Super Dall's

New........

2009-02-25T15:46:00.004-07:00

So, with recent events in my life I've decided on a change....

New blog address and new private setting.

Effective March 15th, this blog will no longer exist....sad I know :(

BUT...good news is....this blog:

http://www.missanniesblog.blogspot.com/

will be up and running with the activities of me and my girls.

However......it will be private, so if you want and invitation to view this blog, please send me your email address to:

annie-z@live.com

Thanks!!! Hope to see you all on the new site!

Spa Get-Away

2009-02-20T09:58:00.006-07:00

This past weekend, Mom and I went for a spa getaway weekend. We started out with lunch at Skybox, shopping at Gateway (I got me some HOT red high heels - cross that off my bucket list!), then we saw a movie......

It was really good...I would highly recommend it.

We were going to stay at the Little America, but when we went to check in they gave us a "complimentary upgrade" to the Grand America next door. It was very, very, very nice! Here is our room:
The fancy bathroom - mind you there was a whole other vanity and sink just outside this door

And here's the view from our 17th floor room
Sunday we went to the "Sunday Brunch" at the Little America. I was amazed at all the food they had, it was delicious!

Here's me and mom

Monday was a day of relaxtion....we started out by soaking in the hot tub at the hotel and then headed over for some pampering at...

It was really fun! Thanks Mom!!!

Sisters-in-law

2009-02-20T09:54:00.003-07:00

I forgot to add, that in the midst of all those fun activites...I had a nice relaxing lunch with my sisters-in law. We had a nice time talking and eating and then went shopping....hello! we're girls, what did you expect??

Here's Becca and Minnie :)

Chelsi and myself

Thanks girls! It was fun....let's do it again...SOON!!!

Update......

2009-02-19T15:01:00.010-07:00

Ok, ok....I promise I did not run away, die or fall off the edge of the earth (even though some people wouldn't be bugged by that). I think my addiction to facebook (or crackbook as some call it) has contributed to my inattention to my poor blog......so, in case anyone cares (yeah right) here's what's been going on in our lives since Marlee's birthday:

We had a family party for Marlee and Bradee...

Here's Marlee with her Princess Aurora doll that is as big as her

Here's Becca and Will

Chelsi and Paxten

Bradee and Marlee with their joint cake

A few days later, we had Miss Lindsay over for a little Guitar Hero - man we rocked the house

Then the next night, Grandma Elsa took myself, Bradee, Kaycee and Bradee's friend Danielle to see Peter Pan at Weber State. We stopped and grabbed us a bite to eat at Rumbi first...

The next day, Bradee got her "big" birthday present.....indoor skydiving at iFly - she had fun and wants to go back soon!

The next day was Bradee's actual birthday...Here she is with her fun birthday cupcake and wearing a shirt she got.

Happy Birthday Kiddo - my babies are getting SO big!!!

This last weekend mom and I went on a spa get-away, I'll post those pics tomorrow since blogger is giving me fits!

Well there you have it...nothing exciting, but at least you know we're still alive!

Happy Birthday Marlee!!!

2009-01-27T10:08:00.004-07:00

Happy birthday to my sweet little Marlee!!!

She got her favorite breakfast of mini-donuts. I can't believe my "baby" is 4 years old! What a sweetheart!

Marlee & Mom

We have lots of fun festivites planned for her b-day, so I'll keep you all updated!

I Love You Marlee!!!

Miss America

2009-01-26T12:55:00.003-07:00

Saturday was the Miss America pageant and since tradition holds strong in my family, the annual Miss America pageant party also convened Saturday night. We had a good time hanging out at Jen's, stuffing our faces and picking out the very minor flaws of each contestant. Can't wait for Miss Universe! My sweet Bradee will have finally reached the ripe old age of 10 and will be "mature" enough to start attending our parties!

Here's a group shot I stole off Kristen's blog:

*sidenote - one of these hair colors does not match the others - can you figure out who doesn't belong????

Twinners!!!

2009-01-22T08:56:00.002-07:00

Ok, so don't think I'm super lame at the fact that I'm blogging about wearing matching outfits! The only reason I do is the fact that THIS seriously happens on a regular basis.

So today our twinner outfits were green shirts with white long sleeves under, jeans and yes we even both wore brown shoes. We should really call each other every night to plan our outfits for the following day (or maybe we do and nobody knows! hee hee hee).

Regardless, our office does not require matching outfits.....but we're so in sync we just do! Thanks Linny for making work so much fun!!

My little dancer

2009-01-14T09:08:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to show off my cute little Marlee. I have really enjoyed teaching her this year and seeing her come out of her shell and make new little friends at dance.

Here she is putting her shoes on before class.

Here is the famous "ballerina toes & ballerina arms"

And here we are together....she has the most awesome dance teacher if I do say so myself :) - hee hee hee

Picture of the day....

2009-01-14T08:57:00.002-07:00

So, it's not very easy to tell from the picture, but when I woke up this morning and looked out my window, it was very foggy. As I was taking the girls to school, I came around a bend in the road and saw the edge of the sun coming up behind the mountain. It was like it was burning through the fog - so bright and so strong. What does this have to do with anything, you may ask?!?!?! Well, I think it's a perfect way to describe my mood lately. It's been a little foggy, but I know the sun is there trying to burn off the fog and show me brighter days ahead. Thanks to all the "sunshines" in my life!!

Christmas.....finally!!!

2009-01-06T09:00:00.002-07:00

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks, but I've finally found time to post some pictures from Christmas. The girls got most of what they asked for and even some stuff they didn't. The "big" presents for Kaycee and Bradee were their bikes....

Marlee got a talking Sleeping Beauty Vanity....for her, it's all about the Princesses!

Grandma Elsa and Grandpa Dale gave us a family gift of Guitar Hero....The girls (and mom) have had a blast with this. Friday after new years the girls spent all day playing. Even Marlee likes to strum the guitar. Oh, and if you'll notice - Bradee got Heely's and she has worn them non-stop since Christmas Day....I swear she would sleep with them on if I didn't make her take them off!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year! Here's looking forward to new adventures and new beginnings!

Maddox.....yummmmm

2008-12-17T13:16:00.003-07:00

Last night was my work party up at The Lodge at Maddox. I look forward to this all year long. Mmmmm Turkey Steak, rolls, dessert! Well, since I was running all of THREE minutes late, I wasn't able to help Linny with the annual "Tower O' Chocolate", thanks for taking care of that Lindsay!

Here's me and my super hot date.......

Thanks for hanging out with me Becky!!!

Here's Lindsay and her date that was almost as hot as mine :) Linny & Maggie

I know Lindsay is going to kill me for saying this but.......now on to the 4th of July (yuck!!!)

Tappy Tappy Tappy

2008-12-15T10:24:00.003-07:00

Grandma Elsa showed off her stuff Saturday -- Here's her Frosty the Snowman Tap Dance

Way to Go Grandma!!

Chuck E. Cheese

2008-12-08T11:46:00.005-07:00

Friday night, we were looking for something fun to do, so we headed to........

Here's the girls after enjoying pizza....ready to go PLAY!!!

Marlee was so thrilled to see Mr. Cheese himself, she just went right up to him and gave him a big High-5!!!

We sat right next to this horse ride and Marlee was eyeing it up the whole time we were eating...Mean mom that I am, they had to eat before they could play! The second she was done, it was off to the races!

Kaycee and Bradee kind of went off on their own and went crazy....they had a blast. Here's Kaycee's shooting baskets

Bradee's turn

Marlee and I had a blast playing air hockey together. She's pretty good at it and it was super fun to hear her giggle everytime she hit the puck.

Here's Kaycee and Marlee in the Jungle Jeep.

We had a really good time, but I don't think I would recommend going there on a Friday night....it was packed! Thanks for the mommy-daughter date girlies!!!

Choir Concert @ Christmas Village

2008-12-08T11:26:00.004-07:00

Bradee had the opportunity to sing Thursday Night at the Ogden Amphitheater for Christmas Village. It was a rather chilly night, so I pulled out some trusty handwarmers for the girls to use. Here is Kaycee holding hers between her hands (is this one pretty girl or what?!?!?)

Marlee wanted to show hers off rather than use it for what it was intended for :)

This year, the choir was A LOT larger than in years past. Mrs. Cox said they usually have about 80 students join the choir, but this year they had a whopping 120! They barely fit on the stage and Bradee was lost in the shadows - but she had a really good time, so I guess that's all that matters.

Bradee - center in the green coat

Afterwards, all the choir children got coupons for a free hot chocolate. Here is Bradee modeling with hers (Check out how long her hair is getting!).

