BLEGGI FAMILY BLOG

HAWAII 2011

2011-04-21T15:41:00.001-07:00

For Christmas, Mark's parents rented a house on O'ahu in Hawaii for the family. We were initially going to go over Christmas, but the flights were extremely expensive, so we decided on the kids Spring Break. I'm glad we waited, the weather was amazing! We had so much fun! I can't tell you how sad I was to come home. Mark and I tried thinking of ways we could make a living on the island...from selling coconuts on the beach, to making banana leaf art...to opening "another" shrimp truck! We came to the conclusion that it just wasn't going to work...so we're back home! But, in my head, I am planning my next Hawaiian vacation!!

Here's what we did:

-Ate at Ted's Bakery several times (North Shore), the best garlic shrimp ever!
-Tour of a Cocoa bean farm
-Went to the North Shore Soap Company
-Turtle Bay
-Ate at the Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, yummy!
-Sunset Beach
-Kua'aina burgers, best pineapple burger in Haliewa
-Haunama Bay snorkeling
-Blow Hole outside of Honolulu
-Valley of the temples, buddah temple & fed the gold fish
-Dinner @ Papa Ole's in Laie, yummy ribs, best peanut butter rolls you will ever have!!
-Pearl Harbor
-Dole Plantation
-Matsumoto's for Shaved Ice in Haliewa, yummo!
-Pipeline on the North Shore, super fun boogie boarding!
-Swap meet at the Aloha Stadium
-Lunch at Kahuku Grill on the North Shore, yummy coconut shrimp
-Swam at Kalukea Beach
-Waiepea Falls hike, swam under a waterfall
-Waiepea Beach, boogie boarding
-Shark's cove snorkeling, super fun
-Walk to the temple grounds, amazing and beautiful
-Whale watching out of the Haliewa boat docks, so fun! Saw spinner dolphins and several whales
-Rented paddle boards and paddled up a river in Haliewa, saw sea turtles that swam right up to our boards!!
-Lunch at Kono's, loved it!
-Punch bowl cemetary in Honolulu
-Ala Moana Mall, tons of shopping!
-Waikiki, super busy, but fun!
-Ate crepes on Waikiki beach

As you can see it was a super fun filled vacation, we loved it!! I would recommend Hawaii to anyone! My favorite trip!!

FLORIDA/BAHAMAS TRIP

2011-03-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Mark has been working in St. Petersburg, Florida for about a month and a half. I was lucky enough to be able to go see him over my birthday. I booked us a nice weekend cruise to Naussau, Bahamas and Coco Cay. We had so much fun!! The weather was wonderful. When we returned to Florida we caught the Yankees Spring Training and the Phillies Spring Training!! Loved it! It was really hard to come back from a vacation to real life!! I am getting super excited for the next vacation, Hawaii in April!!!

HE MISSES HIS DADDY

2011-02-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

My sweet little Riley sings to his Dad everytime he calls home. The song usually goes something like this, "Daddy I miss you, when are you coming home, how long will you be gone, I miss you Daddy"...and then he says "Bye" and hands the phone to someone else. Honestly, he does this everytime he calls.

We do miss Mark...but when he's home...the kids can't get enough of him!

HALF WAY THERE

2011-02-09T20:17:00.001-08:00

My parents have made it to the half-way point of their mission! 9 more months to go! What amazing parents I have, to sacrifice their time away from family and friends to serve the Lord. They are both true inspirations to me. I spoke with my dad a couple of days ago and he woke up to 21 below. They have had a couple of days where the snow has drifted over their front door and they had to call the elders to get them to shovel them out! I can only imagine the experiences they are having...they will never complain about another Utah winter again!!

LAST MINUTE ROAD TRIP

2011-01-03T19:36:00.001-08:00

My parents are serving an LDS mission in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. Apparently it is pheasant hunting heaven, according to my dad. So Mark had to see for himself!! We packed up the car at 10:00 p.m. Christmas night and left at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning. We drove straight through, 14 hours!! We arrived in South Dakota at 8 p.m.!! My mom had made a turkey dinner for our arrival!! I missed her cooking, so I was so excited!! The kids were super excited to see their grandparents, they miss them so much!
Bright and early Monday morning the boys took off for hunting! While my mom took Kaycie, Riley, and myself on a tour of Eagle Butte...that took all of 20 minutes. It is a very small town. But, it was fun to see where my parents will be spending 18 months of their lives! They are living on an Indian reservation. It is a very interesting small place, in the middle of what seems like no where.
The boys came back from pheasant hunting and we made them lunch! They then wanted us to all go hunting! It was really cold, but fun to see the boys shoot at the pheasants!! We were able to visit with the ranchers that allowed them to hunt on their property. They had the best South Dakotan accents!! Loved it...if you have ever seen "New in Town", it is just like their accents. While visiting, they asked if our town had a Wal-Mart, I said of course we do...the lady thought we were so lucky! That tells you how in the middle of no where they really are!!

I am pretty sure my parents were happy to see us! We spent a couple of days there and really enjoyed being with them! We played games, watched movies, and ate yummy food and treats!! I am even more proud knowing the sacrifices they are truly making to serve the Lord. What amazing parents I have!!

The weather on the way home was unbelievable. Winds of over 50 miles per hour. Snowy and icy roads...14 hours later we were home! Riley was so sad to leave, along with my other kids. Riley; however, asked his grandparents if he could stay with them. I told him he would miss his parents and he said he wouldn't he just wanted to stay with his grandma and grandpa!

Mark is already talking about going back in October, to "bring them home" or pheasant hunt, you decide ;)

CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous Christmas this year!! Mark was home, finally. The kids were super excited to have him back home and so was I. He had been gone for over a month, first to Germany and then off to Hawaii!! He was home only 42 hours in between each job!! Since my parents were on their mission, I decided that we still needed to keep up the Mellor family tradition of Christmas morning breakfast. It was fun! We had a french toast bar and a Honey Baked Ham, yummy!!

I love Christmas! A couple of weeks before, I managed the Santa's Helper program at work. We were able to give over 200 children Christmas. It is a very stressful time of year for me, but it is so rewarding.

I missed having my parents around, but they called a couple of times and started talking pheasants with my husband! Before you know it...we were headed to South Dakota, the day after Christmas...post coming!

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas!!

BARLOW FAMILY

2010-12-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

My sweet friend of over 10-years, Heather Barlow, had her third baby the end of October. Heather and her husband Jake found out the day Alyssa was born that she had Trisomy 18. This is a fatal genetic disorder and most babies do not live beyond their first month. Baby Alyssa has been with her family now for 6-weeks and has proven to be a fighter, but each day is a struggle. This family is a true inspiration to me. They have so much faith and love. I am inspired each day by their strength. I have had the blessing of holding sweet Alyssa many times and as I hold her, I think of my own children and how I would handle what this family has and will have to go through. My desire for them is that they will be able to spend what time they have left with this precious spirit without the stress of medical bills hanging over their heads. I am asking all of my friends and family to donate to this family in their time of need.

Please click on this link and donate, no amount is too small.

http://www.alyssamareebarlow.blogspot.com

Thanks and Merry Christmas to you all!

HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY JAKE

2010-11-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

We not only celebrated Thanksgiving on November 25th, but also celebrated Jake's 14th Birthday! I can hardly believe Jake is 14! Time seems to going by so fast!! Soon he will be driving...ugh!! We love Jake, he is a wonderful big brother and such a helper!!

IT'S TIME FOR AN UPDATE

2010-11-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

While Mark is touring (okay working) in Germany...I'm in Mapleton, Utah being a crazy working mom! I must say, things are going well. We seem to adjust to Mark leaving...not to say that we don't miss him like crazy! I miss being able to talk to him, he is a really good listener...and we have a great way of communicating. I like having a built-in friend. And I miss that the most!! He will miss Thanksgiving this year, but I've decided to host it at my house. I have invited his parents and sister...so we'll see how things go!! Wish me luck!

As far as what we need to update...first off...Riley turned 5!! I cannot believe my baby is 5. I feel so blessed to have this little guy in our home. He is amazing. Fun. Crazy like his parents. And is such a loving, sweet boy. We took him to Pirate Pizza for his birthday. He loved it!! We also had a family party. Riley received some fun gifts, but of those...Nicky, his aunt, gave him a trip to Disneyland!! She was so sweet and invited myself and my mother-in-law along! Mark was quite jealous and hopped a plane and joined us for the final two days of the trip.

Riley loved Disneyland...he especially loved all the water rides (Bear River Rapids & Splash Mountain). It was so strange going to Disneyland and leaving my other two kids at home! But, it was fun to just focus on one child!

Halloween came and went, it was so cold during trick-or-treating. But, my kids were troopers and had a blast. Jake dressed up at the last minute, Kaycie was a hippy, and Riley was Buzz Lightyear. Call me mother of the year, but I forgot to take pictures!

I am excited for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year! It will be interesting to see where my husband ends up next! Let's hope my schedule allows me to visit him!

HAPPY 18-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2010-09-27T21:53:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it...18-years since our wedding day! I am so lucky to have found such a great guy! He's my best friend, a great husband, wonderful father, and an all-around great guy. Here's to many more anniversaries...love you babe!

RILEY SOCCER

2010-09-27T21:50:00.001-07:00

This is the first year Riley could play soccer. He is loving it. He spends a lot of his time jumping up and down, because he is so excited to play. He has made a couple of goals, which is fun to watch.

