We have a house!

I wanted to make sure before I posted it so I didn't have to retract!! We will be closing the end of the week. We will be staying in Syracuse. Turns out you can get a lot more house out here than in Kaysville! Mark said "I'll deal with the drive" so we found an amazing house that we LOVE and have not been able to sit still. We can't wait to move in.
We are a little closer to work though...about 5 minutes. We are going to be east of RCWilley just past Bluff Ridge Elementary. The road you turn on to go to my house is half Layton and half Syracuse, so we are barely in Syracuse.
Gavin was in the school play that I would love to post pics of but....we can't find our camera charger. It will show up when we unpack but....I had to use my moms video camera. He did such a good job. He was Curly the Munchkin. I thought they cast him that because of his curly hair. He kept telling me he wanted to cut off his curls and I told him to wait until the play was over. Well turns out he had to wear a big green curly wig in the play and his hair had nothing to do with it.

I'm not flipping you off I promise....

So Saturday night I decided that we needed a trip to the ER and since I hadn't been since I was a toddler, decided it should be me, so I sliced my finger with a knife. I was trying to seperate frozen hamburger patties. It was quite tramatic for me, like I said I haven't been to the ER for a long time. That was the last time I got stitches. I am so scared of pain I started hyperventilating even before he started giving me the shots to numb it. I didn't faint but came close a couple of times. I also had to get a Tetanus shot, holy crap my arm feels like somebody ran over it! It is crazy to think that I have popped 3 kids out....I do need drugs ASAP for that though. I ended up with 5 stiches and a HUGE middle finger

Mark said I did a pretty good job on it. I looked at it once when I did it and have not seen it since. I couldn't watch the shot either. Guess I'm funny like that. Anyways, it should be interesting moving this weekend with one hand!

Oh....ya we are moving! We close on Friday. I waited this time to make sure it was going to happen. I guess there still is a chance it couldn't, lets hope not! No place to live... of our own anyways. We are going to stay with Mark's mom until we find a place. Will keep you updated!

Birthday's

Mark and Chloe's birthdays were last month. We are busy here so I am late getting them up but should be packing anyway.....

Mark got the game Killer Bunnies for his birthday. It is fun if you have the patience to learn how to play it. Gavin loves it and actually plays quite well for a game 12 and up.

Chloe's b-day was on the 20th. Here is what she did that day:

Breakfast eating a banana and some cereal.

Next we went to the gym and this is what she does at the day care. They love to see me coming....

This is her waking up from her nap, thumb in mouth. Strangely enough she only sucks her thumb when she has bunny. If we ever lose bunny we will seriously be in some big trouble.

We celebrated her birthday on Saturday so Grandma's could come. Here are some pics of it:

Draper Temple open house

This morning we went to the Draper Temple open house with the kids. It was so cool to be able to be there with them and see their interested faces. Gavin more than Makayla, although when we got to the Celestial Room (we had been telling them that that room signifies what it is like to live with Heavenly Father) Makayla says "Heavenly Father is wewy (really) gonna love this room." It is so awesome that being so young she could feel the spirit of that room. Hmmmm....maybe I am teaching her something.

Long story short....

Our house is not under contract anymore!! :(

A new record.....and some Christmas

For us anyways. Our house went on the Internet last Saturday, Feb. 28th On March 6th we got an offer, we countered on the 7th and they accepted on the 7th. It was only on the the market for 6 days!! We are shocked it went so fast. We're kind of melancholy about it though. It is good but we really have liked it here, we have always thought maybe we should have built a different model house, one to expand more into. I for one hate change and don't like to start over in a new place. But this is a great market for buyers and now that we don't have to worry about selling anymore I am sure we can get a good deal. We will surely miss everyone here.


So on a lighter note....here are some Christmas pics: (I know its way over, get over it)
My mom always makes fleece pajamas for the kids for Christmas, the babies always get a little santa suit. Jaydon and Braxten are cousins.















This is my grandma and her husband Vard and my sister and her new hubby Zeke (yay she finally found a nice guy) They are expecting a baby sometime, I don't know when maybe this summer.

These are our gingerbread houses that we made. My brother Derk is in the hat. I had to sneakily throw them away a couple of weeks ago.

Matching Christmas outfits for the girls. Man they are cute....

My kids love to help me cook in the kitchen. My mom embroidered their names on these aprons. Can't wait to have a bigger kitchen for them to help me in.
Chloe tearin' it up. She had no idea what was going on just loved crawling around in all the crinkled up paper.

