turkey day

i'm thankful for...
this hottie...

for the 6 pounds i lost... cute hand-me-down clothes... this guy for always wanting to tag along with us...the worker's @ Little America that made this meal happen...

my high maintenance daughter... the clown in the Lobby making all the kids these... these flowers that smelled wonderful...

the boys putting up with all the picture taking...

the stranger that took this picture...

the awesome toast Paul gave before dinner...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Boondoggle...

Yeah I said boondoggle, and yeah I made a boondoggle key chain yesterday for Savannah. It was FUN! It made me remember my Mill Hollow days. Anyone old like me, and remember that? Okay, I'm puttin' the question out there...does anyone know how to do any other weaving, other than the one you see?

Hyper Piper

Savannah has wanted a pet for a LONG time. I have had the debate many a time of what pet would fit our family the best. I don't want stinky. I don't want hairy, and I don't want something that will even THINK about ruining my new furniture. You feel me?! This is where my problem lies.

We had a fish pond outside, and we considered those pets...that is until they all died. I would bring a gold fish inside occasionally (if it looked like it was struggling/dying). We would then flush them when they lost the battle. Savannah then thought that is what we do to all fish...even healthy, happy one's.

Savannah and I once found a kitten in the bushes. We brought him home, named him Res-Q, and he lived for about 5 days, then he died on us. It was one of those days that made me a Mommy. Try explaining to a 2 year old that Res-Q is dead. It was hard, and I actually cried. I grow attached quickly.I have endless stories of my childhood pets that all died tragically. Dogs, cats, birds, you name it. I think this is what scares me about getting a pet for Van...I'm cursed.

THEN my sister came to visit, and brought her dog. Problem solved! Emilie and Hiram just need to visit more, and bring Piper. Savannah was in HEAVEN! It was exhausting just watching Savannah and Piper run ALL over the back yard. Thank you Emilie and Hiram for coming to visit, and most of all letting Savannah be entertained by your Hyper Piper!

Twilight =(

I was SO excited to see this movie, even though I knew it wouldn't do the book justice. I tried not to get my hopes up, but I did...and I didn't like the movie as much. I didn't like Bella, but SURPRISINGLY I fell in love with the "ugly Edward". lol The BEST part of this movie was definitely Emily. =) We both said that if we brought Paul he would have made fun of our movie the whole time. It was fun to catch up, and eat LOTS of popcorn. I am definitely changing my Christmas movie...sorry! =(

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Sell Family Christmas Tree

Too bad I have to take it all down for the carpet install, and then I get to put it all back up! Bummer huh!?

Spreading the Spirit...

We had a BIG luncheon at work on Friday. It was a Thanksgiving feast. I ate so much food I think I rolled to my car at the end of the day. One of the girls I work with made two HUGE turkeys. Oh, so yummy!

When we were cleaning up I decided to bring up putting up the Christmas decorations in the office...I got some crap for it, but there was enough people in favor. =) We had someone professionally come and decorate it last year, and I think that we did just as good this year!

THANK YOU!

i'm thankful this week for the sale at smith's.

salt city candles were only $9 instead of $19.99!

they even had my favorite smell (christmas tree).

just because i have a fake christmas tree, doesn't mean i can't enjoy the smell of pine in my home.

they had the BIG boxes of cereal 4 for $8

they had 12 packs of soda 5 for $11

they had pumpkin pie on sale, and also cool whip!

i usually only shop at harmon's, but with a sale like this i had to stop by. =)

just warmin' up.

We went to visit the Easter Bunny at least 3 times. So, we have decided to find THE cutest Santa in Utah. =) We waited for the doors to open to see the Santa at Fashion Place Mall. What do you think?His beard is a little too yellow, but real. Santa was friendly, and Savannah got a coloring book with stickers. Fashion Place let me take as many pictures with my personal camera, which I have never done. I always pay for the overly priced package they offer.

From The Eyes of a Child.

I got a new camera. (I thought that was what was in the box under the tree...I guess not!) That means that Savannah inherited my old one. She has gone hog wild. Paul is going cRaZy with all the picture taking. I thought it was interesting looking through the pictures she took...

Our semi-complete tree.Her new Nativity stocking.Of course a self portrait! She had her "ouchie" removed/burned off at the Dr. on Friday. It finally is starting to look better.She LOVES Jesus and LOVES going to church!

She took a better picture of my present than I did! =)

Over Not In!

I had to laugh when I got all the leaves in a pile from our whole yard, and this was all of them... I told Savannah to jump in them, and she said to me "I can't jump in them, but I can jump over them!"

