The Beckstrom's Mess

Mads....

2011-05-23T22:23:00.006-06:00

Its been 15 years since I sang in Madrigals my junior year of high school. The same year I dated my sweetheart. 14 years since I sang in Madrigals my senior year. I never knew back then how much I was going to miss it. Went to the concert tonight. There were some really good moments in there where I cried because I remember how much I missed it. . I miss the music, the people, H. I miss singing everyday really really challenging music and making it sound amazing. I will never have that again in my life. But I am grateful I have my memories. ....and I got a husband out of it too :)

PARTY PARTY PARTY!

2011-05-18T12:26:00.003-06:00

Carter's Birthday party was a huge success, tons of fun! We had a family party, then a small just us party after a great baseball game (which they didnt win it was 12-1 but Carter hit the ball and made a great play at pitcher!), and then a friend party and I think all the kids had a great time!

Happy BIrthday Carter!

2011-05-16T17:06:00.006-06:00

Nine years ago my life changed forever! Happy Birthday to my son Carter. You have, well, kept life interesting and it has been wonderful to watch you grow up to the boy you are! So unique, so special, and so darn funny! I love you son!

little did we know....2011

2011-05-16T16:22:00.008-06:00

So the new year began as any normal new year. resolutions ready to break within the first week...snow starting to finally fall (no thanks to a snowless Christmas) and new health insurance policies signed...what is that you say...a new health insurance high deductible policy.. no worries.. No one will get sick...

Until two weeks later....

Oliver had pink eye...the morning we were to take him in to see a doc, he grabbed the curling iron and burned the majority of his entire right hand. So we took him in. ON top of all that, he had a double ear infection as well. Ugh...it cant get any worse. Well, it did. the Doc gave us meds for his infections, but also referred us to Primary Children's Burn Clinic for his hand. Yup I guess it was that bad. SO we set it all up....I didnt think it could get any worse...and all the while $$ signs are the only thing I can see.

This whole while, I felt like I was having an ache in my stomach, but I didnt think anything of it.

Then....when I awoke with the most horrendous pain right underneath my sternum. It felt like...well, like a gallstone except I dont have a gallbladder anymore! I woke up Kurt thinking something has to be wrong. He, of course, shrugged it off as pulled muscle or something. So I tried ot go back to sleep. The next morning, I sent my son off to school and started to get ready for my day when the pain hit me again!...this time it was worse. I went in the bathroom to get some medicine thinking maybe it was heart burn. When I started to get dizzy, sweaty, ringing in my ears, and I passed out. When I woke up I was on the floor, weak. In pain so scary I didnt know what to do. I could stand. I was shaking. I yelled.."Lizzy. Lizzy!" She came running, "Lizzy get me my phone." When she finally got to me I had crawled to my room from the bathroom. I didnt call Kurt, I called my mom. She didnt hesitate...she was on her way. I then called Kurt. told him I was going to a doctor and I may be headed to the ER. When My mom got here, she was in a panic. I had been able to get myself in to my bed at this point. the pain was wrenching through my abdomen and I had no idea what it could be.

We packed up the kids, and she drove me to the hospital. I was pale as a ghost and felt like I was going to pass out any minute again. I finally got in. A new doc, since our insurance had changed this year, pushed and questioned me. They took some blood samples. I walked, or rather, hunched over in pain slowly forced myself to stumble away from his office with a disappointing diagnosis of "ulcer". I was not convinced. There is no way an ulcer can be this painful.

I took the medicine and did as I was told. That night, the pain came back again, full force. I was crying. I was exhausted. I didnt know what to do. First thing I called the docs office. They were conveniently out of the office so my case was referred to another doc..UGH! So I asked, what do my labs say. I am in pain, this has to be something else! "we will get back with you sometime this afternoon". Meanwhile, I was dying...literally, I didnt know if I could take it. I was nearly headed to the ER for a second opinion. All I could do on top of this all was think about how much this would all cost and who would take care of my family if I had to go back in to the hospital.

Finally, around noon, I got a call. "Your labs are elevated and concerning. You need to come back in and see Dr. **** ", who btw, was a different doctor remember the other guy was on vacation now. So another call to my mom. She was came up. Took me over. This time, i sat there, with pain...he came in..."Well, your lipase is in the 4000s (normal is 300). Something is going on wiht your pancreas. You need to get checked into the hospital ASAP. Stop drinking and eating. You may be ther 4 days or 2 weeks depending on what they find. " WHAT!?

And that was that, $200 to tell me I needed to go to the ER. Thanks doc. So, I called Kurt "well, ready to spend $4000. Im off to the hospital for maybe 2 weeks. "

So he rushed home. We got a sitter for the time being (thanks mom!) and Kurt and I went to the hospital. I got all checked in. That night they ran test after test, MRI, CT, Ultrasound. they could find nothing. I couldnt eat, not even drink water. I was miserable. In pain. and bored.

I rated my pain on this scale....looks like an 8 or 9 to me...LOL!

After 4 days, my levels came down. I was able to start eating slowly again. and they released me without an answer. Since I had no gallbladder, it was not a gallstone. they found no inflammation at the time of CT and MRI. So I was released.

A week later...it returned. I though, oh no...what am I going to do, I will NOT go back there! I cant ask for all the ehlp I got, I cant leave my family again. So they let me be off of food for a day and see if that helped. I was rechecked with my blood work. It was high again, but dropping. So another MRI Was ordered. It was negative. I was sent to a speciliast. They told me to get some enzymes to use when I eat, watch what I eat and if I have a flare up back off and go off foods for a day. So here I am.... feeling better. Worried. But better. AS long as i have no pain, and they cant find anything wrong, I will just go with it.

So finally back into the swing of things, life moved on.

And hey! The Pack won the Superbowl! LOL. It was a great game.

Since then life has been pretty calm. Since our deductible was now met, we decided to get all our elective surgeries done. Oliver got tubes in both ears, no more ear infections. I got elbow surgery for my painful nerves in my arm. Kurt is getting knee surgery in two weeks. So, a blessing in disguise.

March came and went with all the crazy weather. Kurt turned 33. Easter followed.

My birthday was a week or so ago, cant believe Im 32. And here we are.

We look forward to a summer with school almost over, a fence (Yahoo! Kurt is installing it as I speak), Lagoon again, and vacations to the cabin.

I look back and just am amazed at my life, my kids, how fast time moves and in the blink of an eye how fast it could change. I am so grateful for all I have. My friends, most of all my family who never once, NEVER, were not there when I needed help.

So we are basically caught up to now.

Okay, lets continue....

2011-05-14T18:36:00.014-06:00

So where did I leave off, oh yes fall 2010...

So school started with hardly any time to prepare. Oliver had his 1st birthday.

