tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41700160324256035942012-02-15T23:36:05.106-07:00"Despite all new inventions and modern designs, fads and fetishes, no one has yet invented, or will ever invent, a satisfying substitute for one's own family." Dr. Stuart E. RosenbergMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-64083328409418775682011-05-15T21:55:00.006-06:002011-05-15T22:33:35.810-06:00

After the hideous week with Hayden, we went to see Rob's family in St. George. We got half way there and his mom called. "You've had such an awful time lately, we thought it might raise everybody's spirits to go to Disneyland."We rolled into St. George, bought some good walking shoes for Hayden, Rachel and myself loaded our luggage into Frank & Judy's mini-van and off we went. We didn't tell the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-77981064627564709382011-05-15T21:09:00.005-06:002011-05-15T21:55:11.773-06:00

We had the most hideous week in April...Date night @ movies: our awesome babysitter Alex texts "Hayden won't stop crying. Acts like legs hurt-what do you want me to do?"Like the concerned mother of the year that I am I tell her to give him some Tylenol, and a warm rice bag & he will be fine. We finish the movie & didn't come home until midnight.Hayden cried every half hour from Saturday night

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-12235397709219873562011-05-15T20:56:00.004-06:002011-05-15T21:09:43.939-06:00

FIVE?? I never said you could turn five!Here are five things I love about Rachel:1. Her laugh is contagious2. Dimples, big green eyes & naturally curly hair3. She is extremely clever4. Her independence5. She holds her own against her brothers (& she always has)*Sigh* I guess you are going to keep having birthdays whether I want you to or not...so I may as well get used to it!Happy Fifth

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-4827689298445658912011-05-15T20:02:00.006-06:002011-05-15T20:56:53.386-06:00

10 Things I adore about my 10 year old (in no particular order)... 1. Great sense of humor2. A friend to everyone3. Obedient & honest4. Mad swimming skills (even if she doens't like it)5. Trys hard to do what is right 6. Beautiful7. Responsible8. Intelligent9. Creative & Artistic10. Loving & sweet You're growing up so fast! Happy 10th Birhtday Lauren! I love you!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-69945440342327838702011-03-17T21:39:00.004-06:002011-03-17T22:05:32.219-06:00

I've been having some serious doubts about Hayden's name lately. I usually love his name, but the other day I was in a store & a lady behind me was getting after her child, also named Hayden. It probably wouldn't have been a big deal, except...the kid was not very cute and was terribly disobedient. I know that sounds horrible to say out loud, but you know good and well everyone has thought

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-15380103633676246952011-03-17T21:19:00.003-06:002011-03-17T21:39:39.398-06:00

My babies are growing up so FAST!Lauren-age 9 1/2Please note the jeans-that is a HUGE sacrifice (battle)for her to wear something other than a skirt! Which killsme because she looks darling in jeans!Benjamin-age 7Love his blue eyes & Justin Beber hair!Rachel-age 4 1/2My only green-eyed, dimpled childHayden Richard-age 3He was too busy trying to make everyone laugh to get a genuine smile!Love

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-55038094364513205082011-03-17T20:48:00.005-06:002011-03-17T20:55:59.658-06:00

Is it just me or are our kids a little over-zealous about their ORAL HYGIENE products?Keep in mind, we only have FOUR children...

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-19395462117458054112011-03-10T11:00:00.000-07:002011-03-10T11:00:15.664-07:00

I survived...actually WE survived. Rob went to Texas for work & I had some serious doubts as to our whether or not the kids & I would make it without killing each other off. He's our unofficial peace keeper-what I lack in patience the man has in spades. It's astounding!There were some touch & go moments-like when Lauren wouldn't put her shoes on for church. Nothing says 'Love at Home' like your

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-18101350754009709452011-02-11T13:43:00.010-07:002011-02-11T15:08:49.108-07:00

