Let it Rain, Let it Pour!

I thoroughly enjoy watching my kids play sports. Today was going to be a busy game filled day, but thanks to the pouring rain we get to enjoy a chill, kick back day at home together which is alright with me!! Comfy clothes, comfort food, coloring some Easter eggs and watching movies! It doesn't get better than that and bonus we get some MUCH needed rain!!

Happy Easter

The Life of a Volleyball Player

Kiley has had the opportunity to play Club Volleyball this year and it has been quite an experience. All good of course! MY favorite part has been seeing her tiny little heiney in her loose xxs spandex. She is a little vertically challenged but she makes up for it in spirit. Kiley has had a great time learning the game, making new friends,being a part of a team (the kids got spirit). It has been great as a parent to watch her cheer her team mates on and offer words of encouragement and just have over all good sportmanship! They don't forwarn you of the daunting task of being a volleyball mom. Double practices a week, ALL DAY tournaments all over creation leaving before the crack of dawn, food patrol for the tournaments and thelist goes on, BUT surprisingly I have enjoyed it as mmuch as she has!I am one of those parents who is a big believer in the idea that at this age and this level sports should be fun, and a learning experience (It is NOT the Olympics for Pete's Sake) but I would be lying if I denied getting a little intense watching their matches. I'm sure my blood pressure totally goes up a few points!! A little competition is healthy right, and I have yet to be thrown out for being disorderly! jk
I am thankful she has had this experience and has enjoyed it so much and look forward to many more years of watching my kiddos play sports!

Vegas Baby!!

February 4th 2009

Eric and I have not been to Vegas since I was VERY pregnant with Kiley, so when we were invited to go with our good friends I got pretty excited! A weekend away with my man and NO kids, sign me up!! The Pottles booked us a couple of rooms at The Venetian (very nice),
after checking in we met up with them and headed to a Brazilian restaurant down the strip. It was fantastic and we ate way to much but it's all good cause Im pretty sure we walked it off! Personally not a huge fan of the strip itself, something about drunk, crazy people everywhere just doesn't do anything for me! The next morning the guys headed out early for the WORLD OF CONCRETE. Charlotte and I were sooo disappointed to miss it but unfortunately we had appointments at the Spa that we could not get out of. I can honestly say that I have been ruined for life, there is no going back after being pampered like that. (THANKS a lot Charlotte!!) We had hot rock massages and I was thinking for a while somehow I died and went to heaven at some point laying on that massage table. It was 80 minutes of pure bliss.

Then we had a little bite to eat and it. Charlotte had another service scheduled so I headed in to enjoy the steam room, spa etc and just RELAX! Then we met up again for pedicures. It was tough leaving but we were really getting hungry so in our sexy little foam flip flops, and no make up we walked around the shops at the Venetian found some really yummy food and just enjoyed talking in a state of total relaxation and BLISS. Later on that evening after cleaning up the four of us went to Maggianos and stuffed our faces. The food was so stinking good we didn't even care how many obscene calories we consumed. Then it was off to see Cirque Du Solei's KA. Front row seats, talk about royal treatment. The show was amazing, I don't know what else to even say about it. The acrobatics, the special effects, the costumes and makeup, the music was unlike anything we (Eric and I) had seen. It was an AWESOME day.

Friday after a nice breakfast together, the guys headed back to the World of Concrete for a few hours while Charlotte and I hit the shops. It was so nice to be able to just hang out and talk with no distractions, quality girl talk! That evening we grabbed some dinner and headed over to the Bellagio for another show. After the first Cirque du Solei show, we were even more excited to see O and we were NOT disappointed.
It is definitely my favorite and I cannot wait to bring the kids back to see it, they will flip!! The water effects were phenomenol!The four of us got some Gellato and had a good time chatting and laughing before we headed back to crash. It was such a fun filled weekend and we were so thankful for the opportunity to go with good friends.

Survival Mode

To say it's been a while since I blogged may be a wee bit of an understatement! I have truly been in survival mode for months now, tired, unmotivated and unexcited about life. Thankfully I have FINALLY decided enough is enough. I am to feisty and stubborn to be held down for long, so I am back and it feels pretty darn good!! The crappy part is I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog, it's been a BUSY couple of months and promises only to get more busy in the next couple.

WARNING: An obscene amount of make up blogging to follow!!!

Happy Birthday to our baby!!

Happy Birthday Teat!!