After that we prepared for out trip to Disneyland. It was probably the funnest and most stressful vacation I have ever been on. Fun though, really really fun. We drove, so that was an adventure in itself. We stopped over in Vegas and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle there which was so nice! We took the kiddoes to downtown Vegas just so they could see it. It was actually pretty cool. There was a special fall display at the Bellagio that smelled AMAZING! There were giant pumpkins, and herbs, and all sorts of sites that embodied fall and harvest.

Then we headed to Anaheim the next day. We got to the house we were staying at...GORGEOUS! It was built in the early 1900s by a famous movie star critic and gossip columnist who was quite the socialite. This house was 7000 sq ft. Had it all. It was so unique and huge. it has so many rooms. I totally reminded me of a "Clue" mansion. it was amazing! The weather was rainy and foggy so we couldn't enjoy the outdoor pool and hot tub. There were coyotes at night that would surround our yard and hillside and howl at our family dog. There was even a room used as an old speak easy room with hidden passage to escape from the cops. My brother took a gazillion photos, I will try to get those so I can post them.

The next morning we headed to the "big show" and it did not disappoint. It was wonderful, magic, fun, exhausting, and probably the best time I have ever had.

We spent four days there and even one of them we got to pal around with my Best Friend, Alyssa, and her family who were down from Alaska at that same time going on a family trip with their kids to Disneyland. It was perfect.

We also spent one day in San Diego. We wanted to show our kids the beach, but sadly it was pouring rain! but we went anyway. We also went to Old Town, ate at a great Mexican restaurant and then went to the Mormon Battalion museum. It was really neat. I mean Really Neat! The kids loved it too.

After all that fun, we were ready to come home. It was sad to leave. I think about that vacation a lot and cannot wait to go back....but home was calling.

After we got home...Halloween was on its way. It was fun! We did our annual spook alley this time with the help of some of my sisters friends They were fantastic! We got some good scares that year! WE also made a Bowser costume to go along with the theme of Mario. Carter was Bowser, Lizzy was Princess Peach and their two bestest buds were Mario and Luigi. Even Oliver got in on the fun and was Yoshi. It was a lot of fun!

Then the holidays came on us too fast. Thanksgiving and Christmas before we knew it!

With another year over it was time to look to a better year to come....little did we know....

Procrastinating...

2011-05-05T12:50:00.002-06:00

Sorry! I made it a promise to write more on here...then I had pancreatitis issues, then I had elbow surgery and couldnt type proper for 6 weeks....and now...well now Im just procrastinating. So consider this site UNDER CONSTRUCTION until I can get back in a good routine.

ok, where did I leave off....

2011-02-16T18:09:00.015-07:00

So my last post was last years Christmas update. wow...where to begin.
The year started pretty well. We had our new little guy and life was good.

Unfortunately in April, tragedy struck our family with the loss of Jason's, Kurt's brother's, wife, Jenn. It was the night of Easter. We got a phone call. It was hard to believe. It was completely shocking, difficult, scary, painful, just beyond belief. For me I can say, it has gotten better, but Im sure to Jason the sting is still sharp and hurts more than he will ever tell us. We will always love her. Miss her presence. I should have written in here so that I could express what I felt then. Its hard to remember. I honestly can say I am in a difficult place right now with all of it. But thats my battle. It made me realize how much I love my family. How much I would never do anything to be away from them. It has been something I never thought I would go through. But I did. And I keep going. As Lizzy so innocently told me "We will see her again someday mommy" and I know we will.

With a new zest for being alive and being with the ones I love. Making each moment count, we headed into the summer. Carter turned 8 and he was baptized. It was another step in my life. Another awakening of what really matters. It was really special to have his friends see it. I have noticed a change in him. A better love of the gospel. A better understanding. He is so bright. Love that boy. I am so proud of him. He continues to show his compassion and friendship to everyone.

On to the summer...this is where I finally have pictures to show. It was a hot one too. May and June flew by and then we hit July...ugh! So we escaped to the cabin...as usual. Our most favorite place in the whole world. We did the usual, relaxed, floated the river, went to Yellowstone. There is nothing like it in the world to be up there.

The next event of note was GEEX 2010. Kurt and some buddies at work love to game. So they brought back GEEX 2010 through their work and headed the entire project along with a GEEX podcast. It was a success. I wont bore you with the details, but it was pretty much like COMICON but with video games and on a much much smaller scale. THis year will be even bigger.

Lizzy then celebrated her 5th Birthday. She had a Mario Party and shared the party with her "boyfriend" Bradley who lives next door and who's birthday is only 2 days after hers.

The rest of the summer was busy and fun. we went camping twice. Once with family and once with friends. I will NEVER go camping again with a 8 month old! But lessen learned. Here are some pics of random fun throughout the summer with friends.

We headed into the next school year with high hopes. Carter was so excited for 3rd grade THIRD GRADE!!! and Lizzy started PRESCHOOL! They are getting so big!

They LOVE school and so do I. It has made Carter such a good kid and Lizzy is quite the socialite.

In September, Oliver celebrated his 1st Birthday! He is our little ginger! The only one of his kind, he is silly, fun, crazy, we just love him. How could you not!

Then fall came and the time we had all been waiting for was about to happen. We were going to Disneyland!

Long time no see....

2011-02-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

OK I know I know. Its been over a year since my last post. But here I am. Im going to try to be better...Try being the key word here. A lot has happened over this last year. But unfortunately, I can only remember a few things. I will make up for it, but mostly, Im just going to have to start over.

Oh, and happy Valentines Day!

Playing catch-up

2009-12-11T13:58:00.007-07:00

So the last post I posted was several weeks ago for Oliver's baby announcement. Since then I have found rarely any time for myself. So there is plenty to catchup on. First off, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I love this season. it always reminds me of where I really should be and what I really should be thinking about, which in my case, I need reminding of a lot.

Aside from the obvious business of a new baby, I have had my share of surgery for a lifetime. In October I had emergency gallbladder removal. And I tell you, having a new born only 4 weeks old and having to go through that 3 days of not being there for the little guy was really hard. Not to mention how much pain I was in anyway. But we got it all figured out and I am doing much better. Then, I went in for colonoscopy since my mom had colon cancer at the age of 40. So we decided since my deductible was already met, we would get that dome as well.

During the month of October, we had a huge deal on Halloween, as usual. This year we built a cave and had Kurt hide inside. He and his brother scared the pants off many kids.

Then in November, Kurt and I celebrated our 10th year anniversary. We went to La Caille restraint and then to the Symphony. It was very romantic. and I have to say I love him more than I ever have.! I also had the opportunity to go see New Moon, one of my favorites, yes Im one of those Twilight Moms and love it. Had a blast at the 3am showing with family and friends.
and have seen it since about 7 times( I know Im retarded, BUT I LOVE IT)

Also in November, we had the Reflections contest. Carter won first place for his video.

Oliver was blessed on December 6th, 2009 by his daddy. It was a fun event! We had lots of family come and he was so fat, he barely fit into his blessing out fit. he is

Oliver is getting so big. I am still amazed that at 3 months he is 16.5 lbs. such a chubbers. We love him and knew our family was missing something until he came along.

