Announcing the Grand Opening of Kaylee's Day Spa!

This year for Kaylee's Birthday party she chose to have a spa party. Twelve other girls showed up to join the fun. We passed out menu's and they were able to chose from a variety of ways to be pampered, from glitter toes to facials. The girls all had fun. The hardest part was having to wait their turn. They also had fun making flowers for their hair and breaking a pinata. Kaylee is turning 8 this year she is very excited to be baptized this Saturday which also happens to be her birthday. This birthday party was a fun start to a week full of exciting events for Kaylee.

Kaylee getting a manicure that included a paraffin wax treatment. My good friend Suzanne(pictured above) came over to help me pamper all the girls.

Kaylee getting a facial that included a peel off mask. This proved to be the most popular of all the services offered that night.

Kaylee wanted a Hello Kitty cake this year but Walmart has increased their cake prices to almost $20.00 a cake. I just couldn't bear to pay that much. So once again I found myself making a cake. It didn't turn out too bad. Just don't look too closely at it.

Kaylee getting ready to blow out her candles.

My Favorite TV Shows

Okay another boring post without pictures, but its that time a year again when many of my favorite TV shows are starting up again. So, I thought I would tell you about some of my favorites and why. First of all, I really don't watch allot of TV, so I have to really like a show to watch it. Second, I never actually watch the shows when they air. I record them on my DVR and watch them usually when I exercise in the morning. So I will rate them according to what I usually pick to watch first when I have a choice on my DVR.

1. Project Runway: I know many of you probably have never heard of this show. But I love it! It is a reality t.v. show on Bravo. It is about upcoming fashion designers who have to do crazy challenges such as make a dress out of candy bar wrappers or car seats. Its amazing to see what they come up with. And the flamboyant personalities of the contestants make for a very interesting show. If you have never seen this show check it out. It is currently off season right now, Top Chef (which is another one of my favorites, same concept just with chefs and food.)is running and Project Runway usually follows about a month or so after Top Chef ends.
2. Twenty Four: I had heard about this show but was never really interested in it until my friend rented the past seasons from the library and offered to let me watch them too. I was hooked from the first hour of the first episode. You should really check this one out, especially if you like shows like Lost and CSI. But make sure you start by watching it from season 1 or you will really miss out.
3. Ugly Betty: This is just a fun show. It is kind of a spoof on soap operas, but I love the crazy characters they have on this show, and its fun to see all the trouble they get themselves in on every show.
4. Grey's Anatomy: This one would have been on the top of my list a couple years ago. While I still enjoy the show something has been missing. But I would still recommend renting the past seasons and watching them. They first few seasons of this show are as good as any movie you could rent.
5. Lost: This show barely made my list this year. I still have the first episode of this season on my DVR. This mornings exercise was filled with the latest episode of top chef. So maybe this season will redeem itself. There was a time that this show would have been number 1 on my list but I just haven't been as interested it the last couple of seasons.

So, no Office and no American Idol. While I enjoy watching these shows when I can catch them they are not on my DVR's schedule. As far as Office goes I've never been much of a sitcom fan. And American Idol only holds my attention for the first few episodes of try outs then I am done. So if you have never watched the above shows I would highly recommend any one of them. Let me know what you think.

It's Been Awhile....

My sister Nancy did this on her blog and asked everyone to do the same. Since I don't have anything more exciting to post about I thought it would be fun to do it too.

1. Its been awhile since... Shaun and I have been on a trip, just the two of us. We did go to Florida last spring, but Sydnie had to tag along because I was still nursing her. Before that, it was before I was even pregnant with Brianne who just turned 5, so it really has been awhile.

2. Its been awhile since... I have gone a day without hearing these words: Mommy I want ... But I am excited to have a break next weekend for my birthday. Shaun is taking care of the kids for a couple days while I go scrapbooking.

3. Its been awhile since... I have seen allot of my high school friends. I think the most recent was Rachel (Russell) Morrealle. But even that was about a year before I had Sydnie.

4. Its been awhile since... I have been able to see the grass. We have gotten so much snow here, one day I think it snowed 13 inches in just one day!

5. Its been awhile since... we have taken a family vacation. Actually we never have. We have done small trips to Yellowstone and camping. So I am very excited to announce that I have finally purchased tickets to Florida this spring. I've been trying to get this done for almost a year now and it is exciting to know it is actually going to happen.

