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This will probably be it for this year. I'm sick as a dog and only doing this because I couldn't stand to be in bed anymore. Love you all.

Happy New Year!

My Family

Christmas was nice...it came and went to soon. But it was nice.

These are my cute kids. They're getting so big!

Beth and I took a day and went to lunch and a movie a few days after Christmas at the Gateway. We ate at Applebee's and then did a little shopping...mostly window shopping but we did find some really good deals at Express. Beth got a cute green Hoodie and I found two grey ribknit turtle necks. One solid and one with bold black stripes and thin metalic light blue stripes. We both look very cute in our extremely marked down finds.

After that we stopped by the SL Olympic water feature at the North end of the cool outdoor mall and had someone take our picture. Man...we're good lookin' (did I say that out loud?)

Then we went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Is it wrong to think a 17 or 18 year old boy...who's actually playing a 14 year old boy is attractive? Then you're right...Harry isn't attractive. Anyway, it was a good movie.

DeAnne!!! Guess Who's Here?

She's my Model tonight. Beth ditched her ...with Hailey's blessing of course. Hailey says she would have done the same thing in Beth's shoes. What tacky kids we're raising!!!
Anyway, I got a new lense and flash so I thought i'd try them out with Hailey here. Man she's gotten cute! the only problem is ...SHE KNOWS IT!!! Here's a few more. Hailey really like's this one... It freaks me out but she thinks it looks like a dream. Love ya!

Crazy Lady in the Neighborhood

Is anyone else out there not sleeping well? I am NOT sleeping. No, it's not the excitment of Santa coming, It's the anxiety of everything I'm doing and not getting done before he comes. So, one night, I mean one morning, around 1:30 am I climbed out of bed and finished my Christmas cards. Then I realized it was snowing so I got my jacket and shoes on and took the camera and tripod outside to take pictures. Sure I felt like the crazy lady in the neighborhood but whatever.

All I want for Christmas...

It's that time of year again. I don't know what I want for Christmas! I have enough clothes. I have more scrapbook stuff then I'll ever have time to use; although I LOVE having it. I don't want or need anymore nic nacs for the house.

I don't know...I guess I can tell you exactly what I do want for Christmas but they're not cheap.
1. I need 6 72 hour kits for my family and maybe one for the dog and cat. ( the fish in the tank my become dinner one night)
2. I want the same software I have at work in my computer at home but that would mean I would also need more memory, I believe.
3. I want whatever the great photo manipulating software is out there to help my mediocre pictures really look good.
4. I want a wedding ring. Not that I don't have one. I like the one I have; I picked it out myself. I just know that what I really want is an eternity band of diamonds, one of amethyst and another of Emeralds. Not channel set but each in their own setting and not tiny chips but actual nicely cut stones.
5. And lastly; at least a 1 year supply of food, water and any other essentials we may need.

So you see my dilemma. One thing I want is obviously unattainable and really; if I'm honest, totally unimportant to my eternal salvation. Others would be nice but expensive when really, what I have now works just fine. And...Food storage is completely up to me throughout the year.

I will probably be a little bummed out if I don't get something this Christmas but I really don't NEED anything. I'm pretty happy with what I have.

Time Time TIME . That's really what I need.

Finding friends in unlikely places

This is my Friend; Sister, DeAnne. She may not like this picture but I do. She has a beautiful smile and sparkling eyes.
We have a bond different then most. We met under the worst of circumstances and it wasn't an easy road to this unlikely relationship. DeAnne, is my second husbands' FIRST wife. We share children in a way. Neither one of us is married to this man anymore. Both hurt in the same way by him, but both blessed with daughters we love more then anything, by him. We thank him for that, and after enough years trying to figure our why we, at separate times weren’t good enough for him, realize that we were too good for him!

Anyway, today, December 7th is DeAnne's Birthday. I believe she's 29; Right girl?! I love her and miss her.

Happy Birthday!

Bee Hives in the snow

These are my girls. Sure I only get to see them on Sunday mornings and Tuesday nights but there mine. Chantelle Chelsea, Marina, Alison and Katie. We're missing a few more but this is a pretty good bunch. Man these are great girls. so much fun. so goofy. I love being one of their YW leaders.
Stacey Astin and Steffie Williams are their other great leaders.This, of course is my little Bee Hive in training. She can't help being cute.

Yes, those white dots are SNOW for all of you in California. it's pretty cold in this picture. and I'm a bad Mom for not making Morgan put on her jacket. Shame on me.

On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined.~~Lord Byron

Savor the moments that are warm and special and Giggly. ~ Sammy Davis Jr.























Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Do Dogs Pray?

That's the question. With everything I've taught Stockton I don't believe that was one of them. But that's what it looks like. I hope he says one for me.
















This is the evening ritual. The computer turns off, the lights go out...then the long walk to the laundry room where his bed waits for him. He lays down, and Mike lovingly covers him up with 3 blankets. They love this. I do it because I love the man that is spoiling his dog.

Changing my mind

A woman can change her mind anytime she pleases. That's why I can't keep any links on my blog. I keep changing the Template!