I originally planned to go into detail about our cruise, but I've decided to just do photo postings with captions. It'll never get done otherwise. Out of sheer laziness I'm going to break it down into a few parts-by island & ship. This is some of our shipboard silliness.Norwegian Pearl 8 days/7 nights Eastern Caribbean Cruise (ports in Samana Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola, skipped Great

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-61377308434147499672011-02-10T23:32:00.001-07:002011-02-10T23:32:56.479-07:00

On a random note...I'm trying to write a book. It's slow going but my fabulous friend, Crystal, has inspired me to keep slogging along. My goal is to finish it this year (I have serious doubts that anything will actually come of it, but it's loads of fun doing it anyway)! I figure if I put this in writing I might actually follow through...maybe!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-79754837964824103392011-02-10T23:16:00.001-07:002011-03-17T21:16:36.080-06:00

Ice fishing=torture right? I still firmly believe that (despite Rob's best efforts to convince me otherwise). He has managed to brainwash most of the children into his way of thinking (Lauren finally announced this year that she does NOT like fishing-ice or off the boat & that she's NOT going out to freeze with dad this year).I mean seriously, does this even resemble FUN? Not hardly!To supplement

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-43123574889852446882010-12-08T21:33:00.002-07:002011-02-11T13:43:25.414-07:00

We like to take our kids on mystery vacations. We make grand plans and then spring the destination on them. This year we surprised the kids with a cruise.We managed to get passports for everyone without raising suspicion & when it came time to pack we told them we were going to see grandma (I NEVER said we were going to St. George to see grandma-I'm pretty sneaky).We met grandma at the airport

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-79563159234956098202010-10-04T22:02:00.009-06:002010-10-04T22:58:16.179-06:00

If I am being honest, I am not the biggest fan of summer. I never have liked the heat. I am one of the hottest people I know-and I'm not talking "ooh baby she's hot", it's more of the "that poor woman has sprung a geyser in her armpits" kind of hot.Too much information, I know. But this is the biggest reason summer is not even close to my favorite season (it ties for third with winter). However,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-17751717594873366082010-10-04T20:56:00.005-06:002010-10-04T21:59:33.968-06:00

My dad has ALWAYS questioned my sanity when it comes to Halloween. This is the holiday he hates the very most, and I absolutely love it! The ironic part is that he gets bent out of shape if I don't dress my kids up and bring them trick-or-treating to his house!For years now I have tried to make our costumes (I will admit that there were some costumes held together primarily by hot glue). I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-685502531113177912010-09-02T12:51:00.007-06:002010-09-02T13:42:42.694-06:00

Once upon a time I was young, idealistic...and completely clueless!When Lauren was little, we'd go places and that child was clean, combed and well shod.Then Ben came along I still tried in those areas and I usually did alright, although he is a much bigger munger than Lauren will ever be!I would see other kids that had gunk on their faces, or their hair was a mess and think "how could that mom

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-11484797099780307412010-08-22T20:32:00.005-06:002010-08-22T21:08:13.864-06:00

Lauren & Rachel love when the boys get in trouble because their middle names get used. To them it seems like extra punishment to hear that middle name. They have no middle name. We wanted them to use Conder as their middle name after they got married, so we skipped the middle name.Rachel didn't quite understand the concept of the middle name anyway. Anytime she gets mad at someone she inserts

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-78752374375560002192010-08-02T21:34:00.007-06:002010-08-06T23:02:38.645-06:00

When I was pregnant with Hayden, we didn't find out gender on the ultrasound. We thought it would be a fun surprise to wait-which drove a few family members & friends insane-heehee (we also did that with Rachel too).Since we didn't know gender we knew we needed to have both a girl name and a boy name picked out.Easier said than done.We had already used our top two girl names, but Rob & I still

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-55831952225660413072010-08-02T21:12:00.005-06:002010-08-02T22:21:01.098-06:00

