Simply Irresistible

Avery and I spent a "girls night"out at the mall- our destination, Gymboree. Avery is a fun shopping partner because she enjoys it as much as I do. Infact, she is the only person who can keep up with me or even wants to be with me on a shopping trip. We make quite a team. We happened upon a princess backpack with a diamond tiara on it. Last year Avery used a hand-me-down from Ellie. This year, this sweet child has her" very own" princess backpack. She is overjoyed. Can you remember the joy from such a simple pleasure? She must of thanked me a dozen times. I heard a steady stream of things like this..."You're the best mom ever", "Dad, is going to freak out( obviously, influenced by her older sis) ", "I love you sooooo much, mom". "Thank you, thank you, thank you". I literally heard her say "You do the nicest things for me- two times." She is 3 . She is simply irresistible. I must admit the times we share with the kids alone are so refreshing. Each child is very unique. When we spend "one on one" time we recognize the tender moments and can focus on the little things that make them so special. I want it to last forever. I want to remember holding their hands, the sweet conversations, snuggles and especially the kisses.
Avery went to bed tonight with her backpack tucked in beside her. But, before we turned out the light, she gladly modeled her new accessory.

Ellie was invited to her first sleep over. We have decided against letting her actually spend

the night but, she can stay out late. So far it has gone just as I suspected. She has phoned home 3 times. Once, to tattle on Julia. Second, a call asking me to come join her at the party. Third, to let me know that the PG movie says bad words...butt and shut-up. Jeff is on his way to pick her up as we speak. I bet she still had fun. She just doesn't stray to far from home. Goodnight, I think I hear Jeff and Ellie pulling in now.

Out of the mouths of babes!

I have never been one to diligently keep up with a journal. Truthfully, I rarely write in it. I know the importance of record keeping and documenting history. I love the thought of sharing our life and stories with our children's children someday. I consider this blog to be my "new and improved" journal and am thrilled to have this method in which I can share our stories. I do have many other forms of "remembering the little things" that I have worked on through the years. Scrapbooking remains my favorite way to preserve memories. But, we also have a book that we keep close at hand to jot down the funny & endearing things that our children say. The list is very long and always gives us a good chuckle when we reread it. I thought you might also enjoy some of the entries. Here goes...


Ellie age 3 1/2 - After waking up in the morning with a "scratchy" voice she said, " mom, my voice is broken."


Zachary age 31/2- On a winter's day as I buckled him in his car seat, I didn't realize his left hand was tucked inside his coat. He said, " I think my hand is hiding from me."


Avery age 3 - Driving thru the McDonald's, she said," When I grow up I want to be a cheeseburger man."


Ellie age 31/2 Ellie has always looked out for her brother...One afternoon she said, I'm making sure Zachary is being a good boy. Don't worry, mom, I give him a hug after I put him in time out!"


Zachary age 4- Zachary always thinking about daddy said, (After going poo-poo for the first time on the potty) Don't flush it I want to save it and show daddy....Lucky Jeff.


Avery age 3- Jeff was pretending to gobbler her up because she was so cute and she replied, "No eat me, eat pancakes only" Avery loved pancakes at the time and clearly thought about them quite a bit.


Ellie age5- she said to Jeff " Do me a favor, and call me Angel from now on"


Zachary age 5 - This night Jeff gave the kids a blessing as they start kindergarten the next day. Jeff was touched by emotion and cried during the entire blessing. Zachary said" Dad, why did you use a different voice"


Avery age 3-singing the sidewalk saying..."don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's back" Avery says " don't step on a crack or you'll break your mother's heart"


Ellie age 5- For dinner we had chicken and stuffing, she said " Mom, I don't want anymore filling I don't like it" I guess stuffing is quite filling, ha.


Zachary age 6 - I wore sandals to church and he said, " Mom, you aren't wearing any socks your feet are not modest."


Avery age 3 -after getting frustrated trying to keep up with Ellie whistling ,she said" I can't istle, I only blow air"

Thanks for indulging us and reading these things that very well may only be meaningful to us. Again, I am thankful for the convenience of my new journal and will continue online (& printing) my journal entries. Love, Laurie

I've been tagged

In the cyber world of blogging I have been tagged to answer the following questions.

List of jobs I've held
1.Nordstrom
2.Reunions unlimited
3. Pottery Barn for kids
4. Gymboree

Places to go for a weekend getaway
1. Kansas City
2. Chicago-future plan
3. The Wisconson Dells-future plan
4. Nauvoo

Places I've lived
1.Omaha,Ne
2. Denver, Co
3. Salt Lake City, Ut
4. Provo, Ut

Movies I can watch over and over again.
I can watch most movies again because I either fall asleep
or forget all about it as soon as I'm done watching.

Places I've been on vacation
1. Washington D.C
2. South Beach, Fl
3. Palm Springs, Ca
4. San Diego, Ca
5. Hawaii

First Thing you thought of when you saw
your significant other.
1. Funny, Funny, Funny ( Jeff gets tired of hearing he's funny, but it's true)
2. Tall, athletic, nice dresser & handsome

Favorite Foods
1. anything sweet
2. anything from Cafe Rio
3. anything I don't have to cook.

