Happy Anniversary 8 crazy years!

Most of the wedding party My two best friends and Mikes best friend and brother
cute cute winter

Me and Mike and our delicious
wedding cake. Never had better

Mike taking off my garter, to bad you cant see
the cute dance he did coming towards me.

It is crazy to think it has been eight years, sometimes it feels like a lot longer and sometimes it seems so much shorter. We have been through a lot in eight years lots of ups and downs. Our wedding day was so much fun and I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks mom you really put on a great wedding.

In the last 8 years we have gone through many things together which have definitely made us stronger and at least for me taught me to appreciate Mike for the person he is. We have been through 7 pregnancies together,( 3 kids and 4 miscarriages). 2 presidential elections which always makes for spirited debates is the car and at home or on phone texts to each other at night. We have had a few financial dilemmas to get through and a lot of good memories.

I wouldn't change the last 8 years for anything. Being married to your polar opposite can really help you grow and expand your view points which can never be a bad thing right? I have definitely realized that people see and react to things so completely differently and no matter how strong you think your argument is in some cases there is just no way to get the other person to see your side. I think this has made me much more tolerant of others and I have Mike to thank for that.

With four great and beautiful kids to fill our lives I can't wait to see what the next eight plus years will have in store for us

My Top Ten pet peeves about Amber

1. When I get home from work in the morning. She is always grumpy. How many people get shushed by their spouse when they try to tell them about the day they had?

2. I always have to drive. Example: A few weeks ago we go to my friends house, to watch a fight. I have a few beers and although she did drive it was like pulling teeth.

3. If the remote is broken I ALWAYS have to be the one to turn off the TV and the way other end of our bed.

4. I am the one who is always to blame for the sheets being messy. I mean I sleep in them for 6 hours. And it’s a long day with 4 kids before she gets back in bed who’s to say they don’t mess up the sheets.

5. (I will be called rude names for this one that start with A and ends with Hole) But I always have to unload the car when we go to Costco. She magically disappears.

6. I always have to pick where we go for dinner. Cause she does not care. But will automatically shoot down my first three suggestions. Really I know this so my first three suggestions really are just pawns walking the plank to there death.

7. The fact that its been somewhere close to 8 years or 95 months or 416 weeks or 2915 days since that fateful day I made one comment that was totally taken out of context and I still am reminded of said statement. “I never liked big butts till I meet you” A complement about her ass has turned into something I cannot live down.

8. I could always count on her to say, “ Hey Mike stop and get me a Pepsi.” No I can’t make it sound like we both want a Pepsi. I miss my Pepsi girl!

9. It’s not your bed, its our bed…. Enough said

10. The fact that I am in love with someone who is a Republican. The same person who would give Bush a high approval rating. At least she had her wits about her enough not to vote for Romney.

P.S. Thanks for holding onto your trade secret until Sunday night.

18 random things about me

So nothing really happens in January or February so I decided to tell you random things about me that maybe you didn't know before.

Things I love

1. Family, babies especially, (new ones the most) there innocence, and there smell.
2. Summer, the smell of the sun on my skin burning tanning whatever(I know wear sunscreen). Also the smell of the sunscreen soaked into the seats on the boat. The sound of a boat on the water and all the fun that comes along with it.
3. Watching Winter dance, being amazed by her talent I don't know where it came from. Seeing her have fun and knowing that she absolutely loves it.
4. Listening to Zarley play house or barbies hysterical the things she says and how she doesn't care who is listening the things she knows and comes up with are great.
5. Watching Owen watch Spiderman or football(every sport is football) with his dad. Or playing catch in the house with his dad.
6. Watching Xavier watch and laugh at Owen in complete admiration and awe of his brother.
7. Mike, his willingness to work his butt off for our family. Also watching a TV series on DVD ...IE Weeds, Nip Tuck, Entourage, whatever it is laying in bed and watching it with him is so rare that I love it.
8. The ocean the sound the smell the sand, that's my happy place.
9. My parents, my dads amazing talents and building things and his friendship. My mom and how she always tries to show you the other side even if she doesn't necessarily agree with the other side. Memories of her singing, Smokey The Bear especially. Her efforts and always being fair to everyone, what one person gets everyone gets or no one gets. Very much appreciated especially now being a mother. most recently her cakes she made us as kids I had no idea how much work they were.
10. My In-laws. They are always there to help us out when we need it which is appreciated more than we could ever say or show. Also the time they take to spend with the kids and do things with them whether its while helping out by babysitting and doing something fun or just doing something fun with them. I know they will always have fond memories of those times as they grow older like I do because of my grandma doing the same thing.
11. Politics, debates mostly when I feel informed on the issue. I don't know why I love it but I do and talk radio goes along with that.