Hopefully I wont take as long to update my blog!

Baby Announcement

2009-11-02T15:00:00.002-07:00

Lizzy being a big sister

2009-11-02T14:40:00.005-07:00

Lizzy love to hold Ollie. She even tried tries to feed him sometimes. She is a good big sister.

Carter lost his two front teeth...just in time for Christmas!

2009-11-02T14:33:00.002-07:00

Before tooth #1

After tooth #1

He is so stinking cute!! I love this Kid!! He is so brave. He lost the first tooth, then got school pictures, figures, then he lost the second. He look so cute. Im sure his new teeth will come in though and he will look like a rabbit with his big teeth, just like his mommy!

After tooth #2

Baby Oliver...2 weeks old Photo Shoot

2009-11-02T14:28:00.004-07:00

These are absolutely adorable. Sandrine took these at her home. If you want pics CALL HER. She is amazing!!

This was a lot of fun and really I couldnt decide on which ones I liked more. Enjoy our sweet little man.

Carter's Reflections Video

2009-10-05T16:52:00.000-06:00

Why do they always come at night....

2009-09-28T18:31:00.005-06:00

So Monday the 14th of September, I went to my doctor's appt. as usual. According to him, my due date was Oct. 1st. So he checked me and I was 3cm and 50% effaced. He said that I was to make an appointment for the following Monday, but I probably wouldn't make it. He was right, all day after that, I was having contractios 10min apart. That night about at 1am, they went to 5 min apart, then 3 min apart and then I woke Kurt up and said, "Its time"

We called my mom and she came up as soon as she could. We packed light and headed to the hospital. We are only 5 minutes awaya so I was not worried I was leaving something important at home because Kurt could always go back and get it later.

We arrived at the hospital around 4 am (which coincidently is the same time we came to the hospital for Lizzy). They checked us in and I walked up to the Labor and Delivery (shouldve taken that wheelchair like they offered). They got me all set up and the nurse, after checking me all in, says "We might send you home since you are 37 1/2 weeks and only 3cm." I was like WHA!! HUH!! I am truly in active labor here. It was painful, it was consistent, it was real. She said I might just be dehydrated. I was about to cry!! This baby was coming tonight and they wanted to send me home. So she called my doc and he said "Im coming in to break her water" YAHOO!! 100 pts to my doctor!!

He got ther about 45min later and I was 5cm and 90% effaced. There was no stopping the baby now!! He broke my water and 30 mintes after that, I was 7cm. He said I better get the epidural.

So the epidural man came, bless them!! And I got the shot. Then everything slowed down....After the initial blood pressure drop, throwing up, and nearly passing out, I took a nap. about 1 hour later, they gave me some Pitocin, Kurt left to get breakfast. and we all know what happens when a hubby leaves...the baby comes.

So they were just about to page him over the hospital com and my doc was about to go down to the cafeteria to find him when...he showed back up. Nice one Kurt!!

So he was delivered in roughly in 10 minutes, born at 9:32am September 15th, 2009. No problems, no complications. He was perfect.

It was nice to get those two days at the hospital, but nothing compares to coming home and being a family.

Bee's Game on Labor Day!

2009-09-28T18:11:00.003-06:00

Well Labor Day was not far off from my labor day (yuk yuk yuk) but it was fun to go see the game.

The kids had a blast. We were right behind home plate. It was nice to get away and do something before our lives got turned upside down.

Last hoorah!!

2009-09-28T18:05:00.004-06:00

So as a last minute vacation, we decided to go up to Park City with our good friends the Johnson's. The first night we left the kids behind and had a relaxing and enjoyable time. The next night we went and got the kids and although it wasn't so quiet anymore, it was fun. We had a hot tub in the suite and that made things even more fun. Kurt and Scott also had a blast with the kids at the pool.

First Days of school...

2009-09-28T17:59:00.003-06:00

So I know its been nearly a month and a half since they started school. but cut me some slack, I was pregnant and then I had a baby...so here is catch up!

Carter was so excited to start 2nd grade...I cant believe I have a 2nd grader, I remember 2nd grade!! We love him so much and he is doing so well!!

Lizzy started Joy School. Its a school that a bunch of the neighborhood girls got together to help our kids have some fun with learning and playtime with others. I did it last year and it was so nice to have that time and she learned a lot too. Love you Lizzy!!

My belly...

2009-08-27T17:15:00.004-06:00

As much as I HATE showing my preggy belly I had to show it off for nostalgic reasons. So here it is when I was 34 weeks along. Now Im almost 36 and the days are not going fast enough.

Day at the Dinosaur Park

2009-08-27T17:08:00.002-06:00

I love when I can get the kids out of the house for some fun activities...so when Aunt Kristina asked us to join her with her kids I jumped at the chance. One more fun thing to squeeze in before school starts back up. Plus I have always wanted to see the Dinosaur Park.

It was a blast!! We had so much fun. Thanks Kristina! And to top it all off, she even took the kids the rest of the day and I had a much needed relax time at home by myself....it was very very nice!

Dad taking the kids to the park

2009-08-27T17:03:00.009-06:00

I was feeling really tired and so Kurt took the kids to the park for some rocket launching and park play.

Carter and Lizzy being studious...

2009-08-27T16:59:00.001-06:00

I had to go on a potty break and while the kids were bored waiting, kurt decided to make them look like they were "smarty pants". I love these pics!! Such personalities.

Island Park Part II...

2009-08-27T16:49:00.008-06:00

So this time around we spent nearly 9 days up there. Oh it was so nice. Busy, but nice. We had lots of cousins to play with this time around. It was so nice to see Bryan, Siobhan, and their boys. It was also fun to compare our bellies.

Kurt didnt make it up for about 4 days, but he came up on his "hog" and he said that next time, he will rethink the distance he rides his motorcycle!

I didnt get to get out of the car much this trip due to the impending baby birth...but the kids had a great time with Dad and Aunt Katie exploring new geyser areas. And, we finally saw a bear closer than I have ever seen one in all the times and years I have been going since I was born!!! Pictures unfortunately are like showing "bigfoot" to someone. But it was there!

Here are some fun pics of the kids. Because, really, thats what vacations are all about! Im already excited for next year!

I love favors from friends!

2009-08-06T12:02:00.003-06:00

So on Lizzy;s birthday I was swamped with work so Connie invited the kids to come along to Gateway and play in the fountain! It was wonderful for all of us!

Birthday Party With Family!

2009-08-06T11:53:00.003-06:00

OK, ok, I know she is pretty darn spoiled that Lizzy of ours, but she is our only girl!
We had a family party for her at our home and invited Beckstroms and Wilsons alike. It was fun to see how many people came. She got A LOT of barbies and fairies!! Her favorite!

Grandma Wilson brought her the fairy cake and Kurt made the barbie princess cakes.

