City Creek, the Happiest Birthday place.

I have such a hard time when it comes to gifts for Jay.

Last year, shortly before his birthday, we went together to Sportsman Warehouse and looked at fishing poles. We spent a good 2 hours looking and talking to a salesman. When we left there was a basic nonverbal agreement that I was to get it for his birthday.

Well, the day before his big day I was complaining to my sister that He was so hard to buy for and I never knew what to get him and blah, blah, blah. I ended up getting him some lame rib rack and junk for the grill. It wasn't until a week later when he I was taking him to the airport, it hit me, I was supposed to get him the 'carrot stick' fishing pole for his birthday.

I didn't even remember when he opened his birthday cards and took the checks out and said, I guess I'll get my fishing pole with this money.

I am such a dork.

He did get the pole and he did lose it on the bottom of the Teton river.... :/

Bottom line, I can plan a party way better than buy a gift.

I like to do more than dinner and a movie, especially for special occasions like a birthday. Although dinner and movie takes way less effort :) I thought maybe I could get an amazing race put together. But wanted to be with the people we had invited so the next idea was a mall scavenger hunt.

AND It just so happened that City Creek Mall was opening the this exact weekend.

Perfect timing!

When I told my sister about it, she laughed and said I did that in 6th grade.

When I asked Jay if he was excited, the night before the party, his response made me wonder if we should just go to dinner and a movie :/

I browsed through pinterest for ideas and inspiration.

I found this site where I purchased the 'Amazing mall scavenger hunt' and modified it for our group and mall. It had great ideas.

Here's how the night went...

We had 7 couples divided into 2 teams.

The clock started at 8:04pm

They had 45 minutes to find as many items as possible on their lists

The team with the most points wins.

To decide the winner of the trophy and $100 cupcake the couple within the winning team to discretely pick up the most items from different stores won. (There was some discrepancy in the judging that led to drawing a couples name from the bag and it confirmed the winner)

It was so fun to watch everyone getting their pics and items

Picture with strangers kissing 10 pts

Picture of someone trying on the tackiest outfit 20 points

Picture of something your grandma would NOT want for Christmas 5 points

Picture with a security guard giving a peace sign 5 points

Picture with strangers spelling out YMCA with their bodies 15 points

The best part is they had YMC but then had to get red shirt girl to join in for the A

Awesome teamwork!

The hunt ended at Hagemanns Bakehouse and Cafe where the Judges (My babysitter, nephew and his friend) tallied points and we ate delicious cupcakes. Blake and Josie were the winners and we all had a good laugh.

The night was made by great friends and family that we love hanging out with!

Thanks!

**I forgot to post one of the best parts. Ty dressed like Waldo, the team to catch and get a pic got 30 points. Picture to come later.... A big thanks to Ty for subjecting himself to hearing people say "found him" all night.

I put my modified hunt here on google docs

Springtime

In years past I've posted tree blossoms, tulips and new birds to announce spring is here. This year it's the blooming tractors that have me squealing with delight.

Sun Bowl 2011

Tonight's dinner at the ranch was so fun. We weren't expecting much. In fact Jay wasn't too excited about it at all. But we were greeted by the "six guns and the shady ladies". Alayna was not sure about getting a picture with the boys. Her face tells all. We went for a hay ride and saw some really old dwellings and where they filmed a movie. Dinner was as good as they said it would be with giant fantastic steaks. They ended the night with dancing and surprisingly everyone got into it. Jacob even got the line dance down thanks to Ashley. And the finale, fireworks. A great benefit to having our anniversary during the bowl is we get a GREAT steak dinner, dancing AND fireworks for free. Love you Jay!

Sun Bowl 2011

So it's a little harder to get my posts published than I thought. I'm too cheap to pay for the wifi in the hotel and I can't publish without it. BUT the bus has free wifi and we are on it long enough and often enough that I get the backed up ones published. In fact we are on the bus right now on our way to a ranch.

This morning we went to the Lucchese boots store to shop. Pronounced lew kay zee they said they are from France but the inside says made in Brasil? I don't usually get too excited to shop but I decided boots would be a fun souvenir to remember this bowl. AND Jay said to buy a pair for our anniversary since he didn't get anything. 14 years... If I remember I will add a picture of them when we get back to the hotel.