Things I hate
1. Feeling out of control, no matter what the situation, finances, kids house, messes, I hate feeling like I have no control.
2. Zarley's uncontrollable fits, no way to stop them and again the control issue, she can make me crazy.
3. Mike working all the time and not being home or around for the little things.
4. insincere or mean people. If you want to be nice be nice if you don't just stay away I don't like people doing things because the feel obligated if you don't want to do something say no!
5. Not knowing or having answers for things. Like not being able to help my mom understand why she has the health problems she has there are sometimes no answers and that's frustrating.
6. Bills I hate bills and having to take care of all that it sucks.
7. Getting up at night whatever the reason someone needs help back to bed after going to the bathroom , the dogs want to go out, the baby is crying , I have to go to the bathroom, Hate it just want to sleep through the night cant remember the last time that happened.
8. Valentines, what a lame holiday, and with that getting flowers, really? come on what a waste of money you all know they are going to day in a few days right? go outside to look at them or cut them from outside. Going out to dinner to much stress why wait for 90 min just to eat at Chili's, well that's how I feel about it anyway.
9. People who play games, I guess that goes with say what you mean and mean what you say. I hate it when someone will be nice then oh someone else I like or want to like me is around so now I am going to treat you like crap, that really bugs me. With that people who play favorites. I get that we all click differently with different people but shouldn't we try to be fair to everyone.
10. Being cold, I like the snow at Christmas and I like it in the mountains and wouldn't mind being able to afford to go skiing or snowboarding a couple of times a year but for the most part I hate being cold and walking or driving in the snow I love the sun.
11. People judging situations or people before they have all or any facts. Especially when someone questions your parenting, no I am not parent of the year but is anybody really a perfect parent? And what might work for your kid doesnt mean it will work for mine. More than anything I hate when people who don't have kids try to give advice really what do they know?
With that people who judge for religious reasons, just because someone is mormon doesn't mean that they will dislike someone who is not mormon. I think non religious people are just as judgemental of religious people. It goes both ways and I see the judgement from both sides and that bugs me not all good people go to church every week sometimes the ones that do go are the ones that aren't that nice, and vice versa.

Well thats it hopefully you learned something new about me. If not Oh well I don't really care.

So this is my opinion on the Twilight series

I ended up taking Winter to the Twilight movie. Movie actually was not that bad. After all the talk of the book I decided I would read the book myself. For two reasons, first to see what all the hype was about and also to try and pry winter away from the TV and show her the enjoyment that can be found in a book. So I set out to read the book and made a deal with Winter. Well Amber actually was part of the deal. Winter and Amber both started reading the books at the same time. If Amber was the first to finish then once Winter finished we would take her to favorite restaurant. If Winter finished first then we would still take her to dinner and also pay for a friend to come along. Well it was a close race and Winter won. But this was a good experience for us to all read the same book and get everyone away from the TV. And we have had a lot of decisions on the book. Funny how there are three different interpretations of the books. So now I am 3 books down and working on the 4th. Amber is 2 books down and just stated the 3rd. I have not seen Amber pick up a book in the 7 almost 8 years we have been married. But she can’t seem to put these ones down. All in all this was a great experience. Totally worth the money we will spend for Winter and her friend.

So I only have a few hours left to express myself so here it goes. I am a bit anxious for tomorrows big history making day. As much as I didn't want Obama for president he is so I wish him well and hope he does a good job he has a very daunting 4 years ahead of him. I really hope that he is treated with the respect that a president deserves. And isn't disrespected the way that president Bush has been. I am not delusional and I am not saying that President Bush has been great or successful at all he had in front of him. However I thought our government was set up with checks and balances so that not one person had to much power over our great nation. So how is it that every horrible thing to happen is only his fault and no one else has to take any responsibility for it. I hope the same burden isn't put on the next president although I don't think he will ever be scrutinized the same as President Bush has been. So in his last day I just want to say Thanks for keeping our Nation safe for the last 7 years.

January/Zarley's Birthday

Zarley and Owen playing in the snow. They have
really been enjoying it.


See everyone this is why we dont shovel our
driveway, its an instant sledding hill and we don't
have to go anywhere.



Zarley opening presents. Yes she is always naked
what do you do?



Winter also made her a Z shaped cake



Tinkerbell birthday cake. I'm no Tiffany Baker

So dont mind the imperfections.

Summerizing christmas

Our christmas was great. We did all the regular traditions and a few new ones. We did the pajama thing christmas eve with both sides mine in the morning where my dad read the story from the bible and then Mikes family at night. Christmas morning was fun we got up and opened presents with just our family its the only time we get together alone it was really nice. Then grandma Kathryn and Granddad came over and had breakfast and we exchanged presents. Then we headed to Grandma Sharons which took us much longer than we thought it would with all the snow. We stayed there for most of the rest of the day opening presents and having christmas dinner. Crackers and all. (an english thing really fun) After dinner we went to Audrey and Dans for the gift exchange with all the siblings and cousins. Natalie made xavier a really cute hockey blanket. Thanks Nat! everyone else got really great gifts as well. Thankyou everyone on both sides we always get way to much! That about says it all, OH except mike did get a new TV to replace the one owen broke when he threw a train at it all thank you so much David and Sharon!