11-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

After my first surgery, I couldn't mow the lawn for awhile. Greg didn't get to it, so I thought it would be a good time for Kellie to mow. She did great overall. There was a few times when the mower almost got away from her. All in all, the lawn looked great and Kellie thought it wasn't to bad a job after all!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T16:07:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween! Here's a picture of Kellie and Jessica. The other is Jessica's friend, Abby. We had about 130 Trick or treaters! I sat outside with my foot propped up and gave out candy for a while. It was fun!
The group picture is Kellie and friends, they went to the Halloween Dance.

More Bunko!

2009-10-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

Halloween Bunko!

2009-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures from bunko! We had a great time! The witches were so much fun!

Foot Surgery Update...

2009-10-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Went to the Doctor yesterday, got a foot bath and re-wrap. Dr. said it's looking great and showing very promising. I sure hope so... Stitches will likely come out in 2 more weeks and start physical therapy in 3 weeks. I'm getting better and better with the wheelchair and crutches. She still doesn't want me to put any pressure on it. Also, to start massaging it and stretching it out.

Foot Surgery/Recovery

2009-10-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

Almost a week has past since my foot surgery. The surgery went well. It was out patient surgery. It was different having my friend who I did girlscouts with and have known a long time, do the surgery. She is an awesome podiatrist! Anyone have foot problems, let me know! She treated both the girls with their broken feet too! They go in and cut the plantar facia which connects to your heal. Then all I have to do is wear a boot and stay off it for 3 weeks. Uh yah... I thought ok... this won't be a problem. The girls can help me. Greg had his long time hunting trip planned, so told him to go. The surgery should be easy. It wasn't bad, but harder because I couldn't get around and was stir crazy. I had a drain in my foot that was rubbing on the boot. It was getting painful. I mostly stayed off it and kept my boot off when laying down. But we made it through.... I didn't need pain pills after Sunday night!
I am mastering the wheel chair on the main floor. I use the crutches upstairs. I drag the crutches with me in the car (need a little assistance getting them in the car) I wash my hair on the main floor. My main bathroom is on the main floor to get ready for bed, brush teeth, wash face, etc. I put our blowup bed on the main floor so I lay with foot propped up when watching TV or movies... doing a lot of that! Getting better around the kitchen... cooking a little, but still hard to get in the fridge. Little tight over in that section.
On Monday, I had a follow up with Dr. She took out the drain (thank goodness), cleaned and dressed it again, complete with a hot pink wrap! Hardly no pain after leaving the office that day. Still need to stay off it to heal. I go back next Tuesday, hoping she will take out the stitches then. I feel some rubbing, which is probably a little dried, residual drainage. I can wait til Tuesday, I hope.
In three weeks, I'm supose to start physical therapy. Who hoooo!
That's all for now...

Some pages I created digitally...

2009-10-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

It looking like fall is on the way....

2009-10-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

The weather is cooling off, we got some rain over the last week, and the mountains are starting to show signs of orange, yellow and reds.... A sure sign that fall is on the way.
I'm getting ready for Halloween Bunko on Thursday! It's so fun to dress up for the event and plan a fun menu! Halloween is my favorite holiday!
I had my 5+ week post op appt today. Got the go ahead to start exercising again! Still on antiobiotics for infection until next Monday. Hope this gets rid of it this time!
Jessica did all the Halloween decorations this year! I'm so glad she is such a great help! I took her to the pumpkin patch and we got some pumpkins yesterday. Hope they stay on the porch until Halloween!

Digital Scrapbook - GIRLS NIGHT OUT!

2009-10-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

I wanted to invite everyone to attend the Digital Scrapbook Girls Night Out from 6-9pm tonight! It is at the Miller Complex in Sandy. There will be advanced and beginner workshops. Plus, you can print a free 12x12 page from Canon and try out the Wacom Pen Tablets, plus lots more fun! More info can be found at digitalscrapbookmemories.com

More from the GSL...

2009-09-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Photo Shoot at Great Salt Lake

2009-09-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

September has flown by...

