Fun life list

I saw this on Terica's blog and thought it looked kind of fun. It's a fun way to learn about your friends. How many have you done? The blue bolded ones are the things I've done

Have you ever?
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris {will someday!}
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (no, although I have seen a midwestern lightning storm and those are pretty intense!)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (thank you very much Spain food)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (I will in March YAY!!)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France {I will when I do #12}
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill ( I tried to justify it by calling it a "personal day")
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice {on my to do list}
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (thanks to an error, but I'm counting it!)
32. Been on a cruise {hopefully soon!}
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (my spanish teachers helped a little)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (my goal is to be satisfied with whatever I am blessed with)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris {again, will be done once I do #12}
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (probably when I go on a cruise if that ever happens)
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (my lucrative ebay sales)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (ALL THE TIME! I love my husband!)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (Way too much, maybe that's my problem)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (a obnoxious mistake I will NOT make again)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (In March hopefully)
74. Visited Mount Rushmore
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a lightbulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (not really "speeding" because I was too scared and wouldn't let him go fast)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book (my brother Trevan has)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (close.. I am in Jeremiah in the OT right now)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been loved by someone
Total: 49
I have decided that I am not very well traveled. Justin, get on the ball!

Justin turns 30!

I have in no way been badgering my husband endlessly about the fact that he is 30. The mere fact that he has entered the 30 decade while I am still in my youthful 20's hasn't come up one time! He got exactly what he wanted: a day full of REST. He didn't have to do one thing he didn't want to. He even got a nap. I also didn't at all mention that he NEEDED the nap because he is so old! We got to go out that night (thanks Lesha and Dave!) and see a movie that was all for him (Dark Knight, really not my choice but it was his day.) Happy 30, hon!

It had to happen sometime.

We have gone almost 5 years without any major incidents. No broken bones, ER visits, stitches... nothing. Our short-lived streak was broken yesterday. We had to go get stitches in Mia's face. That's what happens when I leave her in Daddy's care. She went running down the sidewalk and face planted with the chin catching most of her fall. I was not home at the time and Justin had to contact me at my meeting and get me home. When I got home all chaos was broken loose. Three things struck me when I opened the door:
1. Mia, gushing blood, had one little tissue against her cheek. Nowhere near the wound, leaving her new sweater to catch most of the mess.
2. Matthew was very distraught because "Mia won't survive"
3. Mia, although changed out of her church clothes, is still wearing her black velvet jacket that goes with her church dress. How it is not covered in stains is still a miracle to me.


Mia was sobbing, telling me that she will never get to dance or play soccer again. (Have I mentioned my daughter is dramatic?) We got Matthew and Ellie dropped off at my parents' house. My mom tried to give Mia a more substantial rag to hold against her chin but she refused to get rid of her bloody tissue/security blanket. On the way to the hospital Mia had two major concerns, neither of which directly involved the painful laceration. She wanted a girl doctor to take care of her and she didn't want food to fall out of her chin if she ate any. I will say that she is one tough cookie. She cried for about 10 seconds when they numbed her chin, other than that she was just fine. I have to say that I am very surprised that my calm 3 year old girl was our first stitches victim and not our wild 4 year old boy. Go figure.


We got pictures but I will spare any unlucky ready the gorey details. Instead here is a pic of the kids and their gingerbread houses they made at Grandad and Grandma Necie's house after the hospital trip. The band-aid is difficult to spot looking at her straight on which is a blessing. No visible scars.

Halloween...finally

So I am just now getting the halloween pics up almost a month later and 3 days before Thanksgiving but here they are!

Ellie was our little tiger.

Mia was Sleeping Beauty. Anyone shocked?

Matthew was Woody from Toy Story

Our friends' daughter was Jessie from Toy Story so we had to get a picture of them together. She looked so cute!

Matthew hanging out with his friends.

My little brother gets married!

My little brother, Ben, got married on Oct. 11th to the cutest girl! We love Camille (or as the kids call her Ca-kneel). She was a beautiful bride and it was a fun wedding, despite the freezing cold! We know she is a true blue BYU fan because she had Ben take her to the homecoming game the very day they got married.



Mia trying to give Ben a kiss.

Thank goodness my sister Emily was there to keep my baby bundled up. She had a little red nose all night. (Ellie, not Emily)

Matthew's quest through the evening was to see how much food he could gather.

My wonderful parents!

Me and my girls. Don't ask me what Ellie was doing. It was toward the end of the evening and my kids were coming a little unglued.

Gorgeous bride.

Ellie and her cousin Kaleigh.

Ellie and her glamourous aunt Sharlie.

The three grandgirls. Grandma Necie made their dresses and I attempted to make their bows. They haven't fallen apart yet so that is a plus.

We should have taken the picture of our little family at the beginning of the evening. It is nearly impossible to get three tired kids to even look at the camera, not to mention getting them to smile!

Mom and her handsome boys. (Minus one, Eric, who is on his mission in Fort Worth, Texas.)

Ellie bundled up at the temple. It was FREEZING that day.

Their kids are going to all have very big, beautiful smiles.

Yay for real jobs!

Just a quick note to say how fun it is to have my husband done with school. I still love to go to the pharmacy and see his name in lights on the pharmacist sign. It has been just over a year since he was notified that he passed his boards and became a legal, licensed pharmacist. Isn't he cute in his lab coat? He was not at all embarrassed that I came to his workplace and starting snapping photos. I love you Justin!

Hiking the Y

Since Justin and I have been married for 6 1/2 years and have never hiked the Y above BYU campus before, we decided it was time to take the kids. They all did really well and, surprisingly, hiked the steep rough terrain without asking to be carried. Ellie loved being outdoors and seeing all the new sights. FYI: If your not quite in shape and need a little boost up steep hills, having a 17 pound baby strapped to your front actually helps your momentum quite a bit.

Little troopers!

The fall colors were beautiful. Matthew and Justin even took a little side hike to gather some red (and pink for Mia, of course) leaves.