Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas! We had a great Christmas this year! All of us were spoiled rotten! Here are a few pictures......

Christmas with the Millers

Kenlee patiently waiting to open presents
Scene It "Twilight"
She's wanted a mini trampoline for a long time...thanks Grandma and Grandpa Kaylor

She's playing the part, she actually looks cold.....My little actress!

We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday!

By the way...we got a little camcorder from Debbie, so I'll be adding videos before long! Can't ya just wait!

Crazy Kitty

So we have had our new kitty for about 2 months now. We don't know for sure how old she is, but we are estimating about 18 weeks old. She is so cute and sooooo naughty. Here are some pics I thought I would share.

Here she is with Sam eating/drinking...she managed to get her head in there to get some too....eventually pushing him out of the way.
Kenlee loves to do tricks with her....she is growing so fast! She is always on the move...
She has really taken to my wicker cubes, they actually look worse now. Her little claws are tearing them up. I figure at least it's not something I care a lot about and would cost a lot to replace.

The other day after work, I found this in my bedroom. I wonder how this happened?????

Then she gets tired and is so cute when she's sleeping...makes you want to pick her up to cuddle!

The sign is hard to read. It says "Shhh Sarah's Sleeping" by Kenlee, of course.

She really is a sweet kitty and we love her! (until she does some serious damage, j/k, but not really)

Unconditional Love

Some things I have been thinking about a lot lately.......

Unconditional love........can it be learned, or must we be its recipient to truly understand what it is?

Definition from Wikipedia:

Unconditional love is a term that means to love someone regardless of one's actions or beliefs. It is a concept comparable to true love, a term which is more frequently used to describe love between lovers. By contrast, unconditional love is frequently used to describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in highly committed relationships. It has also been used in a Christian context to describe God's love for humankind through the forgiveness of Christ.

I have written and deleted what I have wanted to say over 10 times tonight. I can't exactly put my thoughts down into words, so I'll just end with this thought:

"Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper." Friedrich Nietzche

Halloween 2009

Well...Halloween's over and I really don't have have a lot to report. Kenlee got to help make a haunted house at her daycare which she got really excited about. We didn't have a ton of trick-or-treaters which left us with a giant bowl of candy. Kenlee only lasted about 30 minutes of actual trick-or-treating before she decided she was done. I told her that she didn't have very much candy and she said, "We have a lot at home, I'll just eat that". So, that's about it. I didn't get a picture of her in costume and I didn't get a picture of the pumpkins after they were carved, this is all I got.......

I win the prize for the worst mother for the month of October!

New Addition!!

We adopted a new kitty to our family a week ago today! She's just a little squirt and so full of energy! Her name is Sarah....which is also our neighbor and good friend's name....she is allergic to cats and doesn't really like them. So, we though this might soften her heart a little. We also thought it was pretty funny!

Meeting Sam for the first time...they took a while to warm up to each other
already climbing on the furniture

Kenlee LOVES her!

They are getting along great now....they even play together a little bit

My Picky Eater

What is up with this??

My daughter is one picky eater! She won't eat the normal things that kids like......macaroni & cheese, pizza, peanut butter & jelly...etc. Instead, she would prefer (as pictured above) linguini & clams!! She is a seafood lover, just like her father. They will eat all sorts of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops and whatever else is on the menu. Her favorite is Dungeness Crab (which is delicious) from Joe's Crab Shack! That's my crazy kid!

hAPPY bIRTHDAY jUSTIN !!

Today Justin turns 34!!!! It's hard to believe that I have known him since he was 17 years old. Time has flown by! I have literally "grown up" with this man. In a lot of ways he's changed since then and in some ways he hasn't and never will, which is why I love him!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Here he is at the gun range...we love to target practice!

Justin and Kenlee at the state capital

Good Advice

Today while google searching..."old geezer" (don't ask), I came upon a blog that I found very entertaining: nobodycareswhatthisoldgeezerthinks.blogspot.com
I guess it might be boring to some people, not me. She even has 2 ingredient recipes that sound really yummy! Anyway, I found her entry for her 38th Wedding Anniversary...here is her advice for a long happy marriage:

1. Never, ever, ever threaten divorce.
2. Never stomp out of an argument - give yourselves 1 hour to cool off, then try again to work it out (and don't think YOU have to always win).
3. No yelling and screaming - he's in the room. He can hear you. Calm down.
4. Treat him the way you want him to treat you.
5. Mark his calendar for important dates (like birthdays or any other time you expect a gift) so he's less likely to forget. If he still forgets, buy yourself a gift and give him a big kiss thanking him for it.