2009-09-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

As the last day of September approaches, I find myself saying... "where did the month go? What did I do all month?"
The girls will have completed a full month of school! They are both doing very well! Kellie had parent/teacher conf. already last week. I got nothing but good to EXCELLENT reports on her. She is even doing better with missing assignments. But I am the most proud of how she gets up everyday at 6:30AM to get ready for school. She eats breakfast, gets ready and is out the door for school by 7:05am! Jessica gets all her work turned in on time and is doing very well too! I just wish I could talk her into making her own lunch every day. :)
I had my surgery the 28th of Aug. So on Friday it will be 5 weeks since surgery. I'm healing well and started doing some longer walks. I can't wait to get back to the gym and resume my normal life. I did have a couple set backs that weren't planned. I got a bacterial infection in my bowels. This made me very sick! Could drink only liquid foods/drinks, lots of back pain and abdominal pain! I got on antiobiotics for 2 weeks and was feeling great! Then got the infection back after a week. So started 2nd series of 2 weeks yesterday. I'm sure I will start feeling better in a couple of days. Otherwise, I'm doing well and hope this gets the infection this time!!!
I took Kellie to a couple of photo shoots this last month. One was with some sports cars and one out by the Great Salt Lake. I will post a few of the pictures on here seperately. Most of the shoots are for the photographers to get practice and the models to get practice. This has been a great experience for Kellie!! She is getting better and better at posing. She is learning what works and what doesn't. The photographers are all very nice and helpful. So is a great environment for her. Plus, we are getting lots of great pictures for her portfolio for acting/modeling.
The girls are out of school for Thurs, Fri and Monday. Some education thing in Utah. We will be home. Kellie may have some friends over to watch her on Brainsurge this weekend. (We will TiVo) We will be watching tomorrow!! This will be great fun! It will be a kick to see her on TV!
Kellie has had a couple of auditions here in Utah. She did get a callback from one of them. I'm not sure if we would have heard something by now or not. You just never know.
Greg is in NC on business this week. He went early to attend his 30 yr HS reunion.
Wow... has time flown! He will return on Thursday of this week, only to pack up and leave for hunting on Friday. October is hunting season and I am left for the deer and elk. :) It is good! Greg loves it and looks forward to it each year.
Well that's all for now... hope to write more soon....

Healing more and more...

2009-09-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

Doing much better this week. Starting to feel more like myself. The antiobiotics have kicked in and hopefully I won't have any more problems with the infection.
Not much else happening....
I started to drive again last week. On Thursday, I go out to run a few errands and I get in the garage and have a flat tire!!! Guess it just wasn't my day. I called our Allstate Road service and they were out and fixed the tire from initial call to me being on my way. Thats pretty great service! Luckily I was at home and not out stranded somewhere on the side of the road. Thank you for watching over me!
The kids are plugging away at school. Jessica likes her teacher alot. Kellie seems to like all of her teachers too! They both are doing well in school.
Our family is planning to go up to the property one last time before it gets to cold to camp. I'm excited because the leaves should be changing and it should be beautiful! I will take lots of pictures and post some if they are good. Were going up Friday and coming home Sunday.
That's about all for now...

Home from the hospital...

2009-09-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

After being in the hospital for 4 days, I was ready to go home. I will miss having everything at my fingertips and nice nurse's and assistances that continuously took care of me. Intermountain is a great hospital.
I am healing well from the surgery. I can get around pretty good, but still am taking pain pills some of the time.
The biggest issue is that my stomach is hurting sooo bad about 75% of the time. It's not from the surgical site. I've been taking over the counter stuff to help subside the pain. I called the doctor and they want me to get a lab test to make sure I don't have some kind of infection. So my friend Charlene was nice enough to take me to the hospital to get the "kit" to take home. Once I get the results back from that, and if they are normal, I will just have to watch my diet and eat mild foods.
In the meantime, I stay close to the house and take an easy. Which is hard to do for me... but working on it!
Thanks for all your well wishes from all my family and friends!

Check out the show...

2009-08-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=257196380500&h=Ad9Rz&u=ck73Q

Copy and paste this link into your browser. When the facebook page comes up, click ok. It will direct you to a different site called Animoto. Then click "Play".

Let me know what you think....

Montana Fun!

