My Favorite Things

Sweetness...

2009-10-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

My boy called me "sweetness". LOL!!!
He was handing me a bowl of oatmeal and he said "Here you go sweetness." I said, "Did you just call me sweetness?" And he said, "Ya, Grandma Judy calles me that."

Love it!

conversation of the day

2009-09-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Avery: What should I do today?
Me: I don't know. Lets go turn on your library movie.
Avery: No. What should I do today?
Me: Well, what do you want to do today.
Avery: Grandpa can come and see me.
Me: I think Grandpa is still out of town.
Avery: Oh ya. Well, I want him to come over.
Me: Let me just have my cup of coffee then I will make you breakfast.
Avery: NO. You can go to church and Grandpa and I can just....hang out or something.

Oh, he makes me laugh.
The good news is is Grandpa is back from St. George and he will come and see him this afternoon for a bit. Yay!! Im still a slacker and didnt go to church though.

13 today...

2009-09-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

My Emmy is 13 today...The big official "teenager". Im so proud of her. Shes really come out of her shell this past year and she getting SO big...Cant beleive Im a mother of a teenager.
Ive survived the sleepover birthday party with 8 screaming girls. (barely, and I still have 2 1/2 hrs to go until they all go home.) We had a campout in the backyard with the tent, they roasted marshmellows, ate pizza, and talked, laughed, and played alllllll night long...I had to turn on the christian music channel on my tv in my room just to drown out their giggles so I could sleep. They had fun though...I guess thats all that matters. RIGHT????

I cant believe she's a teenager. I love her more than words can say.

Pics as promised and starting school...

2009-09-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Avery started school last Wednesday. He was soooo ready to be back in and I was ready to have him back in. Just when I thought everything was well when Emmy went back on Monday, Avery got sick. Ya, he's already missed a day of school. Never fails. As soon as he goes back, it starts. He's been well all summer. As I said, Emily started yesterday at her new school and we are both really excited to have her there. Its a Christian private school and she will be getting all her needs met there. I met the teachers this morning and they are truly great women. Very, very nice. I start working more hours this week too. So far, not so good. I dont have anything on my schedule yet for the next 3 days. It will take some time I guess. At least I can kinda be on call. I wanted to share some pics of Emilys trip to South Carolina. She had a great time with T and K. Chillin at the pool, swimming in the big ocean, and catching little crabs along the beach. She had some real quality alone time with grandma and grandpa.

Weekend Recap

2009-08-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Me and Ave had a great weekend together. Just me and Ave.... Emmy was in South Carolina with grandma and grandpa. More on that later with pics to prove it!!! Anyway, Friday, we went to a good friend of mine, also a hair client's house for a BBQ. I felt a little "eXy" because I didnt know any one but my friend and Avery felt the same way. We took awhile to warm up. It wasnt long before the anxiety subsided though. They have HORSES...Oh my!!! Avery was in seventh heaven when he saw them. He spent the whole time out feeding the horses dead leaves from the ground. There were 4 horses and they all congregated over to him and they even let him kiss them on their noses. Sweet horses. My friend says that two of them are pretty wild, you cant ride them, so it was very unusual that they would allow Avery to touch them let alone kiss them. They knew my Ave was special. We had a great time and I met some very nice people. Saturday night when I got home from work, because Avery was home, bored all day with dad, that I would take him to dinner and a movie. We went and had nachos and enchiladas and we saw Ice Age. It was pretty cute considering its the 3rd I think....He liked it. After the movie, he insisted on going to see the horses. I gave in and told him we could drive by but we were'nt getting out. So we sat on the side of the road and gazed in Awwww. He wants to take grandpa to see them. Sunday was just a quiet day at home. He played Wii all day. He loved having it all to himself while sissy was gone. About 8pm it was time to go get her from the airport. And boy did he miss her. They laughed, giggled and rough-housed the whole way home and into the night...I finally had to make them settle down and go to bed. Ahhhh, back to the routine today.

Here's some words for ya...

2009-08-11T07:02:00.001-07:00

Fudgenuts, Fiddlesticks, and Son of a Biscuit Eater.

HeHeHe!!!! Ive been laughing since I read this on FXSmom's blog!! Thanks FXSmom for making me laugh today!!!

Camping

2009-08-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

SO we went camping last weekend. It was fun. It was cold. Racoons invaded our camp. Averys favorite part was the FIRE. He was facinated with it. He always wanted to throw in "sticks" (firewood).

