Thanks to Uncle Frank, we did not go the WHOLE holiday season without a family picture. AND, the boys were able to get their standard goofy face picture with "Big Drew", Hey...nothing is better than that, really!! We ALL love Big Drew, he really is the best!

Christmas Catch-Up

Well we all survived the Christmas madness and are recuperating with Mike home from work for a few days. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve & Day and the Boys were blessed by gifts from "Santa". I guess they were good after all.

So here is a quick Play by Play on how the past two days went:

• cleaned up house over and over as boys entered and re-entered each room
• made soups and then swore that I would NEVER make soups again (as I do ever year)
• made red velvet cake, everything went fine

• made red velvet cake frosting

• called Karine (Mike's Mom)
• attempted to FIX frosting
• made red velvet cake frosting AGAIN
• called Karine AGAIN
• did not attempt to save, went to Frys and got tub-o-frosting

• am hiring out future red velvet cakes!
• set up hot chocolate bar

• set out dishes
• had family over
• ate
  
• played games and opened presents
• attempted to sleep
• Christmas Day- opened presents

• off to Grandma/Grandpa's
  
• off to Nonnie and Granddads
• off to BED
  
• recuperating and celebrating that Christmas is another 364 days away!

Does It Make Me A Bad Mom...

I ask you this...after playing around with "MAC" last night and importing some family photos. I ran into pictures that made me laugh and cry. There were events that I had totally forgotten and then there were events that I wish I could FORGET altogether!

So, tell me this, is is wrong that this makes me laugh:

And this makes me cry:



What is it with pictures that can tough at your heart strings and pee your pants simultaneously?

Here are some blasts from the past that I thought you may enjoy. We did.

Baker & Crate were able to be Hi Five Kids @ the Suns Game

Last year was Baker's first year running cross country. Out of 136 5th and 6th grade boys he came in 23rd place! It was his first race of the season.

Nothing like a little R&R at Oprah's house to make your worries disappear. A fun week in Telluride.

Easter 2006

Fish are friends, not food.
Sea World

Creighton's Baptism August 2007

Thought I'd end on a sweet note...not that he isn't sweet now, but ohhh...those were the days!!

Are You My Mother?

Once upon a time in a town Far Far Away...there live a Princess named Allison. She was the most Favorite of the King and Queen. One day she gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl that you have ever seen. All the town came to see this child and ewwed and awwed over her black curls and pink cheeks.

Because her mother was the favorite it was hard for everyone not to drive for HOURS to go see this Buddha baby. But...alas, it was worth the drive. Once arriving at the town hospital, villagers found that Princess Brynn looked remarkably like her BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS "AUNT LA", and they were taken back at her stunning BLACK HAIR. We have all fallen IN LOVE with our Brynlee? (and really, if it's spelled wrong, at this point, I DON"T CARE!) Both mother and baby are doing well and are planning on being home soon. All 11 pounds of them!! We love you Brynn and can't wait to hug and kiss you all over!!



The Queen has already come to "Val-con Suck" her sweet head so all can sleep.


Sleep well sweet baby Brynn for there is a sister and 6 cousins awaiting your arrival at home and there will be no resting then!!

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the Fairest of them all?

Aunt "La", Princess Allison, Brynn & Queen Nonni

Leggo My Eggo...

Kellogs says there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them. The company's Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn. are closed indefinitely for repairs. Now tell me this, how am I to feed my children breakfast? It will take until the middle of 2010 before shelves around the country are stocked. How am I to keep up with my food storage now, I ask you?

Already customers are noticing near-empty Eggo shelves on the freezer aisle at many grocery stores. That is because my boy are needing to EAT OK. I'm sorry if there are no CHOCOLATE CHIP EGGO WAFFLES in your Wal-mart Stores, but you know, we all cant have what we want! Obviously, I'm having to go ALL AROUND town just to feed my children so they wont STARVE!

One more "Fa-la-la-la-la", and I'm outta here!