2009-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Check out the slide show from some of the pictures we took in Montana. We had a great time! It seems that no matter how long we stay, the time just flys by. There is never enough time to visit and catch up with everyone. Even though we stayed the longest we ever have, the time went by quickly. This trip was great because the whole family was together. We were busy, busy, busy. We went to Seely Lake for a day picnic. Dan & Crystal were kind enough to bring their boat up too! Everyone got a chance to ride the tube and/or ski that wanted to! Others got a fun ride in the boat! Most liked the tube and going as fast as Dan could drive, then send them over the wake bumps. I tried skiing a few times (haven't skied in 25 years), didn't get up. I was afraid I would fall on my face and get hurt. lol
The girls and I went over to Coeur d'Alene, ID to see my friend Betsy and her family. We spent the night with them. It was great catching up and meeting their new family member Sophie, a fawn pug.
The weather cleared enough for the day so we went to Splash Montana. It was fun cooling off in the pool and riding the slides.
Then we went to the fair several days and watched Eric and Summer show their sheep. Summer got 2 purple ribbons and Eric got 2 blue! Great job! It was fun to learn about the sheep and 4-H while we were there. Kellie got to see her black and white cow too! She loves the cows! Saturday the kids all went on rides! Michelle and I went on rides too! Lots of fun memories. Everyone went to the rodeo on Friday night. It was a first for Kellie and Jessica. They have never been to a rodeo before. It was a great experience for both of them.
On Sunday, we did family pictures. It started out raining, but it managed to clear and we got all of our pictures done. I was so glad because this was the first time we have all been together in several years.
Over all, the weather was very cool, rainy and wet! I'm glad to be home in the 80's and see some sun. It was great to see all the family! Lots of great memories... hope you have some looking at the slide show.

2009-08-18T11:56:00.001-07:00

Summertime is so busy...

2009-08-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

We all enjoyed our 10 day camping trip up the Unita Mountains. Kellie's friend Karley went with us for 4 nights. She caught her first fish ever! They went out on the canoe a bunch, fished, swam and hiked.
We all went on various hikes. Mostly 4-5 miles round trip. We went on a new hike this year called Lofty Lake Loop. It was the most beautiful hike I've ever been on! The picture at the top of my blog is from the top of this hike. Plus, Kamas Lake is the most beautiful lake I've seen. It has great rocks for sitting, wading in and fishing from.
Greg, our friend Larry, and his son, Mike went back a few days later and hiked in and spent the night at the lake. The girls hiked in the next morning to meet them. They had a great time and want to do it again next year! Greg is already looking for hiking gear! Watch out Cabelas and REI, here he comes!
My friend Shannon came up for a night. We had a fun 'girls night' with the guys gone. Then she hiked in to Kamas Lake with us.
As all good things go... the trip came to an end. We have our great photos to look back on and reflect what a great trip it was! I posted a few from the week in the slideshow below... enjoy!

2009-08-03T15:39:00.001-07:00

Fourth of July

2009-07-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

The girls ended up not dancing at the Stadium of Fire. Their dance studio didn't go at all because of a personal emergency of the owners. So we went up camping to the property for Friday night. We went on a 4 wheeler ride, played lots of games, had a nice camp fire w/smores, and watched a movie in the trailer. It looked like rain, so the girls and I came back on Saturday, the 4th. Kellie went to Riverton days with her friends & their family. Jessica and I went to Kate & Omar's for a celebration. They had a bounce house with a slide into a pool of water for the kids. Lots of food and great friends for the adults. I got to meet lots of new friends and had a great time. Greg stayed up at the trailer at his kingdom. :) Happy 4th to all!

The Grand Strand...

2009-07-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

Had a great time at Myrtle Beach...

2009-07-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Myrtle Beach. It was great to see all of Greg's Family. All of the cousins have grown up so fast! We also got to see our some of our friends... the Williamson's and the Bush's. Great to see everyone! We spent most of our time at the beach or the pool. Hmmmm.... it was a hard decision. We played some mini golf, shopped and went out to eat a few times! The weather was perfect! Oh so hot, with the humidity. I had forgotten how brutal it could be. One day we had a late afternoon storm... the wind came up fast. It blew alot of the chairs in our pool, beach umbrellas down the beach and into the ocean, and lots of other stuff out on the beach. It was wild to watch. Here is a picture from the beach... L to R.. Caleb, Cassidy, Kellie, Jessica, Ashley, Blake, Cody.

2009-06-07T23:47:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Iris's this year...

2009-06-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

These are my iris's in the back yard. Wanted to share my pixs...

Updates...

