Girly Do's Giveaway!!

I discovered this FUN site about a week ago and learned that she is doing a give away! It is called GIRLY DO's and has tons of CUTE IDEAS for girls hair!! I will be trying lots of her ideas in the future!!

I really, really want those homemade button curlers! So, go check out her give away and mention I referred you!!! WISH ME LUCK!!!

Tutu EVOLUTION!!

I embarked on one of my more daring adventures! I busted out the sewing machine, measuring tape, scissors, and thread to make Kaiya a tutu! The initial tutu was not FLUFFY enough to Kaiya's specifications . . . so, I began frantically calling anyone who might know about TUTU making. And, I want to thank everyone for the input! The following is part of the process and part of the result. Yes, this is her HALLOWEEN costume . . . I have begun because I figure it is going to take me till October 31 to be able to have it done and have me happy with it!!

What do you think of my first TUTU??? Now on to the rest of the pieces of the costume!! Wish US LUCK!!! Especially for the WINGS - - they seem to be the piece that is eluding us!!

Don't Sweat the SMALL Tomato

So, we have our little garden and we have been proud of ourselves that NO PLANTS have died! Our family had a little garden a time or two when we lived in Utah. But, I have no real green thumb experience!! We are happy to report we have "harvested" our first veggie from our garden . . . this is Kaiya PROUDLY SHOWING IT OFF!!!



Our RESULTS would be FABULOUS if we were growing CHERRY TOMATOES! However, we DID NOT - - so, our results so far have been no so great! Anyone got a tip for us?? I am a little worried about the results for our pumpkin come October 31st!! I guess we shall see!

I do have to say, Kaiya and I both enjoyed our little tomato as an after lunch snack!!

AHHHH...I've been tagged!

I have been tagged by Simi,
DA Rules: Answer da questions using only ONE WORD. Then tag four others.
I'm going to tag Rachel, Jackie Drama, Candice, Ginger .

1.Where is your cell phone? Purse
2. Your significant other? Prasan
3. Your hair? Up
4. Your mother? cabin
5. Your father? ranch
6. Your favorite thing? Oreos
7. Your dream last night? None
8 Your favorite drink? Coke
9. Your dream/goal? EXALTATION
10. The room you’re in? OFFICE
11. Your hobby? Crafting
12. Your fear? Death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
14. What you’re not? Skinny
15. Muffins? BLUEBERRY
16. One of your wish list items? Vacuum
17. Where you grew up? Utah
18. The last thing you did? Shop
19. What are you wearing? Clothes
20. Favorite gadget? IPod
21. Your pets?NONE
22. Your computer? DESKTOP
23.Your mood? Anxious
24. Missing someone? Morgie
25.Your car? WONDERFUL
26. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
27. Favorite store? Naartjie
28. Like someone? Yes
29. Your favorite color? BLUE
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Leaving

Old Memories and FUN TIMES!!

This past week I had the best time! My mission TRAINER, GINGER came to visit! I haven't SEEN SEEN this lady since we served together in February of 2000 in good old HOWELL, MI. We visited obviously at my wedding briefly and she stopped by my cousins place Thankgiving of 2005! However, this was the first extended one on one time we have had since and it was a BLAST!!!

Honestly, I was so worried about entertaining her while she was here. However, on the same token I had no PLANS! Ha! And I am so glad we didn't! We woke up at our hearts whim, got ready at our own pace, I bounced around from topic to topic like a crazy woman, and she put up with me! I had to so much fun!! We shopped till we dropped. MAYBE, I should REPHRASE THAT . . . I DROVE HER to my favorite places, SHE acted UNSURE, I ENCOURAGED, SHE SHOPPED, and we had a great time! Kaiya loved her! Oh! I did INTRODUCE GINGER to the ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS coutresy of Karina getting CHEAP SEATS!! We had fun! That would be Kaiya's second game this year and ever! I am set she is going to play softball!

Seriously, we are going to have to make hanging out with each other at least a yearly thing! It was SO FUN! I can't wait till that little GINGER gets here!! She is gonna have her hands full!!

Here are a few pictures over the week we spent catching up and REMEMBERING the GOOD and the BAD of the mission!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING GINGER!!!

Happy 30th Birthday, MEG!

To my YOUNGER cousin MEG, I wish her a HAPPY CROSSING OVER INTO TRUE ADULTHOOD!! I hope that you 30th Birthday has been fabulous!

Meg, thanks for being a great cousin and friend over the last 30 years! We have had some FABULOUS moments and some more trying ones! Through it all, we have remained friends! You are a wonderful person! I hope you have a happy 30th year and many more years to come!!

