It'S gREaT tO Be 28!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME-E,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

First let me just YELL a big THANK YOU to all of you who sent your birthday wishes my way this weekend. I am so grateful for the amazing friendships from near and far that bless my life abundantly! From calls, emails, and texts, to cookies, balloons, gifts, and even a banner taped to the front of my house by the birthday fairy - you all have made turning 28 really, really GREAT!


My favorite "gifts" were getting to spend two whole hours with just my hot man on Friday morning. We dropped off the kids and went out to breakfast together! Then later we went for a family bike ride with the kids' new bike trailer.


And of course, the home made birthday cake can't go without mention.







There will definitely be more pictures to come as I still have my Girls' Night Out Birthday Dinner this Friday... oh yes, I'm dragging this out as long as possible, it's a whole year before it comes around again!!!

I've Still Got A Lot To Do...

I've completed everything in BOLD

1.Started your own blog
2.Slept under the stars
3.Played in a band
4.Visited Hawaii
5.Watched a meteor shower
6.Given more than you can afford to charity
7.Been to Disneyland
8.Climbed a Mountain
9.Held a praying mantis
10.Sang a solo
11.Bungee jumping
12.Visited Paris - How about the Paris in Vegas?
13.Watched a lightning storm at sea - not at sea but from the banks of Utah Lake... it's totally the same.
14.Taught yourself an art from scratch
15.Adopted a child
16.Had food poisoning
17.Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18.Grown your own vegetables
19.Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20.Slept on an overnight train
21.Had a pillow fight
22.Hitch hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you were not ill
24.Built a snow fort
25.Held a lamb
26.Gone skinny dipping
27.Run a Marathon
28.Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29.Seen a total eclipse
30.Watched a sunrise or sunset
31.Hit a home run - a Grand Slam! I've still got the signed ball.
32.Been on a cruise
33.Seen Niagara Falls in person
34.Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35.Seen an Amish community
36.Taught yourself a new language - yong ee song!
37.Had enough money to be truly satisfied... well, I'm becoming truly satisfied with the money I have.
38.Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39.Gone rock climbing/repelling
40.Seen Michelangelo's David
41.Sung Karaoke
42.Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43.Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44.Visited Africa
45.Walked on a beach by moonlight - Oddly enough, I've also been kissed on the cheek by a friend who revealed to me that she was a lesbian while walking a beach. Talk about awkward.
46.Been transported in an ambulance
47.Had your portrait painted - does sketched count?
48.Gone deep sea fishing
49.Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50.Been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris - again, only in Vegas.
51.Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52.Kissed in the rain
53.Played in the mud
54.Gone to a drive-in theater
55.Been in a movie - I'm a superstar in my homevideos!
56.Visited the Great Wall of China
57.Started a business... MLM seven years ago... let's not talk about it.
58.Taken a martial arts class
59.Visited Russia
60.Served at a soup kitchen
61.Sold girl scout cookies
62.Gone whale watching
63.Got flowers for no reason... yeah, for myself!
64.Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65.Gone sky diving
66.Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67.Bounced a check
68.Flown in a helicopter
69.Saved a favorite childhood toy... my woobie
70.Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71.Eaten Caviar
72.Pieced a quilt
73.Stood in times square
74.Toured the Everglades
75.Been fired from a job
76.Seen the changing of the Guards in London
77.Broken a bone
78.Been on a speeding motorcycle
79.Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80.Published a book
81.Visited the Vatican
82.Bought a brand new car
83.Walked in Jerusalem
84.Had your picture in the newspaper
85.Read the entire Bible
86.Visited the White House
87.Killed and prepared an animal for eating - only fish.
88.Had Chickenpox
89.Saved someones life
90.Sat on a jury
91.Met someone famous
92.Joined a book club
93.Lost a loved one
94.Had a baby
95.Seen the Alamo in person
96.Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97.Been involved in a law suit
98.Owned a cell phone
99.Been stung by a bee

Yup...I've still got a lot to do.

How about you?

The Birthday Countdown!

"JUST 6 MORE SLEEPS!" as Avery would put it!

That's Eggstraordinary!

