Birthdays...

So, I had my birthday yesterday, and here's the thing... I have realized I am a HORRIBLE birthday friend! What does that mean? Well, let me explain. I am not a big 'birthday' person. I didn't tell anyone at work it was my birthday -then Brittany Mollenhauer showed up with a big candy bar and donuts and made all the kids sing to me. That sorta let the cat out of the bag, but it was nice and I enjoyed it. But after all the girls at work knew, they all felt bad for me because I had to work on my birthday. No big deal to me. I don't run around telling everyone my birthday is coming, I don't expect everyone to tell me happy birthday, I don't even really expect gifts. (I actually hate being the center of attention!!!!!) Is that horrible??? It was never a big deal when I was growing up so it has just not been a big deal in my adult life. Unfortunately it spills over into everything. I don't really make a big deal of my kids birthdays (I know, bad mommy!!!) and David and I never remember our anniversary -much less do anything or buy each other gifts. I tell him he is lucky that I am such a LOW maintenance gal! :) So, I never remember anyone's birthdays! I had so many phone calls, visits from friends and even gifts from friends yesterday. It was fun to chat with everyone and hear from -almost- everyone in my family. This is the first year that I have been called by -almost- all my siblings on my birthday. It was so nice! But then I realized how I am such a BAD birthday friend! They say 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. If this is true, I may as well give up trying to get to heaven now, because I know where I am going! I do have the best of intentions, but seriously I am HORRIBLE!!! I went to FB to verify a friends birthday and found out I missed it! (Sorry Elise, I SWEAR I thought your birthday was the 15th!!!) I was crushed!! This is when I realized I need to make a perpetual/birthday calendar. That way I have all the birthdays written down in one location. I have made so many New Years resolutions to be better at sending cards. Well I gave up years ago because my brother -whose birthday is in January- would get a card, my sister -whose birthday is in March- would sometimes get a card but after that, forget it! I never got around to sending anymore cards! Can someone please give me hints and tips on how you remember everyone's birthdays?? I do think a calendar may be my answer... Now I need to find one! I got one years ago from Stampin up, maybe they still have it. Any Stampin Up consultants out there? I need one! So, please accept my blanket apology if I have forgotten your birthday. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes, gifts, phone calls and the love you sent my way! I truly appreciate it and hopefully I will get better at remembering all your birthdays and not be such a bad birthday friend!
PS... respond and tell me when your birthday is so I can put it in my calendar I intend to buy/make! :)

A New Look

Ever since Amanda was just a toddler, I couldn't get myself to cut her cut little curls. As it grew out, I thought it would be great if she grew it long enough to donate to Locks of Love. Everytime I suggested it though, she made it very clear she wanted no part of that. I would tell her it was time to cut her hair and she would scream "NO!" Eventually I would have to bribe her with ice cream to get her to allow a 'trim'. She would always say "no more than this" as she held up her fingers to show maybe a centimeter. I always trimmed just a tiny bit. It was getting so long! I would try to explain that cutting it off and donating it to a sick little girl would be so nice of her. She just wouldn't budge... Until a couple weeks ago. She informed me she wanted to cut her hair to her shoulders. I was shocked. I didn't know what to say. I asked her if she was sure, she said yes. I measured to see if we had enough to donate, sure enough, we did. I started to question whether or not I wanted her to cut it now. I have grown to love her long hair, as if it makes her who she is. I convinced her to wait a little longer so that it wouldn't be too short when cut. It didn't last long, she has been asking almost everyday since then. Yesterday I finally made the call. Christina really wanted her hair cut too. So off we went to get their hair cut. I think I asked Amanda a dozen times "are you sure you want to do this?" she always replied "yes." She pulled Amanda's hair into pigtails and measured. I held my breath as she cut the 10" off. After she cut the pigtails off, Amanda's hair fell into the perfect A-line. I wanted her to leave it in that style, but Amanda had picked a style out of the book and insisted on bangs and long layers. So, that is wht she got. She loves it and for the rest of the day she kept shaking her head just to feel her short hair hit her face. She looks so different, but she still looks so cute. I do love it and it will be so nice with summer upon us.

