Girls Night Out

$ For Gas to drive down to Utah

$ For tickets to see New Moon

$ For Cheescake Factory

$ For Tickets to see a Billy Joel/ Elton John concert that ended up getting postponed until Feb.

$ For tickets to see another movie that night because the concert was postponed

(Blind Side...Amazing show BTW)

$ For a room at a Salt Lake Hotel with a really hilarious front desk Gal

(A visit to see my Grammy and Papa)

A girls night down in SLC with a good friend, good conversation, and really fun memories to be had for years...PRICELESS!!!

Blessings #27-45

I was supposed to post a blessing every week this year and I have gotten very far behind. I am just going to quickly post of few random some, nonimportant to an important life, but things that I feel a blessing in my life nonetheless!
#27...Diet Pepsi. I know...It is something I shouldn't be consuming as much as I do-but I consider it one of the finer things in life! To get me through some of the crummier things in life.
#28...Spray tan. My friend Val gets this spray tan at one of the beauty supply stores and I love it! Ever since she has told me about it, I buy it with her when I can. In the winter especially I love to just spray my face. It gives me a little bit of sun during the long winter months that aren't so sunny.
#29...Microwaves. I hate to cook. Nuff said!
#30...My bathrobe. Not just for coverage, but warm and fuzzy.
#31...To go with my bathrobe...My fuzzy flip flop Slippers. Love them!!
#32...Automatic doors that open with a push of a button.
#33...My cell phone so that I can do more multi tasking while I am away from my home! And so that my kids can call me when they are sick at school because I am rarely home.
#34...Caramel Corn!
#35...Vaccums.
#36...When you're sick...Cold medicine that makes you sleepy.
#37...Adjustable waists on kids jeans! Whoever invented that is a mom for sure!
#38...Romantic comedies.
#39...Alarm Clocks. I'd rather have a rooster-but whatever.
#40...Costume Jewelry.
#41...An address stamp so I don't have to handwrite the whole thing every time.
#42...Portable juice boxes and individually packaged snacks.
#43...Holiday Placemats (i got some new Turkey ones the other day)
#44...Vaseline
#45...An actual letter in the actual snail mail!
Okay! There I am all caught up! Thank you for reading my random blessings!

Fall 2009

Fall is usually one of my favorite times of the year. Not this year. Mainly because I need some SUNSHINE and I am not ready for winter...and in Idaho Falls, fall usually only lasts 3-4 days before winter hits HARD! But I am trying to embrace it as well as I can. Leaves are a pain to rake and get rid of, but I always love the jumping in them activity. The kids had so much fun this afternoon while they were playing in the leaves.

Jeffs Birthday is October 28th. Last year was his 40th and I did a huge party/movie for him http://nelsonhappenings2.blogspot.com/2008/11/happy-40th-jeff.html, so this year was mild compared to that, but we still went to his moms and she cooked him dinner and we sang to him while Calli accompanied us on her guitar. Happy Birthday Jeff!!! Hope you had a good one!?

I am not in the "celebrating" mood right now. However, as a mom, you need to go through the motions for your kids because you may have a lot more Halloweens left, or you feel like you have lived your Halloweens already, but your kids are only going to have this year ONCE and so it is my job to just keep on going whether I feel like it or not. The kids are getting so much older and I realize that Halloween will soon become another reason for them to hang out with their friends and maybe wear questionable costumes to a party, or just be too cool to participate period. I tried to embrace Halloween this year for all of those reasons. We didn't do much. The kids picked out their costumes one night and I am always curious about the costume choices. Especially Calli. Never has she been anything "girly". This year it was a gangster! Okay? It was totally her and cute anyway. Mack was a ninja. Quentin has been a little cool for Halloween for a couple of years now but he still went out with Jeff and the kids to participate by helping them eat a few pieces of candy...Jeff had a lot of fun taking the kids out with a couple of other families. Mack pooped out a little early and so Jeff and Calli went around to quite a few more places before they came home, emptied her bag and then went around to a few more streets in my moms neighborhood before they were finally done. It was fun to have him do that with her.

Blessing #26

Someone told me the other day that I needed to "loosen up and have a little fun". This new blessing in my life is all "FUN"! I love this new show on FOX. I have to admit that it brings back a lot of fun memories of my high school days in show choir...but mostly, I believe that it is very well written, the characters are so cleverly pieced together and the music...Just go onto iTunes and hear it for yourself. AMAZING!!!! My favorite songs so far have been the Mash-ups!! The two characters above are two of my favorites. I love each character for the unique quality and voice that they bring to the show. Love them!!!

Blessing #26 GLEE

YELLOWSTONE

My mom rented a cabin the beginning of October in West Yellowstone and mom, Ben, me, Jon, Michael, Joe and all of our families came up to enjoy one of the best weekends that I have had all year! (We missed Sara's family and Tim!!!) What a special time to spend with each other and to have such happy times together. A lot of our times spent together this year have been centered around dad and him being sick and then with the funeral. It is nice to get together with no agenda in sight and just to be there with family. The cabin was so nice and roomy for our huge troop and we couldn't have asked for any better weather. It was perfect!!! We went into the park a few times and were able to see some fun stuff, take a really nice hike, and even got a little too close to a buffalo!!! Nothing that I hadn't seen before, but it was different this time. I had a friend say the other day that you really can only go to Yellowstone every once in a while because there are only so many times that you can see Old Faithful and the painted pots. I agree a little bit, however, this trip was a little different for me because the last time I was at Yellowstone I was with Dad. I miss him, and I felt like I was a little closer to him and some memories of him than I haven't felt for a while. Dad loved nature and the outdoors and he especially loved Yellowstone. While I was there, I thought about him and how he had been there so many times. He never tired of seeing things over and over again and stand in awe of our Heavenly Father's creations. I hope that he was there with us walking along side smiling seeing his family together.

Blessing #25

Something that I have been grateful lately are for people that know the things that they know and the talents that they possess so that they can make our lives easier. Just a few examples, Jeff's car had a lot of issues and we took it to a mechanic and they just fixed it all up!! The sprinkler guys came over the other day to blow our sprinklers out for the winter and it was such a relief to know that that was done. I could probably find a way to do it on my own and for cheaper, but what a relief that all I have to do is make a phone call. My computer has been on the Fritz lately and even though I won't take it in because it works on and off and I am too cheap to do so, I know that all I would have to do is make a phone call and I could get it done. Yesterday, I went up to the cemetery with my mom and brother, Tim and we watched as two guys placed my dad's headstone on his grave. I was amazed the entire time not just at how beautiful it is and how amazing it was to see everything "set in stone" but the process which they set the stone into the ground. The engraver did a beautiful job and the guys setting it were very careful and there was quite the art to it. I was so grateful to them and their talent and how serious they took it and with what care they performed their service.

Blessing #25...People who serve us through their employment and through their knowledge and talents to do so.

Blessing # 24

For the past three weeks Grandpa Craig has been with us in our home. Never before in my life have I ever felt as if I owed someone my life. He has saved my life on so many levels and in addition, he has been such a joy to be around. He came promptly after Jeff got out of the hospital and has been here for three weeks helping Jeff, the kids, and helping me more than he will ever know! Yesterday we took him to the airport and for a moment, I felt as if I wasn't going to be able to breathe! He has been such a blessing to our whole family right now. Jeff and I are so glad that we still have a dad in our lives and the kids love having a grandpa still in thier lives as well. Belssing #24...Craig. We love you and miss you so much already!