I'm excited for the Christmas Season. I also have a knot in the pit of my stomach. I love Christmas but this is also the time of year that I freak out about the money we don't have for gifts...What I don't feel like I accomplished this year...That my spirituality isn't where it should be...I feel like I haven't done the best I can raising my children...or taken good enough care of my Husbands needs. It's another year of not being comfortable in this body God gave me and I haven't taken very good care of...That, another year has gone by and I haven't studied the scriptures like I should, or prayed just for the sake of speaking to my Heavenly Father; Not just during difficult times. It goes on and on and on...Tis the season to kick myself around! I need to stop it. I need to enjoy this holiday devoted to Christ yet commercialized buy the world. I need to go to Temple Square and look at the beautiful lights, take in the music of the Tabernacle Choir and spend some time at the manger scene and remember...why the Lord was born and eventually died. For me... and all the stupid choices I make. I want to do better, I want to feel better.

I want to enjoy Christmas

Sweet Friends

This, is my oldest friend, Kristen and her "oh so cute" family. Today November 28th is her 38th Birthday and I want her to know how much I love her. She's a great friend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRIS!

Black Leather and Flips

Yesterday we got our first "skiff" of snow. Nothing to write home about or even make cookies over. Can I just tell you how happy I am that we got those 40 + giant trash bags of leaves up off the ground before this weekend?! As per my comment a few posts back about stinking slime. It's cold. It's wet. it's definitely; although not officially, winter in Utah.

So what does a California Girl like me wear on a day like this?
Why, a black leather coat PJ's and Flips! Did you expect anything different?

Happy Day!

I don't have a lot of time this weekend so I just want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I'm greatful for all of you.

Love,

Shelly

Celebrations

The very first moment I beheld him, My heart was irrevocably gone. ~Jane Austen



When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. ~ When Harry Met Sally

Mike and I will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary on December 23rd. Being so close to Christmas my sweet man surprised me with a few days away in Downtown Salt Lake City at 2 beautiful hotels. Not really AWAY; I know but so much fun. Quiet and relaxing and alone. We did everything we wanted to and nothing at all. I love my Husband.

Let's talk about Heaven

Heaven is different for everyone. Serious Heaven; where most of us figure we're going after we die, is probably pretty much the same, beautiful, peaceful, fluffy clouds whatever.

Well, let me just say living in Utah I may not think I live in Zion but today I believe I went to Heaven! This heaven is called THE UTAH CHOCOLATE SHOW! I was only there about an hour but really that's all I needed. There were chocolate samples everywhere! and I tried most of them. Why not all of them you ask? I didn't want to get sick before my HOT date tonight with my DH. So I tasted what I felt were the best chocolates and bought my two favorites. ICOA from Liberty Heights Fresh and the Chocolate Traveler. Holy Crap my tongue is still kind of tingly.

I'm a bit light headed from my brief jaunt through heaven but I'm thinking a tingling tongue couldn't be a bad thing right before a HOT date with my Husband now could it?

Falling leaves and chasing cats

It finally feels like fall. I'm not sure whether to smile for the thought of the holiday season or cry because the summers over. IT'S DANG COLD! The crunchy autumn leaves are almost all down now and I fear the snow is going to come before we get a chance to fill 40 or so big black bags with this stuff. I can only say it gets extremely nasty in the spring if the leaves aren't picked up before the snow falls. Talk about stinking slim! But, it's beautiful right now.

Stockton (the dog) and Lucy-Fur (Satan...I mean, the cat) came out to the backyard today to watch me pretend like I know what I'm doing with this great camera. So I watched them play. It's really a love hate relationship. They can be sniffing each other one minute and smacking, then chasing the next. Very entertaining. Stockton holds his own pretty well on occasion.

he's a Magic Maaaannn Yea Yea!

I have a magic son. He can wave his arms and they magically dissapear! No wonder the girls think he's so Hot!

The Ladies Who Lunch

I got to spend a little time with my Mother today. Yea! She lives in St. George Utah (5 or so hours away) so it was good to see her. We always laugh when we're together. It seems to be that way with my sister Stacy, Mom and I. We cackle like hens. Most of the time what we laugh about isn't funny to anyone but us. we can can keep a good laugh going for a half hour or so; sometimes we can make new jokes that play off of the other jokes and since I'm the only one that's had my bladder repaired I could be the only one not wetting myself. ( sorry TMI)

But, I digress. Today Morgan, Mom and I went to Panda Express and ate salty, greasy, spicy food that at the least will make Mom and I uncomfortable for the rest of the evening. Morgan's young, with a steel stomach. We did a little "shopping" at a cute new store called On Occasion. Lots of cutsie stuff to look at.

It was a short visit but fun. Love you Mom and miss you.

So, last week we went to a Corn maze with our friends the Patch's and the Taylors. we love these guys, they're so much fun. It was Muddy and slippery and smelled of my favorite down home cologne, ode' Cow poop. But who better to share that rank aroma with then good friends!

If you guys want copies of these and more, let me know. We missed Monica; she would have appreciated the cold weather and the slimy stench just like we did.