Simple Moments of Joy

This week I have really been thinking about what things have been the best parts of my day and it has been the simple things. For example a few days ago the girls helped me get the dirty laundry in the washing machine and then we just watched as our front loader machine began washing. It was silly, fun and simple just watching the water, bubbles and clothes spin around. Last night the girls helped make cookies with me and it was all giggles, eating the dough and having milk and cookies when they where done. A perfect end to the day. Justin just got home and Ariana came and laid down on him while he is watching baseball. Its 6pm and she hasn't eaten dinner yet and I warned him she was falling asleep and he said"Its ok, I like this and I so rarely get the opportunity." How could I deny him this simple moment of joy?

An Angel Traveling in Fillmore, Utah

The first two weeks of July the girls, our two dogs and I vacationed in Utah with Justin's family. We had a great time. I'll try writing about it later. Last Friday we all set off to come home and see Daddy and a little an hour after driving our air conditioner in the car stoped working and then Ariana started screaming that she had to pee and of course we are in the middle of no where. I pulled over on the side of the high way and smelled a burning rubber. Perfect! So Ariana peed for the first time on the side of the highway (by the end of the day we will have done that 3 times) We got back in and I wasn't sure what to do. To stay there and call AAA, it was really hot, over 100 or try to keep driving and hope even a little city would come soon. While talking to my Dad I decided to keep going and see if anything was close. If I didn't find anything in a few miles I'd pull over and call AAA. Fillmore was only a few miles down the road so we drove and got off and pulled into Carls Jr. We got towed to the local AAA shop. It turned out to be a busy day for the little company. The mechanic looked at the car and couldn't figure out what was wrong for awhile and then decided that the air compressor had a part that was broken. Bad news/good news for me is that part was just replaced a couple months ago! So if I could just make it home because everything else runs fine except the AC I could get it fixed for hopefully free but to make things worse my front windows are broken and can't roll down so even driving at night was out until we could get them down. My AAA membership gets me free tows up to 100 miles and Provo is about 100 miles from Fillmore. The towing company said they could tow us back but it would be a few hours. Ugh, I mean Yippy, hours out in the hot because we have to keep the dogs with us. We were VERY hungry at this point and a local cafe was recommended to us. We got there and ordered but soon found out that I was out of cash and the cafe only took cash or checks no credit or debit cards. Before we could cancel our order and try and find Carl's Jr. again my angel came to my rescue. A kind woman in brite green shirt jumped up and said "don't worry I got it". I was so over whelmed. I started crying. I was so grateful to not try and pack the girls and dogs back into the car. I was tiered and hungry just like my girls and our angel helped us just when we needed it. Our world can be a crazy place but I hope that I can be sensitive enough just like this woman was so that when someone else is in need I can be there for them. She didn't ask for anything she was traveling too to American Fork. Alexis who is normally shy around strangers even ran up and said thank you. Just thinking about it and writing about is making me tear up. Thank you traveling Angel you truly helped make a bad day better! (The picture is us in the tow truck driving back to Provo/Orem)

Camping at Lake Mead

The first weekend in May we went camping at Lake Mead with our friends the Jacksons. We had a great time even though our trip was cut slightly short because we had to get back to meet Justin's family and get Justin packed to go to his Grandma Ashby's funeral in CA. The kids were all so excited to sleep in the tents but Friday night the wind blew so hard that we had to sleep in the cars and take the poles out of the tents. It was a long night for me since Mom's always seem to draw the short end of the stick and I was the one that ended up all twisted up trying to sleep half sitting half laying down the short way in the car. Oh well! The next morning and afternoon was beautiful.



There was so much to do and explore outside but the three little girls played for a large part of the day inside the car. It was good for Ariana though because she is so fair that it was really hard to keep her from burning and the car offered her some nice shade.

The Barbie Fishing Pole

Before we left I bought 2 pink barbie fishing poles for the girls from Wal-mart. We were really impressed with how well they work and how good both Ariana and Alexis can cast. Justin ended up spending a lot of the day playing with a barbie fishing pole too. Isn't he cute? ; )

The Jackson also brought kayaks. Ariana LOVED the kayaks and so did I. We had a lot of fun paddling around the lake.

When they weren't in the car the girls were collecting sea shells. Doesn't Alexis look great in those purple goggles?

When we got home we all looked rather comical because we all had sun burns in different wierd ways. Justin was just red all over because he didn't put on sunscreen. I used a face stick and apparently only rubed in the middle of my forhead because just above my eyebrows and around my hair line got burned but nothing in between. Ariana was fine everywhere except right under her eyes. Justin's family had a good laugh when they saw us that night.

Did you know your shower can turn into a bath tub?

Please excuse the lack of clothing. I probably should have been a little upset but all I could do was laugh. My girls have started asking to take showers and I don't mind because I don't feel like I have to sit with them the whole time when they do. They have figured out though that one of their bath toys is the perfect plug for the drain and last night used it to let the shower fill up like a bath tub. I think they were hoping it would go higher but all it did was start flooding the floor and I caught it before it was too much of a mess. Justin was slightly grumpy but I just couldn't stop laughing! It reminds me of an old I love Lucy episode when Lucy and Ethel get stuck in a shower that fills all the way to the top. (I was raised on old shows and movies, if you ever want to sit down and watch a good old black and white with some one call me and I'll be there!)

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a Siesta

This is how I found Ariana this afternoon right after my 4 year old preschool class was over. I can't think of a better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a siesta.

Ariana's first hair cut

Ariana finally had her first hair cut last night. She has needed a hair cut for a long time (she is 3 after all and has never had a hair of her head touched by scissors which is amazing considering she and Alexis like to play with scissors daily!) I am typically too chicken to cut my girls hair so I leave that job to the capable hands of my sister-in-law Kristin. Last night after bath time I finally got up the nerve to do it my self when Justin was combing her hair and said "you could probably cut her hair. She just needs the hair the middle on her back trimmed" The middle part was about 2-3 inches longer than the rest of her hair and so I decided to do it. I've been dragging my feet a little on this because that part of her hair sooo curly and I love it that way and I've been afraid that cutting it off I'll loose all her curls. The hair cut went fine and we have yet to see if her hair will still curl because both her and Alexis wanted their hair in buns for bed time. I hope it curls still. We'll see.

Before...

The hair cut begins, no turning back now...

Happy Little GirlAll done!She wanted a picture with Daddy when she was done

Missing for 4 years

We moved to Las Vegas in July of 2005. Moving is hard but one of the worst things about moving are the things you loose. When Justin accepted his current job here Las Vegas the company paid for us to be moved. Two guys came to our apartment, loaded everything in boxes, wrapped up our pictures, furniture etc. and packed it into a truck. It was all so fast and effeicient, or so it seemed... When we finally settled down and unpacked our boxes I noticed we were a few utensils short. I was pregnant and so of course the first thing I noticed that was missing are my ICE CREAM scoops. I just moved to a state that litterally feels like it is on fire and my ice cream scoops ran away? NOOOO! (I was not happy but spoons work well for ice cream too) Finally last year Santa brought a new scooper for me but I've always wondered where we could have lost the other ones. Sunday Justin was going through the garage and decided to open up a box that contained his collector item magic cards...Ta dah... all of my missing utensils! Now why wouldn't we have thought to look there because everyone knows that collectors items (that never get touched) and kitchen wear should be packed together right? ; )