So much to do, so little time.

Well, my photography blog is up and running. You can go check it out at http://dillydallyart.blogspot.com. Let me know what you think! What you like or don't like... and read the stuff on the right to find out what it is exactly...

TAGGED!

Okay, so Melinda tagged me so I guess I will play along. Here goes!


What was I doing ten years ago?
I was seventeen, close to 18, and had just broken up with my hippy boyfriend. I was getting ready to go to Universite Laval (yes, that is spelled right. It is french and I don't know how to put une accent on it!) for a french bursary summer program in QUEBEC CITY BABY! Wow, that whole period of my life was so fun. But I am not going to tell you why.


What was I doing one year ago?
Getting ready to sell our town home and still pretty uncomfortable from my tailbone removal.


Five snacks I enjoy:

Only 5? hmmmmmm. Well, I go through phases so I will list my favorites for NOW.

1. Almond Joy Bars
2. Twinkies. (Yes, I know how that sounds but it is true)
3. Sour Watermelon gummies
4. Chocolate mint meltaways
5. Pink Lady apples


Five songs I know all the words to
1. John jacob jingleheimer Schmidt (unfortunately)
2. Anything by U2
3. Bad Dream by Keane. It is my favorite to sing really loud in the car.
4. I am not even going to list anymore because lets face it, I know the words to wayyyyy too many songs.


Five things I would do if I were a millionaire?
1. Pay off everything that I had to pay off.
2. Get a new car.
3. Get a house.
4. Send my parents on an exotic vacation. Then pay off their mortgage.
5. Go visit Courtney in Italy!


Five of my MANY bad habits:
okay, I could have used all of Melinda's answers except for the sticking my foot in my mouth - why would you do that? It tastes BAD! LOL
1. Slouching. When I walk and sit.
2. Getting mad at Dave over dumb things.
3. Yelling at Dave for no reason when I am mad over dumb things.
4. Gossiping
4. See the snacking list and count everything except the apples.


Five things I like doing:
1. Reading
2. Taking pictures
3. Watching ER, Lost, The Office (okay add watching too much t.v. to my bad habits list).
4. Listening to music
5. Bedtime. With Dave. ;)


Five things I will NEVER wear again:
1. Neon green spandex pants. Yes I did.
2. Acid wash jeans with paint splatters on them.
3. High tops
4. A size 6
5. unpadded bras


Five of my Favorite toys:
1. My camera.
2. Ebay
3. Barbies. Yes. Still.
4. My video camera.
5. The portable DVD player. Thank heavens for that.

K Ally, your going next!

Betty Crocker.

So, a few days ago, I decided I was going to get all "Betty Crocker" on my in laws and make a strawberry rhubarb pie. From scratch. We have all this rhubarb growing in the back garden and I have been wanting to use it for weeks now. So, I made the pie (although I cheated and bought pre-made crusts which are just as good if you get the Marie Calendar kind), and we all enjoyed it. The only problem is, I was lazy and didn't use a cookie sheet underneath and so there was a little spillage.

Being the clean oven freak that I am, the last time I cleaned it I laid down tin foil to keep the mess minimal for the next cleaning session. What I didn't notice was the massive pool of strawberry-rhubarb-sugar... stuff that had run off and collected in the bottom of the oven. I was under the impression that it had dripped a "little". Well, I was toasting some garlic bread for dinner and noticed smoke. Thinking it was the tin foil I pulled it out from the bottom and threw it away. Then I noticed the HUGE POOL OF GUNK. I thought it would be fine for the next three minutes of the toasting process so I closed the oven door and thought no more of it.

UNTIL... I saw smoke pouring from the oven. I opened the doors and the great big giant pool of gunk on the bottom of my oven had turned into an inferno of flame and smoke!

I inhaled most of it while trying to blow out the fire with mere lung power and besides spitting all over the bread, that wasn't too successful.

My alarmed mother-in-law came over and started dripping water from a dish cloth on the bottom and eventually after watching it burn for a bit, it went out.

I could say I did it on purpose to further convince my MIL that she really DOES want us to move out, but I would be a liar.

I am still coughing this morning.