2009-06-07T23:16:00.001-07:00

May was a busy month! I had a great birthday! Our family went out to dinner at TGIFridays, as usual! I got a Miche purse (interchangeable outsides), butterfly light (for garden), and several gift cards to great stores. Some I have already used! Thanks again for the nice gifts!
Greg and I went to Mardi Gras the following night. It was a lot of fun, as usual. I WON 2 nice bar chairs and a basket with Margarita glasses, some cups, wine charms, beer charms, etc. The chairs go beautifully in our kitchen.
The next day was Mothers Day! Greg cooked dinner for us. Jessica made me some nice flowers that smelled good and some certificates. Kellie got me a gift card at Maurices. Greg and I mostly finished up getting our garden planted and my pots done.
The girls last day of school was Friday, June 5th. So they are happy to be out for the summer. Kellie has a summer job where she will be kid sitting for a family with 2 girls on Wednesdays. She is excited and looks forward to having some spending money! The girls had dance tryouts for next years competition teams this last weekend. We find out which teams they are on next week.
My friend and I are planning to go on a hike each week on Mondays for the summer. We plan to drag our kids some of the time. We have such a beautiful valley where we live! So many close trails to hike on.

Below is a slide show from the girls dancing...

2009-06-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

Most are pictures from the Festival of Roses in May. Jessica is in the front for most of the dance. You should be able to spot her. Kellie is in the back. This weekend is their dance recital and then they are done until August.
The girls will be dancing in the Stadium of Fire on July 4th this year! This is a huge event where studios from all over the valley bring their groups of dancers to dance at this event. They all learn their part of the dance a few weeks before the event. Then they all get together the day before to practice it together, do a dress rehearsal, then perform at the actual event at 8pm on Sat, July 4th! The audience is about 40,000 people, I think. Plus, the Jonas Brother and SheDaisy are performing. With a bang up fireworks show! I will post pictures if I can get any after the 4th! This is the first year the girls are doing this event.

2009-06-07T23:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry... I haven't written...

2009-05-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.. it has been a crazy month of May! I had a great birthday! Thanks for all the wonderful birthday wishes you sent! I have lots of updates with pictures to post. I will get them done sometime this weekend. Take care and be patient with me.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-05-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! It is a sunny beautiful day in Salt Lake City! I have about half of my spring planting done. We are planning to put in the garden sometime this weekend. I think I may take the doggies for a walk this morning. Then I plan to get a much needed pedicure. Then Kellie has an audition today. Yes, here in Utah. Then tonight our family will go out to dinner to celebrate!
I have only opened one of my presents so far! Special thanks to my friend Kendra for thinking of me on my birthday! Thanks so much for the nice lotions and body wash. It will keep me smelling fresh. :)

Kellies' Confirmation

2009-05-07T09:00:00.001-07:00

We went to mass for Kellie's Confirmation last night. Kellie looked beautiful in her white, pink and black dress with her pink flower. Here is a picture that was taken after mass. Thanks to Sharon for taking the time to be her sponsor and help guide her in the last nine months of preparation.

Sunday evening...

2009-05-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

I just got everyone to bed... including Greg. Both Jessica and Greg are sick! Greg has a really bad cough which is keeping him awake. Plus, some other issues going on.
Jessica spent last night at a friends and was up at 4am throwing up all night. She has the flu. As the day progressed she is doing better. She is keeping down liquids and some solids. So hopefully she is on her way to recover. I don't think she will be going to school tomorrow though. She needs to regain her strength and eat more.
Kellie and I are healthy at the time of posting this! I sure hope that stays true. I went and bought lysol today! I've been spraying it like crazy! Plus, washing my hands and using gel every second. I hope I wasn't to late.
Kellie has her Confirmation this Wed, May 6th. She has completed all the requirements. I think she is excited about becoming a full member of the church.
Then a busy weekend... Friday is my birthday, Saturday is Mardi Gras (at our church), Sunday is Mothers Day.
The girls have their last Dance Competition this Saturday during the day. Kellie is going to dance one of the dances with her team. Jessica's team does two dances. I will post some pictures IF I can remember to bring the camera. I have forgotten it the last two weekends! Guess my brain hasn't quite returned from CA.

Happy May Day....

