UFirst Financial Wins Entrepreneur of the Year!!!!

What an amazing night last night! My brother-in-law Skyler and some of his friends started this financial company that helps people pay off debt and their homes in a short period of time. To explain it all would take too long but you get the idea. They were nominated for entrepreneur of the year against 2 other financial companies and they WON! It usually takes a company a couple of years of being nominated to be able to win this and they won it on the first shot! Skyler was the only owner to be in town so he was the lucky one to give the big speech and receive the cool award. It was fun to see him up on the stage in front of thousands of people. He gave a wonderful speech! After all of the long tireless hours, a lot of traveling, and of course many sacrifices it all paid off.

Way to go Skyler and UFirst Financial!

My mom and dad, Skyler and Jodi, and Skyler's parents

UFirst on front page of Mortgage Planner magazine

"The award goes to UFirst Financial!"

Skyler and Jodi with the amazing award!

Our family minus Matt, John and Heidi.

Brandon Meets President Monson

Last Saturday morning Brandon and his mom went to a church building dedication. This meeting house was where B and his family went to church while he was growing up. They were dedicating it because it was the 50 year anniversary of the building. They also layed a cornerstone at the building. Another neat fact is that President Monson was in his stake and only lived 2 streets away from him. It was fun for Brandon to see him in person as the new prophet of our church. He came home and told me about the amazing spirit that was felt being in his presence. I wish that I could have been there.

Laying the cornerstone

Here is Brandon in the white shirt shaking the prophet's hand

Church members singing "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet"

(Mute my favorite tunes on my blog first)

This was an amazing experience for him to witness. We are so blessed to live near the prophet and those who serve him. We take for granted things like this. I wish I could've gone but it would've been hard with the kids. Maybe I will be able to witness something like this some other time. We love President Monson and believe that he is a true prophet of God. We are so thankful for his teachings and his guidance! What an amazing experience!

Sleepy Izzy

These past couple of days we have been swimming and playing outside for most of the day. Izzy has gotten sick from everything. This is her falling back to sleep during breakfast. This has never happened before! Isn't this sweet? Poor Izzy!

Bees Game with Grandma & Grandpa

For Father's Day we gave Brandon's dad tickets to the Bees game. We went on Monday with them and had a blast! That baseball field is so beautiful! After loading up on candy, hot dogs, popcorn, and drinks Caleb was ready to go to the play area. It's hard to keep the kids in the seats the entire time. So you could say that we didn't exactly watch any of the game. The environment was fun and the kids had a good time. Here are some fun pictures.

Del enjoyed his Father's Day present. He loves going to these fun ball games!

Me and my princess!

The play area is a life-saver for parents! It's nice to have the blowup air toys and the playground to occupy them while the dads enjoys the game.

Thanks to sweet grandma Myrna for waiting an over an hour so Caleb could ride the little train.

Even though the train ride was only about 2 minutes long, it was worth it to see a smile like this.

Cute Izzy just loves Diet Coke. She drank some of everyones.

Izzy would clap when the crowd would cheer. It was so cute!

Thanks for spending the evening with us Del and Myrna. Our kids just adore you both! We want to take the kids again. Thanks Harmon's for the Monday night $3 tickets. What a deal! That was such a fun and affordable family night!

Hangin' With Old Friends!

These past couple of days my sisters and I hung out with a couple of our childhood friends. Cami and Christi have always been close friends of ours ever since we can remember! It was fun to get together at Jodi's pool and reminisce about the old days. It seams like it is so hard to get together now that we all have kids. Every ones schedules are different so that is also a challenge.
Today we went to Chic-fil-A and we had quite the crowd! There were 5 of us and 15 kids running around. Sorry any of you who went there today and experienced the may ham. Anyway, it is so fun to get together with old friends. After these fun couple of days we decided that is was imperative that we start having girls nights out together! Thanks for the fun days girls! Let's plan something again soon!

Happy Father's Day!

What a wonderful day it is to honor our husbands and fathers! I am reminded of how much they sacrifice for us so that we can enjoy a nice and happy life. I want to say a little about the three fathers in my life.

My dad is so amazing! He has always been an example to me of how to be Christ like. I have always admired him for all of his hard work over the years. With work, church (bishop), and running a house full of 6 girls (including my mom). I don't know how he did it but he always did it with a big smile on his face and a good attitude. My dad and I word with each other for 14 years until I had Caleb. We would talk every day and even work side by side many days too. Now looking back, I miss those days when we were so close! I think out of all of my sisters my dad and I were the closest. His opinion always mattered to me and I wanted to make him proud of me. I knew that I wanted to marry some one like him. I love you dad!

My sweet father-in-law Del is the best! Just thinking of him makes me smile! He is so happy all of the time. He always give B and I great advice! The one thing about him that is truly genuine is that he loves his family so much! My kids love being with him! Even from an early age they attached to him so quickly. He has taught me that life should not always be about work but to leave time to do the things that you want to do. I am so grateful for him in my life. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better grandfather for my children. How did I get so lucky to have him as a father-in-law?