MAPLE MOUNTAIN HIKE

2010-09-27T21:38:00.001-07:00

Our Labor Day weekend activities included hiking Maple Mountain. Wow...I've lived in Mapleton for 36 years and have seen Maple Mountain by horseback, but had never hiked it. It was quite the experience. So beautiful, but so tough! We took our kids, plus Kaycie's friend, Emily. We left at 8:30 a.m. and returned 6 p.m. Riley hiked the entire way with only being held a couple of times and not for long, because it was hard enough without carrying another 40 pounds. We had so much fun and had a great picnic at the Lake. I recommend this hike to anyone living in Utah...it is a must!!

Time for play or pain?

2010-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

We made another trip to Sundance and brought Kaycie along to test out her new bike. We had a blast until I decided to take a nose dive over my handle bars! I have a nice fat bruised cheek to show for it! In the same run, Kaycie decided to play the same game. Luckily she hurt her leg only. She's such a trooper. After leaving Sundance, Mark dropped Jake and I off at the top of the Provo River Trail...we biked from there to Utah Lake! It was such a great ride, loved it! I love spending time with the family.

With Mark traveling more and more, our family time is limited. So it's fun to be able to do these types of activities together!

Jake and Kaycie have started school...so far so good! I am trying to stay on top of their homework and activities...it's like being in school myself. Riley starts pre-school next week and he can hardly wait.

Both Kaycie and Riley start soccer next week! Life is about to become chaotic!!

LEARNING TO COOK ITALIAN 101

2010-08-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, you know I'm not a cook! I can say, I love to watch other people cook...and I love to eat, but I really don't like to cook. Which is amazing to me, because my grandma is an amazing cook, my mother is an amazing cook, not so much me!!

However, last night, my sweet sister-in-law Nicky pulled together a party and had our aunt Glenda teach us how to make gnocchi and her friends teach us how to make french bread & mozzarella cheese. Watching all of these recipes unfold and tasting them, I was amazed how easy and yummy they were! So am I going to try these fabulous recipes...I really hope so, but don't hold your breath!!

Thanks Nicky...I had a blast!!

AND HE'S OFF AGAIN...

2010-07-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

Mark just returned from the hot and humid Nashville Tennessee on July 24th!! Just in time to join us in Fairview for the annual Fairview Days. I took the kids up on Thursday night and started the fun weekend with swimming, the rodeo, and the parade!! When Mark arrived, we enjoyed the fireworks, a BBQ, and more swimming! Love the Fairview Days!!

When we were in Fairview Mark had talked about going on another work trip. We talked about going together this time, but unfortunately it didn't work out. However, he was able to take Jake with him this time. They are headed, as we speak, to Great Falls, Montana. I am extremely jealous! But, Mark and I have an anniversary trip in the works for late September early October...can you all say Fall Foliage!! I am "SO" hoping it all works out!

I hope all of you are having a fabulous summer...I am having complete anxiety that it is coming to an end soon!

SUNDANCE 2010

2010-07-12T16:09:00.001-07:00

Jake has been begging Mark and I to take him Mountain Biking at Sundance, because that is part of his Season Pass. He also just bought himself a new bike. So I took my bike in to get a tune up and found out it would cost as much as a new bike. So happy late birthday to me, I got a new bike.

If you've never been to Sundance in the Summer...might I make that recommendation! So beautiful. I love it! We took the lift to the top and took our first ride down! Ummm...I am not sure I was cut out for this down hill stuff.

Our first run down, Mark blew a tire. He was sooooo mad! What a pain!! But luckily Jake was prepared with a tube, tire tool, and pump! What a boy scout!

Our third trip down, we found the coolest trail (Archie's Loop). What an amazing view of the canyon. It was an awesome trail...I loved it! I didn't feel like I was on a downhill race like the other trails, it was more leasure than trying to prove your a good rider! Below is Scott's Pond.

Jake LOVED it! He had so much fun! It was so fun to hang with him for the day!

And there's the love, right there!!

Mark love the trail too...can't wait to go back!

Last run...I decided to take a dive on a pretty rocky trail...bruised shoulder, elbow, and knee. Still hurting...but still want to go again!!

...and he's off again...

2010-06-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

...this time it's Knoxville, Tennessee!! I am not sure if you all know, but I have a goal to hit all 50 states! I have a few more to go, but I am thinking Mark is going to hit the goal before I do...along with several different countries!! So not fair! I do, however; think he is sick of living out of hotel rooms and being away from his family! But, we appreciate all his hard work!

BACKYARD REMODEL 2010 EDITION

2010-06-09T15:58:00.001-07:00

So those of you who know us, know that we like change...a little too much! We've changed our backyard several times! Let's just hope this is it!! After several hours of hard work, we are happy with our final product!!

Here's Kaycie basking in the sun...she wasn't much for helping! But, I did make her pick up a couple hundred rocks! Oh yes, she counted them!!
Mark taking Riley on a bobcat ride!! He loved it!!
Moving dirt...oh the fun! Moving more dirt!!Mark even did our sprinkling system all by himself! Helps to have a handy man around...saves a lot of $$ too!!

...and here's the finished product...more grass to mow, but less sticker weeds to avoid!!

The kids are happy...and I say...let the summer begin!!

NEW YORK 2010

2010-06-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

For Kaycie's 10th Birthday, I promised to take her to New York! So off we went on quite the adventure! It was definitely one of my favorite trips to New York. She made it tons of fun, along with my sister-in-law Nicky and my Mother-in-Law Diana!
Here we are at the famous "Friends" fountain...we just needed our red umbrellas! Here's Kaycie with Dax Shepherd from Parenthood & Without a Paddle (one of our favorite actors)

Happy Birthday Kaycie, at the American Girl Doll Store, having tea!

Here's Kaycie with Randy Jackson, from American Idol!!

Kaycie with Kara Deoguardi from American Idol.

Kaycie at the butterfly display at the Museum of Natural History...this is my favorite pic...she looks like she is totally freaked out by the butterfly!

Kaycie in front of the Brooklyn Bridge!

Time Square!!

We were able to see and do everything we wanted to! The weather was great! And just so you all know, I have NEVER seen any celebs in New York and I've been there many times, but bring Kaycie along and you get to see tons!

We had a good time and I can't wait to go back!

DID YOU SAY GUAM?

2010-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

Oh yes that is what I said when Mark told me he'd be leaving for his next job a week after getting home from Dubai (remember he was gone for 3-months on that job). Seriously! So Guam it is...the last thing he said was I'll see you in June...isn't that a comforting statement!!

What an amazing man...he is making great sacrifices for his family and I appreciate that! But, I might add a bit jealous of his travels.

I HOPE THEY CALL ME ON A MISSION!

2010-05-06T08:38:00.001-07:00

So the parents made it to their mission home and will be there for the next 18-months. I am extremely proud of them and their willingness to serve. They are amazing examples to me! This community doesn't know what amazing people they are about to encounter. These two individuals will work hard and will get things done! Good luck Mom & Dad!!

Their home for the next 18th months....

Main Street...

STOCK SHOW 2010

2010-04-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jake and Kaycie showed lambs in the Utah State Junior Livestock Show. Jake took 5th in his class and Kaycie took 3rd. Each earned a blue ribbon!! Way to go Jake & Kaycie!

BAJA CALIFORNIA CRUISE

2010-04-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Mark and I were able to go on a cruise when he returned from Dubai! We went on a 5-day Baja California cruise. We stopped in Catalina Island and Ensanda Mexico. We had a nice relaxing time before coming back to reality!

EASTER 2010

2010-04-08T11:03:00.001-07:00

We had a fun Easter this year, despite the cold and Mark being in Dubai. We started the Easter Festivities at the Bleggi Family Easter Egg Hunt!

We decorated Easter Eggs...very creative kids...it's was really fun to see what each one would design!

On Easter, we woke up and found that the Easter Bunny had hid all the eggs we decorated and fun baskets filled with candy, a swimming suit, and flip flops!

We then headed to Easter Brunch with Grandma & Grandpa Bleggi and Aunt Nicky. Yummy!!

On to Grandma & Grandpa Mellor's house for another Easter Egg Hunt and dinner!

YES...MARK IS STILL IN DUBAI

2010-04-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of Dubai...among the pictures are the Abu Dahbi (capital of the UAE) mosque. Mark said it is unbelievable. There is also pics of a worker he is with on a daily basis, a lizard, and the progress of the jobsite! We sure miss Mark...hopefully he'll be home soon!

SAN FRANCISCO 2010

2010-04-03T13:25:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited by my sister-in-law, Nicky, to San Francisco for a long weekend. We shopped, ate, and shopped some more...oh and ate more! I love it! Thanks Nicky!

Staying Longer....

2010-03-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

We thought Mark might be home the end of March...no such luck...they've extended his stay in Dubai until April 9th. The pictures below are of the latest storm that passed through...sand everywhere!

MY PARENTS GOT THEIR MISSION CALL....

2010-02-25T21:03:00.001-08:00

...and it's....

South Dakota Rapid City mission! I am so happy for them! It will be a fun and exciting mission and I am definitely going to visit!

Congrats Mom & Dad...we love you and are so proud of your decision to serve!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

2010-02-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

I had a great birthday, even though my husband wasn't around to help me celebrate!! He sent me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers, a cake, and a gift card to do some shopping!!