2009-04-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

This picture reminds me when I was child. On May Day, our mom would put flowers on the porch and ring the doorbell. We would come to the door and chase her.... once we caught her, I think we would get to keep the flowers and get a hug. Then when we got older, we would pick dandylions and put those on the porch, ring the bell, and mom would have to chase us.... It was fun! I remember looking forward to May Day to see what kind of flower we would get. My sisters and I also did mock May Day Poles. We used streamers and the pole in our basement. It was lots of fun!

2009-04-30T22:05:00.001-07:00

Changes...

2009-04-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

I finally got ahold of my friend, Kendra, the blogger expert! She helped me change my background! Hope you like it! I LOVE these new colors.
I'm tired today. My friend (Kate) and I made 40 jars of Strawberry Jam! We be jammin'.... as Greg and Omar said. It was great seeing Kate, haven't seen her since we left in February. So good to talk with her again and catch up!
Hint: Strawberries are really sweet right now! Best deals at Costco:)

I will keep posting on here...

2009-04-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let family and friends, near and far... that I will keep posting notes and pictures! It was fun while we were gone... I hope everyone enjoyed reading it! I like reading comments... you can create a user name and password for free. Go to blogger.com. Then you can post notes to my blog. Happy reading...

This was a picture taken at Santa Monica Beach, CA when Jessica and Greg came to visit us.

Were home...plus some

2009-04-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Kellie and I got in late Friday night. It was a loooooong trip! We made it safe and sound. It was so good to Greg and Jessica again. Plus, to see my doggies... Ginger and Sadie! They both had lots of kisses and love for me. Sadie and Ginger followed me everywhere for 5 days. They wouldn't let me out of their sight! When I would sit down, Sadie would jump in my lap. :)
This week home has been crazy... Kellie got to her EXPLORE test on Saturday. Then her Confirmation Retreat on Sunday. Greg and I got some yard work done. I got the Tahoe unloaded. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies coming home! I mowed on Monday.. it was in the 70's! It has been warm to hot all week! BEAUTIFUL! Nicer than any weather we had while we were in California. Funny how that worked out!
Tuesday I went and helped with Jessica's Field Trip to Biz City. This is a cool place that helps the kids learn about jobs, money, paychecks and checkbooks. Everyone is assigned a job. Jessica was a Quest Designer. I think she is still trying to figure that one out! I was helping in the Deseret News office. It was very hectic and a bunch of work for the kids. But we got our paper out AND made a profit! The kids were great... they couldn't wait to get the paper printed.. so they could go out and sell them! They sold ALL we printed! I was quite proud!
I went to the gym most days this week. It was good to be back at my home gym and see familiar people!
Back to the running, running, running around grind. The girls are still dancing till mid-June. They have competitions the next 3 weekends.
Thursday was haircut day for Jessica and I. We both needed it very bad. Jessica wanted her shorter, so she is about shoulder length. She looks cute and loves it!
In May, we have Mardi Gras, Festival of Roses and my Birthday coming up. Big Month... plus our 20 year anniversary. Wow... time flies.

Were coming home...

2009-04-17T07:16:00.001-07:00

Kellie and I will be leaving today to come home! We got everything packed up and loaded in the Tahoe yesterday. Were both very excited to get on the road! We were supose to leave at 7am this morning... but can't because her ZED cards aren't ready from the printer. So we will get those at 9am and be on the road. So we won't be home until later tonight. Looking forward to being home and seeing all our family and friends.

Happy Easter...

2009-04-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Kellie and I went to church at noon. Then we went to the Hannah Montana Movie. I was actually pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it! There's something for everyone! Then she did some school work. Gotta get through a few more things before we leave! Hope you all had a great Easter!

Kellie's last Improv Performance...

2009-04-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Kellie had her last Teen Improv performance on Saturday. It was one of their best shows! She really loves it! She gets better and better! She also made some friends there! Hopefully she will see when we come back.

We stayed for the 2nd Improv show... and Kellie volunteered for the "Dating Game". How it works... they pick and unsuspecting girl from the audience. She sits up on stage and CANNOT look behind her. She has to ask meaningful questions to the potential dates. Like where would we go on a date, sing me a song, tell me a poem, etc. She was so dang funny! She was shocked and couldn't think of questions. She did get some asked though. One of them was where they would take her on a first date? YEIKS.>> It was all in good fun, as you can see from the picture. I know I don't have to worry about any crushes. The potential dates were the 3 guys behind Kellie.

Audition...