I want him to be happy, he wants me to be happy. It's as simple as that.

I think its great advice! Just a little FYI!

The Elk Hunt 2009

Justin got to go on the Elk Hunt this year with his Grandpa. They took their motorhome up in the mountains and parked it for a week or so. Kenlee and I went up for a day and then headed home...that was enough for us. Here are some pics....


Trying to stay warm


Kenlee and Sandy tending to the fire....Kenlee LOVED the fire (she's a little fire bug like her daddy)


Grandpa, Kenlee, Justin and Sandy hanging out by the fire


The elk that was almost Justin's....he was waiting to see the antlers before he took a shot and then Rob (grandpa's friend) got him from another angle...DANG!!

Kenlee's 11th Birthday!

Kenlee turned 11 on Thursday, October 1st! She didn't have school because of fall recess (UEA, I think), so she got to go to work with me again this year. We decided not to have a party this year so it was just the 3 of us. We went to dinner at The Training Table....Kenlee loves cheese fries!!



Her loot...its amazing to me that this little pile costs so much!


She got a bunch of new Legos, her new addiction for the moment. She would play with them all day if you let her, then she complains about her neck and shoulders hurting, DUH!

Miley Cyrus Concert

Last night we took Kenlee and her friend Samantha to the Miley Cyrus concert. They had a lot of fun once Miley got on stage, Kenlee didn't like the opening band, Metro Station. It was Kenlee's first concert and I think she was overwhelmed by how loud it was. Besides Miley being sick and taking breaks in between songs, I thought she did a good job...except for the singing, I'm not a big fan. Anyway, here are some pics....

Dinner at Arby's before the concert....silly girls!

The view....yep, we were that far away from the stage.

Kenlee and Samantha at the concert...rockin' out

912 Project

On Saturday, September 12th, we participated in the 912 Project...we gathered at the Capital in SLC. Justin and I have been getting more interested in and frightened by our government recently. We decided that we should go and support something that we strongly believed in. The 912 project is this, as quoted from their website:

"This is a non-political movement. The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.

That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again."

I never thought I would participate in something like that. It turned out to be really good and motivational. They had really great speakers, including one of our favorite politicians, Congressman Jason Chaffetz.

We were able to check out the inside of the capital as well while we were there. It was amazing! Here are some pics...

Remembering 9/11/2001

9/11 tribute flags at Sandy City Hall...photography by Phil Gibbons

Toby Keith's song..."Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue"

American girls and american guys
Well always stand up and salute
Well always recognize
When we see old glory flying
Theres a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head

My daddy served in the army
Where he lost his right eye
But he flew a flag out in our yard
Until the day that he died
He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me
To grow up and live happy
In the land of the free.

Now this nation that I love
Has fallen under attack
A mighty sucker punch came flyin in
From somewhere in the back
Soon as we could see clearly
Through our big black eye
Man, we lit up your world
Like the 4th of july

Hey uncle sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the statue of liberty
Started shakin her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, its gonna be hell
When you hear mother freedom
Start ringin her bell
And it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red white and blue

Justice will be served
And the battle will rage
This big dog will fight
When you rattle his cage
And youll be sorry that you messed with
The u.s. of a.
cause well put a boot in your ass
Its the american way

Hey uncle sam
Put your name at the top of his list
And the statue of liberty
Started shakin her fist
And the eagle will fly
Man, its gonna be hell
When you hear mother freedom
Start ringin her bell
And it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you
Brought to you courtesy of the red white and blue

Funny Stuff for Friday

These are some videos that my friend posted on Facebook...good for a chuckle!

WARNING: DO NOT go to the Website that hosted this video, I made the mistake looking for other funny videos and it was NOT GOOD!!!!

Nothing Terribly Exciting

Well, I've been told that I need to update my blog. Problem is, there's not too much going on with us. No news is good news, right?

