Protest!

I have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much to blog about that it just seems too overwhelming to try and catch everything up right now. So in the meantime, I thought I would post this... My mother-in-law and I went to one of the "Tea Parties" yesterday and of course Jarin tagged along. My sign says "Change is the only thing you'll have left when Obama is done!" I got lots of positive responses for it. And the funny part about it, I think Jarin truly enjoyed himself! Maybe I can mold him young!!!!

2 Links

I am just so happy to report that I removed 2 links from my watch...I feel like my shoes are slipping off all the time...and I really, really love being able to take off my wedding ring (when I need too) instead of having it permanently assigned to my appendage...and, last but not least, my "skinny" clothes are beginning to feel loose!

Thank you to everyone with your wonderful compliments! Weight loss is a big accomplishment and it is a terrific feeling when some one recognizes it. It is a complete validation of all the hard work and determination it takes and I want you to know how sincerely I appreciate the support shown to me!

On a side note, I have officially signed up for my first triathlon. I will be doing the (individual sprint version) of the Cache Valley Classic on Saturday, June 20, 2009 in Hyrum. It is a 1/2 mile Swim, 20K Bike, and a 5K Run. My only goal is to FINISH the race!!!!!!

(BTW I am at 70lbs+ loss to date and still going strong...only 13.8lbs to go to my final goal!!!)

What is wrong with me???

Yesterday I am running on my treadmill...making really good time (for me)...really running not just my normal run/walk stuff...and what do you know all of a sudden I am CRAVING sour gummy worms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can only remember having one true craving and, of course, that is while I was pregnant! So how in the world do I have one now while running on a treadmill???? What can I say I must be a fffffffrrrreak!!!!!

Forty Fun Facts For Landon

Let me apologize up front for this VERY lengthy post...but if you take the time to read it all...then you'll understand why!! Guess you will know more about us in one week then you ever wanted to know!!