2009-04-13T23:53:00.001-07:00

Kellie had a fun audition where they are looking for real teens to talk about technology these days. Like My Space, Bloggs, Twittering, etc. So the audition was on the street in Hollywood. Kellie had a mic and the guy filmed/asked questions. They wanted all types of teens... the geeks, popular, rich, etc. Kellie had a great time doing the interview! We won't hear on that one for a few weeks. I thought she did good. The guy seemed to like her. But he wasn't the producer.

America's Got Talent...

2009-04-13T23:49:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday we were audience members for AGT! It was lots of fun! We saw great talent and horrible talent! It was fun cheering them on to Vegas... and booing them off the stage with the X sign. There is a lot that goes into the show... preparing the stage and the audience. For example, we were the Chicago show. So when you see the shoe from Chicago... look for me and Kellie in the audience. LOL Anyway, it was fun to see Hoff, Sharon and the other guy. They do tell it like it is!

Few more auditions this week...

2009-04-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

Kellie had an audition yesterday for a commercial. We won't hear anything until next week, if they are interested. One today for the lead role in a Short Film. She had to "dress up" like a tomboy. At first she wasn't to excited, but then after we got the outfit together and started running the lines.... she was excited! Her audition went great! One of the people there working commented on how confident she is... plus how beautiful. Funny... cuz she didn't feel beautiful... in her jeans, tennis shoes, cap and roomates (boy) T-shirt. I don't believe she got the part though because we didn't hear anything tonight. Then tomorrow another audition for a short film.
Then Kellie also has her improv performance tomorrow evening. She is having lots of fun with that!

Last one for now...

2009-04-03T23:45:00.001-07:00

Here is one more that is beautiful...

2009-04-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

Kellie's modeling pictures...

2009-04-03T23:36:00.000-07:00

We got Kellie's raw photos back from her photo shoot. They are so great! This is one that I really love! Her manager really loved them too! We just dropped them off to her agency today. They will pick the one's they like, then we will get ZED (comp) cards done. Once the comp cards are done, her agency is supose to get some packets sent out for Kellie. Then maybe some modeling/commercial print auditions will come.

St George road trip....

2009-04-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Kellie and I left on Thursday morning March 26th and drove back to LA on the 28th. We went to meet Greg and Jessica. Jessica had a dance competition there, so we got to see her dance. She did awesome! Her team got 1st place. Plus, the Acheiver Dance Studio got the highest points overall for the whole competition! No, Kellie didn't dance, but she was a great help to many of the other dancers.
We barely saw Kellie the whole time. She had a great time seeing her friends on her dance team. She was a great cheerleader too! Her team took 3 - 1st place's. Kellie looks forward to getting back dancing with the team when she returns.
Greg, Jess & I went exploring on the red rock on the outskirts of town. We took a lot of pictures, but Greg took the camera home. So don't have any to post! Will soon...

Griffith Observatory visit

2009-03-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Griffith Observatory. It is on a mountain above the city. What a view.... as you can see in the picture. It was a pretty clear day... so we could see for miles. It is almost a full 360 degree view at the top. In addition to the view, inside the observatory they had all kinds of educational displays, samples of learnings about the stars, moon, planets, etc.

We went to a cool show that talked about how our learnings of the stars and planets has progressed through the years. It was a IMAX show.

Hollywood...

2009-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Kellie and I found a great route to get closer to the Hollywood Sign. What a view...

Ellen... the day after...

2009-03-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well.. it turns out that we showed up on the same day as everyone else for Ellen... our day had the highest number of guests and stand by guests. Soooo... we ended up in the RIF RAF room. Which is actually a really nice room. Decorated nicely with lots of television monitors and projector TV's. The room is right next to the studio, and it was hard knowing that Ellen was right up the steps and we couldn't see her. Noah Wiley was the main guest for our show. That was hard too! Would have liked to run up the steps and steal a peek there too! On the flip side, we are guaranteed tickets to another Ellen show of our choice in the future. The next shows we could get tickets for are in May, so we will go in the fall sometime. That is if/when we come back. Kellie will get to go then, because she will be 14 yrs. old.

BRAINSURGE....

