Counting down to Christmas

We don't have an advent calendar, so I decided to do these cute candy ropes that my sister told me about. You get a long piece of saran wrap or cellophane, place 12 pieces of candy in a line, roll up the candy, and tie a ribbon between each piece of candy. Tomorrow we will start counting down to Christmas by cutting off a piece of candy for each day.

One Of The Things That I Love Most About Colorado......

Once there was a snowman tall, Tall, TALL.....



(ONE DAY LATER)

In the sunny SUN sunshine he melted SMALL, Small, small.

Are you a snob like me?

As I was driving home from the mall last night feeling guilty for the amount of money that I spent on face soap and lotion, I realized that even though my husband is a student and we don't have a lot of money, there are some things that I am willing to spend money on. I am okay sacrificing in some ways (I really am!), but some things that I am just a snob about. Here are a few......

1. Paper towels have to be Viva. They are so thick that I can scrub the carpet with them. I once had a neighbor boy ask if we throw them away or reuse them.



2. Skin care. I've spent way too much money on soaps, lotions, toners, serum, etc... My current favorite is Murad (thanks, Syd for introducing me way back when).



3. Diapers (which we currently don't have and might never have again!!!) have to be Huggies.
4. Campbells soup, not the generic kind.



5. Dog food. I don't know why, I just think our little puppy deserves the best.
6. Candles. The cheap ones just don't do the job. I prefer something like Salt City or Yankee.
7. Schools. This isn't a splurge, but when we were looking at houses, Michael called me a snob because I insisited that we have our children in a particular school district. So maybe I am a snob, but I also want the best for my children.

I think of myself as pretty frugal but these things are just some of my splurges. I want to know what you splurge on or what you are a snob about.

Proud Mommy!

Okay, it's probably very sad that this is the most exciting thing that I can post about, but our dog has pretty much been my life lately. He has been a lot of fun, but SO much work. Yesterday he learned how to go through the doggy door! I no longer have to let him in and out fifty times a day. Yippee!! I'm definitely a proud and happy mommy. (By the way, I have great kids and I'm proud of them too!)

Summer

I was going through some pictures from this past summer (when I was on a blogging break) and thought I'd share some. We spent a weekend in Glenwood Springs for a little vacation and while we were there we took a beautiful hike up to Hanging Lake. I would highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

Is it bad luck?

What's up with our family and broken legs? Braden, Haley, and now our puppy have all had a broken leg in their first few years of life. I've felt like a terrible mom!

Tip of the day.....

Make sure when you send your husband to deliver a meal to someone, that he knows what the meal is for. Today I had Michael run a meal over to a family in our ward, and when he got to the front door he said, "Congratulations, I understand you just had a baby". Unfortunately, it was for a woman who just got out of the hospital after having a double mastectomy. He felt so bad and stupid! I'm almost positive that I told him why we were taking them dinner. He really needs to listen better!

Last weekend Michael and a friend (Jeff) from dental school hiked a fourteener and had a great time. I think it was good for Michael to get away from the stress of his residency for a day. It has been really hard for him to be back in school.

We're back....and with a new addition to the family!

I think I'm ready to get back into blogging again.... and what better way to start than to announce the new addition to our family. Last Saturday night we got the cutest little puppy ever! His name is Baker (we think) and we all love him. I've spent a lot of time outside waiting for him to pee and poop and we've had a few messes to clean up, but overall he has been such a good little boy. I'm sure there will be more pictures to come.......

Break from Blogging

I know I have been such a slacker with my blog lately (this year, really), so who knows who is still reading this right now. But if you by chance are still checking in on me every now and then, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be blogging for awhile. I feel so bad lately because I don't seem to have time to update it as much as I probably should. The next few months will be busy for us with getting our house sold (hopefully) and moving to Denver. -But when I decide to get back into it, I'll send an email out to all of you. Hope you all have a great summer!

Get-Away for Mom!!!

Thanks to my wonderful husband, great friends who helped with my children, and a great friend (Sydney) who talked me into applying for a grant, I was able to have a little get-away to St. Louis. We went for an Alliance of the American Dental Association (dental spouses) conference that lasted four days. The conference was pretty good, but mostly it was just fun to hang out with Sydney, Cassie, Lindsey, and a bunch of other fun women. The San Francisco Giants were staying in our hotel, so of course we had to get a picture with some famous people.

