Christmas Day 2008

We had an amazing Christmas with TONS of stuff. Lot's of aunts and uncles and grandparents spoiled the kids rotten, so we didn't have to. I posted this pic so you could see how CRAZY dirty the house was~~~

Santa brought a Wii, and somehow all the family knew about it. We now have everything we could ever need wii. Extra remotes, sports sets, two wheels fo Mario Cart, Outdoor active (WAY FUN!!!!) Wii Fit, lots of games. Am I forgetting anything? The kids have been THRILLED!!!!!

We are so grateful for all of our family and the many wonderful things they shared with us. We love you all!!!

Christmas Eve 2008

 

The kids planned the nativity portion of our Christmas Eve this year. It was so fun to watch the planning. Jake (aka Joseph)really wanted a beard. After Megan eye-lined it on, he went up to Brandon and asked, "Do I look like a grown-up now?" Brandon said, "No, you look like a kid who has a beard." It was so funny, but maybe you had to be there???

My sister Sally was conned into being Mary, and Alexa was (of course) the baby Jesus. Ainsley was the angel (contradictory?). Jake was Joseph and Brandon was the shepherd. In the video which I couldn't upload, you can see that baby Jesus kept trying to climb out of the manger. Joseph kept interrupting me saying, "Jesus, Jesus!" :)

They loved having new pajamas and sleeping by the tree. Maybe a bit too much, Because by 11:00 pm they were still whispering and I had to banish them to their bedrooms.

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!!

Day after Christmas and the birthday of my honey! What a great day!!!!
Ryan is the best husband and daddy ever. I am so grateful for him and wish him a happy happy birthday!! Just as close to 50 as 20. heeheehee

The last of the stockings

Santa - again!

There is a family a couple streets over that have a HUGE Christmas display! Santa comes for pictures, they play movies on a projector screen, give hot chocolate, cookies, and all that jazz! It is so fun! There is a donation of $5 for the pictures, and it is so worth it! Next year, we may dress a little warmer and go on the hay ride.

Flashback Friday

Brandon - Joseph, Christmas 2004

I know the quality of this is terrible - but I love this picture.
Ryan always makes fun of me for dressing the kids up on Christmas Eve and making them act out the story of Jesus' birth. He wants to know if the men really wore towels and bathrobes. Well, maybe not, but it's the best I can do! And I think he looks soooo cute! This year cousin Megan was baby Jesus, Ainsley was the Angel and Mary was non-existant.

One more...

I finished Alexa's stocking this morning. It is definitely one of my favorites!


(It's supposed to be a sleigh if you can't tell)

When the kids and I were looking for stocking ideas, we checked out a few sites. Family Fun, Martha Stewart and PBK, to name a few. Ainsley designed hers on her own. Brandon's was a copy from PBK and same with Alexa's. I bought the felt from JoAnn's for $2.99 a yard! What a steal! These cost almost nothing to make and were really fun. We'll see if I get Ryan's and mine done...

Two down...3 to go!!

I have been working on these stockings for a while now. The first two are finally done. Designed by the kids, btw.



And I threw this in just because I thought it was a cute picture! Have a fun day!

Flashback Friday

Ainsley's First Christmas
2001

Tom Turkey by Ainsley Sims

Ainsley wrote this story for class and Ryan and I got such a kick out of it, we thought we would post it. Sorry for the bad quality - hope it's legible. You just don't get the same effect reading it in type.

My favorite? The turkey had turkey for Thanksgiving! Ans what's up with the pilgrim dressed in an ice cream man's suit tricking him by offering free ice cream? We must have just talked about stranger danger?

Christmas Lights!

Tonight for family home evening we went to see the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple. For some unknown reason, this is the first year we have done this!! It was an awesome experience. Not only were they absolutely beautiful, but it was warm! Brandon was freezing and took my sweatshirt, and I enjoyed walking around in a short sleeved shirt the rest of the visit.

Highlights:
1. Bringing Z with us. She's such a fun girl.
2. The lit up camels. So cool!
3. The candles floating on the fountain.
4. The "creativity" display. We had to explain it's actually a nativity. They were from all over the world.
5. Listening to the high school choir sing.
6. All the palm trees covered in lights.
7. Donuts after!

We had a great night and I am sure this will become a family tradition!