Sun bowl 2011

We landed! No major meltdowns or issues on the plane. Phew.
The team is always greeted by the bowl when we land (when we went to the Liberty Bowl the bowl committee were all dressed like Elvis) This time we were greeted with a mariachi band and dancers. Alayna asked "are you sure we landed in Texas cuz it sounds like we're in Mexico?"
We boarded the buses and headed around the block to the hotel.

Sun Bowl 2011

All 5 busses being escorted by police to and from new Mexico for dinner.
Dinner was an authentic Texas BBQ in NM {hee hee}
The best part was the talent competition. GT had some decent dancers (see pic of the large dancer, hilarious) but our dancer, singer, rapper, and finale for sure beat GT by a long shot. Ashtyn kept saying "I love our team!". And it is so fun to be around these players.

Bowl Chronicles

In years past, we go to the bowl, I take some pictures, get home and post a mile long post. This year I'm going to try to post as we go. We shall see how it goes....

We got up early this morning and met the team at the facility. Boarded the buses (Jacobs favorite) and headed to the airport.
In years past we charter out of Millionaire but this year we fly out of SL Intl airport
It's so fun to hear the kids ooh and ah over the buses and plane.

Fall Piano Recital

We changed piano teachers this past summer. Janet was in our student ward years ago and I learned that she taught lessons when we started preschool at her neighbors house and saw a sign. The girls were so nervous to change but loved her from the first lesson.

Alayna was nervous to perform, this being her first recital. She was in tears as she practiced before we left. She did great. She told me after that she made a mistake, I let her know I couldn't even tell, you probably won't either. (I was holding Allie and finally decided to pass her off to Ashtyn, but the beginning is bouncy)

I love that Ashtyn will sit down outside of practice time and play. Thanks to a mom who played us all to sleep every night, I love having a house filled with piano music.

Next to my own children, THE BEST part of the recital were the gang of boys doing the wave after their buddies or buddy's sister performed. Who says recitals are boring?!?

Jacob's Room

Mom came to stay with us last week and Jacob wanted to show her his room. But unfortunately my house has too many stairs so we made a video and Jacob gave her a tour.

One of my favorite things growing up was decorating and redecorating our rooms. Mom was so creative and I loved how she would let us be a part of the process.

How I wish I had pictures of each time we decorated our room.

The best is when Mom gave me creative control in high school

and I painted the glass globe light?

That is probably why I love making my house a home and enjoy design so much.

I also LOVE home shows/tours/open houses. Free snoop time.

Alayna was given this gene as well

as she asks for a tour at just about

every house we visit, friend or not?

So why not open my house up for a tour?

We will start with Jacob's room

A sports theme of course....

I found his bed on ksl classifieds/craigslist. It started out like this (pic @ end of the post) I painted it a barn red and added football pulls.

His light was a clearance item I found at Emily's Lowes for $35.

Night light is a planet shape from Ikea

I don't love valences, but in Jacob's room, he would be swinging from drapes so the valence is from his nursery bedding set.

The hanging airplanes are from the free build n grow clinic at Lowes. We painted them to match his nursery bedding.

Last winter, I was so sick and pregnant but felt so bad for Jacob being cooped up all day I decided to put a swing in his room. I originally planned to hang it from the ceiling but didn't have enough room, so on the bed it went. It is perfect for a leisure swing.

(Which I read that swinging aids in brain development)

His bedding is the softest, warmest corduroy set from Walmart. And it has washed so well so many times......

The item that took the longest to find/figure out was what to put over the bed. I thought of so many options. But it is where he sleeps and put his legs up on that wall so I had to keep that in mind. I finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to do a football field. It took a year and a million searches, failed attempts until I found this rug. When I found it, the heavens opened and angels sang, at least I felt like they did, I was so excited. The perfect size and Univ of Utah.

The chair is from a set that we moved to the basement and the most comfortable one in the entire house. I put it in there to encourage even more story/snuggle time for Jacob.