Last but certainly not least, my cute husband Brandon. Where do I start? I look up to him for the amazing person he is. I love that I can talk to him about anything and he is very understanding! When I see him in the morning he brightens my day. I can't help but think of how blessed I am to have him as my husband. When he walks through the door after work, I love to watch my kids faces light up and run to him to give him hugs and kisses. I can't imagine living my life without him. It's wonderful to know that I will be with him forever. I could go on and on about him. I love him more then words can explain. I love you Brandon!

To these three amazing men, thank you for all that you have taught me and done for me and my family. You truly are wonderful men and I love you all!
Happy Father's Day!

Don't Play With Scissors!

Friday night we were getting ready to go to a BBQ at our friends house when THIS happened! I saw the scissors from my bathroom drawer on the floor. I didn't know what happened until Caleb came over to talk to me and I noticed a big chunk of hair taken off the front of his head. He didn't just snip a little hair, he cut it down to the scalp! I just had to laugh because what kid doesn't do this at some point as a child? So, he ended up wearing a hat to the BBQ and got a major buzz today. What do you think? Can you still see it? I'm just happy that he didn't cut Izzy's cute curly hair.

Free Orlando Vacation

The other day I answered one of my many daily telemarketer phone calls and I actually listened to what the girl had to say. Have you ever had those calls asking you to sit in a 90 minute presentation and in return you get a free vacation for two? Well, I have had these calls a lot over the years so I decided that we should sit in on one and get a free trip. I mean, how bad can it be to sit for 90 minutes to get a free vacation? Anyway, we went into a cheesy office with plastic floral tablecloths and Dollar Store decorations hanging from the ceiling. Ha, Ha! We met with a nice guy that tried to sell us on a vacation club. After sitting 90 minutes and listening about all of the big deals that you get, we were pretty intrigued until he came to the part of the cost of it all. Who has $9700 to dish out on a vacation club? Not us! The guy didn't want us to leave without a sale. After every excuse that we could think of, he finally gave up and reached the part that we had been waiting for, the free vacation. So, to make a long story short, B and I got a 2 night 3 day vacation to Orlando with round trip air-fare. I thought it would be fun to get away just the two of us sometime and having it be free makes it even better! We'll see how the hotel is and if the flights have 4 hour layovers but who can complain about free stuff? Has anyone else sat through one of these?

Watch Out For Snakes!

Look what Brandon found in our yard as he started mowing. Yuk! A long snake! It was about 3 feet long I'm not kidding! It gives me the chills to think that Caleb was outside in that spot playing with his friends earlier that day. When you find a snake, what do you do with it? Are you supposed to catch it and release it somewhere else? Or do you brave the fear of being bitten and try to kill it? It was funny to watch B try to kill it cause there was no way that we were going to catch it. He just kept throwing a shovel at it to chop it up (sorry I'm so graphic!). It finally died! I hope there are no more lingering around. Who ever thought that you have to prepare for an intruder like this? Thank goodness no one got hurt!

Fun At Lagoon!

Last Saturday we enjoyed a fun day at Lagoon for B's company work party. However, before we went there we went to my nieces baptism. It seems like every time I go to a child baptism it gets me excited for the day when my sweet kids will also enjoy the blessings of baptism. What a special day! I'm so proud of cute Skylie (Jodi's oldest)!

After enjoying a yummy breakfast after the baptism, the kids and I waited for Brandon to finish working. He went into the office for a couple of hours to try to finish some work that had a deadline. Unfortunately we missed the lunch and raffle at Lagoon but we still had all day to enjoy the rides and have fun together as a family. Here are some cute pictures of our fun day at Lagoon.

Me and my sweet little Izzy!

Sweet little Izzy could go on every ride with Caleb. She loved it! It was so cute to see the two of them together. What a cool big brother he is!

Caleb couldn't wait to go on the swings. He insisted that I go with him on them. So, I squeezed into the chair and raised up my long legs.

The Music Express is one of Caleb's favorite rides. It was so funny to see him laughing during the entire ride!

We discovered a little train museum in Pioneer Village. Caleb was pretty excited about that!

My adorable little boy! I can't believe that he will be able to go on a lot more rides next year! he was only a half inch to short to go on some of the "big kid" rides. He'll be too tall to go on the little rides with Izzy. It's crazy how kids grown up so fast!

This was the longest line that we actually waited in (45 mins) because Caleb couldn't wait to ring the bell on these little boats. Izzy just sat there looking cute while big brother drove them around.

Of course many more pictures were taken but these were the cutest ones. We were so lucky that the weather was very pleasant! I worried that it was going to rain on us. It ended up being really nice in the mid 60's perfect for Lagoon! It was so fun to be able to enjoy a day at Lagoon! It is so expensive to go there when you have to pay to get in! Thanks Del Sol for the passes! We can't wait until next year!

