Utah.. Home of the greatest snow on earth

I finally snowed in Utah! It was gone in a flash but we made the very best of it while it was on the ground. Jaxon insisted on wearing ski googles while he built his little snowman.

I am constantly saying this to my kids! Today was an exceptionally HAPPY DAY!

Happy Birthday Papa Smurf

My Step dad Leo just had a birthday! This guy has been a huge part of my life. He met my mom when I was in Jr. high. He had never been married and didn't have any kids. I remember when he came to pick my mom up on their first date. My sisters and I were peeking through the window when he pulled up in a silver Lincoln Town Car and whisked her away to dinner and a viewing of the strangest first date movie anyone could imagine, Schindler's List. I will never get that one but I am glad the first date led to the date at Pizza Hut where my sisters and I got to meet this smoother operator. I quizzed him down with a list of questions any young girl might have for a man who has caught the interest of her mom.
1. "Have you ever been arrested? if so what for?
2. "Who was your last girlfriend? Why did it end?
3. "What is your credit score"

He had never been arrested. His last girlfriends name was Brodie and so my little sisters and I chanted the name, "Groadie brodie" a few times. I never really asked about the credit score and luckily didn't need to.

He is "PAPA" to my kids and does it better than anyone ever could. I am so happy that he has been such a great constant in my life and am very grateful for this other dad that I have been blessed with.

I will never understand why Leonard does this..

I am so amazed at the way he does THIS

Happy Birthday, Papa Smurf! I could tell some of the best stories about Leo that are so funny and sweet. I will save them for next Birthday.. For those of you who have not yet met Leo you can probably find him riding his Piaggio with a basket full of rechargable batteries and a pocket full of MRE's.  Follow him to the North Highway Cafe and give him a hug for me.

Family Fun without Chuck E. Cheese

This weekend was really fun. Lack of a babysitter and restless children forced us to explore our little family friendly community. Chuck E Cheese makes my skin crawl and Pirate Island has been closed due to a fire forever ago. It was time to check out a few new germ infested family fun zones in the county of  "Family Fun". The kids had a great time and I ALMOST won an iPad from a cut the strings arcade-vending machine at the bowling alley. My dad used to tell us that we could go to Toys R Us and buy a way better and bigger toy than any of our Chuck E Cheese tickets put together could ever get us instead of making him take us the the dreaded Cheese. We refused every time and left the place happy with our glow in the dark bracelet and Ring Pop. I realized the lesson was never learned when I wound up begging Ross for more dollar bills in order to win the iPad.

Ivy was too cool to use the ramps for the "little kids". She used her dad instead.

Ross has been hiding his awesome bowling skills for 8 years now. He whooped me! The best part is the whole way there I told him that I had a natural talent for bowling. The talent has since faded.

We saw this movie on Friday night. It was cute and sad. I am now considering buying a zoo.

I am making this tasty beef tips with mushrooms and egg noodles right now. That Victor 1st ward cookbook never lets me down. Thanks to whichever Moulton, Kunz or Woolstenhulme lady came up with this dandy.

A little bit of both of US

As Jaxon grows up so many things he says remind me of Ross and I that he says on a daily basis.

Today on the way to school he said, "Mom, why is LeBron James such a big show off?" I tried to answer that question the best I could, and then as he was getting out of the car I told him to HAVE a GREAT DAY! He looked at me and said, " I am so glad I have the power to choose what kind of a day I am going to have today".

It's so funny how they become such mini versions of us. Reminds me to monitor my words close and remember that I am always being watched....... Even when I CHOOSE to make my own day not so great...

Tori loves Mitt Romney

I love love love it when Tori comes to town. This time was really fun. Tasha and John were invited to an event that was celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Salt Lake Olympics. We had a great dinner and hung out with Mitt Romney. Okay we didn't really hang out with the guy but we watched him speak and then took a few pictures of him in the background. Either way... We all had a great time.

We ambushed figure skating legend, Scott Hamilton

                                                        Snapped a few pictures of Mitt

                                                      And then took some of ourselves
                                                     while Mitt was delivering some political
                                                      jargon... What a great night!

Lady Antebellum

We did Valentines Day with Calyn and Trevor this year. We had such a great time at the Lady Antebellum concert with these two wild party animals ~wink~. Babysitting was provided by the one and only Uncle RyRy. (Thanks again, Ryan). I truly felt the LOVE this Valentines Day......................

swapping faces and losing teeth

 Jaxon is turning into a little man right before my very eyes. This morning Jax lost his first tooth. He is so proud of himself. I think it's because most of his friends have lost 5 by now. He can't wait to see what the tooth fairy leaves for him tomorrow morning. I think I will put his tooth in a gLocket! baahaaaaa

 Sometimes we drive around town and take pictures of ourselves and send them to Daddy or my Mom

Ivy went to her buddy Sookies 2nd Birthday at The cutest store-bistro ever (Dear Lizzie)

 Ross and I swapped faces. Ross looks like a 70 year old waitress at a diner and I looked like my little brother if he just attended a Mary Kay party...

                                                      Aunt Char even wanted in on the fun

gLOCKET for her G spot

Go Jazz

          Ross took Jax to a Jaz game over the weekend. They were accompanied by PaPa Leo and Uncle David. Nobody loves the Jazz more than Dave. They were waiting for the elevator with a few Jazz dancers and Uncle Dave got so excited that he grabbed one............. and would not let her go... She was a great sport and apparently had a big impact on my little Jax. Ross said that all the way home he asked strange questions. He asked his dad where the Jazz girls lived... (Hmmm)  He asked his dad if he could go to their houses and play with them sometime soon.... and then he mentioned several times that he really liked pretty girls............

Jaxon and Ross both had a great time at the game. I am thinking about getting season tickets next year for sure. Jaxon can't stop talking about how "His team won"..... The Jazz girls sealed the deal for this kid.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Scroll down to see my slow demise into a gluttonous BSU fan

Yes this is Jax and I at Tyler and Jills for the Super Bowl and not at a Boise State game. We did'nt have any Patriots or Giants team gear so I tried to keep the football theme by wearing Boise State get ups because it what I had to work with. They all made fun of us.... We thought we looked cool anyways.

I kept eating Jalapeno Poppers and fried shrimp... This is Shannons prediction of what I will look like at next years party if I continue eating this way for a year. At least the Boise State jersey will still fit...