A Penny for your thoughts

SNOW!!!!!!

2012-01-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

It finally snowed! Woke up on saturday to a beautiful white day. We had so much fun building a snowman and throwing snowballs at each other. Cold and tired we came in for delicious hot chocolate with mashmellows and candycane. What a perfect day!

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-14T13:31:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas when its on sunday. It reminds us all what christmas is all about. We had a lazy and fun day by going to church opening presents and spending time with family. The only downside was no snow. Hopefully next year we will have a beautiful white christmas.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

We love Christmas! From decorating our house to choir concerts,school program,family party,work parties and wonderful food. We were lucky this year to attend the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. It was truly amazing!

Crafty!

2012-01-14T13:01:00.000-08:00

My crafty friend carol showed me how to make this cute material garland for christmas. It looked great on my staircase and I had a fun time making it.

November 2011

2012-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

All the sixth graders dressed up like Greek Gods for a wax museum in the lunch room. Justin was Minus a demi god who created the Labryinth.

9th Birthday!

2012-01-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my little monkey who isn't so little anymore.

12th Birthday!

2012-01-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween Birthday to my eldest (as my mom would always say) son.

Halloween 2011

2012-01-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Halloween is always a blast around our house. From carving pumkins,school parties,birthday parties and adult parties. It was great weather for trick or treating this year. The boys look scary in their costumes.

Back to School :(

2011-11-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

1st day of school. Are we happy?

Summer Fun!

2011-11-14T08:03:00.001-08:00

Summer was busy and fun. From parades,day camp,family camp,swimming,county fair and lagoon. We were not ready for summer to end.

Baptism

2011-01-29T11:12:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Jace is old enough to be baptized. Didn't he just start preschool? It was a perfect day with family and friends.

Happy Birthday Boys!

2011-01-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

Its birthday time again Justin turned 11 and Jace is 8. Their birthdays are 12 days apart and they always want me to make them a birthday cake. Justin wanted a graveyard ice cream cake and Jace wanted a pumpkin cake. My cake decorated skills are limited but I thought they both turned out nice.

5th Grade Zombie Program

2011-01-29T10:40:00.000-08:00

Every year the fifth grade has a zombie program. They use a special light and paint that makes everyone glow.

Our little pilgrim

2010-05-25T22:23:00.001-07:00

I found this picture of my little monkey which was taken at thanksgiving. The first graders had to wear this to lunch. When monkey got home he put it on and said "mom take a picture of me." Needless to say he loves his picture taken unlike his mom who is rarely in pictures. :)

Flat Stanley

2010-05-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

My cute nephew Luke from New York sent flat stanley to us so we could take him on some adventures around utah. We had lots of fun taking him to temple square,uta,the state capital,bingham mine,and zions bank. We hope we get the opportunity of getting stanley in the mail again.

Spring Break 2010!

2010-05-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Since the boys had the week off school we decided to head down to St. George and visit my dad. We took a couple a friends along and had a great time. We went swimming,played tennis,played at an awesome park by the river and hiked what we call the crack. The days went by so fast and before we knew it we were back home again. :)

40 years!!

2010-05-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

My cute hubby had his 40th birthday. He doesn't like surprises but since it was a big birthday I had to do something so everyone could see. My wonderful friend carol helped me make a big banner that we put in front of our house. I think it turned out really cute. Plus the boys and I had so much fun putting up the banner and the balloons. John seemed to like it especially the boys jumping up and down singing him happy birthday. I surprised him with a new bike and dinner with friends at the joseph smith memorial building. This will be a birthday he can't forget. :)

Sewing 101

2010-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

Those around me know that I hate to sew. The reason? Junior High sewing class ruined me forever. We had to sew blouses both years it was a pain. Since then I gave up on sewing and don't even own a machine. My friend Carol makes these adorable rag quilts and for the past year I have wanted to make one. Since my niece is having a baby I decided now was the time to sew again. I had alot of fun making this quilt it came together quite nicely. It is so cute and perfect for a baby girl. I can't wait to make another one.