The hot cocoa booth just happened to be right next door to Santa's house, so we had to make a quick (ha ha) trip to see the Fat Man.

Marlee asked for a Webkinz

Kaycee asked for a webkinz

Bradee asked for a.....nope, not a webkinz....she wants a Hamster! Third year this one has been on her Santa list......hmmmm not quite sure about a Hamster!

Christmas is in the air......

2008-12-03T12:22:00.003-07:00

Thursday and Friday me and the girls pulled out all the Christmas decorations and got started making the house super festive. Here's the girls decorating their tree....

Kaycee wanted to pose by the "fancy" tree in the front room. I bought all new stuff for the tree this year, and thought it turned out pretty fun.....and yes, there are butterflies on my tree - nothing says Christmas like butterflies huh?!?!? :)

Then we had Christmas craft time. I bought these really "easy" craft kits from Michael's. Yeah, not really easy or quick, but they were pretty fun to put together (minus a hot glue burn!) Here's the girls working on their little holiday houses.....

And.....voila! The finished product (The girls are wearing their coats because I made them go out in the garage to do the glitter part).

Now, if I can just get all my shopping done, we'll be set!!!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T11:57:00.004-07:00

For Thanksgiving, we headed down to Lehi to Miss Kristen's house for some delicious chow! Here's everyone at the "big kid" table

and.....the "little kid" table. Thanks for the invite Kristen, it was delightful!

Oh and one quick note.......being thanksgiving and all, I just want to say what I'm thankful for.....I am especially thankful for those people in my life that can stand by me in the times I need them the most. Who won't relinquish friendships and family ties just because there is a rough patch. I am thankful for those people who don't judge, who support and who trust me. I am thankful, especially right now, for people who can make me laugh and make me feel loved and appreciated...I hope everyone I'm referring to knows who they are and know how thankful I am for them!

I love you!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.....Bring on Christmas!!!

Christmas Tree Jubilee - Choir Performance

2008-12-03T11:42:00.002-07:00

Since Bradee is in the 4th Grade, she can now be in the school choir. Their first performance was at the Christmas Tree Jubilee. The accomodations were horrible, so we grabbed a quick picture after by one of the trees.

See what I mean?!?!?!

Bradee did a great job!!! Way to go Kiddo!!!

My Little SuperStar!

2008-11-24T10:37:00.003-07:00

This morning Fox 13 featured Fremont High School as their "Cool School". Big Budda spent some time with the Silverpups and Marlee got to be on T.V. I just don't know how she'll handle all the fame! :)

In case you can't see the video very well, she's on the third step up from the bottom - second from the right. What a cutie pie!

And here's a dorky proud mom for ya.....I have a picture of the TV since I was watching it at home....

All Night PaR-tAy

2008-11-21T08:50:00.006-07:00

So if anyone does not realize that last night (or i guess technically this morning) was the opening night of Twilight -- well then you must have been living under a rock for the last 6 months! Jenny and I along with some of the bank girls and some sweet sisters got our tickets waaaaaay in advance (thanks stacy!). Jenny and I thought it would be a blast to spend the night acting like Twilight Teenagers, so we headed to GoodWood and got some delicious nachos.....Our cute waitress was soooo jealous we were going to the midnight movie and was nice enough to take a picture for us.

Then what are two 30ish girls to do in O-Town???? Head to Nickle Cade duh!!! We started out with a friendly game of smack-an-alien where Jenny kicked my trash....

Then a little Skee Ball....by the way, the first 2 machines stole our Nickles and Jenny about peed her pants when the Nickel Cade guy asked her if she was serious that she wanted her 20 cents back. Here's some skee ball pics, notice our beautiful form. Just for the record, Jenny kicked my trash at skee ball.

Hanging out with a bunch of teenagers makes you feel a lot younger than you really are.....hence the ride on the merry-go-round (oh notice the blondie on the right - she and her friend had "Team Jacob" shirts on - curses be to them!!! They got some serious glares from us, trust me!)

Then off to the motorcycle games......where Jenny kicked my trash....notice a pattern yet???

We played a bunch of other games, including 3 games of air hockey - where yes, Jenny kicked my trash. After about 6 bucks worth of Nickels and the manager announcing that NickleCade was closing....we cashed in our whopping 29 tickets for the following fabulous prizes........yep, 2 mini boxes of Junior Mints, 2 Sour Apple Fruities and 1 dinner mint....what a haul huh?!?!?

Well after getting kicked out of NickleCade we had to find something to do for another hour, so we headed to the "66" for a late night caffeine refill and then off to Jenny's for some super rock star guitar hero (my first time playing and just in case you're wondering.......Jenny kicked my trash.....except for ONE round!!! She's freaking married to a gamer - it's kind of unfair)

And then FINALLY after all our excitement, it was off to the movie.....

Here's one of the Prom Dress Models from the fashion show they put on while we were waiting.

We had a SuPeR fun night and I know that pretty much everyone on planet earth is going to want to be our friends now and hang out on Thursday nights........I hope you can handle us!!!

Oh last note -- I will not yet comment on whether or not I liked the Movie....I feel like everyone should be able to see it without the opinion of others cuz I kinda think that ruins the fun!! So I hope you all have as much fun as we did on your Twilight Adventure.........TEAM EDWARD ROCKS!!!!

Picture Day!!!

2008-11-19T10:50:00.003-07:00

Today was picture day at preschool for Miss Marlee. I can't believe she let me sit and curl her hair this morning, so I had to get a picture. I'm pretty sure by the time they take pictures her curls will be almost gone, so I had to document it.....

I can't believe how big my little Marlee is getting :(

Then as usual, we had to take a few more pics.....i'll never pass up the opportunity to be in a picture with my tiny sweethearts

Then Marlee insisted I take a picture of her in the car before school....She's eating string cheese and wanted that to be forever documented I guess.

I love my girls!!!

Gasp....Sigh...N.K.O.T.B.!!!!!

2008-11-17T11:16:00.008-07:00

Saturday Night, Kristen invited me to the New Kids on the Block Concert. Now, let's rewind 15 years.....Andrea, Melissa and Hilary at the Marriott Center in Provo......going to the concert of a lifetime! NKOTB!!! Oh, we love Jordan! Yep, I do realize how ridiculous I sound! But seriously, every little girl has to have their hunky celebrity crush right? So, when Kristen offered, I thought I'd see what the BOYS have been up to.....

We started our night with dinner at Chili's. Savannah and Allyson had gotten fans at the mall and we thought it would be fun to pose.....Kristen and I were laughing so hard because we couldn't figure out why we kept smiling for the camera when our mouths were behind fans....der!!!

Allyson and Savannah - pretty much the coolest Allyson and Savannah I know - hee hee! :)

Natasha Bedingfield opened....she was actually better than "The Block" as they are calling themselves now.

Then on to the main event......

My old boyfriend, Jordan.....

Yeah, we ended up leaving the concert before it was all the way over. I guess I'm getting too old to make gaagaa faces at guys who think they still have it after 15 years :) (oh and just for the record - probably wouldn't have attended if the tickets hadn't been FREE!!!)

BUT......we did have fun, thanks Kristen for the invite!!!

Week in review

2008-11-14T09:48:00.006-07:00

Well, this week has been very busy and very interesting to say the least. So I'll just quickly give a rundown of the fun events over the last week.

Friday night was the "Pink in the Rink" hockey game. The Utah Grizzlies have a hockey game every year where they wear pink jerseys and paint the ice pink and donate a portion of their proceeds to help the fight agains breast cancer. I left my camera in the car and got a few pics on my phone before i dropped it and broke the camera (oops!)

Saturday, Bradee and I headed down with most of the fam to Body Worlds 3. Bradee thought it was very intersting. I liked it, but couldn't handle that many people in a dark confined space! aahhh!

Afterwards we went to Hard Rock Cafe

Bradee had her favorite - BBQ Drumsticks!

Wednesday (i know, i know, it should have been Tuesday) we headed up to Grandpa Z's grave to pay respects for an honored Veteran. I am very grateful to all the Veteran's who have served our country, protected us and ensured our freedom.

Last night was Parent/Teacher Conference for the 2 big girls. They both have worked so hard this 1st quarter and have done awesome! I am so proud of their accomplishments! We went to The Greenery to celebrate!

Way to go girls! Here's looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend - Yeah right!!!

The Halloween fun continues.....

2008-11-03T09:34:00.004-07:00

Friday night our Halloween fun continued at Jen's house with soup night and trick or treating. Here's all the little kiddos in their costumes....for some reason we just couldn't get Easton to smile - hee hee hee!