Lots of LOVE LADY!!!

Happy 21st Birthday, Morgie!

Morgan, I hope you have a VERY VERY Happy 21st Birthday! I hope the coming year brings you all the happy things you seek after in life! Wish we were there to celebrate with you! I can't believe you are 21! Wow! Enjoy all life has to offer you!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Goin' Raggedy!

So, we have had a raggedy few days! My mom has a very good friend, that well until I was about 11 or so I thought she was my mom's sister. I called her Aunt Karen. She is a very talented sewer (is that what you call them). She made me a set of raggedy anne and andy dolls when I was little. Upon returning from Idaho, we came home to a box for Kaiya. We opened it on Sunday to discover the same "Aunt" Karen, had made Kaiya her very own set of Raggedy Ann and Andy. They are adorable. I was going to get a picture of me with mine, and I will later. But, I currently don't have it! They are so cute and I am so grateful! How fun for her to have her own, made especially for her, and no one in the world has one just the same!!


Next, while in Idaho, my mom showed me how to do RAG CURLERS!! Fun! So, I have come to the conclusion, that this may be a Saturday night tradition if it makes sunday morning faster for me!! Her is Kaiya in her first HEAD FULL of Rag CURLERS!!! We will have to get a picture of her when I get her hair done tomorrow!!



The RESULTS

Pretty Tight Ringlets. I think I need to go for a wider cut rag next saturday!!

Highlights of Idaho

There were a few things that were sort of the HIGHLIGHT of our last trip to the Cabin! Can I say, true to Grammy's nature, she had a list of things to do! I remember when we would get to have one of our favorite little visitors down to AZ just after Christmas and in the summer, Grammy would go all out! She would have a list of things to do, museums, shopping, the pool (she would heat it in the winter for this little someone), and everyone was at the whim of that special little girl! They would be going from SUN UP till SUN DOWN! I still haven't visited some of the place they visited! Well, things with Grammy haven't changed, we arrived to a WRITTEN LIST OF THINGS TO DO!! And, every morning, we were up headed on a GRAND ADVENTURE!!

One of the FUN TRADITIONS is HOT COCOA BY THE FIRE PIT!!! The grand girls seem to all love that! Before breakfast, Grammy heats the water, adds the cocoa and you head out to the fire pit to drink. WHO CARES if it SPOILS your BREAKFAST!! True to life, it was a hit this year just as it has been since 2000!

One of the FUNNY moments! Grammy had on her list, PADDLE BOATS at MACKs INN!! There is a set of THREE PADDLE BOATS that Mack's Inn owns! Whenever I am driving past, they are always at dock! Well, GRAMMY HAD THE GREAT IDEA to PADDLE BOAT! So, we grab all the life jackets, head to Mack's Inn. We rent and then proceed to board the paddle boat! All 4 of the visiting grand girls, Grammy, and I. M1 wants to help paddle and her legs are long enough. So, she and I are at the helm paddling. Grammy and the other three are sitting in the back of the boat! The nice kid (you know you are 30 when you call the H.S. kid or Freshman College student a KID) pushes us off into the RIVER!! It is a really calm river. M1 and I start paddling and paddling and paddling. I resort to pushing my back up again the seat and putting all my weight on the paddles trying to go UP STREAM!!! We PADDLE and PADDLE and PADDLE! M1 decides she wants Grammy to paddle till we get a little UP STREAM!! Grammy and I continue to paddle with the four little ones in the back, and we are LOSING THE WAR! We are now almost on the other side of the river and we are quickly being swept DOWN STREAM! There is a bridge just below Mack's Inn that you aren't suppose to go past. I am quickly getting FLUSTERED! There are about 15 people on the Mack's Inn side of the river and one lone lady sitting on a dock on the other side! Grammy and I just start laughing and I keep waiting for the shore to bust out! It took us a full 15 MINUTES to paddle out discover THERE IS A REASON THEY ARE ALWAYS AT DOCK, and paddle back in! We keep watching the lone lady waiting for her to crack a smile because we had to be a sight. Finally, we get across the river close enough for me to jump ship and pull us back in!

We decided that the paddle boats defeated us and we want to get a raft instead. When Grammy goes back into the shop, the lady says, "I am surprised all of you lasted the 15 minutes, I have had BURLY MEN last less." Well, HELLO!! If you know it is HARD and you see a Grammy, a Lady, and four kids head out to try SAY SOMETHING!! Upon defeat we decided to walk across the bridge to get ice cream, same side of the LONE LADY! We told her we didn't know HOW SHE KEPT A STRAIGHT FACE as long as she had! Needless to say, NEVER TAKE A PADDLE BOAT on a RIVER where you HAVE TO PADDLE UPSTREAM!!!