Best Landmark Kiss
1. at a drive in movie
2. on the beach in Hawaii

My guilty pleasures
1. trashy tabloids...people, US, Ok, Star
2. Target, anything and everything Target
3. Surfing the net and blogs
4. scrapbook mania nights

If in a jam with spouse what tactics do you use to
get out of the dog house.
1. Make a big yummy dinner.

Places I'd rather be right now
1. shopping
2. snuggling with Jeff
3. on vacation

websites I visit daily
1. my bank
2. blogs
3. email
4. TMZ

Now, I get to tag my other buddies
1. Breya- your next

Happy Birthday Grandma

Happy Birthday to Grandma! We love you and are thinking about you.

Grandma is special for many reasons and we love her. Grandma is notorious for doing the "little things" that make people happy and feel special. Grandma thinks of us on each and every holiday and always sends cards. The kids are thrilled to get mail and even more so when they see it's a card from grandma. It is so fun! Grandma loves to read, and has surely influenced our kids with the same love. She loves to give books, what wonderful gifts we have received from her. Grandma thinks of us often and calls us to let us know. The kids love the phone calls and fight for their time with Grandma. She is helpful, caring, loving, and giving! Grandma is famous making yummy treats at our house...cakes, bread, cookies and chocolate peanut candies. Thanks for being such a wonderful grandma, mom, and mother in law! We are thankful to Dianne for all she does for us and wish her a very happy birthday!!! Celebrate!

Love, Laurie, Jeff, Zachary, Ellie and Avery

Grandma is special to us for many reasons.

Never Say Never!

Zachary continually amazes us and always takes on a challenge. Wednesday night was no exception. Jeff is in charge of the youth boys program, and each week they plan a new activity. This night in particular the boys were invited to go on a water skiing excursion. Jeff took Zach along for this special night. I was not sure what to expect but knew Zach was in good hands. I am always confident the kids are safe and happy when they are with Jeff. I couldn't wait to hear about the trip and was expecting to hear that Zach enjoyed the boat but the water was to chilly for him. Not the case...Infact, Jeff said Zach was fearless! He loved it. Starting with the life vest, the fast boat ride, tubing with daddy, and finally with his own ride on the knee board. He loved it all. Zach was a little dare devil on the lake and quickly learned the hand signal "thumbs up " to increase the speed. Never say Never! He held on tight to the rope with both hands. The smile on his face was priceless. I am sad to of missed this adventure. Thanks to Jeff for taking pictures and to all the men and young boys who shared their boat time with Zach. What a great and memorable experience for Zach and a proud moment for Jeff as he watched his brave little dude take off on the knee board alone. Now, if we could get Zach to tackle the challenge of reading with the same enthusiasm. Ha. We've got our little snuggle bugs camping out in our bedroom tonight with an abundance of duvet's and pillows. I've got to go now to massage Zachy's arm, little lefty is sore. Zach proudly proclaimed this morning that he has "sprained his muscle" from water skiing! We are so proud of him.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

One of my favorite things...listening to my children breath when they sleep. It's the most fullfilling and completely satisfying feeling of pure love. And it is that thought that brings me to this post. There's something so special about the sweet and simple pleasures in life.
These are a few of my favorite things...
Zachary's kiki (his PINK blanket)
the perfect freckles on Avery's face
Jeff
Ellie's big beautiful permanant teeth
snuggling with Zachary in the afternoon
laughing so hard your stomach hurts
crawling into bed at night
hearing the kids prayers. I will never tire of the most humble and grateful prayers that come from their hearts.
the way Jeff loves his family
staying in hotel rooms on vacation
cafe Rio
the freckles on Jeff's elbow
People magazine
a phone call from Jeff in the middle of the day
seeing the kids waiting in line to be picked up after school
watching Ellie read "The Friend"
Sunday afternoon naps on the couch
movie night with all the trimmings...popcorn, soda, and candy
going to bed early
shopping with Jeff
having a "grown up" conversation without the kids and
having a "real" conversation with the kids
the first day of school
finding bargains
being at the pool and feeling the sunshine beat down on me
the cornfield in the back of our house
Zachary & Ellie's love of the scriptures
listening to my kids playing
Avery's lisp
snugglig in bed with all 5 of us
Ellie and Avery hugging in the morning
driving
soup at Panera with Avery
diet cherry coke
Grey's Anatomy
the way Jeff makes me giggle when I've had a bad day
cookie dough
Zachary's love for his dad
Fresh flowers
watching Avery twirl her hair
after a crazy Sunday morning, the calm feeling of being in church
crushed ice at Kum-n-Go
rountines
BBQ's
birthday parties
going out to dinner
having our parents in town, staying at our home
The miracles that are Zachary and Ellie & the peaceful joy of Avery
Jeff's sensitive heart and love to me
wasting time on this blog...and on that note, I've off to the grogery store and drycleaners.

