Frontrunner Sept. 2008

waiting for our ride
our journey begins
playing by the fountains
our little "detour"

It's official! We have finally ridden the Frontrunner! Emma has talked about it for months--whenever we get stopped at the Frontrunner crossing. So, before the rate went up on October 1 we decided to make it a family adventure. We bought the family pass which would take us to Salt Lake and back for only $14.50. (I don't know if that is a good deal or not). We hopped on in Roy and of course went to the second level so we could see everything. We wanted to shop at Gateway, but since the Frontrunner drops you off a couple blocks away, we decided to take TRAX to get there (we have never been on TRAX either!). We shopped, ate lunch, and then headed home. Our girls were pretty worn out by this time, so when we reached the Roy station, we jumped up and headed for the doors. That is where the "adventure" begins. I guess we didn't realize how quickly they stop at each station since we had gone to the end of the route on the way down. So as I pushed the button to open the doors and the Frontrunner started moving, I was a little dumbfounded. When Nick realized we were moving again, he was just mad! So I grab the schedule and figure out that after we reach Ogden, the next Frontrunner to go north again is not for another 45 minutes! I laughed......Nick fumed.....Emma pretended to be mad, but I think she loved the excitement of missing our stop. In Ogden, we got some cookies, a drink, and went back to the Frontrunner so we could find a seat close to the door!! (which worked out well because it was packed with people headed to the Women's Conference and the WSU vs U of U football game). Eventually we made it home (an hour later than planned) but we can now boast that we have ridden the Frontrunner from one end to the other!!

Dreaded Duty

I might be somewhat weird in the fact that I like mopping my kitchen floor. I also like the shine of a clean bathroom sink. And on Saturday's it is my personal race to finish the laundry so I don't have stacks of clean/dirty clothing laying around until Monday. But it is THAT time of year when my most dreaded job is absolutely necessary. The WARDROBE WALTZ! I start by folding all the outgrown clothing as the weather changes. Then, when the clothing that is left is only lasting two days, I brave the basement. I sprain my back under the stairs as I look for the correct tubs and I hope that the labeled side of the plastic tub is facing me so I don't have to pull them all out. Now why is there a tub labeled 1-2 yrs and another labeled 18mo-2 yrs? Great! Now I have to pull both tubs out, wash everything, take it to Brielle's room where I decide what clothing she might fit in first and hang the rest at the other end of the closet. I hate this process. It never fails that something from the previous season gets left out and I have to pull out the tubs again and hope that I can smash it in. If I had a boy and a girl I wouldn't have to do this waltz yet (but I guess I would be spending more money on clothes). The upside? As I pull out each clothing piece I picture my little Emma wearing it and I get excited to see what our darling Brielle will look like with it on!

I used to be blonde!!

No, this post is not about hair. It is about burning my lunch (Cup of Noodles) at work and stinking up our entire floor with a lovely burnt smell BECAUSE I forgot to put water in it before I cooked it! Yeah, I was doing a lot of multitasking at that moment and like I said, I used to be blonde!

My Creative Friends....

I have been meaning to add a sidebar for my creative friends that have other blogs where they show how talented they are. I wish I was creative! I just copy creativity....and that's okay!

Megan Kunz: http://www.megankunzphotography.blogspot.com/
The sister-in-law of one of my friends who has a great eye. Check out her Thailand pictures to see what I mean.
*She just took our family pictures which turned out really cute for standing in a field of dry grass!!

Mel Howlett:http://www.melhowlett.blogspot.com/
An amazing photographer who lives so close to me that I get to take my girls there a lot!
*She also has a free giveaway right now*

Susan Fitch:http://www.susanfitchdesign.blogspot.com/
A superb illustrator/graphic designer. I have a few originals from church handouts that are the cutest!
*If you love digital scrapbooking, this is where you need to look! (I wish I knew how to do it)

Frustration!

I need help. Here's the story: I purchased a sports magazine for my bro-in-law last November. It never came. In April I started emailing them about the subscription. The company said they would check with the magazine publisher and get back to me. A month goes by. I email again. The company said they never received a reply to my "trouble ticket". They will try again. Another month goes by. I call my bank. I can't dispute this because it has been more than 90 days. So in June, I ask the company for a refund check. Sure, it will arrive in 30 days. A month later....nothing. They check with their refund department. No answer as to what happened. They will get a check to me in a week. Two weeks go by and when I email them this time, they ask me what subscription it was for! Aghgghghh. They promise another refund. I remind them this is the third time I have heard that. But I wait AGAIN! No refund, email again, will check on refund check, look for it in a week! I don't know what to do..... You can only do so much through email. I have tried their toll-free number where the only option is to leave a message and they will call you back! yeah, right! I know this isn't a huge refund check, but it was a gift, I have worked on this since April, I have used this company before and never had problems, and they have promised me a check! It drives me crazy when people don't honor their promises.
So....any suggestions? Is there some sort of National Better Business Bureau that I can complain to? Some secret trick to get past this customer service person who sends me the same emails every time? I have already threatened them with not renewing my own two magazines. I bet they don't even read my emails! HELP!!!!