The Lightning Thief

2010-02-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

To all directors everywhere!!! Why is it so hard to make a movie from a book? Especially when the book is exciting and doesn't even need to be changed. As you can tell this is one of my biggest gripes with movies. I love movies but when they take a book and change everything about it I go crazy. I will not go to another movie from this book series unless the director can get it right. My imagination is far better than the big screen. One last comment: Do not go and see this movie unless you haven't read the book! :)

New Family Member

2010-01-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Yes, its true we have another family friend a cat named Pouncer. John and I had decided not to get another pet for awhile. One day justin came home and said "Aunt sue's neighbor is giving away a free cat". I told him we were not ready for another animal and to talk to dad about it. John wanted to see what the cat looked like and before I knew it we had a black female cat in our house. I shouldn't have left it up to john he loves cats and I like little dogs. Pouncer (justin named her) is a fun cat and acts more like a dog than a cat. But watch out john I just might bring home a puppy one of these days. :)

Christmas!

2010-01-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

The christmas holidays were great. We didn't do anything really exciting but it was nice not to have any deadlines and we could do whatever we wanted. Grandpa came from St. George we went to the chipmunk movie,recreation center and had a great christmas eve dinner at a friends house. I'm so glad we had snow. You can't have christmas without snow. My favorite part of the holidays is being around family and friends and of course eating good food. May this new year bring us all peace and happiness in our lives!!! :)

Happy Birthday!

2009-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my little monkey. I know your birthday was a few weeks ago but its time to catch up. I love you! :)

Birthday Boy!

2009-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my cute son. I can't believe how old your are. I love you! :)

Halloween

2009-11-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

Sickness dampered our holiday but the boys enjoyed dressing up in their Halloween costumes. They still got lots of candy to eat. Justin was a wizard and Jace ironman.

Dip Anyone?

2009-10-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

I have a great recipe for dill dip. Its perfect for veggies,chips,pretzels or anything else that sounds good. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

1 cup mayo (I use light for low fat)
1 cup sour cream (light or fat free works great)
2 tsp. dry dill
2 tsp. bon appetit (seasoning)
1 tsp. minced onion

Mix all together and enjoy.

Witches

2009-10-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

Monday night we took the boys to Gardner Village to look at all the crazy witches. It was a perfect and beautiful night. We love going to the village looking in the cute shops and eating wonderful food at Archibalds restaurant. My favorite fried green tomatoes. Yummy!

Womens Broadcast

2009-09-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went with some friends to the general womens broadcast. It was amazing I'm so glad I went. They talked about how great it is to be in the largest womens organization Relief Society. And we shouldn't take it for granted because we are daughters of god and he loves each and every one of us. I have always loved going to relief society and feeling the bond that we have with one another. And tonight at the meeting only comfirmed my conviction of this great program. Its amazing and I think more women need to realize it. I look forward each sunday to go and learn from wonderful and talented women. It inspires me and gives me strengh for the coming week.

Home Depot

2009-09-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

The first saturday of every month home deopt has a free craft for kids to make. They give you free aprons,pins and stickers. The boys have a great time using hammer and nails. They have made a dry erase board,race track and bean bag toss. Some home depots have you register ahead of time others do not. I love finding things for kids to do without costing an arm and a leg.

First Day of School

2009-09-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Where in the world did summer go? I can't believe school is here once again. Justin is in fourth grade and my baby Jace is in first grade. It was a sad day having them both go to school. I missed them. I know some of my friends were excited to get their kids off to school and I wasn't. But then I don't have five kids running around driving me crazy. Just two cute boys that I was blessed with. So life goes on and I'm on a new chapter in my life. What will the future bring?

Colorado

2009-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Colorado. It was fun visiting my sisters and the boys had a great time with their cousins. We went to an awesome waterpark in Denver called Waterworld. I'm not a big water person but I had a wonderful time and the boys never wanted to leave. So we were their all day until the park closed. We visited aunt bonnie and kids in boulder and stayed with aunt gayle in Highlands Ranch. We can't wait to go back and have more fun. And I'm sure aunt gayle and randy can't wait to have us back again. :)

Girls Camp 2009!

2009-07-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Heber Valley girls camp was so much fun this year. The girls were fun and got along really good. We had fun hiking,eating,making bracelets,writing in journals,reading scriptures,tye dyeing shirts,playing games,canoeing and paddle boating on the lake. Its a great experience to get away from everything by enjoying nature and the beauty of the earth. I'm not a camper and some would say staying in cabins with toilets and showers isn't camping but its my kind of camping. I love being with the young women in our ward and I love girls camp. :)

Summer fun and the 4th of July

2009-07-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a crazy week. We went with friends to the childrens museum they have a great 2for1 coupon until the end of July. We love going there and I love watching the boys have so much fun. A day later off to the zoo with my high school friend Jalene and her daughter. It was fun to ride the carousel and train. We finally got to see the groundhogs running around. I was beginning to wonder if they existed. The childrens parade was friday the boys bikes looked very patriotic. Then off to the park for fun and fireworks. The fourth of July justin and jace were in the parade for their schools choir. Afterwards off to Uncle Vals for a barbeque and waterslide fun. Sunday was a day of rest which we all needed. I just love afternoon church after a busy and fun week.