The bookshelf I made when Ashtyn was 2 or 3 as a knock off from Pottery Barn.

The letters are paper mache from JoAnns. I saved my 40% off coupon and bought one each month til I had his whole name. Each one mimics a sports ball with paint, fabric (they have basketball feel fabric) or stitching. Probably my favorite part of his room. I love how he spells his name every time he looks at it.

I will admit that his room is not always this clean.

BUT it usually can be in 10 minutes or less.

If I want my kids to keep their rooms clean it has to be easy.

Kids like to stuff and shove so why not let them.

So I keep it pretty simple but I also spend time cleaning their rooms with them every few months.

Toys have 3 options, the train box, car box or toy box.

I keep a few things separate so they are easy to find, usually the smaller, most played with items. So for Jacob he has a box for trains and the 2 yellow boxes on his bookshelf for cars.

This way he doesn't dump out the entire toy box looking for Thomas or the green matchbox car. He had the sort figured out right away and knows where to put his cars or trains so they don't get lost. He is not perfect but when I help him clean his room and we sort through all the boxes he is able to get everything in order.

This also gives him a opportunity to sort an important skill for kindergarten.

But it also helps when at a store and he says he wants another toy and I tell him that his boxes are full and there is no more room.

The rest of his toys get dumped in the toy box which makes cleanup so quick and easy.

One of the other things I find important in a kids room is easy taking care of clothes. Jacob has been putting away his clothes since he was 2. I sort them into pants, shirts, jammies and roos then he puts them away in the drawers. I put hooks in my kids closets for easy hanging. 4 year olds don't do hangers but can put jackets, hats and bags on hooks.

Happy Halloween!

I made the mistake of telling the girls to look on the internet for costume ideas. They came to me with requests for a snow globe and "Max"ine head room (a modernized version of the catch the wave coke guy from the 80's)
Next year I will be smarter.

Anything is possible...

It was a long drive to Black Island Farm. Here's a snippet of the conversation along the way.

Ashtyn: I've been thinking, remember how Alex Smith didn't go undefeated his first year but by his senior year he was the QB that took us 12-0 and to the fiesta bowl. And then there was Brian Johnson who was the same. You know not so well known and then he was the QB who led us 12-0 and to the Sugar Bowl. Well what if Jordan Wynn is like the others and is just warming up, getting ready to take us 12-0 next year and we go to another BCS bowl?

Mom: that would be pretty great huh? I guess anything is possible..

Alayna: HUH?!? ANYTHING is possible? So When we get to the pumpkin patch I could sprout wings and flap my way high into the sky? Then I could look down and see you guys looking like little ants.

The kids had so much fun. 3 + hours of slides, swings, animals, a corn maze, train ride, tire graveyard, hayride to the pumpkin patch, pig races and so much more.

Unfortunately, Alayna did not sprout wings. But I do hope Ashtyn is right and Jordan Wynn will help the Utes to another BCS game next year.

Fairies

Alayna has a very special relationship with the tooth fairy.

She leaves the T.F. notes, playgrounds, houses and of course, teeth.

She tells me that the T.F. uses those teeth. They are ground down to make their bread.

But then she read Junie B. First Grader; toothless wonder.

And according to Junie when you lose a tooth it goes to a baby who grows a new one.

The best part about this very special relationship is

it is so real to her.

We pulled off the freeway and there was a man with

a cardboard sign asking for money.

She asked, "why he doesn't just get a hammer and

knock out all his teeth and have the Tooth Fairy

bring him$32? Then he could buy some food."

BUT...She is not the only one in this family who believes in Fairies....

Maybe it's genetic, but Jay believes in Fairies

In the Sock Fairy

A lovely little fairy, that picks up his socks since he can't walk barefoot on the carpet before bed.

So every night he gets in bed, pulls his socks off and tosses them to the side and magically by the time he gets in bed the next night they are gone and he pulls his socks off again and tosses them to the side.

He also believes in the T.P. Fairy.

This fairy is a little more popular, You know the one that takes the used cardboard roll of toilet paper off the holder and replaces it with the one sitting on top.

As for me, I keep hoping the weeding fairy and the cleaning fairy visit me.....soon.