Here's Miss Kaylee as Pipi Longstockings - but Garrett kept saying she was Wendy - like from the fast food Wendy's. Either way, she's just pretty cute.

All the kids waiting patiently to eat in between rounds of trick or treating

Garrett as Jacob Black - hee hee

And since i'm such a fan of Halloween, I had to get in the spirit with a little impromptu costume. I dressed up as an accident victim! We're still looking for the suspect!

All in all, it was a pretty fun night! If anyone can I.D. the suspect that left me battered and bruised, please call me! :)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:33:00.004-06:00

If you know me, AT ALL, you would know that Halloween is my most favorite holiday of the year. No presents to buy, pretending to be someone different entirely AND you get candy. What is not to like about Halloween. Oh, I forgot, you also get to scare people! Hello - who wouldn't love halloween?

Yesterday we picked out pumpkins to carve at Dabb's produce stand......

Yes, that is Lyle (the owner), dressed up as a Punkin Head.....

Then we visited Aunt Becky

And then, Linny - photog extraordinaire - took some pics of the girls in the corn maze in their costumes (big props to the artistic genius - you rock!)

Hope everyone has an absolutely AwEsOmE Halloween!

Nightmare of a Movie

2008-10-31T10:15:00.003-06:00

Wednesday night, Kristen invited us to see The Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D. I thought it was absolutely painful to sit through and would not recommend it - but hey - to each his own huh?!?!? Dad loved it, he thought the animation was great. Here's Bradee and Kaycee in their 3-D glasses - Marlee went on a date with Dad because we thought it would be a little intense for her (good decision)

After, we all went to Mc D's for our gourmet dinner - or not!

Kristen and me...

Me and my padre!

Crappy movie - but good company - that's all that matters, right?!!?!?

Trunk Or Treat

2008-10-29T14:50:00.002-06:00

Last night was the Trunk or Treat at the Church. They had fun games (thanks to the awesome primary presidency - ya I'm one of them - hee hee hee), good food and the kids got tons of candy courtesy of our friends and neighbors!

Here's Marlee as Tinkerbell

Kaycee as Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

Bradee as the Grim Reaper (her idea!)

And then Bradee made a guess as to how many gum drops were in this jar and only missed by a couple, so she won the whole jar! Way to go Bradee! She's not as scary with her eyes open and a big smile :)

Hey -- Let's do this again tomorrow for school and then - what do ya say - Friday again for the actual day of Halloween?!?!? What a blast!

Dance Halloween Party

2008-10-29T14:45:00.002-06:00

Monday was our 5th Annual Halloween Party for dance. We had a blast playing Halloween BINGO and musical Halloween pictures. The girls left with enough candy and prizes that they shouldn't have to go trick or treating - but i'm sure they will anyway :)

Here's my KinderKicks and Small Kicks Classes

And here's the Small Kicks (minus a few) and Junior Kicks

Sending Love to Heaven

2008-10-20T10:06:00.003-06:00

Yesterday would have been Grandma Dille's 79th birthday. Seeing as this was her first birthday since we lost her to cancer in April, Grandma Elsa wanted to do something special to honor her. Everyone gathered at the cemetery and Grandma Elsa provided white balloons for all of us to send our love and thoughts and birthday wishes to Grandma.

Kaycee wrote a very cute birthday message to our "little" Grandma Dille and Marlee went to town drawing a picture of "grandma who's in heaven".

Here's Bradee's balloon with a picture of her and Grandma holding hands. That is one thing Grandma was really good at....always getting a hold of your hand and squeezing ya so you knew how much she loved you. The other side of her balloon said "I miss you Grandma - Love, Bradee"

Here's me taking a minute to write down my thoughts. There is no way I could fit everything on one balloon. I am so proud of the person my Grandma was and the example and legacy she left behind. I am a better person because of her and I miss her terribly!

Then, we all gathered in an open spot and said a prayer of thanks for Grandma.

Next, we released our balloons and all stood silently watching them make their way up to the skies

I hope Grandma was watching and could feel the enormous amount of love being sent her way

We Love and Miss you Grandma!

Mad Science....

2008-10-20T09:23:00.007-06:00

Last Thursday, Kristen was so nice to invite us down to her work for a tour of their lab. Shane and Bradee are science nuts and Kristen thought this would be really fun. She was right! All the other kids enjoyed it too!

We started out with lunch at Noodles and Company.

Marlee and Kaycee

Savannah & Bradee

Shane and Allyson

Then we headed over to Axial Biotech - Kristen's work

Got the kids all suited up in lab coats

Here's Marlee's best impression of Dr. Evil :)

Here's the kids and Marc the scientist who is explaining about DNA - how interesting....

Bradee holding a real science tool - that i totally forgot the name of (she could tell you though!)

The kids got to put on latex gloves and feel this gel that they use in their DNA testing

Here Marc is explaining how the strains filter out and show up on the computer....you can sort of see it on the screen in the background

For the Grand Finale Marc threw some dry ice in the sink and let the kids watch it bubble and smoke. They had a blast!

Thanks Kristen & Marc!!!

'Cause this is THRILLER!!!

2008-10-10T09:01:00.003-06:00

Last night was me and my Mom's 2nd Annual trip to see Odyssey Dance Theater's......

If you've ever been, you'll know that when you walk up to the building and head inside to get your seat there are zombies lurking around all over waiting to scare you! Mom hates horror movies and all things scary. I thought it was hilarious and asked some of the undead to help us with some pictures.....

I'll keep this handy in case I ever feel ugly.....

This is a BIG step for Mom!

Zombies doing Thriller

And one of my most favorite numbers - The Jason Jams

Can't wait til next year! If anyone wants to join us.....we can make a night of it!

My Brave Brave Girls

2008-10-09T09:08:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to tell everyone how brave my sweet little girls are. First, Kaycee mentioned that she felt something funny in her chest. Well 2 years ago we had to have a cyst removed from the right side of her chest, so I was a little concerned and wanted the Dr. to check it out. The Doctor wanted us to have an ultrasound to make sure it wasn't something of concern.

Before the ultrasound, Kaycee got really cuddly and I could tell she was a little nervous, but she did an awesome job holding still. Here's Kaycee waiting for her ultrasound.

Here's the ultrasound of her chest. The radiologist came in and read the results and said it was hardened tissue - no cyst, no tumors, no SURGERY!!! - so we were very grateful!

Well if that wasn't enough stress on a Mom's heart for one day.......

I went to pick Marlee up from Preschool and she was excited and in a happy mood. When we were walking out, she pushed the gate (chain link) open to head out to the car. Well, the gate doesn't swing all the way open - a fact Marlee didn't know, and it bounced back. With Marlee still moving forward and the gate coming at her, she ended up with a pretty nasty gash on her eyebrow. Can I just say I never realized how bad a head wound can bleed! She ended up with it all down her face, on her shirt, in her hair and on both of her hands. A quick trip to the instacare and some super duper super glue and she was all fixed up. She was quite a little trooper! I'm so proud of her!

And a big huge thanks to Teacher Kristina for scooping us up and getting us home so Mom could hold Miss Marlee and dad could drive to Instacare.

Oh and speaking of bravery - check me out on this tall, tall ladder hanging pictures at my work.....

Meanwhile.....Lindsays NOT BRAVE feet stayed firmly on the ground.

Homecoming Parade

2008-10-06T13:03:00.003-06:00

Marlee's preschool class was in the parade for the High School last week. She had a blast because she got to throw 4 bags worth of taffy. Cute Kiddo!

She's the one in the black shirt - ya know - the cutest kid on the float! :)

Out with the old.....

2008-10-02T09:41:00.002-06:00

Well after a year of complaining that my back hurts and I need a new mattress, I FiNaLlY bought a new one. It is being delivered today with a new bedroom set - Stay tuned for pictures of my new "sanctuary". I let the girls go crazy and jump on my mattress this morning since it's outta here! They had a blast!

Way To Go Garrett!!

2008-10-02T09:14:00.002-06:00

Last night was Garrett's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. It was a nice program and we're super proud of Garrett's accomplishment! Way to Go! Oh, and Gare Bare - you did a wonderful job speaking! Here's Garrett with Bart, Jen and James

Grandma Elsa and Grandpa Dale (Eagle Scout too!)

Grandma Z & Grandpa D

Receiving his award.

GOOD JOB!!!

Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday

2008-09-29T09:14:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to wish a very happy birthday to 3 of the most wonderful women I know......

Mom's birthday was friday - Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!

