Luke by the numbers. . .

15. . . .

number of points scored in his basketball game on Saturday

14. . . .

number of rebounds grabbed in his game on Saturday

4. . . .

number of fouls Luke had by the second quarter of play. . . and he managed to NOT foul out!!

6. . .

number of "A's" received on his semester report card. . . making his GPA. . .

4.0!

10 Things That Make Me Happy!!

My family has been posting on their blogs 10 things that make them happy. . . .it is a great idea to help keep the winter blues away this time of year. . .

So here is my list of 10 things that make me happy. . .in no particular order!

1. Laughter. . . I love hearing other people laugh, and laughing myself (although I don't laugh nearly enough). Today I was listening to Brian Regan and was literally laughing so hard I was crying. . . .and I was alone in the car. People next to me were probably wondering at my sanity. But I found it refreshing. . .
2. Productivity. . . . I love when I look back on my day and can see what I have accomplished. Not every day is like this. There are too many that I wonder what in the world I accomplished?? But lately I have been making lists of what I need to accomplish each day, and find great satisfaction in seeing things crossed out and done!
3. Saturday Nights. . . . David's mom, Mary usually comes down every Sat. night. This usually means date night for David and I. I love that I get a chance to get out with my hubby, and know that the kids are in good hands. Even when we don't go out. . .. I love having Mary come down to "hang out" with us!
4. A good book/book club. . . .Most of you know that I really enjoy reading. I usually prefer reading to watching tv. There are too many good things to read out there! Usually I prefer to read things that are fun and give me a bit of an escape. . .. but I like all kinds of things. I also recently started going to book club with some friends once a month. I am new to the group, but love the great group of ladies that I am meeting, and it gives me a chance to get out for some "girl time"!
5. Sunshine. . . .I am craving the sun right now!! It makes me happy
6. Finding a good deal. . . David and I are sometimes teased by our spending habits. . . but I have a hard time buying anything that isn't a great deal! We love coupons! and I am not ashamed to admit it. . .
7. Family Time. . . . This includes all kids of family time. From scripture time with my own little family, to sunday dinners with David's family, to trips to St George to see my parents, to family reunions, to shopping trips with my sisters and mom, etc etc. I love it!!
8. A Good Work out. . . . I love the feeling that I worked hard and did something good for my body.
9. Quiet Evenings. . . I must be a Toolson! I love when the kids have gone to bed and the house is quiet. I love having time to either read quietly, or spend time snuggling with David watching a little tv or a movie together!
10. Great Kids. . . . I love my kids. They make me happy and I love seeing them tackle all things that life throws their way. I feel honored to me their mom.

So now it's YOUR turn. .. if you haven't done this already. (and most of the five of you that actually read this already have).

An Attempt at an update. . .

I am missing the sun from St. George, so thought I would post a couple more pictures from a couple weeks ago and maybe I will feel the warmth from the pictures!! There is nothing like playing at the park in January and it is 60 degrees out and sunny! (I know Shareen gets this all the time. . .. but is was wonderful for me!)

It was great to spend time with my Mom, and Julia together.

(And, oh that sun would feel good right now!)

We were able to attend Jeff's baptism (David's brother) on Saturday evening. It was a very touching service. I am so happy for him and the road that he has traveled to get where he is. It was a great night for the whole family. I don't know if I have ever been to a baptism that was so crowded. . . . .they are loved by their family and ward members!

Eliza, Jeff, Cortt, Chase, and Windsor Elizabeth strikes a pose for me.

Mia and Windsor.

I have more to update so keep tuned over the next couple days. . . ..

baby macey

We finally got to meet baby Macey, my newest niece My sister Julia and family are visiting my parents is St George, so we took a couple days to head down and see every one. Isn't she adorable??

We were able to be there for her baby blessing. Jacob and Julia had her blessed at my parents'home while they are visiting. I forgot to get the family blessing dress out of storage, so we had to make a last minute trip to the store to find her a dress! But it was quite cute. Giving her a kiss. . .

Isaac did not want to smile for the family shot. . . . .he wanted to show his character!

My girls loved Macey. . . . and it was so fun to hold a sweet baby. . . .

Ups and Downs of December. . ..

December was full of ups and downs for me.. . .thus not much blogging, and I am playing catch up all at once. . . sorry about three posts in one day!!

We had some hard times this month. ..

• My Mom and Dad having to return from their mission in Germany due to health issues. . . I hate Cancer. . . I HATE it!
• Our heat has given us a lot of issues. A LOT of cold days in December for us. . . .and our fireplace broke at the same time. .. NOT fun!!

But we have also enjoyed some great moments in the month.. . .

• Christmas in St George with my parents, and sister's family
• Party with David's family
• Some good basketball games for David's team
• Shopping with my Mom and Shareen in Las Vegas

We visited the Temple Grounds in St George. It was a little chilly (well, not compared to Spanish Fork. .. . but still a little cold), but beautiful! They have a nice manger scene to view and listen to.

Mia loves Grandma and Grandpa. . . even though she still won't talk to them!!

Gingerbread house decorating. Nothing fancy, but it was fun!

Christmas Eve pictures.

We had a great holiday week with Mike, Shareen, Camille, and Anya. I was a horrible photographer. I snapped this photo on our last night together while the girls were watching a show. They had a fun time.

We returned home to a freezing cold house with no heat on the 30th of December! We did finally get it fixed. .. . but it was a bit of a fiasco. We have radiant heat, and had to replace the pump. . .. long story. . .. but after an entire afternoon. .. .. digging up the water main in the yard in a snow storm. . . etc. . . . long story. . . Let's just say it is working now at least. Thank goodness!

Perks

Luke started a volunteer job up at the Scera Theatre in Orem the first part of December. It is a family theatre that has one movie theatre, as well as another theatre for other shows

and plays. We thought it would be a great experience for him as well as get some volunteer hours for scouts! So far he really likes it. He goes up on Saturday afternoons and works for about four hours. One of the "perks" to being a volunteer, is the family gets to go to movie screenings for free. So far we have gone to "The Princess and the Frog" and this morning we went to "The Chipmunks". The screenings are usually on a Saturday morning. Is 9:30 in the morning too early for soda and popcorn?? Of course not, when it is FREE!Thanks, Luke for all your volunteer hours!!

Top 3

• I was looking over my good reads account, and seeing what I read in 2009.
• I read almost 50 books last year.
• I only gave three books 5 stars (well, actually 4. . . I read two Anne of Green Gables books and gave them both 5 stars. Up until then I had only read the first book!. . . and obviously I enjoyed the next two in the series.)
• So I pick these three books as my top three of 2009! I will have to review all my four star books and pick my next 5. . . but that will take some time! So if you havn't read these yet, I recommend them! Happy reading!

Anne of the Island

These is My Words

The Road