HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

We came home from a tiring trip, a little sick but the day before halloween kirsten dressed up for school and I went out with my girlfriends. We had a wonderful halloween despite a few hiccups!

Twinkerbell as kirsten calls herself :)

THE BEACH!!!

Kirsten and I enjoyed the beach the sunday after we went to disney! It was a beautiful day compared to the day before when it rained. I wish I had brought her suit, but as you can tell by the last picture she was drenched in her clothes. She loved it and could not stop laughing!!! I loved to see her enjoy it so much and me and her jumped a few waves!
I think I might become a southern cali/beach addict!!!

DISNEYLAND!!!!
Kirsten and I ventured out all by ourselves last wednesday at 4am to take a 12 hour drive to california!!! I have to say I am giving myself a good pat on the back for a drive and trip like that all by myself. Can we say super mom? hahaha we just got back this morning at 2am after a flat tire in Las Vegas. We survived and had a grand time!! Here's some pics!

HERE I AM!

My sister requested a pic of my new hairdo :) Here ya go Kim. I really really needed a change, I'm a HUGE change person, I embrace I love it, especially when it comes to hair. So after 3 years of growing out my hair I just needed something new. I had an appt. with my regular hairdresser showed up that morning with a pic of Victoria Beckham and then realized I had gotten the wrong day ! well by then I was in haircut mod so I called a friend whos cousin cuts hair went to her and after debating about the cut said heck with it! And chop it off! Its really fun and cute, I'm happy I did it!

SOME SERIOUSLY TOTALY CRAZY FUN!!!!

Saturday I went with my friends Sarah, Lindsey, my sis Hayley and Sarahs friend to the Jamboree. I was super excited to see Dashboard Confessional but was pleasantly suprised by quite a few of the other bands! by the end I was DEAD tired, and my ears were ringing and I felt too old to be there with all the screaming teenagers but it was WELL worth it! Thanks girls for such a great time!

SO SQUISHED! right up front!

Thanks Linds for the peace sign. hahaha

With one of the singers of Limbeck (suprisingly so hot when he sings and perfomed!)

K, this is the BEST pic. We all thought this was the lead singer to Dashboard, I mean it really does sort of look like him, but we later realized it wasn't. NO CLUE who he was but we were giddy and excited and I'm sure he thought we were idiots! HAHAHAHA

Lead singer of The Format, SO GOOD!

the only decent pic I got of Dashboard, he is so hot!

MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL!!

I took these pictures of kirsten last week and had to post them. She is so beautiful, I think everyday how on earth I got to be so lucky to be her mama!

My growing girl....

Before haircut
After!!!

I cannot believe how much kirsten has grown up this summer. Its amazing how much she changes day to day. and even though she's getting a little Miss Thang attitude I love her. I am sooo lucky to be her mama, she makes me smile and laugh everyday.
My sister kara cut her hair today, we took off atleast 4 inches. I'm so glad we did it she looks soooo dang cute. not like she wasn't before!

Crazy!

I am doing a ton better from my little sickness! It seems though, eveytime I think I'm totally over something sneaks up and reminds me to take things more easy. Even 2 weeks later! I was just reading this about my syndrome and didn't realize how crazy, rare and scary it really was. Thought I would share!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemierre%27s_syndrome

So grateful.....

I just got home from almost 5 days in the hospital! Monday morning I went into my doctor after being sick for about 4 days and not getting better, my fever was 105 and I kept getting the chills, and just wasn't getting better. So they sent me for some blood work, then a CT scan and then to the hospital. For 4 days they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, my temp held pretty low at 101 with iv fluid and some antibiotics and after 4 CT scans, 3 xrays and one ultrasound I found out I have Lemierre's syndrome, basically its a clot that forms in your pulmonary artery and gets infected and then spreads infection through your whole body. I never imagined my hospital stay being that long and I'm sooooooooo grateful to be home!! Although I still have to lay around and take it easy, its good to be in my bed and just to be home.
As I got my prescriptions today at costco I kept thinking wow..people never know when their health can be taken away like that. And we take it so much for granted. I want to do better at not taking my health for granted and be healthier. anyhow..there is my schpeal, I took some pics on my phone but I doubt I will post them..maybe... we'll see.
Thanks to my family for everything!!! I have no clue where I would be without them.

UTE STAMPEDE!!!

Its Rodeo time!! Last weekend we attended the Ute Stampede in Nephi. I attended this for the first time about 7 years ago with my friend Jen (who is from Nephi) and have loved it and been to it ever since. Me, Molly, Hayley, Derik and Deriks' mom and sister went on friday night. We got cowgirl hats and all! Saturday I spent the day with Kirsten and Tyler and we attended the rodeo that night with some of kirstens uncles and aunts. It was a lot of fun. I love how patriotic rodeos are, and my fav. part of this one is at first they have a man parachute into the arena with an american flag behind him all while playing "proud to be an american" I get tears and chills everytime.