I finally decided it is time to move Hayden out of the crib. He has stayed in it the longest simply because there is no baby coming behind him to boot him out of his spot. BUT since he was using it for go-go-gadget-legs to manage feats like this...it was time!You might assume that I would be the saddest person in the house about this "end of an era" occasion. I WAS NOT! I'm not saying I wasn't

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-20563887578716475272010-07-26T22:47:00.011-06:002010-08-06T23:03:19.510-06:00

This May Rob & I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! I can't believe we started our "once upon a time" 13 years ago! I am more in love with him now than I was way back then...I am grateful I married my best friend. Thanks for making my journey through this life AMAZING!!!! I love you babe!Dating-1996Married May 23, 19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010P.S. Thanks to my

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-80254868618880019532010-07-26T21:49:00.011-06:002010-07-27T14:34:43.838-06:00

We all survived our annual camp-out/boating Pioneer Day Extravaganza this year! We stayed a couple of nights at Rock Cliff's up at Jordanelle and then headed down to Deer Creek for the 24th fireworks over the water.The mosquitoes were voracious. Ben & I continue to tally our bite marks. We are each above 15 bites...and sadly over half of mine are one one of my bum cheeks (don't ask because I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-78289036546177132112010-07-26T21:11:00.007-06:002010-07-26T21:49:22.280-06:00

Hayden gave us a HUGE scare when he fell off the front of the boat this weekend.No, the boat wasn't moving.Yes, he had a life jacket on.And yes, I just about cried when he was plucked out of the water.It's terrifying how little noise he made when he fell in. If Lauren and Brooke, my niece, hadn't been watching him we wouldn't have pulled him out as quickly as we did. He dropped his fishing pole,

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-30640538875461752532010-07-18T00:20:00.005-06:002010-08-06T23:03:40.282-06:00

We went out last night for a group date night.Group dating after you're married...What?It was a lot of laughs...until today, when my poor tired knees could barely bend (I am terrified how bad they will be when I get another 30 years of use on them!). But I digress, back to group date night...It started with a lovely picnic in the shade by a creek and ended in a lengthy game of KICKBALL! We went

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-33886785761839194082010-07-12T23:34:00.007-06:002010-07-12T23:59:36.325-06:00

I was not a boat person. I never thought I'd be a boat person. I always thought I would rather have a cabin, four-wheelers, or snow mobiles. But two years ago we became the owners of what we love to call the Party Barge (we still have to think of a better name). Rob has ALWAYS wanted a ski boat, and he'd never given pontoon boats any thought. My in-laws changed both of our misguided ways of

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-69089934717271100352010-07-12T22:55:00.005-06:002010-08-06T23:04:01.744-06:00

Today I was reminiscing about the day Rob went to ask my dad for my hand in marriage...yes it was old-fashioned & I loved him for that. My dad had maybe said a total of four sentences to Rob up to that point in our relationship, so this was monumental in more ways than just one.I was eavesdropping in the kitchen and much to my horror this was my dad's answer:"Well you know she can't cook...

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-76098608656579090512010-06-18T09:02:00.000-06:002010-06-18T09:02:00.249-06:00

I've used the phrase "my kids are bouncing off the walls" before. I've never meant it literally until yesterday. I blame myself. I was unprepared for an hour at the doctors office. Hayden & Rachel were zooming around the office. They decided it was hysterical to charge the door at full speed & bounce off it. I'm sure the people in the hall were wondering what was going on in our office. The

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-48296800674130510842010-06-18T08:49:00.002-06:002010-07-12T23:29:02.400-06:00

Allergies this season have been brutal. Rob & I have both had the ithcy red eyes & sneezing. But poor Ben has had it the worst.He goes outside & returns with eyes so swollen he can barely open them. The scary thing was yesterday after playing outside was the wheezing that started.By last night I had him in the doctors office with a allergy induced asthma attack occurring. My poor boy!We are

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-69682581578127823052010-06-02T14:16:00.001-06:002010-06-03T16:31:06.777-06:00