The kids fished and caught several little ones and just threw them back. Avery called them "minnows". "Mom, I caught 2 minnows". Emmy and her cousins had fun exploring, playing paper dolls, playing wild horses and dancing around on the tables. (in the campground next to us).

We also went down by the stream and they loved throwing rocks in and dipping their feet. We all came home with a rock collection. Avery has named his. "Eggy". Hmm. Ok.

We had some good times. Good food. Good people.

Dream Interpretations...Very interesting.

2009-07-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is what I found out about me and my dreams...Some of this hits the nail on the head. And the rest I can say is pretty dang close...To read about my weird dreams latley, scroll down to the post before this one.
Maze
To dream that you are in a maze, denotes that you need to deal with the task on hand on a more direct level. You are making the situation harder than it really is. Alternatively, the maze symbolizes life's twists and turns. It represents confusion, missteps, feeling lost or being misled.
Haunted House
To dream of a haunted house, signifies unfinished emotional business, related to your childhood family, dead relatives or repressed memories and feelings.
To dream that you are late, denotes your fear of change and your ambivalence about seizing an opportunity. You may feel unready, unworthy, or unsupported in your current circumstances. Additionally, you may be overwhelmed or conflicted with decisions about your future. You feel time is running out and that you do not have time to accomplish all the things you want.
Coworkers
To see your coworkers in your dream, highlights aspects of your waking relationship with them, including difficulties/support. It signifies your ambition, struggles and competitive nature. If the coworkers in your dream are not your actual coworkers, then they may pertain to some psychological business that you need to work on. Work-related dreams can also often be linked to stress at work.
A crying baby
a crying baby indicates that a part of yourself that is deprived of attention and needs some nurturing. Alternatively, it represents your unfulfilled goals and a sense of lacking in your life. If you dream that a baby is neglected, then it suggests that you are not paying enough attention to yourself. You are not utilizing your full potential. Alternatively, this dream could represent your fears about your own children and your ability to protect and to provide for them.

for more about dreams check this web site out http://www.dreammoods.com/

Dreams

2009-07-27T07:43:00.001-07:00

So I've been having alot of weird dreams lately. I watched Good Things Utah one morning last week and they were talking about an article online that is a dream analyzer. It got me thinking. What do my dreams mean????? I'll have to look it up and post back but my dreams latley have been somewhat disturbing. And yes, Ive had some stressful days this last month or so. So it all makes sense somehow. The dream I had this early morning is still fresh on my mind so Im going to hurry and write it down. I was at work cutting a client's hair that I do every 4 wks. I'll just say her name is M. She proceeded to tell me that because her husband works out of town alot, she decided that she wanted to "date" me. Hmmm. For some reason, in my dream, I agreed. But I was very embarrased and I didnt want anyone to know. And I go down to the desk to reschedule her next apt and so she can pay and for some reason, shes nowhere to be found on my schedule or in the computer for that matter. People were crowding me and pushing in front of me to get to the computer (another co-worker) and I finally just snapped at her and walked away from the desk. When I looked up, my client was gone. She had left without paying. Oh, no. Then I go back to do a pedicure and all the instruments have wax on them. I cant use any of them and my other client is waiting. They are doing something to floors in the hair salon area and they wouldnt let me walk on them. I had to get back there to the back room. Ugggg. I was horrified.
Then I woke up. Ahh, thank God it was a dream. Next time I see M. though, oh dear. All I will be thinking of is that we were "dating".

The dream I had a couple nights ago was I was going through a haunted house with some kind of maze in it cuz I kept getting lost and I had all these Creepies following me. Next thing I know, theres my dad with my kids and he had my nephew Gavin. He hands the baby over to me and proceeds to walk through, leaving me. I try to follow them and I end up losing them. Im walking through 3ft of water at one point trying to keep the baby up out of water. I come to a section of 4 rooms connected and I cant find a way out. I guess I set the baby down while I was trying to plan a way out. Next thing I know, the baby is gone. I can hear him crying and Im calling his name. (As if he could answer me or come find me...its a dream). I never did find him and the next thing I remember is waking up. Another big sigh of relief....it was just a dream.

I wonder what these dreams mean...I'll research and post back later.

Stuff and more stuff..

2009-07-20T09:43:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a few things and pics that I promised. We had a fun-filled but hectic week. Wednesday was Ave's birthday and we had his buddy come over and swim and play for the day because he was unable to come to his "friend party" on Sat. It was a Handy Manny theme party so here they are in their gear...

Wed. night we had the fam over to celebrate for a BBQ. I got some pics of the kids swimming.