College Roomate

2009-07-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

One of my awesome college roommates from california stopped by and visited me the other day. I haven't seen her in 10 years. If was fun to meet her husband and adorable baby. We had a great time catching up. I can't believe how fast time flys by. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was in college?

Blogging?

2009-06-23T22:49:00.000-07:00

I must say I have been terrible about keeping my blog updated. The reason? I can't find the cord to charge my camera. We have been doing some fun things such as climbing up Mt. Timpanogas. But what fun is it not to see the cool pictures of the cave. Writing about it doesn't do it justice. We had a great time and John was able to hike without his back hurting him. I'm so glad his back is doing better so we can do more things as a family. Justin is taking golf this summer and Jace gymnastics. I love the summer classes the city has to offer without killing your budget. Justin earned his bear badge for scouts I'm very proud of him. Jace can jump off a diving board and swim to the side without a life jacket. My boys are growing up to fast which means I'm getting older. Yuck! I hate that word. But at least I'm getting wiser. :)

First Tooth

2009-05-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Jace finally lost his first tooth. It took awhile and wouldn't come out. We could see the new one growing in so John took him in the bathroom and yanked out the poor tooth that was hanging by a thread. Jace said it didn't even hurt. He was excited the next morning to find a dollar from the tooth fairy.

School Report

2009-04-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Justin had a school report about a famous person. He chose Philo T. Farnsworth. He had to dress like the person and tell about his life in front of his class. Justin did a great job I am very proud of him.

Spring Flowers!

2009-04-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

My beautiful daffodils before the snow came. I definately have spring fever and please no more snow until next winter.

Chia Garfield!

2009-03-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every winter our adopted Grandma Carol brings over a Garfield chia pet to grow hair on it. The boys love it. Its fun to watch something grow during the winter. It helps to get through the tough winter months. Garfield looks great with his green shaggy hair.

DISNEYLAND!!!

2009-03-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

The boys earned their trip to disneyland. The past year whenever we asked the boys to do something including cleaning we put quarters in a jar for disneyland. If they complained or didn't listen to us we took quarters out. Last week was our trip and it was so fun. I was a kid again with my husband and boys. My dad and sister tiffany went with us and had a great time. We also went to Newport Beach and played in the ocean and sand. We found some neat shells some with clams still in them. It was fun to be together as a family and I look forward to more fun trips in the future. :)

Kindergarten Field Trip

2009-02-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here I am again this time with Jace. We went to the Ogden Nature Center. It was a little chilly it helped that it was a sunny day. The kids learned about animal tracks and got to see a tortoise,tarantula,crickets,eagle,snake and pelican. They got to feel and touch a turtle shell and rabbit fur. Jaces favorite part was seeing the tortoise. Its fun going on field trips and getting to know the kids in Jace's class. :)

Field Trip

2009-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

I went with Justins 3rd grade class on a field trip to the Living Planet Aquarium in sandy. It was fun and the kids were excited about touching stinrays,starfish and looking at the awesome octupus. Before we got on the bus to return home Justin said "I don't want to hurt your feelings mom but I want to sit by my teacher on the way back." I just laughed knowing that sometimes mom comes second.

In Memory

2009-02-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Mom passed away January 11, 2009, after a battle of liver cancer. She was the mother of seven children. She loved to crochet, make crafts, cake decorate, homemade candy for friends and family. She was the best cook around. Mom enjoyed spending time with her family and grandchildren. It comforts me to know that she is not in pain and in a better place. I know she is happy and has found peace. I love you mom.

Temple Square

2008-12-20T18:44:00.001-08:00

John and I took the boys to temple square the other night with some friends. It was fun looking at the beautiful lights and manger scene. To warm up we went and saw the statue of christ which was breathtaking. We also walked over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We sat in the lobby listening to a wonderful piano solo of christmas music. After having some yummy hot chocolate we went home. The next day I asked the boys what their favorite part of the night was and they said the jesus statue. Tears came to my eyes of the eventful night and for Jesus to be the center of it. This is what I want my boys to remember about christmas.

