When it is 112 this summer I will remember the day it snowed in St. George!
Last year the kids played in our one day of snow with short sleeves. This year they had to put on their snow clothes. I think it took longer for them to get dressed then the snow stayed on the ground!
View from front of house!
View from backyard! Terrible view for doing dishes, don't you think! 
It says I am not a nerd....but I am not hip either. Guess I am stuck in between!
My friend is being sealed to her husband this summer...after 12 years of marriage. I am so excited for her. This is her problem...her husband is the only member of his family and they are going to have a small reception afterwards, small like you would have after a baptism. Mary Beth needs help with the wording for her announcements they are going to be sending out. Any ideas?
Ok..surprise...I went for a jog...down memory lane. One of the great things about blogs is I find long lost friends. Yesterday a friends blog led me to a friend that I grew up with...Darleen Waite. When my parents bought the house I grew up in I was 1. Darleens parents bought their house like the week before...so we literally grew up around the corner from eachother. I was so excited to find her because her family moved to vegas right after her brother Aaron and I graduated from high school. So I have decided to share with you a little of my jog...
1. I remember sitting in her front yard and making her practice being a "lady" how to cross her leg properly and sit up straight (I was so bossy and feel bad about that now..sorry)
2. We use to spend hours in their sand box building elaborate cities for hot wheel cars, and then by the time we were finished building the city our hands were so cold we couldn't play, or it was time for me to go home
3. We at one time built a zoo at their house. Aaron had a ton of animals, so we decided to make a zoo. They had rabbits and mice, and we caught minnows and snakes in the ditch behind their house. My contribution was my dog missy! We wer so surprised that no one payed to come to our zoo!
4. When Darleen and her sister Marleen moved into their older sisters' room after they moved out we were so excited. It was the coolest room because it had a counter top in it with book shelves above! I don't know why, but I thought it was the neatest room ever.
5. I remember many times kneeling with their family for family prayer in the hallway near all the kids bedrooms. They always made me feel part of the family.
6.Darleens mom was a baker. She made the best bread and cinnamon rolls.
7. In 6th grade the other kids in class made fun of me and Aaron because we were walking home together. I couldn't understand why because he was like a brother to me and they we teasing us about liking eachother.
8. Aaron was the first boy I ever kissed....when I was 3. Our big brothers made us kiss, but I don't remember it, just remember the story.
9. In high school Jonathan, an older brother, drove their grandpa's station wagon. I mean those monster station wagons with the amazing engine. This one was complete with 8 track and wood panel siding. After church dances we would race people off the red light...and always win. It was so fun!
10. I helped out at Christine (The second oldest) sister's wedding. I was maybe 10 or 11 and got to wear a lacy apron and go around picking up garbage. I loved it!
11.The Waites had an hugh van...to fit all 9 kids..but that was before electric sliding doors. I never was strong enough to slam that door shut...although I tried many times.
12. I remember one of the older sisters, I think Julene, got in the van, and then backed out of the garage, without opening the garage door.
13. In junior high my friends and I toilet papered their house, all my friends had a crush on Jonathan (eeewww...we were like siblings) we then rang their doorbell and hid. After we watchen them clean it up, we did it again. I feel terrible about that now!
14. Each year for Darleen's birthday I would give her a 1 inch teddy bear figurine. It was always a little different. Maybe you remember the kind with the red bow tie glued on it.
15. Sister Waite taught us the 13th article of faith in Primary...and I still remember it from the time she taught it to us.
I will always remember the Waite family as fun and welcoming. They treated me like I was part of the family. It was fun to go for this little jog...but I better go reward my "workout" efforts with a cinnamon roll...thinking of Sister Waites has made me hungry!