Also, my sweet friend Janeane made this fun cake for me!

On my birthday, some of my friends took me out to dinner at PF Changs and to a movie. And on Friday, my good friend Heather, took me to dinner at Carrabas, shopping, and to a movie. I had a great time with all my friends, got some really fun gifts, and enjoyed yet another birthday!!

St. George - President's Weekend

2010-02-16T20:06:00.001-08:00

This past weekend my parent's and I took Jake and Riley to St. George for President's weekend. We had a blast! Jake was so sweet to watch Riley for a few hours, so that my parent's and I could go to the Parade of Homes. We went to dinner for Valentines at Texas Roadhouse, yummy! My Mom took me shopping for my birthday, while my Dad took Jake golfing. We also went hiking in Snow Canyon and played at the Dunes in Snow Canyon. The weather was great...and all in all it was a fun, yet relaxing vacation!! My parents even climbed the red rocks!

Jake and Riley playing at the Dunes...they built a cool sand castle!

Of course, I had to relax and read while the kids played!

Riley, Jake, and I at the petrified sand dunes in Snow Canyon

Riley and I at Jenny's Canyon...
...and while the boys, my parents, and I were in St. George...this is what Kaycie was doing. Nicky (Kaycie's aunt)...invited her to help at Kara and for a sleepover. Kaycie helped Nicky clean her house and then they had facials! Love it!

What Mark is up to in Dubai....

2010-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

This is just one of the building's that will be built. Mark has been working on a block building, hopefully he will send pics soon. He said today that he had ten more blocks to lay and then he could do some real work. Which is basically building these steel training buildings. Every time I talk with Mark, I miss him more and more. This is quite the experience, probably more for him than me!

WHERE'S MARK NOW YOU ASK....

2010-02-05T18:28:00.001-08:00

One might think from the picture above that he is in a very snowy place, but.....

guess again...this is the jobsite....

...but then again...look at all this beautiful water....

...and expensive cars....guessed yet?

...and amazing scenery....

...and cute stores (only because we call kaycie Kikki)...

...but then again...this is where he sleeps at night....

...but during the weekends...he plays here!!

....this is the biggest clue!!

....okay already...he's in Dubai!

Mark has been gone for exactly two weeks! We miss him so much! He isn't really having that much fun, he is in the middle of no where! He is about an hour and a half outside of Dubai, closer to Abu Dahbi. They are building a training facility (shooting range) for the Prince! Ah yes! I hope to post pics of the facility!

What an amazing experience for him, but very humbling! We love him so much for sacrificing time away from his family in order to support them!

At home, we are surviving...we are not able to talk to him much, because he is 11 hours ahead! But, we try as much as possible!!

We have had so much support from family & friends, I can't thank you all enough!! We love you all!!

UPDATES

2010-02-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged...so it's time to play catch up! The Bleggi Family had a great Christmas. Soon after we said goodbye to Mark and off he went to Jacksonville, Florida.

He came home for a bit and we were able to head to St. George for the weekend as a family! We had such a blast and it was fun to have Mark around!!

NEW ADDITION - I GUESS???

2009-12-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Did you know that even if you tell your 13-year old son "NO"...that means "YES"? Hmmm...confusing I know, but apparently this is how things go in the household of the Bleggi's!! Hence the pictures below!! Her name is Scout. She is rather cute, but a complete terror and ask me if I have anytime in my life right now for a DOG!! Wish us luck!!

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY JAKE

2009-11-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Jake has officially entered the teenage years!! He is so excited!! For his birthday, so far, his dad planned a day of pheasant hunting. Several of Mark's friends and their kids went as well. Jake is really excited to get out on the slopes with his new board!

Everyday I am amazed how Jake has grown. He was once my cute little baby boy and now he's a very self reliant teenager. Who is very caring and loving to all those around him. He has a very fun personality and is definitely his dad's son!

We love you Jake and hope that you have the best birthday!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T19:41:00.001-07:00

Halloween 2009; Jake didn't want play dress up this year.

Kaycie was a gothic princess & Riley was a Pirate! We went to Grandma & Grandpa Mellors for Chili and then off for some trick or treating. The kids had tons of fun and the weather was great!!

2009-10-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Riley celebrated his 4th birthday on September 30th. For weeks, he's been telling me he wanted a Thomas party, so he was excited to see the balloons, trains, and Thomas toys! We had friends and family come celebrate with cake & icecream. He loved opening his presents and it was so fun to watch him get excited about each one! I cannot believe my baby is "4"...time flies!

HAPPY 17-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2009-10-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Mark and I just recently celebrated our 17-year anniversary (September 25). Since Mark was still working in Kansas, he made a plan to fly out on the 25th and meet me in San Diego for a weekend and then fly home together to see the kids. We had a very fun and relaxing weekend...saw some beautiful scenery, caught some rays by the pool, and even went for a morning job along the coast! We ate some great food and it was just nice to spend some time with Mark, since we hadn't seen each other for almost 8 weeks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK

2009-09-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

Mark's birthday was on September 19th...he turned a fabulous 38!! Doesn't look it all, still young for sure!! Unfortunately Mark is still in Kansas, so we were unable to spend the day with him, which made my kids and myself really sad. However, we decided to celebrate without him...Kaycie and I took Jake up to the Dew Tour, while Riley went fishing with my parents. Once we dropped off Jake and his friends, Kaycie and I went shopping in Park City "ALL" day. We ate lunch and bought a few fun items "for ourselves", but mostly shopped for Riley's birthday. We had tons of fun, but sure wished Mark was with us!!

OUR AUGUST

2009-08-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

So the month of August just flew by...I mean flew! We came home from our big road trip on the 14th, Mark then left on August 18th! He landed in Philly and decided to spend a couple of days in New York City. I laugh, because I cannot imagine those three (Mark, Chad, & Shawn) in New York City. I did receive several phone calls...where do we go? What do we do? What subway shuold we get on? They were able to go to a couple of baseball games out there. They ate at my favorite restaurant, Sarabeths. So it sounds to me like they had fun in the Big City. They have about a week left in Jersey and then off to Kansas City. I am hoping to have my husband back (and the kids are really hoping) by Riley's birthday on September 30th!!So this is a picture Mark sent of the "NEW" Yankees Stadium. I am super jealous! I will get back to New York. I know it!!

As for us who are still here in Utah....I am back to work...after my three week vacation. Working 30-hours per week is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I think it is because I am "playing" single parent. I thought I would be use to it by now, but maybe once the kids are in school for a couple more weeks, I will finally feel like I have a definite schedule going on!!

Riley started pre-school today, no biggy for him. The kid loves school, yeah for me!! The teachers are so excited to have him back and so are the bus drivers. He is such a fun kid. The other two would no sooner let me go into their school and take pictures of their first day. So I'm sorry, but no pics!

Jake started Junior High this year. Every day I keep telling him to make good choices. I just worry when they get older...he's a good kid, I know he is. But, I still keep the worry a bit close. He loves it so far...he has good teachers and I have spies to keep an eye on him!

Kaycie started soccer and loves it! I kept telling her she would, but she kept telling me to not sign her up. Finally, this year, I just did it. And she is in love with it! The only problem is my life has now become more hectic with two games per week...I keep telling myself, just take it one day at a time!

So all in all we are keeping busy, missing Mark, and trying to keep up with our busy schedules.

ROAD TRIP 2009

2009-08-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

4000 miles & 9 states in 18 days, now that's what I call a road trip. These are the places we went:

-Martin's Cove, Wyoming

-Custer, South Dakota

-Crazy Horse Monument, South Dakota

-Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

-Wall Drug, South Dakota

-Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota

-Worthington, Minnesota

-Sparta, Wisconsin

-Amish Country

-Cranberry Country

-Sparta Bike Trail

-Door County, Wisconsin

-Nauvoo, Illinois

-Carthage Jail, Illinois

-Keokuk, Iowa

-Home of Mark Twain, Hannibal, Missouri

-Mark Twain Caves, Hannibal, Missouri

-St. Louis, Missouri

-Liberty Jail, Liberty Missouri

-Kansas City, Kansas

-Denver, Colorado

-Glenwood Springs, Colorado

-Grand Junction, Colorado

& Back to Utah!

We had tons of fun, I am sure my parents would agree! My kids were amazingly good. And we saw such great scenery along the way!

To see pictures, go to this link:

http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1807907009/a=48827948_48827948/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=comcast/

WISCONSIN YOU SAY....

2009-07-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

Mark is back in Wisconsin again, you would think it was his second home. He has been gone a week and we miss him already, 7 more weeks to go! He sends pictures daily to show his progress to Action Target, but I get to see them as well...soooo...I thought I would post them, so you can all see what he's been up to on his cross country jobs!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA WEEZER

2009-07-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Louise Watson, of Springville, Utah, will celebrate her eightieth birthday on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at her home in Springville, 99 E. 530 North.
She was born July 21, 1929 to Wilfred Erastus and Effie Gill Jensen. She married Bob G. Watson May 29, 1949.
She has three daughters and one son, 12 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. She retired as a school lunch worker.
She enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
"Congratulations and thanks for your cheerful attitude in life."

We had a fun day today celebrating my Grandma's 80th birthday! She is such an amazing person with such a great attitude. I love her so much and enjoy spending time with her!