Ward Christmas Party

Our ward party was on Saturday and boy, was it fun! We had a terrific Luau, complete with plate lunch - kalua pork, macaroni salad and rice. Yum! Ryan and I took a few kids in the neighborhood with us. (Thus Ainsley's grump face due to three's a crowd syndrome.) We had my mom visiting for about a week and were glad she came to the party. I (Whitney) sang in a little group called Mary's and the Gentleman. The three of us sang some folksy songs like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Silent Night (the Mercy Me version.) It was really fun singing, even though some people have NO control over their children and let them run a muck during ward parties and performances. WHY??????



Alexa's first experience with Santa. I know he is very realistic. lol. She loved him anyway. My first of the 3!! There is no shot of Ains with him. She refused, due to the grumpy behavior mentioned above. Oh Drama!

Flashback Friday

I haven't changed a bit.

Whitney's Politics

This is purely for my journalling purposes. Warning: May bore you.
I have been bugged lately by the school board. They are having this big argument with the people about the naming of the new high school. After a nasty remark from the board member regarding rascism, I sent her this letter.


Dear Board,

I cannot even begin to explain the frustration I felt as I read the article printed in the Gilbert Republic today.

Whether or not the high school keeps the name Campo Verde or not is not was is frustrating me. I did not even vote on the name (not that it woud have mattered anyway, since the board totally disregarded what the public thought.) I was appalled that Elaine Morrison felt it necessary to claim that the parents who opposed the name "have yet to learn cultural tolerance." I personally know many of these parents, including Sabrina Langford, and would NEVER consider them bigots. Ever. I personally believe Ms. Morrison pulled the "race card" to make herself seem better than those who opposed her.

Apparently naming the school Campo Verde is some carefully crafted lesson by the board to teach the public about "tolerance" and "cultural bias." I guess as self proclaimed super-educators, that's your prerogative. But, please know when elections come you will find out just how intolerant the public can be of such an arrogant board, who shows such utter disregard to the public it supposedly serves.

I not only ask that Ms. Morrison publish a public apology, but that the Board reconsider their decision on naming the high school. If not, I will personally join the campaign against Campo Verde High School and against this Board, and will work hard to recruit others.


--
Whitney Sims
Gilbert, AZ


Here was her response:

Dear Ms. Sims:

Thank you for taking the time to write to the board about the naming of high school number five in the Gilbert school district. Opening a new school brings much excitement and activity, and it's good to know that, so far, all is going well with its construction.

It's clear you are displeased with the board's decision about the name. In my public remarks, I referred to our choice as having "exceeded the expectations of some" and usually, that's thought to be a good thing! As for consistency, the use of "green field" for a high school was leapfrogged when Highland JHS and then Desert Ridge JHS and then South Valley JHS were all built to accommodate the growth in the school district. But it was a dream of mine that Gilbert might someday have Campo Verde ("green field") High School, both to remain consistent with school naming the board had done prior and also to honor Gilbert's heritage. It was a surprise to me that the majority of the board (by unanimous vote) agreed with the choice! That part of my message focused at those who have demonstrated cultural intolerance was not directed at the community as a whole, and certainly was not directed at those whose disagreement over the name was based on considerations wholly unrelated to the concerns I expressed. I think a careful review of my remarks (available in the board secretary's office at the school district) should indicate that I was critical of those about whom my remarks were fitting.

It is unfortunate that so many have concluded the board was not interested in the public's comments. The statistical report of names favored was very helpful, but it should also be noted that the chosen name was apparently acceptable to the over 23,000 additional persons invited to register a preference for another name who did not respond to that invitation. In retrospect, I can see it would have been helpful for all of us on the board to offer statements acknowledging the many reasons why persons might have preferred another name and that would have addressed Dr. Allison's presentation. We continue to learn!

Sincerely,

Elaine Morrison


And again, my response:

Dear Ms. Morrison,

Wow. I was a little taken back by your form letter of which my neighbor received the same.
I was also surprised that you honestly believe that because YOU have had visions and hopes of a high school name, the rest of the community should also. Are you the queen of Gilbert? You were voted BY THE PEOPLE to represent us. Not some dreams of a name you've had since you were five.
As for the 23,000 other people in the city. Let's be realistic. MOST are not in this high school district, so why would you use them in your example. I am still utterly shocked by your pompous attitude.
I will not forget this in the future elections. Unfortunately there are still 2 years to your term.

This is VERY disappointing.


