Our version of this famous picture

Everyone has seen this famous picture entitled the "American Gothic" by Grant Wood.

This is our version, I love how Lexie is trying to look completely serious.

Just doing my part to help in the garden, comic relief....

Expect the Unexpected!

This year Kevin and I took a different twist on April Fools Day. We called it expect the unexpected. The morning was quiet and normal. When the kids came home they had all kinds of surprises. It started with a scavenger hunt, they each had their own hunt, and their own clues (good idea Mark). One of the things they found on their hunt was that all the bedspreads had been moved to someone else's bed. On their hunt they had to find something on their bed, it was hilarious as they ran to their room and were thrown off that the bedding had changed, they immediately ran to the bedroom of the sibling that was now in their room, which off course I did in a circle, but everyone one of them ran to the wrong room the second time as well. I am so easily entertained. The hunt ended in a surprise random gift, I am not a random gift giver, once again unexpected.

Zach wanted to go to a friends after school before he can go he has to do his jobs, so he went to check what job was his, and noticed that the job chart said "No jobs today, due to April Fools Day" Zach did a happy dance and ran off to play. I am high strung, so no jobs is seriously unexpected. Carson thought it was a trick and did not know if he should do them or not, I laughed again.

Dinner was next while the kids were still so unsuspecting. Dinner was Banana Splits with toppings and three different types of ice cream. We rarely have dessert, and we really did start with banana splits the kids were ecstatic. After the banana splits we had pizza and bread sticks, while no doubt not exactly healthy, I must say that it was so nice not to have a fight about what was for dinner for once. That won't happen again.

The rest of the night was calm maybe due to the large amount of food they had each had for dinner.

When it came to bed time, they all went to bed in the room that sported their specific bedding. All mixed up and I loved it.

Now that we have them so throughly confused, they won't have any idea what to expect next year.

As for tomorrow everything is back to normal....

Lexie all made up

Lexie had her first dance competition of the season last Saturday. She looked so cute getting ready for her Hannah Montana routine. She got to wear full make-up which is a dream come true for a girly girl, and a nightmare for a non-girly girl mother to put on. I needed lots of help, thanks again Kelli. The girls rocked on their performance. Lexie absolutely can't wait to perform again.

Lexie and her friend Kaylee both sporting the toothless look


last minute run through

Ring of Fire

My parents gave us a fire ring for Christmas. We have been waiting for the weather to get nice enough to use it. A perfect family night activity on a crazy spring day where the weather has gone from snowing to blue skies all within a couple of hours. We enjoyed hot dogs, and marshmallows (burned intentionally). We expect many more
of these nights to come.

Boys and their Toys

Does it really start this young? I love watching Zach and Drake together, they make me smile just seeing them together. They have been best friends for years, and share the same quirky sense of humor and make each other laugh all day long. This particular day Drake came over to show Zach his new toy and let him try it out. They had so much fun, and I had to laugh how just like big boys it is amazing how they all congregate out of no where to talk about and check out the new toy.

This picture is my absolute favorite of Drake.

Who does that???

I have found myself saying "Who does that?!!" many times in the last couple of weeks. Until, I did the unforgiveable and found myself in the middle of my own "who does that..." situation. My husbands birthday was on Thursday, and I forgot it. I forgot my own husbands birthday. I know go ahead and say it "Who does that?" Here is a replay of the birthday morning. Kevin gets up ridiculously early (5:30am) for work and he leaves by 6:00 or 6:10 am. He always says morning prayer with me and when I say he always says it he always says it because I am not awake, and all through the prayer I am saying to myself stay awake, stay awake, stay awake, and then amen. I am revealing way to much I know. This particular birthday morning he says the prayer I do say amen and then he says something about have a special day, I mumble okay, and he walks downstairs. He comes back in like three more times says something and I don't think I even responded. He leaves for work and still nothing I get up later at a more reasonable hour 7:20 to be exact and get the kids going. I send them off, I start a load of laundry, make my lunch and leave for work. On my way out the door Kevin calls me here is the dialogue...