Here's some pics, ENJOY AND YEEEEHAWWW!!!

Hayley Derik and Julie (Derik's mom)

Kirsten with her new guinea pig "Ozzie" watching the parade

Hayley, Molly and Me just a few regular cowfolk hahaha!

SISTERS!

Here are all my wonderful sisters (excluding Piper :( ) sorry Pip. We went to lunch for my sister in laws bday sherrie (the preggie in the middle :) ) anyhow it was really fun and I thought for sure we should take a pic cause who knows when kim will be here again. Miss her and her kids already. Love my sisters, thanks for all you have ever done for me. I will forever be in your debt!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
We had a wonderful 4th spent in Nephi in the morning at the carnival, watching Tyler play basketball, kirsten riding lots of rides and spending time with the Hall family.
Later in the afternoon we headed to Nanna's house to swim with kirsten's cousins and then fireworks in Sandy!
what a wonderful day it was spent surrounded by family. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by those we love.

Kirsten's face painting!

Derik, Hayley and Kirsten enjoying the fireworks

counsins!!! They had so much fun playing together!

Kirsten focusing on making her birdhouse

kirsten took a pic of leanne

Bye Yorgie!
We sold our 4 year old chihuahua on monday :( He's had a really difficult time with the divorce (as weird as that is to say, he's a dog!) but he's been peeing all over the house and I just felt he needed a home with more attention. I put him on KSL late sunday night and got a call monday afternoon from a cute family in Farmington with 3 kids and a big yard. They came to see him that afternoon and took him home right away. Kirsten has been pretty devistated, but I know it was the best choice for yorgie.
We got Yorgie in January of 2003, just after I had my first miscarriage. He was just a tiny thing and I remember him cowering from us under the couch. He would spend his nights crawling up tyler's shirt and sleeping there. He was such a sensitive dog, and just wanted love and affection.
sounds sappy to write a tribute to your dog but..he was a good dog.

We will miss your little yorgster!

Summer Time!
I cannot believe its almost july already *sigh...I love summertime and its almost halfway over. How time flies. Here are a few things we have been up to.

Hayley, Derik, Kirsten and tyler went to the arts festival in Salt lake kirsten had her face painted like this and she went around the rest of the evening barking and growling at people just like a little puppy!

I went with my friend Nicole to the Manti pageant, so fun!

Derik threw hayley a suprise bday party at the pool house! Lots of fun! I had Nicole make that cute cake!

We visited the graves a few weeks after memorial day. This is Kirsten at the grave of her great grandma zella who she is named after.

Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band!
We went to see Ryan Shupe last night, it was SUCH a blast! Under the stars in this beautiful ampitheatre in Sandy til 11pm. Kirsten and I were dancing up a storm we had such a great time! And even stood in line to get our CD signed and get a picture! He's our new fav singer for sure!

Grandpa and Kirsten

Kirsten and I sat on the grass while gma, gpa and hayley and derik sat in the seats we definitly liked the grass better!

11:30pm all zonked out!

MY SONG!!!!
I've' always been one that has related to songs as I said in a previous post. Usually when I'm going thorugh whatever I am in my life I find a song I relate to and listen to it and cry, scream, sing at the top of my lungs (always) whatever emotion I have attached to that song. My latest is this song...I love it and it makes me feel liberated and happy all in one! I'm excited about my new life and new prospects.
For those who don't know this song is from a musical called Wicked. I saw it in chicago a month or so ago and it was AMAZING!

DEFYING GRAVITY
GLINDA
(spoken) Elphaba - why couldn't you have stayed calm for
once, instead of flying off the handle!
(sung) I hope you're happy!
I hope you're happy now
I hope you're happy how you
Hurt your cause forever
I hope you think you're clever!

ELPHABA
I hope you're happy
I hope you're happy, too
I hope you're proud how you
Would grovel in submission
To feed your own ambition

BOTH
So though I can't imagine how
I hope you're happy right now

GLINDA
(spoken) Elphie, listen to me. Just say you're sorry:
(sung) You can still be with the Wizard
What you've worked and waited for
You can have all you ever wanted:

ELPHABA
(spoken) I know:
(sung) But I don't want it -
No - I can't want it
Anymore:

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

GLINDA
Can't I make you understand?
You're having delusions of grandeur:

ELPHABA
I'm through accepting limits
'Cuz someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down:

GLINDA
I hope you're happy
Now that you're choosing this

ELPHABA
(spoken) You too
(sung) I hope it brings you bliss

BOTH
I really hope you get it
And you don't live to regret it
I hope you're happy in the end
I hope you're happy, my friend:

ELPHABASo if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately:
"Ev'ryone deserves the chance to fly!"
And if I'm flying solo
At least I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I'm flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!