More party fun for our Lizzy

2009-08-06T11:47:00.004-06:00

On her birthday we decided to have one more last Hoora! at the Su Casa in Bountiful as they will be turning into a Salt City Burger (where will we eat now when we go to Bountiful!!)

Anyway, Grandma redhead was there and Alec as well as Aunt Kristi and Aunt Katie.

Birthday fun at the Zoo

2009-08-06T11:35:00.005-06:00

For Lizzy's birthday we went to the Zoo with the Crocketts. It was HOT, but it was fun! I love any excuse to get together and this was extra fun. It was also Claire's birthday so it all worked out.

We met up later with family we havent seen that live up in Montana, Ian, Cameron, Uncle Bryan and Aunt Siobhan. Aunt Kristi was also there to enjoy the heat and the animals!

Check out Kurt's new podcast...really...

2009-07-29T14:22:00.003-06:00

Kurt and his buddies have been wanting to do a radio show for years. Well, with the advancement of the interweb they have created a podcast...check it out...be warned.

http://toolspodcast.blogspot.com/

Enjoy. And again, beware this is Kurt and friends we are talking about.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY LIZZY!!

2009-07-29T11:13:00.001-06:00

24th of July Bountiful Parade

2009-07-27T10:23:00.002-06:00

It was HOT HOT HOT!! But anything for the kiddies!! As is tradition in my family, we went to the parade in Bountiful on the night of the 23rd. It was, as always, hot and fun for the kids. Afterwards we went and watched fireworks being shot off from Mueller Park Jr. High.

HELP!

2009-07-27T10:10:00.001-06:00

Ever since school got out, Carter's sleep schedule is well nonexistent. Well it hit rock bottom last night. Since we moved him into the basement, I haven't been able to keep a close eye on him. Well, I got up last night around 3 o'clock. I noticed the light on in the kitchen. I sent Kurt to check on things when the light mysteriously shut off. It was Carter, wide awake, getting some cereal. AT 3 IN THE MONRNING!! I am baffled. I dont know what to do. I have tried sleeping in there, which si really hard to do now that, my belly is so big, and the fact we have to be with Lizzy to get ehr to sleep to. Any advice is welcome!!

Lizzy's room...check..now on to the baby room

2009-07-27T10:07:00.001-06:00

Okay so this last weekend we finished off Lizzy's big girl room. She loves it and so far, she hasnt come in our room once at night! LOVE IT!!

OKAY, All done with this room...

2009-07-21T15:43:00.002-06:00

We finally got Carter's room all put together. Now its time for Lizzy's and Oliver's.

Here is a pic of his final mural I painted.

Getting ready for basement to be done

2009-07-14T13:57:00.004-06:00

Since we found out we were pregnant we knew we would have to move the kids rooms around to accommodate the little guy. So we went forth and started to work on the basement. We finally got it painted yesterday and new carpet came today. I have been working on a Space theme for Carter and am working on a mural for his bedroom wall. Its not done yet, but here it is so far.

More summer fun at Cherry Hill!

2009-07-14T13:49:00.007-06:00

Carter jumping off pool and doing tricks.

Carter swimming in the lazy river.

Ian just being cute!

Lizzy being pouty because she didnt want to
go down the dragon slide again.

Kurt and Carter hanging off side of pool.

i
Lizzy swimming in the Lazy River

So when my friend Alyssa and her family Nate, Ian, Finny, and Lincoln came to visit they invited us to Cherry Hill. It was sooo much fun! Unfortunately, Kurt couldn't come until they had to leave. So we stuck around til it closed with Kurt and had some more fun!

Carter and Lizzy were so good at swimming in the lazy river and the pool. I was so amazed! It was so much fun!! I have never been there and I am glad we were able to go with friends (especially those that dont judge me in a bathing suit...scary)

This is Finn not letting me take a picture of him. Such a stinker.

Lizzy's haircut

2009-07-14T13:42:00.003-06:00

So ever since my best friend moved away to Alaska, I have had bad hair...but when Lizzy and Carter decided to have "barbershop day" I have been waiting for her to come this summer and when she arrived she did the most amazing job on Lizzy's hair. So thanks Lys!! You are the best as always!

This haircut makes Lizzy look so grown up (sheds tear)!

Summer fun!

2009-07-06T09:53:00.002-06:00

Its HOT!! So of course the kids want pool time everyday and luckily we have amazing neighbors who will join in on the fun!

Family vacation, part I (part II in August)

2009-07-06T09:27:00.002-06:00

Those who know us know that every year, hopefully more than once, we go up to our family cabin in Island Park Idaho, just 30 minutes from West Yellowstone.

Well, we were off again a few weeks ago. It was long anticipated. We love it up there in the quiet forest. It was really nice to just get away.

While up there we went fishing, a lot, but caught nothing (typical), but then again, you cant catch much with a "pink butterfly" fishing lore. We also got to see Yellowstone for the umpteenth time (I think my count is up around 60) and it never gets old. While in Yellowstone we saw the numerous animals including 3 grizzlies (which is rare these days). We hung out with family and just relaxed.

Here are some pics from the vacation.

My son the entrepreneur

2009-06-16T11:55:00.002-06:00

So I was cleaning up a mess in the yard of a box, stuffed animals and cups. I wasnt too curious as I know how weird my children can be with random things in the yard, until I found $$. So I came to Carter and asked, "Carter, where did all this money come from." He looked at me like he was hiding something and then he said "I sold our soda..."

He made a grand total of $2.75 (which technically means he broke even but hey...its the idea that counts. its better than what the government has done with the economy...LOL!)

Good job Carter!! Next time, up the price!! Supply and demand!

Lizzy's Sprained Ankle

2009-05-28T09:50:00.002-06:00

Poor Lizzy!! She hurt her ankle playing with the boys on the playset. It was so hard watching her wobble around the yard. She was so good with keeping ice and an ace on it!! Luckily it was nothing more than a sprain and by the next day she was back to herself again.

The Infamous Playset

2009-05-28T09:47:00.002-06:00

This monster was a gift from Mom and Dad to Carter and Lizzy. It was quite the undertaking, but Kurt managed to do it all by himself in 2 days. Well, I watched and gave friendly criticism like "Shouldn't you be following the directions". It turned out perfect though!
The kids love it!!

Mustache May

2009-05-28T09:44:00.002-06:00

Mustache May was something that Kurt and his buddy Scott came up with to bother women for the entire month of May!! Well, it wasnt too bad I guess. Here are pics of Kurt's final stache before he shaved it off.

Kurt's Motorcycle

2009-05-28T09:40:00.003-06:00

So for the past year, Kurt has been rebuliding a motorcycle. He is finally done. Well 95% done. He has replaced parts, lights, mirrors, seats, he did body work on the fenders and painted them. This is "his baby".

Carter's 7th Birthday Parties

2009-05-28T09:33:00.005-06:00

yed

a
So this year I decided to not have a party with friends for Carter. Kurt was against it so I told him he can do it all. I think he may have changed his mind halfway through!! It was lots of fun and crazy!! But everyone had fun! They had pizza, played games, and somehow..even though it was not a water party, they got wet!