1. Landon was born on Super Bowl Sunday III.
2. Landon has only kissed one girl!
3. Landon’s favorite hobby is reading.
4. When Landon was 8 years old he decided he wanted to be a pilot.
5. Landon earned his Eagle Scout Award when he was 13.
6. When Landon was 14 years old his parents weren’t home and he wanted to play basketball out in the driveway. He didn’t think anyone would mind if he just backed the car up and parked it in the street…that is until he hit the big green power box in front of his house and caused all the houses in a mile radius to lose power!!! (I laughed when we bought our house and we have a big green power box out in front!)
7. When Landon was 16 years old he got his private pilot’s license.
8. Landon rarely dated as a teenager because he wanted to spend his money flying instead!
9. When Landon was looking to get a scholarship he applied with the Air Force…that is when he found out he needed glasses and that is when all hope was lost to fly for the Air Force. They told him to go apply with the Army. The Army was happy to take him…but failed to make a commitment to let Landon fly!!
10. Landon served in the Indianapolis, Indiana Mission.
11. Because there was never much to report in Landon’s mission his “reports” that he turned in each week became somewhat fictional literature. Landon became famous in the mission for what he wrote and when he was going home his Mission President handed him the entire stack…they are definitely among Landon’s most prized possessions.
12. Our first date Landon flew me to Wendover for Lunch…talk about impressing a girl!!!!
13. Landon made a list of his life goals and planned out when everything was going to happen…when he brought me home to meet his parents his mom said to me, “You must be something special because this is waaaaaay ahead of schedule!”
14. When Landon and I were dating he told me he wanted to have 12 children. (And he meant it!)
15. Landon asked me to marry him 6 weeks after our first date and we were married 5 months to the day of our first date! When it’s right, it’s right!!
16. When we got engaged Landon was carrying 21 credits and got straight A’s…don’t even ask me what I got!!
17. Landon’s lowest grade in college was in Movie Appreciation!
18. When Landon and I drove off for our honeymoon the crowd was chanting…”Score, Score, Score”… and Landon was grinning from ear to ear!!
19. Landon was President of the Flying Club in college and won many awards at competitions!
20. When I was pregnant with our first child Landon gave me “Hugs & Kisses” for Valentines…that is Huggies for the Baby and Chocolate Kisses for me! That is when I knew he was incredibly clever!! For our Anniversary one year…we didn’t have a lot of money…so he bought me four different kinds of Flour and a food storage bucket and made an arrangement with the flour and a few flowers with a note that talked about how he wished he made more “dough”, but that he really “kneaded” me! (I know you are all jealous!!!!!!)
21. Landon graduated from Utah State University with High Honors and received the College Of Engineering Student of the Year Award.
22. Landon served 4 years active duty in the Signal Corp for the United States Army. Then he served 5 years in the Army Reserves. And then was on Inactive Ready Reserve status until just a few months ago when they finally honorably discharged him. (I sleep a little easier now!)
23. While in the Army, Landon served a hardship tour in Korea for a year. (Being apart was absolutely the hardest thing!)
24. The best thing he has ever done was to take his wonderful wife on a 14 day trip to Europe!
25. Landon is a WORKAHOLIC!! But if you ask him he won’t agree! Landon wakes up every morning at 5:30AM. He leaves our house at 6:15 and arrives at work before 7AM…his office doesn’t even open until 8AM!!! Landon usually doesn’t come home from work until 6PM (sometimes 8 or 9PM!) On RARE occasion when he comes home before 5PM I immediately ask him “Did you quit?”
What is your definition of a workaholic???
26. Landon never calls me during the day unless he needs me to do something. (But on the other hand, I don’t call him because I know I will interrupt him!) So I guess it works!
27. Landon is a true blue pessimist!! To him the glass is ALWAYS half empty!!
28. Landon has really bad luck…so much so that he actually makes decisions with thinking about the worst thing that could happen so he can be prepared when it does!!
29. Landon is a very talented writer. He would like his first book to be called “When Life Gives You Lemons, Pucker Up”. (I know it will be a best seller!) He has written 3 Musical Spoofs that our ward and stake up in Idaho performed. And he creates the best Christmas Newsletter you will ever read in your life!!
30. Landon has an unbelievable Green Thumb that he inherited from his mother!
31. Landon has a way of thinking “outside the box” he always can find solutions to problems! I know he could solve the problems of the world if just given the chance!!
32. Landon is a wonderful public speaker.
33. Landon would make a fabulous politician!
34. Landon was an Early Morning Seminary teacher one year and taught Book of Mormon…he was always thinking of great teaching methods…I thought some of his best were when he had the students run around the church parking lot carrying a bag filled with blocks that were the exact weight of the gold plates so they could get an idea of what Joseph Smith had to do…and the other over the top lesson was when they held a funeral for Nephi…Landon even made up programs!!!
35. Landon’s specialty in the kitchen: Chili Dogs…he perfected them on his mission!
36. Landon’s favorite dessert is Black Forest Cake.
37. Landon has the funniest sense of humor!!!! And it is fun to see it rubbing off on his children!
38. Landon does NOT give a lot of compliments, so if he ever gives one to you…you need to know that is a big deal and he is very sincere!!
39. I believe there is nothing Landon can’t do! He is the most talented man I know and I have seen him in action. If he wants to do something he figures out how to do it and then does it! It is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40. The final fortieth fun fact…Landon just turn the big 4-O on January 12th and I wanted to do something special for him…but it was really crazy…so I am trying to make it up to him now!!

Oh how I love you Babe!!

25 Random Things About Me!

I posted this on my Facebook and boy I found it kind of difficult to come up with a bunch of stuff. So I figured I already took the time to share it there...I might as well put it on my blog too! Plus...I really needed to post something since time apparently stopped in my blog world!! Even if my real world is full steam ahead!!! Enjoy learning crazy things about me if you didn't already read them on Facebook!


