Money Tires & Pizza

What a month...

Okay at the first of this month I was coming home on the freeway from recording a "Thank you blurb" at the 91.7ZHT radio station. My 4-H Kids won the seasons of service for July and we got a free pizza party from Little Ceasars. Well on the way home I got a flat tire, Gwampa Mike came and rescued me. THANKS DADDY!

So on the 10th we went to Les Scwhab to get a new one and much to our surprise (not really) we needed not 1 or 2 but 4 new tires and new brakes! So after just paying off all cc debt we had to dive back in. Some cash later we are doing good, riding smooth and having a good time. We put alot of miles on them as we went to Powell and numerous trips to Lehi.

Well this morning, the day of the actual Pizza Party, Jim was on his way to work and noticed my tire was flat. He got out and changed the tire for me, but noticed that someone had slashed it with a knife! How mean huh :( He was mad, so was I, but then we said, I guess it's good they didn't do all 4. Police took their report and he went to work.

So today after the pizza party, which was a good turn out and lots of fun I went back to Les Schwab to get a new tire. My kids love it there because they have this virtual wheels machine that you can select any type of car and chance it's wheels, tires, suspension and color. So Jo was entertained for a long time! I am afraid we have a computer nerd on our hands. :) As we were sitting and waiting I decided to pull out my camera and video tape their jibber jabber. It's long but kinda funny. 

So now, 1 more new tire and 100 bucks poorer we are cruisin free once again! Moral of this story... When you are going to do anything that has to do with FREE PIZZA don't; stay home and keep your cars in the garage hehe! (would help if you had a garage first)

LAKE POWELL 2008

Out Trip to Powell so many cute pics! 

Warning this slide show is wordy and 50 pics long. 

It's just faster that way and hey I am a scrapbooker!

Where have we been?

On Wed. July 16th we headed to Lake Powell. The kids did pretty good on the the road. We got to have grandma Joy ride with us the whole way and that was sooo helpful. Thanks grandma! 

Some highlights of our trip! While there we had some ups and downs. 

*The wind picked up 2 times, one time carrying the water weanie, trampoline, tubes and 2 small boys away. We all pulled together to rescue everything. It was quite funny to watch those kids dive off the tubes as the wind picked up. Thank goodness they were wearing life jackets. 

*Another time the night before we were to leave the wind picked up sooo bad that all the kids from up top had to crash downstairs, our houseboat came un-anchored and my dad, brother Jared, Jim and my new soon to  be brother in law Dan stayed up all night adding rocks to the anchor. What a wild night!

*Ryker got dehydrated and the flu the first day there and was a little sick the 2nd night but other than that all was good.

*We haven't been to Powell in 5 yrs so it was great to go with friends and family! 

*Dad splurged and surprised us all the week or so before with the purchase of the houseboat which made things easier on me. Ryker slept well as did Jo.  It even had a slide which was too fun!

*It was sooo hot but the water was lovely. 

*We got to go cliff jumping my favorite part!

*Jim got up on the kneeboard and almost the wakeboard! (Next time he will be there)

*JO swam in her jacket and little pink tube the whole time... without fear (thank goodness)

* Ryker didn't drown infact he didn't like the water much.  He LOVED the boat though!

*I got up on the wakeboard after 2 tries however I tried to ride it like skis, endo and had a very bad headache for the rest of the evening!

*We got to eat good food, great snacks pay cards, enjoy the water and be with the ones we love DIGGER and STACEE we sure missed you! JO wouldn't even brave the tube behind the boat because Dig wasn't there to do it with her. Ryker did though!

4th Family Favorites

What a great holiday weekend we have had!!

On Thursday we went to get the kids and Jims hair cut after a nice lunch in Provo. It was quite a traumatic experience for Ryker. He was terrified, but needed a haircut soooo bad. The nice girl kept him belted in his stroller and then she had him hug me while she quickly buzzed his head. It looks cute, he looks older too. She was good, she sang the songs he learned in nursery to keep him calm. I on the otherhand in the work up we both forgot to put the hair smocks on smoked and so we were both covered in his hair. YUCK and ITCHY!! I wasn't needing a shower when we arrived but after that ordeal I was the one who needed it the most so instead of going to the Freedom Festival we just came right home after.

On Independence Day  we went to the Innes household in Lehi for a nice BBQ. It was fun and we were with lots of family that we haven't seen in a LONG time. All the Innes siblings were able to come out to Utah for the 4th and it's been great. We even had family and friends from Arizona and Cali. We  did kareoke, play guitar hero, a few board games and just chit chatted. It was fun to have all the cousins together too, Jo being the oldest. It was great food and good times. 

Later that night we went to the Herbert household to light off our own fireworks and then watch the city and other cities fireworks from the roof. I wasn't so impressed with them this year. They were really low, and too long. I was a bit terrified about taking Ryker up there, but he insisted and did pretty good. I held on soooo tight! He took a minute to warm up to the fireworks and was scared but soon he was saying "oooh pretty, yeah  (as he clapped)" He is just so cute!

The next day we went boating with Mom and Dad Herbert and Dig and Stacee. It was just what I needed. The water was rough and our time on the Lake was cut short with a storm but we had  a good time. Ryker and Jo both rode behind the boat in the tube. I was so proud of them, they loved it too especially Ryker. He didn't want to get off. Jim, Dig, and I had some pretty wild rides on the tube and it was a good time. We r feeling it today though!