PHOTO'S from CHRISTMAS PASTS...this year?...NONE so far...


As this great time of year is upon us, I can't help but be some what of a scrooge. I didn't intend for this to happen, but really it's not my fault(as nothing REALLY is). I have found that perhaps I am just getting TOO OLD, TOO LAZY, TOO PICKY, TOO DEMANDING, TOO MANY to go on about!

BUT we are almost done. 12 days left and the hoop-la will be over. Not that I mind it so much, just this year has been particularly difficult.

I hope when Santa looks at his list he sees that I've been more NICE than NAUGHTY...

If this is all I get too, WE WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Is It Worth It????

OHHHHH YES....it is!!! How dare you have to ask. After I spent countless hours, ok, so maybe it wasn't HOURS, looking for a nameless item that HAD TO BE FOUND...(you can fill in the blanks there) I needed a small FIX. And...seeing is how I have ONCE AGAIN given up soda, where else was a girl to go? I ask you!! WHERE? SEES...there, with a 4 year old in toe, we stood, STOOD, in line patiently waiting our turn, THAT NEVER came to get a small bag, not box, not pre-made wrapped gift, not a sucker, not a trinket for a teacher, just a small bag of ONE mouth watering TO DIE FOR, ahhhhhh (take a breath) MILK BORDEAUX. Just the smell alone can make all your worries go away...well, until you leave the store that is.
Nothing is better. The sprinkles melting on your finger tips, chocolate on your lips, the crackling of the wrapper in your hand. It is HEAVEN...I have to tell you, HEAVEN!!! My shopping was not for nothing...Owen was content with the samples that they passed out and I was content because now I didn't have to share. The bummer...my ONE turned into SIX after a 37 minute wait. Oh-well...was it worth it....OHHHHH Yes It Was!!

Say "CHEESE"

Ok...by this picture I am NOW a mom of boys that apparently does NOT CARE how my child leaves the house. (sad truth is I don't)...I do, but I don't. He was fed, he has clean teeth, clean underwear, we prayed as a family, and I kissed him good-bye. He HOWEVER, does not match, did not have combed hair and we did not, as the picture so kindly points out, practice SMILING. I'm not exactly sure where Owen get's his photo face from but it's one that makes us ALWAYS smile.

Merry Christmas!

(Thanks Miss Tracy for the pic)

Better LATE than NEVER...

My dad brought to the beach 2 cakes for my birthday. I would like to think one was to share and one was for ME.

We downed one. And the one that was for ME, a 7 Layer cake, well, lets just say...we were heavy on the junk food there and it was not touched. Others asked (TYLER) but I was not about to let a fork attack my cake before it hit my mouth.

I managed to eat my cake. All 20lbs. of it and all by myself. Good, bad, not sure yet. Guess that's the blessing of having a birthday but the curse of getting old will, I'm sure, hit me soon.

Thanks Dad for my cake...It was ummm ummm GOOD!!!

Thanksgiving Beach Week

Well, after a long recovery...not so much due to the vacation, more due to the computer crisis, I am attempting to catch up on the blog.

I would love to document all wonderful events that occurred but time is of the essence (Christmas being in less than 2 weeks). So please enjoy our photos and our wonderful trip and we hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday.

All I Ever Wanted...

Count your blessings, name them ONE by ONE

1. Michael...my true LOVE
2. Baker
3. Creighton
4. Ian
5. Owen
6. Two wonderful Parents
7. Amazing In-Laws, who really aren't "IN-LAWS" at ALL
8. 12 brothers and sisters
9. 18 nieces and nephews
10. 2 Inspiring Grandmothers
11. Best Friends that keep me going
12. The Church
13. Scriptures
14. A Living Prophet
15. Primary Songs
16. A beautiful place to call home
17. Cars that will keep us close together... but not too close
18. CHOCOLATE
19. Food that nourishes my family's body's
20. AIR CONDITIONING :)
21. Rainy Days
22. A sense of humor
23. FORGIVENESS...(should be higher I know)
24. Date night
25. Being able to go back to school
26. having ALL my boys in school
27. Family vacations
28. A husband with a JOB
29. My health
30. My family's health
31. Stiletto's or any shoe for that matter
32. Hostess Cupcakes
33. My Birthday
34. email
35. spellcheck

Well today is the DAY!! I turn 35 today ! A day I have long awaited. I can officially STOP counting birthdays now. All I wanted for my DAY was to be out of town at the BEACH. Michael gave me my wish and we are sitting here on the sand. What a great GIFT.



