A Late Card

For those of you whom I forgot to send a card too, here you go! Sorry if I missed anyone. I hope everyone had a great holiday!

2 days

This is our second to last night in our house. I can't believe it! We moved in exactly 9 years ago. And now we are moving out. We have been packing like crazy and hauling stuff to the storage unit. We hope to find out soon whether we get the house we have an offer on or build. The longer it goes on, I am more and more leaning towards building. Even though I love the other house. Guess time will tell. Well, back to work. I am a bit stressed out because we are running out of time and I have a ton to do.

Happy Birthday Sissy Lu!

Our Graci girl turned 4 Sunday! I have pictures but haven't gotten them off my camera yet. Can't believe she is that old already. She had a fun morning playing and we went to Church, and G&G Ewell came over for dinner and she ate, then pronounced she was full and went straight to the couch and fell asleep. Our friends the Bond's came over for Pinkalicious cupcakes and we had to wake her up and convince her she wanted to blow out candles and open presents. She had a great time once she fully woke up. Happy birthday Graci! We love you!

Reasons

Why I love my house:

Basement entertainment center with my time capsule built in the wall.
My woolied wall.
Shelves in girls rooms.
Colors and beadboard in girls rooms.
My wonderfully updated cabinets.
Knobs on my cabinets in my bathroom.
My light switch for outdoor Christmas lights.
My pink and green bathroom downstairs.
My jetted tub.
My walkout basement.
My bench in the basement "dance" room.
My alcoves in the basement "dance" room.
My yard.
My sprinkling system.
My beautiful easy to clean garage floor.
My office in my bedroom.

Why I do not like my house:
No mud room.
The garage door opener broke last Friday
Our fridge and freezer broke last Saturday and the people buying our house want our fridge. I do not want to buy them a new one.

A lot

What a crazy month November has been. So many new, and fun and scary and exciting things have happened. I am behind on my journal writing so it might be a long post. One day, out of the blue, Brian and I went to see a house that we could have animals at. We have always been looking because we want to move to a place where we can have the horses close by. Anyway, that house was a dump. So we went to see another one. It was a lot better. We decided we were going to put an offer on it for the heck of it to see what would happen. That was on a Friday or Saturday, can't remember. Anyway, the next Monday I was just browsing around on the MLS and found another house here in town that I just LOVED the pictures of. It was on a bigger lot, and has fields behind it and really close to the girls school. So anyway I called up the realtor and went to see it that morning. Fell in love. I came home told Brian I want to try to get it. The only problem with it however, is that it is a short sale.Brian and I went again that night to see it and he loved it too. We knew nothing about short sales, however, now we know that it can take a very long time to go through. So, to make a long story shorter, we put an offer on it and had a for sale sign in our yard that very night. We thought all this was so crazy because we were still the middle of doing a kitchen cabinet remodel. (we planned the cabinet project before we ever even considered selling our house). Which by the way, I LOVe my new cabinets. We did distressed black on the bottom in kitchen and hall bathroom, and up top in kitchen and master bath we did the creamy color with dark glaze. They turned out better than we expected. The Monday before Thanksgiving we had our first showing. That night we got an offer on our house. We didn't expect that at all because we have tried to sell before and nothing ever came of it. (must have been the newly painted cabinets :) ). To make another long story shorter, we left for St. George that Tuesday and counteroffered with the people three times. We were hesitant to sell since we are still waiting on the house we want. However, we countered higher than we thought they would accept, but they did accept and now we are moving. I can't belieive it. We will be living with Brian's parents for a bit and we will pray that this house works out or we will just build on our prop. or find a new one somewhere. It is still all such a blur to me. I am very sad to leave my house. I didn't realize how attached I was. Especially after I just got my cabinets how I always wanted them! ANd my newly epoxied garage! And the shelves in my girls rooms. ANd my built in entertainment center in my basement. And my pink and green bathroom. And my bench. OH well. We can get all those things in a new house too. Im just not accustomed to change. ANd it will be really different living with family for a while.

Another fun change was that we now have a new little dog too. She is a cute little black and tan chihuahua and the girls named her Chloe. I traded a saddle for her. Brian told I could try it not thinking it would work. I had 10 calls the very day I put the ad up. (hee hee). We got her the same day we got the offer on our house. So she got to go to St. George with us. Everyone loves her. She sleeps with the girls at night. I so wanted them to have a dog they can play with the way I played with toni as a kid.