Ever since spring break ended I've been excited for school to be out for the summer.Day 2 of summer break & now I'm wondering...what was I thinking?My house is more disastrous than normal. The fighting is intensified. Errands that would've taken 30 minutes now take 2 hours. All of that is manageable.Then there's this:I woke up to blue Avatar-style children. Don't be fooled when the markers say

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-82633038532164127912010-05-26T00:55:00.002-06:002010-06-04T00:43:20.238-06:00

I told Rachel I was signing her up for soccer & that she'd get a uniform. Her eyes lit up as she incredulously asked "I get a unicorn in soccer?"That child is funny without trying! Thank heavens for Rachelisms!- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-82614393489148959242010-05-19T14:58:00.004-06:002010-07-12T22:50:39.124-06:00

Lauren dropped the bomb on me that she wants to be in the talent show at school! Whose kid is she? I mean seriously...perform...in public...by choice? What is wrong with that child? She obviously didn't get that from me! But she's a good dancer and if she wants to show off, I'm not going to stop her.HOWEVER, she informed me of this desire on Monday night and the auditions are being held Monday

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-11632831833931229622010-05-19T14:48:00.001-06:002010-05-19T14:58:36.789-06:00

Rachel "what swimsuit should I wear to school Friday?"Me "I don't know...which one do you want to wear?"Rachel "probably the flower one...cuz it doesn't creep up my crack. That would probably be important."That girl can't keep her "cheeks" covered no matter how hard she tries. Last summer the only sunburn she got was on her rear end (I failed in my sunscreen duties)! I guess I should just be

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-4813909076139296342010-05-18T13:24:00.010-06:002010-05-18T14:48:56.389-06:00

Hurray for business trips! Rob had a conference in Orlando and I got to tag along for the week. We went out a couple days early and hit Disney World. Now let me just say that humidity & I don't get along very well. It makes my hair CRAZY curly and I feel like I'm being smothered when I breathe. But that considered, I had a magical time!You may be wondering what we did with the kids for the week..

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-55196137221293616712010-05-07T15:14:00.004-06:002010-05-07T16:09:43.318-06:00

Rachel was looking through the photo albums at some Disneyland pictures and kept saying things like "oh I'm so cute".I realize it should have been obvious to Rachel that these pictures were not of her (if nothing else I was a dead giveaway-my hair is short & blond & I was thinner then*sigh*). But I was not about to burst her bubble.Enter Ben. "That's not you that's Lauren. There aren't any

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-15084140652589054142010-05-05T22:27:00.002-06:002010-05-07T15:59:44.146-06:00

I went to get Hayden's & Rachel's birth certificates today (I know it's extremely late but better late than never right?). I parked in the parking garage & Hayden began chanting "animals & sharks" over & over again. After a few minutes I realized he thought we were at the Mirage hotel going to see the dolphins & white tigers. (That is the only parking garage he's ever been in.)He ran in the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-24054089968395248412010-04-25T19:35:00.000-06:002010-05-05T22:17:31.679-06:00

Today at preschool it was hobo day. Dress like a hobo & bring a lunch wrapped in a bandana attached to a stick-it sounds easy enough right?Rachel came to me this morning and asked if she looked like a hippo. Do you mean a hobo?No it's hippo day. Does my beard make me look like a hippo? Yep it sure does!This will probably be the only time in her life that she will be happy to look like a "hippo"!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-43611633005281909112010-04-22T11:06:00.001-06:002010-04-22T11:06:55.532-06:00

Hayden helped get himself dressed today & chose the dirty shirt he wore yesterday. I told him he couldn't wear it because it's dirty. He proceeded to turn the dirty shirt inside out & put it on backwards. He nodded his little shaved head once & confidently pronounced it "clean". Foolish me-I thought I had to wash the clothes after each use! Leave it to a two year old to simplify the neverending

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-47748924953632121412010-04-15T18:10:00.003-06:002010-04-15T18:53:03.495-06:00