One afternoon Sydney and I went for a little walk to see the arch, spent $3.50 to go to a Cardinals game, and took a train to a mall for lunch and shopping. I just loved spending time with Sydney! It was fun to dress up and attend the Presidential Gala the last night. There was a silent auction and we had fun bidding on a couple of the items. Both of us were relieved when we were out-bidded.
Oh, and one night at about 4am, we were awakened by our beds shaking and the windows rattling. Who would have thought that there would be an EARTHQUAKE while we were in St. Louis? ...Pretty crazy!
It was so much fun to get away, and so nice to come back to my cute family, a clean house (thanks, Michael), and Haley with a new haircut (we're not sure who cut it though).

I am such a happy girl when it's nice outside and I can spend time with my family enjoying the beautiful weather. And oh how I love the blue skies here in Colorado! I think I once heard that next to San Diego, Colorado Springs has more blue-sky days than anywhere else in the country. We had a fun day last week playing at the park and flying a kite. I LOVE spring!

We just went for a quick trip to Salt Lake for the wedding of JJ (Michael's brother) and Natalie. Those two are a perfect couple and JJ couldn't have found anyone better. It was a perfect day! JJ was happier than I have ever seen him, and the sealing was really neat.



All day long, I was wishing I could get married again. ...Mostly just the honeymoon. They went to Cancun for a week. Doesn't that just sound awesome right now? Anyone ready for a vacation like I am?

Oh how I miss the YMCA! Since living here in Colorado Springs, the YMCA has been one of my very favorite places. I try to go every day, but haven't been able to for the past three weeks because of a minor surgery I had. I have no idea when I'll be returning, but I just really miss Maryann and Lou in the Childwatch Center, I miss the old people who are so cute and I think mainly come for some socialization, and I REALLY miss getting a good workout in. ....What am I going to do with myself????

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

I know I have been a terrible blogging slacker lately, so I apologize. I haven't been on the computer much at all these past few weeks. I just wanted to jump on really quick and say Happy Easter. I just love this time of year when the flowers are blooming and it is warming up outside. I think Spring is definitely my favorite season and I hope you are enjoying it too!

Skiing with the boys

Yesterday we took the boys skiing and had a GREAT time! It was Conner's first time and it took a couple of hours for him to get excited about it, but he ended up having a very fun time. Braden was awesome and SUCH a trooper. He was feeling so confident that he even took his Dad into the trees!
We had Haley with a babysitter all day, so it was GREAT to spend one-on-one time with the boys. My favorite part was riding up on the lift together and racing down the hill with the boys between our legs.
It was an AWESOME day!

Never ever, ever.......

I have been reflecting lately on many of my embarrissing moments and came up with a "Never" list for my post today...
1. After nursing, Never answer the door before remembering to button up your shirt.
2. Never go swimming in a tankini with pads that aren't sewn in all the way.
3. Never go to the bathroom with the bathroom door open and a view to the neighbors backyard.
4. Never assume you are going into the right apartment, even if things aren't looking very familiar.
5. Never mix up "organism" with "orgasm" when typing up your husbands study notes.
6. Never assume that you are going to have an internal ultrasound and get all the way undressed for it.
7. Never nurse in the mens dressing room, even if you think you're the only one in there.
8. Never sunbathe on a long lounge chair when 8 months pregnant.
9. Never assume that your swimming suit is on under your clothes when undressing.
AND....last but not least.....
10. Never, ever, ever lock yourself out of the house naked!

I seem to have quite a few embarrissing moments, but LOVE them!
And last week my sister told me a halarious story she had heard....
This woman had an appointment with her OB/GYN and hadn't taken a shower, so she decided to spray some deodorant spray down there to freshen up a little. When the doctor was checking her, he very awkwardly said, "Pretty!". She thought, "what a pervert", and went on with her day. Later on when she was going to the bathroom, she looked down and noticed that she had sprayed her daughters glitter down there instead of deodorant spray!

Yummm!

+
= Yummy!

I'm a big fan of Nutella and have tried it on just about everything (toast, bananas, graham crackers, crepes...), but this is my new favoite. Too bad it isn't low fat and I can't eat just one!

Don't become a victim of identity theft......

I've been wanting to post something about preventing identity theft ever since I found out that someone (who broke into my car and stole my purse) was using my personal information. I have spent a lot of time over the past few weeks learning about identity theft (how it happens and what to do if it happens to you) and it has been an eye-opener to me. I can't believe how big of a problem it is and how easy it is for someone to steal your identity. I know some of these suggesions are no-brainers, but some were new to me and could be very helpful in preventing identity theft. I'm not one to be pyranoid about things, but I just don't want any of you to ever have to deal with this. It is a huge pain and very unsettling to know that someone knows everything about you and is using your personal information....