Sledding

2008-12-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

The boys wanted to go sledding ever since it snowed. They had a fun time going up and down the hill.

Elves?

2008-12-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

I received an e-mail from my niece,friend and sister-in-law being elves and dancing. I put our family pictures on as well and we watched ourselves dancing funny dances. We laughed and laughed at ourselves. I think we look cute and who said John couldn't dance.

Mini Snowman!

2008-12-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

We made our first snowman of the season. The only bad part was the snow would not pack very well. We ended up making a mini snowman with cool sunglasses and then having a snowball fight. I'm glad we are finally getting snow just in time for christmas.

Centerville Lighting Ceremony

2008-12-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Every year the park in Centerville is lit up with beautiful christmas lights. Tonight was a perfect night for this. It was warm but cool enough for a light jacket. A few local choirs came to sing including the school choir justin and jace are in. Then of course Santa came as all the children ran up to him with anticipation and excitement. What a wonderful night to share with my family and friends from the community.

Adopted Grandparents

2008-12-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

Our next door neighbors in our old neighborhood our the boys adopted grandparents. We have a close relationship with them. Carol (grandma) called and invited the boys over for breakfast and listen to the polar express while drinking hot cocoa. It was so special of her and a very precious moment for all of us. This will be something the boys will never forget.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T21:05:00.001-08:00

I love the holidays especially thanksgiving. Its fun to spend time with my family being grateful for what we have,eating lots of great food and playing fun games. My sister Kathy and her husband Ron drove from northern california to spend the holiday with mom and us. It was fun to sit around and give each other a hard time. Also catching up on whats going on in each of our lives. It was nice for mom to have some company even though she was tired and couldn't do to much. Family is and has always been very important to me. Without family unity whether its immediate or extended would make life quite boring. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! :)

TWILIGHT!!!!!

2008-11-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

I know what can I say I loved the book and fell in love with Edward. The movie on the other hand was a disappointment. Why can't directors make a movie according to the book. Is it that difficult. I know they can't fit everything in but come on keep the scenes correct and pick actors that fit the part. The actors Jacob,Laurent and Jasper were a disappointment. There were some great accurate scenes but the Cullen house didn't even come close to what was written in the book. I apoligize to those who loved the movie maybe when I see it again I won't be as tired and might like it better.

Gobble! Gobble!

2008-11-24T15:41:00.001-08:00

My cute beehives made turkeys out of cookies. We had a great time eating,talking and more talking. Thanks to my awesome friend Jalene who showed me how to make these turkeys. :)

Singing!

2008-11-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Justin and Jace are in the school choir and they had their first performance Saturday afternoon. They sang christmas songs at the local grocery store open house. Everyone did a great job. I loved the songs they sang since christmas is my favorite holiday.

It's Official!

2008-11-17T08:09:00.001-08:00

I'm officially a substitute teacher. I'm very excited about teaching in my sons school. Next year when Jace goes to school all day I can have the same schedule the boys have. Plus earn a little extra money for extra things.

Quick and Easy Dinner!

2008-11-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Chicken Pesto Pasta
1 lb penne pasta, cooked
2-3 cooked sliced chicken breasts (I often bake the chicken seasoned with garlic powder, salt & pepper, or even better when we have leftover grilled chicken)
1/2 pint of cream (or milk)
~1/2 cup of prepared pesto to taste
handful of parmesan cheese
sprinkle of garlic salt
Cook the pasta. In a sauce pan, mix the cream, pesto, parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Heat until warm. Mix pasta, chicken and sauce all together and sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top. I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. My boys even liked it.

Happy Birthday Jace!

2008-11-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my babys 6th birthday. Jace wanted a ghost cake with black spiderman on top of it. I did my best decorating it to his specifications. We also took jace to Chuck E Cheeses it was fun and he had a blast. I believe every child should have at least one experience at Chuck E Cheeses. Its funny since jace's lucky number is 5 but now he has turned 6 his lucky number is 6. He is quite the funny kid. Happy Birthday Jace. We Love You!!!! :)

Fall Boutique

2008-11-06T14:54:00.000-08:00

My friends and I are having a Fall Boutique this saturday. If your interested come on by and visit. There will be lots of fun stuff. :)

Goodbye Halloween

2008-11-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

Its sad to see Halloween go with all the decorations,costumes and parties. Goodbye for another year.

