beach kids

it was a pretty slow week...not much happening...but, last night the lewis kids came for a visit...jeff and kelly went up to tahoe for a bike race and i am watching the kids...so, they woke up bright and early...i made our favorite breakfast of thinnies, which are swedish pancakes or crepes...russ and kristen came over for some breakfast and then said they were going to the beach...it was a perfect day...so we packed up and headed out....the beach was crowded...hard to find parking...but, finally we were down there...the kids love the water...they love digging in the sand...or the dirt on the hills...owen said he was excavating...that was a word he learned from randy....randy, jennifer, melissa, mikey, bekah and ryan also showed up....russ surfed and took charlie out on the board...she stood up, but was scared...we came home and relaxed in the spa...with the kids doing cannonballs in the pool...had pizza, then a movie night...that was gav's wish...to have a fun movie night...i think i did more in one day....than all week!!

busy.....

it's been a busy few weeks....utah and kerry's reception...birthdays last week...kerry and austin, nick and shayla, shem all came for a visit...it was a last summer reunion!  we had courtneys' baptism...yea! this week was busy also...the 4th was a lot of fun...kelly and jeff came up in the morning with the kids...we went to the beach with russ, kristen, randy and jennifer and shem....it was overcast, but warm...the kids had fun digging in the sand...playing in the water...paddleboarding with russ...it was a nice day!  that night we barbecued...and what a feast! shem cooked up his famous kahuku grill burgers! what a mouthful and soooo delicious...it was fun with the pollocks...we watched fireworks...the fire that started down the hill!  that might have been more entertaining!  it was great....thursday morning i drove shemmie to the airport...and about 1/2 hour later picked up kerry!  she was down for a couple of days...austin was fishing with his dad, so she decided to spend some time with me...we went to kelly's and spent the day with her and the kids...we saw 'brave', went shopping and had another burger dinner...this one was at slater 50/50...it's a heart attack waiting to happen!  it was a nice way to spend a hard day...my girls made it better for me....friday we spent the day with ashley and larene at the movies...met russ and kristen and derek for dinner...toasted tom's birthday! today we gave ashley and johnny a baby shower!  it turned out fun...she got a lot of cute outfits for him...and then i dropped kerry off again...she's back home...and a new week is starting!

birthday week....

before the kids got married, we would celebrate 5 birthdays in 6 weeks....mine was the only one that wasn't in the summer....now, we have 5 in april and may....7 in june, july and august (7 in 6 weeks)...october, november, and january...so, today started the summer birthdays!!!  russ turned 27 today!!  i can't believe my kids are getting sooooooo old!  what a wonderful son he is...he takes great care of me...he's a fantastic husband to kristen... a good brother...and a great friend...he works hard, studies hard and plays hard...he's amazing....then, we have a one day break (except it's jodi's and allison's birthday) and  on wednesday it's my oldest child's birthday...kelly will be 34!!  how can that be?  i'm still that young girl...i'm so grateful that she was the one that made me a mother...what a wonderful daughter she is and always has been...she has become a fantastic woman...she's pretty much a super woman...she does everything...wife, mother, runs a few businesses, crafts, blogs, sells, runs, bikes, runs, snowboards, runs, as you see, she runs a lot in her life...she's amazing and beautiful...just the daughter i always dreamed of...a few days later, we have kristen's birthday....she's turning 27 just a few days behind russ...how happy and lucky we are to have her in our family...this is her first birthday as a mullin...and we love that she is one of us!  kristen also is amazing...besides beautiful...she's a fantastic wife...wonderful daughter in law...she's a great teacher...she took up running and is running circles around russ...we are loving getting to know her more and more...so, it's a happy week...the start to a great birthday season....

june in utah

last wednesday, kristen and i flew up to utah for a few days....we had kerry and austin's utah reception on thursday....it turned out really nice...it was fun to have my family there, cousins, a few favorite aunts,  nieces and nephews, and great friends...some i haven't seen for quite a while...so, it was good times...ashley, larene and baby johnny ( what a sweetie) also stayed with us....i got to meet wren, whit's new baby girl...and what a doll she is....maybe she and johnny can 'hook up' in a few years!  friday, we shopped around with ash and larene...kerry and austin stayed with us...nick and shayla came to visit...russ flew up friday night...he went to clayton's bachelor party...saturday was a busy day...we went to que and gayle's 50th anniversary party!  that was fun to be with the moller's and their family....the kids and i went shopping that afternoon...saturday evening was clayton gunn and lauren's wedding...it was a beautiful wedding...lauren worked hard and made it darling...it was blistering hot, but, it finally cooled off!  sunday we all hung out...the kids went fishing for 'mosquitoes'...or that's all they caught...and then russ, kristen and i flew home that night....a fun, busy week...