Sincerely,

Whitney Sims

Thanksgiving Tree

So many ideas were floating out there about a gratitude tree. The Shabby Nest had this cute branch, she then transformed into a Christmas branch. Way cute. I, however, don't have any dead brnches. This is the season of LIFE in Arizona, not dormancy. So, we decided to hang our gratitude leaves on our live tree outside, in the front yard. If you can see Brandon's writing, it says he is grateful for his favorite tree. (mi favrit tre) He was also thankful for "choclit" and Ainlsey is grateful for "light bolbs" as well as a handful of other treasures.

Teeth, waving, clapping and could it be - crawling????

I finally have a moment of "relative" peace and quiet. Alexa got her first tooth and she has been grumpy with a runny nose. First tooth! Yay! Friday was a day of many first for her. She clapped a lot for the first time. She's been waving and clapping once for a couple of weeks, but REALLY clapping! That is so fun to watch!

Friday we also put up the Christmas tree. Alexa has been getting into crawling position for a while. But seeing those ornaments put her over the edge! She can officially army scoot over to the tree and pull hersself up! Of course, she then proceeds to eat anything in sight.

I am constantly amazed at this 7 month old! Wow!

Watch us dance!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

100 Random Things

I was tagged by Heather to do some "how you met" thingy, but man. That was a tough tag. I could hardly remember the details. So, Ryan and I saw this on Travis Alexander’s blog. We loved it, and decided to do it instead, and do it together. I think I started to get more and more sarcastic as the list went on. Together we only hit 52. Wow. We really need to go to Europe.

Copy the list and bold the ones you've done:


1. Started your own blog (Whitney did this)
2. Slept under the stars (Ryan: Once, on my mission, on New Year’s Eve, on top of our apartment building. I have no idea why. Whitney: Youth Conference, 1988)
3. Played in a band (Whitney: Does singing count?)
4. Visited Hawaii (Ryan and Whitney have been twice…the same number as Ainsley)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (If you have more than them, it’s never more than you can afford)
7. Been to Disneyland (Oh yeah.)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (Whitney: had one the size of a soda can on my mission)
10. Sang a solo (Whitney: Not just the Tina Turner part of We Are the World at 6th grade graduation, but this weekend at the ward party!!)
11. Bungee jumped (yeah right.)
12. Visited Paris (Ryan: I’ve been to the Paris airport, but I don’t think it counts if you don’t unpack your socks for at least one night.)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (Whitney: I taught myself to play the guitar!)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (Who hasn’t? Have you seen the ‘Dirty Dining’ report?)
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 (Ryan and Whitney. Too much information.)
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (if anyone answers no on this, they are lying)
24. Built a snow fort (Ryan: Of course. I grew up in Utah)
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (Ryan: When I was 7…in a storm drain at the Church…got caught by my grandma who watched it all from her window. Anything else is none of your beeswax.)
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
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 (Ryan: not fluent in Spanish. Whitney: I speak Portuguese.)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (We shouldn’t have moved from Utah. Got greedy.)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (not the one in Vegas?)
41. Sung karaoke (Whitney: Oh yeah. Carnival Cruise. Like a Virgin with a 6 month prego Brittany Call. Not drunk.)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (Whitney: I just bought a kid a hotdog at Costco because his mom had no cash.)
44. Visited Africa (Ryan: I guess if you count a 2-year long mission a ‘visit.’ Also went to South Africa for a week)
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing (Whitney kicked Ryan’s butt.)
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (I don’t have enough room to name all the places.)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (How about our ½ hour long infomercial for Hamlet homes?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China (Ryan: That sucker is a lot steeper than it looks)
57. Started a business (Ryan: Just a bank.)
58. Taken a martial arts class (Whitney: Me and Melissa took a class with a bunch of 10 year olds. We were 23.) (Ryan: I got a fat lip thanks to that 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 (Whitney: Once. Ryan: From who?)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Ryan: I’m not allowed to. They won’t take my malaria blood) (Whitney: Actually he doesn’t weigh enough.)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (Whitney: Oh yeah. Lots. All before I married the balancing checkbook nazi.) (Ryan: We did it once after marriage too…the tithing check)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (Whitney: yuck.) (Ryan: Isn’t that bait? Why would you eat it?)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (Whitney: Casa (Dia)Rea hostess position.)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (Ryan: Three times…never had a cast.) (Whitney: 1 time. Had a cast.)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (Whitney: Nice hole in the ground. Can we go home now?)
80. Published a book (Ryan: Published one on blurb for the wife. Happy anniversary.)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (Whitney: My obituary. Jk. When I was 6 at a strike for bussing in kids to our elementary school.)
85. Read the entire Bible (Nope. Maybe this will be the year?)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (Ryan: Fish are animals, right?)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (Whitney: Ryan’s. Trust me, he had no life without me.)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (Whitney: Where do I begin? I stalked Charlie Sheen at a store once.)
92. Joined a book club (Whitney. Ryan reads too slow to be in a book club)
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (Whitney: Twice on purpose. Once on accident.)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (Whitney: Yes. Disgusting.) (Ryan: Nope! Lived in SLC for 33 years. Why would anyone swim in that?)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

Try this as a couple. I'd love to read your results!