Happy Birthday Grandma, we love you!

KAYCIE'S NEW ROOM

2009-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

As you are all aware, my Grandma Mellor passed away; which left a lot of items for my dad to go through. He offered me my Grandmas bedroom set. Which is a beautiful cherry wood headboard, dresser, and cedar chest. Well this gave me the idea to repaint Kaycie's room and get a new comforter/sheet set. My mom helped me paint the walls and also handpainted the words on the wall. Kaycie picked out the paint colors, wording for the wall, and comforter. I think she's got great taste!!

4th of July Fun

2009-07-06T15:31:00.001-07:00

With Mark leaving on the 11th of July, our family decided we needed a vacation, so that we could spend time with him before he leaves for 8 weeks! Mark and I took the kids to St. George to stay at the condo, we took a day trip to Las Vegas, which is always entertaining! My kids have never been to Vegas before and just walking the strip was crazy times. I kept telling Jake and Kaycie to keep their heads up, because there were tons of papers on the ground with half naked ladies on them! I am sure Jake caught an eye full...ahhhh what do you do! However, the kids had tons of fun. Jake rode the New York, New York roller coaster. We took the kids to the Coca-Cola store and tried 14 different kinds of soda from various countries. I don't think Mark and I have laughed so hard when Riley took a swig from the Italian Bittersweet Cola...he had the funniest reaction I have ever seen and then I thought he was going to throw up! Mark had tears rolling down his cheeks, he was laughing so hard! We then went to the M&M store, which was fun; but they charge an arm and a leg to buy a bag of M&M's! My favorite was getting a frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity, which I thought was only in New York! Yummy!!

In St. George, we relaxed by the pool, which was so nice! We went to the Transformers movie, which was really good! We also saw the local fireworks...good times!

A few other items...I was offered 10 more hours at work, which I accepted and started the new schedule this week! Also, our LDS Stake was divided and out of our ward only ten families were cut out and put into another ward. Our family being one of them, I am excited to meet new people, but will miss my old ward. But, I have made some lifelong friendships and am sure they will stay even if we are not in the same ward.

On the travel front, Mark is headed to Sparta, Wisconsin starting July 11th and then from there he will go to Kansas, Oklahamo, Canada, and Texas. He should be gone approximately 8 weeks, maybe a bit longer. So my plan is to take a road trip the end of August with my kids and my parents, to see him! It should make for some interesting posts! He is in the process of bidding a job in Dubai...yes you heard me right...Dubai! I'll keep you all posted on that one...it will be a 6 month job! Crazy times at the Bleggi household!

GOODBYE SWEET GRANDMA

2009-06-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

Juanita Beesley MellorJuanita Beesley Mellor1925 ~ 2009Springville " Juanita Beesley Mellor passed away peacefully at the age of 83, at her sons home on Monday, June 22, 2009 surrounded by her family. She was born to Emma Brailsford and Richard Tucker Beesley on November 25, 1925 in Provo, Utah. She married her sweetheart in 1944 and was later sealed in the Manti Temple.Juanita spent her entire life in service to others. She was a devoted wife to her husband Delbert and loving mother to her children. Her greatest joys in life were her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She gave service to her Heavenly Father in many church callings. Juanita worked as a nurse for 25 years with Doctor Glen B. Orton and 11 years at the Utah Valley Hospital Blood Bank. She was very talented with her hands and created many beautiful things. Her family will miss her dearly.Juanita is survived by her children: Eddie (Margo) Mellor of Mapleton, Utah and Deborah (Bryan) Jacobson of Hurricane, Utah; a sister, Leah (Dennis) Holt of South Jordan, Utah; 6 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Delbert and a sister, Rteen (Wayne) Cutler of Springville, Utah.Funeral services will be held Friday, June 26, 2009 at 11 a.m. in the Spring Creek South Stake Center at 350 N. 400 E. in Springville. There will be a viewing held Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. at Wheeler Mortuary, 211 E. 200 S., Springville and at the church on Friday one hour prior to the services. Interment will be in the Springville Evergreen Cemetery.

WASATCH BACK 2009

2009-06-23T21:06:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Mark who ran the Wasatch Back!! He ended up running 15 miles total in 2 days, in all their team of 12 ran 188 miles total. They ended up placing 135th out of over 300 in their field.

...AND HERE COMES THE SUMMER!!

2009-06-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Summer started with a bang! Jake graduated from Elementary School, he starts Junior High next year! I can't believe it, I almost have a teenager!

I then began the final planning for Girl's Camp! It was a crazy time getting ready for camp! But all the hardwork paid off, I feel our camp turned out GREAT!! It rained the entire time, but cleared up anytime we had something planned. We only had to cancel one activity!

Below are a few pics of things we've done since school's been out!

Jake ran his first 5K with Mark!

Jake and Riley chillin' in the hot tub!

Kaycie kicking around in the backyard! She loves soccer, but for some reason won't play city league!

As far as Mark's travel plans...he has a for sure job still in Wisconsin, but will not be leaving until July 14th now! It's been nice to have him home for a while. He may have a couple of jobs between now and then, it all depends on whether or not he gets the bids! I plan on taking a road trip with the kids to Wisconsin! I know crazy right! But, think how fun that would be to go across 1/2 the country and stop at some great sights! I did that as a kid and I still remember how much I loved it! I'll have to keep you all posted on whether or not I go!!

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY KAYCIE

2009-05-28T08:07:00.001-07:00

It is so hard to believe my baby girl is 9!! How time flies. I remember when I was pregnant with Kaycie, I chose not to find out what I was having. But, I knew...I just had a feeling she was a girl. When she came out and the doctor said "it's a girl", I was so excited. I know Jake was excited too and that is where she got her nickname, Kaycie Junior Tracks. Jake decided that is what he wanted her to be called. But from the moment she was born, Kaycie has proven that she is a girl through and through. She has always had a spunky attitude. The Bleggi girls use to babysit and it would take the entire family to make Kaycie happy! Mark and I would come home and there Megan would be totally distraught with her parents and usually one of the other Bleggi girls there to take turns making Kaycie happy! She has come a long way...she is a very happy, fun loving girl. She is always writing notes, songs, and letters to her family, telling us what she loves about us...and sometimes what bugs her about us!

For Kaycie's birthday, I surprised her with tickets to Taylor Swift. She had no idea. I told her we were going to Salt Lake to have dinner with friends and then shopping. We got to the Gateway and I told her we had to take a short cut by the Energy Solutions Arena to get to a store. Once we got close to an entrance, I pulled out tickets and said, "why don't we see what's going on inside!" Kaycie read the tickets and starting screaming!! It was such a blast watching Kaycie dance and sing with her friends!!

We love Kaycie so much and we are so happy we have her in our family!!

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY KAYCIE!!

IT'S BACK TO WISCONSIN

2009-05-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

We just found out that Mark is going back to Wisconsin. He should be home from Oklahoma on May 19th and then will be leaving on June 1 until July 1. We are happy to have him home for a couple of weeks, but are sad to see him going so soon again. My kids and I miss having Mark around, he keeps us laughing! I think I run on autopilot when he's gone! But, I am surviving. I think Mark is happy to get out of Oklahoma, the weather is hot and humid and the wind blows everyday. He has killed two rattlesnakes, beat off several biting spiders, has to check for ticks everyday, and shaved his hair off because he was sweating like mad! But, he maintains his funny attitude and the boyband and him have several jokes about working out of state. My favorite is that they live in a jail cell (hotel room) and are on work release during the day. I am really trying to find them a nice condo or cabin to stay in while they are in Wisconsin. My favorite detail about their upcoming digs is that it will be in Amish and Cranberry Country. As Mark would say, "Life as a hermit."

Riley's First Fish!

2009-05-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

I was so lucky to be able to go on Riley's field trip today! He caught his first fish! It was so fun and he was so excited! I could sell the energy this kid had and make some serious money! He reeled the fish in all by himself, it was so cute! When the fish finally came out of the water, he kept yelling, "I did it, I did it" So cute! We were also able to go to a private farm and see so many cute animals, this was before the fish pond. Riley was not happy about it, the entire time, he kept saying, "when are we going fishing mom?"

Wicked in Salt Lake

2009-04-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

This year I got season tickets to the Broadway shows in Salt Lake, basically it was to be able to see Wicked. Well today was the day. Mark was suppose to come with me, but little did we know he would be working out of State. So I took my daughter, Kaycie, who has a passion for Broadway like me! She "LOVED" it! We both almost cried it was so good. I was just amazed by the story line and the actors were fabulous! We then went to dinner with my sister-in-law, Nicky, my mother-in-law and her sister to Market Street Grill, can I just say "Yummy"!!

HOGLE ZOO

2009-04-18T15:48:00.001-07:00

Spring Break Part II: Today we went to the Hogle Zoo. All my kids had so much fun! It was perfect weather, so all the animals were out. Riley laughed hysterically at the little monkeys playing around. Kaycie loved the Camels! And Jake loved being there with his little brother, he was such a big helper! Thanks to the Dunkley's for going! We had a blast!!

THE LIVING PLANET AQUARIUM

2009-04-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Part I: We headed to Salt Lake to see The Living Planet Aquarium. The kids had a blast! It doesn't take too long to go through, but it is well worth the drive. We probably spent an hour looking at the fish. The kids were able to touch a string ray, which was really fun!! Riley loved all the fish! We went with our good friends the Livingstons, Dunkley's and Sisk family.