kerry and austin's wedding!

friday, june 1st was the big day!! kerry and austin's wedding....it was a beautiful day...sunny, warm...and soooooo happy!  they were sealed in the los angeles temple at 11:30 am...it was beautiful...they were really excited...at 5 we started the reception....some hor'duerves....then we went into dinner....it was a smaller dinner for family and close family friends...they had the first dance...the brother/sister dance, mother/ son dance...a few toasts....then we had a reception with a lot more of our good friends...kerry's school friends, church friends, friends we haven't seen for a long time...it was great...more eating, cake cutting...garter toss...bouquet toss...and lot's of dancing...the band was amazing...they were the same band that played at russ and kristen's wedding last summer...they were great!! we had a hot chocolate bar, ice cream bar, candy bar and a photo booth...the little kids loved the photo booth and candy bar!! kerry looked gorgeous...her dress was amazing...her hair was beautiful...just a picture perfect bride...austin was a very handsome groom...together they were wonderful...the bridesmaids and groomsmen were great and the little flower girls and boys were darling...it was just the most wonderful, perfect day...and i thank everyone that came from far and near to be with us as we celebrated!!!

we're #1!

i bowl in a bowling league every wednesday morning...it's my favorite day!  my team...larene, jodi, lissa and i have such a fun time...we start talking the minute we get together and don't stop until lunch is over about 5 hours later...we vent, we laugh, we discuss, we commiserate.....it's our therapy and we have so much fun...so, larene and i started about 7 years ago...with some long ago friends that moved (how rude)...so then, jodi and lissa joined up...we've never been very good...in fact, i was the worst on the team...last year jodi kept 'suggesting' that we take lessons during the summer...so larene and i did...and it worked...those lessons actually helped!!!  this year was fun...starting in about december we moved into 1st place...we went up and down...up and down...and at this point, we were really watching our scores...instead of not knowing where we stood in the league...we knew exactly where we stood...so, last week was our last week of bowling...and we won!  we ended up winning by 7 games...it was fantastic...we were soooo excited...and i think the rest of the league was in shock, but happy for us...what fun...and to top it off...i won the 'best improved'...improving over 24 points...it was a great way to end our season....

almost here!

we're on the countdown!!! woo hoo!!  just one week until the wedding...at this time in 7 days austin and kerry will be running down the path to their get away car!! i know that they can hardly wait...it will be a fun, but busy week....lots of activities and work to still be done...but all good stuff...tomorrow night is kerry's bachlorette party....tuesday she's going to the temple...family starts arriving...last minute stuff...then, friday will arrive and we'll all have huge smiles on our faces!! can't wait!!!

my little family

my babies

i started off with just tom...and then we grew and added kelly, willie, russell and kerry....and through the years we've grown some more....well, it's happening again!  in 2 weeks we will be adding austin to our family!  what a fun day that will be...my youngest child is getting married...it's a bittersweet moment...i'm so happy that she found austin...but, it's sad to know that she's leaving me...but, i am so very, very happy for her!  she just sparkles these days...she is so happy!  so, from 2 to 10...and then some, because i have 6 wonderful grandchildren....and more to come, i hope!! so, i guess that's the gift i get for giving my children away....i get the grandchildren..that's a pretty good pay off....it's just funny, when i think about it...i lived in a fantasyland when i got married...i never thought my children would grow up and leave...so, it was a shock when they did....now the issue is staying close with my kids...it gets harder as they leave school and start working...as they have children...as they get established in their lives...everyone has responsibilities...playtime is over...it gets harder and harder to be together...so, i'm thrilled when we have a reason to be together for a few days...it's fun to reconnect as a family...i hope we can always be close as they were when they were young!!!

 i hope that my kids want to be together...instead of our small little family...one big happy one!

