Life's Little Surprises!

So this weekend was filled with what I'd call life's little surprises!

First and foremost...Beverly got baptized! Her baptism was amazing! It was something I won't soon forget! Elder Gray sang...he has such a beautiful voice!

After the baptism, Rylie, Parker, and I headed over to Adrienne's for a night out. This is my windshield...notice anything missing? (Yes, it is cracked...just waiting for the weather to stop being crazy and then I'll replace it!) So, here's the deal. As I was leaving, I was trying to fix the rear view mirror...and it just came off in my hand! Go figure! So...I drove around without it all night...that's very crazy! I never realized just how much I look in it...until it wasn't there!
So...we get to Adrienne's. As soon as Paula and the girls arrived, we started getting out the drinks. Adrienne told me that she had kool-aid for me and that I could put some sprite in it if I wanted too! I guess this isn't really that funny...unless you know what an over achiever Paula is...and that Adrienne and I benefit from that GREATLY! When we go to Paula's, she makes me all sorts of crazy drinks...she's the best nonalcoholic bartender ever! My lime kool-aid was really good...so I'm not complaining!
We decided that we'd let the kids make their own pizza's!
Don't they look good! (It took a few minutes, but we finally talked Parker out of putting grapes on his!)
Me and Paula...we were both having a "bad hair day"!
So...this is where things got REALLY exciting...all of the kids were off playing and Adrienne, Paula, and I were cleaning the kitchen when we heard this really annoying beeping sound. The first thing we thought was, "what have they found to play with now!"...but then I looked down the hallway and reflecting in one of Adrienne's pictures were FLAMES!!! From where I stood, it looked like Adrienne's bedroom was engulfed in fire...or as we later referred to it...an inferno!

So...Adrienne yelled out, "call 911!" She and Paula went to her room and all 7 kids knew exactly what to do...they didn't panic and they went outside. I grabbed the phone, but then realized that I didn't know her address, so I walked down the hall to see what we were dealing with. One of Adrienne's candles had burned through it's holder...and it was up in flames on her dresser (so yes...it really can happen!). Paula, always the calm one, and the former firefighter, thank goodness, was already getting water and putting it out. The funny thing is that it didn't even occur to Adrienne and I that we could put it out ourselves...aren't we always taught to call 911 and go outside?! Once again...thank goodness Paula was there!
So...this is what was left when all was said and done...Sam's first comment was that Adrienne was going to need to paint the dresser! I got the lecture about not hesitating when told to call 911...however in this instant it was agreed that it was a good thing I hadn't called because we would have looked like complete idiots! Rylie and Sam were pretty shaken up because they had left their American Girl Dolls in the house, but I promised them that I would have gotten Elizabeth, Kit, and Sam's new doll out if the house was really on fire! Later that night, Adrienne said they would need to cover that up...Sam put one of her barbies on the burned spot!

I must say that I'm very upset that I didn't get a picture of the actual flames, but it would have been very irresponsible of me to tell them to wait to put the fire out until I got my camera!
The kids calmed down, had some ice cream, and then got into a very serious game of operation! It was definitely an evening we will never forget! As we drove home...Rylie said, "well, the next time Adrienne's house starts on fire, we know exactly what to do!!!"

Family Night

Monday night is Family Night at our house! Usually it is just us, but tonight we invited Steve and Shelley, Beverly and Isabelle, and the Missionaries over. It was so much fun!!!

Mason with Elder Jensen and Elder Gray. My kids love them!
Steve and Shelley...and baby boy Jordan! (Shelley told me his name, but I don't know if I'm at liberty to share it...it's a good one! He'll arrive any day now!)
Parker and Isabelle! They are in the same first grade class...aren't they cute!
The missionaries taught the lesson. They did an object lesson using Rubiks Cubes. The kids were mesmerized! I almost died when Elder Gray mixed one up...but then...HE FIXED IT! He tried to show Beverly and I how to do it...he was very patient with me...but I just didn't get it...especially when he started doing all of his "moves"! (The adorable red head is Mariah...Steve and Shelley's little girl!)

Rylie and Elder Gray...she has a HUGE crush on him!

Isabelle, Beverly, Elder Jensen, Steve, and Elder Gray. Beverly is getting baptized on Saturday! We are so excited for her!!!!

We had a great time! We definitely need to do this more often!

TAG

Ok...I got tagged the other day and I figured I'd answer it since the questions are a little different than normal! So...here goes!
1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:45 :)
2. Have you brushed your hair yet today? yes
3. What is the name of the last song you listened to? Come On Get Higher
4. Do you like to text? YES...I do it way too often!
5. Facebook or My Space? Facebook
6. Where is your favorite place to go? The Beach (Disneyland is a very close second...especially at Christmas time!)
7. Do you have a passport? Yes
8. Are you in love? YES!!!
9. Have you ever had a broken heart? Yes
10. When was the last time you "laughed your head off"? Last weekend...watching a VERY funny movie!
11. When was the last time you cried? This morning
12. What is the best gift you have ever gotten? My diamond earrings
13. What was the best day of your life? When my kids were born!
14. What was the worst day of your life? The day my sister died
15. Pepsi or Coke? NEITHER...YUCK!!!!
16. Are you wearing socks? No
17. Did you like high school? Yes...loved it!!!
18. Where is the last place you went out to eat? Chipotle
19. What is your biggest accomplishment in the past year? I FINALLY lost all of my "baby fat"!!!
20. What is one random fact about you? Sometimes I skip out of church to watch football :)
Ok...I'm supposed to Tag 4 people...
Jessica
Amber
Susie
Aimee
AND anyone else who wants to post!!!

