Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Dirty Dinner/Dash: Part 1

So this past weekend me and 4 of the gals in the neighborhood, along with my Hubby and 4 guys, ran in a DIRTY DASH race in Soldier Hollow. Yep, DIRTY DASH --- a 10K through MUDDY obstacles. It was so much FUN!!!!
The night before we planned a dinner, and much to my surprise it was a FOOD FIGHT!


It was a BLAST, but I wish I wasn't wearing such nice clothes.
We got home and immediately threw all the kids in the tub, to get cleaned up for the next day ...




And boy was it MUDDY!!!
It was so much FUN!!
I am totally looking forward to doing the 5K in May and maybe even the 10K next September!!!
You should plan to JOIN us!!!
PS. when I get the pics of the boys I will post their MUDDY MESS!!!

PRICELESS!!!!!

I have 3 cute hand prints in concrete FOREVER!!
If we move I am chipping this corner out of our concrete and taking it with me!!!
:)

"My Family"

Me,"Emma what-cha drawing???"
"My Family."And I LOVE It!!!!
She has now drawn this same picutre many more places on our driveway along with her name, my name(mom), dad's name(dad), along with Zach and Kye's first initial, so that people won't be confused on who lives here.
(that's her explanation!!!)
SOOOO CUTE!!!!
This is for me: Dad is first with the double mouth, Mom has the triangle nose, Kye is the smallest, Zach has the BIG circle eyes on the far end, and Emma is after Mom.

Move Over Martha ...

... STEWART!!!
Yep, that's right here I come ...
making my OWN laundry detergent & dishwashing soap!And it was EASY!!!!
Wanna know how???
Here ya GO:
Washing Machine Detergent
1/3 bar of Fels Neptha soap
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax powder
A small bucket (about 2-gal size)
Grate the soap and put it in a saucepan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. Use 1/2 cup per load.
The supplies makes 3 batches.
One batch makes 1/2 of a 5 gal bucket.
Costed less than $10.00 for all the supplies = LESS CHEAPER than buying it!!!
Cha-CHING!!!
I LOVE the DETERGENT!!!!

Dishwashing Detergent
(Cascade)
Mix 1 cup Washing Soda to 1 cup borax powder
Use 2 Tablespoons per load
LOVE it!!!!
CHEAPER than buying CASCADE!!!!

And there you have it ... My way to save my family more $$$$$$$$!!!

Field Trip ---

To the FIRE STATION:
With Mrs. Tammy's Pre-school.
First they showed a movie about FIRE SAFETY.
We walked through the fire station seeing all the living quarters of the fire fighters


Then they got to go through the fire truck ---




And then pose in front of the truck ---
Emma had a good time!
(It was a BRIGHT day, so she is hiding her eyes, NOT crying!)

Cute Aunt Megan and Emma as FIRE FIGHTERS:


Now here's the POSERS!!!




Emma and Zachary have had a blast DRESSING up!
Do you know the difference between a FIRE TRUCK and a FIRE ENGINE???
There's a difference ...

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Six, Six, SIX!!!

6 Wonderful, Adventuresome, Lovely, Happy, Blissful, Amazing, Blessed, Remarkable, Productive, Busy, Meaningful and Fun-Filled YEARS Alan and I have been married!
I wouldn't trade ANYTHING!!!
We had BIG plans for this Anniversary, but due to some unforseen circumstances, cold weather, and life in general they didn't happen.
But Maybe, it was for a REASON!!!
We had a babysitter already booked, my sweet, sweet Sister Charisse ... LOVE YOU!!!, so we changed plans and had a WONDERFUL time together!!
We had a wonderful, un-interrupted Dinner together eating one of our favorite PIZZAS talking about US! Then we enjoyed Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and a night with NO INTERRUPTIONS!In the morning, we went for a 9 mile run together which may sound INSANE to some, but we have never been able to just go for a RUN together. It was fun to just talk and be motivated by such an AWESOME runner, in my opinion.We worked on some things around the house that needed to be done together.
And then that night we went on a hike ...
First through a CAVE, which I didn't really go in.
Alan explored it and is DYING to go back with the Scouts ... BOYS!Then we made it to the top of Flag Rock to enjoy each other ...And This ...It was fun to sit up there and watch the CITY come ALIVE in the darkness.
Then we RAN down the mountain in the darkness, without ANY accidents!!
I didn't fall ONCE!!!
We were going to go out to dinner, but I just wanted to get my FAVORITE guilty pleasure and eat dinner in bed, with my legs up ... they were definently SORE and TIRED from the day!
Alan choose a Cafe Rio Burrito:
And I choose a two cheeseburger meal from McDonald's:
Mmmmmm ...
The next day Alan fixed a few kinks in our car, and then we packed up to get our kids and headed down to Sataquin Canyon to do some Rapelling.
Kye loved being able to crawl around and I enjoyed the fact that he wasn't FILTHY, EATING DIRT or ROCKS, and was CONFINED!Emma has done this before, but wasn't too KEEN on it this time.One Time was enough for her!
We got a picture of our family, minus Kye ... like ALWAYS!!
Then it was Zachary's turn:
And boy did he LOVE it!!!No fear, for SURE!!!
Then Al and I enjoyed a rapel down the mountain together:
Crazy GUY!!!
And a Kiss SUPERMAN style:
I love this man SOOOO much!
I couldn't make it without him and I am so thankful he is MINE!!!
Cheers to MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY more years with him!!!
Love ya Babe!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Pre-School