When I was 8, I had to get 8 cavities filled. It was traumatizing! Dr. Pain (I can't remember his real name, but in light of how much it hurt I feel the nickname is suiting) didn't use ANYTHING to numb me and he wouldn't let my mom stay in the room with me. When I cried and protested he "reassured" me with phrases like: it didn't really hurt, they were just little cavities and to stop crying.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-76698358858835780882010-03-21T17:02:00.001-06:002010-05-07T16:08:15.721-06:00

While discussing dinner options one afternoon Rachel asked what Ben was made of. "Maybe we could just eat him."Me: snips & snails & puppy dog tails. That's what little boys are made of.Rachel:(with a look of total revulsion) Nevermind-that sounds nasty!Ben: What's Rachel made of then?Me: Sugar & spice & everything nice. That's what little girls are made of.Ben: (grinning wickedly) Mmmm-let's eat

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-78710855564885604262010-03-18T14:54:00.006-06:002010-03-18T15:17:47.283-06:00

I got a call yesterday from Lauren's room mother at school asking me if I'd be willing to decorate Mrs. Long's door for teacher appreciation next week. I said sure thinking I'd have the weekend to work on it. Oh no, the door has to be decorated after school on Friday...of course it does!I started working on it last night after the kids went to bed and finally finished it about an hour ago. I have

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-64845894605366522172010-02-28T22:35:00.005-07:002010-02-28T22:52:56.195-07:00

We are the worst at getting to church on time. We try hard, but fail almost EVERY Sunday! I think poor Hayden was punished for our tardiness last month.As we were sneaking into the back row, Bear tripped and smacked his head against the edge of the metal chair. I didn't even get to take off my purse or coat...I simply scooped him up and headed to the hall. When he wouldn't stop screaming I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-43434302196348497402010-02-28T21:31:00.002-07:002010-02-28T21:35:54.362-07:00

I didn't even make it four weeks before I waxed my own brows again.I thought they didn't look half bad this time. I asked my friend, Cessalea, if they looked okay...she said they did, but then again we were in a movie at the time.Hmmm...maybe I should get a second opinion? Then again, it won't change anything. I will still be waxing my own eyebrows off in a few weeks again! Some people never

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-31856975117209519282010-02-28T21:07:00.005-07:002010-02-28T21:30:30.398-07:00

For her 3rd birthday (last year), we asked Rachel what she wanted for her birthday. After some serious contemplation, she announced: "I want a pink monkey, and some clothes for the pink monkey so she's not naked, and I want to dig a hole with Grandpa."Intriguing requests. I had seen a pink monkey in Build-a-Bear and they definitely had the clothes for said monkey, but the hole digging was what

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-8562088209307252592010-02-26T14:24:00.001-07:002010-02-28T21:04:00.499-07:00

I used to cringe and commence with the internal criticizing when I saw people who had let their kids keep their binkis or bottles too long. My pediatrician always told me that if my kids had a habit that needed breaking, it was easier to do it before they were 18 months. Lauren, Ben and Rachel all had their pacifiers taken away by then, but with Hayden I just haven't been able to bring myself to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-76760586035731520642010-02-26T13:44:00.005-07:002010-02-26T14:23:56.558-07:00

Sitting in a chick flick for a much needed girls night out and the phone buzzes with a text. Since it was 11 o'clock I knew it had to be Rob, and I knew it wouldn't be good news. Either someone in the family has died, or one of the kids is vomiting. After the kind of winter we've been having with illness, I was guessing the latter. Reluctantly I looked at the text."Brad is at house-Kevin needs

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-70397930073449013412010-01-24T23:12:00.003-07:002010-01-24T23:43:34.148-07:00

Random thought of the week...Waxing my own eyebrows is not one of my many mad skills...especially with my small children in the room. I can wax other people's brows like a champ, but my own...that's a horse of a different color. One of several scenarios has occurred:1. The children bump my leg as I smear the hot sticky wax on...now farther up into my brow than I intended.2. My attention is