Christina choce a hairstyle out of the book, but as she was cutting she changed her mind. She struggled with trying a new style. I told her 'it's just hair, it will grow back!' (which is my attitude, I love trying new styles!) She decided to try an A-line cut. It's a little subtle, but I think it's really cute. She likes that it is shorter in the back, so her neck won't get hot, she says.
They both look so cute.

It's DONE!!!

Well, I am happy to report that my Insurance List is DONE!!! What a relief! I never thought it would take so long to complete. I think many people didn't think it would take so long. It was so overwhelming and such a daunting task. Trying to complete it while taking care of the kids, the house, the hubby and working... It took longer than origionally anticipated. So, 20 pages of my list and 720 line items of their list and I think we got it all! So you think it is an easy thing? Have no idea what I have been going through? Try this... Close your eyes (no peeking!) Now, can you name everything in your bedroom, where you bought it, when you bought it, the brand name and how much you paid for it? Now, do that with EVERY room of your house. Oh and don't forget the garage! The kitchen was a bit of a pain. All that food -you had to have the size/weight/item count for every item! Not to mention price, where you bought it, etc... We took pictures of everything -loss & salvageable- as we were going through it at Custom Restoration, so now add the corresponding number of the photo to the item on the list. The next step is to go through everything that was not burned and cross it off the list. The Insurance company sent us a list they had compiled from all the many lists they received -from Custom Restoration, from when we were going through everything right after the fire. Now we had to go through all the lists (and don't forget the pictures of all the items we tossed) and make sure nothing is duplicated. I also had to contact people for receipts of items lost (Best Buy, Ethan Allen, etc). So after all this was done, we ended up with 20 pages on my list (plus 4 pages of movies and 2 pages of Lego's), and 700+ lines on their list. I am sure we will continue to find things missing or realize we missed something here and there, but all in all, I think we got most of it. The only thing that concerns me is the list from the company that cleaned the clothing and blankets that were salvageable... Was I suppose to add that to my list??? Yikes!
So, now we WAIT! I am sure we will get -yet another- list back from the Insurance company that will ask us to confirm everything. Add more details to items, if needed, and wait some more. Then, maybe if we are lucky, we will see some money come our way in the next 6 months. Then we can start buying stuff to replace everything that was lost. Yay!!! I am happy to report we do all have beds and now a couch! Woo Hoo!! A little at a time...
So, I guess I get to cross one thing off my New Year's Resolution list! Yippee!!

One hectic morning!

This morning was quite a hectic one! It all started at 6:15... I sleep with my phone under my pillow - it's my alarm clock. I had to be to work at 8am. I take the boys with me and they stay and play until I come home. That way David gets some sleep in a quiet house. Well, at 6:15 my phone starts beeping. It's a text. At 6:15?!?!?!? Who would text me at 6:15?!? Well it was the opening employee, her daughter was sick with a fever and croop and was asking if she could leave early. As I am reading the text Ryan comes into my room and throws up on my bed! Great!! I guess he isn't going to work with me. Quick call David... Oh his cell phone is off. Grrr... Get Ryan cleaned up, change sheets, text employee that I will not be in right at 8, text other employees asking them to come in early as I won't be there, try David again... Grrr... Hear from other employees, they can't be there early, oh and director texts asking if I can go work in Chandler today -ummm... NO! Jump in shower, Call David AT work, explain the situation. We decide that we will meet in the parking lot of the gym to swap cars and kids. Ok, breathe... Get ready, hug & kiss kids off to school, call David to see if he has left yet(it's 7:50, he had to leave work early, grrr...). He is just getting on the freeway. Ok, see you in the parking lot. Come out to grab boys to load in car... Oh, Tyler has pee'd on the couch! Are you kidding?!?!? Start cleaning up couch, call David again -he is getting off the freeway, tell him to come home. David walks in, I grab my stuff to leave as he conitnues to clean up the couch and then Ryan starts throwing up again! Needless to say, I finally got to work at 8:30, the morning rush wasn't as bad as it usually is, thank goodness! It was a bit of a crazy day, I didn't get to leave until an hour after my scheduled time off, I just couldn't leave her there alone with 4 babies (3 of which cried if not held) and 8 kids. I got home to a very tired husband, who had been awake with the sick boys all morning. He soon retired to bed and I have yet to wake him up. Gotta go do that now. Hopefully tomorrow is better... Oh, just kidding, I start my double shifts tomorrow! Yay!!! (that was sarcasm...)