And Saturday was the big friend party that only one friend came...I was bummed cuz I put LOTS of work and effort into the production and...one friend, oh, COME ON! Avery was fine with it... He had fun and didnt seemed to bothered by it. I guess thats all that mattered.

So after the party we went to the family reunion and had a great time. Saw people we only see once a year and the kids had fun swimming and such... All in all it was a great week. Im glad its over. Back to reality. I am looking forward to our camping trip the first week in Aug. though.

Recap of summer so far..

2009-07-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

Things have been hectic as it is every year in July. First of all, the kids have been keeping very busy, unlike summers of the past where we have severe cases of bordom. They have been doing so well at the theraputic horseback riding. Im so proud of them. They go once a week. Then on Wed.'s they go to Kids Club at the Rec center and go swimming and play games. They love it. We have been trying to go to the library once a week which is has a calming affect on us all...ahhh... Ive been trying to do some bible/prayer time with them a few times a week that has been really good for all of us, seens how its a fight to get them to church every week. Avery has anxiety and sensory overload there. Its the loud music and too big of crowd for his liking. Emmy's just being rebellious but she has really responded to her and I doing it one on one. We have been bonding. Its been good. July is full of birthdays, birthdays, and birthdays. Mom's, Dad's, and Ave's. Its been fun. For moms, us girls went and got pedicures together and then went to dinner.(w/out men and kids!) Tonight we're celebrating Dads at Nats house for a BBQ. Then the big boy will be "9"!!! WOOT WOOT. Hes sooo excited. We're having two parties. A family one on his actual b-day and then a friend one this Saturday. Oh the FESTIVITIES!!! I will post pics of the big day.
Looking ahead, we have a Milne family reunion and a camping trip planned. We also will try an make a trip to Lagoon before school starts. SO much to do, so little time.

YouTube - Fragile X Syndrome

2009-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

I found this on YouTube...Thought I'd share it. I beleive my kids were a gift from GOD. He trusted me with these to angels...

YouTube - Fragile X Syndrome

He does'nt know how....

2009-06-27T07:54:00.000-07:00

Ave: Who's gonna tend us today?
Me: Well, I'll be home until 3:00 then I have to go to work. Daddy will be home at 5:00. You and sissy will be by yourselves for a little while.
Ave: When will you be home?
Me: You will be in bed when I get home.
Ave: I'll be sleeping?
Me: Yes
Ave: Well, who's gonna make dinner?
Me: Daddy will take care of it
Ave: He does'nt know how to make dinner.
Me: He what???
Ave: He does'nt know how mom. I'll just have RabbaDabbies. (canned ravioli)

Avery and Kayla playing Twister.

2009-06-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

So Im listening from downstairs of K. and Avery playing Twister. K. is the spinner and Ave is on the mat.
K.- You do what I tell you to do.
Ave-Ok
K.- Right foot, blue. No, the other foot.
Ave-(nothing)
K.-Left hand, yellow. No, Avery, put it here.
Ave(nothing)
K.-left hand red. MOVE your hand that is on the yellow to a red.
Ave--FINE!!!
K.-How bout you be the spinner?
Ave-ok
Ave-right foot, yellow.
Ave-left hand blue.
K.--Lets just go outside Avery.

Enough of that, I guess.

Horseback Riding

2009-06-12T07:02:00.001-07:00

After much anticipation and excitement, we finally started Theraputic Horsback Riding. Ive heard how beneficial this is for kids with disabilities. We found a place, not so close by, but I was willing to drive due to the great reputation this place has. Our intake appointment went great. L. was so great with the kids and they even got to get on horses that day. Ave seemed a bit nervous to get on and off the horse and was doing the choke-hold around L's neck but she didnt seem to mind. She was great. I knew this would be the place. So we go back last Thurs. for our first official class. Umm, didnt go as well. Emmy did great. She really has a knack for this. She had confidence, poise, and balance like she'd been doing this for years. Ave, on the other hand did not. He was so fearful that it resulted in a few disasters. M. is the teacher, not L. which was a concern for the beginning. She has more of a gruff personality and was quite forceful with him. He flat out wasnt going to do the task at hand and began slapping the helpers. One of them ended up with nice shiner on her eye. Sorry again T. Goll, I really felt bad. Ive never seen him act that violently. He's really an easy going boy. He just acted out of extreme fear. When we left, both Ave and I were in tears. What was I going to do? I had paid all that money up front and Emmy was on cloud 9. What was I going to do? Just then, I received a phone call from L. She just called to get our schedule finalized but as soon as I heard her voice, I broke down. I told her what had happened and that I didnt think he would want to come back. She encouraged me and said she would help next time and speak to M. about doing things differently with Ave so he can begin to trust her. I felt better. So yesterday was our next class. L. was no where to be found. I began to get nervous. Finally, I took it upon myself to talk to M. I explained that he was reacting out of fear and that he needs to trust you before he is expected to do "scary things". She was more that receptive and very nice. I told her that I had told him that he didnt have to do anything he didnt want to do, so please dont force him. She agreed and the class went wonderfully! He actually really had a great time and did things that I never thought he would, at least THAT day. I feel better now. I want him to succeed, there just needs to be a different approach. Emmy, now shes ready to move to the next class already. She's having a ball. I got a few pics to share.