We had such a great Thanksgiving. We had so much fun with the whole Kleinman family. Eating at In n Out, hiking, playing bball, volleyball, movies, wonderful dinner at mom and dads. It was a great holiday and the weather of course was perfect. We saw Matt play in his soccer tournament. I even took pictures of their team. It was really fun. Which reminds me. In January I am taking an all day photography workshop in Gardner Village from a great photographer who I love the work of. So hopefully I can learn a lot. Well, that is our month in a nutshell. Oh ya, the night we got our offer, Brian and I went to see New Moon. I loved it and cant wait to go see it again.

My first Senior

I want to be a photographer and I try to learn a lot. Today I had my actual real first "non family" job! It was SOOOOO much fun!!!!
SOmething funny: When I told my mom I was taking pictures of a senior, she thought it was an old lady! We laughed about that.

A Few photos

I dont have time to write much but here are a couple cute pictures.

Getting ready for school halloween parties
Brian was carrying Shelby around in a basket the other day

Crazy hair day for red ribbon week

A fall day

Nothing too new to report here. Mom and dad have been on a cruise to New England this past week. They got to spend time in one of my favorite cities! New York!
It was so nice having a fall break. We didn't do too much, but it was just nice to hang out and enjoy each others company. Thursday we had fun playing with the Harris', then Friday we spent the day with the horses riding and stuff. We have been renting movies from Red Box a lot since there is one at the new gas station close to our house. I loved Australia. it was long, but i really liked it.
Yesterday I spent the day cleaning while Brian and the older girls went horsin' again. Then we took a drive up the canyon for pictures and shooting practice. Which reminds me, being deer season and all, last week I went outside with phoebe and it was dark, about 9:30 and there in my backyard was this big buck. He scared me because I didnt' expect him to be there. We just stood and looked at each other a bit. They are always in our yard in winter and stuff, but I've never seen a buck that size so close up. I told him to run and hide. Well, I guess that is it. Nothing too exciting. I always have to fight sadness on Sunday nights because Brian has to leave for work the next day and the girls have school. However, I am so grateful they have work and are healthy enough for school and stuff, but I sure do miss them. Oh ya, So I am trying to decide what to do about New Moon. I waited too long to get tickets for a normal time of day. ( i get them at theaters with reserved seating so we dont' have to wait in line for 3 hours). So now the only time Brian and I could sit together, is at 3:30 am. As far as Shelby is concerned, that would be the best time to go since she would be asleep. Easy on the babysitter. We just might do it. I told him we need to be wild and crazy and adventurous again like in our dating days. Why not? I better get tickets ordered if we are going to do it. I am excited. I love those books. Fun and entertaining to me.

Race

I am so dumb because of all things to forget to take to St. George last weekend, i forgot what I wanted to take most. My camera. So I relied on Jenn and my mom do take some for me. I took some at the race with my phone, but haven't emailed them to myself or anything but they are on my facebook if you want to see them.
The marathon went so great! Brian, Casey and Carl all got a personal record. Brian's time was 2:55. Caseys was 2:53, and Carl's was 3:22. It was so exciting to watch. We stayed and Kim and Carls this time while Casey and Jenn stayed at mom and dads. we had a lot of fun. We got down there Thursday night and just kind of hung out friday morning until Carl got done then we all went over to the fitness expo to pick up race packets. Friday night we all went to mom and dads and Casey and mom fixed us a wonderful carb filled dinner.
Then we went back to kim and carls and Brian got ready and went to bed about 8:30, 9 while the kids and I watched a movie. Lauren came over and with us for a slumber party because Jenn, Grandpa, Megan and Rachel went to Tuachan to see Annie. Brian and Carl had to get up at 3:45 to get ready and leave to catch the bus up to the start. Brian was pleasantly suprised to be lumped in with the "elite" runners. Casey was an elite too. The Elite group had their own fires and porta potties to enjoy until the gun went off. It was really exciting to see them come in so fast. Brian didn't feel too well when he got done and got the chills really bad, but after a poscicle or two, they all perked back up. Then Casey and Brian got to go to Green Valley spa for a massage and Carl got to coach a soccer game. I dropped Brian off at the spa then Casey and I drove over to the soccer games then we all met and went to dinner at Brick OVen. ON the way home Sunday, our truck kind of broke down and we had to leave it there and SHelby and I hitched a ride home with some people from Genola who drove past and luckily Casey and Jenn were behind us to get Brian and the other girls home. Brians parents just took Brian back down to Beaver last night to pick it up. Brian bribed Kenni with treats to go with him. Anyway, it was a great weekend.

Happy Halloween!