1. I am not a morning person. I hate to get up before 7AM. (I do…but I really really really hate it!)
2. When I make my elementary age kids lunch I draw a smiley face on the brown paper bag.
3. Even though we have a king size bed, I sleep on the very edge (even when Landon is out of town.)
4. I am totally a whimp when it comes to needles. I delivered 4 children naturally and DON’T donate blood. (Not donating blood really bothers me because that is something I would totally do if they could just figure out how to get it out of me without needles!)
5. I can’t fall asleep (even to just take a nap) if I am not covered with a blanket, sheet, or whatever I can find.
6. If we had a lot of money the first thing I would want is a house keeper!
7. I am VERY grateful to be a stay-at-home mom and dread the day I might have to go back to work.
8. I always have a To Do List – always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
9. I have a really bad memory and sometimes it makes me sad I can’t remember more of my childhood and youth.
10. I love the feeling of clean sheets.
11. I just learned how to swim last month.
12. My favorite sport is basketball (both to play and to watch).
13. I love to make new friends and honestly believe you can never have enough.
14. I love my handwriting when I take my time, but my normal scrawl I hate!
15. I wanted to have 6 children my entire life and most of time I really feel my family is incomplete.
16. I have always secretly wished I had lived in pioneer times.
17. I was a huge TV addict when I was a kid, but hardly ever watch it now.
18. I live to be busy! I am a much happier person, way more organized, and can accomplish a lot more things when I am busy. The wiser I become I realize there is a fine line to be crossed and I try not to cross it anymore!
19. The only soda I enjoy drinking is rootbeer (A&W is my favorite brand) but I only drink it when I eat pizza or an occasional rootbeer float.
20. I love spell check.
21. I hardly ever get stressed about the things that are going on in my life (the day-to-day stuff and the things I am in charge of), but I do worry (probably a little too much) about things like: Are my children happy? Am I doing enough in my roles as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend? Do we have enough Food Storage? …you get the idea!
22. My favorite time of day is 10PM. When everything is calm and quiet, it is often the time you will find me reading, pondering, or even sometimes cleaning. (Refer here to #1)
23. I am a perfectionist…most certainly to a fault!
24. When I was a teenager I remember a lesson I had one Sunday on Self-esteem. I remember my leader telling us to find at least one thing you like about yourself. Of course, because I was a typical teenager with struggling self-esteem it was a very difficult assignment. I finally discovered that my toes were cute! Having one thing I liked about myself really helped to get through some rough hormonal adolescent years! To this day, I still love my toes!
25. I wish I could freeze time right now! I love the place I am at. I love the ages of my children. And I am learning to love the person I am becoming. My heart is already breaking for the day I am no longer in this wonderful stage of life!

Santa Surprise

Like Christmas Eve doesn't wind up my kids enough...we had an extra special treat when we had a surprise visitor ring our door bell! Thank you Santa for making our night!!

Piano Players Playing Proudly

Oh no...I discovered that Sis's camera takes video clips...you will be wishing that I didn't figure that out. Now the big dilemma of pics or clips will run through my head constantly!! I have been using Sis's camera a LOT lately because my nice Cannon SLR has broken and I just can't justify that $250 that it will cost to repair it...so if anyone has connections in the camera repair world feel free to let me know!

Tonight was our Christmas Piano Recital. A bunch of the kids in our neighborhood take from one of the cute, strike that, beautiful teenage girls in the neighborhood (I was hoping that this point would make Jake a little more excited about taking piano lessons - but NO - not even a beautiful girl can outweigh the bad attitude of my hopeless 12 year old...as will be apparent at the end of his clip!) I took little clips of each of the kids playing their recital pieces. I didn't realize I could take the video clips until after Keebler had already played his piece, so his is actually a reenactment that is why people are talking during the start. I feel really bad because he makes a small mistake in what I recorded, but you'll just have to trust me that he played it without any mistakes during the actual performance.

Enjoy!! (they are all short I promise)


Jolly Old St. Nicholas


Up On the Housetop


Pat A Pan

Just a Little Side Note...
Sis was just reading my blog checking out some of my latest posts and read the one titled "Before and After". Oh how I wish I would have had a camera handy to capture her expression when she saw my "Before" picture...it was priceless!! We both had a good laugh and I am glad she doesn't really remember me like that (even if it was just 6 short months ago). I guess all my hard work of making sure I wasn't in many photos really paid off!! That should be incentive right there to try and keep the weight off, right? Apparently, my kids will only remember me how I am today!!