Sensory Overload mixed with hunger...Not good.

2009-06-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

So we went to my niece Holly's school program last night. I of course wanted to see her get up on stage and receive her awards but I also had other motives. Emily is going to that school next year, which is a Chrisian private school and I wanted her to see what went on and possibly meet some people so she has an idea of what she's getting into. To the average person, it was a great program. They had awards, slide shows, music...very touching and emotional for the parents. Emily enjoyed herself for the most part and sat really well through the 1 1/2 hr program. Avery on the other hand, not so good. Its usually the opposite. Not this time. As soon as the music started, he started to melt down. First, holding his ears, then whining and saying he wanted to go home over and over and OVER....He has had a cold and wasnt feeling well which leads to not eating his dinner very well because he coughs, gags, then pukes...fun. So by this time of night, he was probably hungry. Your wondering why I even went to the dang program...ya, me too at this point. Anyway, just had to get through it. I guess I should have left the room because we were getting "looks" from others but no, I didnt. I just kept torturing myself, Avery, and the others around us. Again, why was I there??? Oh ya, Holly and Emily. I didnt want to miss Holly's awards. By the time it was over, he had a bright red face, snot running down his face and was royally pissed off at me and was hitting me. I took him out at that point to get a drink. Did I mention the air conditioning wasnt on and we were all sweating like stuffed pigs??? Ya. I was ready to just go home. Afterwords,everyone wanted to go to Sizzler to eat and I had planned on declining because, well, the hell we just went through, but no. Avery insisted on going to get something to eat...I guess I couldnt blame him. We went, he ate, and he was a totally differnt boy. Ahhhh. Thats the Avery I know. Have I learned my lesson. Yes. For now, I guess.

What a great weekend!!!

2009-05-26T09:20:00.001-07:00

Sunday was the big day...The 35th. I feel so old. Even though I feel old, I had a great birthday. Let me back up a bit. Ive had a great week. Thursday, I went to the long awaited visit to The Cheesecake Factory.. Yum-O!! Dad took me there for my b-day and boy was it good. We shared fish and chips and a garlic pasta dish that was amazing then topped it off with a HUGE peice of Rasberry Lemon cheescake which I had to take home and eat over the next two days, it was so big. Thanks Dad. Then on Friday, my hubby took me to Market Street Grill for a dinner date...again...Amazing food. (quick insert, I ate way to much this weekend, hence going to the gym today...)Anyway, I had halibut and of course I had to try the fruit tart for desert. Soooo good. It was a very nice night..Thanks Jared. Sunday, being the big day, I headed up to Ogden with the kids and mom and I headed out for some heavy duty shopping. I found some great clothes and some great deals. One of my fav. ways to spend a birthday. Shopping and eating. Yes, we went out to dinner again...Kobe. Japanese. Amazing. Even the kids had a good time. Well, mostly just Emmy but it was great. Its one of those places where they cook right in front of you at your table. Tons of food, we were stuffed. But, we had to go home and have cake and ice cream. I had requested spice cake and boy it was a yummy treat after the great meal we just had. Thanks Mom and Russ.

Monday, Memorial Day. It was a great one too. Started off by taking a quick trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a couple more birthday treats. Then we went to vistit Grammers grave. She had had many visitors yesterday. We all wanted to pay our respects. You are terribly missed Grandma. I love you.
Then it was off to Dinosaur Park for a huge family picnic...The kids had a great time playing and going through the museum and I got lots of great pics. Ave got to reunite with his buddy, Tori. Oh, he was a happy boy.

Heres some pics over the whole weekend.

cont....

2009-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was passed. Me and Emily have been sitting on the toilet and holding a bowl. Need I say more.... Please pray for us...Gotta go lay down now.

A trip to the E.R. and one sad boy....

