Landons New and Improved Piano Teacher!

Landon and Grandma Judy at his weekly piano lesson!

I may not be able to teach Landon piano, but my mom sure can! It's not that I'm not capable, or that he is not able (on the contrary, he's quite good!) but I was unable to be consistent for anything! I'd teach him a little here and there and help him practice here and there, but if we didn't get to have a lesson or practice then we'd just put it off. And before you know it days or even weeks would pass without even thinking about it. I felt bad that I was letting his natural talent just sit there and do nothing. Thankfully, Grandma Judy is now Landons teacher and he is doing fabulous! We are actually consistent, he is learning and progressing, and you really won't find a better teacher than Grandma! Plus, he and I get to drive up to their house together once a week. Yes, it's a big sacrifice for me....I get to lay on my moms bed and watch American Idol and Dancing with the Stars while I wait for his lesson. It's a great arrangement! Thanks Mom!

Happy Easter!

The kids loved coloring eggs. I think we did way too many and cracked quite a few in the process, but they were very creative and had fun!
Dan the man having a great time!
What a pretty girl and pretty eggs!
Easter baskets full of candy, new beach towels, the movie "Enchanted" (love it!) and the Harry Potter Golden Snitch 20 Questions (very cool).
All cleaned up and ready for church. What darling kids!

A bit 'o the Irish

Landon spent Sunday evening at Grandma and Grandpas helping all the cousins write letters to the Leprechaun. He requested a treasure hunt that involved an ending point with lots of chocolate and possibly some real gold. What do you know! The leprechaun visited our house and the kids had a fun treasure hunt. They found a cauldron at the end of the hunt filled with gold candy, chocolate money and even a few gold dollars. They were thrilled! After examining the cauldron and seeing the price tag on the bottom Landon said, "Mom, I think the leprechaun must have stole this from the store!" "Hmmmm!" was my reply. That sufficed. When Daniel came home from kindergarten he would only settle for carrots, potatoes and meat for lunch because his teacher told him that was a traditional Irish dinner. So after much trying to convince him that would take a long time to make, we still peeled a few carrots and potatoes and we chopped them up and boiled them. Then we opened up a can of roast beef that I happened to have, and viola! A wonderful Irish lunch. He loved it and gobbled it all up!

My 100

After having seen others 100 list, I decided it would be kind of fun to do my own. It took a lot more thought than I thought it would, but here goes!

1. I have the cutest kids in the world.

2. I have the cutest husband in the world.

3. I love taking insanely hot baths- and someday I will have a bathtub that covers more than 50% of my body at one time.

4. I would chose cereal for breakfast any day over pancakes and eggs. Unless I'm in the mountians, then nothing beats a big pancake, egg, bacon, hash brown breakfast!

5. I could play the piano for multiple hours a day. It's my therapy and I can just never get enough of it.

6. I love shopping with Emma. She's so cute and opinionated it's like shopping with a little friend!

7. But I think I enjoy shopping by myself most of all.

8. I love to color with new, sharp crayolas.

9. I love watching Landon play the piano because he is a natural.

10. I love watching Daniel hold babies. He has the sweetest, proudest, most angelic face I've ever seen when he gets to hold a baby.

11. I am excruciatingly ticklish.

12. I am so not a morning person. I really wish I was, but I love sleeping in.

13. I only like to get up early when I'm camping or going fishing.

14. I secretly wish I was a famous singer with my name on the side of a tour bus.

15. Being a mom is the only job I've ever really wanted.

16. Richard makes me feel beautiful every single day.

17. In my "heaven" my life would totally be a musical. All out, singing, dancing, costumes, everything!

18. I like High School Musical 1 and 2 every bit as much as my kids do!

19. Hugs from my kids always make me happy.

20. I have the most amazing parents.

21. I am truly addicted to chocolate.

22. I've always hated my hair.

23. I love putting on make-up.

24. My mom is my ultimate example- I hope I can always be like her.

25. I have the best girlfriends from USU!

26. I love laying out and reading gossip magazines- it's been too long since I've done that!

27. I hate, hate, hate ironing.

28. I really like to cook.

29. I am not very organized and I am a procrastinater.

30. I love the smell of coffee.

31. I love to dance with Richard- he is an amazing dancer!

32. "Our Song" is Now I Know How The River Feels by Diamond Rio.

33. My current favorite shows are LOST, American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.

34. Landon once asked me if I was ever going to be on Dancing with the Stars. I love that the thought even entered his mind. I think I would ROCK!

35. I have to clean my piggies every night before bed. I've done it since I was two.

36. I love taking my kids to the pool in the summer.

37. I wish I cared more about politics, but I don't.

38. I've never had a cavity (but since I haven't been to the dentist in almost 10 years, I'm pretty sure I have one now).

