Friday, March 20, 2009

Music to My Ears

Kate and Sam are always thinking of new ways to use old things. This is their latest...


..."TRUMPETS"
made from an empty toilet paper roll and an empty toothpaste box.
They said they were a band and went around the house "making music" all day with their newly-made instruments.

Making Hats with Daddy

The other night Joe helped the kids with a fun project...making hats! They had so much fun coloring them and putting stickers on them.


Kate made a princess hat (shocker).
Sammy's hat was a little too big for his head so Joe cut out a place for his face and Sammy thought it was cool.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Sammy and the Cookie

If it has frosting, Sammy will eat it...
...the frosting, that is.
He dips...
He licks...


But he never actually eats the whole thing.
What a funny kid!
Oh, and you've gotta love those ears!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Oatmeal

This is my kids almost every morning. They LOVE oatmeal.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Happy 4th Birthday, Kate!

Our Sweet Kate turned 4 years old yesterday and we had a big day planned for her!

She woke up to a bunch of streamers and balloons and that set the excitement for the whole day.

We took her out for some special time with Mom and Dad. First we went to Kiddie Kandids to get her birthday picture. She picked out her outfit for her pictures and I think she did a great job. While we were viewing the pictures to order, she whispered to me, "Mom, all of my pictures are just so cute!" She was right.

Then we headed over to Build-a-Bear Workshop. She had been asking to go there for so long we decided it would be the perfect birthday surprise! She had so much fun picking out her bear, choosing a "happy birthday" song for it to play, wishing on the little hearts and putting them inside, stuffing it, cleaning it, picking out an outfit, dressing it and typing on the computer to make the birth certificate for it. She named her cute bear...what else...Birthday Bear!







She LOVES Birthday Bear!

Afterward, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Williams' house and had a birthday party with them and Great Grandma and Grandpa Gallup complete with party hats.


Kate LOVED the cowgirl outfit Grandma Williams made for her. I have a feeling she'll be wearing it all the time!
Our little family made a pinata for a fun project (Joe and Kate did most the work) so after cake and ice cream and opening presents, we went outside for Kate and Sam to break it open.


It was such a fun day and Kate LOVED being the center of it all!

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, KATE!
WE LOVE YOU!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Couponing Blog

As many of you know, I love "couponing" and I love getting great deals. So I started a separate blog as a chronicle all my couponing adventures to can keep track of what I get/spend/save. It also has links to great couponing blogs and websites. I will be updating it quite a bit with more information about coupons and how to use them. It's really just for me to use as a reference but you are all welcome to take a look and use it if you'd like.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

February 1, 2002...



To Joseph in honor of our 7th Anniversary…

7 things I like to call you…
1. Joseph, Joey, Joe, Josephus
2. My Eternal companion
3. The father of my children
4. Husband
5. Backhoe Joe (no one can dig a better hole...no joke)
6. My best friend
7. A fine hunk o’ hiney


7 places we’ve lived since we’ve been married…
1. Lost Creek Apartments in Murray, UT
2. An old house converted into a 4-plex in downtown Salt Lake
3. The huge house on the hill in Bountiful, UT
4. The crazy people’s time share on Main Street in Park City
5. Mark Twain Apartments in Taylorsville, UT
6. Our house on Hudson in Nampa
7. Our current home in Nampa


7 favorite vacations together…
1. Hawaii on our honeymoon
2. Camping in the Uintas with Jake and Geri
3. Anniversary Inn for our birthdays (Romeo & Juliet and Swiss Family Robinson rooms)
4. New York for Adam and Lauri’s wedding
5. Road trip to San Francisco
6. Texas (San Antonio, Houston, McAllen) to visit Brice’s family
7. Washington DC, Virginia Beach, Greensboro to visit Jake’s family and Adam’s family)

7 things we’ve accomplished together…
1. Our Celestial Marriage
2. Bringing 3 beautiful children into the world
3. Learning how to be parents
4. Creating a gospel-centered home
5. Becoming homeowners
6. Your BA from Albertson College (yes, that was both of us)
7. Learning to live and love together even with our imperfections

7 memories together from before we were married…
1. Seeing each other (but not meeting) at that first indoor soccer game
2. The double date with Jake and Geri—Big Judd’s (how romantic), bowling (that’s when you fell in love with me...it’s all in the flick of the wrist!), frisbee in the church parking lot (no, you can’t juggle a frisbee like a soccer ball)
3. “Do you want to dance?” at Jake and Geri’s wedding reception
4. Almost driving into a building when the Beast died and the brakes went out…"Oh *@$^!”
5. Learning to drive stick shift for hours and hours
6. Bringing you a goody bag the morning you were leaving for BYU-I (and the sniper pictures that followed)
7. Our first kiss, in Idaho Falls…
You backing up the car
Me: Did you forget something? (wink wink!)

7 quirky things that made me know you were the one for me…
1. You like flat Sprite just as much as I do
2. I never felt self-conscious eating or even ordering fast food in front of you
3. You’re the only one to successfully teach me to drive a stick-shift
4. You sang out loud to the radio in front of me...without being embarrassed that you can’t sing!
5. Your sarcasm and great sense of humor
6. We both have crazy colored eyes that tend to change colors with what we’re wearing
7. How much you love and respect your mother


7 things I love about you and could never live without… (this was a hard one to keep to only 7)
1. You love to do yard work and considering I’ve never mowed a lawn in my life, this is much appreciated
2. How hard you work for the happiness and well-being of your family
3. The way you play with our children and know the little things that make them happy
4. Your willingness to always help others
5. All of your rippling pectorals and the fact that you love to stay in great shape and flex for me on an almost daily basis
6. That you can always make me laugh
7. Your unconditional love for me



Joseph,
I’m so glad you are mine and I am yours for eternity. You are so good to me and our children and I really couldn't have dreamed of a better best friend than you. I love you with all my heart.
Rachael