The next day we had family over for a family party. Boy is he spoiled!! Grandma and gradpa got him a new playset. Those big wooden ones!! It was a really nice and shocking suprise to Carter and us!! (mostly because we had to put it together!!!)

Moving Day for Carter's Best Friend

2009-05-28T09:30:00.002-06:00

We got some really cute photos of the boys on the day Brayden moved. Thank goodness we still get them together or Carter and his video game obsession would drive me nuts~!

ITS A........BOY!!!

2009-05-14T16:34:00.005-06:00

So finally we know! I am so happy either way (of course who is gonna say...Im disappointing in what Im having..lol) But really, I didnt care. And a boy is exaclty what Lizzy and Kurt wanted.

The kids had fun at the ultrasound...for about 2 seconds. Then they were bored. I always find it so fascinating the ultrasound experience! He kept grabbing his toes. Its so cool to see.

Well here are the first photos of our little man. Isn't he cute?

T-Ball 2009

2009-05-13T15:52:00.002-06:00

(Carter is at bat)

Carter started his first game Monday and surprisingly, he is better than he was last year (which isnt much) we love his effort though!!

To our surprise, his best bud Brayden was on teh other team so every time they got to each others base they would wave and talk and we would have to yell at him to pay attention to teh game. it was funny!

He looks like he has fun though and thats all that matters.

Mothers Day

2009-05-11T15:57:00.002-06:00

So aside from all the normal activities, we had two grandmas houses to get to. The first one Lizzy ate fruit bowl after fruit bowl after fruit bowl, well you get the idea. She was stuffed.

Then we got to my Mom's for dinner and well, she ate some more...finally she turns to me at the dinner table and says, "Mommy Im done" then she went over the couch. Not more than 5 minutes later she was fast asleep. She didnt wake up til this morning! What a sweetheart.

Our garden

2009-05-11T14:56:00.004-06:00

Here are some "working on" and "almost done" pics of our garden. This took Kurt almost a month, no thanks to terrible weather. He put in a new sprinkling system just for the garden and then built the plantar boxes. It was tough moving the garden to over by the shed, then sodding, but it really has turned out fantastic. All thats left is some pea pebbles and we are done!

Just having fun!

2009-05-11T14:53:00.005-06:00

This is a candid video I was taking or Carter and Lizzy playing. Lizzy was being a dinosaur.

This is the girls playing on the trampoline. We sure are gonna miss you Halle girl!

Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's

2009-05-11T14:48:00.004-06:00

This was so much fun!! I love watching the kids faces! Carter was so sweet, he would leave all the pink and purple eggs for Lizzy and then when his basket got full he would help her. So fun!

Easter Sunday

2009-05-11T14:43:00.005-06:00

Here are the kids Easter morning with their baskets of goodies and then the traditional "Easter clothes picture"

Dying Easter Eggs at Grandma's

2009-05-11T14:40:00.003-06:00

Its pretty traditional for us all to get together at my Mom's with my sisters and brothers and dye eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt for the kids.

Air Force Museum

2009-05-11T14:34:00.003-06:00

We were really bored one weekend so we packed up the kids and went to the Air Force Museum. It was really cool actually. I am fascinated with WWII and jets as well as Kurt and Carter so it really was fun to see all that history and engineering up close.

Presidents Day (I know Im way behind!)

2009-05-11T14:21:00.003-06:00

Here is the program Carter's grade did for Presidents Day.

MILESTONES

2009-05-07T09:12:00.002-06:00

So it has been a while since I have posted anything. Some milestones have taken place in my life. For one, I have reached 20 weeks in my pregnancy, something I am so blessed to finally approach as most of you who know me, I was nervous to get to. I lost my last child at 13 weeks, so finally getting to a positive mark is a blessing! I am excited to find out the sex of the child. I have so many plans that cant go forward until it is done. Lizzy of course wants a girl and Carter, well, he just wants a baby. He is going to be such a good brother!! And Lizzy will make a perfect helper.

The other milestone I have hit is I turned 30 on May 4th. Its INSANE to think that I am really that old. I remember clearly high school memories that feel like they were yesterday. I don't feel old and I am embracing my 30s without really feeling the weight of them that most people trump up. Im excited to start this chapter of my life.

I am trying to stay positive and not let the things around me drag me down. Life is good and I have to remember that no matter what, my family is safe in our home and we are getting by. Right now there are a lot of people who cant say that. I am blessed.

So many mixed emotions!

2009-04-10T14:22:00.002-06:00

So I found out... no thanks to a phone call!!... that our friends the Crockett's are moving. I am so happy that they got what they wanted out of their home but am so sad to see them go. Our kids play together and often refer to each other as "my best friend". I am more sad that Carter will lose his best buddy!

We will miss them, but are happy that they are blessed to be moving on to where they need to go next.

They better keep in touch, if not for us, then for the boys!

Picture Tag...tagged by Shannon

2009-02-06T10:28:00.005-07:00

This is Lizzy all bundled up 2 years ago when we visited Temple Square at Christmastime.

Instructions: Go to your picture file, go to your 6th folder and post the 6th picture and explain!

I tag Sarah, Arien, Amber, Emily, Amylee, Lys, Quinn

BUG....Tagged by Amber

2009-02-03T16:34:00.004-07:00

I have been tagged! I need to list 10 things that bug me. I wish I could say that there are ONLY 10!

10 things that "BUG" me

1. The mis-communication between myself and my office...USE A PHONE PEOPLE!
2. BAD DRIVERS!!!
3. When Kurt says he will be home at a certain time and he isnt home, and not just
a few minutes late...he is way off!
4. When the kids yell at me while Im on the phone
5. When the kids yell at me while in a store
6. WASPS!!
7. When my computer freaks out and I have no idea why!
8. Lizzy's obsession with eggs
9. Bills!! and watching my depleting savings account!
10. When I clean up the house go upstairs and 5 minutes later, its a mess again.

I "BUG" TAG:
1. Lys
2. Stephanie
3. Sarah
4. Bevany
5. Quinn
6. Kristina
7. Rachelle
8. Jill
9. Emily
10. Amylee

FACEinHOLE

2009-01-27T16:06:00.001-07:00

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Some silly videos of Carter

2009-01-22T18:05:00.001-07:00

Walking with Dinosaurs

2009-01-22T15:53:00.011-07:00

If you haven't heard about this, it was amazing. There was a show put on at the ESA where a company that does the BBC show "Prehistoric Planet" built these lifesize dinosaur puppets. They were as realistic as possible and controlled by humans and machines. It was amazing. The kids loved it. In fact Carter kept saying "Yup thats right, I knew that" to nearly everything they talked about. Here are some photos and a video. It was amazing. If it comes again...its a must see!

Carter interviewing Lizzy after the show.