Sunday was Diane's! Happy Birthday, sorry I missed the web cam chat - we miss you and love you a lot!

And today is my "little" sister Rachel's Birthday! Happy Birthday Sis! I love ya tons! (And please don't kill me for this picture - but I love it!)

Happy Birthday Everyone!

I swear we've been here before!

2008-09-26T09:30:00.005-06:00

Last night, the Dall's and the Dee's ventured to the Stratford's Punkinaze for a little mid-week adventure. We got there early so the kids had free run of the humongous slides.

Then it was over to the corn pit to search for some yummy treats

Kaycee thought it was so wonderful, she decided to make corn angels

Then into the corn maze we go.....

Here was a difference on opinion about which way we should go

Marlee BeFoRe she needed to be carried

Jenny and the kids contemplating the next move

It was at this point that I STOPPED taking pictures....If anyone knows me, I have #1 - a control issue and #2 - an anxiety issue. Jenny, Me, Kaycee and Miranda decided to break from the rest of the group and get out "FAST". Yeah right! We ended up super lost and found our way out the entrance. Since we're not losers or cheaters, we went back in and ended up finding our way out a mere 15 minutes behind the boys and the other kiddos. In our defense tho, they CHEATED!!!

Afterwards, we went to Bajio for dinner. The "big" kids sat at their own table and said the rest of us were "little kids".

This is Cameron (Jenny's) I was "flirting" with him and he kept hiding his face. What a cutie!

All in all, we had a spooktacular (how corny) time! You should all check out the Punkinaze it's quite a treat for the fam!

Silly Girls and Silly String

2008-09-26T09:06:00.004-06:00

Lately, every time we go into a store Marlee begs me (and don't ask why) for silly string. Well the other day, I finally broke down and bought some. We let the girls go outside Sunday afternoon and have a blast - mind you, it only lasted about 2.5 minutes! NOT KIDDING!

*****DISCLAIMER***** Marlee stayed home from church with a cold, so that's why her hair looks so darn messy! At least she's HaPpY!

Silly Girls!!!

Ooooh Scary!!!

2008-09-15T11:01:00.003-06:00

Saturday the girls got together with Dad to watch Shutter. We tried to coordinate and go to the movie when it was in the theater, but our schedules never seemed to mesh. Now that it's out on DVD, we finally found a day that would work! Then Jen ended up getting sick and had to stay home and rest (poor chica!) We missed ya! We didn't, however, miss any treats! We had tons of food to pig out on and then, of course, we acted like goofballs for the sake of blogging.....yep, we're nerds!

Next crazy event - couples bowling! Can't Wait!!!!

Classic

2008-09-15T09:40:00.005-06:00

Friday night we took the girls for their first trip to Rumbi (yum!) and they thought it was super cool that they had chopsticks. I thought it was kind of silly since 2 of the 3 ordered cheeseburgers, but as kids do, they found a way to use them.....

isn't Kaycee's face funny?!?!? Marlee's turn - she chose to use them on the fries rather than the burger

And here's my idea of "carb-loading" the night before a 5k race

Saturday morning was kind of chilly, but once we got running, we totally forgot about the slight chill in the air. Here's me and Lucas and Susan Howell (friends and fellow runners from my ward)

And of course, my partners in running, Jen and James

We all ran a good race. I placed 17th of 70 in my age group with a time of 29:19. And 49th of 199 Overall in the women's 5k. My goal was to be under 30:00, so I guess I'm happy! :)

9-11-01

2008-09-11T10:51:00.001-06:00

In case anyone is interested.....

2008-09-08T10:53:00.003-06:00

This gal and I both used to live in the same ward in Harrisville.... The rest is from her blog

In August 2008, Tracy Carrigan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a wonderful wife, mother, friend, and sister. Kris and Tracy are self-employed and would be the last people on earth to ask for help. Despite their efforts, the medical bills just keep piling up.

Please come “Race For Trace” and help a wonderful person.

Date: Sept. 20, 2008

Time: Registration 8-8:45 am Race Begins at 9am

Place: 1900 N 4700 W. Plain City Utah(Fremont high)

Directions: Take the Slaterville/Marriott Exit # 346 Head West to 4700 W. Turn right-go north for 1 block to Fremont High School

Cost: $15.00/person $50.00/family(Cash or check only, please)

For questions call:Amber (801) 645-7669 or April (801) 766-8185

Donations to help the family are being accepted at any Zion’s Bank. Those wishing to contribute to the Carrigan family can donate to “The Race For Trace” account.

Sad Story.....

2008-09-08T10:47:00.003-06:00

So I found my friend Anne's blog, but now's she's gone private......if by some chance you (Anne) don't mind me peeking in on your family, I'd love to be invited to view your blog. Leave me a comment and I'll send you my email address!

1 Very Active Girl + 1 Week of School = 1 Minor Injury

2008-09-02T09:37:00.003-06:00

Friday, when the girls got home from school, Bradee informed me that she hurt her finger during recess that morning and her teacher had her put an ice pack on it. By the time she got home, her finger was black at the crease of the knuckle and very swollen. Since I am not super experienced with broken bones, I called the Dr. and they said they wanted to see her. Here she is, super thrilled to be waiting and reading "baby" books.

After a trip to radiology, 3 xrays and another wait at the Dr.'s office, it was determined that her finger was NOT broken, just "springed" as Bradee says (sprained). A quick splint and wrap and we were finally on our way!

Bradee said she felt like spiderman.....

And totally out of randomness......isn't this a cute house?!?!?

First day of Preschool (sob!)

2008-08-27T09:28:00.002-06:00

Today was Marlee's first day of Preschool. I can't believe my little baby girl is going to preschool! She seems to grow an inch a day! She's smart and she was sooooo excited to start!

Excited, that is, until it was time for mom to leave. Then she wanted to hang on for dear life! The best part is....the Preschool has a camera that parents can connect to on the internet, so by the time I got to work I could see she was sitting with the group having a good time! Thank heavens for video cameras, otherwise I'd worry the whole time she's gone!

First Day of School

2008-08-27T09:08:00.003-06:00

Monday was the first day of school for the "big" girls. They've been so excited to head back to school.

Kaycee at her desk - she got one of the new classrooms that was added over the summer. She's excited that it has a projector and microphone that she got to talk in on the first day!

Bradee at her desk. She has a Male teacher this year who has TONS in common with Bradee. He loves science and has sea monkeys in the classroom. Bradee also gets to start using a Planner this year to keep track of homework, etc. I can't believe how big she's getting!

Happy Birthday to ME!

2008-08-27T08:58:00.002-06:00

Well, since I'm getting older, excitement for my birthday consists of eating out and buying shoes. Can't hardly contain the excitement can we?!?!? Here's Marlee and Me being silly at IHOP for breakfast

Dave being silly too!

After breakfast, Dave let me take a nap (see I AM old!) and then we went to buy some new running shoes - yay! After that, we grabbed some divine Mint Brownie cookies and then went to dinner at the Greenery - oh yum!

And since it's a tradition.......Linny made sure to decorate my office Hannah Montana style! She rocks! Thanks Lindsay!

I've been tagged (lucky me, eh?)

2008-08-21T09:57:00.013-06:00

I've Been Tagged By Miss Lindsay! The Rules:-Link the Person who Tagged you-Mention rules on your blog-Tell about 6 quirks of yours-Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same-Leave a comment to let them know.

I TAG Rachel, Kristen, Jenny, Kristel, Becca and Camille! And if I've already tagged you before, I apologize. But get over it and blog already!

So, here's the 6 quirky things about me that took ALL night to come up with!

No 1. - Many people think I have 3 sisters, but you'd be wrong! I actually have 5 :) That's because I have a "not-twin" and a pretend adopted sister. Let me explain.....Jenny and I should have been born at the same time as twins because we are almost exactly the same. We even have twin divets in our heads! Poured from the same mold I tell ya!

And my pretend adopted sister - that'd be Becky! She only has one sibling, who unfortunately passed away 7 years ago after a courageous battle with breast cancer. Well, since I love Becky like a sister, I "pretend" adopted her and consider her my sister - my kids even call her "Aunt Becky".

No. 2 - I am a HUGE SuCkEr for infomercials! I pretty much have every exercise tape that's been advertised via infomercial. I also have a nice set of knives that I didn't need and a microfiber mop and I'm super tempted to get a Shamwow! And that's just the start of the list - Wow, I could go on for days!

No. 3 - I have "quirky" eating habits. First off, I'm ADDICTED to salt. Everyone I eat with knows I might as well have a salt shaker permenantly attached to my hand.