A Night Out at Falling Waters Day Spa

After the drama at Dino Town I thought that I deserved a night out at the day spa to recover from the thought of that dumb lady yelling at my child! J/K! Actually, my cute hubby gave me a spa retreat for Mother's Day! Can you believe that? I have always wanted to go somewhere where I can be pampered from head-to-toe. Not only head to toe but ALMOST every single place on my body got the works. I have had my gift card for quite a while but, I just loved looking in the pamphlet at all different choices to choose from so it took me a while to decide. Here's how my night went.


I arrived at Falling Waters Day Spa in the Tree House Athletic Club at 4:45. Changed into my comfy white robe and message slippers and ventured into my first appointment.


1. 50 minute Swedish Message

Just imagine that this is me. I have never had a message before and I must say that it was the greatest 50 minutes of my life! The yummy, smelly lotions and oils they put on me were unbelievable! I had always wondered what it would be like to have a message and if it would be weird laying there with no clothes on. They are so professional and keep you covered the entire time. I never once felt uncomfortable.

2. 30 minute Refresher Facial

All I can say is about my facial is that it was absolute bliss! I feel like every pore in my face is detoxified and fresh! The neck and scalp massage was a nice way to wait for my mask to dry.

3. 45 minute pedicure

There is nothing like having you feet soak in hot bubbly water followed my a foot massage. After all of the lotions, cuticle clippers, and polish, I must say that my toes are so cute! I would take a picture of my toes but I hate my feet! I'm ready for the pool!

So, after all of that pampering 3 hours later, I feel like I can move on & not feel like I'm a horrible mom like that lady made me feel. This was truly an amazing experience! I really feel like moms need alone time to be pampered. I'm not sure which was better, the spa or having B watch the kids! I was able to completely relax and clear my head from all the every day stress. I feel fresh and ready once again to handle the wonderful life of motherhood. Thanks so much Brandon! You already know what I want for my birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day next year,......

You're the best! I Love You So Much!

Drama at DinoTown!

This is something I have to blog about because I need your feedback. Today I took the kids to South Town and we always have to make a stop at their favorite place, DinoTown. Many of you know how Caleb is such a happy, sweet, and energetic little 4 year old. He never hits kids or ever does anything malicious to anyone. It was busy there with a lot of kids running around. Well, it's hard to keep your eye on both kids when it's busy. Anyway, Caleb was playing on top of the tunnel (those of you who have been there know what I am talking about) and a little boy about 3 years old climbed up on top too. Caleb playfully pushed him off. You know how kids do this from time to time. I didn't see him do it because I was watching Izzy. When I heard the little boy cry, of course I looked for Caleb to see where the crying came from. Next thing I know the boy's mom went over to Caleb and started yelling at him and pointing her finger at him saying "DON'T YOU DO THAT! DON'T PUSH!" When I say yelled I mean REALLY yelled because every person in the room stopped and looked at her. I didn't say anything to her because I didn't want her to start another scene on me. Give me a break! What kid doesn't push another kid from time to time? I'm not one of those mom's that just sit there when they play at Dino Town. I am always talking to Caleb about being careful for the other kids, taking turns, and being nice. So I talked to him about it again after that lady made a scene. Well, it doesn't end there. I stood close by and watched him to make sure nothing else was going to happen. Nothing did but, a lady came up to me and said something about Caleb being the kid that's hitting and pushing. I said it wasn't my kids doing that. What are their problems? If this happened to us I would've told Caleb to play on something else or not play by that boy not yelled at him in front of everyone! There are better ways to handle situations like this don't you think? We can't control every move or child is going to make but at least I can say I did what I could to make sure no one got hurt. Maybe I am getting too worked up over this, but it really bothered me! It made me feel like an awful mom because everyone looks for the mom of the child who caused the lady to freak out. Has this ever happened to you? I feel so bad that this happened cause I know Caleb was just being playful and didn't mean any harm. Tell me what you think.

A Rainy Field Trip

It's always unfortunate when it rains on the day of a field trip! They don't happen very often so when there is a field trip it is highly anticipated! Caleb had been looking forward to going with his class to Wheeler Farm last Thursday. The field trip had already been post-poned a week because of the rain and of course, it rained again. Oh well, we still had some fun inside the big barn. We ate or packed lunches inside and the kids played some games with their classes.

Caleb with his teacher "Miss Rachel" playing games

The kids were sad about not seeing all of the animals with their classes. We decided to brave the pouring rain, in our shorts and jackets, and still see the animals. The animals were all in their "houses" so they weren't out. I think Caleb would've loved the tractor ride around the farm. Maybe next time.

Izzy didn't mind the rain as she chased her favorite animals. It was so cute to watch her running after the ducks and yelling at them.

Even though it was a rainy day, we still had fun walking around and visiting the park. Once we got back in the car we were all freezing cold and went home and took a nice warm "tubby's."