Our weekend getaway

We decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary by going away for the weekend. Here is the view from our room. We stayed in Park City the first night. My brother-in-law hooked us up with a awesome room at his hotel. I had my sister decorate it with rose petals and what not. It looked cute. Kicking myself because I didn't get any pics of it.....DUH! The next night we went to Johnson Mill in Midway. Here are a couple pics:

Pic of me and with the pond and a deers butt!
This is our room, who is that stud standing next to the fireplace?
We had a great time. It is fun to get away alone once in a while without the kiddos. Thanks Mom for taking them!!

How sad....

Remember in my anniversary post I mentioned some significant things that have happened since we'd been married? Well the last one said stay tuned....It had an underlying meaning. Click here and let the drama unfold....
http://saltlakecityogden.yahoo.4utahhomes.com/details/start.aspx?Results=true&propid=071W000867457&mode=Search

Happy Anniversary!!

Today is our 10 year anniversary. I thought I would reminisce some.
It all started at boy scout camp. My mom was the camp director that year and took us up to Camp Bartlet in Idaho. We loved it sooo much.....there were boys.....while there Mark and I met. He was 18 and I was 14. Of course he was the one, and after I got home I even named my baby kitty "Toronto" after him. I saw him at a youth dance at Syracuse Jr. High a couple months after we got back and he ended up kissing me. Not sure to this day why but he maneuvered his gum into my mouth, I just thought that was the coolest thing ever. And guess what?....I still have it. I wrapped it up in tape really well and taped it into my journal. I haven't looked at it in a few years so I am not sure what it looks like now. After that I was definitely marrying him! I wrote him letters....he never wrote back. I even sent one at Christmastime chewing him out for not writing back, after we had shared what was the most memorable kiss in history, obviously...! Time went on. I saw him once at the movie theaters, I was with my boyfriend at the time. We just said hi as he was walking out and I was walking in to the theater. I was with the same friends that I went to camp with so we were all excited and giddy about seeing him. My boyfriend was ticked. Later on I saw him at Bob's oil exchange shop where he was getting his oil changed and I was again waiting for yet another boyfriend to get off work. I can't remember if we had a conversation or not. I was about 17 then. After beauty school I started working at RegisExpressalon in the Layton Mall. This girl named Julie started working there. I kept telling her you look so familiar....where have I seen you before? Well one day....I walk into work and see him sitting in her chair. Holy crap! I was so shocked....surely there was some underlying reasons for all of these "appearances" by him. Well I quickly asked if this was Julie's boyfriend, no it was her brother. Hence the familiarity of looks. We chatted for a bit and said we should go out I belive. Well a month later he asks me out, (he had just gotten back from China with a school group) Our first date was dinner at Ruby River Steakhouse. Here is a pic of us dating. We had just gotten back from Yellowstone.


Right before Christmas, we had been dating about 6 months or so he dumped me. I don't know he thought I was too controlling or whatever....crushed I returned to life as best I could. A few weeks later he was walking by the salon and I saw him and told him to come talk to me. He told me he had joined the Army and would be leaving for basic training on January 1st. We decided to go out before he left. Well all emotions came flooding back and while he was in basic we kept in touch. Then it got old. That next Christmas he came home and I think we saw each other. We started up another long distance thing that lasted a couple of months. The next Christmas he came home we decided to go out. He told me he was going to Germany and that I should go with him. He went back to Tennessee and while there proposed to me over the phone...(so romantic, I still tell him that I want a real proposal but still haven't gotten one) We were only engaged for 2 weeks. Here is pic of our wedding

I thought I would list the most significant things that has happened thus far:

1. We lived in Germany for 3 years and traveled to many places while there. Our favorite was Oberammergau, if you've heard of the Passion Play this is where they have it. It is a beautiful village like city nestled in Bavaria. The rivers there are the color of Jade.

2. Gavin joined our family on September 20, 2001. After a long hard labor we both cried at the sight of him.

3. We came home to Utah in May of '02 and built a house in Syracuse.

4. Makayla joined us on November 10, 2004. A much better labor, though after her I can say with the 2 of them put together I know what it feels like to have a natural birth...Not a fan!!

5. The most significant thing to happen to us was when we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on November 5, 2005. What a special day that was. I felt like we were getting married all over again. Loved it! Our children looked like angels. Here is a pic

6. Chloe came on March 20, 2008. No complaints at all this time.
7. .....stay tuned....

Of course there were a lot of significant things that happened these are just among the most important.

Here is the most recent pic of our family:

I am grateful that Heavenly Father led us to one another and has blessed us with amazing children. I wouldn't pass up the last 10 years for anything. I look forward to another 10, 20, 30, and so on. I love you babe. You are irreplaceable!