Savannah's HOT date!

Mid-week Shane calls and offers to watch Savannah Friday night.

I'm happy!

Then he tells me he is taking Savannah to Disney On Ice!

I'm jealous!

We decide to keep it top secret!

I actually went crazy not telling her!

I dress her up like the princess of her choice. =)

Shane comes to pick up "Belle"...she screams with delight when she realizes where she is going.

Daddy gives Savannah money to pick whatever new toy she wants...Savannah picks out these binoculars. She didn't even need them, because Uncle Shane hooked her up with 12th row seats! Shane is the bomb diggity huh!?OH, and let's not forget the bucket of popcorn! The quickest way to her heart!She came home exhausted, but had a blast on her first date!

I had to take this picture...the new toy hasn't left her site.

thurs.

Today has been an irritating day. I have chosen to look at things positive, and in a good light. =)

I am thankful that when I went to the Dr appt for Paul and Savannah...they told me that it was for tomorrow not today. That meant that I got to go shopping, instead of holding down Savannah for shots.
I am thankful for sore muscles...that means that I got a good work out last night. Maybe I'll hit my goal weight before Christmas. The best present I could give myself.
I am thankful for all the new people that I work with, that don't know what they are doing...that means that I still have a job for the time being.
I am thankful for Paul telling me not to drink ANOTHER coke...that means that I have someone who is looking out for me, and cares about me reaching my goals.
I am thankful for the few extra pounds that I have to shed...that means that I have eaten well for months.

It is fun to put a positive spin on things.

I'm thankful!

Any Ideas?

The foreign present...Hubby even got it in wrapping paper that matches the tree. Cute huh?I thought of a million things...what do you think?

Surprises!

I hate surprises! There I said it!

If you can only imagine how miffed I was when I came home last night to find a foreign present under my tree! (Yes, my Christmas tree has been up since before Halloween! Pictures to come when it's complete.) I have done the 20 questions with Paul, and can't get it out of him...yet! ;) He even had it professionally wrapped by someone. hmmmm! It is beautiful. That is what makes me not unwrap and re-wrap it to look.
I secretly want to have a surprise, but just don't know how much of this I can take. Christmas is entirely to far away to know I have a surprise! What could it be!? Oh, I'm going to stop thinking about it...it's going to make me anxious again.

Oh My Dyson Part 3

Remember when I posted here and here about how great this vacuum of mine was??

Well, little did I know it was ruining my carpet. Yup! Ruined all the carpet in my whole house! To say that I was little sad, and maybe a little bent out of shape would be an understatement. What I thought the Dyson was doing was cleaning dirt out of my carpet...little did I know that it was ripping my carpet apart, and making my carpet a complete fuzzy mess!

After 3 months of calling EVERYONE I thought might listen to me...someone actually did! Persistence paid off, and I will be receiving a house full of new carpet sometime in the next couple of weeks!! =) Can I get a what, what for Evonce!!?!

If I had any advise for my fellow friends...don't buy a Dyson. No one in the carpet industry recommends them, and actually will deny your claim if you own one. Good thing I owned a Hoover when I made my claim, huh?! ;)

twenty something.

Happy Birthday Ben!

I had this amazing post planned in my head for you today. Pictures picked out, and thoughts all collected...and then my scanner wouldn't work. A blog post is always better with a few pictures in the mix. You will just have to know that I tried, and if you have any old pictures scanned in your computer of us...send them my way! ;)

(insert picture of you and I at your baby shower for Tyler...you didn't even look prego)

When you hear people say their spouse is their better half, that is how I feel about you. You have always been the one that made good choices, and the one I could look up to. You have always been there for me. Even when I decided to have different friends in High school...we somehow made it through, and are still friends some 18 years later. (Has it really been that long?)

(insert picture of you and I on the hood of your parents car)

One of the BEST memories I have with you has to be the 1st night that your parents let you use the car. This was monumental in our world. We went to South Towne Mall, and ate at McDonald's. We even drove on the freeway, which you were terrified of.

(insert picture of us in a group photo at 9th grade Promotion)

I still look at this picture and think how nice we were to let Sheila in our picture. lol. I think that I probably hurt your feelings this night. My thoughts are cloudy, but it probably had something to do with you not feeling included...and possibly even thinking that I was best friends with that other girl (you know who I'm talking about). I remember feeling sad that you couldn't sleep over with us, and hoping that you knew I loved you! =) I was so inconsiderate, and yet you still are my friend. You were willing to look past my imperfections.