The Beach...In JANUARY!!!

So...because it was in the low 80's today...and the kids were off school...we decided to go to the beach!!!I know...the beach in January just doesn't make any sense! I will say, however, that today was one of the best weather days I have EVER spent there! Low 80's, no breeze, not a cloud in the sky...and the best part...IT WASN'T CROWDED!!!

The kids were so funny...they couldn't wait to get in the water! The boys had their football...they like to play this game where they try to throw it over a wave before it breaks, and then get it back before it gets pulled away with the current!
Rylie spent most of the day playing in the sand!
Parker took this of me...he's my little photographer! He took this between me sending texts to friends and family in places I knew were cold today...I just had to rub it in a little!
We had a great day! Corona Del Mar is just one of the perks of living in So. Cal! The kids can't wait to go back...neither can I!

You've Gotta Love It!!!

Don't you just love it when you do something totally stupid?! Today I was out shopping (no...that wasn't the stupid thing!). When I walked out to the car, I unlocked it, opened the trunk, and put my bag in. This lady asked me if I was leaving and I said "yes" and shut the trunk. Then I heard the doors lock again. I rarely drive the Corolla and apparently if you don't open the doors within a few minutes they lock automatically. As I heard the "click" I realized that not only had I put my bag in the trunk...but that my keys were in there too! AAAHHHH!!!

Now...there is always a BONUS when I do something really stupid...and the bonus today was that my cell phone was just about dead...the screen wouldn't even light up for me to dial a number! I called Shane really fast and then went back into the mall. I found the AT&T kiosk and thank goodness they were willing to charge my phone for me for a few minutes so that I could call Shane back and let him know where I was parked!

All I can say is thank goodness I was in Riverside and not L.A.!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve...let us tell you a little about ours...

We got up at 4:15 a.m. and were on the road home by 5:20 a.m. The trip was great...our kids are actually very good travelers! We just wanted to be home before all the "crazies" hit the road, so we took our time on our stops...eating lunch at Cracker Barrel in Phoenix, our favorite place to eat when we're doing the Farmington trip! Anyway...the trip was going fine. We were on schedule to arrive home by the 4:30 football game (the trip takes 12 hours...we gained an hour on the way home!) when just as we passed Palm Springs, the I-10 came to a stand still!

Now, usually Shane drives, but he was getting tired, so I took over just before Blythe...my FAVORITE place on earth...NOT! So, here I am inching along on the freeway. I'm sure those of you who know I got a navigation system for Christmas are wondering why I just didn't find an alternate route home...well...I left it in my bedroom...because why would I need it for a trip we know like the back of our hands...big mistake! We were about 20 minutes from home by this time...without traffic. I was going about 5 miles/hour when Parker said he had a headache. Shane gave him some Motrin and we continued on our way. About 30 minutes later (by this time we were only to Banning) Parker says the music is too loud and asks us to turn it down. By this time I'm sandwiched between 3 semi trucks...then it came...the dreaded phrase NO parent wants to hear when she is stuck on the freeway...Parker announced that he felt like he was going to THROW UP! Shane quickly gave him the brown bag from Cracker Barrel we had in the front seat...and then it happened...Parker threw up...as I was stuck on the freeway with no place to go! Of course, there was a hole in the bag, and it started getting all soggy...so Shane was frantically emptying out a plastic bag of dirty clothes and he gave that one to Parker.

Well...within 5 minutes, Parker (his face as white as a sheet) was asleep, Shane was cleaning up the mess...mumbling that he should be driving and I should be cleaning it up...and those of you who know me know that at this point I'm about to lose it myself just from the smell and I'm counting my blessings that I'm driving and not cleaning...or we'd be in real trouble!

I finally got off the freeway in Beaumont. Well...we made the mistake of taking 8th street. Another bonus of the day...we actually got to drive by a person getting arrested in his front yard!

It only took us an hour and a half to drive that last 20 minutes of our trip...and we were finally home! Turns out, Parker was just car sick...and had eaten way too much candy!

So, I'm sure as you can imagine...we were exhausted by the time 9 p.m. came around! Shane and I watched the ball drop in New York on ESPN while we waited for the crazy guy to jump onto a building on his motorcycle...then we decided that it was 2009 in the east coast, so we got out the Martinelli's and toasted the New Year with the kids!

Yeah...this is as "CRAZY" as we were about to get last night!

After the big toast, we put the kids to bed, watched the "face-painter" episode of Seinfeld, and then got in bed! Shane was fast asleep as midnight hit the west coast...I was totally creeped out by Dick Clark's orange face...way too much make up on that poor guy! I watched the ball drop, said, "Happy New Year!" to myself, and fell asleep!

So...I guess you could say that 2008 went out with a bang for us! It was definitely a day we won't soon forget! We hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great New Year's Day!

Happy 2009!!!