What can I say?

We have the greatest friends here in Omaha(& in Boise-shout out to Dax & Breya.) Tonight our good friends Mia Bischoff and Kim Enlow showed up with dinner for our family. What a delicious meal they prepared for us. We indulged on beef spare ribs, pasta salad,
homemade (straight from the oven) rolls, watermelon & Italian ice for dessert. Why are we so lucky, you ask? I don't know, but we sure appreciate them and all they do for us. Ever since Jeff's back went out we have been on the receiving end of so many "serving" hands. Last month, our ward Elders Quorum showed up to lend a hand to Jeff with the basement and worked for several hours. 10 men left their families and projects of their own to come help us with ours. A mere thank you hardly seems to justify. Bruce continues to lend us his tools, time and talent in the efforts of our basement. Both of our dad's have helped so much and we are grateful to them for their willingness and generosity. Friends have given car rides for the kids, mowed the lawn, watered plants , fed our kitty's and watched our children all within the last month. They say "Home is where the heart is" our friends & their tender hearts sure help make Omaha our home. And, I'm off to make 70 popcorn balls for the primary activity tomorrow morning. Goodnight.

Pictures are coming...I can't get them to pull up. I'll look into to it and post them as soon as I can. Love, Laurie

"Oh" what fun it is

Jeff and I headed back down to S.L.C. knowing many fun times were ahead for us. We met up with Darren, Shelly & Kaylee at Grandma and Grandpa's house upon arrival. We haven't seen them for 3 years so we had lots of catching up to do. We enjoyed the rest of the day just visiting with one another. Avery and Kaylee were as thick as thieves. They played well all day together. The kids endured the hot days by playing in the swimming pool, and on the slip-n-slide. They each had a squirt gun and battled each other for hours. And, when they calmed down& dried off they enjoyed constant cuddling with the new kittens. They splashed, squirted, giggled and snuggled all the live long day. Grandma and Grandpa did their best to keep them entertained, which you know can be like a full time job. Zachary and Ellie learned to play the card game War, and between the two of them, played continuously. We spent the most enjoyable day up Big Cottonwood canyon on Thursday, for a picnic. We set up our site by a small stream, perfect for dipping your toes in the cold water. Zachary found himself looking at and studying the rocks- in hopes of adding to his collection. "Oops" that pile of rocks didn't make it home, I had something to do with that. Ellie spent her time hiking up and down the path by our picnic table. I had no worries of her wandering off, as she continued to yell down to me the entire time "Just checking" she would say. My fearful and careful, Ellie. Avery and Kaylee made the best mud pies. They kept themselves busy with the dirt and water. Grandma packed us a huge spread for our picnic. Everything tastes so good on a picnic, yummy! Thanks Grandma.
Jeff kept up with the kids, and unfortunately he paid for it the next morning. He woke up only to find out he had thrown out his back again. It seems giving piggyback rides while hiking up the mountain no longer agrees with him. He is very discouraged and in a lot of pain. The rest of the trip we laid low. He couldn't move and the rest of us tried to humor him and help out when we could. I am hoping he gets another appointment this week with the spine Dr. We will update later.



We stopped in Denver on both legs of the trip. A very short but sweet visit with Gigi and Papa. Papa made a scrumptious breakfast that even the kids devoured. They played for a couple of hours and we were on the road again. Our drive home was uneventful, other than the fact I had to be designated driver. Imagine me, I am usually the one that is quickly lulled to sleep in a car, but this time I had to pull it together and DRIVE. I drive the speed limit and overly cautious. Jeff was very patient with his only comment being "Laurie, move over so the cars can pass you" Needless to say we did not make good time, however we made it safe and sound. We are home. Goodnight.

Jeff and our dear friend, Collette

Avery with cousin Kaylee

Beautiful Park City

Jeff with mission buddy Cade Baldwin

and his wife Carrie

We are back from vacation and back to the world of blogging. Jeff and I started our vacation off in Park City- just the two of us! It was so nice, Park City in summer is beautiful. We took advantage of total "R&R."... Rest and Relaxation to the max. We walked Main street, & shopped & conquered the outlet mall. We scored many bargains. And by bargains I mean tee-shirts for $1.97, swimsuits $9.99, shorts for $3.99. Sweet deals! We shopped till Jeff dropped- I didn't, but I become the "bionic shopper" when faced with a great deals. We met some good friends in Park City, Jeff's mission buddy and his family for lunch. And Collette for dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We layed out by the pool-with a book no less. We watched a movie late at night and then slept in with no early morning little voices to wake us up. Before we left, we rode the alpine slide. What a perfect way to take in the sights and enjoy the mountain. I think my favorite part was riding the chair lift. We really miss the mountains. I forgot to mention, Jeff ran a 5k. He did a fantastic job, ran it in 22 min and considering the altitude and mountain hills I think he kicked bootie! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for watching the kiddos- we had a wonderful time away.