39. (This one is kind of copied from Jill) I still really enjoy Voice Male concerts. Especially when other wives are there and we get to chat. In which case I don't really listen to the show.

40. I wish I was good at gardening.

41. I really enjoy doing things with my kids.

42. I love to laugh with Richard- he can always make me laugh.

43. My favorite vacations are Disneyland and Aunt Portia's house in Florida. You can't beat that!

44. I have faithfully kept a journal (at least once a month) since I was 8 years old.

45. I never thought I could be so into Harry Potter. I'm almost done reading book 4 with my boys.

46. I love the colors red and black.

47. I can't stand to not have my toenails painted.

48. I love water aerobics.

49. Sometimes I really love quiet and being alone- but not for too long.

50. I still get scared running up the stairs in the dark- I just know someone is going to get me.

51. I hate my knees.

52. I feel sad when I call Richard at lunchtime and ask where he is and his answer is the buffet at Grand America and I am eating PB&J or macaroni and cheese.

53. I love opening the blinds in the morning.

54. I wish I didn't have to wear contacts and glasses. But I'm too scared to get Lasik.

55. I love the smell of chili sauce cooking on a cool autumn day.

56. I enjoy decorating my house for holidays.

57. I love a good pair of jeans, but I hate trying on 50 pairs to find one.

58. I love being in primary with my kids. Other peoples kids- not so much. J/K

59. I love the smell of rain.

60. I almost cry when I have to give blood. It's traumatic for me.

61. I compare myself to others way too much.

62. Our family (just the 5 of us) down a pan of brownies every Sunday night and it only takes us about 15 minutes!

63. I really like my handwriting.

64. I really enjoy singing with the Paul Burnside Band.

65. I love to eat outside in the summer, grill meat on the BBQ and eat corn on the cob and watermelon.

66. I love getting together with family and eating good food.

67. I enjoy singing with my family.

68. I like to accompany people.

69. Richard and I like to pretend we are opera singers and know latin.

70. I like camping with my family.

71. I love singing babies to sleep.

72. Someday I want to make a lullaby CD.

73. I think my all time favorite piano piece to play is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata- all three movements.

74. It drives me crazy when the beds aren't made.

75. I worry about a lot of things that aren't really worth worrying about.

76. I don't like playing video games, but I've played Guitar Hero and the Wii and I love them!

77. I love going to the mall.

78. I like to scrapbook, but it's been 2 or 3 years since I have.

79. My purse is pretty much always a disaster.

80. I'm a doodler. I can't not doodle if I have paper and a pen.

81. Someday we're going to have a really good dog.

82. Emma keeps begging for a cat- I'm allergic to cats.

83. Richard is the best husband I've ever had!

84. Someday we are going to have a grand piano and a fireplace- two things I've always wanted.

85. I love making cookies.

86. I love eating cookies!

87. I love looking at pictures from my childhood - I have so many great memories.

88. I like thinking about all the projects I want to tackle much more than actually doing them.

89. I wish 88 weren't true.

90. I don't like to listen to music at home.

91. I love to listen to music in the car.

92. Richard thinks that's wierd.

93. I love going out to eat at restaurants.

94. I am not very good at sports.

95. I like to pretend that I am.

96. I like riding horses, but they scare me. Richard is amazing with horses.

97. I wish I had more patience ( I just yelled at my kids for not letting me finish this.)

98. I love, love, love my family.

99. I am so blessed and grateful for everything I have.

100. There you go! I did it!

Seriously.....

So I guess I should have gone upstairs to see what all the laughter was about. But the kids (and friends) were all playing so nicely (however loudly). When I did go check it out, you would have thought they had a garden hose up there. The floor was about that wet. Three sopping towels later and I think it might be dry by the end of the week. The culprit was, in part, a tea set. They had a lovely tea party I'm sure, but good grief! I don't think they actually drank any of the water. The big offender is darling, little Baby Born who happens to go pee by herself. She can also poop, spit up, cry and maybe a few other things I don't care to figure out. The boys were even in there laughin' it up and making her go repeatedly but never quite making it into the Baby Born toilet for which its purpose was intended. Silly me, I forgot to buy more diapers at the store for this sweet little angel. (The diapers cost more than actual baby diapers.) I thought the doll was so cute and such a good idea for Emma at the time. All I'm saying is if you ever consider buying one of these adorable monsters....don't!

I guess I'm a blogger!

So, after having read many blogs of friends and family, I have officially decided to start my own blog. Everyone says it's SO easy, but I'm kindof a dummy when it comes to the computer. But since I already got this far bymyself I am encouraged. I've always been a regular journal writer, but that's only about once a month and my entries have become very general. I'm excited to write about the little things that happen each day that brighten my life. I'm also excited to add pictures and all that fun stuff. (If I can figure that out). So to all those of you who already blog, I may copy some of your ideas because I have really enjoyed reading them!