6. Its been awhile since... I haven't had to change a diaper. 17 months to be exact. I've never been able to find a good system to getting rid of diapers either. I finally purchased a diaper genie which I never use because it gets filled up after only a day and a half. So, it sits there empty, and the dirty diapers just pile up all day, until I finally take them out to the garbage at the end of the day. Gross, I know but if anyone has any better suggestions let me know.

So that's it for me, Tag your it. I would love to hear what its been awhile for you. I'm looking forward to reading your posts.

Happy New Year 2009 !!!

This year we were invited to celebrate new years eve with some friends in the neighborhood. We went to the church so there would be plenty of room for all the kids to play. The dads and older boys had fun playing dodge ball and the rest of the kids had fun roller blading and riding scooters. After bringing in the new year with noise makers and confetti. The kids enjoyed a firework show, while the grown-ups cleaned up the confetti (what a pain!).

Brianne on her Rollerblades, she finally got the hang of it on her own.

Kaylee rollerblading

Sydnie celebrating the new year.

Kaylee and Brianne getting ready to bring in the new year.

My new years resolutions:

1. Run at least two half marathons this year.

2. Lose that last 5 pounds

3 Re-read Dave Ramsey's book: The Total Money Makeover and finally get our savings to where it should be.

4.Take a family vacation (Kaylee is dying to ride on an airplane and see the ocean).

Post Marathon

Okay I hadn't posted any of my photos over Christmas, and It was just too much stuff to put in one post. So I did six separate ones. So be sure to scroll down and check out the other five posts I did today.

Day after Christmas Sledding

Kaylee and Brianne got new sleds from Santa Claus. They were dying to try them out but we ran out of time on Christmas so first thing the next day we suited up for sledding. We are fortunate to have a sledding hill just up the street in the park by our house. The girls had fun going down the hill, even Sydnie went down a few times and seemed to like it.

Kaylee at the top of the hill. If you know where to look you can see our house in the background. I just wanted to note the amazing view in the back ground of a frozen Utah Lake and Mt. Timpanogos. Sometimes I forget until I see a picture like this what a beautiful place we live in.

Kaylee going down the hill.

Brianne going down with mommy. It took her a few times but she finally dared to go down by herself.

Sydnie and Daddy headed down the hill.

Sydnie playing in the snow.

Ice Fishing and More Sledding

The next day Jackson's came to stay with us. And the girls were excited to go sledding again with their cousins Hayden and Hannah. We spent about an hour sledding then went ice fishing at a little spot about five minutes from our house on Utah Lake. Shaun helped the kids catch about five little perch and then they were cold and hungry and ready to go home for lunch. Grandma and Grandpa Thornton came later that day. Everyone had come to go to a mixed farewell and homecoming. My oldest brother and his wife are going on a couple mission to Seattle WA and my niece Katie (their daughter) just got back from Spain. They are quite the missionary family right now. Their two other sons are also out on missions. Sean has almost been out a year to Italy and C.J. has just left a few months ago to Kenya. We will miss all of them.

The sledding crew ready to go in the back of Jackson's Explorer

Brianne and Hayden finally daring to go down on their own.

Nancy and Hannah on their way down. Eventually even Hannah dared to go down on her own.

Brianne, Shaun, Hayden and Kaylee waiting for a fish to bite.

Brianne holding the first catch of the day.

Sydnie Learns to Walk (FINALLY!!!)

Our babies have typically been slow walkers, and Sydnie was no exception. Anyone who says don't wish for them to walk too soon, must not have kids who wait as long as mine to walk. Sydnie is nearing the end of her 15th month and is finally walking. Shaun and I finally had to start giving her some lessons. We started the first part of December and she is finally starting to take steps of her own. She isn't cruising around yet, but she will walk from couch to couch or down the hall until she falls down, all on her own with no prompting. Other mile stones of note, she has finally started to say a few words on her own. My other two were such early talkers, that even though she probably is just normal, it seems late to me. Her first words are Hi, Uh Oh, and she also says Da Da occasionally, and seems to use it at the right time, so I will count that one too.

If at first you don't succeed

try, try again

Success!!!