With Brooke off at school, practice, lessons and friends, I think she gets the shaft when it comes to being recognized at the blog. She just isn't here all the time to say all the cute things that she use to say. Some days I hardly see her...today she goes to play practice after school until 6:15, and then at 6:30 we have Camden's last basketball game. This is a picture of Brooke's almost first love! She'll die if she knew I said that. This is our great friend Duncan. He is now Elder Hutchings. But Brooke thinks he is so amazing...well I guess we all do. But Duncan is such a great kid that he always makes sure that he took the time to single out Brooke and see how she was doing. Let me tell you a little about Brooke:
Addison went to nursery for the first time, two weeks ago. She is officially a big girl. She is still my tiny little thing, but it breaks my heart to see her grow up. She now can sign baby, ice cream, candy, more, mom, dad, eat, cereal, bath, please, thank you, more and others I can't place right now! She climbs on everything, says Easton (Esa), says outside (ousi) mommy, daddy and Brooke (Broo). She colors on everything (especially furniture and walls) feeds herself, and understands everything we tell her. She loves to go get things for us, especially her shoes because she knows that means she gets to go ousi. We love our little AddieBell. I just wish she would stay my baby a little longer!
The traffic in St. George is making me nuts. Everywhere there is congestion, ok so my friends that have lived in big cities might disagree, but St. George has not kept up with their roads to deal with all the growth in the area. At times when I am feeling frustrated with all the crazy "Utah" drivers (which I am afraid I have become) I think of this sign. I saw this sign the first time I went to meet Neil's parents. I knew he lived out on a farm, but as we turned off the big road, to a smaller road, and then to the gravel road I knew I was in for a whole new experience. Then I saw this sign which I will never forget! His parents have now sold the farm and the house is being torn down, so I just had to get a picture of my favorite sign. It reads "Primitive road, no warning signs" Welcome to the "big city" 
We are so ready for summer at our house! The temps. were in the high 60's today and it made me think fondly of the great summer we had last year. This is my favorite picture of Easton from our time boating! He sat up at the front and just watched the world go by. I was ready for him to stand up and shout, "I'm the King of the World!" I am anxious for warm weather, yet I know when it comes and it has been 113 for three weeks I will be asking, "Autumn, where art thou?"
Thursday: I woke up to an ordinary day...until the kids ran it to say happy birthday and give me presents. I got a computer program I have been wanting. I spent my morning in my usual routine...cleaning up after kids, entertaining kids, feeding kids, bathing kids and getting kids off to school. As we were pulling out of the driveway I looked behind me and my parents had just pulled up. I wasn't expecting them until that night. They hopped in the car, we dropped off kids at school and ran to meet Neil for lunch. The rest of the day was taking Brooke to play practice and Camden to his basketball game.
Friday: More of the same. Although we must have gone somewhere and done something...but my days run together.
Saturday: Spent most of the day at the temple. Had to go interpret for 2 sessions...that means about 7hours in the temple! Man was my brain tired from all that thinking and interpreting. One of the many plusses, there is a new video for the deaf in the temple (so I don't have to interpret the entire time I am there, the temple uses a video of a man signing). The video is improved with more them one interpreter! One of the interpreters is the branch president for the deaf branch. It was exciting to see him!
Sunday: church and too much choir
Monday: Went with mom and dad and looked at open houses. Too cheap to pay for the parade of homes, (12 bucks a ticket) and these homes are just as beautiful with no one else in the house with us! We saw some beautiful homes, prices are going down, and I am trying to talk mom and dad into buying one here. Hopefully a condo with a pool in the neighborhood, so we can use it, but not have to worry about the expense!
Today: have my sewing class, clean, clean, clean, 3 big kids go to school so maybe some errands...need to get my nephew his birthday present!
To top this all off I have too many callings with too much to do.
Maybe my next post will be more substance and less lists of what I had to do...I noticed I haven't been posting as much fun stuff. Just on brain overload and squeaking by throughout the days!
On a side note, I still don't have neighbors living in the McKellebs house. We saw a furniture truck there for an hour (from a furniture store), and a truck stayed the night....but that was a few weeks ago and we still haven't seen any action at the end of the street. Maybe they are waiting for the McKellebs to come back and move right back in. We can only dream!