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-15616728934097421112010-01-16T12:41:00.007-07:002010-08-06T23:04:37.189-06:00

After Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake leveled Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Rob got a call from USAR asking if he had a passport. He doesn't. He didn't think he would need one for Search & Rescue since he isn't on one of the two International Teams. A foreign call out wasn't a possibility.Then came the call saying that even without a passport they might get sent in. He was to gather his gear and be ready. In

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-42329213039854931862010-01-07T21:45:00.007-07:002010-01-07T22:29:51.024-07:00

I will give the forewarning that if you have a WEAK CONSTITUTION you may want to SKIP THIS ENTRY...you have been WARNED!The ca-chunk and instantaneous screaming that comes from a sleeping child's room is NEVER a welcome sound. But the first night of 2010 that is just the sound that split the calm night and sent us spiraling into chaos.We were on vacation (of course) in St. George when poor Rachel

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-86719658530321972212010-01-07T21:16:00.003-07:002010-01-07T21:45:51.066-07:00

I love my Christmas decorations and for how long it takes me to put all of it up I think I should get to enjoy it for about 3 months. But since that's not going to fly I am STILL staring at a pile of Christmas decor(and it isn't going to put itself away). Just about the time I think the stack is getting more manageable I come across a new treasure trove of Christmas paraphernalia. If I were a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-65597441225121403552009-12-07T14:03:00.006-07:002010-01-07T22:51:31.030-07:00

The Christmas tree has been standing NAKED in our family room since the day after Thanksgiving. I knew decorations were past due when family friend, JT commented about the sparseness of decor (BTW he is 8...yes I was chastised by an 8 year old)!We remedied that last night. I was in charge of pulling the ornaments out of the tote and Rob wrangled the children off the step ladder. At one point I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-83604006997352103202009-12-07T12:56:00.009-07:002010-01-19T20:36:33.106-07:00

Ben seems like a good candidate to become a gentle giant, I mean if the kids stops growing at 6'5" it will be a miracle. I figured his size would be intimidating enough without having to use any violence to defend anyone smaller or in need. I always thought that I wanted my boys to stand up for others...Truth be told I still do.BUT when Ben hops in the car after Kindergarten one day and announces

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-2981088222524899902009-11-28T23:13:00.005-07:002009-12-08T22:16:19.615-07:00

How the holiday's keep getting derailed by illness is beyond me, BUT hopefully since we've gone the rounds the last two we will be EXEMPT for Christmas. Despite the fact that we had to cancel our trip to St. George (the suitcases were in the car) due to vomiting, I still have much to be grateful for.I am grateful for my washing machine, Lysol, Clorox wipes, waterproof mattress covers, a helpful

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-34776158828559514412009-11-16T00:08:00.008-07:002009-11-16T17:30:13.403-07:00

We decided to go visit Rob's family in St. George last Christmas. Anyone who has to travel for Christmas now has my sympathy. Not that it was a bad trip (it was actually quite the opposite) BUT the prep work to get there was monumental!Amidst all the chaos of preparing and packing, I was afforded a very sweet experience. Rachel was 2 1/2 and had recently started playing by herself (which was

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-30226791634631791842009-11-15T23:14:00.006-07:002010-08-06T23:05:07.873-06:00

There are some men in the world that need beards:*Some need one for medical reasons.*Hunters need it to complete the crazy camo motif-you know it helps them hide in the trees.*Lumberjacks need beards to try to help distract from all the plaid they wear.*Terrorists need a beard to trap bugs or small food particles-never know when they may get their next meal while hiding in the spider hole.Since

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-51556469027702585332009-11-08T19:18:00.004-07:002009-11-08T19:37:02.854-07:00