Cheater

So I am in this biggest looser competion at my gym and the weigh in was Wednesday night. The prize is $1000 which I need to win so that I can get myself a bike for the LOTOJA this fall. I was soooo going to kick everyones butt and win this wretched competion. So last night at the meeting we are all getting settled and one of the girls says, "I heard that someone lost 18 pounds" The leader her name is Kim said "yep, I was so shocked that I made her get on the scale again."
So my question is how in the heck do you loose 18 pounds in a week? She totally cheated somehow don't you think? Drank a couple gallons of water at the weigh in or something last week. I don't know but she totally sucks! So my hopes of winning this have dwindled some, I know it is still early (it goes for 9 weeks) so I'm not giving up but still people are stupid especially cheaters!!
Oh I lost 2 1/2 pounds. Sounds lame next to 18-I know, I know it's healthy...... I've heard that before!

25 random things about me....
Here's how this works. Everyone who reads this, posts 25 Random Things about them on their blog. Thanks Kyann for all the tags. :)

1. I am ornery! One of the things that I hate about myself the most. I constantly feel guilty about it and more than anything think that my kids deserve a more patient mom.
2. I can't keep my house clean. The first second I can afford to hire someone to clean it I definetly will! (Kyann let me know if you find someone)
3. I'm a control freak. This is why Mark hated me when we were dating....not sure what made him decide to marry me. He is use to it for the most part now.
4. I have serious anxiety. If Mark isn't home when he should be he is dead in a ditch somewhere and same with my kids, they are always dead before they are ok.
5. I joined the Biggest Looser competion at my gym (and will win it!) I am going to run in the Northwest Passage Ragnar Relay this summer in Washington State (hopefully if my knee decides to cooperate) with Mark and his brother and sisters as well as a couple of good buds from right here in good 'ol Syracuse. And....I'm planning on riding the LOTOJA in September we'll see how that pans out for sure though. (Bike ride from Logan to Jackson Hole in one day.) It's capped at 1,000 riders. If I am not skinny by the end of the year somebody please shoot me!
6. I have my own stamp and craft room. It's painted all cute and I have all of my 3D stamped this or thats displayed. And right now it is clean so if your close come over and see the proof!!
7. I found a dream house that I can't get out of my mind! And am throwing a fit because I can't have it. So if any of you have an extra 100 grand just lying around please let me have it. (It's just too bad Dave Ramsey makes you freaking responsible!! uugghhh)
8. Which leads me into we're debt free....though if you've been reading you already know that. (but we are not always as responsible as we should be!) We truly would not be in such great financial shape right now if we had not started FPU when we did.
9. I am going to start school to get my travel agent certificate. I hope to be done by the end of the year and just plan on running my own business from home. So call me when you want to go to Hawaii.
10. Sometimes I get zits in my ears. Man those freaking hurt!
11. I know the BEST bum doctor!! If you ever need to go call me. He is the BEST doctor I have ever seen! All the rest are jerks and try to get you out of their room as soon as possible. No matter what you are there to see them for. He is very compassionate and answers all of your questions probably too well. I highly recommend him! (Yes, I realize I just spilled the beans on that area of my life but if your a mom and have had kids chances are you've had the same problem.) Oh if anyone knows of a good ortho doc let me know.
12. Right now I have ham stuck in my teeth and am too involved in this to go get the floss!
13. I am really bad at keeping in touch with old friends. I feel guilty about this also. Life just takes over my life and next thing I know its time to go to bed....at midnight!
14. I have the cutest kids ever. As babies they come out perfect no jacked up heads or weird stuff on them. I was always so worried that I wouldn't have cute kids. I'm way over that now.
15. I suck at reading my scriptures! I use to be really good before Chloe was born and got out of the habit and can't seem to get back in. I wish I was a scriptorian so I could teach my kids better.
16. Which reminds me that I really think I am screwing them up. So many things I do wrong and wonder if that scared them for life. Like the time I forgot to pick up Gavin from school. An HOUR later the school calls. He still has not let me forget about that one. Ya, won the Worst Mother in the World award that day.
17. I worry too much. (thanks mom and grandma) That kind of goes along with my previous one but I constantly worry every day if one of my kids or husband will die that day. I can honestly say that I plead with Heavenly Father to keep us all together until one day when nature takes it's course and we die normally, at the end of a full life having seen our kids and grandchildren get married and having kids of their own. Oh I feel the blood rush to my heart just thinking of it.
18. I get headaches when I work really hard at the gym. I have a huge headache right now!
19. My most challenging child is and will be Makayla. Bless her heart she knows exactly what buttons to push and man is she defiant.
20. I really hate bad smells. Like farts! It seriously ticks me off sometimes. I get mad at Gavin and Mark when they let one go around me. They freaking stink and Gavin will always say "I'm just like my dad" (.....what?.... girls don't fart!)
21. I don't give Mark enough credit for all he does for us. I just get mad at him when he never comes home from work. At least we have a home and food on the table. I have a hard time remembering that sometimes.
22. My all time favorite movie is Dirty Dancing! "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."
23. My most FAVORITE moments in life is right when my kids are born. There is absolutely nothing that compares to meeting you precious child for the first time and hearing their sweet sounds, smelling them, they seriously smell like Heaven, looking at their darling faces and bodies. I love to scour every inch of them. I love sharing that experience with Mark. Thanks babe for these beautiful kids.
24. (so close now) Our anniversary is the day before Valentines day. I didn't prefer it that way but he was leaving for Germany and in order for me to be on his orders we had to get married as soon as possible. We were engaged for only 2 weeks. Of course everyone thought we were pregnant. Not so....Gavin was born in Germany 2 years later.
25. And finally I love my church. I don't always do what I am supposed to, or be the best example but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I am grateful for my Savior, who died for me so that I could return to live with him again someday. I am so thankful that Mark and I were sealed 3 years ago. What a change I have seen in our marriage and family life. We are blessed beyond measure.