Chirp! Chirp!

So, we all know about that intermittent ear drum piercing chirping sound that smoke detectors make when the batteries die, right? You know, that noise that can slowly drive a person insane? (I've heard the army uses them to break down captured Iraqi insurgents...it forces them to tell their secrets every time.) Well, for the last two nights in a row we've had to deal with them. It's a big problem because our vaulted ceilings are like 40 feet high and our ladder is only 8 feet. Why do the batteries always die at night when I'm in my deepest sleep? My favorite part is trying to figure out which one it is. It sounds like it's in Brandon's room...wait...wait...chirp chirp...no, the hall...wait...wait...chirp chirp...no, definitely in the kitchen...wait...wait. What I conclude is that it's NONE of them...until the CHIRP CHIRP happens again. I know they are designed that way to motivate the homeowner to quickly get out a ladder and install a new $14 9-volt battery into them, ensuring safety and protection for the entire family. That's great in theory, but in practice, that noise actually motivates the homeowner to back over them in the driveway with his or her car. That, of course, is not recommended, as it wouldn't be safe, and would, in fact render your fire insurance policy null and void. I wonder what is more of a risk; me dying in a fire because I didn't have smoke detectors or me falling off a ladder and plunging to my death on the tile floor as I try to climb in a half-asleep delirious stupor at 2 am. I bet more people are killed trying to replace batteries in smoke detectors than die in actual fires. Ironically, when Whitney filled our house with more smoke than a Las Vegas casino a few weeks ago, not one of the darn things went off.

Great-Grandma Funnies

My grandma is here to stay for a month and get out of the Utah cold. The children quickly recruited her to play UNO every waking moment. As they were playing, Brandon said, "Grandma, how many years have you been alive?"
"Almost 86."
"Wow, that's a lot. Did you watch TV when you were little?"
"No, we didn't have TV. We didn't even have a radio."
"Oh, I see! You were born back when TV's were called books!"

You've got to be kidding me!

Not only is it November 22, but it's 5:30 pm. Ainsley and her friend Rebecca came to me in their swimming suits. "We want to go swimming." Are you kidding? I had them go in on the step first, thigh high. "It's SOOOO warm, mom!" I figured it was fine as long as I had the camera and towels nearby!

It was short-lived. 3 minutes, tops.

Flashback Friday

Ryan's dad came to visit this week, and the kids had a ball playing UNO with him. It was a short visit, but we were glad to see him! I told him I would post a pic of him. I chose this one because I LOVE the outfit. The hair is good, too. I think Ryan's mom was prego in this...

New Website I LOVE and my table is full

I found this new website that I love, thought I would share. It is www.picnik.com. It is a FREE photo editing site. Way cool for those of us who can't afford Photoshop. Seriously awesome. The collages are better than picasa, too. Try it!!!





Every time my kids take a test and get a 100% score, we put their test under a piece of glass on the kitchen table. We have had SOOOOO many 100% tests, that I can't fit anymore under the glass and I have a pile to add to it. So, I am taking a picture before I toss all the wonderful spelling and phonics test we've got. Great job to my smarty pants! (WHO do they get it from? Most likely dad.)

Yep, It's Really Here

Wedding Day - do we look as cold as we are?



Day we got engaged - SO young!!


After Ryan wrote his diddy, anything I say will sound lame. And after the present he gave me, my CD gift to him is lame. I was outdone! He's awesome, what can I say?

Well, I CAN say happy anniversary!!!! I love you tons and suds!!

Happy 11th Anniversary!

Here comes the Anniversary Post...November 15, 1997...the best day of my life! There are no pictures because Whitney and I got married way before digital cameras were invented and we haven't scanned our old wedding photos yet. So, how did I get Whitney to marry me? Well, it wasn't easy, and it took me doing the bravest thing I've ever done.