Caught up in it all...part 2

2009-01-22T15:13:00.004-07:00

This was our Christmas. We had lost of fun with family and enjoying the holidays with them. The kids got what they wanted and we didnt have to spend a whole lot of money to do it.

Caught up in it all....part 1

2009-01-22T15:04:00.006-07:00

Ive been so caught up the past many weeks that I have had no time for this (honestly Ive been facebooking :) but anyways, last month we went on a hayride with some friends to the Layton City Park and saw the lights.

The Twilight Before Christmas...

2008-12-12T09:05:00.001-07:00

Tis the season...

2008-12-09T11:20:00.003-07:00

As Im sure it is for most, this is my favorite time of year. I love Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. This year, we are trying our hardest to not overspend and just get quality versus quantity. Last week Kurt brought home some Angel tree ornaments from his work. So we decided to go to the store and get the items on the list. As we were in the store looking at the simple items these precious little kids wanted for Christmas, I started to cry. I felt so blessed that my kids didnt have to ask for jammies, clothes, or shoes. These kids were asking for things I take for granted, things I dont consider "presents". It made me feel so grateful for all I have, for my family, for our home.

I know its a message we always hear this time of year, but we really need to remember why we truly have Christmas and the spirit we should carry with us throughout this season and into the year. Christmas is about our savior, his gift to us, and the love he has for us we should have for all man kind.

OKay, so this sounded like a talk...its not. I just felt the need to share.

Merry Christmas.

No comment...

2008-12-09T11:17:00.003-07:00

I got this off my friends site, so I take no credit in finding this article whatsoever...

If I was born in 1932...

2008-11-23T21:03:00.004-07:00

when I graduated I would've looked like this...

http://yearbookyourself.com/

TCU and BYU games

2008-11-23T20:45:00.003-07:00

Needless to say, I am a Ute fan. The game was awesome!! I loved it. I had tons of fun and Im so happy that we are headed to a BCS bowl again.

Here are some photos of Carter and Kurt at the TCU blackout game (that he went to on our anniversary) and some photos of us at the game last night against BYU.

Twilight Hangover

2008-11-21T10:39:00.005-07:00

Last night/early morning me and a few (nearly a dozen) friends went and basked in teh Twilight frenzy. I had a great time! I loved finally having a girls night out! It was really fun and I loved the movie.

I know there are a lot of opinions out there...critics...dissapointment, whatever. I loved the movie and I really dont care what others think. Loving the movie for myself is enough for me and I feel bad that people found something in it that made them not like it. But oh well, I did, and I think the more I see the more I will like it.

Things I loved

*Edward, I really thought that Rob did a really convincing job and I was in love with him by the end. (although my ultimate Edward leans more towards the Henry Cavill genre) He was amazing.

* Bella, Charlie (loved Charlie), Jacob, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett were all dead on. Wished there was more of the Cullens, but Im sure there will be more back story in the next movie.

*Loved the "sparkles". It was not over the top, and not over done.

*Sorry, but I loved the cheesy-ness of the movie. I am sappy and love that stuff...thats why I married Kurt.

*Loved Victoria...she is soooo perfect. She was the creepiest for me. More than James.

*Loved the baseball scene.

* I just thought it was done the best way it couldve been with the budget they had.

Had a blast though!! Got home at 3am and zonked. Now Im a zombie!

My little bro is all grown up

2008-11-20T14:04:00.004-07:00

I think these pictures are so cute. Its Brandon and his new Bride, Becky.

My little love...

2008-11-20T12:45:00.002-07:00

Here is one of the photos at my Bro's wedding. Lizzy was so crabby that day. But I love this pic. MOre to come.

Carter Quotes

2008-11-17T10:21:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I have seen others do this on their blog so I will try to get these on as soon as they happen.

Yesterday Carter was drinking one of those chocolate milks you get from Wendy's and he accidentially spilled it. We tried to calm him down and let him know that it was not a big deal and he just needed to be more careful. Kurt told him he would make some more and Carter got this really upset look on his face and asked him how he could make his Wendy's Chocolate milk. Kurt said he would just use the chocolate syrup and put it in the same container. Again Carter looked confused and then he said

"But Dad, what about the calories!"

Stake Broadway Show

2008-11-17T10:03:00.002-07:00

Here is my duet with Becky Sorenson at the stake show. Enjoy!!

Invisible Moms

2008-11-14T16:24:00.002-07:00

My friend sent this to me. I want to share this with all who read my blog.
*********************************************************************************
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it t o me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Broadway Family Fun

2008-11-08T14:48:00.007-07:00

A few months ago me and Kurt were involved in a Broadway show for a family reunion of a friend of ours in our ward. I finally got the recordings from them. The first one is me and Sarah Johnson singing "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde. Its not the best performance, I was a little nervious as it has been a while since I did anything like this. If you know me at allyou know how critical I am of myself and how nervous I get. My breathing is terrible and the end isnt the strongest. Anyway...I am the first voice and she is the second. I will be singing this song again in the Stake Broadway Show with Becky Sorenson and it will be much much better because we will have better equipment and I wont be so nervous. Sarah was amazing though, but we all know that!

Just follow the link and download the songs to hear them.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mnhyojmgnnx

This next one is Kurt singing "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" from Les Miserables.
I love it! He did such a good job.

http://www.mediafire.com/?24zww22t0yt

Enjoy!

Big week.

2008-11-07T16:41:00.003-07:00

This week has been long and hard.

First of all, my grandpa Mac died. He was 90 years old. He was so sick, and longing to leave this life for so long. He missed my grandma so much. He had been without her for nearly 11 years. I got to say my goodbye's on Sunday. I got the call on Tuesday that he had passed. I will miss him so much and it is so hard to see him go, but I know..I KNOW..he is in a much better place, happy and safe. He is with grandma. Love you Grandpa.

Then Wednesday, we found out who our new president is. Barack Obama. I am excited and hopeful.

Then on Thursday, my little brother Brandon married the love of his life, Becky. They looked so amazing and it was even more special that I felt like my grandpa and grandma were both there to see it in the temple. The day was suprisingly gorgeous. A little chilly, but nothing too bad. I got to visit with my brother Bryan and his wife Siobhan and thier kids Ian and Cameron. They live in Montana so it was nice to have them down and they got to see Grandpa before he passed too. I also enjoyed seeing all my relatives at the reception. I love my family!!

That same day...Nov 6th. Was my 9th wedding anniversary. Alas, due to the wedding and other things which I will discuss, it slipped Kurts mind due to the "big game" :( But Thats okay. It was nice to be in the same temple we were married in 9 years ago. It was nice to remember that time and the reasons behind it all. To remember the vows we took and covenents we made. I love my husbnand.

That same night was the Ute game. Kurt took off from the reception early with Carter and went and had a blast at a game that i was envious to be able to go to. But my family was more important and I am glad I stayed. The Utes won. Now 10-0! BSC here we come....almost.

So that is my week so far. Busy busy. I will post photos of the wedding soon!