2009-05-15T08:03:00.001-07:00

Well, when Avery got home from school yesterday, apparently he wasn't feeling well. I had gone to the gym and when I had returned, he had been throwing up. As time went on, it got worse, more projectile and diarhea as well....Great. I have never seen so much "stuff" come out of one person. At 11:30 pm, after trying everything I could think of to give him some releif, I decided to call our dr. on call. He said it sounded like he might be getting dehyrated and it wouldnt hurt to take him in. Soooo, off we go. Grandpa was great to come and stay with Emmy. Jared was at work. All I kept thinking was "swine flu". He was extremely anxious which made things worse and he was exausted (me too) at that point. After sitting in the E.R. until 2:30 am we finally got some releif. He was given a disolvable pill that would stop the nausea and from their we were debating an IV but he was able to keep some liquids down so we got to go home. We still dont know if it was something he ate or if it was a virus. At least it wasnt swine flu.

The worst part is that he is going to miss his Sports Day today. It like a little "special olympics" for his school district and he was looking so foward to it.
Oh, well. Whattya do? Cant have diarhea while running a race. He's disappointed.

Ave and Tori

2009-04-23T06:55:00.001-07:00

Avery made a new friend!!!! Every once in a while he attaches himself to someone and its instant attraction. We took a recent trip to Disneyland with my cuz Stacey and her girls. Oh, did we have a time!! Avery took to Tori right away. All the girls were really cute with him. He was in seventh heaven. But somethin about Tori. They were constantly chattin in the back seat about kickin each others' butts and singing songs and giving kisses, It just went on and on. They rode the majority of rides together too at Disney. He's only met and been around Tori a couple times in his life. It was love at first sight. I was talking to Stace on the phone last night and Avery was in the bg saying "I wanna talk to Tori!!!" SO we put em on the phone and wow, it went on and on for a while. I could hear him saying, "Im gonna kick your butt Tori then you can kick my butt." Then he was talking about Woody and Handy Manny. Next think I know, he's heading for the bathroom with phone in hand. At that point I took the phone and told Tori, he was doing his business and had to get off the phone now...We were both laughing...Hes so funny. Here's a pic of them in the back seat being silly!!!

More of our nightly routine with Ave

2009-04-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Im sure you recall the pics of Ave and all his characters that get tucked in with him at night, well lately theres more to the ritual. Last night, I was so tickled with him I had to post this. I tuck him in for the night with his spidey/woody's and his Wall-e light on. I usually go right to bed and from his room he tells me he loves me and we blow kisses to each other from our rooms at least twice. At this time he gets out of bed and makes sure my door is open and is touching the wall. Well last night, after he checks the door he came over to my bed to kiss me goodnight some more. I had had the covers off of me cuz I was hot and he proceded to "tuck me in" by putting the covers on me and kissing me some more. Oh, I love him. He makes me laugh.

FX Ramblings...

2009-04-08T16:03:00.000-07:00

So Ive come across an amazing community/support website for familys affected by Fragile X and there's alot of moms with alot of funny stories on there not to mention very helpful advice and encouraging words. Most of them have blogs that I've been following lately and decided I need to be writing and sharing some of my FX moments.
This was the conversation of the hour:
Avery: call Parker's mom.
Me: I called her yesterday and she hasn't called me back yet.
Avery: call her again.
Me: maybe later.
Avery: no, now.
Me: Fine.
Me: She said it was ok for him to come over tomorrow and play at 1:00.
Avery: OK
Avery: I will go and wait for him on the porch.
Me: He's not coming over until tomorrow.
Avery: Oh, Ok
Avery: Call his mom again and ask her to bring him at 4:00 today.
Me: No, he's coming tomorrow.
Avery: Not tomorrow, today.
Me: Tomorrow Avery.
Avery: Not tomorrow, today.
Me: He will come tomorrow and you can ride your bikes.
Avery: Ok
Avery: Can I go to Parkers house.
Me: No Avery, hes coming tomorrow.
Avery: Not tomorrow, today.
Me: Avery, lets watch SpongeBob.

I left the room.

I must have 20 or more conversations like this a day. He very rarely gets upset to the point of a tantrum, its just the repetitiveness that is tiring.

Havin' fun with Grandpa...

2009-02-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

Grandpa and the kids were out passing some time waiting for Daddy to get home so we could go to our Tuesday night dinner. I caught a few snapshots of them throwing snowballs at each other.

Here's the latest...

2008-12-23T06:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest on Mr. Gavin!!! He's already starting to change! I can't believe it!! I can't wait until I get to see him again!! He got this cute hat from Grandpa Jim for Christmas.