Zoey and Madison

I took the kids to my good friend Marina's house. She put up with me snapping a ton of pictures of her kids but they are so cute, I couldn't resist! Here is a couple of the kids while they were playing in the pool and one of baby Madison who's big eyes make is soooo easy to take a great picture.







Blake was begging to hold Madison. He loves babies as you can plainly see!





I think Maddy is fearing for her life in this one!

On the bike and in the tub.

Dave took Blake for a ride on Krissy's dirt bike while I watched Syd play in the tub. I was able to get some cute pics of both. I have ordered Photoshop elements and should get it next week. Can't wait to see what I can do with that! Also, Dave and I are picking up our new computer next week as well.

I booked our flight to Windsor. We will be there from the 14th -29th. So excited to see my family and friends and test out my new camera on them! My latest victims.

Funny thing that Syd said the other day while Daddy was mauling (oh wait, he calls it snuggling) her: "Daddy, GET! OFF! ME!". Had to add the exclamation marks because that is exactly how she said it.

First I was a school widow, now I am a "Utah Jazz are doing so well widow". If you don't like sports my advice would be not to marry someone that does. Otherwise you are going to be spending a lot of differen't seasons ALONE!

Remember a while back on April Fool's when Heather played that joke on me? About being pregnant? Well, the thing that convinced me more than anything was the look on her face. and guess what. I WAS RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTTT!!! HAH ! Double HAH for all those who laughed at me!

She let us know yesterday when Chris gave her a mothers day present of a baby blanket and a picture of the ultra sound.

I wasted all my tears the first time (I guess not really) but I was STILL SO HAPPY AND EXCITED that it requires the use of all caps.

CONGRATULATIONS HEATHER AND CHRIS! I can't wait to be an aunt! Dec. 1st.

So the big question is, if she is the one who is pregnant, why am I the one who has been throwing up all day long. Here's to knowing my immune system has taken a trip to HE** in a handbasket.

Fun with Fabric

PHOTOS PHOTOS EVERYWHERE!

Okay folks. I took a lot of pics of the kids this week and am going to share some of my faves with you. I really need to get some kind of better editing program to use other than microsoft paint... some of them are too dark and most of them could use some touching up of some sort, but until then, here you go - aux natural! (there is an actual post after this one).

My baby boy..


I just can't take too many pictures of her sleeping...


How can I say no to this face?


Mike - very into his book...


Pretty Katie...






I have a feeling he might be the "class clown".


He cracks himself up!




Blake thinking really hard about the mail.

Katie and new hubby Mike came for a surprise visit last Saturday. And they are leaving tomorrow morning *sniffle*. The best part of their visit was hearing Sydney call mike "Awyss" (ALICE) the entire time. I have no idea why but she insists that is his name.

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ISAAC AKA "FLUFFY".

YEY! ALLY IS HERE!

Very excited to welcome one of my best friends in the whole world to blogger. We met at the beggining of highschool and were immediately inseperable. We even wore matching dresses to our winter formal!

She has the most adorable little girl Mckenna and another little bean on the way. So go visit her blog and give her a good welcome!!! (Link over to the right under the My Faves section - Ally)

More Pics

Even further proof of how much I love my new camera.


The most kissable lips EVER.





Rosy cheeks just up from a nap...



He makes the best faces!






Her afternoon activities. Isn't it early?



Must have pink toes.



Blakes favorite pastime. He really is growing up isn't he? *sigh*

I love my new camera.

Now if only I could figure out how to work it.

We took the kids bowling. Sydney fell asleep in the car before we even got there but fun was had (mostly) by all.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

My camera is on its way! I should get it today if UPS does what it says they are going to do. As soon as I figure it out, I should have some much better photos up here. For those of you asking, I ordered a Rebel XTi. I did a lot of research and asked around - it seems from all the reviews I have read that this camera does the same job as a lot of more expensive camera's but costs much less (due to the cheaper plastic body - like I care about the body! Just gimme some gooood pictures!). One pro photographer called it the "best kept secret". SOLD!

Dave has been in Texas for business since Wed. and comes home late tonight. If he gets this new job in S.L.C., he will be travelling for almost two work weeks out of the month. That is a l o t of time by myself with the kids!