Second, I will only eat one thing at a time. For example, I go to Maddox and get a turkey steak dinner...Well, I eat a roll, then the veggies, then the turkey steak, then the potato - can't mix or trade off - that's just weird! Lastly, I hate when my food touches, that's gross!

No. 4 - I have very specific requests for my funeral - yes, I've thought about it a lot! If I die before i turn 50, I have requested my obituary include a picture of me sticking my tounge out (cuz i don't think they'll put one in of me flipping the bird!). I also want a black casket with silver handles and would like to be taken to the cemetery in a black Ford truck instead of a hearse. I also want the song "When I get where I'm going" sung at my funeral and I want gerber daisies on my casket. Oh, speaking of death, I believe it should be mandatory to list the cause of death in an obituary!

No. 5 - I am deathly afraid of dogs! Yes, I own one Princess Lilly Fufu (chocolate lab) and I try on occasion to pet her and be outside when she's out, but my heart still races uncontrollably! I am even scared of little dogs. Becky has a min-pin named bud that I swear is going to jump up and severe my carotid artery and then I'll die! It's true, I'm that scared ok!

No. 6 - I know it's uber lame, but really, I'm not quirky, so last one is --- my driving! Everyone says I drive way too fast. I'll admit, I'm a chronic speeder, but I feel I'm careful when I drive. I've never been in an accident, so I think I'm a good driver! One thing I do while I'm driving is sing at the top of my lungs (not well I might add)! Right now I have the Sugarland CD in and I'm pretty sure people at stoplights think I have lost my mind!

Well, there ya go - bet you wish you didn't waste your time! hee hee! j/k!

Happy Belated B-day J-Rod!

2008-08-20T10:20:00.003-06:00

Well, I wanted to tell Jared Happy Birthday in person, but apparently he's either missing in action or avoiding the "derogatory & unapproachable" girls here in the office! Anyway, hope you had a NeAt-O Birthday and didn't run into any gay people named Paul! :)

P.S. Your dog is as cute as a button!

Run & Walk & Splash-a-thon for Joanna

2008-08-18T11:31:00.005-06:00

Saturday was one of the most touching and special "church" activities I can recall. I pulled my butt out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to go put out directional signs for a fundraising 5k for Joanna Jackson who is in my ward and currently battling breast cancer(Joanna's Journey blog). I didn't get any pics of the race since Dave and I both ran, but here's the route markers I made....For sharing time one week I had all the kids write encouraging messages on footprints

I am so thrilled with my family and friends support.....and we did pretty well with our times too! Dave ran a swift 27:49, I ran an average 30:19 and placed 3rd in my age group, Jen ran a stellar 25:50 and placed 1st, I don't remember Becca's time, but she placed 1st in her age group, Jenny ran an amazing 32:30 (post-surgery mind you!) and her son Kayden ran an awesome 31:14 taking 1st in his age group! Thank you friends and family for supporting me and Joanna!

After the 5k there was a breakfast and bake sale and then the Primary had a walk & splash-a-thon for the kids. We had them raise as much money as they could and then gave out prizes for the person who raised the most and also for the person who walked the most laps.

We had different obstacles and games along the way - here's Bradee doing the army style ring run.

Here's the kids tossing wet sponges into buckets for points - the person with the most points also won a prize (there's Joanna on the left side in the pink shirt with the pink scarf - amazing woman with an amazing attitude - I have thoroughly enjoyed serving in the Primary Presidency with her! Oh, and there's our fearless leader Pres. Steph - picking up sponges!).

Here's me, fairly obscured, marking wristbands for each lap the kids walked

Afterwards, all the kids got popsicles and waterguns for participating

Each runner and primary kid got a certificate of appreciation signed by Joanna (thanks Susan!) and the top 3 finishers in each age group on the 5k got ribbons

It was a wonderful morning and best of all we raised a lot of money to help with Joanna's treatment. We are all praying that she continues to do well! Thanks again to everyone who participated!

Fancy Fingernails

2008-08-14T11:53:00.002-06:00

Kaycee REALLY wanted these fake fingernails (Hannah Montana of course) for her birthday. So Bradee and I went on a "secret mission" and bought them so she and Marlee could give them to Kaycee. Kaycee, of course, was thrilled and wanted them on as soon as possible! Here's her fancy fingernails...

I'm pretty sure they'll only last about a day, but it was fun while it lasted!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu

2008-08-12T11:03:00.002-06:00

Last night we went down to "swimming pool grandma's" house for a combined birthday party for Amy and Grandma as well as a going away party for the Pinnau family. Here is Amy and Grandma's cake

Blowing out the candles

Of course, the girls had fun swimming

Happy Birthday Amy & Grandma!

and we'll miss you Pinnau's - can't wait to come visit!

Family Party

2008-08-11T10:48:00.005-06:00

Kaycee's family party was Sunday night, so we went to the park for cake and ice cream. Here's Kaycee with her Hannah Montana cake

Kaycee with her Webkinz and the cousins and sisters looking on

Great Grandma Z. and Grandpa Dale

Kaycee got tons of Hannah Montana stuff (suprise!) - she loved it ALL!

Dave and Will

After the family left, we hung out in the park for a bit. Bradee on the tire swing

Kaycee

Marlee on the swings with the best pusher in the world....her dad

Mom and Bradee swinging

Helicopters

2008-08-11T10:41:00.003-06:00

Saturday afternoon, we went down to High Desert Helicopters at the Ogden Airport for their expo. Here's Dave and the girls by one of the air-cam helicopters

Here's the AirMed Helicopter (I think this is what Dave secretly dreams of doing when he grows up!)

And here's the kind of helicopter Dave was supposed to ride in as his birthday present from me.....it's a long story and it didn't end up happening, but we'll get it set-up for another time!

Fun in the Sun

2008-08-11T09:33:00.005-06:00

Saturday was Kaycee's "friend" party. She took her sisters and one friend, Iva, to North Shore for some waterpark fun. Here's Iva and Kaycee "chillaxing"

All the girls

Kaycee loved standing under the buckets and getting drenched

Bradee preferred the BIG slide

And Marlee like the little froggy slide

Then we all hung out in the lazy river

and here's Dave and Marlee relaxing on the splash pad.....this one keeps turning sideways everytime I upload it - sorry!

All in all, we had a really fun time!

Happy Birthday Kaycee!

The party continues

2008-08-07T13:34:00.003-06:00

Last night we had a "party" for Dave. The girls helped decorate the family room with balloons and we got cake and icecream.

Here's the girls waiting patiently to give Dad his presents

Bradee made a pin the tail on the donkey game and proceeded to blindfold dad so we could play. (She told him sorry for having a pink blindfold!)

Then it was mom's turn - Bradee took pictures...

Kaycee taking a shot at it

Marlee had to stretch a little

Bradee was feeling for other people's tails so she knew where to put hers

I just thought this was a cute picture of dad and marlee.....

Happy birthday again!!!

Happy Birthday Dear David......

2008-08-05T09:55:00.004-06:00

Since Dave has his EMT class tonight, we headed down to Salt Lake for a birthday lunch/dinner at Hard Rock Cafe - Here's Dave and his girls

And here's Marlee and me being RoCkErS with KISS!

And here's my cute girls outside after eating

I hope Dave has a WONDERFUL birthday! The girls and I love him tons and tons and appreciate all he does for us!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-04T09:31:00.002-06:00

Well Friday night (Sat morning technically) was the BIG night for us Twilighters! Jenny and I "reserved" our copies of Breaking Dawn at Hastings to make sure we'd get a copy. We went out for our traditional chocolate cake and nachos and then checked the scene at 10:00 p.m. They said they would be lining up at 11:30, so we headed out for some "fuel".......

Yep, Diet Mountain Dew....yum! This is what kept us awake until it was time to go line up.

This is us trying not to fall asleep in the car

Well after standing around Hastings for 45 minutes and having the line move NOWHERE after midnight, we heard a guy whisper a secret to the girl in the line next to us....."Wal-mart is handing out books and there's no line!" So I ran over and grabbed our copies while Jenny did a little minor shoplifting! :) (You're still going to heaven!).

Well..........after a lllloooooonnnnnnnnggg weekend of doing nothing but reading, I finished the book! Can't really say much about it (to preserve the integrity for those who haven't read it yet) but I can't wait to discuss it with my fellow Twilight fans! Yay Stephenie Meyer!

We're going camping...In the woods

2008-07-28T09:15:00.003-06:00

My "not-twin" Jenny had this wonderful idea to go "camping" on Wednesday. Since Jenny and I are cut from the same mold, I was all about her camp-over idea where we'd just go up to North Fork for dinner, sleep over, have breakfast and head home.