Gavin Robert Carroll is here...

2008-12-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Gavin was born on Dec.6,2008 at 3:07am. He is such a doll baby. We love him. Emmy is in seventh heaven when she holds him. She's so cute with him and so is Ave. It took a while for him to warm up to him but now he's quite the helper. Nat and Rob are going to be great parents. Here's a few pics of the sweet-sweet.

Around the table at Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T08:31:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We sure did. We went to Josh and Becky's out in Herriman. It was small and quaint but very nice. Becky did an amazing job decorating the tabels. She told me she went and bought all new table settings and decor for the occassion. Really nice job Bec! We had a great time. We spent time with Gordon and Marilyn whom we rarely see and it was nice. The only minor mishap we had was we forgot the cranberries. At the last minute as we were sitting down to eat, I realized there were none. Jared and Josh ran to the store to get some, whew, saved the day. Can't have Thanksgiving without cranberries. After, I realized, I think I was incharge of bringing them. Ooopsy!!! Here's some pics of everyone around the table. (Notice the decor!)

Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes

2008-11-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ok, I found this recipe in a Kraft Food and Family magazine and I had to share it. OMG!!! These cupcakes are to die for!!! If you love lemon, which I am a HUGE fan of lemon, you will LOVE them! And, sooooooooooo easy! I took them to my Stampin Up club last night and they were a huge hit! Great for the holiday season coming up too!

Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes

1 pkg. white cake mix
1 small box of Lemon Jello pudding and pie filling
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 pkg. (4oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp.lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350'. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick). Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper lined muffin cups.

Bake 21 to 24 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Meanwhile, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter and lemon juice with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Frost cupcakes.

Garnish with lemon zest. (optional)

He misses Grammer...

2008-11-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

Here are few pics of Avery putting a pumpkin on Grammer's grave. He sure misses her, as we all do. Gramps went and picked out a pumpkin and let Avery draw a face on it then they went down to put it on her grave. Awww. I had to go down later and take pics of it. He said that Avery wanted to know where her head was so he could put it on her head and Gramps told him that he was standing on it. So he put it down up by the headstone.

Dancing Queens...

2008-09-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I have Dancing Queen/ABBA on the brain. Just saw Mama Mia. Anyway, these girls are truly talented. Emily and her cousins got the opportunity to go to a Drill Team/Dance Camp at Riverton High School. It was two nights of practicing and then they got to perform their routines the third night at half time in a JV football game. They were soooo cute. I was amazed at how well Emily did. She hasn't shown to much interest in dance or anything for that matter, and she was a little leary at first to try this but I had already signed her up, it was too late. But I think she was really glad she did it. And boy was I proud mama watching my baby out there on the field shakin' her booty. It brought tears to my eyes actually. I hope I can get her to take a regular dance/hip-hop class now that she knows what its all about. She really did have a great time. Here's some pics of her and her cousins and one of her, Jared, and Ave!

A face only a mother could love....

2008-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Is this a face or what. He just got out of the tub and he loves to wrap a towel around his head of no hair I might add (like mom does). Perfect photo op. As his grandpa says, Avery, you have a face only a mother could love!! Aww, he's my cute boy.

8-8-08 Tag...

2008-08-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hey, I saw this over on my cousins blog this morning...thought I'd share it and see what you guys have to say. In honor of opening ceremonies of the olympics being held on 8-8-08 here is a fun tag. Leave a comment with your answers here on my blog so I can see what your interests are. Just for fun!!!

8 of your favorite shows: Greys, Hopkins, ER, Supernanny, John and Kate Plus 8,SVU, Biggest Loser, American Idol.

8 favorite resturants: El Rancho Grande, CafeRio, Spaghetti Factory, Red Lobster, Noodle Company, Outback, PF Changs, Kneaders

8 things that happened today: Well its only 8:30 in the morning so not much going on but I'll try and stretch here...Lets see, Emily woke up with a swollen eye, Im keeping her home for the morning to see if she needs to go the DR., Ive looked at a StampinUp sampler mag. this morning, Ive had 2 cups of coffee, Ive read all my friends blogs through once already, Avery just got up and they're watching SpongeBob, Im going to work later to do a perm, I am going to dinner tonight with my dad and the kids. (is that 8?)

8 things to look foward to: Avery going back to school, Averys playdate with Parker tomorrow at Parkers house, Moonlight Madness at work to be over with, Kennecott's Lagoon Day, scrapbooking, Stamping Club on Thursday, getting back into the gym and back on my diet when Avery goes back to school, Natalie having her baby!!!.