2009-03-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

I forgot... on Monday, we got up at 5am... yes, that was a killer for both of us! Kellie was going to be a contestant on BrainSurge for Nickelodeon. We got there at 7am. The kids went straight into school (they had to get 3 hrs in). I met lots of nice moms and dad. Then the kids came back into the Green room with us. We went over a lot of legal paperwork and signed everything. Then the kids got to see how the show worked. They then got their cool BrainSurge T-shirts. They filmed 2 shows that morning. Kellie was in the 2nd group. After more waiting... eating, and talking. It was time for Kellie to go on!!! They have a really cool COLORFUL set! Unfortunately, Kellie got eliminated after the first round, but she still had a great time! After you get eliminated, you have to go down the Brain Drain... so she rode down the brain drain and got all wet and foamy! She said that was the funnest part! We don't know when it will air, but probably in May or June this summer! All contestants win a prize too! After leaving the set, Kellie and I were exhausted, we went and got some food then went home. The waiting around and waiting around is exhausting! I would rather be on the treadmill or something!

Ellen here we come ....

2009-03-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Last note for today... we have standby tickets for Ellen tomorrow. Again, just Ann and I can go :( . I'm excited! If we don't get in or get in the rif raf room, then we are guaranteed tickets to another show later. So that will be fun!
Note: Sorry for all the posts today... I've been meaning to write... but it seems it's midnight before I know it.... so wanted to catch up!

Comedy Connection.... starring Kellie

2009-03-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

Kellie auditioned to join the Teen Improv group at the Comedy Connection. We got the call last Friday that she was selected! So every Saturday she will practice/warm up and then perform a show with her group! She is very excited to be on the stage. She had a great time at the audition, so she can't wait for more! Improv is a great way to keep your acting skills up.

Last week at a glance...

2009-03-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Last week was a blurrrr.... Kellie had several auditions, acting class on Thursday evenings, workouts and school. (not necessarily in that order) She also got the opportunity for a little pampering.... Her and DJ got invited to fly to Phoenix and be interviewed on the Better Arizona morning show to talk about her successes since her acting classes at ACT and her participation in The' Phoenix. So the four of us flew to Phoenix for the day on Wednesday. Little did I know... but Ann and I ended up being on the show with kids as well. It was fun and not as hard as I worried it would be. They are going to give us a clip of the tape when it's done. It is supose to air in the next week or so. We haven't heard exactly when yet. Then they all took us to lunch and waited to fly back to LA.....

Wheel of Fortune, Jay Leno...

2009-03-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

We had a busy week last week... First, Kellie, DJ, Ann and I all went to Wheel of Fortune. It was fun seeing Pat and Vanna, after watching them for many years. I remember when I was a kid, I would watch with my Dad and we would guess the puzzles. We usually got them BEFORE the contestant! That show had it 30 yr anniversary last year! Which is cool a show can last that long on the networks. We learned a lot of cool stuff. Like Vanna and Pat make the same amount of money. Even though Vanna usually doesn't say to much! Pat is very quick witted and seems like a nice guy! NO, we didn't get to meet him! The closest we got from our seats was about 200-400 yards. So we got a good view of them! Anyway, we got to sit with the families of the contestants that were on that day. There was a lot of excitement and it was fun rooting them on! Unfortunately the down side of that is that we won't be on TV. They panned the audience several times that day, but they didn't pan the family section. However, if you want to watch Wheel of Fortune on May 7th, and May 8th (yup, my birthday) and May 27th, you will see the shows we saw. COOL!! No, we couldn't take any pictures, but we got a cool pin that lights up and looks like the wheel. I sent mine to Jessica!
Jay Leno... Ann and I went to Jay Leno (have to be 16 yr or older). We got to see Whoopi Goldberg as guest. It was cool! Jay is a great guy and came out and talked to the audience for a few minutes. Ann went up on stage (before the show started) and did her impression of a baby crying. It was so funny. She got a stuffed dog with a Tonight Show tshirt on it. It's cute! That was a fun one to go to because it is taped live and it only takes about the 1 hour. It is pretty fast moving.
Tomorrow we have stand by seats for Ellen. I hope we get in. Again, that is Ann and I because the kids aren't old enough. If we don't get in, we are guaranteed seats for another show.

This week at a glance...