Our tents

Marlee roasting marshmallows

Miranda, Kaycee, Marlee, Cameron - hangin out

Dave and the girls - they were having a blast throwing rocks in the river

Bradee and her caterpillar friend.......(this is why I don't need boys)

Shake It!!

2008-07-21T10:41:00.005-06:00

Saturday, we saw Grandma Z and took her down to Dylan's for a shake. I love spending time with Grandma - she is the best example I can think of when it comes to unconditional love. She always feels indebted if you do the tiniest thing for her and she swears to make it even. It also doesn't hurt that she makes sure to tell you how "pretty" you are every time she sees you! :) The girls had a great time with her and I love that they are getting the chance to know their "Grandma Great Grandma".

We Love You Grandma!!!

What the........???

2008-07-14T11:18:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder how much education you need to light off thousands of dollars of fireworks? Wonder no more.......

This was posted by the pyros at our 4th of July celebration.... ScArY!!!

Family Fun

2008-07-14T10:00:00.004-06:00

This weekend was family fun time! We went to Grandma Diane and Grandpa Dave's for a get together since they'll be absent for a little while, but I totally forgot to take my camera in (dang it!). Then we headed to Grandma Elsa and Grandpa Dale's for a BBQ that was postponed from last weekend. Let's just say it is not very often that EVERYONE from the Z-fam can get together due to scheduling, but it was really fun. The kids all played and got along really well and gave the adults time to visit (SAVE THE DATE - hee hee hee!)

All the grandkids

Oh, I almost forgot.....Saturday night we hung out at home (after the AmAzInG garage sale) and projected Alvin and the Chipmunks on our bedroom wall for fun - the girls thought it was perdy nifty :)

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2008-07-14T09:13:00.002-06:00

Friday night we went and saw Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D at the Megaplex. It was a pretty good story, but I wasn't super impressed with the 3D - seems like there wasn't a whole lot of it - but it was fun for the kids (except Bradee ended up with a major headache!)

Here's the girls in their super stylin' glasses

Oh Say Can You.....be any busier on the 4th?

2008-07-09T09:26:00.010-06:00

Well I'm finally recovered enough from the 4th of July to post about our looooooong, yet fun, 4th of July. If you don't know how busy a City employee can be on the 4th, here's an insight......

Up and to the 5k race by 6:45 (yep that's in the am) to hand out t-shirts to sweaty runners

Dave actually ran the 5k in 27.something - way to go!

Then it's off to the parade........

Lindsay and I built the Baby Contest float - I didn't get any really good pictures - it was a movie themed float with a cool clapboard up front (Check Linny's blog for a better picture!)

Here are some pictures of the dance girls - they did such a great job! It was hot and they danced so good! Check the dance studio blog for more pictures!

Hop in the shower just long enough to not stink.......

Then we have children's races (sorry no pics)

Then the grass scramble (which is actually done in wood shavings - less stinky than grass!)Here's some pictures of my girls hunting for candy and money........

Marlee (she called this the scrambled eggs thing :))

Kaycee (I am soooo proud of her - she DOES NOT like crowds and this is the first year she's actually gotten in there and done this!)

Bradee (just the opposite of Kaycee - she's a DIE HARD grass scrambler)

Oh, and Lindsay and I decided to hop in during the adult round, but all our candy went to the girls!

Time for a break - YA RIGHT -- shove down some lunch (first food of the day for me), hop in the shower and head back to the park by 3:30 to start setting up for dinner (again no pics sorry!) Lindsay and I played cashiers with Kay (my bosses wife and one of the nicest ladies on the planet) while Dave flipped souvlaki (in 200 degree heat and lost 7 pounds - inside joke - hee hee hee) Lindsay and Kay had to eat dinner at the cashiers table - no breaks!

Then I put on a private concert - here's all my screaming fans.....totally kidding - this is when we started handing out FREE icecream!

Next up......my favorite part.....SKYDIVERS!!! These guys are so awesome - all my pictures of them actually skydiving turned out crappy, but they were so nice to pose with their parachutes and us! Thanks Blake, Fish, Johnny and the other guy :) Here's the girls waiting...

Oh wanna hear something so cool and way beyond my threshold for excitement.........here's the plan for next year.....Blake is going to get tandem equipment and let me tandem skydive with him into the park. I am soooo stoked! And everyone is invited to come and see if I eat dirt!

4th of July standard next......fireworks. Lantis did an excellent job this year - thanks Josh and Steve and the 6 other Pyros!

Also a HUGE thank you to Grandma Diane and Grandpa Dave for watching the girls while Dave and I helped with dinner - couldn't have done it without you!!!

Here's me and Lindsay pooped out at the end of the day (ps did you notice this is my 3rd outfit for the day????)

Oh what - you think we're done - WRONG!!! We reported back to the park saturday morning at 7:30 am to pick up garbage for 2 hours - sick and wrong! People are gross! And NO, I did not take any pictures of trash detail!

Here's a picture from Saturday after we sorted all the candy from the grass scramble - I think we did pretty dang good. Also, you can't see there was 4 passes to the dinosaur park, a $5 gift certificate to Smith & Edwards and a whopping $1.15 in coins!

Well happy 9th of July! Day of recovery! Only 360 days til next years festivities!

Soooo Sleepy

2008-07-02T09:56:00.002-06:00

I was downstairs yesterday morning and when I walked upstairs to get ready for work, this is what I found......

Apparently Marlee had gotten out of bed at some point and went to sleep on the floor in her doorway. Kids are funny - I wish I could sleep anywhere!

Here she is a few minutes later "WIDE" awake!

Fun??? Run???

2008-06-25T09:48:00.004-06:00

Well, the running trio was at it again! Jen, James and I participated in the South Ogden Days 5k last night. It was a fairly tough course (lots of hills - and a cheap trick at the end!) but I think we did pretty good for how stinking hot it was!

Here's Jen headed around the last turn...Jen place FIRST in her division and won an awesome jacket.

Here's James (go Big J!) :)

Here's me - I finished 7th in my age group - and I promise, I've tried to run without my thumbs sticking up and it's impossible

Jen and her prize package. Oh, then James won Lagoon passes and Jen won teeth whitening in the raffle - Go TEAM!!!

Happy LATE-iversary!

2008-06-24T10:10:00.005-06:00

Saturday, Dave and I celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss! :) Twelve years and 3 kids and people wonder why it takes me soooo long to post? hee hee! Grandpa Dale watched the girls and we grabbed us some delightful Rumbi and went to Get Smart (way good show, I would highly recommend it!) sorry - no pics!

Here is a card that the girls drew for us (aren't they sweet?!?!?)

And here's some "old" pictures of us on our wedding day. Yes, Dave has a mullet - but that was the style ok!!!

Here's to many more wonderful years together! Love you Dave!

Happy Birthday....

2008-06-17T10:49:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to Grandpa Dille! 88 Years Young today!!!

Love You Grandpa!!!

Grandpa Zweifel

2008-06-16T17:27:00.004-06:00

This post is in memory of my dear grandpa

Donald J. Zweifel. March 23, 1920 - June 15, 2002

Yesterday, Father's Day, was 6 years since he passed away. I can't say that it has been any easier this year than it was the first. I certainly miss him dearly, I miss him offering me a Pepsi, I miss him wanting me to try his rainbow trout, I miss his stories about working in Calexico and his retelling of the day his family was sealed in the temple. He was a great influence in my life and I am thankful everyday that he is my grandpa. I miss you!

This picture was just a few years ago! :)

getting grandfather's advice & wisdom on my wedding day

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T15:37:00.007-06:00

Well since yesterday was Father's day, I guess I'll take this time to say how much I appreciate the Father that Dave is to our girls. I know he truly loves those girls with all his heart and would do anything for them. He is very protective of his "little" girls and I dread the day they start dating! I am grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder and can bless our home that way. Thanks for being such a great dad! I love you!

Now on to our dads......here's dave with his dad....I am grateful for the way Dave (sr) raised his son to be the man he is today!

And my dad......WOW!! What do you say about the man that made you the person you are today? Without my dad my life would be completely different. I look up to my dad in so many ways. I appreciate everything he has done and sacrificed to make my life as wonderful as it has been. Growing up, I always had more than enough to make me a lucky kid. More than just "things" I had a Dad (and mom) that supported me and helped me believe I could do anything I set my mind to. I am forever indebted to my dad and hope he is proud of the person I am! Thanks Dad! I Love You!

my most favoritest picture ever of me and my dad in the whole wide world....