DINOSAURS...ROAR!!

2009-04-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be able to go on a scheduled field trip with Riley's class this past Monday. We went to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. Riley loved it!! I loved spending time with him. On the way home, almost all the kids fell asleep on the bus, but not Riley! This kid has so much energy!!

April shower's bring May Flowers

2009-04-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here we are in April already! How time flies!! Mark has been home for two weeks now. The kids and I have enjoyed him being home. We were able to go out with our good friends, Amy & John, on Saturday night and enjoy a good dinner and a hockey game. We have never been to a game before, so this was a whole new experience for both Mark and I. It was a blast!! I loved every minute of the game! I can't believe how much they fight! It was crazy, but in a fun sort of way!! I think all of us wish is wasn't the last game of the season!!

The kids are all doing well. Riley has a new habit of putting his underwear on backwards, so he can see the picture of Diego, Thomas the Tank Engine, Nemo or whatever is on the backside of his underwear. This causes a whole set of problems, for which I am trying to change this habit! See the results of wearing your underwar backwards below:

So the sad news comes now, Mark leaves us for 5 weeks starting Sunday. In my previous post, I stated he was going to Tulsa, which was wrong. He is actually going to Lawton, Oklahama, which is about an hour and 1/2 away from Oklahoma City. He will be working on a military base, so I am hoping he gets the yes "ma'am" thing down!

One more exciting bit of news to help me through the lonely 5 weeks, I have "WICKED" tickets!! Kaycie and I are headed out on the town to see "WICKED" on the 19th!! I am so excited!!

Happy Easter to you all....

MARCH UPDATES

2009-03-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

With Mark out of town and me trying to work and be a good single mom for the last month, I haven't had a chance to post.

Things are going well, Mark is ready to come home. I think he is tired of Appleton, Wisconsin and the cold weather. He says the work is different (hard physical labor), but fun. I am glad he is enjoying the work...because he is on to the next job in April...Tulsa, Oklahoma! This one should be a shorter time frame., which is nice!

I was lucky enough to be able to take my kids on a much needed vacation this past weekend. I know crazy right! I packed them up all by my lonesome and took them down to St. George. Luckily, I had a friend, who's husband is with Mark, down there with me. She stayed in a different condo, but we did hang out everyday! The kids had fun and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. My friend, Natalie, and I took off Saturday night and went to Mesquite...for much needed adult time! We played Bingo and I won $25, a two night stay, and a $50 dinner. She then went to play cards and I decided to play the penny slots. I sat down at the only open slot machine and won $100!!! We had so much fun!!

WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH...MOVE TO WISCONSIN...

2009-03-07T11:20:00.001-08:00

So today's the day, Mark left this morning for Wisconsin! I was suprised my kids took it so well, they were up eating breakfast and talking and then when Mark left, each one of them hugged him...and there were no tears.

I think Mark is kind of in shock, but we are all taking it as a huge blessing. I am crossing my fingers construction picks up here in Utah. But, it is nice to know that my husband is willing to sacrifice for his family and travel to find work.

I also look at it as an adventure and am a bit jealous of Mark's side of the adventure. If you know me, you know I "LOVE" to travel. Mark has bid some jobs that will come after this one, in places I have never been, so it makes me a bit jealous! However a brief visit to these places for me is better than his one month stay, which will possibly be his life for a while!

So, I have made a list of projects in my house, to pass the time. I have plans to take the kids on a trip and I have a few ideas of how to keep them entertained. I am fully confident that I can be a good single mom for this month and possibly several months to come.

I am extremely thankful for this opportunity. I will miss Mark a lot, but am thankful for technology...e-mail, text messaging, and talking on the phone will be nice!

Wish us all luck!

2009-02-21T18:54:00.000-08:00

Here's my Jake! He's such a boarder...he wishes he were pro! I wish I could help him get there! I really have a hard time telling him he can't go snowboarding everyday...even on school days, but so far this year he's only missed one! He has such talent for the sport! It is fun to see him enjoy something so much!

DAM 2 DAM RUN

2009-02-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

Mark and his friends ran the Dam 2 Dam run at the Sand Hollow Resevoir just outside of Hurricane, Utah. It was a 5 mile run, with around 300 people running the race. Mark and all of his friends made it in the top 100! Mark's time was 40 min 38 sec. He did a great job!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, SO I CAN CRY IF I WANT TO!

2009-02-18T13:14:00.000-08:00

I won't be crying...even though I've turned 35 and know that I only have 5 years until the big 40. I am excited for my birthday each year! And plan on celebrating every year, I never want to be "one of those people" who like to ignore my big day! Bring it on...presents, lunches, vacations, nights out with the girls...I am all over it for the entire month of February!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes...I have enjoyed this day and have 10 more days in February to enjoy! Curses to the month of March...it always ruins my extended birthday!!

APPLETON, WISCONSIN

2009-02-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

So why is the title "Appleton, Wisconsin" you ask? Well it will be Mark's new home starting in March!! He should be there for almost a month. I am a bit freaked out, but so excited for him. This is a great opportunity and if things work out, he could be traveling around the United States working on different projects! I am kind of jealous, because I love traveling and it would fun to see new places! But, I am happy that we don't have to pick up our family and move!

Life will definitely change for me, I will be somewhat of a single mom. But, it is worth the sacrifice!

As for everything else in life, things are going great. Jake continues to snowboard every weekend! Kaycie started gymnastics...well I should say...I signed her up for gymnastics without her knowledge. She was so mad, the day she started, she kept glaring at me during class, I could tell she was flipping me off in her heart. But, by the end, she was loving it. She said, "Mom, the teachers kept asking me if my mom or dad was a gymnast and they said that I was born to be a gymnast." So now she thinks its her calling in life. I am excited that she is loving it and she defintely has a talent for it! Riley is still keeping us busy. He is in pre-school 4 days a week. He does not allow any of us to walk him to the bus, he has to do it all himself. He loves school and runs around the house singing songs, talking about colors and shapes, and drawing. He has made a lot of progress, which I thank pre-school for!!

Oh and did I mention...it's birthday month! Oh yes, February is my month! I keep wondering where the last 35 years went! I also keep thinking it's time to grow up...and then in the next breath, I think why!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-09T16:32:00.001-08:00

So sorry...it's been a while. Christmas tends to be a busy time of year, but in all reality...I basically stayed home from December 23 to January 5, with a weekend trip to St. George! So it wasn't really busy as much as it was relaxing. I read two books, enjoyed time with my kids, and celebrated the New Year with Riley...while Jake went with friends and Mark and Kaycie took off a day early to St. George! We did have a ton of fun over the Christmas Break. Jake did a ton of snowboarding with his friends, Kaycie and Riley hung out with friends and family! And Mark started up a new venture called Exfuse, its a health drink called Seven. I have started drinking it just recently, so I'll have to report back on how I feel. It has 7 wonder fruits that help with a lot of different issues. As you may know, Mark has been really into his health. He has lost over 16 pounds and he has made it to 5 miles on his running. Go Mark! He has one more month to go before the final weigh in...so keep your fingers crossed!

It was really hard for me to go back to work, which is odd because I am a work-a-holic. But since being back for a week, I am now in the swing of things!

My only thing now is the hope for an early Spring and maybe some trip to look forward to, but since neither of those are definites...I am going to live in the moment and enjoy life! That's my New Year's Resolution!

Happy New Year's to you all...here are a few fun pics of the family!

PRE-CHRISTMAS UPDATE

2008-12-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

Oh do I have updates. I have been so busy in the last week...I thought I better update what's been going on before my brain shuts down. Every year, since I can remember I have helped my friend, Amy K, with the Sub-for-Santa program at DCFS. Last year, she had her cute baby and decided to leave the land of DCFS. Therefore, it put myself and my good friend, Heather, in charge this year. We thought for sure that with the two of us heading this program, it would be so easy, since we knew Amy was so stressed doing it by herself...then two people would definitely make the stress levels go way down. Oh no, I am still trying to wrap my head around how she did this whole program alone. Let's just say, that Heather and I worked late everyday last week. Including pulling a one a.m. at the DCFS office, it was really creepy being there late at night. But all of these late days and long hours were for a great cause. We were able to serve 263 children, who might have not had Christmas otherwise! I am amazed by all those companies and individuals who donated time and money for this great cause!

So during this fun Sub-for-Santa, I am pretty sure my poor family was a bit neglected. Kaycie kept asking when I was coming home and when I finally did make it home one night. Riley decided to make mud pies on my carpet with a gallon of milk and chocolate milk mix. I am still trying to pull that from the carpet. I am sure this was some attention seeking behavior! Well it worked!!

After working Thursday, Mark took me to the Provo Temple for our 15-year Temple Anniversary. It is hard to believe that it has been 15-years since we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. I still remember it and it was one of the most amazing experiences I have had.

Friday, our friends decided that we could buy each others tickets for Christmas to a double-feature. First we saw 7 pounds. Oh my word, pull out the razor blades, this was "The" most depressing film I have ever seen. If I weren't in a packed movie theatre, I would have cried outloud...I mean sobbed! Next we saw Yes Man. Oh my word, I laughed so hard. I was glad to see such a funny film after the first one!