The beginning...

Well, this is the beginning of a crazy next few weeks. Things are bound to get out of control at one point or another. I have been working at the gym for almost 3 months now and I recently was promoted (very small promotion!!) to the lead superviser of the KidZone area. I have to admit, I basically asked for the position as I saw many things I would love to change! Yes, this was suppose to be a little get-me-out-of-the-house type job, but if you know me, there is no such thing!!! I truly am a work-a-holic and so I have now created an almost-full-time job for myself! Anyway, in an attempt to get to know all the girls that work there, I am going to be working double shifts for the next 2 1/2 weeks. Yes, I did it to myself! Why? You may ask, because there are girls that work there that I have never worked with, and I wanted to get to know all of them so I can know better what changes need to be made. Am I crazy? One may say so. I may agree in about a week or so. But I just felt like I needed to do it. Well, the second week is going to be the hardest!! Not only am I double shifts almost everyday (including Saturday), but I have a few people coming to visit that same week. I am so excited that friends from California will be coming that week as well as my brother that weekend. So, as I go into my interviews this week (I need to hire a few more people) I am hopefull that I will find another superviser that can pick up some of the shifts that week, so I can spend some much needed time with friends and family. I am so excited to see everyone!

Wakeboarding in March!

The kids are out for Spring Break this week, so David took them out on the boat Monday. It was such a warm day! And it has gotten warmer too! Today it was in the 90's and it's suppose to get even warmer! I am really lovin' this weather!! (I know, I hear you all saying "just wait until summer!!" but seriously, I am enjoying the warm weather!) Anyway, I stayed home with Amanda and Tyler because I had to work. So, Christina took 2 friends with her and Michael took a friend. They also took Stephen (the missionary from CA that convinced David to move here, he got home from his mission just a month ago). I was so excited to see the pictures! They turned out pretty cool! We love that the lake is so close. We can be on the lake in just 30 minutes! It's so convenient to just run up for a couple of hours and enjoy the time we are there. First they started with some cliff jumping, always a favorite!
Then a little wakebording! This is Stephen. A little rusty I understand, as he has not done it for a couple years! We'll get him back into the groove!

Then it was time for some tubing. Ryan even tried it... ALONE! He obviously had fun!
Then Stephen went a little crazy on the tube. I am told he wouldn't let go! Even when he flipped over he would still hang on! Looks like he had fun too!
Then the Girls all took turns.
All in all it was a very fun day, and they all returned a little sunburned! They are even planning to go again this week. I am looking forward to getting out there myself. We are hoping to squeeze in a trip to Lake Powell with my family this summer. Always a favorite place to be!

Kids say the funniest things!

So, we have had a turkey in our freezer for a while and we decided it was time to pull it out and cook it up. Well, yesterday David got home from work and we were cleaning the turkey and chatting while getting it ready to put in the pan. Ryan was watching us and seemed very interested in what we were doing - asking lots of questions. So I go to pull the neck out of the bird and I hold it up and ask David if he wants to keep it or toss it. Ryan sees it and points and yells "Is that his wenis? You pulled out his wenis!" David and I could not stop laughing! My only comment to David was "I will never look at the neck of a turkey the same again!"