Me: Hello
Kevin: Hey what are you doing?
Me: Walking out the door to go to work
Kevin: I saw the calendar you have a busy day
Me: Yes, in fact I do not think it could get busier
Kevin: Really
Me: Work, Parent teacher conferences for Zach (who is in junior high and has eight different teachers), Lexie has Dance, and Brad and Heather are coming to spend the night (some of our best friends were passing through from Wyoming to stay with us that night on their way to Las Vegas). You saw what the house looked like when you left.
Kevin: Sounds like you are too busy for someone to have a Birthday today, bye

I immediately call back he will not answer, and totally justified. I am on my way to work, feeling sick I cannot even believe that I did that, and still knowing the kind of day I still had in front of me with no end in sight and no plan. I did not even put his birthday on the calendar again "WHO DOES THAT?" How can one recover from the unforgiveable? I tried oh how I tried. With a lot of help along the way, I try to mend the damage that had been done. I ordered a fruit bouquet, picked it up and hand delivered it to his work, definitely helped, but still an after thought and he knew it.




Kevin wasn't mad so much as he was hurt, and dissappointed and feeling forgotten in the middle of a crazy day.

The worst thing about this whole thing is that Kevin would have NEVER done that to me, he makes me breakfast in bed even when he leaves that early, he involves the kids and always picks out the best cards. He makes the whole day all about me and calls it Mom's Day.

Kevin is a great father, he coaches every sport the boys are involved with (even when practices are every night of the week), he watches Lexie dance at her competitions not just the recital at the end of the year, and remembers to get her a flower to show her he is so proud of her. He helps with their homework, and at the school. Kevin loves his parents and talks to them everyday. I used to think it was crazy weird and now it is one of my most favorite things about him. His family is the MOST important thing to him. Kevin is a great provider, and a great cook. Kevin treats me better than I deserve, and my own mother has told me this more than once. Kevin has seen me at my worst (unfortunately more than once), and he still loves me. I hope he knows how much I love him. He is definitely in need of a birthday do-over and possibly a new wife who wouldn't forget. I am so sorry Kevin!

Cheree said it best that maybe your life is out of balance when we start to forget the ones we love and their birthdays. Definitely time to re-evalutate ones priorities.

25 Random Things about me

This is dedicated to all those who have tagged me (you could be sorry after reading such randomness)

1. I sing right out loud if I know a song in the car, at the gym, in a store, if I am with people or not.
2. I have three beautiful children Zach (12), Carson (9), Lexie (7)
3. I sign up to win the HGTV Dream house everyday (hey somebody is going to win it)
4. I cannot say "no" to a door-to-door solicitor even if I already have the product.
5. I have fed door-to-door solicitors more than once.
6. I have been educated on the dangers of #5 and I am working on it.
7. I make friends easily and have complete strangers ask to eat with me and whoever I am with.
8. I love all things with numbers from Sudoku, to taxes.
9. I absolutely love the sound of an adding machine.
10. I am not a sideline parent, I do flips off the diving board, ride all the amusement park rides, play tag at the park right along side my kids.
11. I hate to try new foods
12. I love anything and everything with potatoes.
13. I love fry sauce and restaurants that serve it.
14. I have never had my hair past my shoulders.
15. I have never been a girly girl and proud of it.
16. I now have a girly girl and I love it.
17. I do cry for Extreme Home Makeover, Hallmark commercials, and almost weekly in Relief Society
18. I have run the stairs in the Rocky Movie in Philadelphia and raised my hands and jumped around just like the movie in front of strangers.
19. I have seen Mt. Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty, and been where our fore fathers signed the Declaration of Independence.
20. I could not live without my DVR.
21. I have to know where my wallet is when I go to bed, or I will get up in the night to find it.
22. I love talk radio, I do not know when this happened but I have liked it for a really long time.
23. My husband cooks better than me.
24. I love reality TV.
25. I enjoy making to-do lists for shopping, chores, work, etc. and crossing things off as I get them done consider this list done (yeah!)