Halloween..

2008-11-03T16:51:00.005-07:00

Well, the crypt was tons of fun. We scared a lot of kids, but I did get attacked at the door by a bunch of boys that pulled my wig off....I shouldve taken their candybars away!!

Kurt was hilarious as some sort of gravekeeper homeless caveman thing. It was fun. Next year will be even scarier!!

Here are some photos of us on Halloween. Unfortunately my camera died before i could get more. So those will have to wait til Kurt's bro's girlfriend sends them to me.
'
Carter was Capt. Rex, a clone from Star Wars

Lizzy was tinkerbell

I tried to be scary....it was somewhat successful.

Happy Halloween! Wait til you see what we do next year!

My Journal Pages...

2008-10-28T09:36:00.006-06:00

So if you have been following Kurt's blog... he has now posted the first edition of my journal pages. Get prepared to take a blast to the past in the rollercoaster ride that was my teenage years.

No worries, I made him edit things, and frankly, I was so silly then it dosent even bother me that he is doing this. It just makes me laugh. Check it out. Just copy and paste ( for some reason I can't get it to link)

http://utahmankb.blogspot.com/

Finally.....

2008-10-23T11:22:00.004-06:00

The time has come for my bro to get married. Here is his adorable wedding invitation. Why didnt they have cute engagment photos when I got married? Maybe it has to do with the people in the picture...and we've all seen Kurt!

Story...

2008-10-23T09:30:00.005-06:00

Remember when we had that theivery the other day when Kurt's wallet and cell phone were stolen. Well the other night we were up late watching TV and we heard a knock on our door. It was 11:30. So Kurt went to see who it was, it was a police officer. He asked, "Are you Kurt Beckstrom?" Of course he said yes. The police officer handed him his wallet and said, "Your neighbor found your wallet." It was just three houses away, for two weeks in their lawn. the neighbor found it when he went out to mow his grass. Nothing was taken out of it. It was as is pretty much. Crazy!! So after all we went through to cancel cards and get new ID's, it was only a few houses away.

Well, we are fortunate that we now know nothing will happen fraudulently with Kurts stuff, but so crazy!

Little things...

2008-10-15T09:12:00.004-06:00

Today I am soooo greatful for the little things. Today my "Service Engine Soon" light went off!! Hooray. Maybe we CAN make it one more year in the Jimmy!

Husband tag...

2008-10-14T14:45:00.006-06:00

My husband...

1. Where did you meet?
WX High School during the high school play and again in choir. We were in Mads together so we had tons of time to be with each other.

(here are some photos of how I remember Kurt in High School )

Football Boy

Christmas Dance

Prom

2. How long did you date before you got married?
4 yrs

Saying our last goodbye before his mission.

Saying our first hello when he returned from his mission.

3. How long have you been married?
9 years this November

4. What is your favorite feature of his?
His smile

5. What is your favorite quality of his?
His witty humor and his ability to remain calm.

6. Does he have a nickname for you?
Sweets

7. What is his favorite color?
ummm...green?

8. What is his favorite food?
Mexican food

9. What is his favorite sport?
duh...football

10. When and where was your first kiss?
lol, on his bed at his mom's on November 11th 1995.

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?
Be with each other...no matter what we are doing. He is my best friend. But I love to sing with him. Always have.

12. Do you have any children?
Yes,two, Carter and Lizzy

Carter

Lizzy

13. Does he have a hidden talent?
Singing, drawing, sewing, cooking, building, playing sports, he pretty much does everything well.

14. How old is he?
30

15. Who said "I love you" first?
He did. Only a few weeks after we had dated.

16. What is his favorite type of music?
He likes it all except Rap and Country.

17. What do you admire the most about him? The way he can calm me down and the way he teaches his children principles. He has such an amazing spirit that he is to "cool" to share most of the time. I love that about him. He has a good soul and Ifeel like I have known for eternity already.

I tag Lys, Steph, Sarah, and Arien. Share your man with us!

THE NEW TWILIGHT TRAILER IS HERE! - Twilighters Anonymous

2008-10-09T17:22:00.006-06:00

Click link below to see it!

THE NEW TWILIGHT TRAILER IS HERE! - Twilighters Anonymous

Who am I...

2008-10-08T12:49:00.000-06:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

This was kinda fun!

My husband has caught the bug...

2008-10-07T12:37:00.006-06:00

No, he is not sick, he has the blog bug. Check out his site...he is hilarious. Plus it will help him feel like he is loved.

http://utahmankb.blogspot.com/ (the link is also in my favorite bloggers list at the bottom of my blog. Its called Dumb It Down...and Other Useless Pieces of Garbage)

Enjoy!

Five things TAG

2008-10-03T18:55:00.003-06:00

Friday, October 3, 2008
TAG- 5 Things...

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Wow...in college dating the very very wrong kind of boy.
2. Waiting for Kurt to get home from his mission.
3. Trying to get a degree in architecture
4. Staying up til 3 in the morning and still be able to wake up for school at 7am (those were the days)
5. Eating way too many whoppers...look where it got me.

5 Things on today's to do list
1. Dishes
2. Laundry
3. Cancel my credit cards because Kurt's wallet was stolen.
4. Remember to record Carter's star wars show tonight.
5. Be lazy (my doc was out of town so no work for me this week)

5 Snacks I enjoy, unhealthy to healthiest:)
1. Sweet joyous candy
2. Chips
3. icecream
4. crackers
5. Tomoatoes and green apples with salt, yummy

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire (you mean "when")
1. pay off house (im with you Sarah)
2. Pay off debt
3. Make it possible so Kurt never has to work again
4. Get all my fam out of debt
5. Vacation...vacation...vacation

5 places I have lived
1. Woods Cross, UT (20 yrs)
2. Salt Lake, UT (a long 8 months)
3. Bountiful, UT (1 year)
4. Woods Cross (again), UT (6 years)
5. Layton, UT (2 yrs)

5 places I have worked
1. Mountain Orhtopedics (but really its in my house)
2. Coldewell Banker
3. Su Casa
4. Pizza Perfect or as I called it, Piece-o-crap
5. Bob's Deli (oh that place was so good)

Now five of you get to do this!!!

I tag Lys, Arien, Amy, Quinn, Mary.

WARNING!

2008-10-03T10:13:00.003-06:00

For all those who live by me, last night Kurt's car was broken into and his cell phone and wallet were taken.

I always feel like this neighborhood is safe, and it is safe, but the one time you let your guard down, someone steals something. I feel so violated. Just plane icky.

So heads up.

Out of the Box

2008-10-01T13:48:00.002-06:00

So Kurt and myself were on a gameshow last night. Dont get too excited...it was a local gameshow and the only prize we got was some freebee stuff from the Fox network. So its only a local channel on Comcast and the gameshow is called "Out of the Box" we will be on in 2 weeks on Sat ( I think) Frankly, I thought it was really lame...but anything for his brother who happens to be the cameraman for it. Thanks Jeff for allowing me to waste 2 hours of my night@!@

Kurt, as usual, scored the highest score...EVER.
Me...well...lets just say I didnt.