2009-03-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

This week was busy with a few auditions. Kellie is auditioning for 14-16 yr old parts. So she is competiting with girls up to 18-20 yrs old (who look younger) So she really has to be on her game when she goes. Mostly the auditions have gone really well. Kellie practices her lines and really knows them. She has had some roles that were easy and some roles that were harder. (ie; depressed, bolimia, and bi-polar girl) She also had a couple that were fit for her. She did well with those too! Some she hasn't gotten, others we are still waiting on. Time will tell.

This week we submitted her singing "Strongest Suit" for this job where they sing/record Disney songs. That would be a fun one! So we will see.

Kellie also had an audition at the Comedy Connection yesterday. This is a working impromptu theater. If she makes it on a group, they will rehearse and perform one time each week. That will be great experience for Kellie too! She did awesome at the auditions, but there were a lot of great actors there. It was so fun to go watch the auditions! I laughed my head off! Usually I don't get to go in when she auditions, so this was a treat!

We continue to plug away at the school work. It is hard sometimes getting it all in, when some auditions take 3-4 hrs depending on driving time.

I cooked pork chops on our community grill here yesterday, for dinner. They turned out great! They made me miss home though. They tasted so much like home. I'm missing it more and more. It was good Greg brought us a webcam when he visited. We have been talking to them regularly. I am still trying to decide if it is making me more homesick or helping with it! lol It was fun getting to talk to Kate, Omar and Debbie last night!

Kellie and DJ decided they weren't waiting for hot weather anymore. They both jumped in the pool on Thursday, after we got home from the gym. The temp outside was probably 65, and the water was probably colder! They had a fun dip in the pool!

Take care and keep in touch on email.... or text me some!

Wednesday.... look out TV here I come...

2009-03-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Kellie auditioned for Nickelodeon BrainSurge. It is a new kids game show that will be on Nick in the next few months. Kellie got a call last Wed. that they want her to be a CONTESTANT! So on March 16th, Kellie goes into the Nick studio's and competes against 2-3 other kids on this game show. She has the opportunity to win cash/prizes!! So put her in your thoughts and good wishes on the 16th! They are only filming the 16th. The show will be airred on a later date. We will let everyone know the date when we find out. I think it won't be a few months. So maybe we will have a viewing party for it!!!

Happy Birthday Jessica!

2009-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Happy 11th Birthday Jessica! We had the apt decorated in balloons and lime green streamers when she arrived on Friday. On Sunday, we celebrated her birthday. We went to the beach during the day. Then came back to the apt and I cooked her favorite, Shepards Pie. Well, my version. I baked a chocolate cake with butter cream frosting and vanilla ice cream. It had 11 pink candles. We celebrated with Ann and DJ. Jessica opened her presents a day early! She got a Walmart gift card, I-tunes card, and Are you smarter than a 5th grader? game. Also a cool momento box with some cash from Ann and DJ. Happy Birthday! I miss you already!

Greg and Jessica visit...

2009-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit with Greg and Jessica. It was so great to see them! The time when WAY to fast. The good thing about it was we had the warmest, sunniest weather yet during their visit. On Friday, Kellie had an audition and then we went down on Hollywood Blvd to look at the stars on the sidewalk and the "Hollywood" sign on the mountains. Then on Sat and Sun we went to the beach! It was almost 90 on Sat and 85 on Sunday! We went to Santa Monica Beach on both days. They have a nice pier at the beach. It has an smaller amusement park on the pier and some restaurants. We enjoyed the evening on the pier with margaritas, beer and nachos! It was a pretty sunset too! On Sunday, we got to the beach by noon, and some of us got a little pink! On Sunday, we slept in a little, and then went to Porto's for lunch and smoothies! Then on to the airport to drop Greg and Jessica off! :(....

California Science Center visit...

2009-02-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the CA Science Center. It was a lot of fun. The kids explored lots of things like how to prepare for an earth quake, how to prevent damage during an earth quake, the effects of drugs on your body and the economy, and lots of other stuff. We also got to see the CSI: Experience. This was a cool exibit where you were given a crime and you get to figure out who did it. They show you all the cool stuff on the show and all your results. We all got the killer right! For those of you who know Kellie, you know she is a CSI fanatic. So this was right up her alley. The place is so big that we were tired before we got to see it all. So we are planning a trip back in the near future. I have attached a picture of DJ, Ann, Kellie and I at the center.

Our Cozy Living Room

2009-02-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of our living room... what a cozy place. We got the furniture delivered on Monday night! It has been so nice having some place to sit!