Alex and Cameron started their new schools this week. Alex is riding his skateboard there and school starts at 7:30 for him now and ends at 2:30..by the time I get up he is already gone. His school district does not offer drivers ed, so we decided that after school ends, this summer is when we will get him started on that. He has to focus on school now. So at the beginning of summer he is going to do that and get a job. It will be a while before he is completely driving on his own, but he has to pay his own gas and tags and of course for dates and things like that. I'm going to have to give him a push for sure to get a job. By Thanksgiving he should be driving himself. In the meantime, his car sits and waits for him!

Cameron absolutely loves his new school. When he got home the first day he told me it was the best day of his entire life. He loves the teachers, the kids, and the schedule better. Oh, and he likes the hamburgers better too, apparently the other schools hamburgers sometimes had some gross slimy thing in the middle. Yum!

I am very happy the kids are happy, now for what you will be shocked to hear. WE ARE MOVING AGAIN! Feb. 15 will be the last day here. The reason is that I HATE this house. Its got its charm, but serious plumbing issues and the grossest bathrooms and OLD appliances. We would have stayed the year out, but we had a great opportunity come up. The new house by the way is in the same schools or I would not have done it. The landlord just moved out of their home and put it up for rent for 300 more than this one. Its awesome. A very nice home and so pretty! He is going to transfer our lease, no pet deposit or any deposit at all. This is a home that we could easily live in for 5 years while we save up for a big down payment on our own home. Brad is stressed about moving and says we are getting movers this time, but of course it will be expensive. And then there is transferring utilities and all of those extra fees. Also we have to take down all of our baby proofing here and baby proof there..and we need more baby proofing items for the new house. And then there is packing and unpacking..Lord help me! It will be easier this time because a lot is in boxes in storage here and we don't have to sort through everything this time. It will be okay. My mom is going to help with Noah so I can start packing next week. If you think we are crazy, well your right.. but not about this, this house now is just not livable to me and our landlord could rent the other house for way more than he is, so we had to snatch the opportunity while it was here. Move now where we want to live or move next November..So I am dreading it but excited too and relieved to have a garden tub coming my way! Oh, and one of those cool flat stoves, too...Say a prayer for us!

My 35th birthday!

I had the best birthday ever! The Sat. before my bday, Granny and Papa watched Noah and Cameron while Brad and I went out. We had so much fun being grown ups! We went to Ruth's Chris and got the greatest steak I have ever had. We had a nice dinner. We split a desert we really didn't like so after that we went straight to Chile's for the Paradise Pie. I love that desert....so yummy and low in calories too...just kidding. After that we went to the movie and saw that new Clint Eastwood movie. It was so good. If you are looking for a good movie, go see it for sure. It was the best movie I have seen in a long time. We thought about that Benjamin Button movie, but something about Brad Pit annoys me to the point of nausea. Its like, calm down, you don't even look that great anymore! We had a good time together. Brad got me some really pretty pink roses and a huge stuffed frog!



On the actual day of my birthday, Noah was so sick and so was I. It was nice though because the phone rang all day with happy birthday's! My wonderful friend since 6th grade Sara called just like always...every year.


That was birthday part 1. Part 2 was tonight the Sat. after my birthday. My best friends took me to El Fenix and we had so much fun laughing and being goofy as always. We took Noah to Kids Play and Cameron came with us...Alex was with friends. Cameron didn't mind going because his friend Rory was there..Audrey's son. My friends went all out and made me feel so loved! They SHOWERED me with gifts ranging from an Ipod to Juicy Couture ( my fave!) to perfume and of course lots of Bratz and hello kitty fun items. I know, but I don't have to grow up if I don't want to! They were all so sweet. I love them all so much.


My family gave me money and gift cards so now I get to go shopping! We all know I can tear a mall up if I have $$$$$$$$$$$$$! I already went to Victoria Secret and got some make up and to Express and got a really cute outfit on clearance. Express is having a killer sale...I love that store. I got this lip plumper stuff from Victoria Secret that after you get used to the pain, its awesome. I'm not kidding, it stings. I went to Nordstrom Rack today, but didn't find anything.

So that was my birthday...I guess I am OLD now. Oh, well. Thank you family and friends for everything, I love you all!

Other than that we are going to be transferring the kids schools next week and just trying to get everyone well. I might have to take my Noah back to the dr. He seems to feel better, but he is so congested. Of course Alex never got sick because thankfully he has the world's best immune system. Here are some pictures from my birthday!