The Bravest Thing I have Ever Done

Once on an unusually warm Spring day in 1997, Whitney actually set me up on a date with a girl named Melissa from her singles ward. A group of friends all got together at the park and played a few Frisbee games. We had a fun time, but there was something else weighing on my mind that day. At this point, I had been thinking for a long time that, at least in my mind, things had changed with Whitney. I wanted to be more than friends with her, and I was really starting to develop a strong attraction to her. The problem was, she didn't have the same thoughts. After the "date" with Melissa in the park, we dropped Melissa off at her house, and found that the evening was far from over, so, not unusually, Whitney invited me to hang out with her at her apartment. It was really common for us to spend time together like this, sometimes alone, sometimes with other people. On this night, we were alone, back at her apartment in Sandy. I don't remember at all what we talked about, but we had talked for a long time, and it was late at night. Finally, I got the courage to do the bravest thing I have ever done. We were sitting next to each other on the couch, and I remember putting my hand on her back, and saying "What am I going to do with you?" She was kind of confused by that comment, and kind of turned and looked at me with a strange look on her face. By taking the conversation down this path, I had gone past the point of no return. I had to follow up on my thought. The next thing I told her was that I had fallen in love with her, and I just had to tell her what I thought about her. I was probably hoping for some kind of Sleepless in Seattle moment where sparks would fly, and we would fall into each others arms and immediately kick off the relationship of the century. Nothing like this happened. Her reaction was "It's really late and you must be really tired, because I don't think you know what you are saying." With that, she literally pushed me out the door. We didn't talk for a few days while she thought about things, consulted with her dad, and just tried to deal with that bombshell in her mind. Her dad's advice to her was that she should try out a relationship since we both knew we were best friends with each other. She agreed to try and date me but it also came with a warning. She made it clear from the beginning what her position was by saying: "If things don't work out, I will dump you, and then we can never be friends ever again. Is that what you want?" We had a great time spending a lot more time together, this time as "boyfriend and girlfriend." It wasn't too long after that she was asking me to marry her.

Happy Anniversary!!! I love you!

Flashback Friday

I thought this one was cute. Exactly 5 years ago we stayed with Ryan's dad and step-mom while we were building our house. Ainsley looks exactly the same, but Brandon? Hardly!

Naughty Girl!

So the other day Ainsley asked if she could have a roll of toilet paper. Thinking she needed for the usual duty, I said sure. Later that night, the entire front yard was COVERED in toilet paper, ripped to shreds. Big Mess. Of course, I made her (and her friends)clean it.

A couple days later I found these pictures on the camera...




Playing mummy?

Here's another good one.

Remember the days of prank calling? We all did it. "Hello, is your refrigerator running? Then go catch it!"

Well, life is not as fun now that we have a world full of caller ID. Really! Ainsley and her friends called MANY numbers, but they called back later and got mad at Rebecca's mom. Here's the clincher.

A few minutes later, a police officer comes walking up our driveway. hmmm. That's never a good sign.

Turns out they prank called 911 while they were at it. Brilliant! Hope they've learned their lesson!

I don't know what I am going to do when this 7 year old turns 12. ahhhhhh!!!!!

Daddy Daughter Bonding - by Ryan

I have been meaning to have a little daddy-daughter bonding time with Ainsley for a while now, so I took advantage of the Veterans Day bank holiday and took her on a hike. I learned about this hike when I took the scouts there. The boy scouts whined and complained the whole time. All I had to do to get Ainsley's competitive juices flowing was to tell her that the big, tough boyscouts complained. She never said a word of complaint the whole day. We hiked for about 4 straight hours, up and back, and the girl never slowed down. We stopped for lunch for a few minutes at the top, and I treated a blister on her foot, but other than that, she was going the whole time.

After we got back, I was pretty sore (and the next day, I still am). I collapsed onto my bed...and she ran across the street to play with her friends. I guess that's what playing soccer three times a week and going to gymnastics will do for you. I learned that this girl is going to be even harder to handle than I thought she was. Heaven help her future husband. Nothing really stands in her way. On the trail, we encountered some desk sized boulders, with the path going around to the left and to the right. She had to make a choice as to which way to go. Her choice was to go straight forward, up and over the top of the boulder. That's the kind of kid she is.

I also learned that I seriously need to get my lazy butt in better shape. It was great to spend so much time with her away from friends, just talking about whatever she wanted to talk about. She really loved having that much undivided attention.

More...

 

 

 

 

Some of those didn't show up. Here are a few more.

Family Pics

 

 

 

 

Here are a few of the family pictures we just had taken. Any thoughts?