You CAN"T be 6 already? Where has the time gone? Yesterday you were a chubby, happy baby and now you are an independent, fun loving big guy! I hope that you know how much you are loved. I have enjoyed being your mom more than anything else I have or ever could do in my life. You have the most pure and loyal heart (I'm glad you got that from your dad among other things!) and are loved by all who are blessed to know you!
At 6 you are a great little student, you soak up everything you are taught. You make friends everywhere you go and they love you because you are kind and patient, and most of the time a peacemaker! I love your passion for sports and your healthy competitiveness!! I can never get enough of watching you and dad wrestle every night ( no one will ever call you a wimp!) You are a Wii junky, as well as Lego Star Wars and Indiana Jones. We love your imagination and how observant you are (nothing gets past you). You have a sensitive side and the ladies love it!! I have no doubt you are destined for amazing stuff.. We will have fun celebrating you today. Happy Birthday and remember.....
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living my baby you'll be!

Random thoughts, feelings and mumblings.

I am one of those really fortunate people who after four pregnancies never experienced postpartum depression. I have always considered myself really lucky for this fact. On the flip side I get the post Christmas Season blues something awful. Some years I can push forward and not feel it to bad others not so much. This year was awful!! I don't know why it has to go so fast. It seemed like a blink of an eye Christmas was over, then New Years and baaam, the kids are back to school, Eric's back at work and I'm lonely and sad! It seems like each year there is less and less time to enjoy all the good parts of the holiday season. I know somehow I need to learn to relish it whiles it's here and then move on but it's a struggle. I HATE taking down the decorations, the nativity and lights it only adds to the sadness! I haven't even blogged because every time I get on the Christmas music starts to play and I am sad all over again. How did I get this way? and why? I just love being with my family. We can be laying around in our pjs playing games, watching a movie or out doing some fun activity it honestly doesn't matter. We love being together. The season just adds something special.
Monday was brutal, somehow I managed to pull it together and be somewhat productive. I was scheduled to work Tuesday and Wednesday and actually got to work. I really enjoyed my shifts, and the girls I work with and it was a good distraction. Thursday when I woke up they called and asked me to be on call and in a moment of sleep deprivation I said yes! I spent a couple hours with the kids, made dinner and ran out the door to a meeting. When I got home the kids were in bed, I kissed all their cute faces good night and went to spend a some much needed cuddle time with my sweet and supportive husband. We have literally just high fived each other the last 3 days. By 10:30 I was out only to be woken up at 1:30am (we are in holds can you come in?)
I don't know where the energy came from but I popped out of bed got ready and headed in! It was a weird feeling to start the shift when it was more than half way over. We had a good night again. At 7 they asked if I would go help cover the ER till we had open beds, being the sucker that I am I said Yes again!!! I got home from work around 10:30am. I didn't feel tired and felt a little like I missed out on life this week so Stacey and I went and got a pedi, then I ran to the school to do folders. Still going strong... I picked up Keaton and Jill at 2, did some chores around the house till the other kids got home
I really wanted to do something fun with the kids so we went to a movie as a family, Bedtime Stories was so funny and I even stayed awake!! 9:30 pm bedtime at last!!! What a week!!

Chirstmas in Pinedale

December 26, 2008
Friday morning we loaded up everything but the kitchen sink practically and headed up the big hill to go to Grandma and Grandpa Perkins. We have all been very much looking forward to going and they were kind enough to get a few inches of snow for us to play in. We were fortunate to have a good drive and good weather getting up there. When we got up on the rim it was unbelievable how white everything was. In some places the snow was above the fence. It is mesmerizing and beautiful and it makes me miss Utah! When we got to grandmas the kids stuck around long enough to unload the truck and then they were off in the snow! Shortly after we got there Darin, Carey and their family arrived! Yea, cousins to play with!! They brought a nice little snow storm with them! The kind with big, fat flakes. Friday night Darin and Russell cooked us a Christmas Paella (I think thats how its spelled?) It was very entertaining and everyone wanted in on the cooking action. I think it had something to do with the MONDO huge pan it was being cooked in, whatever it was it was much anticipated and very exciting!!! Between the 16 of us we didn't even make a dent in the Paella, oh well if their is one thing those Perkins boys love it's leftovers!! The rest of the weekend was spent sledding, playing games, playing wii fit, playing more games, more sledding, movies and we even snuck a sacrament meeting in there!! The cousins had a great time together as usual and thanks to Grandpa for the extra sleds, they got their fill of sledding. Even Grandma got in on the action! I was cracking up so hard at Keaton, Malerie, and Kamryn they would get on those sleds and they are like a speeding bullet shooting down the hill. It was a memorable and fun weekend with family and we were spoiled with good food, company and entertainment and we look forward to doing it again real soon. (Russ, I want a rematch on Settlers!!)