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My sissy lu lu

So far today has been Graci's roughest day. Poor little thing never complains that anything hurts, but we sure can tell it does. She has taken two naps today, just wants snuggles, and refuses to eat. At least she is drinking pretty well but she has no appetite. I hate seeing her this way. Makes me sad. However, it was the best thing we ever did for the other girls and pretty soon she won't remember it at all. It sure will be nice to see her dancing around like a butterfly again.

I don't think I wrote about the cute thing Kenni said before she started school. When I was telling her what her kindergarten assessment meant, I told her that the teacher was going to ask her things about what she knew. A day or so later she told me " When my teacher asks me what I know, I am going to tell her I know that Jesus loves me". I thought that was so sweet.

Graci

Graci got her tonsils out this morning. I sure am glad it is over. It is always scary when you have to send a child in for surgery. Even though I knew what to expect from when Rian and Kenni got theirs out, I was still very nervous and worried. She did great. It was hard for her to wake up and her throat and nose and hand from IV hurt, but after two doses of morphine, (she kept spitting out any medicine we tried to give her) she came out of it and was just fine. Ate a popscicle and drank some juice then we came home. Now the hard part is trying to get her to rest. She wants to play and run around and she can't. You would never know she had surgery this morning. It is a relief to have over though. She seems fine but I know will be hurting in a couple days when the scabs come off.

Here are some pictures of Shelby. I love those feet! My beautiful baby.

A week ago Sunday we all got together at Casey and Jenn's for a bar b q.

All the grandkids. We had a hard time convincing a few they wanted their pictures taken.

Casey likes to make fun of anyone with a camera. Yet, he has his own.

Rian dressin up. The girls love to be "onstage" with their cousins and perform in plays the older girls write.

Their delicious tomatos that were sooo yummy.

Casey is an excellent chef. I dont' know where that came from cuz the most I remember him cooking when we all lived at home was blueberry muffins and he let me eat the batter.

I told him I am going to have my girls weddings in his yard and he will be my caterer.

He game me a mean look when I took his picture. I took it anyway.

I had to post a picture of their family painting. LOVE IT. want one.

Kenni, soccer, and the river

Here are some pictures of my sweet little Kenni on her first day of Kindergarten. She gets to ride the bus with Rian and she loves, loves, loves her teacher. She has been having so much fun. Both Rian and Kenni are playing soccer again. I haven't gotten any pictures of Rian yet, but some of Kenni. She even scored a goal her first game! We were so happy. Last spring she would just stand on the field watching everyone run past her. She has made a huge improvement.
My parents live near the river so we took the kids down to play in the water last weekend.

Happy Birthday Winny

So last weekend in St. George I had my first real photography job. My sisters mother in law Winny, turned 90 years old and they had me for a photographer. It was fun and taught me a lot and I hope I can just keep improving. I thought this family picture turned out pretty good.
Not perfect, but good.

My Goal

I just made a goal for myself. Thanks to my awesome hubby who inspires me and my good friend Kim who inspires me, I have decided that sometime in the next 12 months, I will be training for my very first half marathon. I am not even going to consider a full marathon right now. I need to prove to myself I can do a half first. So, that is the one and only reason I am excited for cooler weather. I can do really good runs in cold air for some reason. So, that is my goal. I am writing it in here so I will make myself do it and not feel stupid knowing a lot of people would know if I don't do it.

Just stuff

Rians first day of 2nd grade. I Love this picture. Kenni was sad that Rian was leaving and she isn't able to start kindergarten till Wednesday. Graci and Kenni sure miss Rian when she isn't around. I switched Rian to a new school and they both have to ride the bus. A first for us. Rian loves it and Kenni is very excited. Graci starts preschool this Tuesday. It sure makes me sad seeing my babies all go to school. But I am happy because they are happy.

And off she goes.

My sweetie after a bath. See those cute little toothies?

This is what the sky looked like about a week ago.

My ladies and a couple others

I thought the lake was pretty the other morning.
Brian is training for the St. George marathon and the past 2 fridays has gone on 20 milers. We tag along being Gatorade caddies. The girls like it cuz I buy them doughnuts for breakfast since we have to get up so early.

I LOVE my new camera. The more pictures I take, the more I want to take. Since I want to be a photographer I have to practice and learn and build up my portfolio. Hopefully I can learn some tricks of the trade from Brian's co worker who is a pro photographer. Anway, here are just some cute ones of my sweeties. We had fun playing around.

Just a fun one of Kenni jumping of the "Diving board"