Flashback Friday

I was thinking this shot was about the same time of year. Hannah, Lydia and Ainsley colored all over themselves while we were having dinner. We asked Ainsley, "Who colored on Hannah?" "ME." "Who colored on Lydia?" "ME." "Who colored on you?" "ME."

We should have known she would be the mastermind of all trouble!

And I love situations where you have to act stern and mad, when in reality you are laughing so hard.

Family Elections

Being Election Day, we held our family elections this morning.





I wonder if the kids will be surprised at what won:
Smoothie
Pizza
tie for asparagus/corn
oranges
tie for chips/salsa and rolls
Root Beer Floats

We don't usually have smoothies and root beer floats in the same meal, but what the heck. It's election day and full of surprises!

Thanks for the idea, Tiffany!!!

Flashback Friday

Crazy Ains, 2 years ago. The time flies so fast!!! My cute fairy now wants to be spooky. I will miss the cute days...

These boots are made for walking

We got such a kick out of this, I had to post it. Brandon even put those pajamas on as part of his costume. hee hee. He'll hate me when he's older.


Since I embarassed him, I'll also post the poem he wrote this morning for Halloween.

SKELETONS DANCE AT MIDNIGHT by Brandon Sims

One day at midnight the skeletons went Boo.
But nobody heard them because they danced. Who?
The wind blew, their bones started to rattle,
Rattle while the were dancing.
Laughing whle the old skeleton fiddler
began to play his evil tune.

HELP ME!!!!!!

Seriously. I am a dork. Today I was roasting pumpkin seeds. forgot. Went to Mervyns, school, etc. 2 Hours of pumpkin seeds in the broiler is NOT a good thing. My house REEEEEEEEEKS!
I have already used 3 bottles of Febreeze.

Any ideas?

Going to the ASU game

It was a busy weekend. I had another scout camp. I've already talked enough about scouts, so all I will say is "Camporee" is one of the worst words in the English language. Whitney and I went to the Arizona State football game after the block party. The first thing I realized at the ASU game is "Toto, we're not in Kansas (Provo) anymore." The students clog all of the parking lots and there are literally hundreds of empty beer cans littering the ground. That's a little different than at BYU, where you can't even buy caffeinated beverages.

One student had a t-shirt that said "We Pre-Game Harder than You Party" Oh, you don't say? It's amazing how much alcohol is consumed at those games. I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't at a University of Utah game. We also noticed that a lot of students go to the games to tailgate and party, and a great many of them never actually make it to the game. They just stay outside in the parking lots drinking, smoking, dancing, and partying. The tops are low cut and the skirts are short, and there is no way my daughters will be attending ASU. What did I expect from a school whose mascot is the Devil?

Once we got into the game, I started to see why they drink so much. The ASU football team is garbage. After all, this is a team that lost to UNLV at home...something not even BYU managed to do. The stadium is bigger than at BYU, but is old and rickety. You always have this strange feeling that you'll fall through the wooden flooring that holds you up. The crowd is good too, but not overly loud. Most of them wear gold, and it has a pretty stunning effect.

We did end up leaving the game early because 1) Alexa was with us (even though she was an angel) and 2) I kind of felt sad watching Oregon abuse ASU. We weren't alone. Apparently at half time, it is a tradition for the fans to leave the stadium, go to the local bars and drink some more, then come back to the game. The way that game was going, they were probably better off just staying in the bars.

We snuck into a pay parking lot for free, because we were a bit late, and it was a bit of a walk from the stadium, so after we left, we rented a ricksaw to take us back to the car. A happy-go-lucky granola boy was pedaling away. He had that odor that said "I haven't showered today...or yesterday either, for that matter" and the scenery we got to see was his boxers protruding from his pants. Someone get that man a pair of bike shorts, please. It was totally worth the ten bucks, though, and Alexa loved the ride.

It was an eye opening experience, albeit a little different than what I was used to at BYU games. Oh, and ASU lost 54-20.

Block Party

 

Whew! After permits, blockades, extra trash recepticals,flyers, food and games, our block party is finally over! We had such a great time. It literally lasted from 12 noon till the wee hours of the night. We left at 6:30, but noticed much partying going on past 9:30 when we got home. Fun times!!!

Our family was in charge of the pie eating contest, as you can see in the pics. We also had a pinata, bounce house, cake walk, and other fun games. Did I mention TONS of food?????

It was a success! We're grateful for a terrific neighborhood!!!