I HATE WINDEX

Okay, I have tried EVERY product under the sun to try to ensure that my mirrors and windows are not streaked and I can't find ANYTHING that works. So, I am coming to all of you, my blogging friends and buddies and asking you, what in the world do you use that works? Any suggestions would be wonderful...

A Great Man...

Our cute nephew Spencer called us at about 8:30 last night to let us know that President Gordon B. Hinckley had passed away. I had a myriad of feelings run through my mind, but the thing I thought first was what a great celebration was being had in Heaven to welcome this great man home. Thank you President Hinckley for all you have done for the church and all you have done to affect people world-wide. You will be greatly missed.

I wanna talk about ME...

Thanks to Kami's latest post and now Becky's, I decided to do my own "100 things about Me" Post. Here it goes!

1. I am the oldest of 5 kids
2. I love doughnuts
3. I hate exercising, but I do it so I can eat
4. Neal and I dated for 3 years before we got married
5. I have a degree in Elementary Education
6. I have played the violin for 25 years
7. I only wash my hair once or twice a week...gross I know
8. I have a major spending problem
9. I love having a clean home but I hate cleaning, I put it off on cleaning day (which happens to be today, for as long as possible :)
10. While I love a clean house, I am not the most organized person on the planet. (I need some lessons Kami)
11. I hate my nose
12. I love to read
13. I wear either a size 81/2 or 9 shoe
14. I don't really like ice-cream
15. I love Cafe Rio Pork Salads
16. I have 16 violin students
17. I am a nighttime T.V. junkie, after my kids are asleep, I love to veg out in front of the tube
18. I am a horrible bowler
19. I hate snow skiing
20. I LOVE water skiing and wake boarding
21. I am afraid of the ocean-seriously afraid
22. I am afraid of heights
23. I am left-handed, so is Neal and so is Boe
24. I got engaged on Martin Luther King Jr. Day January 15, 2001 and Neal later said that he chose that day because it was the last day he had any human rights hahaha
25. I love a good trashy gossip magazine
26. I am super paranoid about my health and the health of those I love
27. I love diet pepsi
28. I love my hands and fingers. They look just like my mom's did
29. I still bite my nails
30. I love to make "to do" lists
31. I need a lot of sleep in order to function
32. I love eating at Chilli's (especially their chips and salsa)
33. I love trivia and little known facts
34. I have a bad temper
35. I am really stubborn
36. I have a really good memory
37. I have a soft spot in my heart for disabled people, I never degrade them or make them feel self-conscious
38. I gag on toothpaste when I am pregnant
39. #38 is especially tough because I am obsessed with brushing my teeth multiple times in a day
40. I love cleaning out closets and giving stuff away to the DI
41. I like the color and shape of my eyes
42. I like that I have full lips
43. I hate Cancer
44. I hate funerals
45. I hate seeing homeless people on the street, especially during the winter
46. I am petrified of someone breaking into my house, especially when Neal is out of town. I used to stay at my mom's house every time he would leave, now I just barricade the doors and set up camp in the family room (don't worry, I make my kids sleep with me) such a wimp, I know
47. I have a very low pain tolerance
48. That being said, I am going to try to have this baby naturally
49. I am terrified of needles and literally almost pass out every time I see one coming at me
50. I hate doing laundry but I love the feeling of having it all done and put away
51. I want to be a better mom
52. I want to be a better wife
53. I want to be a better sister/daughter
54. I want to be a better friend
55. I love to cook and bake
56. I love learning new things
57. My favorite lunch meat is turkey, sometimes ham
58. I screen my phone calls and sometimes avoid calls (sorry)
59. I hate my handwriting
60. I hate facial hair
61. Actually, I hate body hair...'nuff said
62. I love spicy mustard on sandwhiches
63. I'm pregnant, with my third child, in case you didn't know
64. Yellow and red are my favorite colors
65. I love the sun
66. I love taking HOT baths
67. I love the Utah Jazz
68. I still cry everyday because I miss my mom
69. I am a worrier
70. I love debating controversial subjects
71. I DO NOT want Hilary Clinton to win the Presidency
72. I DO NOT want Mitt Romney to be the President either
73. I hate weeds
74. I love pulling weeds
75. I do not however enjoy gardening. I let Neal do that, he's very good at it :)
76. I do not have a perfect marriage, but I love my husband very much
77. Neal and I have been to marriage counseling
78. I have been to personal counseling
79. I have taken anti-depressants
80. I love the smell of my kids right out of the bath and all lotioned up
81. I am not a perfect mom by any means but I love my kids more than anything
82. I love Mexican Food
83. I love The Olive Garden salad and breadsticks
84. I love my sisters
85. I love my brother
86. I want to get breast augmentation after I am done having kids
87. I wear sweats, sweatshirts and socks to bed, I am always cold
88. I always fall asleep during movies
89. I don't wear perfume
90. I buy expensive shampoo, but don't really do much with my hair, Marti, I need an appointment!
91. I love my dad
92. I only wear mascara and lipstick and I buy the cheap stuff (Amen Kami)
93. I wish I could talk to my mom ONE more time and tell her again how much I love her
94. I am very grateful that I can have children
95. I am really enjoying being pregnant this time around, I don't know if it is an awareness of those who have problems with fertility or if I am just more mature, but I am really loving it
96. This is most likely going to be my last baby
97. I love Spring, the early Summer and Fall
98. I don't love the late Summer and Winter
99. I love planning parties and entertaining, I especially enjoy throwing birthday parties
100. I love my wedding ring and band

Okay, anyone who wants to should play along. I'd love to learn more about YOU!