I hope that you know I have always wanted the BEST for you. You have been an awesome friend, and deserve it all. I love you, and wish you a VERY Happy Birthday!

aaahh!

Nothing like hot apple cider on a chilly morning! bliss!

Chick-Fil-A Hooray!

The wait is finally over! Chick-fil-a had their grand opening in Jordan Landing. Yeah! No more driving down to The District at 9:30 pm to satisfy my cravings for chicken. I love this place! More than the delicious chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, chicken strips, and the irresistible breakfast menu...they have THE BEST customer service!These are the kind of places people need to go spend their $$ at!! We used our "free sandwich" coupons today, and still were given a free brownie and discount on our other items. Oh, and on the way out we got more "free sandwich" coupons! Are you serious?? This is place needs major props!

T.T.

Last week for one of our many days of celebrating birthdays we went to the park for a picnic. KFC, blankets, and each other! What more could I ask for. I sat there deep in thought. I watched all the young Mom's chattin' it up while they watched their children play. At first I thought...that looks like fun to have a play date of sorts...then I realized why would I want that. Here I sit with my best friend! How many people can hang out with their Hubby ALL day long like I can!? So, this Thursday I am so thankful for Paul's business! It allows us to spend hours, upon hours with each other. He brings home the bacon! He is good at it, and when no one else thought it would make it...he stuck to it for our family. Thank you Sell Vending!!! =)

boredom =)

Five names you go by:

1. Evonne
2. Evonce

3. Von

4. Momma

5. Recently...Mother...No joke.

Savannah has a way of making me feel like I'm 90 years old!
Three things you are wearing right now:

1. My nice, new, big furry coat. =) I'm freezing!

2. Sandals, don't judge!

3. Khakis.
Two things you want very badly at the moment:

1. I'm going with Amber's answer...self control.
2. Endless hours with my little family!

Two things you did last night:

1. Wrapped Christmas presents!
2. Went to Gardner Village for our FHE treat.
Two things you ate today:

1. chicken nuggets from Wendy's

2. gummy worms
Two people you last talked to on the phone:

1. driver at work

2. Paul

Two things you are going to do tomorrow:

1. clean up my house...shocking huh?

2. spend time with Paul and Savannah

Two longest car rides this year:

1. California...We miss you Disneyland. =(
2. Twin Falls, ID

Two of your favorite beverages:

1. I bet no one can guess it...lol!

2. Apple Beer...delicious, addicting stuff!

"Forget Yourself and Go to Work"

Lately life has seemed like a roller coaster of sorts. A few months ago while I was feeling especially low, a story popped in my mind I haven't stopped thinking about. It was about Gordon B. Hinckley writing a letter to his father on his mission...here is a snip-it of it off of lds.org...

A pivotal spiritual experience soon followed. President Hinckley would refer to it again and again as “my day of decision. … Everything good that has happened to me since then I can trace back to [it].” Discouraged over preaching to uninterested audiences and knocking on unopened doors, Gordon wrote his father: “I am wasting my time and your money. I don’t see any point in my staying here.”
Bryant Hinckley, ever the educator and wise disciplinarian, replied: “Dear Gordon. I have your letter. … I have only one suggestion. Forget yourself and go to work. With love, Your Father.” Letter in hand, Gordon returned to his apartment contemplating the verse he had studied in scripture study that morning: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). “I got on my knees,” he recalled, “and made a covenant with the Lord that I would try to forget myself and go to work.”

The first day this came to me was one of my BEST days! I forgot about myself, and started off by serving Paul! It worked wonders for my broken spirit. Spending money and having the material things were only a quick fix. I realized I am at my best when I serve. I guess you should say I finally found my calling in life. =) Last night was another one of those days...feeling sorry for myself...yada, yada, yada! I started wrapping all of our Christmas presents for our family (I'm excited to give them away now). It melted all of my worry and sadness away. I felt like a million bucks afterwards. I realized it doesn't have to be BIG things to serve one another, and I get more out of it than the person I'm helping. I'm on a new path, and it feels good...you wanna come?

Halloween pic's!

A stop off at work.
A stop at Jordan Landing.

A walk around the neighborhood.
And to end the night South Towne Mall.

End result...LoTs-o-CandY!!

Oh, and one pooped out family. =)Savannah thinks that Liz is Dora, and calls her that too!Tammy is in her wheelchair for her broken leg...fitting for Halloween!Batman, Fairy, and our Cinderella!Cinderella with Maddie the MonkeySavannah boyfriend, Grayson and Alora the DoodleBop (minus the wig)