Our Michigan trip..

We are back from our trip to Michigan. My parents had their 50th wedding anniversary and my mom's 75th birthday so we all flew out to be with them. My brother came in from Chicago with his family, also. It was a super fun trip. While we were there we went to the Detriot Zoo, saw a Detroit Tiger's baseball game and ate all sorts of YUMMY food!!!! It was fun to hang out with my parents every night and have dinner with one of my dearest friend and her family. We were there for 8 days but it flew by. I also visited one of my most favoritest (I know, not a real word) people EVER!!!! My ex-brother in law Thomas Coleman. He is 43 now, and after all these years still calls me his "dister-in-law". Thomas has downs syndrom, you see and 20 years later I still love him with ALL my heart! He has never forgotten me and this time said he will marry me. He also says Taylor will be his daughter....I bet there has not been 1 day that has gone by where I haven't thought of him. Even as I type this I cannot help but to have a big ole grin on my face!!!! We also did a short visit with my biological grandparents. The kids had a blast staying at a hotel the whole time and were VERY spoiled by Grandma and Papa. We all were spoiled by them! I was very sad to leave and come back to Utah. I will post pic's soon of our trip. We are in the middle of re-doing our kitchen right now so in a few days when that settles I will download pic's. And before and after pic's of our kitchen, too!
The kids are out of school for summer (May 29th last day) and Taylor is at Clear Creek camp with her school until Fri. She left on Monday. It is so strange to hae her gone and I really miss her. But I will say that there has not been any fighting between Bryce and her! LOL But Bryce says he misses his sister and can't wait for her to come home!
Marc is still staying busy with work and we are thankful everyday for that! Well I am being called to help get the dishwasher back in so must run for now. Check soon for pic's and I love you ALL!!!!!! Xo xo

And so it begins....

Taylor came home today and told me she has a date tomorrow with Justice at lunch time! Her friends told her to dress cute and put her hair in braids (THIS part is HILARIOUS to me because I am ALWAYS trying to get her to wear her hair in braids and she always says NO!!!!). So I am curious to see what happens on "the date"...LOL And they have held hands at school and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Now you may wonder if I am freaking out.... (part of me is relieved because my wondering if she was going to "like" girls has been put to rest). I have met his family and he seems to be a good kid...and he is stinkin cute!! And no I am not freaking out. I am so thankful she feels she can come and share this all with me. I remember being in 5th grade and what it is like....except I was the one chasing boys trying to kiss THEM! Ha ha But she is such a good kid and very responsable and has never done anything to loose our trust. So time will tell on where this little relationship goes....I will keep you posted!

Happy Mother's Day...

I absolutly LOVE Mother's Day!! It is my favorite holiday followed by my birthday. This year was filled with many surprizes. Beginning on Thursday with a text message from Marc that read "it's for Mother's Day early". My reply was "Huh?" (I am not very clever at 8 a.m.) and the reply was "you'll see". So I got in the car to take the kids to school and there was a new charger/cord to play my I-Pod in the car (I recently upgraded to the 4th Generation and my old one doesn't charge it). I was SO excited because I would pick my I-Pod as something I would need on a deserted island (sooooo practical, I know). Then on Friday Bryce came home and made me open my present he made in school for me....a bracelet made with beads. He was SO excited to have me open it! And he made me a card with his best hand writting and a huge green heart inside. He told me the heart meant that he and I were in love with each other. Ahhh...I just love that kid!! Then on Sat. I got a bouquet of fruit....the BEST gift for me!!!! It was so delicious and FRESH!!!! A few dark chocolate dipped strawberries and apples and tons of undipped fruit. Then my husband needed to go to Home Depot and wanted me to come with him and when we got there he told me to pick out some patio furniture for my Mother's Day gift! So I tried out many and found the most comfortable set EVER and we brought home a couch, 2 chairs and foot rests and a table. (I took the best nap on it today!!!!!) I was in heaven... Then on Mother's Day Taylor gave me her gift she made...a letter nominating me for mom of the year and an essay of why I deserved it. And an award on paper for me! I so love the gifts my kids have made over the years. They are priceless and mean the world to me! I LOVE that my daughter loves me so much!!!! We had Marc's parents over for a bar-b-q and cake because Mother's Day was also Bryce's 7th birthday! It was such a fun day...ending with our weekly Sunday drive! Bryce got a Slip N Slide and Super Soaker, and new scripture bag with CTR on the front (he looks like a mini missionary with it in his suit) and he FINALLY got Heeley's! Which may be the cause of his first broken bone!! Ha ha He has been bugging for those for like 6 months!!!! I hope all you mothers out there had a wonderful day!!!!