the family at russ and kristen's wedding, last summer

wedding......sigh

wedding plans are coming along...but, there are ALWAYS a few hiccups....caterer...check...band...check...place...check...
colors....check...invitations...beautiful...check...
photos...check....florist...check....oh, wait...on friday...went to the 'mock up' where they show you the arrangements...oh, but, her assistant thought we were new clients and there was no mock up....dress...check.. it arrived at our house on friday...beautiful...kerry tries it on to decide on jewelry etc....hmmmmm...problem with the zipper!!! hard to zip up....and impossible to zip down!!! it wouldn't unzip....what to do?  pulled, tugged, kerry sucked in...she tried laying down....dress fits to perfection...so, there is no way to pull it over her head...getting a little panicked right then...even got some pliers out to see if i could pull the zipper down...but, no such luck!!!! luckily, kerry was very cool about it...no wigging out or anything....my cleaning lady was there, so she was helping...but, then, she noticed that the zipper's teeth were pulling apart....the zipper was broken!!!  so, problem solved....i just pulled the zipper apart....but, wait...the wedding is in 4 weeks...no zipper...no dress...luckily my friend jenelle came to the rescue...she's a seamstress and came over to help...she's fixing the dress up so there will be NO problems on the big day...we'll be able to zip up or zip down...always seems to be a bump in the road...but, we'll get over them....with a smile!!!!

last day

we had a fun trip to disneyworld...it was busy...alot of rides...some fun parties....we saw a lot of different parks...the weather was fantastic....the kids go non-stop....does owen ever stop running?  it's fun to listen to gavin as he reads all the signs...and it's just fun to talk to charlie...she has a lot to say...and she turns your face to hers as she is saying it...wants undivided attention!!  a fun little 'girls' trip also...one of the last before kerry starts her new adventure as a married lady...all in all...a great few days....

hollywood studios

today we had a fun day at hollywood studios…there are some fun rides…tower of terror…rockin' coaster…star tours etc…then, some fun shows…indiana jones….beauty and the beast..and my favorite, the little mermaid….the kids had fun..we wore charlie out….we changed hotels..to the contemporary hotel and kelly took the boys back to the magic kingdom….we've had a 'magic' card that gets us on 'fastpass' rides immediately…it's great..but, expires tonight..so they went to use it for the last few hours….more fun tomorrow...

florida

on thursday, kelly, her kids and i flew to orlando...kerry met us later that night...we are at walt disney world for a 'mom blogger ' conference that kelly was invited to...it's been a fun few days...going to the magic kingdom, animal kingdom, and epcot....every night the conference throws a dinner party...the first was a pirate/beach party...then, a party at the animal kingdom/dinoland...tonight we were at the brand new(unopened) art of animation resort...a few more days and parks to discover 

....these kids are non-stop energy!! how does kelly do it?

i'm turning into my mom....and believe me, it's a good thing....today, russ and kristen were over...russ brought in some beets he found in my garden and asked that i save the tops for him...i found myself putting them into a little grocery sack and sealing if off so nicely...and it reminded me of mom....she was such a great housewife....i have never reached her heights, in that respect...but, it made me think...as you raise children, you do everything for them...day in and day out...and you just 'wish' that they could do something for themselves!!!  but, then, they grow up...they move out...they're adults...and you just 'wish'...that you could do it for them again...so when i get the chance....i do...it's more fun now...probably, cause i do it so rarely....i feel 'of worth' again...someone wants my help...so, now i realize why my mom would help me so much when i went to visit...i need to keep working on her other qualities...she had way more that i haven't mastered yet!!!

happy easter!

we had a happy easter today....kelly and her kids were up for a few days this past week...it's always fun to have them running around the house....they went home on friday night and came back today...went to church and had a great sacrament meeting...then went to russ and kristen's for easter dinner....it was us and kristen's family....had an easter egg hunt...the boys got remote control helicopters...they loved playing with those...we had an egg toss...tyler and i won!! woohoo!! they blew colored bubbles, which sort of got on everything...then, had a delicious dinner...topping it off with delicious cupcakes...the kids had a great time...we had a fun time...just a wonderful day!!!

blue.....

first of all....what am i doing up still?  it's a quarter to 2!  oh well....my brain is still going...so i thought i'd write a post....i was on pinterest and saw all these pretty pictures of things in blue...that color always has been my 'safe haven' ....it just calms me, makes me feel good, makes me happy, when i was pregnant with kerry, i would lay in bed, sick as a dog, and imagine my blue bedroom i was going to build,,it made me feel better and when we built it, i loved it!!....i've always loved blue...blue and white...it's been my favorite...back in the day, my house was mostly blue, with touches of other colors...i remember that kelly wanted green ivy wallpaper for her room and i wouldn't let her have it! it wasn't blue!  talk about a little psycho!  and controlling....haha....but,  as the years went on...i did add color to my pallet....and it's wonderful...i love bright yellows, oranges, red, and yes, green....it livens a room up....but, i will always stay....true blue!!!