:: christmas scavenger hunt ::

this year to make christmas morning last a little longer santa left B a note and designed a super fun scavenger hunt that he had to read each clue and go find his present. he wasn't feeling super great but said he had so much fun going 'hunting' for his gifts this year so i am sure this will be a very fun tradition that we will continue.

Merry Christmas Bryson,

I hope you had a good morning at your mom’s I had fun over there eating the cookies you and Kira made for me.

At your dad’s and Cherise’s I have made a game for you. You have to figure out the clues I have left in order to find your presents. Your first gift and your first clue are right inside this door.

Merry Christmas to you, I hope you enjoy your Christmas. You are one lucky kid to have all of these people who love you and make sure you have a Merry Christmas. Remember I am always watching, as is Oscar!

1. Roses are red; violets are blue … if I had a cookie I would have made it for you.

2. Star light; star bright … I get scared in the dark so I’m thankful for your light.

3. I came to your house and boy I was itchin … I needed a drink from the kitchen.

4. I love something fancy, but not so much plush … but don’t be embarrassed or you might get flushed.

5. Earlier today you saw me in Fiji … don’t forget to use your squidgy.

6. Don’t you even worry I am not cheap … I came in your house and watched Marley sleep.

7. It’s a good thing you were not mean … I had to get my Speedo very clean.

8. It’s a good thing Marley didn’t bark … when I went to the place where the Cavararri is parked.

9. All year long you were oh so nice … so I didn’t have to give you any black ice.

10.It’s a good thing I am a sprinter … to make this I had to use your printer.

11. After all of this hiding I wanted to sit … so I decided to go and take a sh -poop!

12. After all of my travels my suit looked a little rough … so I decided to give it a short fluff.

13. A tisket a tasket … I found a blanket in your basket.

14. I’ve had so much fun here and I hope I granted your wishes … I have one last surprise, Sherman eats kisses!

my dad bought B a TV for his room at our house ... in order to find his TV B had to go on yet another scavenger hunt that my dad designed!

hey lemonhead it's christmas morning and you have to earn your gifts so go look where you might drop a chunky!

good job dude, now can you remember where mike and ike's live?

ok man you are one step closer, if i were you i would check out the milky way.

now you are one step closer to a good n' plenty check out where dishes are cleaned.

ok now there might be just one last chance to skor big. if i was you i would go to reese's very 1st bedroom.

and in this bedroom was sitting his extra large 40 inch television! spoiled much i sure think so!

:: merry merry christmas ::

we had a very merry christmas and were spoiled by all those that love us! B got oh so very spoiled by everyone in his life (see pic below, that just us!)

isn't this just the cutest picture you have ever seen in your freaking life!

best present of christmas/birthday ... this utah helmet .. what you can't see is that it was signed by all the 2011 players! the newest member of our family (toby) used to play for the utes and was able to get in the locker room and get this for B ... this kid was so freaking happy!

mars was pretty much over it all by the second present!

hope your christmas was merry and bright!

:: 12 days of Christmas ::

this year i decided to do 'the 12 days of christmas' with B. we missed a couple days in between but i think over all it was some what successful!

on the first day of christmas my family gave to me ... a utes ornament to hang upon my tree.

(the second day of christmas B was at his mom's but we were supposed to read a christmas story!)

on the third day of christmas my family gave to me ... a trip to see the zoo lights and dinner wherever it may be.

on the fourth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a night of skating at the ice rink (some things i just couldn't get to rhyme!)

on the fifth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a day of baking fun to be neighborly!

on the sixth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a gingerbread village to put together and snack on beneath the tree.

on the seventh day of christmas my family gave to me ... a small present that i love because it's just for me (this was a target gift card in which he went shopping with his mom therefore no pics!)

on the eighth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a drive to see the lights around the city (he was with his mom so this one didn't happen!)

on the ninth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a fun christmas party full of santa, presents, and family.

on the tenth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a fun day out to watch a movie!

on the eleventh day of christmas my family gave to me ... a fun day out with breakfast, a movie, and jammies beneath my tree.

on the twelfth day of christmas my family gave to me ... a very merry christmas day spent with family.

this is a fun new tradition that i am thinking i might continue!

::feelings::

Today is the best and most terrifying day ever. I have finished my last final exam of my educational career (hopefully!), I have seen my last clients ever at the U of U clinic, I have signed the last set of paper work I will ever have to sign, and now the time has come!

I have waited for this day since august 2010. The past 16 months have been the most amazing, the worst, and the fastest of my whole life. I have met amazing people that I will cherish forever, I have learned things that you can't find in books, and I have cried more times than I count but I wouldn't give it back for the world.

I have grown as a person and I cannot wait for the adventure I am about to take. In some ways this is more scary than when I made the decision to go back to school. I am being pushed out of my second home and being thrown into the real world with the hopes that my education will take me where I need to go and I will remember what I have been taught.

The tanning salon is closing and after 10+ years of working there I am so sad this is happening yet I believe it is for the best. Beginning January 2, 2012 I will be working for 10 weeks at St. Marks hospital and 10 weeks at Park Lane Elementary! I cannot wait and I pray that what I have learned will stay with me and get me where I need to be.

I don't ever want to forget this day and way I feel. Amazed that this day has finally arrived and terrified that I am part of the real world!! Here's to hoping I am as prepared as I can be!!