Many, many pictures!!!!

Okay...finally some pictures!!!! They range from Dec. til April...hopefully I will have learned my lesson and stay up on it better!! So there are a few from Christmas and just random things....I am out the door to finally get my roots done but have put pictures off LONG ENOUGH!!!!!! Enjoy!

Kids eating out back
Up at Sundance
Bryce and his best friend Lainy
Sundance
April...REALLY????
New garage door...
Old garage door
Bryce colored this...
Christian the trouble-maker ex boyfriend
New boyfriend Justice looking at the camera..the "tow head"
Taylor makes the shot..and her mama proud!!
Mel...looks just like my daughter
Best friends EVER!!!!
Always laughing....
Robin's baby shower.
Bryce and Roxy
Snow!!!
Our yard.... Bryce in his Christmas program..
So cute!!

Quick re-cap..

Sarah at Abbie's 3rd b-day party..this is her shirt
The Larsen's at Thanksgiving
Final result
One spot really hurt!



Okay..The problem is that I load our computer downstairs with all pic's from our camera. And usually I am on the laptop upstairs...So it really all just comes down to my laziness...and lazy I am!!! So I will put one or 2 on here and get to our camera soon! Maybe that should be our FHE activity??
My kids have about a month left of school! Where has this year gone? Marc has work lined up and is about 6 weeks out, maybe even more...We are waiting for our kitchen cabinets to be finished. He said today by the end of next weekend they should be done. We decided on knotty cherry and granite counter tops. We have an L shape now with a bar but we are planning to tear down part of the wall between kitchen and living room and we will have an island instead and in the island we are putting in a small sink for washing veggies and drinking (reverse osmosis will be in that sink) and we are puttin in a farm sink for the main sink. And I am most excited about having the dishwasher on the LEFT!!!!! Every kitchen I have ever had was for a right handed person and I am a lefty!!! Once the kitchen is in I will cook!!!! That was my promise to my husband. Although my family may not love it at first because it will be alot of "clean" meals!!
Mom and Dad you may not to read this next part, but I got another tattoo...I wanted one to represent my family so I did stars with everyones birth stone colors. I ABSOLUTLY love it!! That is about it for here...I will post pic of the new garage door (as well as a before) and the pic's of our house in the winter....Love to you all!!!

Okay....tomorrow.....pic's!!!!

Okay..so my goal it to get pic's up here tomorrow!!!! We are getting a new garage door so I will have to sit here while it is being installed. I am hoping that is the time I can update!!!! So until tomorrow...then be prepared for pic OVERLOAD!!!!!

Taylor at 2....

My friend had this picture on his computer and sent it to me...This is Taylor at 2. Oh how I miss those days!!!!!! She was so very serious (still is...sort of) and just sooooo sweet! I was a single mom for awhile with her and even though it was a tough time in my life it is also one of the VERY best!!!! I really learned what I was made of...I loved that little girl sooo much (still do soooo freakin much) and she was glued to my side..ha ha and if she had her way she still would be! I remember how I would put her in her bed at night and when I went back up to go to my bed later, there she would be...asleep! This little girl in my big bed tucked herself in and there she would sleep..And what do ya know..she askes me at least 4 times a week when she can sleep with me! I have such wonderful memories of my daughter over the years...end even though she is 11 (and we had maturation day at her school today) in my mind she will always be this small, sweet, innocent 2 year old...I love you soooooo much Tay!!!!!

Taylor and Bryce after school...

M kids made the paper coming home from school...Our cute neighbor came over and brought us the article...My kids were so excited to see themselves in the paper...

Tag...

Okay this is the 4th picture in my photo's...I thought it was pretty funny! So everbody go to your 4th pic and post with an explanation. I am from Michigan so whenever I see this kind of stuff about Detroit I get a kick out of it!

Here I am....