Dad and the girls

Me and dad now

Old Gloryous

2008-06-13T09:11:00.004-06:00

Last night there was a program at the Vietnam War Memorial Replica Wall behind the Mall that honored Veteran's from WWII who fought in the South Pacific. Grandpa Dille was honored and given a Medal and a Quilt of Valor. We're sure proud of our Veteran's!

Here's a section of the display

Here's the medals they were getting ready to present

Grandpa receiving his medal

Proud Hero!

POW/MIA Ceremony

Each item on the table represents something associated with POW/MIA soldiers. There is a hat for each branch of the military.

Afterwards, we took Grandpa to dinner and gave him his Father's Day/Birthday present

We gave dad his Father's Day present too....

Oh, and Happy Flag Day!!! (tomorrow)

In Loving Memory.....

2008-06-09T11:50:00.003-06:00

Teresa May Nelson

August 2, 1967-June 9, 2001

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

2008-06-09T09:47:00.008-06:00

As everyone knows, my Grandma Dille was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the beginning of the year. The whole family started the "what can we do" thought process. My mom's work had a team participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. It is an event that begins Friday night and a each member of the team is supposed to take turns walking the track until 7 am the next morning. It is symbolic of the phases of cancer and how cancer patients feel during their battle and treatment. Unfortunately, Grandma lost her battle with cancer before the Relay, so we ended up doing it in her memory. Since Grandma is dutch --we spent a few nights making a windmill out of fridge and dishwasher boxes. I think it turned out pretty neat.

This is the color guard at the start of the night

Here is the Dall Family in front of the windmill

Here's mom and the girls. We had shirts made in honor of Grandma. The front had a little dutch girl and "Onze Held" which means "Our Hero" in dutch. Here's the back...

Grandpa Dille came up for the caretakers lap. He was impressed with the windmill in honor of Grandma and even teared up a little. Grandpa told me to make sure to get a colonoscopy when it's time.....he said if he would have forced grandma to go sooner, we may still have her. I'm not sure if that's true, but I do believe that everyone should be tested when it's time!

Here is the whole Zweifel family - or as we liked to say "Team Windmill"

Here's the girls and grandpa

After the survivors and caretakers took a lap, the Relay started and we started walking....and walking.....and walking....

I am so thankful I have such supportive friends - here's Jenny and her family walking (thanks Jenny!)

Ian, Kristen, Mom and Andrea

When it got dark, they started the Luminaria Ceremony. Anyone could make a donation and get a bag in celebration or in memory of someone affected by cancer. Ben Lomond High's drummers and bag pipers played and everyone marched behind them

Bradee, Mom and Dad

Jen, Easton, McKenna, Kaylee

Garrett & James

Kaycee, Dave, Bradee

Marlee & Me

Riley & Rachel

The bag pipers then played Amazing Grace (while teardrops from heaven fell) and everyone knelt. Then each person stood and lit their candle and they read off who you were there in support of.

Mom stood first

Here are our luminaries in front of our camp site

Then.......you guessed it.......MORE WALKING!!!

Bradee and Dave

Mom, Brynlee & Garrett

During the night, they played E.T. on the scoreboard

It was REALLY cold, waiting for turns to walk

Jenny and Kayden

Rachel, Kristen, Mom and Garrett

After a LOOOOOOONG night (and the world's longest blog post) it was time to pack up and head home.

I truly hope that our efforts to raise money for cancer research helps other families who are affected by cancer. They said that 95% of people will be affected by cancer in their immediate family. That's a lot. So please, have a colonoscopy, have a mammogram, talk to your doctors if you have a family history and let's catch it before it's too late! Thanks again to everyone who donated to our team! You are WONDERFUL!

Lagoon!!!

2008-06-06T11:46:00.004-06:00

We went to Lagoon yesterday and had a blast! Marlee was such a brave girl, she went on all sorts of rides.

Marlee and I on the Dino Drop

Kaycee and Miranda

Bradee and Marlee

Dad waiting patiently in line....

Thanks Jimmie for the tickets! We had lots of fun!!!

Special Tribute

2008-06-02T15:41:00.002-06:00

Bradee, Kaycee and myself did a special tribute dance for my Grandpa Zweifel and Grandma Dille for our Recital - Here is the video that played during the dance......MISS YOU and LOVE YOU!!!

Dance Recital

2008-06-02T13:36:00.009-06:00

Friday night was our dance recital and the girls did AwEsOmE!!! It was really nice to have such a great turn out from our supportive family - minus a few.

Here are their class pictures:

Mesquite & Vegas

2008-05-27T12:55:00.004-06:00

We went to Mesquite and Las Vegas for a short get-away for Memorial Weekend.

Here we are in front of our condo

We hung out by the pool, played games, watched movies and ATE A LOT.

We drove down to Vegas and ate at the "Star Trek Experience"

Kristen and I rode the "Big Shot" on the top of the Stratosphere (this picture is pre-ride - I think my face would have been a little green post-ride!)

and Dad went for the "X-Scream" (I know it's not a great picture, but we couldn't get any good ones of him actually on the ride - p.s. he got to sit with some really "hot" drunk chick!)

Here's a cool picture of Stratosphere from the ground.

Oh, and we ate at a restaurant called "Buffalo's" so I had to throw this picture in for Camille! love ya! :)

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T12:41:00.002-06:00

We made sure to visit Grandpa Zweifel's and Grandma Dille's graves for memorial day. It was very hard for me this year, I think the first time always is and it just makes you miss both of them a lot. Love you Grandpa & Grandma!!!

Last day of school

2008-05-27T12:10:00.006-06:00

Friday was Bradee & Kaycee's last day of school. I can't believe how fast this year has gone! I also can't believe that my girls are now "unofficially" 4th and 2nd graders!

Here they are headed out to school - I told them to say "last day of school" when I took the picture, but only Kaycee did.....Bradee said she wasn't "celebrating" the last day cuz it made her sad, and Marlee said "I can't say that......I don't go to school!"

After school we took our first trip as a family on the new Front Runner train down to Salt Lake.....it was a long ride for the kids, but fun, I suppose :)

We grabbed dinner (we don't recommend SkyBox, by the way) looked in a few stores, watched the water fountain and then headed to Build-A-Bear Workshop so the girls could have an animal for all their hard work this year!

Marlee got to stuff hers first, since she's never done it before. She chose a Koala bear she named Cinderella (shocker, I know!)

Kaycee went next. She chose a Monkey who ended up being named McKinzie.

Bradee waited patiently for her turn. She picked a cute puppy that she named Harry Friend. Wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that she's reading Harry Potter???? hmmmm

Here they are with their finished animals....

Then it was one more stop at the fountain before we headed home.

Bradee & Kaycee both did such a great job at school this year. I am really proud of their accomplishments and look forward to new teachers, new friends and new experiences next year!

Pre-school graduation

2008-05-27T12:05:00.005-06:00

Big day for the triplets!!! Preschool graduation - can you believe it??? Seems like just yesterday we were visiting them in I.C.U. - Now they're just about ready for Kindergarten! Here they are waiting for their "diplomas".

Here they are as the featured preschoolers for the Jingle Bells song

Way to go Brynlee, Easton & McKenna!!!

My Boss Rocks!

2008-05-27T12:00:00.000-06:00

My Boss hooked us up with some really nice landscape rocks so that we won't have to have that nasty weedpile for a flowerbed anymore!!! Yay!!! Don't they look great?!!?!?

Pictures FiNaLlY!!!

2008-05-22T10:48:00.003-06:00

The pictures from the Ogden Marathon 5k were finally posted this morning......enjoy!

and yes, it really is as painful to run as it looks! hee hee hee!

100% ROBBED!!!

2008-05-22T10:39:00.003-06:00

Pretty sure I'm not the only one totally upset about last night's results! David Archuleta was ROBBED of the title of this year's American Idol. I have and now always will believe it's RIGGED!!! This due to the fact that only approx 1 in 10 calls for votes would actually go through - spread that out over 4 hours of voting and voila - 12 million votes!!!

Oh well.........I still think he's the winner!!!

Ogden Marathon 5k

2008-05-20T08:38:00.002-06:00

Saturday, Jenny, myself, Jen and James headed up to the Timbermine Restaurant at 6:30 a.m. (crazy I know, and super cold, by the way!) for the Ogden Marathon 5k. It was a beautiful run and it was PaCkEd!!! Due to the crowd, I came in a little slower than I would have liked, but I'm stoked that I RAN the whole way and came in pretty dang close to my 30:00 goal. My final time was 30:21! Jenny ran an awesome 31:04 and Jen and James ran a STELLAR 26:53 and 25:45 respectively. Jen and I have pie in the sky ambition and will shoot for a longer race next year!For right now all you get is the logo........since it's hard to run with a camera, but check back for pictures -- there's a company that sits along the course and takes pictures and they should be up "mid-week" -- or so they say!