HAWAII!!!

2008-09-22T11:25:00.006-06:00

So, Kurt suprised me with a trip to Hawaii that I found out about early. Nonetheless...IT WAS AWESOME. We went with our bested friends Scott and Brooke Johnson. I cannot describe how amazing it was. We were on the island of Kauai and it was gorgeous. Pictures do not do it justice. We stayed in a quiet villa that we rented in the North shore away from all the touristy stuff, which was awesome. We even had a mango and lime tree in the yard that we made slushies with almost every day.

We found hidden beaches, and went alot to our favorie one "secret beach", we snorkled, we took a boat ride around the famous Napali Coast, we swam with sea turtles, watched dolphins, kayaked an ancient river to an ancient village and hidden waterfall, we were going to go to a luau but it cancelled on us due to rain, we jumped off lava rock formations into pools, we did so much and there was so much more to see. We had an amazing time.

By the end of the week, I was ready to come home, but I miss it and will be so excited when we go again.

I remember...

2008-09-11T10:59:00.005-06:00

Today is 9/11. I dont have to explain what that means to this country or that we all know what happened that day. I just wanted to share some of my memories.

I remember that day I was late for work. Kurt didnt have to be in to work til later that day so I slept in a little. As I was driving to work the radio was talking about this terrible crash that happened in New York. I was so overcome with sadness for this, what I thought was, a terrible accident. While listneing to this, they started to explain a second crash, and how this is not an accident. I was stunned. Numb. When I got to work, I immediately turned on the radio and looked up any and all info I could find online. I called Kurt and told him to turn on the TV and tell me what in the world was going on. Thats when he told me about people jumping out of windows and then the buildings collapsed. It was hard to even know how to react that day. Overwhelming saddness is all I can remember. Even talking about it now is making me tear up. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced in my life like this. I went home for lunch and watched the endless footage they were showing on the TV. I was numb, shocked, and so sad. Along with the stories of the heroric airplane crew that stopped something even worse happening and the one that crashed into the pentagon, I felt like it would never end!

To think that people would do something like this never really hit me until that day. You hear the news, you see the pictures, but it never really hit me what kind of world we live in. And then...I remember the unity. Out of all of this, all this awful awfulness came a feeling in this country that I have never felt this strong before. Pride, Patriotism, Unity. I was so proud to be an American in those few short months after this awful moment. I am still emotional. And I living all the way in Utah with no family or relation that was directly involved in this. I felt it. I feel it now.

There is always a reason for things, good or bad. I truly beleive that. And I know that through this a greater plan will come. I love my father in heaven and my savior and this only made me beleive and trust in him more.

Sorry for the ranting on. I just wanted to share my thoughts.

I will never forget. No one ever should. God Bless America.

One of those weeks...

2008-09-09T14:25:00.006-06:00

Aside from me being endlessly sick and Carter having seperation anxiety at school, Kurt's car was hit by a 2x4 that came flying off a truck on the freeway. It damaged his axel and eventually blew the tire, his poor windsheld got a rock chip and this impact with the 2x4 cracked the window! Then this morning his battery in his motorcycle was dead because he left the lights on. He had to jump start it 4 times because he kept killing it.

I like to think that all these incidences are somehow teaching me something. And somehow, in someway protecting us. Who knows what could have happened to Kurt today if he got off to work on time? All I know is something didn't want him to go, not yet, and there were no mishaps on the way to work for him.

Its interesting the little things that are done to protect us that may seem like inconveniences at the time or frustrations.

Hang in there, my love. The week is almost over!

Lizzy started Joy School

2008-09-09T14:23:00.004-06:00

Unlike our little man, Lizzy did amazing. She had so much fun on her first
day of school. Im so glad we decided to put her in something like this. She
rarely gets to play with kids her age so its fun for mommy too.

Who knew....

2008-08-27T20:44:00.001-06:00

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating

Kurts first day back to school...

2008-08-27T16:50:00.002-06:00

This day signifies Kurts first day of his last year of school!! We are all very excited.

Especially Kurt.....(by the way I made him pose like this..lol.)

Tag...

2008-08-26T19:26:00.003-06:00

So here's the deal: Post these rules on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!

Joys:1. My family 2. My Sleep. 3. Vacations

Fears:1.Losing Kurt or one of the kids 2. Natural disaster (mostly Volcanoes) 3.Being alone for the rest of my life.

Goals:1.Flat tummy (and then Ill get preggy, go figure) 2. Control my temper with my kids 3. Start back painting again and make the Tab Choir someday.

Current Obsessions: 1. Work 2. Budgeting 3. Jane Austen type of movies.

Facts: 1. I had a nose peircing 2. I too love to shop...but hate spending money 3. I love football but never did until I met Kurt.

Regrets: 1. I also regret not finishing college. 2. Not helping Kurt finish school before we had kids. 3. Not enjoying high school more than I did.

Okay...I am now supposed to tag....Lys, Arien, Amy, Mary, Rachelle, Sarah, Bev, Amber, Jill, Kristina - I know..a lot more than 5...have fun!!!

Breaking Dawn...finally finished

2008-08-26T13:18:00.006-06:00

Im slow but Im done.

I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I liked this book actually. There were a few things that I thought were lame in it and totally sappy. But it closed everything up well and I am a little sappy myself and cant help having a happy ending for everyone! So all in all it was good. Not my favorite one, however, but good nonetheless.

I recommend it.

Cant wait for the movie though. I know it will have dissapointments, thats just Hollywood, but I still am very excited.

Carter's First Day of 1st Grade

2008-08-26T13:11:00.003-06:00

Another year has passed and I still cant beleive that my son is a 1st grader. My oldest memories are of when I was in 1st grade and I cant beleive he is old enough to have those moments. I didnt cry, barely though, when we dropped him off with his teacher in his new class. He was so brave and so matter of fact. I know he will excel in 1st as he did in Kindergarten.

Oh I love that boy and I hope that his time in school will help me and him actually grow closer together as we wont spend so much time fighting with each other. Plus it will keep him busy and his eager mind continuing to learn new things.

Love you Carter!

Carter and Kurt being silly...

2008-08-26T13:01:00.004-06:00

Carter decided that he needed a BETTER bike helmet, so he took Kurts motorcycle one...then Kurt just got plane silly with it.

Gee, where does Carter get it from.

Murder mystery....

2008-08-26T12:54:00.003-06:00

So for my little sis's birthday, we threw her a suprise murder mystery party. Iwas hilarious! We all dressed up like gangsters and flappers. I of course ended up being the murderer....and I won! But everyone had fun.
Here is a photo of me and Kurt trying to take an "old time" photo like the ones our greatgrandparents took....sadly we kept laughing too much. I kept looking like I was mad.

It was a blast though!!