Saturday, I finally finished all of my Christmas Shopping...what a relief that is!

I am so excited for Christmas. I am taking two weeks off of work and am excited to spend the time with my kids.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

WE CAN OFFICIALLY START CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS...

2008-12-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

...THE TREE IS UP!! I don't know what my problem is this year, but I just got my Christmas Tree up TODAY!! Thanks to Mark and Jake for bringing all the decorations and the tree upstairs and thanks to the girls at Bunco for giving me such a hard time for not having decorated yet...I think both these things helped me get motivated!!! I have been so busy this year with Stake Camp meetings, Santa's Helper at work, and other odds and ends...the time just kept flying by.

So now I finally feel the Christmas Spririt in my home! Remember how I take the tree down the day after Christmas! Nice 14 days of celebration! Cross your fingers I will be better next year!

THANKSGIVING

2008-12-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

We had a fun and eventful Thanksgiving this year. My mom decided to have an early Thanksgiving on Sunday, because my Grandma was going into surgery to get her second hip replaced.

Monday, we took Jake out for his birthday, can you believe I have a 12-year old!! We saw Madagascar 2, which I loved. Riley clapped when it was over and it was the first movie he watched in the theatre the entire way through. Usually we have to leave half way through the movie!

Tuesday, it was Jake's birthday and we entertained 7 twelve year olds. Jake had a blast!

On Wednesday, our friends Jake and Heather, invited us to pre-Thanksgiving Pie Party. It was yummy! Jake made "several" pies and I couldn't stop eating.

On Thanksgiving, Mark played football in the morning with friends and then he came home and started baking pies for his Mom's Thanksgiving dinner. We ate and then literally fell asleep.

Friday, I went shopping with my mom and my grandma (my Mom's Mom). We shopped from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. We had a blast! This is a tradition we've had since I was really young. I love it!!

Saturday, we layed around recuperating from the long weekend and then Mark and I went with friends to "Four Christmases". I never laughed so hard!

On Sunday, Jake was ordained a Deacon, we were so proud of him. He had a great day being recognized for all of his hard work completing his Faith in God. He also got up in front of all of the adults for the 5th Sunday meeting and recited the 13th Article of Faith. I was more nervous than him! He did a great job!!

TWILIGHT PREMIERE

2008-11-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

My friend, Amber, had a cousin who booked an entire theater for the 12 a.m. premiere of Twilight. At first, I didn't really want to go, because I just had a feeling it couldn't live up to the books. But, in the end we decided to go. We started the night off at around 8...shopping, of course. We then went to dinner, and more shopping...it is kind of hard to waste time that late at night, because nothing is open, but Wal-Mart!!

We got to the theatre around 11:45...and it was kind of crazy to see how many theatres were booked that late.

So we got settled in with our treats and Diet Coke and were ready to see what this movie had to offer. Well about 15 minutes into the flick, the girl two seats down from me threw up...oh yes...I am not kidding. I was dying. I kept thinking this is not happening. So, of course, they come sprinkle some deodorizer on it about 10 minutes after it happened. So imagine the smell wafting my way for about 10 minutes before the deodorizer. So the entire movie, I was completely tense, because I could not stop thinking about the throw up on the floor right next to me!!!

How was the movie, you ask, well it was just not that great. I went in there with low expectations and so I wasn't completely disappointed. I just know if they would have waited longer to start the movie process on these books, that they would have had more money to do a really great job (find better actor's and produce way better special effects) but it didn't happen that way, so I really hope they learn from this first one and when they release the second one that it kicks butt.

All in all, I had a fun night out with the girl's, it will definitely be a night I will remember!

RILEY'S SURGERY

2008-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Riley went into surgery for his second round of tubes. The poor kid has struggled with fluid behind his ears and hearing like he is underwater since he was 18 months. The first set of tubes helped immensely, along with speech therapy. And now he is in Pre-school where he gets a 1/2 an hour a day of speech therapy, which has made a huge difference! We went back to the ENT a few weeks ago and Riley had 100% hearing in one ear and .06% hearing in the other, so we decided it would be best to put the second set of tubes in because the one ear the tube was trying to force its way out causing fluid to build again and his hearing to be down to .06%.

The surgery is a very simple 10 to 15 minutes procedure, but I was still nervous because of the anesthesia. But Riley did really well and was quite the trooper. That day we got home and I thought he would crash, because we were up at 5 a.m., but no...the child was "SO" hyper. I have never seen anything like it.

I am now going to cross my fingers that this set is the last and that he has no further problems with his hearing!!

MESSAGE IN A WRAPPER

2008-11-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

So after devouring an entire bag of Dove Milk Chocolate Caramels...I decided not to feel guilty...because in each wrapper there is an inspirational message...you know like a fortune cookie has your fortune, these chocolates have an inspirational saying inside each wrapper!! Such as: It's never too late for a fresh start. - or - Happiness is the experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

So I just kept eating, so I could keep getting inspired...until the bag was empty...am I inspired you ask? Absolutely inspired to get another bag to eat!!

HALLOWEEN 2008

2008-11-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this year. Riley was such a riot. He would knock on the door or want to push the button (doorbell) and before they came to the door, he was already saying his version of "Trick or Treat", "ipp er teat". Once they opened the door, I would have to tell him to say it again. But, he wouldn't he would say "Candy please". And then he would say, "thank you bye". And move on to the next house, running all the way. We couldn't keep up! He would run to the next house yelling...."go...go...go...Kaycie...come on" Kaycie was even having a hard time keeping up with him.

Jake the shadow

Jake, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the family trick or treating, it was all about his friends this year. Which is fine, he had tons of fun!

Kaycie the monster bride

Kaycie stayed with us most of the night and then she went off with her friends Cole and Wyatt. They felt so independent and had tons of fun!

Riley the Bee

...we were lucky to keep Riley's costume on most of the night! I really think he ended up with more candy than Jake or Kaycie!!

HUH?

2008-10-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

So I'm just so excited when I find out Riley's preschool teacher has created a blog! I mean hello, who doesn't want to see what their three-year old is doing everyday at school, brilliant...I think! So everyday I go on the blog and see the cutest pics of Riley and read about what they do at school each. Well today, I get on the blog to see what they did at their Halloween Party. I am really thinking, did Riley keep his costume on or did he throw a fit and the minute he got to school and take it off. Did I expect to see this pic....

Oh no...I expected pictures of the class all dressed in their cute costumes, instead I get Riley dressed in half his costume and some ladies hat and purse!! Isn't he/she sweet??? What's up with this? He is so cute though...even though he loves to play dress up!

CALIFORNIA 2008

2008-10-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

My family, including my parents and my brother's family, went on a week long California vacation!! We had so much fun. We went to Knotts Berry Farm, Disneyland for three days, Universal Studios, and the beach. The kids were really good and they had a blast with their cousins! We couldn't have asked for better weather and the crowds were slim. The longest we waited for a ride was 30 minutes...that's great in Disneyland!! Riley loved it...everytime he would see Mickey...he would scream, Mouse! Mouse! So we decided he had better meet Mickey. It was so cute...he kept kissing him and you could tell he was so excited to be with Mickey. He met several other characters and I forgot how fun it is to see your kids so excited to meet them. I think my favorite part of the vacation was getting away from all the stresses of life and hanging out in beautiful California with my family! Now I kind of have my vacation bug back and I really want to start planning another fun trip!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY RILEY!

2008-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

Riley turns "3" today!! Can you believe it? It is so crazy how time flies. His party was so much fun. He loved all his gifts and it was so fun to watch him open each one. He was so embarrassed to have everyone sing Happy Birthday to him. He blew out the candles through his nose...I dont think he understands the concept of blowing through his mouth yet!! We have enjoyed every minute with Riley, he has been such a fun kid and Jake and Kaycie really love having a little brother!

HAPPY 16TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

2008-09-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to wish my husband a happy 16-year wedding anniversary. I can't believe how time flies. So much has happened in our lifes in the last 16-years. We were married September 25, 1992. Since then we have added 3 beautiful, fun, crazy kids to our plate. We bought two houses, sold them, built a house, remodeled it several times, and recreated our yard numerous times as well. We have traveled a lot. We have lost 6 grandparents, gained a sister-in-law and brother-in-law and 7 nieces and 3 nephews. I appreciate so many things about Mark. He is patient with me...when he shouldn't be. He knows how to have fun and not take things so seriously. And he is supportive...especially when I come to him with yet another travel plan!! Thank you for the last 16-years...I pray for many more!

REALLY...AND I THOUGHT RILEY'S DRESSING UP WAS BAD!

2008-09-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

So let me preface this with, if you know Mark...this won't surprise you! So we're in Target shopping for Riley's birthday. And I am looking through the toys when Mark disappears. I hear someone yelling my name...oh yes it's Mark...fully dressed in footy pj's. He is dead set that he needs them and how cool they are, because not only do they have the footies...they glow in the dark! Mind you, this is in the middle of Target and he doesn't care that people keep literally walking back and forth to take a look at him...oh and by the way, I didn't let him purchase them!! Maybe I'll have to surprise him and buy them for his Christmas PJ's!!

THE FINAL GAME

2008-09-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

I love the Yankees and today is their final game at Yankees Stadium.

