I love days like this!

Today I did have the plan to clean, finish the 'bottomless basket of laundry' along with all the bedding, play with kids, maybe take them to the library, and go to the post office and store. Do you think I did any of that stuff??? So, Richard started coughing a lot last night and on through this morning, a nasty deep chest cough that came out of nowhere. He checked his sick hours that he has available, (he had some built up) so I convinced him to stay home and rest. Now that I look back on my day, I did nothing but make french toast for breakfast, make lunch (called warming up chicken noodle soup), pick up toys a few times, watched a Baby Story on TLC and played monopoly online! Oh yeah, and had an hour and a half nap. My sister-in-law took her daughter and Preston to preschool, and Richard took Ethan to and from school. It was great! I don't even feel guilty cause I think I deserve it. I've been busy! But, is it this way with anyone else? The hubby stays home and throws off your whole schedule for the day? It was worth it, I must say.
Now tomorrow is a different story of course. It will be busy. Ho hum. But, I am going on a ladies night out tomorrow with some friends from church. Hogi Yogi and then to see the movie "Enchanted"! That gives me something to look forward to.
Thank goodness for days like today, though, that keep me sane!

I got tagged!

So, it's my turn to do the 5 things list. And, I am going to tag 5 people: Amy Lockhart, Holly Ward, Bethany Chambers, Tristi Pinkston and Emily Hartvigsen.

1. 5 Things on my To Do List:
laundry (it's always there!)
organize file drawers
clean out boys room, box up old toys
put photos in scrapbook
practice piano

2. 5 Jobs I've Held:
US water technologies (dumb telemarketing job)
Larsen's Health Foods
Good Earth Natural Foods
Piano teacher
Mom :)

3. 5 Places I've Lived:
Orem, Utah
Provo, Utah
Liverpool, England
Lancaster, England (among a few other cities)
Warren, Rhode Island

4. 5 of my Favorite Snacks
chips/salsa
white cheddar popcorn
cheese/crackers
candy
crackers/artichoke dip

5. 5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire
Pay off school loans
Go on a month long trip to Europe
Set aside $$ for kids college
Retirement savings
Shopping spree!!!!

Holiday Fun

Here are some photos from the holidays and Ethan's birthday. We had a lot of fun attending the Festival of Trees. We saw amazing trees and gingerbread houses! The kids had a great time there.
Ethan also turned 7 in December and wanted to go bowling. So packed up his cousin and a friend and went to BYU game center.
Christmas was great! The boys were spoiled by grandparents and a bit by us as much as we could. Since both of our families are within 2 blocks of where we live, we spent Christmas afternoon with my family, then the evening with Richard's family. We had a really fun time.

Excited for Christmas, despite....

So this season has been challenging financially. We had some $$ set aside for Christmas that we were so excited about! Then of course, what happens?? It all goes out the window to car brakes, cell phone bill that went way, way, way, way over (sob,sob), Salve Regina wanting $$ for books that weren't covered by our financial aid for his MBA, doctor bills and meds for Preston's asthma, and a few other things. Why does that always happen around this time of year? Oh yeah, Trials! Hmmm...how about in January or February instead. Oh well.

But, I am still loving Christmas time! I love being with family and shopping for everybody. I actually enjoyed making Christmas cards and newsletters and one big thing I did this past Sunday was accompany our ward choir in a Christmas choirside. Now you have to understand, our choir director is 91 years old and has had her calling for about 40 years! She loves the Mormon Tab choir, so she likes to do music that they do. Anyways, we performed about 9 songs that included 3 Handel's Messiah songs (yes, the Hallelujah chorus) and some other nicer songs. So I have been practicing like crazy lately. This Sunday we are going to her husbands rest home and putting on a program for their sacrament meeting, then we are heading back to our ward to do a musical program for our sacrament meeting. At least this keeps me at the piano. I do miss the ease and more simple songs we performed in our ward choir in Rhode Island! (Thanks, Holly!)

I hope eveyone's finale of Christmas shopping is pleasant and successful! And may no financial troubles come your way!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

These guys are great! I love a good acapella group.

2005 Miami U. Cheezies a cappella: Facebook Song

This is pretty funny! To all of us addicts!

Evolution of Dance

Remember all these dances? This is great!

The Mom Song Sung to William Tell Overture with Lyrics

This is my absolute favorite! You have to listen to this song.

Sniff, sniff, but...must move on!

So, Richard had a series of great interviews with a company called Maleluca up in Idaho Falls a few weeks ago. It went really well for him. We got really excited about it as it's a job more in his field (International Relations) and it would pay more and housing is cheaper! What more could we ask for, right? Well, we just recieved a letter from them saying that there were many applicants and blah, blah, blah, they chose someone else. Grrrr! I was pretty upset. But, now we are accepting the fact that we may just be here for a while longer. Back to the drawing board.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in a week! When did that happen? We may be having my family over for 'the afternoon dinner' as my mom had some screws taken out of her foot yesterday and will be laid up for a week or so. Because both of our families live within 10 seconds of us, we're having a 12:00pm Thanksgiving lunch with my family, then we have to go to Richard's family dinner that night around 5:00 pm. I'm not eating at all the next day!

So is anyone else making their Christmas cards this year? I'm thinking about it. I guess I'd better think quick since Christmas is in a month! I like making cards, but, sometimes I get stressed with too many ideas on a card and then I can't decide what's cuter. We'll see what happens.

It's a Small World after all!

Wow, I had a great surprise this past week! Okay, where to start with this story. Back in 1993, I went to Ireland with my Mom and in one of the wards we visited I met a friend named Claire. We became good friends. I also met a friend of hers named Stephen Keery who was not a member at the time. Okay? Then I went on my mission in 1997 and in one of my areas I was attending some sort of conference and guess who I bump into? Stephen Keery. He was a missionary there for the deaf program. So we chatted for a few minutes then we may have seen each other off and on throughout the mission. Then I didn't hear anything from him since then. Well, this email I just received this last week was from both of them finding out if it was really me and I found that they are married to each other. Okay, to back up also a little bit, when Richard and I lived in Rhode Island we met a guy in our ward named Spence Rose. He was a single guy going to the same law school Richard went to. Well, we had found out that he went to Ireland on his mission and when he was talking about someone he had baptized that went to my mission I asked him what his name was and he said Stephen Keery! Wow is it a small world or what?!

SO! I hope the story made sense. I am just so amazed at how you can find people or how people you knew at one time find you years later and to be reunited as friends! I love it! I think God helps us find those friends again for a reason.

Anyways, that's my happy story for today!