WHAT?!?!?!?
Where did my little BABY girl go???
It's amazing how FAST 4 years have gone, and it's definently BITTER sweet.
I am so glad she is progressing and learning, but I think to MYSELF ...
-Have I taught her well?
-Is she going to be polite?
-Will she be okay not KNOWING anyone??
(I did this on purpose, knowing that this is how life is, although the first day I wished she would've known someone.
She didn't care ... of COURSE!!!)
-Is she ready for this?
-Am I READY FOR THIS???
-Only one year left until Kindergarten ... Ahhhhhhh!!!!
I know this is just a small leap into school, and it's good for both of us!
She is SOOOO ready for this, not like me!
She has been asking to go to school since she was 2!!
I love her and I am so glad that she finally gets her wish, at least 2 days a week!
She started September 8th, and will go every Monday and Wednesday, in the afternoon.
She is so GROWN-UP!!!
All Ready to LEARN!
Here she is at the school room door ... I knew I couldn't make it all the way in and out without BAWLING like a baby, so for both of us I just let her walk in alone and greet her teacher with a big, "Hi, Miss Tammy!"


Here she is after school.
She learned School is COOL, and LOVED every minute of it!

After School Snack:
I made her this snack to share with me.
I wanted to sit and listen to ALL she had to say.
It was fun to spend some time with my little Girly-Girl!
It's AMAZING how time flies by when you are having so much FUN!!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Labor Day 101

This year for Labor Day we spent the weekend Camping ... in the FERGY backyard. This is a WACK-O tradition my family does, (which is probably the reason I even had the idea to camp in our backyard as you will see in a PREVIOUS post), but it's SO MUCH FUN!! This is actually the FIRST year the Madd-o's have actually CAMPED becasue in years previous it has RAINED, or I have been PrEgNaNt ... need I say more ... so it hasn't worked out. My kids LOVED the fact that we were SLEEPING over for more fun the next day!!!
We started off the fun with KITES ...
... No we didn't fly them, but we each got one!!!
Well, the KIDS did.
Then is was OFF to prancing around in GIRLS cowgirl boots:
Well, that's what Zachary had on his AGENDA for the night ...

At least until Lily found out and then SHE spoiled the FUN!!!
hehehe ...


We ATE yumm-o dutch oven potatoes ... MY ALL TIME FAV!! ... and TWO different kinds of YUMM-O dutch oven chicken.
Thanks: Mom, Dad, Dave, and Michelle for treating us to such a delightful meal!
We know you slaved all day cooking and we sure did appreciate the GRUB!!

Then it was onto the CAMPFIRE with lots of starburst roastin', s'more makin' and ice cream lickin' fun!
Yep, I did say ICE CREAM LICKIN' ... some how that all goes together as JUNK FOOD overhaul!!!!!


It was so much fun to be TOGETHER for the weekend ....
Hmmmm ... I guess Labor Day is the UN-OFFICIAL end to summer ...
I do have mixed feelings about THAT, but I am also excited for NO yard work, COOLER weather, and FALL/WINTER!!!!!
Ta, Ta for now SUMMER!!!
Side NOTE: Kye was with us, but just didn't end up in pictures because ...
he didn't, OKAY ...

The Wheels Go ROUND and ROUND:

On the WAGON:

On the LAWN MOWER:On the SCOOTER:

In their HEADS:
hehehe



And on the BIKES:


Now I KNOW this last picture is not of the BIKES going round and round, but it was an extra cute picture of her, so it was posted instead of the bike picture.
There have been many bike/wagon rides around the neighborhood to keep myself sane and the kids happy for another 15-30 minutes.
It's been so FABULOUS that the weather is getting cooler, so even in the middle of the day we can go for little walks around the "hood"!!
We love summertime, but are also excited for FALL!!!!




Fire Pit ...

Dear Fire pit: you are the BEST!!!
I love to light you on FIRE and make me some S'MORES!!!!!
(Oh I can't get enough of those tasty little treats)
You bring happiness to MANY of faces, while keeping us warm ...

All the summer dayzz wouldn't be the SAME without YOU!!!
(It's so fun to relax with the crackling of a fire going ...)


You also help us pass those LONG days by, while sitting by your side!
**Thanks**
P.S. Carmel Marshmellows toasted over an open flame are TO DIE FOR!!!
Yummmmmmmm!!!!!!!

If ya just can't make it to the Mountains ...

Then CAMP in your BACKYARD!!!
I know our neighbors probably find us VERY weird, but oh WELL!!!
We had plans a couple weekends ago to go camping with Alan's family and we were so excited. Well when it came down to the weekend, we realized that it just wasn't going to work out cause Alan needed to work. We were ALL bummed to say the least, but we didn't let work SPOIL our weekend CAMPING!!
We set up TENT in our BACKYARD and had a Jolly Good TIME!!!
Zachary is ALWAYS such a GOOD helper!!!
Kye was on a WEIRD-O nap schedule that day,
so he got to stay up late and PLAY with us too!!

We had fun doing s'mores!
So much fun that I didn't take any pictures of the maddness until the kidd-o's were all cleaned up and in bed ... OH WELL!!

And they SLEPT like a DREAM!!!!





It was fun to be able to still "CAMP" with our kids!
I love just being together as a family and doing SIMPLE things in life ... even if they ARE a little STRANGE!!! :)