More Fair Fotos

Brielle wanted nothing to do with sheep....
unlike Emma who will touch a cow!
I think after 4 yrs, Emma is a pro on the pony!
Brielle.....not quite yet

Utah State Fair 2008

Fair--Family--Fun
Emma "helping" on the farm
Brielle "planting" her carrot seed
Emma and I on the slide
Emma's eyes were watering from laughing/screaming!

One of my earliest childhood memories is from the Utah State Fair. I remember riding on my dad's shoulders while we walked down the block to the state fair. I remember going into the huge barns to see enormous cows being milked. I remember flying down the big yellow slide on a potato sack. This is a tradition I want to uphold with my children, so for the last 4 years we have gone to the state fair. Since it runs in early September I always choose to go there for my birthday activity. We saw all the animals (somehow when you see beef cattle up close they are quite pretty!), the girls went on a pony ride, we went down the big yellow slide (Emma went by herself), and the girls helped out on the "farm". It was so much fun! It was hard to explain to Emma that we couldn't go back for her birthday (in March). The only thing I have yet to participate in is the "all you can eat ice cream" night! Yummy! Maybe next year.....

Our dancing daughter

Emma started dance yesterday. She was a little nervous because she thought I would be leaving, but we stayed to watch and she had a great time. It was pretty funny to watch 10 four yr old's try to master a ballet bow or back toe tap without falling over. She also loved to hear the tap shoes make a big sound on the floor. Hopefully, she won't be practicing too much on our kitchen floor!

If I had time I would invent....

a flooring surface that glows flourescent in reaction to sticky liquid so that you don't come across it when you step in it!

Dinosaur Park- August 2008

Brielle's look of wonder/worry?

Enjoying the sand

Emma and Brielle with their cousins

I haven't been to the Ogden Dinosaur Park for years, but at the end of August it was free to Weber County residents, so we decided to go. It was really fun! The girls had a great time, especially at the playground that doesn't have anything to do with dinosaurs! Emma also informed me that the dinosaurs outside are just pretend, but the dinosaurs inside are real! I know Brielle believed her!

Today.....

Today--Emma's first day of preschool! She was so excited! She had a father's blessing this morning which she was so cute for and then she hugged Nick for the next 10 minutes. We left her hair down which made her look older, but she looked taller today, too, isn't that weird? Interesting that a new school year can suddenly make them grow up! I love this time of year. I loved school (even though I probably complained about it in my teenage years), so I think it's great to see Emma go to school. I know that kids only get excited for school for a certain amount of years, so why not be excited with them? Yes, it is scary for a mom to send their child to school--you hope that they will be polite to their teachers, nice to their friends, learn and grow intellectually, set a good example--you hope they can do all of this without your help! That is what is scary! They have to be independent! Our heart soars when they accomplish something and it aches when they have a setback. And hopefully they have more accomplishments than setbacks. Anyway, Emma came home filled with enthusiasm for the new year. She also wanted to play with her sister and she gave her at least 5 hugs!

Today--more time with Brielle. It didn't hit me until I went home without Emma how different it would be! It was weird only having one child at home. Last year when Emma went to preschool, Brielle would nap while she was gone, so I got a lot done. This year that won't be the case, so I will have to think of some fun things for us to do. Today, we just went from room to room while I cleaned up and Brielle played. We also went outside to jump on the trampoline and swing on the swing set. What a sweet little girl! She is talking like crazy and will copy everything you say. Like today, she pointed to a potato bug outside and said "tato bug". I said, "I know....they are all over the place." Brielle answered back "all o'er place!" It was too funny. When it was time to pick up Emma, Brielle got so happy. She ran in circles on the lawn until Emma came out! Oh, how I hope they can always be good friends!

Today --a new beginning for me, too! As most of you know, since Emma was born I have worked 3 days a week to provide benefits for our family. Once Nick got a job with better benefits, he took that over, but I continued with my schedule. In the spring, a couple things happened that made us look at our situation. We had to sign Emma up for preschool which fell on days I worked. Then, everything starting falling into place. We hired a previous employee that started working full-time. I was then called to be in the Primary Presidency. The bishopric was concerned with Nick in the Young Men's Presidency that it would put too much strain on our family. His exact words were "We want family to come first." And in that moment I knew I could cut my hours. So as of this week, I no longer work on Wednesdays. I work on Mondays and Fridays (when Nick stays home). I am thrilled! I think everything has just fallen into place for me to be home more with our girls and I know that Heavenly Father has been watching over us. I think I will have more time during the week to work on my calling, run errands, and clean so that the evenings can be left open for family activities.

Today--A GREAT DAY!!