My New Years Resolution

This year I really want to get back into my picture a day project. I really enjoyed doing it before, and I'm sad that my life got in the way in about September and it just kinda died. This year I want to be better than even and really try to get a picture for EVERY day, not just Most days. It is January 3rd and so far I'm doing good...but it's only January 3rd. I am also going to try to post them regularly on my blog so at the end of the year I can make a picture a day book like I did with my daily pictures from 2009. I love that book and really enjoy the everyday things that I got pictures of. This year I want to enjoy it again. I think part of the reason it just stopped this year is because my life was so everywhere that my picture a day felt more like a chore than something I really enjoyed...so, this year it's back to fun, back to memories, and as always TONS of craziness.

Jazz Game (Anniversary date night)

For our nine year anniversary this year I got tickets to the Jazz game on Saturday. Paul has really been wanting to go to a Jazz game and sit in the lower bowl. I looked online and was able to find some good lower bowl tickets for a pretty good price so I decided to go for it. My little sister Marla was awesome and came and babysat for us so we could enjoy a nice night out. We went downtown to the Gateway and went shopping a little bit before we headed over to the Jazz game. It was WAY below freezing and my shopping led me to a nice warm scarf with hand pockets at quicksilver, and I also found some super cute sweater slippers there.

The Utah Jazz were playing the Memphis Grizzlies and we had some great seats! We were on row 17 in the lower bowl. The Jazz played a pretty great game and came away with a win. The score was 98-92! It was a very fun anniversary date night. My kids thought it was fun too with Aunt Marla doing crafts and playing games with them.

Kaylee's Baptism

My little girl is EIGHT-years-old! Kaylee was so excited to turn 8 so she could be baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She talked about it for months (years actually) and told everyone that she talked to that she was getting baptized on January 1st. It was actually pretty cool because she was baptized on 1-1-11 at 11:00. I am very proud of her choice to be baptized. Here are a few pictures we took before her baptism with her in her white baptism dress.

We were thrilled with the outpouring of love and support that we had from our friends and family. There were about 70 friends and family that came to support Kaylee on her special day. After the baptism at the church we had a luncheon at our house. I snapped a few pictures of my cute nieces and nephew, and the luncheon going on.

Flashback Friday

This flashback picture is from New Year's Eve 2000-New Year's Day 2001. We had a pretty fun group come over for fun, games, and to bring in the new year. In this picture is: Matt Printy, Allison Pearson Jensen, Curtis Strobelt, Tiffany Smith Redd, Becky Oveson Forbes, Marla Oveson, Wendy Oveson Strickland, and Spencer Strickland (And I think that might be Brenda laying on top of the group that you can't really see her face).

The 48 year old light fixture

The house we are living in was built when my dad was 8-years-old. When this house was built there was a light fixture put into the kitchen, and it wasn't changed out until 48 years later. The old light fixture didn't work any more, and was a little bit out of date. I am so happy that we now have a working light fixture in our kitchen. So, I have provided some pictures of the 48-year-old light fixture, and the new light fixture. Sorry, I am not providing a picture from when my dad was 8 and moved into this house. You will just have to use your imagination.

Before:


After:

Merry Christmas - 2010

This year we had a VERY Merry Christmas! Gabby woke up at 7:30 and came in our room to tell us that Santa DIDN'T put the presents under the tree. He put them all over the couch, and the ottoman, and the floor. It was pretty funny. Gabby woke me up, and then Paul up, and then she went to get Kaylee up. Once everyone was up and ready to go Kaylee and Gabby examined the piles of presents and were impressed...then they started to tear into them. Kaylee was making pretty quick work of all her presents. She looked at the gift, set it aside, and quickly moved onto the next gift. Gabby was easily distracted and took her time opening her gifts. She opened a gift and had to thoroughly examine it before moving onto to the next one. By the time Kaylee was ready to open stockings Gabby was still working her way through her pile. While opening their pile of presents they each found a few Nintendo DS games...but neither one of them found a Nintendo DS in their gifts. After moving on to stockings the girls each found a "Wallet" sitting in front of their stocking. When we asked them what was in the wallet they decided to investigate a little further. They opened up the wallets and discovered a Nintendo DS for each of them. They were beyond excited, and played with them ALL day wherever we went.

After opening presents, and making a total disaster in our living room we headed over to my parent's house for breakfast, exchange gifts, and Christmas activities. We enjoyed crepes, waffles, bacon, sausage, and fruit for breakfast. It has become one of our family traditions. After we got breakfast cleaned up we all gathered together to open our family exchange gifts. We always open exchange gifts from youngest up to the oldest. Gabby and Kaylee both got accessories/games to go with their new Nintendo DS. I was happy to get a new laundry basket (yes, that's really what I wanted, and needed, so I was very happy), and Paul got a new tool bag with tools in it. We can't find a bunch of our tools with all our moves. Our family had Roman, Wendy, Israel, and Savannah's names...we got them Roman: a Disney Cars scooter and Duplo Lego Blocks, Marla: books and a rubber ducky nativity set, Israel: hair gel and a gift card, and Savannah: pink Build-a-Bear and Barbie movie.

This year for my mom's Christmas present all of my sister's, and my dad, and of course me went in together to get my mom new cushions for her window seat in the family room. Her old cushions were 16 years, and were beyond dead, and they didn't match the new paint. So, for 2 weeks Wendy, Marla, and I worked super hard first to find fabric, and then in putting together the new cushions. After the cushions were done for some insane reason we decided to make throw pillows too. It all came together beautifully, and even though my mom didn't notice the new cushions at first she loves them.

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

Kaylee woke up on her birthday (December 24) to find a little pile of presents on the couch. She was so excited to open her birthday presents. She turned eight this year and will be baptized on January 1st so we gave her a new set of scriptures. We also gave her a Lego set, a set of books (she LOVES to read), a multiplication mastery wrap-ups set, clothes, shoes, and a coat. She was so excited about everything she got.

After getting ready for the day we went to the new Disney movie Tangled for Kaylee's birthday. It was a really cute movie, it was so much better than recent Disney movies have been. I loved it, my kids loved it, and will be getting it when it comes out on DVD. We laughed the whole way through the movie.