Noah has been sick this week, but he is finally feeling better. Its so sad when a baby is sick. I always wonder if he knows he's sick or if he thinks this is just going to be how he feels from now on. I know..that's ridiculous.

I am a little anxious about the kids changing schools next week. I will be glad when all the stress from this move ends. We moved and then had a garage sale and then it was Christmas....I still feel 10 steps behind and I hate that feeling. Brad and I are going out for my birthday tonight. I'm excited.

Here are some pictures of Noah with Stanley and one from pajama day when I was in the 8th grade. I posted them on face book too..sorry if you already saw them.

Love those doggy germs!


Aren't my glasses just precious! (NOT)

THIS IS HILARIOUS! My brother found this..get ready to laugh! Maybe I missed my calling in journalism!!

What a relief to have all the Christmas packed away in the garage. Christmas is a wonderful time, but boy can it suck the life out of you! We had a fun New Year. New Years Eve we went to a party my church small group was having. It was fun. We had a white elephant gift exchange and I went home with a wooden turkey. I won the wrapping contest. Here is a picture of my wrap job.


You know your old when you leave a new years eve party at 9:00! In our defense, Noah was with us so 2 hours in a beautiful home with lots of fragile nic-nacs was pretty good. Thank goodness there was ping pong!


New years day was so fun. All my very best friends came over for black eyed peas. We had so much fun as always laughing and being silly girls in grown up women bodies! Kathy, Audrey and me have been best friends since we were teenagers and boy do we have some stories! All I can say is we are still here by the grace of God!! Kelly is so fun, too. I love him so much and so does Noah. We call Kathy, Kelly, Audrey and me "The Inner Circle". We are planning an inner circle weekend at Country Woods Inn at the end of June. I am so excited. Brad is going to stay with the kids while I pig out on s'mores and laugh my rear off for a whole weekend.


I talked with a councilor from Challenger (when I was a teenager) yesterday. Her name is Leeza and I adored her. We had a great talk and I was so touched at how much she remembered me from when I was there. For those of you who don't know, as a teenager I spent a long time in Utah at a wilderness survival camp. It was very hard and I have many painful memories from it, but I also have some good ones. She was a good one for sure and I am so happy to know her again.

That is about all for now...I'll blog more soon! Here is a picture of Alex with his new skateboard he had made with his Zumiez gift cards and wheels he got from his aunt and uncle. Here is also a picture of Noah eating KFC and of my dogs.

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! We sure did. Some of the things I usually do did not get done this year like making Christmas cookies..but we had a really nice Christmas. Christmas Eve we went to Chili's and came home to watch Its a Wonderful Life. I love that movie and of course Brad and I cried as always...my sensitive husband! It really reminded me of what I really care about. I don't want to be wrapped up in my house and car or even clothes defining who I am. I miss the old house some, but the truth is home is where ever my family is. I think my generation has their priorities out of whack...not excluding myself from that BUT I know what really matters and that is what I am going to focus on. I do not believe success is measured in what kind of home you have or even how much money you make. Its about appreciating and loving your family and friends and having lots of laughs, too. So my new year's resolution is going to be focus on my family and praising God for my many blessings now and the many to come.

ANYWAY.. Christmas was wonderful. We went to my parents and got to see my brother and his family which is always nice. My niece and nephews are such sweet children..I really wish I could see them more and have a chance to get to know them better. With them living in New York its a little difficult, but someday I am going to visit when Noah is a little older.

Brad and I watched Facing the Giants Christmas night. It was such a blessing to watch that movie and deeply touched both of us. The message of the movie was actually just what Brad and I needed..so I am thankful for that.

Nana and Papa Olin came over yesterday and spent some time with the kids. Noah had fun playing with Nana. He did fall down and bust his bottom lip terribly though. Sometimes what he wants to do is about 10 steps ahead of what he is able to do. We had fun though.

Today we all went to church and are planning to make it a regular thing on Sunday again. Its easy to get out of the habit. After church we took Alex to Zumiez so he could get a new board set up with the wheels he got from my brother and sister in law. It was a cool board..I'll put a picture on later of him with it. Noah is obsessed with skateboards and wanting to be just like Alex..so he loved the store. We actually got him a little board from Academy a few weeks ago and we let him play with it on the carpet with LOTS of supervision.

So its been a tough year, but still a good year..I have a wonderful family and God has blessed me with their health and wonderful spirits..I am excited and looking forward to 2009....except for the fact I'll be 35 in a few weeks...that is so weird!