Happy New Year!!

Re-getting in the groove!!
I guess I need to try-try again! Starting a new year again is shocking...not because I was unaware of it coming up...it just came up so fast. So, I've decided that I need to start this year off right. I thought of starting some new year resolutions but why do they only come at this time of year? It just so happens that I am going to have some goals I will set for myself and our family and it coincidentally falls at the very beginning of a brand-new year. Instead of saying that I'm going to lose weight...I've decided that I'm going to get my legs stronger and hopefully in the process I'll lose those pesky pounds. I'm just so loveable, I know why they don't want to leave, but I'll have to get over that. So, I'm tire of my weak pretend legs. They're there, they just don't do what they're told and I'm tired of having to sometimes be pushed up the stairs...(Daryl's a trooper!!) Santa brought me a recumbant bicycle so that's good. I just need to extend the time...Slow and steady wins the race right???
Wes is finishing up middle school this year and Anna and Brooklyn are finishing up grade school...weird...I thought I was old for having kids in grade school, and I blinked and now they'll be in high school. One more blink and they'll be out of the house...then what am Igoing to do...stare at Daryl? So, getting my legs stronger, and finishing my education or at least getting dang close, that what I hope will happen this year. Let's hope it happens!!! Bring it on 2011!!!!!

Getting back into the groove!

It's been a long time since I've blogged, and figure I need to get back into the swing of things. If not for me, and least for my kids to have some record that I noticed they were around! Mom passed away and dad is now married to Ginny, who happens to be very nice and makes my dad happy. She comes with her own gaggle of kids and we have enjoyed haning out with them.
I miss mom incredibly and still go for the phone to tell her about something crazy that happened or if I got a hold of some good gossip, but she is probably doing something much more important and interesting than to have to listen to me complain! I have some pictures that I need to post and will try to be more diligent in posting.

A big fat welcome to our new Roomba!!

I would like to be the first to welcome the new addition to our family. Roomba #3!! He only arrived today, so we haven't name him or her yet. The other two are patiently awaiting new batteries. This roomba was on woot the other day and was almost the cost of just a battery, so I couldn't resist. (can anyone say "woot anonymous"?) Forget the fact that the girl's just had their 9th birthday and we had a big bash at Boondocks. Or forget the fact that Daryl and I just had our 13th wedding anniversary on the 27th. Nope, it all goes to the fact that I have roomba scooting around our house cleaning very diligently after us!! I love you roomba. I'll have to get the other 2 batteries, so they can have a playdate. Oh the happiness of having 3 roombas going at once! I'm only hoping soon we can introduce a new playmate for them... the scooba. Washing my floors at a moments notice is almost too much for me to fathom. I'm going to have very happy dreams tonight!!!:) Welcome roomba #3!!

I found Facebook

I haven't had much to blog about since last month because I discovered Facebook and have been hooked and I can't stop. So, I've hooked up with people I fogot even existed, and now all those feelings of inadequecies that I felt in high school have come creeping back, but now it's easier to deal with because now I don't care what anybody else thinks, so it's much more enjoyable to keep in touch with long lost friends!
We're planning a trip to Utah on Saturday to spend the week with my family. The kids are looking forward to it and I'm looking forward to not having to take care of dogs. They require much more energy than I have!
I spent Friday night with my two good friends Tamra and Kristie. We were all in the YW presidency a couple of years ago and it had been that long since we all got together. We went to a fancy restaurant at the Ritz Hotel and I had to teach those two some etiquette! But we were laughing so hard the whole time that I think we scared a few people away. It was some good therapy I tell ya. And actually much cheaper I'm sure.
Anna, Brooklyn, and Wes are all on the swim team in Broomfield, and they have practice everyday. It's kind of fun to watch them. I can deal with swimming much more than any contact sport.
Anna and Brooklyn got their hair cut off on Saturday. They donated 12 inches each. I will get those photos up as soon as I figure out how to get them off my phone.

Family Pictures continued...