8 things I love about summer: BBQ's, Swimming, Sitting on the porch watching the kids play outside, More daylight, wearing summer clothes,(capris,tanks,shorts), Cherry Hill, Lagoon, picnics.

8 olympic events I want to watch: Well, to be quite honest, I dont really watch the olympics. Your asking "Why this tag survey then??", Well just cuz!!!! It sounded kinda fun.

8 things on my wish list: kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, debt paid down, more stamping/scrapbook stuff, to get MY hair done, more family time, not have to work, everyone to just be happy!!!!

8 people I want to leave their answers here: anyone....anyone...

Trip to the zoo!

2008-08-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to the Hogle Zoo with all the usual crowd...in-laws, friends, family...It was a great day. We got there early and the weather was great, just slightly breezy. We couldn't have picked a better day to go. All the animals were awake and eating their breakfast when we got there. Kathy and I were discussing the amazing animals that our great big God makes...How amazing and intricate are the giraffes and the zebras...Just can't fathom...No two patterns on the zebras and the giraffes for that matter are the same. Blows me away. After making the rounds to see all the animals, we rode the new carousel which was sooo cool. Avery chose to ride the gorilla of course. Emmy chose the cheetah. Then we rode the train. We stopped and had a picnic lunch which consisted of the famous egg salad sandwiches with all the other picnic fixins... I love eating picnics at the zoo. Reminds me of when I was a kid. We always had egg salad sandwiches. YUM-O!!! Ahhh, MEMORIES, MEMORIES!!! It was a great day with the fam...Jared was in a great mood and the kids had a great time. Here's a few pics of everyone.

My boy is 8!!!

2008-07-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

Avery's official birthday was yesterday, July 15. We had our second birthday party for him with all his friends from school. The day started off not so well. I woke up with the flu. Oh, I was miserable but as the day went on I tried to pull myself together for the party. Thank God for my parents and my sister helping me...They did all the work. I just mainly observed the festivities. The kids started off by swimming for an hour while the pizza's were in the oven. Then they feasted on Papa Murphys Pizza followed by a piece of CARS cake. Then he opened his presents which consisted of Interactive ET and Elliot dolls, Thomas the Train Carnival Track set, also a mountain track, ET night light and mug, Spiderman 4 wheeler, Spiderman Yatzee game, a new swimming suit and outfit, and more little things that are not coming to mind right now. This is not including the haul he got on Sunday with the family that consisted of a new bike, a T-ball set, Go Fish!cards, books, games, and action figures. Every birthday here seems like Christmas. My kids are so blessed with wonderful grandparents and extended family who love them soooo much. I dont know what we would do if we didnt have them. The kids in the pics are Averys friends, Parker, Sebastion, and Thomas. They are all in his class at school.

Every Night....

2008-07-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

Every night we go through the routine of putting everyone in place...Spiderman, Big Woody, Little Woody, Woody and Woody and even another Woody, Dare Devil, oh and cant forget little Spiderman. We've now added Kong but hes not in the pic. They all have their specific spots. I think I counted 8 characters not including Avery!!!
How does he sleep with all those your asking....Well, I dont know actually. All I know is its a twin bed and somehow, someway, he makes it work. I dont hear a peep out of him all night.

Im back....just in time for the 4th!

2008-07-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Wowzers....Its been a while since Ive blogged. My computer was down and in the shop for 4 days only to tell me we just needed a new computer. What a headache its been to get the new one up and running the way I had my old one. Still frustrated....Its been such a busy week too with gettting ready for VBS,(Vacation Bible School) and preparing for a family reunion and so on and so forth. Im worn out.

Yesterday, for the 4th and the first day of our Milne Family Reunion, we went to Cherry Hill. It was great. We all came home sunburned and waterlogged. Many times down the tube run and many more down the waterslides. Whew...long day, but we had a ball. Its been a tradition to go to Cherry Hill in September with the Hines family for Grammers Birthday/Labor Day. With Grammer gone now who knows if we will all still go. I thought of her lots yesterday. It was nice being there with my in-laws but it wasnt the same.

After Cherry Hill, we came home for a quick dinner then off to Beckys for fireworks!!! The last couple years we've been crashing her neighborhood fireworks show. Four or five familys on her street pull out lawnchairs in the street and they all let off the fireworks together. Its pretty fun, the kids enjoy it.