STEPS TO PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT (from the NACP):

-Don’t put outgoing mail, especially bill payments, in personal curbside mailboxes. --Use United States Postal Service mailboxes instead, or, better yet, drop off your mail inside a post office.
-Use a locked mailbox with a slot at home, if at all possible.
-Don’t put outgoing mail in an unguarded “out box” at work.
-Don’t write your account number on the outside of envelopes containing bill payments.
-When you’re out of town, have the post office hold your mail for you or have someone you trust pick it up every day.

-Make sure nobody is standing right behind you when you’re using an ATM machine. He or she may be trying to photograph your card number and password with a camera cell phone. Always shield your hand and the screen, even if no one’s right behind you.
-Pay your bills online using a secure site if that service is available.
-Don’t give out your credit card number on the Internet unless it is encrypted on a secure site.

-Examine your credit reports from the major national credit reporting firms at least once a year to make sure no one has established credit in your name or is ruining your credit after stealing your identity. The recently enacted Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act requires that each of the three major credit reporting agencies provide consumers with a free credit report once a year.
-If you have to give out personal or financial information from a public phone or by cell phone, make sure no one is listening or wait until you’re in a more secure location.
-Shred all financial statements, billing statements, and preapproved credit card offers and the like before throwing them in the trash. Cross-cut shredding is best. No shredder? Use scissors to cut documents.
-Minimize the number of identification and credit cards you carry with you. Take only what’s absolutely necessary.
-Cancel all credit cards that you have not used in the last six months. Open credit is a prime target if an identity thief spies it in your credit report.
-Write to the Direct Marketing Association to have your name taken off direct mail lists. This will stop the dangerous flow of preapproved credit card offers to your address. This is where to write:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
-Call the credit reporting industry at 888-567-8688 as an extra measure to stop credit card and insurance solicitations from coming to your home.

-Use traveler’s checks instead of personal bank checks.
-Examine all of your bank and credit card statements each month for mistakes or unfamiliar charges that might be the sign of an identity thief at work.
-Make sure you know when your bills and bank statements normally arrive. If one is late, call to find out why. It may have fallen into the wrong hands.
-Use direct deposit, whenever possible, instead of a paper paycheck.
-Don’t have new checks mailed to you at home; pick them up at the bank.
-alert if you get a call from someone purporting to be from your bank who asks for personal data to update your “records.” This is almost always a scam. If you’re in doubt, hang up and call the bank yourself.

-Commit all passwords to memory. Never write them down or carry them with you.
-Don’t give out your financial or personal information over the phone or Internet, unless you have initiated the contact or know for certain with whom you are dealing.
-Don’t exchange personal information for “prizes.” Ask to have the offer put in writing and mailed to you so you can consider it more carefully.
-Give out your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary. Treat it as confidential information.
-Identity thieves have been known to take Social Security numbers from medical charts in hospitals, where the numbers are frequently used as patient identifiers. ---If you’re hospitalized, tell your doctor or nurse to be careful with your chart!
-Destroy the hard drive of your computer if you are selling it, giving it to charity, or otherwise disposing of it. Don’t just erase the hard drive; physically remove it.
-Keep your personal information confidential and learn as much as you can about the various kinds of scams being perpetrated to steal your identity. The newspapers are full of tips.

-Don’t carry your Social Security card with you. Keep it in a safe place at home.
-Don’t carry automotive insurance policies in your car. Keep them locked up at home.
-Don’t keep your car registration in your car. If possible, carry it in your wallet.
-Keep your wallet in your front pocket so a pickpocket can’t take it. Hold your purse close against your body through its straps.
-Burglar-proof your home, then burglar-proof what’s inside your home, especially your financial records and important documents (put them inside a locked filing cabinet or safe).

We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet!

What and awesome man and prophet President Hinckely was! I am so sad that our dear prophet has passed away, but so happy that he is now with his sweet wife that he missed so much. He has inspired me and motivated me to be better. President Hinckley will always hold a special place in my heart.

My FAVORITE snack

Just wanted to share my favorite snack.... I love these Kashi pumpkin flax bars so much lately. (They were on sale yesterday and I bought 4 boxes!) -Good source of fiber and protien and so so yummy!

One funny child!

Conner just totally cracks me up, so today I thought I'd share some funny pictures of him......

Happy New Year!!

I know it has been a very long while since I have posted anything (and very annoying for those of you who are regular blog-stockers), so I apologize. We had a very nice Christmas and are excited about a new year.
So, we have some GREAT news (drumb roll)...... Michael has been accepted into the orthodontic residency program at the University of Colorado for August of 2008! We are so excited and I am so happy for Michael. It will definitely be tough to be back in school (no paychecks), but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. Michael has always wanted to do ortho, so I'm excited that now he has the chance.