The river we TRIED to PADDLE BOAT UP, getting smart and floating DOWN!!

All I can say is GRAMMY, it sure was fun! And I have to highlight her extreme talent at an age that most woman don't do such silly things . . . . GO GRAMMY!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Spenny!

Happy Birthday to our little cousin, SPENNY!! What a handsome little man you are turning into!!

Hau`oli Lā Hānau, SHALON!!

Happy Birthday Shalon!! Shalon is a dear friend of mine from freshman year at BYU-Hawaii!! Erica, Shalon, and I configured the Three Musketeers! We were inseparable and did silly fun thing together! Remember the bet of who ever kissed a boy first had to buy the other ice cream! Oh la la! You are the only one who had to buy ice cream!!

Shalon, now that we are BOTH ADULTS! I would like to remember some moments of our youth! Well, we THOUGHT we were OLD and GROWN UP!! (By the way, Shalon is OLDER . . . she is another person I like to keep around to help me feel like a SPRING CHICKEN!! Ha ha!). Enjoy the memories!!

(** Side note, these pictures made me think of low riding our shorts to make them long enough for Auntie to let us in the cafeteria! Do you remember that?? Not like they weren't LONG as it was!!)

Shalon, I love you for so many of the wonderful strengths you have! You have a quiet strength about you that brings peace to those that are around. You are ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC! Even in the darkest hour, you are able to rise to the top finding hope and happiness! You have a flare about you that brings excitement and silliness to situations! On bad days, I can hear your continually upbeat voice, it always seemed to have a skip of happiness in it! Thank you for being such a dear friend. Thank you for being a light on the hill of what I hope to one day be! You will never know how truly dear you are to me! I am truly blessed to have a friend like you in my life! Stop today and recognize the beauty that you are within and without, appreciate what the rest of us see and love! You are truly BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING!!

And most of all, I am so grateful for a friend that is always there. No matter how long it has been since we last talked or saw each other, it is like we were never apart! You will be someone I will be PROUD to call FRIEND for the rest of my life! May we only see each other more often!!

P.S. See you in 77 Days! Can't wait for the Three Musketeer Reunion!! It will be so fun to talk story! The good ole days!! Geology class that everyone in it was failing! The final we decided to have a race amongst the class who could finish fastest! Ha ha! Then, we all passed! I got an A-! HELLO!! Sorry couldn't help with the memories!

Happy 27th Birthday RACHEL!!

Oh Canada, we wish thee treat Rachel good! Oh Canada! We wish her a happy birthday! Oh Canada! She is almost getting old! Oh Canada!! I wish her to learn to bake brownies this year! Oh Canada!!

Okay, okay! I am a NUT!! Anyway, I wanted to wish a dear friend of mine a VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! It is only her 27th and I would call her old!! BUT, I am afraid of whatever wise cracks she would have to fire back! She would probably reference needing depends soon and so forth!



Rach, I am so grateful that I found you in Lonely Las Vegas!! I have some great memories of you! I am glad we had each other to laugh with, make cards for Acheivement day, chat up on the phone with, cry too, each others couches to watch movies on, each other to do the R.S. babysitting with during HFPE, and each other to lean on as we dealt with our FORIEGNER HUSBANDS!! Twiddle dum, Twiddle dee! Ha ha! Look who the FOREIGNER is now!! hee hee!

But mostly, I am just grateful for YOU! You are an amazing person who has so much strength! I learned so much from you during the time we got to live down the street to each other and over the years that followed!! Hard to believe it has been nearly 5 years!! Thank you for being that friendly smile and quiet cheerleader! I know that in the many years to come, we will always have each other to lean on no matter what the distance between us or that years that keeps us away from each other!! I am so grateful that I have you to call a friend!!

Seriously, I miss you very much! If your little family ever moves back to the States, I put in my vote for you to move next door to ME!!

Happy Birthday RACHEL!!!

P.S. Wesley, it is time for you to man the camera for a change! The pictures of your beautiful wife are few and far between!!

Happy 33rd Birthday PRASAN!!

Look at that cute baby!!!! Yep, that would by Prasan . . . . wasn't he a cutie!

Prasan turned 33 years old today! It is so nice to have someone who is always OLDER than you around! Makes me not feel so much like an old folk!! I think he had a good day! I filled his car brim full of balloons this afternoon for a surprise when he headed home from work. He was expecting our friend to get revenge for her car being decorated, but instead I got him!! Ha ha!!