The second half of the Milne Family Reunion is today, Saturday. Oh, it feels good to take a Saturday off work by the way. The Milnes are Jared's mom's side of the family. Great people!!!! Love em!!! The guys are going golfing first. Jared is looking forward to golfing with his uncle Chris and cousin CJ, then we are going to Scera Park in Orem for a big family picnic. Lots of food, games, crafts for the kids and so on... Hope everyone had a great holiday!!

You are special!!!

2008-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I promised pics of the party last night but with the comotion of it all, I forgot to grab my camera. Although, I did get a pic this morning of one of the highlights of our Fathers Day...This is what I got my hubby from the kids. Its a vintage T-shirt of Mr. Rogers. YOU ARE SPECIAL!

HA HA HA!!!! We laughed, and he loved it. He's into those funny t-shirts. Among the favs are his The Christmas Story shirt with the kids' tongues stuck to the flag pole, and one that says "My anger management class pisses me off."

I also got him a huge bag of M&Ms which he loves. We had a great night with the fam and now its back to the grind...

Happy Fathers Day!!!

2008-06-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day To all the "Men" in my life!!!!
Yesterday we got to spend some time up in Ogden with Mom, Russ, and Gramps. We also got to see all the cousins and cousin's kids...It was great. Im so glad we are staying close since Grammer died. I love spending time with my cousins. We had some funny stories goin' last night. We laughed and laughed...The food was good too...even the beans MOM!!!! The only thing missing was Nat and Rob. Miss you Nat!!!
Today Jared had to work which he wasn't happy about...usually he gets to golf on Fathers Day but he'll live, he golfs every other day anyway right???? We are getting together with his family and my dad and Connie for a BBQ later tonight. The pool is set up and all the kids will be swimming. It should be fun! I'll take pics and post them tomorrow.
Everyone have a great day!!!
Love you!

The Toothfairy has come to an end...

2008-06-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this happened a few weeks ago but I need to document it before it leaves my mind for good....My sweet daughter who is 11 (a little old to still believe in the toothfairy) recently lost a molar tooth and was preparing for the tooth fairy to come. She has always pulled her own teeth out by the way (ewwww, heebie jeebies). So she decides she is going to write the toothfairy a letter to go in the baggie with her tooth. I was like ...ok, I guess. I asked her if I could read the letter. It said 'Dear Toothfairy, I would like $40.... please' And thats it...I was shocked!! Yet I couldn't help but crack up laughing. She didn't think it was funny. I said "Oh, Emmy, I don't think the toothfairy can afford $40". And she said "Well can she afford $10?". And I said "Well the most I think she's ever given for one tooth is $5 but its usually only $1. But you will just have to wait and see I guess. Here's a pic of the letter. As you can see, she changed it from $40 to $5. Isn't she great?

So the toothfairy that I am, I pondered this for a long while. Everyone was in bed almost asleep and I kept telling myself, Ive got to get up and put money under her pillow, but sure enough I dozed off without doing it. I woke up the next morning freaking out that I forgot to do it...So she was still sleeping but she's such a light sleeper and every time I opened her door she stirred a little.

I decided it was time to tell her truth about the toothfairy. I just told her "Ya know Em, your 11 now and you're old enough to know that.......so on and so on....Needless to say, she took it quiet well. At first she had a look of disappointment on her face but when I said I would give her $5 for her tooth and her "cute" letter anyway, she perked right up and hasn't said another thing about it.

Oh, by the way, she still believes in "THE OTHERS". So we will leave it at that.

2008-06-11T09:20:00.001-07:00

This is my family!!! This picture was taken at my dads house, on his porch.

This is me. This is my life.

2008-06-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hi There!!! Im Jana!
Never done this before. I heard some people talking at work about blogs and how you can turn them into books. I thought (being the scrapbooker that I am), how neat!! I'll start by giving a bit of history of me and my family!!!
I am 34 years old and I have been married to Jared Nickle for 14 years. I am the mother of 2 precious kids. Emily is 11 and Avery is 7. We live in West Jordan, Utah and we have 2 dogs, (Trixie Belle and Riley) and 2 cats ( Alex and Scodats).
I am a hairstylist in a local Day Spa where I work part time (3 days a week) doing hair services, pedicures and manicures. Its such a calming, relaxing place to work. I love it! Just enough time away from home to socialize with people.
I started crafting about 3 years ago. Never thought I would be a crafter, never wanted to for that matter but I went to a stamping club as a guest of my friend one night and the rest is history basically!! I love making cards, scrapbooking, altered projects....and on and on.
I am a Christian woman that walks daily seeking the will of God in my life. My desire is to raise my kids with Christian values that they would grow up to be successful, Godly adults.