Sat night we went to the Innes and ate leftovers, to the Lewis wedding and then to Liberty Land in Lehi to go mini golfing with all the married couples of Jim siblings. It was really fun to get together, we took Jo and she loved being w/the older kids. What a great family we have!

Sunday was the blessing of Ali so beautiful. The kids did well at church and we had a very nice lunch afterwards at moms and some Boggle. It was great to catch up with family and friends.

Sunday for dinner we went to Mama Herberts to surprise Cortney for her birthday. We kinda ruined the surprise as we didn't hear the honking for the warning or her arrival but oh well. It was good mom made cafe rio pork, ice cream cake roll and we had a german chocolate cake. It was really fun to be with family and eat and visit but more exciting was she got to show off her brand spanking new ENGAGEMENT RING!!! Oh we are soo excited for her and Dan to get married they are soo cute and happy together! Congrats!

PHew long post! It was fun, tiring, exhausting, emotional and crazy all at the same time. AND the family isn't gone yet so more fun too come! WAHOO!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO.....

I just wanted to shout out HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Cortney my sister! She turns the big 30 today and is enjoying it in Chicago with Dan and his family. She is the bestest sister ever! She is always there.... when I need to talk, to play cards with, vent and sometimes cry with,  to have a laugh and just a hug. She helped mold me into who I am today. She was my caretaker while mom and dad were working. We had alot of fun together and still do.  I spend many nights in her bed, since I had bad dreams even after I had my own new room. She took me to my first concert when I was 12 and I nearly died in the moshpit as a big very BIG man fell from crowd surfing on top me. 

What a memory!! She is always willing to babysit my kids and is gonna be an AWESOME mom someday. I love you CORT!!

OH and I can't forget to say Happy Birthday to this awesome country! Even with all the problems we have and how incredibly wicked it is becoming I AM grateful to live here! I love the USA!! I love this time of year when people are soo patriotic and hope comes out from hiding. 

I am so thankful that so many men and women fought and still fight everyday to protect our freedom, especially to my cousin Erick, his dad Uncle Tim, my friend Josh, Mr. Keel and many others! Happy Birthday America WE love thee!

My Family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

What have we been up to .

Can you believe it is July 1st??? I can't, time is just slipping by too fast! School will be back in anyday now it seems but first we have to play a bit more!

We took our kids to "Horton hears a Who?" last weekend. It was a great movie. The kids did well in the theatre. As long as Ryker has food he is pretty good anywhere. That movie was really cute! I love Dr. Suess I totally recommend it. Aunt MiMi (AMY) was able to meet us there, see the movie, do lunch and then she took Jo to Lehi with her to go swimming and to the Lehi Parade. That was nice of her, what a good aunt. JO had a blast!

Jim and I got to go the temple that night. We arrived just in the nick of time thanks to mother Joy meeting us there to grab Ryker and Go literally. THANKS MOM!! Isn't family awesome?!! It was a very peaceful and settling time for us.

SAT.. Jim got up and went flying and I took the kids to Lehi to the Grande Parade. It was way tooo long. 2.5 hours is too long to sit with 2 kids and watch floats, marching bands, and karate clubs. Ryker HATED it! At least I was in the shade thanks for a nice old neighbor from my old 2nd ward.

Later Jim joined us for the Carnival in the park. This is not a carnival with HUGE $$$ rides and that is why I LOVE IT! There were many big blow up toys, slides, obstacle courses and a small train. It is cheap only .25-75cents a ride and it was fun to see old friends. There is a free kids corner with free crafts and jo made some stylin glasses and ryker colored a paddle ball game. Then the Bones came and Jo loved to play with Aiden. Most the time Ryker was not happy he hated everything, he liked the swings once, and the train when he wasn't on it.

Sunday was Sunday we went to church, and then to Lehi. Mom Innes had the best roast I have had in a LONG time. It was sooo good! Then Ang, Ross, Ali, Jo and  I all went to Arts in the Park. It was past Miss Lehi night so I got to see alot of old friends from highschool always fun stuff but I feel older and older the more I go to Lehi functions. 

Last night Jim and I got to go to Euphoria UVU's celebration of becoming a university. I liked it as I love country music and Jim was supportive. It was very long and hot. 15000 people turned out just for the concert and there had been stuff to do all day. My favorite star was Collin Raye, he even played a song that my friend Tobby sang at our wedding (One boy, One Girl) and then(( (Love Me) which is very very sentimental for me as it was sang at my grandma Lareus funeral.

As I tried to boogie down, Jim said I was aging myself hehe! But it was fun and the fireworks were good too, better than the city ones. Nice Night out for me and thanks to both sets of family that helped take on my kiddos.

Today Jim got to go to the ribbon cutting ceremony of the school and he got to listen to and shake President Thomas S. Monsons hand. That was a neat experience for him wish I was there!

Work has been fun, today we made homemade lava lamps and got to experience UV color changing beads. The kids made bracelettes with them and hemp. It was a great time!  I LOVE MY JOB!

On the schedule now.. THE FOURTH OF JULY!!! Wahoo I love this time of year, fireworks, the smell of gunpowder, sparklers, bbqs, camping and family!!! Happy Days!