A few of my favorite things...

Brad Paisley's song Letter to Me. I love this song. I actually love most of Brad's songs. He's definitely one of my faves on the country music scene.

The Hungry Bear Restaurant. This little gem of a place is located in the Quilted Bear in Midvale. They have THE best homemade rolls, cinnamon rolls, cookies, sandwiches, soup-you name it. It is so yummy. Just got back from a delicious lunch there today as a matter of fact. If you haven't tried it, you should. Love it!

An oldie but a goodie. I have always loved vanilla scented things. This particular vanilla-y scent always reminds me of my mom because it was her favorite...

If you haven't seen this movie, GO SEE IT! It is honestly one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I went with my sister Ashlee and we laughed the ENTIRE time. I thought it was a very realistic approach to a very real situation. If anyone needs someone to go see it with, I'm game to see it again!

Yum, Yum, Yum...

So I had to bring dinner to a family in my neighborhood tonight and I found this great chicken/rice recipe. It is SO good, thought I'd share....

3 1/2 lbs. chicken (I used chicken tenders)
1 med. onion, chopped (I used purple, I like the flavor better)
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 Bay Leaf
2 qts. water
salt/pepper
2 c. long grain rice

Place chicken, onion, celery and Bay leaf in cooking pot. Add water, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil, simmer until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and cut or shred. Cook rice in boiling chicken broth (that you just made with the chicken and other ingredients). Cook rice until water is gone and rice is tender. Add chicken back in with rice and cook an additional 5-10 minutes. Add any desired veggies. I used peppers, green, red, yellow and orange. Saute in frying pan until soft and add into rice and chicken mixture. You can also try broccoli, peas, carrots etc. After you have added veggies to chicken and rice, you can make a gravy if you want. I used cream of chicken soup, diluted with milk just to make it a little bit more creamy, or you can serve it as is without a sauce, depends what you like. Let me know if you try it and like it!

It's A...

okay, so we are not finding out the sex of this baby BUT I could have today! I had an appointment and when my doctor checked me he said he thought I was more than 12 weeks so he pulled out the trusty ultrasound machine and the doplar. He first listened to the heart beat and said it was 155, he said his guess was a girl (he claims he is 90% right in his heart beat guesses) then he did the ultrasound. I saw the arms and hands and fingers and the cute little legs that were just kicking away. Then he said "there's the bum, you want to know what it is?" And I tell you it took EVERY bit of will-power to say no, but I stuck to my guns and didn't find out. For those of you that don't know, Neal has "convinced" me to be surprised in the delivery room with this one! I know, I know, I am crazy but he has also made some MAJOR home improvement promises to me so I decided it was worth it! We'll see, it was SO hard today to not find out. Anyways, he said I was closer to 14 weeks which if you have had a baby, you know that 2 weeks makes a HUGE difference! As I was sitting in the waiting room, I just kept thinking that I don't care what it is, boy or girl, I just want it to be healthy. A girl would be so much fun and I would love it (obviously) but I think I do a pretty good job with boys and I wouldn't trade my two for anything! Well, just wanted to update...my goal is to get through February without having to wear maternity clothes, we'll see if that is a realistic goal...so far, I am still fitting into my clothes, so I guess that's a good thing!

Six for Saturday...

1. I am grateful that I am done cleaning my grout and tile. It took me literally all day, but it looks SO much better. Now I just have to seal it...

2. I am grateful that my first trimester is officially over! I am feeling so good and I am feeling more secure with the pregnancy. I have an appointment on Monday, so I'll update if there is any new info.

3. I am grateful for all of my great blogging friends. Really, you are all awesome and I am glad I have gotten to reconnect/know each of you!

4. I am grateful for the blessings of the temple. Neal's older brother, his wife and their two adorable kids were sealed together yesterday. It was the best day and I am thankful I got to experience it with them. Congrats Darren and Jen!

5. I am grateful for my cell phone. My sisters live out of the state and it is so nice to be able to talk to them for as long as I want to without having to worry about a huge long-distance bill.

6. I am grateful for Neal's cute little sister Angela. She is awesome and I love her to pieces. She watched 7 little kids yesterday so the adults could attend the temple with Darren and Jen. Plus, she always comes down to keep me company when Neal is out of town and she is my favorite shopping pal. Love ya Ang.