Yes! We are still alive!!!! Not much has gone on around here! Bryce was named "student of the day"last week. He was soooooo excited about it! He has the best teacher EVER!!! She called me to tell me how it was announced over the P.A. and he was so proud! Then she put him on the phone and he couldn't wait to tell me! Taylor has one last game of basketball for the season. She is such an amazing player and we have been approached by other coaches to get her on a league team. She is so good...not because I am her mom either! lol She sinks 3 pointers 4 out of 5 times. And handles the ball like no other!!!! Marc is getting ready for the season...getting some bids going. It was a tight winter but the light can be seen at the end of the tunnel! I have loved winter but the sun has been out and I hear birds outside my window...I am ready for Spring! I have been busy at the gym (no surprize I know) and loving spending the winter with Marc...I will be in charge of books this year for our company...is this good or bad?!?! ha ha
I did a ride along with a police officer friend of mine last weekend up in Rose Park and West side. Think past fair grounds and homeless shelter areas for those of you who know Salt Lake. It was an amazing experience...I stuck out like a sore thumb in that area. I saw a man in Pioneer park who was homeless who had smoked some bad crack and died. They couldn't bring him back...it was sad to me because here this man died and who would miss him? He was just some homeless man to most...but one time he was a son and maybe a brother or husband. Another call there were 2 small children there and it broke my heart because they didn't stand a chance. And all their mom could say to me was how she really liked my hair. It was sooooo sad because I could tell she was embarassed to have me see her situation...she was maybe 24. Then by the homeless shelter another woman walked by with her husband and I could see how broken her spirit was....I am so thankful for my life and all I have been blessed with...I am also so thankful that those situations still touch my soul. I hope I can pass that onto my children so that they never look away from those that have nothing.....

I have been tagged...

I also did this on my Facebook page so I will come up with different facts on here...


25 Things about me....

1.I HATE being cold, but the older I become the more I LOVE winter!
2. I am absolutly, perfectly fine with 2 children but can see and OPPS! in like 4 years...lol
3. My husband is 8 1/2 years younger than I am....Yes you read that right! I SOOOOO robbed the cradle!!!!
4.I was a security guard for a department store (ZCMI) and busted shoplifters....funnest job EVER!!
5.I absolutly love getting my back scratched and Marc does it almost every night for me.
6.I LOVE the taste of beer!!!!!!! And even though I haven't tasted it in over 20 years I STILL crave it!
7.When I moved to Utah I was 22 and weighed 94 lbs.... sick I know!
8.I have had 3 boob jobs
9.My motto on boob jobs is go big or go home!
10.My passion is lifting weights... not to "look good" but for the strength I get from it..
11.I want to own 1 pair of Christian Louboutox (murdered the spelling)shoes before I turn 50.
12.If I were rich I would own a working ranch and would be out there working on it!
13.My favorite car I owned was my 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser....but my Land Rover is a close second!
14.I refuse to take pain med's stronger that Advil..The first time I have had stronger was after my lung surgery and HATED it!!!!!! That was 6 months ago...(Yup..not even after boob surgeries!!)
15.I HATE working and am thankful EVERYDAY I don't have to have a job outside the home!
16.I absolutly LOVE the place I am in right now in my life.
17. I have been hit on by women a few times and was flattered because I am comfortable with who I am, and in my own skin!
18.I feel sad everyday that I am so far from my parents but thankful that my brother is closer and Janet Gardner is a few doors down!
19.I have my nose pierced and I wear it into the Temple..The workers never look twice..I am worthy to be there..
20.I smoked for 10 years..how do you think I got down to 94 Lbs???? ha ha
21.When I got pregnant with Taylor I weighed 102 and the day I left the hospital with her I weighed 106...NOT NORMAL I KNOW!!!!!
22.I use to be a "pleaser" in my relationships...now I say this is who I am..you can take it or leave it...
23.I like that I am friends now with most of my ex's...life is too short to hate!
24.I have made the most AMAZING friends in the last 1 1/2 year and I LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!!
25.I am a SURVIVOR of an abusive marriage. I am PROUD of this and will always be open with anyone who asks! Someday I will work in a shelter volunteering (sp) and if I can help change one womens life it will ALL be worth it....



I tag: Robin,Chelsea,Krista,Heidi,Jaimy,Erin,Carol, and any else who would like too...I love to learn more about others. And I have some pic's to post in the next few days...

Playing catch-up again...

