Gardner Village

My sister-in-law and I have a tradition (I think this is our third year...?) of going to Gardner Village in October to check out their witch displays, take pictures of our kids in their costumes, eat pumpkin cookies, and just enjoy being in such a charming place during our favorite season. We met there this afternoon and did all of the above! Here are a few cute pictures:

Reflections Contest

I'm sure most of you have heard about the Reflections contest. I entered it several times in sixth grade and junior high and really enjoyed it - and even won a few awards! When this year's contest information was sent home with Kiera and Makenna, they really got excited about it. Makenna wanted to enter the photography division and Kiera wanted to enter the visual arts division. Makenna wanted to take some pictures of Kasidee - she knew exactly what she wanted to do. She took Kasidee in the bathroom, closed the door, dressed her up in a "princess dress," freshened up the bow in her hair, and started snapping away. The only thing I did was stand there to make sure she didn't drop Quentin's $400 camera! Check out these cute pictures she took:






But after (not) much deliberating, this (for some reason) is the picture Makenna chose to enter. She was adamant about this being her favorite one. Go figure.



Here's the proud girl:



And here's the other proud girl, showing off her paper flower picture. I'm just so proud of both of them for working so hard!

Happy Birthday Mom / Granny!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday! We're just so grateful and blessed to have her in our lives! The girls have such a special bond with her - it's amazing! They're just drawn to her like no one else. My mom is my best friend. We talk on the phone usually at least twice a day, and she and I know each other better than anyone else. I just love her so much!!

We had a fun celebration yesterday - we met Mom and Grandma at El Matador for a late lunch/early dinner, then went to Grandma's house for yummy cake and ice cream. So fun! Happy Birthday Mom (yesterday)!

Halfway to 25!

Yesterday was our 12 1/2 year anniversary. Yes, we celebrate (or at least acknowledge) our half-year anniversaries too - mainly because Quentin is amazingly sentimental and sweet! Can you believe we're halfway to 25? I can't be that old! It seems like it wasn't that long ago that Quentin and I got married, and yet it seems like he's always been in my life. I still can't believe how lucky I am to have this wonderful man in my life! He's smart, wise, kind, genuine, thoughtful, supportive, hard working, sweet. He's the best husband and daddy EVER!

Okay, if I didn't lose you yet, I'll continue. We celebrated our "anniversary" by going out to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory - all FIVE of us! And, since we were downtown, we stopped by the Salt Lake library's book sale. Now, I don't care much for the DI and I can pass up garage sales, but there's just something about library book sales that get me excited. I LOOOOVVVVE children's books! And that's all I buy at the book sales - I could care less about having a zillion novels that I will never read. But kids books...I can put up with the crowds and the smell of greasy-haired people, because I love the thrill of the hunt. I've been to maybe a dozen library book sales and I know how to find treasures and also be selective. This book sale was actually a preview sale for members only (yes, I splurged on a $12 membership) so we got the best selection before it opens to the public on Saturday. Quentin, the girls and I spent TWO HOURS choosing books - we all had a blast! This morning I "Clorox-wiped" the covers, made minor repairs (tape), laid out my treasures and took a pic so you could see. We got 27 books and 4 videos - and Kiera got 7 chapter books. Quentin even got a few novels (he boasts that he hates to read, but I think he's envious of book lovers - so maybe he can get hooked on one of his picks). Most of the books were on my list to buy someday - and I would have been willing to pay full price for them. Awesome! Plus, a lot of these will be good in my preschool! Yay - check it out!

Zen Home

Mondays are my major catch-up day. I don't know what in the world happens over the weekend - especially Sundays - but my house can be perfectly clean Saturday night and within 24 hours it looks like a tornado hit our family room! I think it's because we all become lazy on Sundays and just don't clean up after ourselves. Anyway, I usually wake up on Mondays feeling frazzled and overwhelmed. But last night I read an article about a lady who hated cleaning and organizing her house and hired someone to do it for her for years. After she realized that she was spending THREE THOUSAND BUCKS A YEAR (!) for someone else to take care of her home, she decided she had to learn to do it herself. The article went on to say that for her, cleaning has become a zen-like experience. She loves having things clean and in order, giving thanks for what she has been given while she takes care of what she has.