My beautiful niece has a new website. Jessi is 4 and adorable. She was diagnosed about 2 years ago with autism. I love seeing her when we visit Reno. She loves for me to sign to her and work with her on numbers and letters! This year she has discovered painting. This website is dedicated to her artwork! Take a look!
www.soulartbyjess.com
6am-wakeup
7:30-run to grocery store before Neil heads off to work
9am-run kids to friend, she watches them while I head to Brooke's school to teach sign language
10:30-go to friends house (we are learning to smock...little girl's pleated dresses)
12:30-run Camden to school, then back to friends
3:30 kids get home from school (finally get to eat lunch)
5pm-Camden has basketball practice
6pm-feed kids dinner
6:30-go to friends for family home evening. We supplied the lesson about Samuel the Lamanite. The kids took turns being Samuel while we threw marshmellows at him. (bounce right off just as the arrows bounced off Samuel)
8:45-head home and tuck kids into bed late
9:30-finally get a chance to sit down and rest for a minute
Hopefully this is not indicitive of the rest of the week...but today so far I have done 6 loads of laundry, cleaned two bathrooms, vac. the upstairs, cleaned two kids rooms and I am on my way now to mop and clean the next bathroom. Hopefully today I can shower!
Well this week has been so crazy that I have hardly had a moment to sit! Yesterday I took a break from the craziness for just a few hours and went with some friends for pedi/mani's! It was so great to giggle with friends without any kids yelling at me (like Easton is right now...he wants me to carry him from his bed to the kitchen table for breakfast). It wasn't the best pedicure I have ever had, but it was at the Paul Mitchell school and was cheap...but it was still nice for someone to pamper me for a bit. I also took Brooke and her friend shopping last night. I love taking her out for alone time. She always opens up to me about her life and gives me details she would never discuss around her dad! Nothing exciting to report...just had a great time with my friends....and I am sure the technicians will never forget the three silly girls that giggled for two hours!
Well...last night I got one of those calls you dread. Phil called to tell me that at Sarah's routine ultrasound they learned the baby's heart beat couldn't be found. Just a week ago she heard it yet yesterday it had died. They say because of it's size it had probably died in the last 24 hours. We are all so sad and devestated for her. Went over and spent some time with her and she is doing ok...just very sad. To top it off...her body still thinks it's pregnant, so that means she still is very sick with morning sickness until she has a D&C at the end of the week. Please pray for Sarah, Phil and the kids!
There is a website www.hinckleychallenge.com which was set up to honor the Prophet. The challenge is to read the Book of Mormon is 97 days because President Hinckley lived for 97 years. I challenge all of you to go to the site and accept the challenge...and lets see how this affects all our lives! Good luck...and let me know how you are doing!
I have been blessed with great friends. They each are so different, but they contribute such different things to my life. I guess I consider myself a "needy" friends. I need to be with my friends, share things with them and rely on them. I guess today I am a little down in the dumps cause I feel like some of my friends I have to make all the effort. They never plan get togethers, they never call and check in and they change plans without letting me know. I am feeling a little frustrated and I guess neglected:( I guess I just needed to vent for a minutes and have my pity party...and now I will move on to much happier things. (Oh and if you are reading this, you aren't one of the friends I am thinking about...they don't read my blog). Addison now says Easton's name...it sounds a little more like ESA, but she will stand at the top of the stairs and yell down, "ESA, ESA". It is adorable but has left Camden feeling a little neglected (too much like his mother?) He now is constantly in Addie's face saying "say Camden, say Camden". Oh I pray she will pipe up with "Camden" soon! And just forget about my complaining heart...I am going to try and focus more on what my friends are and less on what I want them to be!
Emergency Essentials is a great place to shop for all of your emergency prep. needs. Right now they have an Emergency Flashlight with cell phone charger on sale. Here is their description...
*This all-in-one flashlight and mobile phone charger gives you light and cell phone power when you need it most. A great way stay in touch when you're in an emergency.
One minute of cranking charges the unit's NiMH battery to generate up to 30 minutes of light
3 LED bulbs and 2 brightness modes: 3-LED super-bright mode & bright 1-LED mode
No need to ever replace bulbs or batteries
Includes charge-out adapter to charge almost any phone with a car charger
Regular price $25 on sale now for $14.95
They also have a solar radio:
Simply crank this radio for one minute or charge it for approximately 3 1/2 hours in full sun for up to 20 minutes of radio play.
AM/FM bands and NOAA weather information via weather frequencies
Features a large speaker and includes one pair of headphones for private listening
A great way to get critical information when you need it most
Compact & easy to use
Regular price $26.95 now only $17.95
Here is the real deal...you can get both (normally $59) now for only $26.99! It is such a great deal....and the first cell phone charger that I have seen for emergencies. Our ward will be ordering them as a group to share the shipping...but thought others might be interested! Let me know if you want me to hook you up!