Happy New Year!!!!!! I hope you all had a WONDERFUL holiday season. I am sad it has come and gone so quickly. I apologize for being a HUGE slacker (Mom and Dad)...but I seem to be spending a ton of time on Facebook finding so many people from high school. It has been a blast to reconnect with so many after 20+ years! Anyway we are all healthy and happy here. It has been snowing for 2 days and it is so beautiful outside. I love driving in my car all toasty warm with the snow falling all around me. My husband plowed snow yesterday and then got up at 3 this morning and plowed til 7p.m. tonight. And he will be up again at 3 to do it all over again. And boy was he slap-happy tonight at dinner. I was laughing soooo hard!!!! The kids are back in school and I miss having them around. We had a fun 2 weeks..didn't do a ton but were all together hanging...so fun! I went to lunch with my sis-in-law and I was reflecting in my mind and was struck again at how blessed I am to be married to Marc. Now try not to be too shocked but I have had a pretty wild past (Shocking I know!!!! ha ha ha ha) and you can ask my parents and they will tell you I have ALWAYS had to learn things the hard way...lol But I the reason I am so blessed with Marc is he knows EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING about my past. And I LOVE that!!!! Now, I will never say I made mistakes...bit I will say I made poor choices. I don't believe much in mistakes..I knew what I was doing. But what is so amazing is that I have this wonderful man and I can tell him ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!!!!! What a wonderful feeling to know I have this relationship and never have to keep secrets or hide things. And we can laugh about it.. and we do! Everything I have done has made me who I am today and guess what??? I absolutly LOVE who I am today!!!! Now 10 or even 5 years ago I could not say I love me....I didn't love my thighs, or my nose,(you know what I mean) but I didn't get it then! And I still don't LOVE my thighs (ha ha who loves their thighs??) but I love that I am a true loyal friend. I love that when I can see a total stranger hurting I want to make her feel good about who she is and want to become her friend. I love that I can see beauty in every single woman I meet. And I am thankful for every single hardship and heartache I went thru for many years to become who I am today. I would not change one single thing from my past....(well except the bi-level hair cut with a duck tail in the back when I was 14....) and I am sooo greatful I have eternity to be with a kind, loving, non-judging, goofy, good smellin, Tim McGraw lovin man!!!! I love you Marc!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone....

Today I pulled Taylor out of school for a few hours(shhh, Bryce does NOT know) to head up to SLC to see none other than "Bobby" from Law and Order CI.....What a treat it was for us both. Taylor and I love to watch Law and Order together so it was fun to meet him. He was such a nice,nice man.(And in my mind he fell in love with me the moment he laid eyes on me!!!!) There is a really good rib joint out here called Rib City and his sister is the owner and they were doing a fundraiser for Fallen Policemen up in Sandy so I surprized Tay and off we went...sadly for her she did have to be checked back in after we ate and headed back....We are getting ready for Christmas as I am sure you all are. I have been DYING for snow...tomorrow is the day the storms are suppost to start. We shall see! So there are pic's below of a few things...we made gingerbread houses with good friends Chelsea and the Adam's (Krista we wish you could have stayed) and that was soooo fun! I am so thankful Robin,Chelsea and Krista for your friendships...more than you will ever know! I really truely love you all...(sniff,sniff..)
There is also a pic right after Turbokick with my friends Julie who is not only the MOST amazing teacher...HELLO LOOK AT THOSE ABS!!!! and does my hair but she is a great friend! And Leslie had the BEST arms ever!!!! She says it's from growing up bailing hay...I need to work on a farm! (FYI..this class is a total body workout and I burn about 650 cal. in the class. That is why we all look so lovely!!) I love you girls too...We finally had my brother-in-law take a pic of ALL of us...usually Marc or I are missing from the pictures. Our tree is up and all of our decorations,finally! Thanksgiving was spent with family and delicious food...Fall came and went too quickly. But the kids had fun with Marc raking up all the leaves! I am still hitting the gym daily and have not lost my passion for lifting. I went 4 weeks no sugar and had a week of treats...(not very many tho) and am back off for the most part. But enjoy now and then. Now alot of people ask my how and why I would want to do that...let me say that by week 3 that little layer of fat that everybody has over their abs is about gone. And all of a sudden it ain't so hard anymore!!!! lol And I know it isn't for everybody..but once you see those results.....well it is ALL worth it!!! (and all my fellow gym friends KNOW!!!)
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas....XOXOXO

I LOVE this man!!!!
Starting the tree...
The dog is finished...
Chelsea rocks it!!
Sweet little Abby..
Good firends...good times!!!
Sarah,Julie and Leslie after turbo kick..Julie is the teacher and my good friend..
The Larsen family...
Taylor
Hiding in the leaves
Bryce

A few Santa pic's...

Taylor and Santa...she still believes..
We had a fun Saturday with good friends...starting with making gingerbread houses that I will post pic's of later. We then crashed our last wards Christmas party where we had delicious food and saw lots of good friends. It was really fun and the kids got to see Santa..where Bryce again asked for a 4 wheeler that the engine gets hot.....meaning a REAL 4 wheeler! Ha what 6 year old gets that?? Especially not my son...that is death waiting to happen..since the kid gets a near concussion just runnung! Ha ha