Congratulations It's a .........Mazda?

So I finally got a new car. It is not at all what I thought I would get, but it was a screamin' deal and I am super excited. I got a 2008 Mazda cx-9, it is liquid silver....not my prefered color. But it was kinda the only option. We found it here locally, after it had been pulled from a lot in Utah county that (as they put it...had had some legal issues) it is a 2008 that had 58 miles on it when we drove it off the lot. Seriously it was brand new. And we got it for more like a used car price. SWEET! So now me and the kids are set. We can actually go places with people in only one car. That will be a totally new idea for us and I am excited.

Finally......

It is finally (nearly) over. My time as a single mom is coming to an end. The hubs will be home in less than 24 hours and I am so excited. The past week has been long, but luckily for me, and my kids, we have the very best family and friends. Saturday night was rough, Greg had not been gone 4 hours when Lex pooped in the bathtub! GROSS! I was not a happy girl and figured that must have just been the beginning, but really it wasn't. Sure we had our ups and downs, but we have made it through. On Sunday, Katie, Jared and Alyssa came up, hung out and made us a lovely dinner! Nathan got to spend Monday night with Grandma (Greg's mom). She took him to the new Ice Age movie and his favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner. Can you say spoiled? Lex had a Dr appt on Tues with her ENT to check her ear tubes (in which she got a clean bill of health) and we swung by Grandma's on the way home, hung out for a bit and stopped at Mc'd's for some nuggets on the way home. That night Courtney (my 18 yr old neighbor) came over to see if the kids could play on the front lawn with her. Yep, no probs...wear them out good. Wednesday we just hung out at home, Court did take Nate to get a Slurpee. Thursday, I had plans to get a pedi and some dinner with the girls, so my mom took the kids. They were both supposed to spend the night, but my poor step-dad totalled his motorcycle in Canada on the way back from riding to Alaska (he is very sad, but not hurt thank heavens) so instead of keeping them both, she only was able to keep Nate, because she had to pick the Dad up at the airport at 9:30p.m. But I did get to go out with Katie and Heather, and though we were missing the 4th musketeer (AMY!!) we did manage to have a very relaxing and fun time. Friday was technically a holiday, so we spent the whole day at my parents. The kids in the pool, me napping!! It was a good day. Saturday we got up early and Nathan rode his new bike (I told you he was spoiled) in the neighborhood bike parade. We had breakfast with our neighborhood (I love where we live!) and then headed home. Katie called and asked if she could take Nate to a movie with Alyssa (SPOILED AGAIN) and then we hung out and let the kiddies feed the horses. It also must be said that Nathan talked to his dad or at least left him a message EVERY night that he was gone. Which I think is part of the reason things went so well, but I am still ready for Greg to be home. And I am more than ready for the my girls trip this fall. And maybe a good back rub and a nap.

Soapbox (again)...

OkAy, so as I was blog surfing one night when I should have been doing dishes or laundry or whatever other mundane household duty that was calling my name, I came accross a post by a woman whose car had been stole out of her garage. Now, in and of itself, there is not a whole lot that can be done about that, per say. But the part that made me want to shake her, was the fact that she had made it the motherlode for the crook. Not only had she left her keys in the car, but her purse too. Seriously, I thought, people do that?

So one day as my friend (she knows who she is, and I will not reveil her here due to the following) and I sat at Mcdonald's while the kids played in the playland, I told her the story and I nearly fell off my chair when she gave me a sly smile and said she leaves her items in the car all the time so she doesn't forget them. SERIOUSLY! Now I am not a genius, but let us think this thru.....you just gave the theif, not only your car, with the keys, but also your house keys, your work keys (if you have such things), and ha yes, your wallet and all its contents. And maybe even a contact list or planner with your schedule in it. Now I am not trying to harp on anyone (okay, so I might be a little bit) but really are the 2 minutes you just "saved" by having your keys and purse in the car worth the problems that will come if they are stolen? I am thinking, not so much. I have neighbors down around the bend that this happened to, and they said the cost alone in having to change ALL the locks to their house, was not only expensive but also a pain in the hiney! So people PLEASE! Don't leave your crap in the car. I just want to save you from a worse headache than is necessary. And to my friend, you know I love you!

Summer Fun

We drug the pool out for the first time this year and the kids had a great time. Lex is a water baby. She climbed right up and slid down the slide no questions asked. Nathan and his friend Alyssa had a ball splashing and dumping buckets of water on the cat (the cat was not amused) and running around the back yard like the wild children they are. Nice way to make 100 degrees feel much cooler.

Single mom for a week

Every year the hubby packs up and heads to Alaska for a week of fishing and bonding (or what ever it is that men do) with his dad, brother, uncle and 2 close family friends. Well, this is that week. I am still trying to recover from having house guests (who are more than welcome again next year....if they want) and I would like to sleep for a week. I have a one year old who is teething, and a grumpy butt, but I am hanging in there. Becasue those things are just life. I spend most every day with my kiddies. I love them so much. And I just laugh t how funny they are, before Greg left Nathan said he was going to call his dad every night and I think he ment it. We called him last night, right before bed, even thought he was still on the plane and Nate left him the cutest message ever, Greg said it was great to turn on his phone and see and message and have it be from Nate. So tonight as we fininsh up our night time routine, he tells me we have to call Daddy. So in we go and dial him up. Greg was able to get some reception and it was fun to hear Nate tell him about his day. Love that kid. Last night Nate kept creeping into my bed. When I asked him about it this morning he said that he slept with Daddy while I was away in St George. I kindly told him NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! He will sleep in his bed and I will sleep in mine...............we shall see. So tomorrow he (NATHAN) has scheduled himself a sleepover at Grandma's and then a movie with her on Tuesday. Lex has to go to the dr to have her ear tubes checked so it worked out great for me schedule wise. And I think I may head to dinner with my mom. I can only hope the week continues on so smoothly and that we don't have any "I need my daddy moments", becasue he is far far away. Until next Sunday anyway.