In June, I was able to go to a game at Yankees Stadium. It was amazing to walk into the stadium knowing all the history that has occurred there! I feel so lucky to have been able to watch one of their many games and I can't wait to watch another one in their new stadium!

GO YANKEES!

WHAT DOES A MOTHER DO ABOUT THIS?

2008-09-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Okay so I was laughing my head off...I have to admit. I mean when your 2-year old comes upstairs from the playroom and has dressed himself up in this lovely attire...what can you do, but laugh...and maybe wonder a bit...

Wasatch Bull Elk

2008-09-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Mark was able to get his Wasatch Bull Elk last night. He is very happy with the Elk and he says he could have never done it without all of his friends. He had a lot of help! He had tons of fun as well!

IT'S NOT "JUST" AN ELK HUNT...IT'S A "ONCE IN A LIFETIME" ELK HUNT!

2008-09-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

Elk also known as Wapiti, Alce, Elch, Orignal, Eland, Elg, 麋鹿,

ヘラジカ, лось

So if you haven't heard my husband drew the Wasatch Elk Tag (Rifle Hunt). Let the scouting begin. He is has been on and off the mountain almost every day for the last two and half months. When he finally found the elk he wanted, he started setting up camp...and when I say setting up camp...I am talking almost everything went up the mountain besides the kitchen sink. He left yesterday and the hunt starts Saturday. He has "MANY" friends going up there to help with the cause. What cracks me up the most, is that he set a camp and then two "dumby" camps to ward off any fellow hunters from coming into his territory. What is that all about? He also has a "backup" camp, just in case they don't get the "BIG" one! He told me he was so nervous that he was sick to his stomach. I just can't phathom that one! I will have to keep you all posted on the festivities. To be honest with you, I am truly crossing my fingers that he gets the big one. He has worked really hard for this and waited 10 long years. He deserves to not only have fun, but bring home the elk he's been waiting 10 years for!!

KITE FESTIVAL - SPANISH FORK

2008-09-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Nicky, my sister-in-law, called to see if I wanted to bring Riley to the Kite Festival in Spanish Fork. I met her at the Little Acorn and we had a good lunch. She brought one of her friends from William's Sonoma, who looks exactly like the lead girl in Mama Mia!! We then headed to the Kite Festival. It was really fun and quite amazing to me. There are actual companies who travel around and show off their kite skills.

Riley also had fun on the playground, he wasn't very happy when I made him leave...ask Nicky...he was screaming!!

MY TWO YEAR OLD IS RIDING A SCHOOL BUS???

2008-09-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have probably told most of you...but for those who don't know...Riley started school. He is only two mind you, but I had him tested at Nebo School District and they diagnosed him as developmentally delayed. He seems to be at least a year or more behind on his speech and language. Which didn't surprise me in the least. He had tubes put in last October and several sessions of speech therapy. Someone told me about a preschool program the school offers and so I had him tested. He qualified and they told me he would need to ride a bus because that is "part of the preschool experience". I wasn't worried about the school part of it, but a bus...HELLO...he is still my baby. I couldn't wrap my head around why he needed to ride the bus, when I could drop him off at the school and my sister could pick him up. But the District was very adament that he ride the bus, because it gives him the social part that he needs to interact with kids his age...so I reluctantly agreed. So Monday was to be his first day of the bus/preschool experience. Well...he got sick Sunday night...with an ear infection...which got us here in the first place...kind of ironic. So Tuesday, he seemed to be feeling well. I got him up, he didn't fight getting ready for the big day. We got his backpack out and Riley loaded it up, with the Monsters DVD, a sippy cup, bag of Cheerios, a stuffed animal of Coco's, and fruit snack...he did this by himself. And then we waited for the "short" bus, as my husband calls it. Well it wasn't the "short" cute bus that comes and picks up the "WEE" kids it was the "long" bus (that NORMAL SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN RIDE, NOT MY TWO-YEAR OLD) came and I took Riley out to get on the bus. He started screaming at the top of his lungs, "MOM, MOM" I was a nervous wreck. They put him in the carseat and closed the doors and I could still hear him scream. I started to tear up. I felt so bad. I got a call at work from the bus driver, very sweet lady, who tells me that, "Riley sure has a set of lungs"...but that he stopped screaming shortly after leaving our house and that he was happy and played well at school. So my sister calls when they dropped him off at her house after school...and the funny thing is that he started screaming again, because he didn't want to get off the bus!! He did go again today and we did have the same experience as yesterday, I just hope that he gets use to it and it can become a pleasant experience...WISH ME WELL ON THIS ONE!

DO YOU KNOW WHERE RILEY WENT?

2008-08-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

....DON'T CHARGE ME WITH CHILD NEGLECT OR ANIMAL CRUELTY....

So the other day...I was doing dishes, Mark was working in the office...and where
was Riley? So I yell to Mark, "do you know where Riley is?"

As I was walking back to my bedroom, I could hear the water running...I was thinking great, we've got a mess on our hands! Riley had decided that CoCo needed a bath. You could just see it in CoCo's eyes...PLEASE SAVE ME!!

MY FAVORITE LAST COMIC STANDING

2008-08-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am so sad that Marcus didn't win...I loved watching him. I had to rewind his performances to watch them over and over again! Especially this one!!

FEEDING THE DUCKS

2008-08-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Jake and Kaycie were gone for the day and so Mark and I decided to take Riley to see the ducks. It was so much fun. Riley was eating the bread as fast as he was feeding it to the ducks (as you can see by the picture with the bread stuck to his lip). We had never taken him to feed the ducks before, so it was really funny to see his reaction.

PARK CITY

2008-08-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took our kids along with our good friends, the Dunkley's, school shopping and playing in Park City. Friday we took the kids school shopping, by the end, we were asking ourselves why we were there...I think we were ALL frustrated and tired. We then went swimming at the hotel.

We woke up the next day and took the kids on the Alpine Slide, Mountain Coaster, and let them jump on the trampolines. We then had a great lunch at Baja Cantina...and while eating it started to pour rain. Riley and Jack decided they would play in the rain!! We had a fun, but short weekend.

2008-08-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Amber!

Four Movies I would watch more then once:
1. Juno
2.Goonies...don't make fun!
3. Any of the Borne series
4. Any 80's highschool flick, like Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles...you name it, I LOVE IT!!

Jobs I've had:
1. Brookeside Gas Station
2. Utah Valley University (of course back then it is what UVSC and that was after it was UVCC and I was there for both)
3. Division of Child and Family Services (14 years strong)

Places I have lived:
Amber thinks she's boring....try just Mapleton & Springville

I have been to/visited:
I have almost covered all 50 states, Mexico, and the Caribbean. My favorite place is New York City of course!! I have a wish list and I will make it to the places on my list SOON!!

Foods:
Personally right now, I need to find a new place to eat...everything is bugging me. I guess I am sick of the same ole thing!!

Places I would like to visit:
1. Oregon
2. Vermont ( in the fall )
3. Italy
4. Upstate New York
5. Chicago
6. Alaska
7....I could go on!! I LOVE TO TRAVEL!!

Things I am looking forward to:
1. Disneyland with my kids and my brother, sister, and parents in October
2. Christmas
3. Retirement
4. My next big vacation, although not yet planned...I am sure it will be FUN!

Friends I am tagging:
Amy Kennington
Angela Robbins
Susan Knadler
Nicky Bleggi

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN LATELY?

2008-07-29T13:48:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...it's been ages since I posted. I have just been busy with the kids. We have gone to the cabin in Fairview a couple of times. Which was fun as ever. Mark and I took the kids to the 24th of July Rodeo in Spanish Fork. It was "THE" best rodeo I have been to in a long time. The rodeo clown was amazing!!

We had the annual Bleggi family reunion last weekend. I can't tell you how amazing it is that every year they have so many people show up and support the reunion. I still feel new to the family, even though it has been 16 years. There are always new members joining, new babies, and sometimes people even bring friends. That's how fun it is. Thanks to the Bringhurst family for providing lunch and entertainment to my family and myself. We owe you guys!!

The Antonino's rented a waterslide, I couldn't get Riley off of it! The kids had a blast!!

Jake and Breeann had a marshmellow eating contest...I think Breeann won...does that mean she has a big mouth??? Just kidding Bree!!

WE'RE IN NEW YORK BABY!

2008-07-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

So many of you know...I love New York! So I thought I would share my love of the big city with my husband, Mark. He was not at all excited. There were so many other places he would rather spend his time (especially somewhere tropical). But, I think he enjoyed it, besides seeing a homeless man pee in a plastic bag, a women get literally beat up on the subway, they gay pride parade, and the Yankees lose; what's not to love!!

We went with our good friends Amy and John. Amy had a been a few times before, and John had never been. I know John loved it!! We did many touristy things...and....we were on the Today's show, went to a Broadway show (Legally Blonde), went to a Yankees game, and Mark and John went to a Mets game...and most importantly...SHOPPED! We also ate tons of yummy food, my favorite was Sarabeth's for breakfast, love it!!!

I miss it already...so anyone want to go back??? I'm game!!

DO I HAVE SOMETHING ON MY FACE?