Kaiya helped me pick out a wonderful cake for him! 33 candles really lights up the room! We may need to make sure there is no fire alarm around next year! We also went out to dinner to celebrate with Karina and a bunch of her friends, a few we have gotten to know a little bit! It was great because PRASAN allowed us to MAKE HIS BIRTHDAY recognized at the diner, something he vowed he would kill me for if I ever did to him. A room full of people to pressure it pretty darn good! Thanks Karina for letting us join in!

Happy Birthday Prasan! We hope you have a very HAPPY 33rd YEAR!! Love you!



Kaiya by the cake she picked out for Dad and the candles she chose.
Prasan with the balloons that he kept for Kaiya to play with! He burst nearly 65 balloons in the parking lot of the park and ride. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

P.S. Prepare, there is a total of 9 b-day or anniversary events during AUGUST!

Happy 26th Birthday Karina!!

Just to quick BIRTHDAY wish to Karina! My old housemate and our good friend! We hope you have a very HAPPY 26th Birthday and a WONDERFUL year!!!!

Our Fun Vacation

Kaiya and I returned from another fun trip to my parent's cabin and ranch! We really enjoyed our two weeks up there and were very sad to leave the beautiful cool weather! We had lots of fun playing with Grammy, Granddad, and our Triple M cousins!!

We had lots of fun! All which included, floating down the North Fork of the Snake River, going to Big Springs to see the HUGE fish (only a few versus the 100s normally), going for a trail ride, going to the PLAYMILL to see HELLO DOLLY!!, seeing my cousin Alexa for the second time, four wheeling, picnicing, floating the rapids at Firehole Yellowstone, and all out having a great time!! Enjoy our little show of it all!!

Grammy and Granddad, thank you so much for having us and making it such a fun time!! We love you SOOOOO MUCH!!!

Oh no the big 3 0!!

Janan turned 30 today. She still looks great for a 30 year of lady. I am happy that she took her big 30 without a fight :) and I am happy to be part of that. Kaiya and I look forward to another year.
We had a simple birthday party. More celebrations to come later. Just had some friends come over from our ward, and had Sri Lanka food and played games.
Happy Birthday Nanner and Mommy. We love you.

We ARE BACK!!

Yes, we returned home last night after a FUN family filled time in Idaho! I will post more all about it later!! Just wanted to say, we are back and I will update soon!! Here is a cute little COUSIN's picture to HOLD YOU OVER!!



Can you find the BAD COWGIRL??? In old western movies you could differenitate the Bad GUYS from the GOOD GUYS by the color of their hats and shirts!!! Well, guess who was the BAD COWGIRL THIS DAY??

YOU GUESSED IT!! KAIYA!! I was ready to give her away! She was happy till the second we walked in and suddenly the "I AM NOT GOING TO DO IT" tantrum from that really hot place none of us want to go kicked in!!Being the great mother I am, I told her no amount of CRYING was going to GET HER OUT OF THE PICTURE!! This was a NONE OPTION PHOTO!! Well, the crying lasted for about an entire hour! The photo place was so patient with us!! The poor kid working the counter kept going out to sweep the sidewalk to not have to listen to her!! It was so bad that EVEN GRAMMY wanted NOTHING TO DO WITH HER!! YIKES!! You know it is bad then!!!

She wouldn't put on the costume no matter how many rewards and punishments I offered. SO, I stuck her in it the way she was! Her arms started folded over her face and with a little tricky "what is on her head" her arms slowly moved down to this position, 18 takes later!!

So, here is my photo of the GOOD COWGIRLS the little M COUSINS and the BAD COWGIRL KAIYA!!!But, I think it is still pretty cute! Not as cute as it could be but, cute!!

So history of this picture! We got this little picture to put on the Cabin wall, Grammy has one of each of the families on the wall. Prasan and I, The Triple Ms, Oldest Brother, Morgan, and Gus, Grammy and Granddad. Anyway, M3 is missing from the Idaho Cousin picture as are the parents and Kaiya is missing from ours. So, we went into update the one of the Triple Ms for the cabin. And, Grammy wanted a picture of the four of them to go by the picture of cowgirl Morgan on the ranch house wall under the sign that says, "Thank Heavens for Cowgirls!" Now, she has a picture of all her little "cowgirls"

And yes, that is COUSIN GUS in the photo! He is the MUCH LOVED BLACK LAB of my oldest brother!!! What would a picture be without him!! Even he did a better job than Kaiya!! CHECK OUT THAT POSE!!!