I have spent the last 5 days here watching ALL my BOYS play in the ocean, build sand castles, try to touch a seagull (to earn $100 from Grandpa) and bury each other. What more can a GIRL ask for?



We are going to Sea World tomorrow and will come end our trip and come home on Sunday. I have LOVED every minute of our "birthday vacation" and can only be THANKFUL on this Thanksgiving Day.



How VERY blessed I am. I have an adoring husband, 4 "Loud Boys" that I could not live without, siblings that I love and parents, who without their example, love and guidance I would not be as blessed as I am TODAY.



Thank you for all the birthday wishes!! I feel VERY loved today and treasure the gifts that I have been GIVEN.



I LOVE YOU ALL...



Ang

PHOENIX SUNS!

What a GREAT night we just had. Our good friends gave us VIP tickets to an event this evening where we were able to get ALL the SUNS players autographs. It was a BLAST...for us die hard Suns Fans.

We were able to meet the entire team and have them sign this ball. Our BOYS are in awe and jealous I went instead of them...Guess Mike just LOVES me more.

Each of the players were super kind, but I have to say after being able to meet them all briefly...my FAVORITES are still Grant Hill and Lou Amundson.

Thanks again RJ.

Directionally Challenged? Who Me?

I will be the first to admit I have been called many things. Some, I would like to forget, others, have been quite nice and surprising.

However!, one thing I have NEVER, been called is Directionally Savvy!, and to be honest, I’m okay with that. It’s a gift my Mother passed down to me, and I treasure it. For she did not give it to any of my other siblings, JUST ME!

For Mother’s Day, Mike bought me a GPS system. Can I just say… LOVE IT! Not that there are no frantic crying phone calls, there are, just less. “MEG” as I call her, still manages to get me lost, but I feel like now, I am lost with someone, and that helps.

Today I had an errand to run. It just so happened to be in a not so desirable part of town. Mike being the man that he is did NOT want me to go. BUT…I insisted that with “MEG” I could do it, and do it safely, and without help. So off we went…MEG and I to this building. Now, some may say, “She has lived here her WHOLE LIFE, how can she get lost”? Once again, it’s the passed down gift I gained from my mother. It does not matter that for nearly 35 years Arizona has been my home. NO, that’s silly. Everywhere I go…so do pages, I said PAGES, of directions to the same place over and over. Like I had never been there before. Craziness, I know, but hey…it’s the way it works.

Today was a success. I did it. No phone calls. No crying. No panicking. I was there, in-out and back home. A success story for the books. (may just be the only one!)

Let’s Just Be Real For One Minute!

I have driven my boys to the bus stop for 6 that is SIX years now. You would think that after that amount of time I would let the stress and stupidity of the High School Students roll off my back. UMMM…NOPE, not yet. Can we talk about this for a minute?

I know that at one point in time, we were all there, in High School, believing we were all on top of the world. That we were invincible! That we were the coolest thing that had EVER been created! That we were the gift to ALL Mankind. But really…have times changed sooo much that they have become STUPID on top of it all?

I drive my boys to the bus stop like I said, and then drive home, not even a mile, MINUTES, just minutes. I seriously, BREAK for MORONS, 8-10 times, both ways. So ridicules. I’ve just about had it. I cannot tell you the number of time that there have been “CLOSE CALLS” to taking one of those little brats out! I would love to just once; knock them all down, like bowling pins. Now please understand me, I do not wish harm on theses unwise individuals, just hoping to “knock some since” into them myself. I look at is as a favor to their FAMILY.