:: Grad School Barbie ::

http://ceejandem.blogspot.com/2010/02/graduate-school-barbie-tm.html

7 DAYS!!!

:: my life ::

And I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

:: fun day out ::

My boys and i ventured out for a little exercise on Sunday afternoon to liberty park and boy was it eventful!! I brought a bunch of old buns and bread with us to feed the ducks and geese because B just loves trying to get them to walk up to him!

Since we took the dog with us that means we've got to be good park goers and clean up after him! Well I was holding the bag full of bread and trying to clean up after the dog and we had a mishap! I'm sure you can guess what happened and B and I were laughing so hard! Jeremy was trying to clean it up and I was holding his drink .. Well I was trying to tell him that there was some poo essence on the bag he was holding I accidentally threw his drink every where! Once again B and I thought it was the funniest thing ever!

After our eventful clean up session we finally went to feed the ducks and geese and they did end up walking right up to B!! He loved it!

I hope winter is mild this year so we can continue to go to the park on Sunday afternoons! Hopefully they won't be as eventful as this day out was!

:: could they be any cuter ::

Bryson's aunt Laini found this picture when she was moving and I freaking love it!! Look how freakin cute these were (and of course still are!)

:: memories ::

i found these pictures on my fb and had to put them on here. these 3 girls were my first 'true' friends that i made. they were there for me during midnight cry fests over loser boy friends, they were there during popcorn movie nights, they were there during friends and baked potato evenings, and they were there to share my care packages with, but most importantly they were there to make the best memories i will ever have.

i moved to logan in 2001 knowing absolutely no one but myself. i moved into snow hall room 101 and soon met two of my very best friends that i am so grateful also moved knowing absolutely no one but themselves and one knowing only her sister.

it took about a day before shelli and i became fast friends and spent our 'freshman orientation' week together all the time ... my actual roommate was stef and shelli and i weren't so sure about her liking us but we made her come around very quickly.

as the three of us became the best of friends we went around our dorms introducing ourselves and meeting new people. during this process we met leslie who lived on floor two.

our lives have changed dramatically since 2001-2002, two of us left logan after 1 year and the other two stayed and partied it up logan style. we are all married now and two of them have the cutest families ever and the other two of us are slowly but surly working on the family process. i love these 3 ladies more than anything and i consider it an honor to have them in my life. we can go days, months, or years with out seeing each other or talking to each other but things never change and we always start up right where we left off.

dinner together about a year ago: leslie, me, stef, and shelli

in logan i believe very close the time the olympic torch came through: stef, mel (a new roommate spring 2002 whom we loved!), me, and shelli

shelli's birthday dinner (all my roommates and shelli - we adopted her like our own!)

the USU howl ... and yes we are so hott and did go tanning that same day! shelli, me, stef, and chelsea (my wonderful family best friend who came up for the fun)

thank you for the memories we made together and the best times of my life! i love you all and hope we can maintain the friendships we made in that one short year!

:: Rascal Flatts ::

this is how far behind i am with updating stuff and keeping track of what we are up to. i went to rascal flatts with my family on september 9, 2011. it was the 'original 4' and our favorite neighbors and we had a blast.

it started pouring rain a little bit before the show started so the girls hung out in the bathroom until the moment passed. i had so much fun with my family and neighbors it was nice to start my final semester off with a bang!

a lady at the gate allowed chelle and i to go out and take a picture with the rascal truck.

here's our super fun neighbor 'the ralph's'

the original 4

the sister

the blades ... this is how chelle dances because she says it keeps you in check and doesn't allow you to dance all crazy and attack other people.

just one silly one to leave you with a smile!

:: soccer 2011 ::

the last time b tried to play this sport he was 2 years old and he refused (i mean refused) to go out on the field without his mom or his dad. finally his mom grabbed his hand and pulled him on the field and in the process tackled and took out about 4-5 other 2 year olds. it was hilarious and b vowed to never play soccer again. well we have been going to the real games and loving them and b decided to play some soccer this year. i only took a few pics but he loved every minute of it and can't wait to play indoor winter soccer.

he was the goalie at one point!

this pic was after he made a goal

and of course you have to stay hydrated.

(don't get me going on the fact that they had tangerine shirts with bright blue socks, whoever thought of that is clearly not a woman!)

:: hunting ::

it was that time of year again ... the time during the last week of september that B gets to have 10 uninterrupted days with his favorite hunting buddy ever. i cannot believe how much these two love getting out the trailer and hanging out in the mountains together. it was just the two of them for 4 days and then it turned into one massive camping trip with 20-30 people. and b loved every minute of it. jeremy and i never go because it a special time between b and his grandpa doug and we love that they have that special bond together.

nothing like a kid and his gun (yes HIS gun)

check out that special bond they share

:: fun festivities ::

we decided to take both kids for the weekend and do fun things with them. our weekend has been fun filled and full and i am sad it is almost over.

friday we went to see the utah grizzlies hockey team, super fun!

saturday we took the kids to tracy aviary and to a pumpkin patch. the pics below are from the aviary ... i forgot to take pics at the pumpkin patch.

feeding the pretty yellow birds ... this was a lot of fun.

don't lie you know we make the cutest birds ever.

i want you!

nothing like holding dead slimy fish to feed a pelican first thing in the morning.

and finally sunday ... we carved our pumpkins and made some fun halloween crafts.

we love having both kiddies and having a fun filled weekend!

he is in some deep cutting thoughts here
the 'man' and the 'woman' aka mine and chelle's
b's and kiras super cute pumpkins
look at her deep in cutting thoughts!

and there is this!

happy halloween festivities ... we had such a great weekend i want to go back and do it again!