If you can't go to the cannery...

Bring the cannery home to you!!!!

It's a little difficult to get to the cannery as often as we should and want to. I asked around and found that my stake owns its own can-sealer and was available for check-out. When my mom came and visited last weekend, she brought me down some #10 cans, lids, and oxy packs so that I could finally seal up all the beans and rice that have accumulated underneath our beds. It was a fun project for me and Corky to do together, and surprisingly fast and easy. Especially having our two little helpers wanting to get a good look.

Keep in mind... (weekend part 2)

That if you come to my house, you have to earn your keep!

Just kidding!

My mom was the nicest person. I had asked her to bring some of her window cleaning equipment with her because I don't have any. She must have interpreted that as "Mom, you need to clean my windows when you come visit!" I didn't mean that, but she started cleaning my windows just after my race and I was conveniently rushing out the door to attend a baptism. She is so nice and my windows look great! I owe her big time.

That night we had a birthday part for Gracey. It was 2 days early but obviously Gracey didn't mind. We had a huge spread of BBQ and junk food and got to watch as Gracey blew out the candles of her "Dora the Explorer" cake.

*I felt so bad that I couldn't make her a real pretty cake. I had no time last week...luckily we found those sugar decorations and Gracey didn't know the difference.



Emily was a little confused why she wasn't getting presents, but next month is her turn.

Corky and I got her set of golf clubs. Whenever golf courses permit, Corky takes her along and she loves it. She was using a plastic toy club to hit with before so we thought it might be time to introduce the real thing.

The next morning, I definitely screwed up some pull-apart rolls. Ooops!!!

And Bailey gave me and Corky our flu shots.


Like I said, you earn your keep at our house. Looking at that picture though, I am thinking that maybe it was more punishment for my bed-head.

We had such a fun weekend! We love having visitors.

Busy Weekend (last weekend) (part 1)

So what I am a little slow. What's new?

Last weekend was a really fun weekend. Busy, busy, busy, but way fun! We crammed a whole lot of stuff into it and I am just now finally able to blog about it.

Friday night my mom, sister, brother in law, brother, and grandma came into town. (My stepdad came the next morning to surprise us all!) They all had a relatively low-key weekend planned so they decided to spend it with us, celebrating Gracey's 4th birthday a little early.

The weekend started off with a bang. I ran my first ever race, that was actually longer than 200 Meters!! Kingman started doing an annual triathalon a few years ago and a couple of my friends and I decided a couple of months ago that we wanted to join in on the fun and do a relay. Our goal was to just finish.



Rachel used to be a competitive swimmer at the University of Utah, so that was a given what she would do.


I don't own a bike, the biking portion was out for me. Luckily Tamsen loves the bike.


All that was left for me to do was the run. Keep in mind, I have ZERO endurance, ZERO long-distance running skill (and yes, I consider 5K long distance), and I have NEVER run more than a mile at a time.


I was a little disappointed in the race. I had practiced the same course a few times, even running longer than the actual race distance, but I wanted to die during the race. I finished in the time that I wanted, but I wish it wouldn't have hurt so bad.

Anyway, I finished. We finished. We were the first place women's relay team. (I would feel guilty if I didn't add that there were only 2 women's relay teams!)

And here are some snapshots of the cute spectators and events.

Consider this begging.

I am not a fan of unsolicited advice, therefore I try really hard to not give it. I am not always the best at it, but I try. Well, today I am calling on all advice I can get. Consider it extremely solicited.

My girls wake up every morning at 6:00am, sometimes even earlier. Last week I was getting them to sleep in until 6:45 and I thought I was in heaven. But now it is back to 6:00am and I feel I want to die. It doesn't even get light outside until after 7:00am. I have never been an early riser, ever, ever, ever...and I feel like the meanest mom in the world until at least 9:00 when I can somehow get out of my sleepy tired slump.

I just want to wake up one morning AFTER the sun comes up. Is that too much to ask????

Here have been some of my tactics:

• Put the girls to bed later. (Doesn't work, they still wake up at 6:00)


• Put my girls to bed earlier. (They get more sleep at night, so that's good...but they still wake up at 6:00)


• Send them back to bed. (works long enough for Em to crawl back out of her crib time and time again, until I surrender and we all just stay up)


• Tell Gracey that she and Emily need to stay in their bedroom and play with toys (they can turn on the light) until the sun wakes up, then they can come get me. (it worked once, maybe twice)


• Lock Emily in the guest bedroom (literally lock) and listen to hr cry until it is somewhat light outside.

I have never, and would never slip nyquil into their milk...but sometimes it sure does seem tempting, right?

Someone please have an answer for me besides "go to bed earlier" for me. I try that too...it doesn't work.

November 10th, 2004

It was the second very best day of our lives! Our little Gracey was finally born.



4 years later, you continues to grow into a kind, charming, and lovely young lady....with a little stubborn mixed in there also. We are so happy to be your parents. Gracey, we love you more than PIE!!

Conquered the polls

I am not a good sleeper. Very few nights do I feel I get a restful night's sleep. I toss, I turn, I get up to pee, I wake up wide awake for no good reason, and I worry about the lack of sleep I am getting...which of course keeps me from falling back asleep.

Last night was another restless night sleep, but this time is was because of the stress of today's election/voting. No, my life is not so wrapped around it that I am worried about who will win. Of course I am worried, regardless of who wins, but that is not the point. Last night I was stressing because I had no plans for anyone to watch my girls while I went and voted. I feel so strongly about voting and I was imagining myself looking like a hypocrite by not getting the chance. I was worried that I wouldn't find anyone to babysit last minute, I was worried that Corky wouldn't get home in time from work for me to go vote, and above all I was deathly afraid of waiting in lines. So this morning, I decided to brave the lines....with my 2 kids!!!

What was I thinking, you ask? The stress was getting to me so badly that I was ready to weather the throwing of tantrums and mean looks from others, just to get this voting business over with. So I loaded the ipod with the girl's favorite Disney Christmas music and the Elf Soundtrack and we loaded my purse with book after book. I grabbed my cheat-sheet (I wrote down my yes and no's of all the propositions, and labeled all the names of people I knew i was voting for!) and we were off.

I was pleased to walk right in, be given my ballot, set the girls up at my feet with the ipod and books, and I proceed to fill out my ballot.

Those mean adult-looks were substituted for "cute girls" or jokes of "can I get your ID?" (to Gracey) People were pleasant, my girls were well-behaved, and I was SO RELIEVED!

I finished my ballot in record-time, even after double checking and we were out of there. We left the house at 9:10am and were home by 9:35.

We are all now sporting our "I Voted" stickers proudly. We celebrated by coming home and having a morning snack of hot chocolate and toast.