Oh how sweet!

2008-05-19T15:40:00.003-06:00

Kaycee and Marlee decided they wanted to help do dishes on Friday night.......it was pretty cute, and there was only 8-10 gallons of water on the kitchen floor.

Thanks girls!!!

3rd Grade Talent Show

2008-05-14T09:48:00.002-06:00

This morning was Bradee's 3rd Grade Talent show. She chose to jumprope for her talent and did "criss cross" jumps! She did really good! She said she was very nervous, but I'm proud of her to get up in front of all her friends and all the parents!

Bradee in action......

Way to go Bradee!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T09:58:00.004-06:00

Well, what is there to say except we really love our moms! I don't think it's ever been more clear to me how much love a daughter can have for her mother. I just hope some day I can fill my mom's shoes and make her proud of the woman I've become!

I love you mom!

Dave and his Mom (the "girls" otherwise known as daughter-in-laws took Diane to Cafe Rio on Friday night for Mother's Day, but I didn't get any pictures!)

We also stopped by Kaysville Cemetery to leave Grandma some flowers for Mother's Day. (Ours are the tulips on the left) As sad as it is to have her gone and miss her so badly, I can't even begin to imagine the wonderful day she's having with her Mom!

and Happy Mother's Day to all the other great Moms I know!

Nephi Canyon

2008-05-12T09:32:00.006-06:00

Saturday we drove down to Nephi Canyon to roast hot dogs with Dave's side of the family and "hunt" the infamous watercress I've heard about for 12 years!

Here's Dave roasting our hot dogs, they were delicious!

It was a long walk to the potty!

The kids playing at the river

Bradee was intrigued watching Douglas cut watercress

The girls all picked flowers for an early Mother's Day present - how sweet!

Here's Becca and Will

Will liked to pull on Kaycee's hair

All in all it was pretty fun, next time I hope it's a little warmer!

Race for the cure

2008-05-12T09:02:00.005-06:00

My friend Kristel and I have been talking about our "bucket lists" - ya know, stuff you want to do before you die, and I've had this one on my list since my dear friend Becky's sister passed away 7 years ago of breast cancer. So.......EARLY saturday morning, Jenny and I and two girls from Jenny's work (Candice & Sandy) headed down to the Gateway to participate in the

Susan G. Komen Race for the cure.

I honestly have never been in a place where you could feel the energy and emotion so strongly. There were over 17,000 people participating in either the walk or the run and most of us had "back signs" on to recognize people who have either lost their battle with or are currently battling breast cancer. Here's mine in Memory of Teresa...

After we finished the 5k there was a massive group of people in the Gateway and all the survivors were wearing pink shirts. This gives me so much hope that people can survive breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second highest fatal cancer in women......so as corny as this may sound - please do your self-exams and get a mammogram - I know way too many wonderful women to lose them this way!

After the race there was also a health expo north of Gateway and there were lots of vendors handing out fun stuff. I was so thrilled that Dave and the girls came down to cheer us on, because not only do I race for Teresa, I race for my girls, my mom, my sisters, my friends and every other woman! I love you all!

Oh P.S. - my goal was to finish the 5k under 30:00 and I did it in 28:50!!! Yay!!!

Mom Song

2008-05-08T13:00:00.003-06:00

This lady, Anita Renfroe, put together a 2:55 song that has all the things a mom says in a day to her kids, I think it's hilarious............(make sure to pause my music)
Then she did one about what dad's say........

Dance Recital Time

2008-05-06T13:05:00.004-06:00

So I spent a large majority of my weekend working on stuff for our upcoming dance recital. Here's the boxes of costumes I sorted and put in bags for each girl with instructions, etc.

In case you don't know...... our Recital is Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the OWATC Business Building and we would love to see everyone there that can make it!

Friday Dinner

2008-05-06T12:56:00.003-06:00

We went to dinner friday with Mom (gma Elsa), Dad (gpa Dale) and Grandpa Dille (or little gpa Dille as Marlee calls him). We had a nice time and it's good to see my Grandpa out and about......I pray for him all the time, I'm sure he would appreciate anyone's prayers - even my girls ask that he be comforted each night at family prayer. This whole thing just seems unreal still.

Cute girls

2008-05-06T12:44:00.002-06:00

We went to Kirt's the other night for dinner because the girls wanted icecream. Well, if you don't already know, Kirt's is a Drive-In and their "prizes" for kids are much different than say Wendy's or Mc D's. Anyway, Marlee and Kaycee got seahorse combs and Bradee got a bear comb, so the next morning I walked into the bathroom to find Marlee combing Kaycee's ponytail. I thought it was pretty sweet! :) Here's a pic......

Double Date

2008-04-28T10:33:00.003-06:00

Saturday night the Dall's and the Dee's went on a double date. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory - oh yum!!!

Then we drove past Murray High School.....ya know, where David Archuleta goes (or went) to school. And holy cow, if you have to ask who David Archuleta is......Shame On You!!!
Then we went to Desert Star Theater and saw "The Wizard of Odd" - it was super good and super funny, I would give it 2 thumbs up!

Daddy Daughter Date

2008-04-28T10:12:00.004-06:00

Friday Night was a long-overdue Daddy Daughter Date with all the girls and, duh, dad!

We started off the evening at Crown Burger - Here's Jen and Rachel and Dad

Then it was off to Musgrove Family Bowl for an EXCITING (to say the least) 2 games. I'm pretty sure everyone could figure this out on your own - but just in case......I was low score on BOTH games!

Can't beat bowling shoes!

Then we finished the night at Coldstone for some yum-a-licious ice cream. We're going to have to make this a regular event, it was purdy darn fun!!!

p.s. this is Exhibit A of "if you want a good picture, just freakin' smile for me - ok!"

Progress and Memories....

2008-04-28T09:12:00.002-06:00

I know I'm a total nerd, but I'm so thrilled that the new, non-circular on-ramp for 12th Street is now open.......so thrilled I took pictures while driving - dangerous, I know, but what can I say? I'm a rebel!!!

Later that day, I took a stroll down memory lane.....This is the house I grew up in and the coolest Elementary School on the planet - Go Eagles!!! (P.S. They're tearing down my school, so I had to get a photo!)

Scariest day of my life!!!

2008-04-25T08:59:00.003-06:00

I stole these pictures off Linny's blog, I just wanted everyone to see the strides I'm taking in trying to overcome my fear of dogs....

Mind you, I just about wet my pants out of fear! And Lindsay almost did do - but from laughing!

Happy B-day Chatelains!!!

2008-04-24T11:40:00.005-06:00

Kaylee and Garrett's Birthdays are only 8 days apart, so we all got together on Sun the 20th for a joint party. The BBQ was delightful and the cake was super delicious! Way to go Jen!

Kaylee-bug turned 11

Garrett turned 15 - holy cow I feel old!!!

Happy Birthday guys! We love you!!!

Baby Paxten

2008-04-24T11:30:00.003-06:00

Baby Paxten was born last week, but I've been having trouble uploading photos, so here's a picture of him in the NICU even though he's home now! Welcome to the family!

Congrats Ryan & Chelsi & Parker & Payton

In Loving Memory

2008-04-18T10:22:00.007-06:00

It's taken me a while to get up the courage to post this and even now I'm having a hard time.

Wij liefde U Oma!

Anna Maria Elisabeth Luttmer Dille

October 19, 1929 - April 11, 2008

Grandma's Dutch things and Missionary Books. I am so PROUD of my grandma and grandpa. They have served 3 full-time missions and 9 service missions. My grandma was very proud of her Dutch Heritage as well as her Divine Heritage and she was never afraid to show it. I took some time after the funeral to read her "Life History" that she had written and I am amazed by this woman! Any time I think I've got it hard, I will just think of all the trials my grandma went through so that I could be blessed with the life I have. I will miss her immensely!

Obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/saltlaketribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=107480545

Bon Jovi/DAUGHTRY concert

2008-04-17T10:43:00.003-06:00

Here is a video from the concert we went to Saturday Night. It was an awesome show and a great escape from reality for a minute :)

Here are some pics from the concert....Isn't Chris cute?!?!?

Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora

Daughtry and Bon Jovi singin "Blaze of Glory"