What a week

So my cousin and his family have been here for a couple of days, and I am toast. I am pretty sure we have gone non-stop for 4 days, and I am really starting to feel like it, but instead of whining I will fill you in....

Sunday....arrival and family dinner with the Salt Lake crew. That would be me and my family (this makes more sense when you know that they are staying at our house) my mom, Rosie (the very best aunt) and my little bro Pete and his wife and of course my cutie twin nephews. We had crockpot lasagna and it was devine. I also snuck out to Sanctuary and had a pedi with Keanne...Good times.

Monday....We kinda just let the day lead the way. We went mellow. Paul (the cousin) went to the local carpenters union office. Greg worked half a day, and we all met for lunch at THE PIE! Yummy pizza. Then we headed to Kennecot to see the pit in all it huge old glory. It had been a long time since I had been there, and it was big and had a ton of neat information. We ended the day with my mom coming to watch the kids, and the 4 grown ups going out to dinner at Red Rock.

Tuesday.... Greg had to work all day, so we loaded the remaining 8 of us in to the cousin's 'burb and headed for the monastary in Huntsville. This trip is necessary, becasue we have an uncle who is a monk up there. It had been 10 yrs since they were there, not so long for my crew, but all good. The kids got to run outside on the lawn at the guest houses, something I remember doing when I was a kid, while the grown-ups had chat time with the old guy (and I do mean old...he will be 80 in October). We had a lovely visit and came down Ogden Canyon. After some dicussion, we decided it was to freakin' hot to go to the Eccles Dino Park, and instead headed for home, but not before stopping off at The Greenery for some Mormon Muffins....mmmm, yummy. We got home about 5:30 and I fixed us some dinner.

Wednesday....We split the morning up some. Nancee, Zoe and I hit the mall for an hour or 2, and the boys and Shannon and Lex stayed home in some sense. Nate had a hair cut and Paul built a cat scratch post. In the afternoon, we all joined forces and headed for Sweet's Candy Co for a factory tour. It was super fun. All 9 of us enjoyed it alot. Then we headed the other way and went to the Dino museum at Thanksgiving Point. We spent a couple hours there, before darting home for a minute to let everyone freshen up and then off to Rosie's for a tasty dinner. Turkey and burgers, and salad and all so good.

Thursday....I sent the 5 Moran's to Lagoon, and the kids and I tried to play catch up. On naps, and laundry and dishes, and all. I am currently baking a rum cake to take to Price tomorrow.

So I will have to post again, when all is said and done, and oh, did I mention that my hubby leaves on Saturday for his yearly trek to Alaska? I will survive.............

2nd week of July

As if things are not crazy enough around here, we have fam in from California. My cousin, his wife and 3 kiddies are with us for a week and we are giving them the whorl wind tour of SLC. I will get some fun pics up when I can. We hit the copper mine today and are dashing up Ogden way tomorrow to see the Uncle at the monistary. All in all it will be a trip to remember.

Marriage...

"Marriage is like a warm gas stove. Even if the burners aren't on all the time, you've always got to keep the pilot light lit. You have to go back to that, back to the beginning."

(that was said by Brian a 67 yr old guy when talking about making his own marriage work. He has been married for 40 (!!!!!!) years. and I full admit I stole the quote off msn.com)

4th of July

Happy 4th of July. I am a bit of a patriotic dolt. My kids are both wearing Old Navy flag tee's we are having a bbq with the fam this afternoon (even if the heavens open and we have a down pour.) and I will cry today when I hear the national anthem. My grandparents (on my mom's side) both imigrated to this nation in the past 100 years or so. We are still really new to this country by some standards. But the one thing the fourth always makes me think of is my cousins. Not becasue of some weird family thing, but becasue I have 2 cousins who have chosen to give it all to the ARMY. Max and Zeke are twins that are 6 months older than I, so needless to say they are like brothers to me. I think it was pretty clear from the time we were old enough to figure out that we had to have jobs when we were adults, that these 2 would end up in the armed forces some where, some how. I cannot help but worry about them and what they are up to. This year, on the 4th, I am fortunate to not have to worry so much. They are both stateside for a change. Max, the apache helicopter pilot, is back from a stint in Korea. While Zeke, the Captain, is back from a very long stay in Afganistan. Both in my opinion are home from very nasty places, at a very good time. They have both said that they envy me for my family. I always tell them that without them and what they do, my family would not be what it is, safe, happy and free to be together. I don't think they ever hear enough how much what they do means to anyone, especially me. I am so greatful, and more than that blessed that they are safe and unscathed. So to all those souls who have served out nation (that includes my step-dad the Navy diver, my step-brother the Navy man, my uncles who have served and even my cute dad-in-law, and anyone I missed) THANK YOU. Know that I appreciate you and what you have done.