So, we went out to go get our family pictures taken last weekend. We left here on Thursday afternoon and drove straight through and got to my mom's house about 12:30 am. We made pretty good time even though Daryl was driving. Because I don't have much feeling in my feet, it's hard for me to drive the van. I don't have any problem in our car, but there was no chance we were going to stuff ourselves in my small car to go to Utah. The kids would kill each other before we'd even leave the driveway. So, I had to relent and let Daryl drive. (since Daryl has been driving the van full time, I think it has stripped him of his manhood because he gets heckled at work). I had to remind him at times to speed up so he was going the speed limit. I had to help him drive. (even if it was from the front passenger seat , I was very helpful). We showed up and Petey (my mom's dog) was very excited to see us. He even helped us unpack and made us sandwiches. Just kidding, he didn't help us unpack at all. On Friday, Allison came over and brought her kids and we hung out for awhile, then it was time to find me a top, because nobody was going to let me go naked. We finally found something, but I was not very happy with it, and I think the sales lady was glad to see us go. Daryl went waterskiing and got a great big bruise on his butt. I was sure he was going to get hurt and have a cast somewhere on his body for the pictures, but he didn't, so that was a bonus. We played rock band at Allison's house for a few hours. I'm so awesome! I can get the singing part 100% of the time on "easy" and I can do base about 74% of the time on "easy" and I can go all the way up to "medium" on the drums. I can never get the guitar, becuase Wesley physically can't let go of it. We bought a Magleby's cake and we had to buy a backup because, in our family, if you are going to go get food somewhere and you ask everybody,"do you want something?" they always say "no," but then, when you get home, they eat everything you bring home. So ALWAYS buy a backup. Also in our family, plates are optional. As long as you have an implement to dig out the food and put it in your mouth, it's good. Cakes, never have a clean cut on them (mostly just fork marks, like a back-hoe was digging at it) and certainly watermelons get the center dug out first.
We finally got to Sunday night for the big picture, and we thought it would be a great idea to re-create our picture from forever ago. It was funny, because Ronnie had to sit on my mom's lap. Hopefully I'll be able to get the pictures soon and post them. We got home last night and life started up again today. It was nice to get away, and I hope we can go back soon.

Family Pictures

We're going to Utah this weekend to get a family picture taken. I guess it's about time since we haven't had one since I was 14. Ronnie was still a baby (he's now what, 23?) It's a great big picture that has hung on various walls around my mom's house. I still cringe when I see the picture. I remember that it was super early in the morning, because Darren was in the MTC and Curtis had just gotten home from his mission. Also, the photographer was apparently in the hospital because he was wearing a hospital gown and had an IV hooked up to himself. Whatever, I'm not quite sure what that was all about. But I was 14, I didn't care... So now, we're all going to try to get together and try this again. There is a reason why we only do this every 23 years. Now my sisters have this crazy idea that we all need to dress the same in "earthtones" and we need to wear jeans. Whatever. So I spent my only day off in the last month yesterday trying to buy jeans and spending a fortune on them. When I was trying some on, the sales lady kept saying "oh, those look nice," I just turned to her and said, "look, some people are not suppose to wear jeans, and you don't have to pretend that I'm one of them." She just laughed, but I was pretty serious. I don't think I'll be let back in that store. So, now I still have to find an earthy toned top. Maybe I should just go naked, do you think that will be "earthy" enough for them?

In the hospital with Mom

Life is boring around here, I got back last week from taking care of my mom at the hospital and I got the privilege of spending 4 long nights on a single cot with Andrea. The cot was so creaky and uncomfortable that we had to time when we moved so not to make too much noise and wake up my mom. We woke her up considerably anyway, she probably would have gotten better faster if we left her alone. It was like a bad game of tetris. I filled in my body parts where hers weren't. It was tricky, but we survived. We spooned A LOT!! And at one point she woke me up to tell me that our boobs were touching. ( I will be spending a great deal of money and time at the shrink's office to get over that one! ) We called ourselves "the human puzzle." When I told Andrea that we were like a puzzle, she said,"you complete me" and made a motion with her hands that completed a circle. Nobody laughed but us. All those years we took modern dance at BYU came in helpful to get in those weird positions. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep and as a result we were so funny!! (of course only me and Andrea thought so) One time when we went to take a nap at a nearby hotel, Andrea found a swamp cooler that was blowing air ferociously and she stood in front of it and said "look, I'm a model" because it was blowing her hair all over. I laughed so hard, we sounded like we were drunk. When we finally got into our room I asked Andrea "is it me or is the room swaying back and forth" She said "it feels like it's going up and down, up and down" so I then said," so it's not me,right?" She said, "no, I'm pretty sure it's the hotel." I hope nobody saw or heard us. Good thing my mom was out of it, she'd be very embarrassed if she knew what we were doing and saw how we were acting. Andrea said a funny joke one time when we were in the cafeteria, she had purchased some chips with nacho cheese on top. When we sat down, Travis stuck his finger in a pool of cheese on her plate and Andrea shouted "That's nacho cheese!!" (Not Yo' Cheese) Again, Andrea and I laughed until we cried. Deanna stayed with my mom on my last day, and the next morning, she was as sleep deprived as we were so she joined in when we were acting dumb. Mom didn't think we were funny at all. In fact at one point when the nurse came in my mom pointed at me and said "she's bossy" she didn't like it when I told her that she had to take her medicine or blow in her thingy. Well, I hope that will be all of the hospital trips my mom will be taking. I don't think the hospital will let her in if Andrea and I show up again.