Adios Winter, SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!! Welcoming in the pleasantly perfect weather was the semi-annual egg balancing act! On Friday March 20th at 7:44am was the Vernal Equinox, that magic day when all in the world is just right for an egg to balance on its end. I learned this trick from my 5th grade teacher and have continued the tradition each spring and fall on the day of the equinox. I treasure the memories of doing this in past years with my dad, my friends, and now my own beautiful children... it's quickly becoming one of my favorite family traditions.




(Don't tell, but this can actually be done any day of the year... hey, I gotta be true to science here! But it's much more exciting to believe that gravity has some "pull" in this mystical phenomenon).

JACI'S BIRTHDAY

Just to inform you all (as if you didn't already know) MY BIRTHDAY is in TWO WEEKS! That's 14 DAYS. MARCH 29TH. JACI'S BIRTHDAY. Sunday, MARCH 29TH. That's TWO WEEKS from today, plenty of time to get your SHIPMENTS out. Some of you might think this is a joke but for those who know me well you know that I'M NOT KIDDING. No seriously, for real. 14 DAYS. MARCH 29TH. I like COOKIES A LOT, but cards are nice too.

Where have all the blog posts gone? (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

And we're back in 5,4,3,..... So, it's been a little while, why don't we recap... it all started with this. My sweet baby Gage got pneumonia! So sad. Although it broke my heart to see him under a mask he was a trooper. Daddy was still getting plenty of giggles out of him.


After that was all cleared up we headed to the other side of town for some birthday fun! I got to help out with this adorable little girl's 3rd birthday. The theme was "The Wizard of Oz" and it turned out so awesome! Her parents asked me to make the invitations and provide some games. We played "Pin the Heart on the Tinman" and "Toss Toto in the Basket" and then enjoyed some delicious food and cake! It was a little chaotic herding 23 (at least) kids around, but it all worked out.


"Whoa, did you see that? That was Dorothy and Scarecrow!"


"Follow the Yellow Brick Road!" What a beautiful day it was, we couldn't have asked for better weather.


Here we are at the end of the day sportin' our hot shades. We all had a blast and didn't want it to end.

VISITORS!!!

Then just this last weekend we got a visit from Danny's oldest sister Malinda, her husband Mike, and their daughter Sarah. We had so much fun with them! They gave us a little taste of our family in Arkansas and made us very homesick for all of them! Here they are saying 'good-bye' to Danny as he heads off to work.


They may have been the ones who drove hundreds of miles but we were the ones on vacation while they were here. THEY SPOILED US! Right away they were at home in our home, taking care of the little ones...


...that's right, doing my dishes (every day, every meal)...


...diapering, massaging, and dressing my baby...


...pretty much just giving out all kinds of love, left and right.

Some Family Fun

We went to the park with the kids where we all chased each other up and down hills and then watched as Sarah helped Avery and Stetson fly their kite.




Then Sarah and I put on our game faces for a little Girl's Night Out, volleyball style.


Sarah was bringin' her own on the court! She did great!


And of course we wrapped up the night with some blueberry smoothies!

The Canyon

And we can't forget one of our favorite things about family visiting... a flight to the Grand Canyon.


It's was fun for Danny to get to show his big sister his "office".


Malinda got a little worked up on the flight back with the turbulence, but she toughed it out... at least she didn't toss her cookies!


Here's Sarah taking in the grandeur.


"I am on top of the world looking down on creation..."

The Strip

For the last day of their stay we spent a good six hours on the strip. Quick remider of why we NEVER go down there. It was long, and crowded, as always. At least this time there wasn't blaring heat! We started at the conservatory gardens in the Bellagio. It's my absolute favorite place on the whole strip! The theme for the gardens was Spring and there was a butterfly house right in the middle of it that we got to walk through. Avery was in awe.


Sarah in front of one of the globe fountains... so serene.


Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of walking. The kids actually did better than the adults... oh wait, 'cause they were in strollers.


We saw the ships at Treasure Island but skipped the show that used to be one of the only family friendly shows on the strip, but has long since joined all the others in their effort of bringing about crass entertainment.


Lastly, we ended the day by just hangin' around for a few fountain shows at the Bellagio. It was a fantastic day, and an even better foot rub when we got home!


We just have one thing left to say to Mike, Malinda, and Sarah:
"Ya'll come back naw, ya'ear?"