Kenlee started 5th grade on the 17th of August. She has homework every night and we are working on her Science Fair project also. Her teacher is pregnant and she seems to like her, most of the time. A new thing for her this year is study hall, she has to go to study hall if she doesn't finish her class work. The thing is that Kenlee would rather stay in than go out to recess. I think this rule is probably not the best for her. She definitely needs more physical activity in her life. She is really excited for her birthday, which is Oct. 1st...less than a month away. I cannot believe she will be 11 years old!!! Yikes!

Justin is working hard, as always. He recently got an eye exam to get new glasses and prescription sunglasses, the ones he uses now are about 5 years old (he was due for sure). Fortunately, his prescription hasn't changed much at all.....unlike me, I get more blind with each passing day. The optometrist said that he probably wouldn't even notice the difference. Lucky!

I have reached my goal weight and seem to be maintaining for now. I actually bought a size 4 pair of jeans!!! I cannot believe it, I never thought I would get to this point. I am loving the muscles that I have developed in my legs and its great motivation to keep me going. I exercise at least every other day. I am finally using my elliptical machine that I've had for a couple years that has been collecting dust in the basement. It got moved upstairs to my office and hooked to cable so I can watch TV on its little screen....really cool! I have also been running, which I am really enjoying. The only problem is that I am mostly working out my legs while my upper body could use some toning up. I am going to have to start doing my Jillian Michaels videos again.

Well, that's all that I could think of for now.....

Rest in Peace Janet

Janet Stuart

Jan 7, 1951- Aug. 23, 2009

Janet passed away Sunday night. She was the wife of a salesman that I worked with for over 10 years. She had a long battle with liver disease. She was a fabulous artist and genuinely kind person. Our hearts go out to her husband, Glen and the rest of her mourning family.

Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. ~Emily Dickinson

Shoes??

I mentioned this on facebook, thought I put it here too!
Famous Footwear sent a coupon out in the Sunday paper for 20% off you entire order!!
Right now they have their "buy one, get one half off" sale and free ground shipping on their website. So, if you buy online, its a fantastic deal.
If your family needs shoes, you could save a bundle.
Use promo code #0809791 (expires 8/22/09)

Sisterly Love

The week after my birthday, my sister-in-laws and their families came to our house for a visit. Jenn brought dinner, which was fabulous! Then we had ice cream as a little, late birthday celebration. They live in Bountiful so it was quite a drive for them to come out (not to mention the rush hour traffic). It was very nice and thoughtful!

I said, you can't eat in the living room...so busted!
Avery, Adam and Noah

Avery with a chocolate mustache

Everyone out front eating ice cream.

I love it when Jenn is around, she will take your camera and take all the pictures! Plus, she's way better at it than I am.

Here are some she took of Kenlee that I really liked in black & white.

Thanks to Jenn, Natalie and Aubrey for spending time with me and making me feel special!

Mixed Martial Arts

A martial arts academy has been coming to Kenlee's daycare for the past 4-5 weeks for free. They have spent a half hour with the kids once a week, teaching them basic martial arts moves. Last weekend they held a "graduation" for the kids at the academy. Kenlee has really been enjoying it and was super excited about the graduation. They gave each child a certificate, a white belt and foam nunchucks. Here are some pictures:

Kenlee in pink pants

Of course, they wanted the kids to sign up for classes at the academy. If it didn't cost $95/month, I probably would have signed her up. I have no idea what pricing is on that sort of thing, but it seemed high to me. I think I will call around and see what it costs at other places in our area.

Birthday Present

I have been wanting a new clock for a long time. The one I used to have quit working about a year ago...really annoying. So, this is what I got for my birthday this year!
I found 2 clocks that I liked...bought them both and decided to return the one I didn't want. The first one was too dark (you couldn't read it very well) and mounted on the wall funny....the second clock seemed ok, but didn't work after installing batteries and hanging it on the wall. So after failing at my first clock choices, Justin helped me pick out this one......
The picture doesn't do this clock justice.....It's huge! It's probably about 3 feet in diameter, our TV is 62"......just to give you an idea of the size. I love it!

Sparkler Fun

On Saturday, July 25th, we went out for my birthday dinner with our freinds the Leavitts (Crystal and Derrick). We decided to go to The Cheesecake Factory. I had never been there before and it was really good...gigantic portions!!! The dessert was amazing!
Afterward we did some sparklers with Kenlee and their son Easton. They had a good time!