Good luck to you who want to take on this feat....an hour later I'm finished!

Husband Tagged

I got husband tagged. Here's how it works: I will answer questions about Mark. Everyone who reads this is tagged and you do the same thing on their own blog and so on and so forth.
*What is your husband's name? Mark
*What is your pet name for him? Babe, Hun
*How long have you guys been married? 10 years next month (wow)
*How long did you date? Like 6 or 7 months the first time. Then he dumped me. Then a couple of months later he joined the army, and we went out before he left then did a long distance thing for awhile. Long story short 2 years later we got married and moved to Germany. We actually met when I was 14 years old and he was 18. At a scout camp while at girls camp.....does that make sense
*Who is taller? Mark
*Who can sing the best? Neither
*What's his biggest flaw? Flaw's NEVER!!!
*Who is smarter? Definitely Mark (on his way to his Masters)
*Who pays the bills? Ultimately he brings home the bacon but I cook it!!
*Who does the laundry? Usually me he helps though.
*Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Mark
*Who mows the lawn? We both do. You can actually burn about 300 calories doing so.
*Who cooks dinner? Usually me on the weekdays. He helps on the weekends and usually makes an awesome breakfast. He kicks at omelets!! He comes up with some pretty good concoctions, the most famous "tuna fish quesadilla's" They were a staple when I was prego with Gavin.
*Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? We are both pretty stubborn.....Of course it is me.
*Who kissed who first? Can't remember.....is that bad. I would say he kissed me.
*Who wears the pants? DUH!!! Me of course.
I tag all my bloggin' buddies

Murphy and power surges

Just a few days before we decided to become debt free our computer was on during a power surge and unfortunately despite having a surge protector has not recovered and will not matter of factly. HMMM....do we pay off our remaining debt or save it to buy a new computer. You can read the decision below. So....I will have to post without pictures for a while and will probably be posting Christmas pics in March. Anyways I think that blogs are much more interesting with pictures so this is my apology beforehand. By the way we had an exceptional Christmas.

WERE DEBT FREE!!!!!

What a fabulous way to start out the year! As many of you know we have been on the Dave Ramsey plan which by the way is completely a sound and logical way to work your finances. ( I have a link below) We paid off $29,000 in just 12 months. I took the rest of the car loan to the bank last Friday. I withdrew about 1500 bucks mostly 100's and asked they guy what he thought about when people took out so much money. I mentioned that maybe I was cleaning my husband out. It was funny guess ya had to be there! I did have to explain my cheesy grin though ( and boast just a little) I had to go to another bank to pay it off and on the way home Makayla and I were screaming "WERE DEBT FREE"......I went to pick up Gavin from his friends and told him we were now debt free he started screaming with us. We did try and get on Dave's radio show but turns out you have to leave a message and if they think your story is interesting enough then they will call you back. Well we left a message but they never called. Oh well. Were stoked about this! What really makes me think that sometimes I can be a good mom is that my kids know exactly what we have been going through and have used our learning experience as a teaching experience. Gavin understands a little more than Makayla, but she still knows it is a big deal to us. In fact tonight in her prayers she thanked Heavenly Father that we were debt free. The other day the kids wanted to go to eat at a restaurant, I said no that I didn't have any money for that and Makayla says "thats cuz were debt free huh mom" In a way I guess she is right. Gavin knows how bad credit cards are and that you should always save your money up to buy something and never ever borrow money from anyone. We hope that this experience will be beneficial to them in their future financial endeavors. How exhilerating though. We do still owe on our house, through Dave's plan you pay that off last. Our hope and plan is to have that paid off in about 7 years. Money is so important and can so easily be abused. What a blessing to us that we have it under control. We have a plan! Woo-hoo for us!!