Lauren apparently had an epiphany yesterday...If you sleep with your clothes UNDER your jammies it saves time getting dressed in the morning. We left the kids with a baby sitter last night and I couldn't understand why she didn't have them put their jammies on. But I didn't really care since I didn't have to put them to bed!It didn't occur to me until tonight when the girls came out in their

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-47855563887933473532009-11-07T14:36:00.016-07:002009-11-07T23:06:55.615-07:00

Knowing good and well that we are not pet people, I made one (no make that 5) of the biggest mistakes of my married life this last Spring. My sister, Katie, and I decided we were really FUNNY girls and bought my brother, Robert 2 ducks. He made the mistake of claiming that a duck would be a cool pet, especially if it followed him around his yard quacking. That sounded like an open invitation to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-33793223070747328372009-11-05T14:27:00.016-07:002010-08-06T23:05:54.545-06:00

When I was at BYU living the wild single life (as wild as one can get and still be eligible to go to the Y), I had 3 quirky criteria for the type of man I was going to marry. There are the usual standards: strong testimony, returned missionary, hard-working, intelligent, good kisser, handsome, etc...those are qualities I expected. These 3 qualities were in addition to all of the normal desired

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-36404253052906552752009-11-04T20:27:00.003-07:002009-11-04T20:41:30.273-07:00

Why do old movies where the men wear high collars, waist coats and breeches make me swoon? It is a pity that they are no longer in fashion...of course I don't think I would want to wear a corset and hoop skirt (I can only envision the mayhem that would ensue from trying to stuff that kind of outfit into the Suburban).I love, love, LOVE the BBC movies, especially Pride & Prejudice and North &

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-78842020255402573992009-11-02T22:37:00.016-07:002010-08-07T23:07:47.440-06:00

Stinkin' H1N1 flu...my poor babies are sick and it totally ruined Lauren's Halloween. This year Halloween shall now be known as Hallowasn't! Poor Lauren missed trick-or-treating. Luckily for her she got all of the treats without doing any of the work! Still kind of disappointing to not have her trotting out the door with the rest of our Jedi force.The kids are taking turns passing the flu around

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-36603165966943772532009-10-26T14:03:00.015-06:002009-11-02T22:37:10.457-07:00

For my birthday I got tickets to Wicked. It was over-priced and instantly sold out in Salt Lake, fortunately, we had an old college friend, Aaron Cali, offer to get us tickets to see it in Denver with his family. The show was Wiz-tacular, I mean spectacular. I loved, loved, LOVED it! I really hope it comes to Salt Lake again so we can take our girls-they would thoroughly enjoy it!After we got

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-21108916464981496642009-10-26T12:41:00.009-06:002009-10-26T14:03:00.823-06:00

Autumn is, in my opinion, the BEST of all seasons. I love to watch the colors change up on the mountains and in my yard. I like that during the day I can still wear flip flops, but at night I need a jacket (since it is after October 1st it terribly unfashionable I know but, flip flops are so comfy that in my book it negates the fashion faux pas).I love pulling out the winter clothes...it's like

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-34324155919585105172009-10-26T11:23:00.013-06:002009-10-26T13:01:32.920-06:00

I typically love birthdays...including my own-until three years ago when I turned thirty. That was the year I got Bell's Palsy a week before my birthday (that was a kick in the head). I began to realize that things don't seem to work as well or be in the same places as they were when I was in my twenties. I knew that happened to other people, but in true ignorance of youth I thought it would take

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170016032425603594.post-60023596093239066402009-10-11T17:48:00.030-06:002009-11-08T20:03:28.666-07:00

For ten days I obsessed over Indiana Jones. Not in the normal "Harrison Ford was a hottie with a whip" kind of way. It was the "How am I going to entertain a gaggle of 6-8 year old boys for two hours Indiana Jones style". Since we decided to only let the kids have a friend birthday party every other year, I was feeling some self-inflicted pressure. Ben's 6th birthday had to rock!My dirty little

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09260950979799645473noreply@blogger.com2