I am a little OCD when it comes to cleaning my house. The basket liners have to be straight, the pantry items have to face forward, and I even have the exact number of hangers for the girls clothes (any extras have to be stored in a box downstairs). I've known for a long time that, while I can overlook dust to some degree, I can't focus on anything else until my house is somewhat clean and everything is in its place. I try to have most things done before the girls wake up in the morning, and I have to admit that I love taking care of my home. I love my home, my stuff, and I love clean, open space. There's peace to be found in knowing where everything is and knowing that I don't have anything I don't want or need (at least for the most part!) So...this Monday morning I am viewing my weekly catch-up day a little differently - it's a time to get stuff back in order, to be thankful, and to enjoy peace!

I Do It!

Kasidee is very good at being a 2-year-old. She thinks she can do everything by herself, and she is adamant about trying everything on her own. Today she wanted to make her own PB&J sandwich. Knowing the kind of sticky mess it would create, I said, "Let Mommy help you." She said, "No, Mommy - I do it!" It tickled me how serious she was, so I let her do it. I ran to grab the camera and this is what I caught when I returned! Despite having jam all over her face and the jam jar, she actually was pretty careful and didn't make the big sticky mess I was dreading!

Fire Station Fun!

The other night we went with our neighbors to the fire station for their annual open house. The girls loved checking out - and pretending to drive! - the fire trucks and ambulances. They got to be in a "Junior Fire Fighter Relay," where they tested their balance, their strength, and got to wear a real firefighter jacket and spray the big hose! They had a blast!

Trip to Southern Utah

850 miles traveled, 295 pictures taken, and 39 state license plates found (yes, we kept track) - and we're back from our little trip to Southern Utah!

A couple of months ago my mom came across a magazine article about Highway 12 in Southern Utah and asked me if I remembered going there with my parents right after I graduated from high school. Sure enough, I did remember parts of it, and the more I thought about it the more I wanted to go back. Quentin had never been to Bryce Canyon and we thought it would be fun to show the girls. And what perfect timing - the girls had a 4-day weekend because of UEA and Quentin also had taken the time off. And Southern Utah has perfect weather in October - and the leaves were simply glorious!

So we left Thursday morning and drove to Cedar City. Does this look like Cedar City?

Well, it is. And the girls thought it was so cool to see a lighthouse! Anyway, we got to Cedar City in the evening, went to dinner, took a drive up a gorgeous little canyon with amazing cabins, then let the girls swim in the hotel pool.

The next day, Friday, we checked out a couple of museums in Cedar City then headed a little further southeast toward Kanab, where we took a 90-minute tour at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. I first learned about this awesome place when I worked at Trolley Square and helped with "Strut Your Mutt," a fund-raiser for Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. The Sanctuary operates the largest NO-KILL sanctuary for animals in the NATION. Dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses, and even pigs that were slated to be euthanized can find peace here and either be adopted into loving homes or just enjoy the rest of their lives living in the 3800 acre area where volunteers come to feed, take care of and play with the animals. About 1700 animals can be found there. Amazing isn't it?! Seeing the Sanctuary was inspiring and something I've wanted to see for a long time! (P.S. This is just one of about 25 buildings on the property)


After our tour, we went back into Kanab City, where we saw "Hole in the Rock" museum, which is inside a cave!...


Kiera finally found a "K" on the mountainside...


And the girls got to "drive" a Flintstone-like car!


We spent Friday night in a motel in Panguitch, then set out the next morning for our drive along Highway 12. The magazine article said you can drive this 125-mile road in about 3 hours - but it dared its readers to try! There are so many beautiful things along the way! We browsed at an awesome gift shop (the girls all got "Indian ponytail holders" and candy rocks, which I used to love to tease my grandpa with), went on a few hikes, spent a few hours at Bryce Canyon, and drove on Highway 12. This area is simply amazing. Quentin and I were flabbergasted - we just kept laughing because we were thrilled to be able to see such breathtaking scenery. It kept changing around each corner - we'd see something totally different than the terrain we were in right before. It makes one seem small and insignificant in this huge world, yet at the same time we realize that we are an amazing and important part of what Heavenly Father has created. It's humbling and inspiring!













A few cheesy (but oh-so-cute!) pics near Ruby's Inn at Bryce Canyon....




We spent last night in Richfield, then drove 3 hours back home. Makenna was fascinated with the hotel's complimentary shower cap and wore it most of the way home. She cracks me up!