Let me preface this next part of the story with letting you know a little about Dave's sleep habits. He knows this has been coming for a long time.

Dave is a FREAK in his sleep. And this is no exaggeration. His family tells stories of how he would get up in the middle of the night sleepwalking, stuff all of his covers into the closet and then wake up later freezing cold.

I haven't witnessed the cover stuffing, but I HAVE been a victim of getting almost pushed completely out of bed with him screaming "the BABY! You are laying on the BABY!" (I thought only mothers did this!). He does it even now once and awhile even though they are far from being babies.

Every night without fail he will at some point sit up suddenly in bed, usually while flinging a heavy arm at me and making some kind of noise that sounds vaguely like "Wwhoos... whats... there .... whoaplegh...someones...!!!!!" I add the exclamation marks in attempt to portray how frantic he is while doing this. And it doesn't help that he is the hardest person in the world to wake up - or that I am the lightest sleeper EVER. When we were first married, this would scare the dickens out of me and make me feel like I was experiencing cardiac arrest every night. Now I am so used to it I just give him a few good shoves and tell him to "lay back down, you are crazy" - like clockwork every night.

Once he jumped on top of me and started pummeling me while he was having some kind of fighting dream. He felt bad when he woke up to my repeated terrified screams.

Another time, I woke up because SOMEONE had just poked me in the eye. When I opened my eyes (one that was watering profusely) I found him perched over me with his finger poised above that same eye, ready to poke again. Don't ask because I have NO IDEA. There are elbow jabs, punches, screaming bloody murder. Just to name a few.

Along with all of these traumatizing awakenings, the other major problem that marrs my lovely slumber is the fact that David is the biggest fidgeter EVER before he falls asleep. There is about 20 minutes of scratching, and 30 more of changing positions and whipping his pillow over to get the cold plump side (which frequently hits me in the face - no concept of PERSONAL SPACE!). The scratching makes the bed feel like it is vibrating; which is mildly irritating compared to the TRAMPOLINE BOUNCING that is felt while the tossing and turning is occurring.

SO. The moral of the story is I should sleep a whole lot better when Dave is away right? And I do generally. The problem is it takes me the same amount of time to fall asleep. I think my body is just used to that hour delay. Thank goodness for ambien.

And if enough of you feel sorry for me, I am going to take up a collection for new Tempur-pedic mattresses. You know, the ones where the lady can jump up and down on one side of the bed and the glass of wine stays stationary on the other? Those would be worth every penny of their $4000.00 purchase price.

Update

I just walked out there again. I can't resist writing about how I just saw my well over 200 lb father-in-law crammed into our little radio flyer wagon and Blake giving himself a hernia trying to pull it across the lawn.

Soaked.

For those of you who don't know, I help take care of Dave's dad during the day. Well, today, I let Blake outside into the backyard to play. I told him to come get grandpa (as I had been trying to convince "grandpa" to get some excersize or get outside for a bit all day...). Of course, Dave's dad can never say no to Blake so with only one request he made his way to the back porch and into a chair.

I went to check on them a little while later. This is what i found: Blake standing with the garden hose turned on full, and grandpa soaking wet. Water literally dripping off his nose, his pants and shirt soaked through.

Blake got into a little trouble - but I did have to laugh at Dad just sitting there letting Blake spray him with the garden hose turned on full blast.

Anyone else would have gotten an earful.

Turn up the volume!

Sydney loves to play in the tub. And loves to sing. She decided to do an entire musical to the tune of a little Einsteins episode. Notice the high pitch of the plastic birds voice and the lower pitch of the racoon. I only caught the tail end of the performance...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Dave had a big interview with a company. It is a four step process (serious job!). First step went great and they scheduled him for a second interview right away. He met for the second interview and was a little intimidated and wasn't sure how it went. Well, they called him this morning to tell him that the interviewer loved him and to schedule him to take a personality test as the third step. He was ecstatic. And prancing around the house doing little victory dances with "they loved me" thrown in every once in awhile.

I was lying in bed with Blake tucked in next to me.

Me to Blake: "Daddy has a big EGO!"

Blake to me very emphatically: "CAN I HAVE ONE?"

I'm sure you will Blake, if you are anything like your dad!