2008-06-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was a kid (I like to think that was not too long ago), we use to count down the days until my dad would get the irrigation in the summer. We would play out on the back lawn with what we called a skim board (a homemade board that you would run with and drop into the water, jump on, and hopefully skim across the top of the water or head plant it!!). We would also just run through the water, play in the ditches, make mud pies, have mud fights, you name it. My kids experienced this first hand, on Father's Day. My dad had the irrigation water...Riley was the first to jump in...fully clothed. Kaycie then decided to take all of her clothes off, but her underwear and jump in. It was then Jake's turn. He was nervous, what if someone saw him. We kept explaining that no one would know he was in his boxers....and hello Kaycie was in her underwear. He finally did it!! Both Jake & Kaycie covered themselves in mud, so no one would know they were in their underwear and if you know Kaycie this won't surprise you...she made herself a mud bra. I don't think I had laughed that hard in a long time, and my parents, and grandmas were laughing hysterically as well!! The kids had a blast...and I have to admit, I was kind of jealous, I miss being a kid!!

WHO IS THIS LITTLE BOY????

2008-06-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know little Riley's hair was too long, but I felt like if I cut it he would not be the same little Riley with the cute long blonde hair!! But, I was getting tired of people calling him a girl...or the latest was a relative saying..."I thought your youngest was a boy?" But I have to admit, it turned out so cute!! And it turns out if you cut their hair they are the same child...who would have thunk it!!! I have had several people thrown off by his new look. They really didn't know who the little boy was that I was holding or walking with! After he got his haircut, he kept pulling on his hair. I don't know if it was a sign that he didn't like it short or that he was really confused!! I do, however, love it!! I am so glad we cut it!! Everytime I look at him now, it reminds me of Jake when he was his age.

KAYCIE'S BAPTISM DAY!

2008-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Kaycie recently was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was so excited!! Her dad baptized and confirmed her. Her grandpa Eddie was one of the witnesses and her uncle Mark was the other. Almost all of her cousins were there. After her baptism, she invited everyone to breakfast. We then went to dinner and the Art City Days fireworks with John and Amy and their family. She had a really fun day.

OH HAPPY DAY!!!

2008-06-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

So just an update....for those of you who didn't know...I applied for a new job at the State. And was offered the job today. As of Monday, I will be working as a Contract Grant Analyst. I am so excited. For one, I will be still working in Provo with my good friend Heather and stay on a GREAT team, but for two, I get a raise!!! Yeah!!! It will basically pay for the gas to get to and from work, but hey it's a raise!! I am crossing my fingers that the gas price drops back down to $2/gallon...a girl can dream...but can you imagine the raise I'll get then!! Just so you know...I can't seem to wipe the grin off my face today...it's been an uphill road at work and I am just glad I finally hit a good spot, because it has been quite bumpy!!

HOW'S THE DOG YOU ASK?

2008-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I know you are all curious how Kaycie's (KeeKee's) dog is doing. Well she has become quite the spoiled member of the family. We have really grown to love this sweet little girl. She is so much fun!! We are crate training her...which is new to me, but apparently the best way to keep your puppy from messing up your house!! It is working like a charm....she is so good to sleep all night long in her crate...hence the picture above...and remember how Coco sleeps on her back...weird!! Kaycie wishes she could sleep with her, but we've tried that once and poor Coco ended up between the bed and the wall...oh yes, I about had a heart attackwhen I couldn't find her!! So that was the end of her sleeping with Kaycie!!

HAPPY 8TH BIRTHDAY SWEET KAYCIE!

2008-05-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

It's Kaycie's birthday today! It is so hard to believe I had her 8 years ago. Time flies. We are so happy she is part of our family. She is such a sweet, spunky girl. She says the funniest things and is such a diva!! And when I say diva, I really mean it!! For her 8th birthday Mark and I gave her a puppy. I know, we are in for it, right!! But, honestly, this puppy is such a cute thing and at first I was against it, but I am so happy now! She is such a fun little thing!! Kaycie has named her CoCo, because she says her color is like when a cocoa puff sits in milk too long. I guess however you get a name, it works, right??

JAKE'S GOING TO DISNEYLAND

2008-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Nicky, Jake's aunt, took him to Disneyland for his birthday and Christmas present...here's her blog...as they get ready to take off at the aiport!! See below:

Jake and I are on our way to Disneyland for Memorial Day weekend. Jake is a hit at the airport....the girl at cinnabon told him he has the coolest hair and this cute group of girls(in the background of the photo) kept saying look at that cute little boy he is so cute. They came over and asked him where he got his rockin republic jeans and told him he was the cutest little boy ever. He asked me "gosh why am I getting so many comments about my hair and clothes today?"

A SAD DAY!

2008-05-14T21:57:00.001-07:00

I just got the sad news today that my friend Amy K. has given her notice at work. She is one of my dearest friends and I am so sad she is leaving. But, she is quitting for a good reason, she had a baby and has wanted to stay home since having her son, Andrew. Abbi was born a little over three months ago, so she has been gone on maternity leave for a while. I have missed working with her everyday and will now miss her even more. Our office won't be the same without her, but I wish her the best and I am so happy for her...and maybe a bit jealous as well...

HUSBAND TAG

2008-04-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

Susan tagged me. Here some info about Mark and I. (Amy and Heather if you read this, now it's your turn to blog about your husbands)

What is his name: Mark Bleggi

How long have we been together: We have been married 16 years in September and dated a year and a half before that and now have three awesome, fun, beautiful children!!

How old is he: 36

Who eats more: Mark

Who said I love you first: For sure Mark, what's not to love!!

Who is taller: Mark - but that's not saying much our poor children have no hope!

What is his favorite sport: Baseball

Who is smarter: Me!! Okay, okay...we are both smart in our owns ways!

Who does the laundry: Me!!!!!

Who does the dishes: Mostly Me!!!!

Who pays the bills: Once again Me!!

Who cooks dinner: We both share in this...but I prefer Mark to cook...I can't stand cooking!!

Who drives: It all depends, we both share in this, I tend to like to drive more because Mark's a chatty Cathy and is always texting or talking on the phone, it frightens me too much to allow him to drive!!

Who wears the pants: For sure ME!!! I have to agree with Susan, my Mark is pretty laid back too...and I am the planner in the family.

Who kissed who first: Mark kissed me...I couldn't keep him away...kind of scared me! Just kidding...it was a joint venture!!

Who proposed to whom? Mark proposed

Mark is honestly one of the best guys I know!! I feel pretty lucky to have met him at such a young age! Who would've thought being married at 18 would have worked out!! He is such a great dad and a wonderful husband! After 16 years of marital bliss...hee...hee...I couldn't honestly imagine being married to anyone else!! Yes Mark, chalk one up, I still love you after all these years!!

A DAY IN THE BIG SALT LAKE CITY

2008-04-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Kaycie, Nicky, and myself went to Annie at Kingsbury Hall. We had tons of fun! First off we had extra time before the big show. So we drove around Salt Lake looking at all of the old homes. We happened upon the Salt Lake Cementary.
And how fun was that. We found several prophets graves, including President Hinkley, which I was so excited to see.

We also saw the Christmas Box Angel, which was very pretty!

We then hit the big show....

Annie was amazing! I love the movie, but the Broadway show was even better!! Kaycie was embarrassed because I kept asking her if I could sing a-long!

On to dinner....

We then went to the Melting Pot and had so much fun! We had "SO" much food and it was so yummy! We started with a Caribean Cheese Fondue, which was quite tasty! We had salads and then cooked our tray of meat in a really good broth!!

Finally my favorite part...the chocolate fondue.

We had tons of fun! And as always, I love hanging with Kaycie or as Nicky calls her, "Kiki". And I love hanging with Nicky! She is always so much fun!

OUR NEW ADDITION

2008-04-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

After a long and utterly stressful process...we got a new car, the Jeep Commander!!
Here she is......

Some of you may know the story of how we sold "precious" to my brother and we got his truck in trade. Mark was going to sell his truck and drive my brother's, because it is smaller and not a diesel. Well....we couldn't sell it and so we decided to put both trucks on ksl.com, within two days we sold my brother's truck. Which left us with one car....arghhhh!! So I took two days of work along with Mark we set out to find a car. It was a nightmare...I developed a twitch on the side of my eye. But, finally we found the Jeep Commander. I didn't fall in love at first and I think it will take a little bit to develop a full love of her and name her. But, soon she'll have a name!!

After getting home with the new car, the kids wanted a ride. So we drove down to get tacos...and hello...Riley spills a 44 oz. Diet Coke in the back seat. I then dropped my garage opener into the open drink, which broke the garage opener. We then got home and found out that someone stole Mark's new Taylor Maid golf clubs and Jake's new Ping golf clubs. So we called the cops and were in hot pursuit of the suspect. Low and behold it was John "our not-so-good" friend who pulled a prank on us!! Way to go John, that was a good one!! Watch your back my friend!!

So we are just wondering...is this "new" car a bad omen??? I hope not! Cross your fingers it was just a fluke thing!

JAKE DID IT...HE CUT HIS LONG LOCKS!

2008-03-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

For over a year, Jake has been growing his hair out! He's been offered over $200 to cut it several times, but held out because he couldn't part with it! But last week, he said he was done with it! He didn't want to deal with doing his hair everyday! I made an appointment with Amber Hanks, who every time he had a trim he would complain that she cut it too short. She told me she wouldn't cut it if he was going to start crying or complaining that it was too short!! He swore to me that he wanted it cut and he wasn't going to be mean to Amber. Last night was the big night and he was a bit nervous, but he really does like. It is crazy how different he looks!!