Well, that's it for this week. I am going to go continue on with my cleaning and other things I need to get done before the night ends. It might be nice if I made it into the shower today too! Have a great weekend!

It's Your Birthday....

Happy Happy Birthday to my youngest sister Kaylee today! She is currently serving a mission in the Washington Everett mission and will be home July 2, 2008! I can't wait to see her. Here are my top 10 favorite things about Kaylee...

1. She is HILARIOUS! I am not kidding, probably one of the funniest people I know.

2. She is beautiful, both inside and out. She's got it all I tell ya!

3. She is sensitive and cares more about others than herself.

4. She is strong, REALLY strong, she's a runner and a major work-out buff and not gonna lie, she can take me!

5. She is great with kids (especially mine) and they love her.

6. She is bold in her beliefs but still accepts others no matter what they believe.

7. She is going to shake things up in the world and make a difference.

8. She has had over 25 baptisms so far on her mission and she is really helping people in Washington.

9. She loves food just about as much as or more than me!

10. She is a great listener and always there for me-even now via letters.

Hope you have a great day Kay-Kay and can't wait to see you in 5 and a half months-LOVE YOU!

T'was the season............2007

So I know that Christmas was almost a month ago. Don't worry, I am just plain behind this year! I just barely took down my Christmas decorations...sigh...but I wanted to document the holidays and this is sorta like my online journal, so better late than never I suppose. We started out the season by taking Neal's Sunday School class (the 13/14 year olds) on trax downtown to see the lights. They are the greatest, cutest kids ever-it was a ton of fun. We went down on a Thursday evening when it was snowing and there was hardly ANYONE there! It was so nice to be able to actually look at the lights and not have to fight the crowds.

I celebrated my 30th birthday and we decorated gingerbread houses, it was fun. I loved the holidays this year because my kids were so into it, it made it a lot more enjoyable. On December 21st, my cute sisters threw me a SURPRISE birthday party and invited my oldest and dearest friends! I was SHOCKED and not gonna lie a bit irked at first because I TOLD THEM OVER AND OVER THAT I DIDN'T WANT ONE!!! But it was so fun and the food was SO good and I can't believe how sweet they were to do that for me. Unfortunately, I didn't know about it so I didn't have my camera on me, so there are no photos to document it, but it was a ton of fun and I love them!
We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning with my dad and sisters. We sure missed Kaylee, Nathaniel and my mom this year. Things just aren't the same without them. Luckily, we get Kaylee back in time for next Christmas! We spent Christmas Day with Neal's family and the kids had a ton of fun playing with their cousins and new toys. We love both of our families and are grateful we live so close to them!
New Years Eve we spent with Neal's family for the annual "Gatherum Family Won Ton Fry" and they (the won-tons) were as good as ever. We capped off the night with a little guitar hero dueling and rock band-it was a blast!

Our holidays were great, but I am glad they are over and I am so glad that I posted this so now I can stop feeling guilty!!!

Six for Saturday...

I am sad that I have let my gratitude lists go so I am determined to post one this week... Next week, yes, next week I'll get caught up on my blogging and post all my holiday pics. I am sure you are all DYING to see them! Kidding of course, but I consider this my online journal effort so I'd like to get them up eventually. Anyways, I feel that I am returning to the land of the living. We went to Chilli's last night for dinner, it was the first time that I have actually been CRAVING food and it was so good. Love the chips and salsa eh court and mind??? Anyways, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend...

1. I am grateful for good health and feeling good. I am one of those who don't realize how much I appreciate something until it is gone, even if it's only temporarily gone, and I am so grateful for the blessing of feeling good and NORMAL.

2. I am grateful for my kids. They have been so flexible with me and allowed direct tv to raise them these last 6 weeks. Gage has made me more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches then I can count and Boe is always good for a back rub or to play with my hair.

3. I am grateful for Neal. My house has become a war-zone, literally. There has been an ever present mountain of dishes, the laundry has piled up and I haven't lifted a finger to clean a thing. Neal has stepped up and really helped me out, which I know is to be expected, but he could have been a dirt bag about it and complained, but he didn't and I am grateful he just let me lay still for 6 weeks!

4. I am grateful that my sisters could come home for the holidays. I always feel "at home" when they are here and I feel that no matter what is happening, life is okay. They make me feel really nostalgic for my mom. Love you sissies.

5. I am grateful for the blessing of being a mom. I can't wait for this baby and even though I have felt crappy, I find myself laying on the couch and contemplating what is happening to my body and it is just amazing. I can't think of a greater privilege then being a mother.

6. I am grateful for this new year-2008! I love the fresh start and feeling that comes with a new year. I am starting out today by organizing the top floor of my house, moving down to the middle and finishing up in the basement. Okay, so that is wishful thinking, but my goal is to clean, organize and dejunk the entire upstairs today! Wish me luck! Happy New Year Everybody!