Here is the issue at hand. They just WALK. Your thinking, “what’s wrong with walking”? And I agree with you, Nothing! Unless it’s smack dab in front of my CAR!!!!! Come on already, how hard is it to STOP??? if you see a car, really, there the big things with wheels that make sound even!... There are these WHITE lines on the road that are even painted for you to walk in if you having a bad day so you won’t get HIT! Let try them OUT!!
(ok really what HS is this...Suites, white shirts, ties, ummm NONE that I know…I’m thinking Photo Shoot!)

I have called the High School, but the response I get is, “Unless the student’s are on school property, there is nothing we can do.” Ohhh, so nice and helpful, isn’t it. Maybe that is the parent’s philosophy too, “Oh sorry unless my children are at home, there is nothing I can do about their behavior, SORRY!” I have called traffic control and now and again they show up but once every 6 months doesn’t seem to scare the kiddos. I have called the police and they say call traffic control. Now, you know if I “DID SOMETHING” they would be all over it, but luckily that is not an option…OR IS IT????

You Know There Are Not Enough Girls In The House When...

Baker: Hey, you wanna hear a joke?
Boys: Ya!!
Baker: OK...there is a Red, a Brunette, and a Blonde.
Mike and I: Where is he going with this...scared eyes...
Baker: They are each granted one wish before they run off a cliff. The red, runs off and yells out, "a dragon" and poof she turns into a dragon and flys away. The brunette runs off the cliff and yells out "a seagull" and poof she turns into a seagull and she flies away. The Blonde runs and trips over a rock and yells out "oh poop!" and turns into a piece of poop and falls smack down to the ground!
Boys: HaHaHa "poop" that's so funny!!! Poop!!!
Mike and I: Well that's cleaner than we remember telling it.
Mom:Baker, do you know what a "Red" or a "Bernette" is?
Baker: Ya, a red is a color and a Bernette is something girls twist all up in their hair, that makes a rope formation.
Mom: Yep! That's what it is...
Me to Mike: You think that they are sheltered?
Boys: Poop!!! She said Poop!!!

Blessed...for so many reasons

To my left are my Mom, Dad, and Sister. In front of me are my Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, and Niece. Surrounding me are friends that go back to the time I was young…very young…VERY VERY young. Thoughts are racing through my head. Thoughts of when I was small, thoughts of when I was a youth, thoughts of just a few days ago. My mind can’t seem to settle.

I hear a BEAUTIFUL song. One I have heard many times, but this time, it sounds so very different. It touches me in a different way. I hold my Mom’s hand; it brings me comfort as it always does. My heart races. Tears start to flow slowly down my cheek. I look at my sister sitting next to me; I look at my family in front of me. I feel a since of love that I have missed. Why? It hasn’t gone anywhere…But I have missed it. Perhaps it has been me. Have I been too busy to notice it?

I listen to a story…it is CALMING, FUNNY, SAD, and EMOTIONAL. I feel like I need to tell those around me that I love them…Right then and there…just in case. I feel honored to have the family that I do. I feel blessed to be a part of something so big and grand. I feel like being a better person, making more of my life, and loving those in it harder!

I am touched by words that are spoken. They are words from my Dad. He is EVERYTHING I choose to BE! He is a constant example to me. I hear this testimony; I listen to his love for our Savior. I see HIS love for a departed FRIEND. I know that the words he speaks are from the heart and I can feel the compassion and love and am forever grateful for the guidance he blesses me with.

I walk outside. I am hugged and kissed by those around me. I step back. I look at those individuals in the room. Many I have known for over 30 year…(wow, that makes some of us very OLD)…I feel LOVE, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, LOYALTY, HAPPINESS, GRATITUDE, MEMORIES, I feel the SPIRIT, PEACE, JOY, and I feel CONTENT.