My spook is 9 today!

2008-10-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

If someone would have told me years ago that I would have a Halloween baby I would have laughed. I wouldn't trade my spook for anything. Justin is caring,compassionate and very dramatic. And of course he likes to be in charge of everything including his little brother. Justin has always been a mama's boy. When I leave and John is in charge justin says "please don't leave me with dad!" I'm grateful to have such a wonderful boy in our family. I love you justin. :)

Carving pumpkins

2008-10-29T17:56:00.001-07:00

Headless horseman

Kitty

Scary face

Spider

We carved pumpkins for family night. They turned out great. Can you guess who carved which pumpkin?

Justins birthday dinner

2008-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Justin had his birthday dinner on sunday with his grandmas,aunts and cousin. He picked chicken courdon blue,mashed potatoes and rolls for his dinner. We also had cake and ice cream. It was a fun night for everyone.

I can ride a bike!!!!

2008-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Jace can ride a bike now. He has tried a few times but has been stubborn about learning. The other day a neighbor boy came over who just turned four and was riding a bike without training wheels. Jace couldn't believe someone younger was riding a bike. So he got his bike out and it took about a half hour and he was riding. It was so cute because the neighbor boy kept saying "You can do it Jace."

Fall Recess

2008-10-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

The boys were out of school for two days since it was fall recess. They wanted to go to the pumpkin patch and temple square. We also went swimming and John took the boys to a fish hatchery for fishing. It was a fun vacation for us all.

Spiderman!!

2008-09-29T13:38:00.001-07:00

Spiderman was at our house friday night. Jace was invited to a friends b-day party which had a clown and she painted everyones faces. Jace does not like to have his face painted but when she said spiderman he was all for it. He wanted to sleep with his face painted but I convinced him that would not be a good idea. Jace begged me to take this picture even though the paint was starting to come off. Isn't he the cutest spiderman you have ever seen?

Moms Birthday Party!

2008-09-18T18:00:00.001-07:00

My mom turned 75 yesterday. I had a small little party with her at the transitional rehab facility she is staying at. This will be my moms last birthday so I wanted it to be special for her. Mom was diagnosed with liver cancer 6 months ago. This surprised us all even mom but she is determined to live as long as she can. I'm glad I have this time to spend with mom (even though she still drives me crazy). It was wonderful to see her spirits high from the gifts and visits from family and friends. This will be a wonderful day she and I will always remember.

Anniversary!

2008-09-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! John and I just had our 13th wedding anniversary! I can't believe that much time has gone by. I must say I am finding more lines in my face and a little chunky on the outside but other than that I feel like 25. We were going to do something exciting but since mom isn't feeling well with liver cancer we decided to stay close to home. John is still my handsome man. I feel very lucky to have him in my life.

My Baby!!

2008-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

I know I'm one of those proud moms bragging about her kids. It was my babys first real day of Kindergarten. It was sad I can't believe how fast he is growing up. I had to take of picture of him walking home with his big brother. :)

Back to School!!!!

2008-08-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Where did the summer go? I can't believe it is time for school again. Justin is in third grade and Jace in Kindergarten. Of course I have to take pictures of the first day of school. I have mixed emotions about school. One the boys have been fighting more so its nice to have them split up for awhile. The other is I like summer for the fact we can do whatever we want no schedules.

Grammies House

2008-08-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

My mom moved from Idaho to Farr West one year ago. Its nice to have her closer where we can go visit more. Justin is close to his grammie and wanted a picture with her. I thought it turned out very cute.

My cute boys

2008-08-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Justin decided to earn some money by having a lemonade stand. He is quite the salesman. He made $17 which isn't bad for an 8 year old. Jace also had a friend over Cade they decided to keep justin company. They took our backpack chairs and sat with justin drinking and spilling lots of lemonade. They looked so cute with the chairs on their backs I had to take a picture of it.

An Awesome friend!!

2008-08-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

My good friend and neighbor carol came over today and helped me set up my cute blog. Don't laugh those of you who know me understand how computer illiterate I am. I'm working on my computer skills so I can keep up with the rest of my family and friends.

Wow! I have a blog!!!

2008-05-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

After much encouragement from friends and family I have decided to setup my first blog. Actually my nephew Wally talked me into it. He said Penny its easy and fun. So I will see if he is correct or not.